Ijen caldera is one large crater that has much sulfur, which lies hidden between sheer walls of deeply furrowed rock of Ijen Volcano. This volcano emits gasses through fumaroles inside the crater and the miners trapped the gasses through stone and ceramic pipes to condenses the gasses into a molten pure sulfur and then, load [...]

‘Though people will find this place silly and nonsense, but learning the wisdom of Allah is every Moslem’s right, including transvestites!‘ said Maryani, 48 years old transvestites who’s also the founder of the Koran School for the transvestites and transsexual named ‘Pesantren Senen – Kamis’ in Notoyudan, Jogjakarta – Indonesia. Today the ‘Senen [...]

One of the world’s oldest cities, Kashgar serves as both the spiritual and political capital of traditional Uighur culture.  Since 1949, the modern People’s Republic of China has exerted strong control over the region, and Kashgar has been particularly hard hit.  Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, a province covering 1/6th of China’s territory holds a majority [...]

In Cambodia today, there is an increasing number of emotionally disturbed persons. Traditionally the emotionally disturbed in Cambodia have suffered from the trauma caused by the historical tragedy of the  Khmers Rouges, who killed one third of the population and virtually enslaved the rest. But now, according to  Psychologists in Phnom Penh, we have to [...]

Vietnam’s capital is at a critical junction, balanced precariously between its past and present, trying to maintain a certain sense of culture and identity while integrating further into the global economy. Rice fields and farmlands are being overtaken by new highways, skyscrapers and industrial areas. The lakes and rivers for which the city was once [...]

Thaipusam is the biggest annual Hindu festival in Malaysia, celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan, the youngest son [...]