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Granny exorcists, volcanic ash update, absurd new drinking laws
Exorcism grannies, Volcanic ash update, absurd new drinking laws
Gallery: Staying afloat on Bangkok's canals
大嶼山的水牛怎麼了？
Best Hong Kong exorcism: Beating 'petty people' under Canal Road
Gallery: Singapore's vibrant wet markets
Rohan Joshi: The guys who made Mumbai's new drinking law must have been drunk
Top 3 value hotels in Seoul

Granny exorcists, volcanic ash update, absurd new drinking laws

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 09:20 PM PDT

Exorcism grannies, Volcanic ash update, absurd new drinking laws

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 09:10 PM PDT

Gallery: Staying afloat on Bangkok's canals

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 06:59 PM PDT

Thailand's floating markets attract thousands of tourists every year. But boat vendors are more than just a novelty.

Many khlong-side residents, living in stilted houses above the water, rely on boat-borne vendors for everything from propane to fruit as these traders conveniently motor -- and in a few cases paddle -- right up to their steps to make transactions.

And then there are those who provide essential services like mail delivery, waste collection and even banking.

But for many, earning a living on the city's khlongs just isn't as viable as it once was, due to rising fuel and food prices.

大嶼山的水牛怎麼了？

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 05:08 PM PDT

沒精打采的水牛徘徊在大嶼山，在嚼路邊的草同時，阻塞著交通，那是大嶼山的其中一個可愛之處。由香港繁忙的商業中心區，只需半小時的航程就把你帶到這靜恬的郊外。可是近來，在梅窩的水牛數量明顯減少，政府殺了一半本地的牧群，現在可見的只剩下三隻。

何來﹣﹣大嶼山水牛協會主席，帶我們參觀梅窩裡水牛的地頭，說：「我們這裡需要水牛，濕地需要牠們，歷史需要牠們，人類需要牠們。牠們吸引遊客目光，讓到大嶼山變得獨特及使人興奮。」

另外一個梅窩生態景點：Ark Eden: 一頓飯中見生態系統

餘下的濕地天使

水牛為大嶼山添加不少田園氣息，可是當一隻水牛在 3 月 28 日於銀礦灣用角襲擊一名遊客後，政府決定驅趕梅窩已逐漸變少的牛群。當時，一頭年幼的公牛襲擊路過的一名男士及其三歲的女兒。牠把男子拋到空中，令他受到嚴重的腳傷，而小孩則沒有大礙。

何來說居民之前目擊過有青少年在海灘試騎水牛，而牠們亦可能被濕地附近的建築項目的嘈音引致情緒激動。

Best Hong Kong exorcism: Beating 'petty people' under Canal Road

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 03:00 PM PDT

Need to get someone off your back? Hire these mean exorcism grannies

Best Hong Kong exorcism beating petty people

The practice of "beating petty people" -- or "da siu yan" -- is a unique southern Chinese custom for exorcising any real or imagined demons.

Usually carried out by old ladies who are the de facto sorceresses of Hong Kong, the ceremony entails using a shoe to repeatedly hit a paper effigy that represents your nemesis -- the petty person.

Also watch Video: On the trail of a Hong Kong ghost.

The feisty old ladies are given HK$50 for their trouble. That's not a whole lot for giving you peace of mind. But for them, it's a higher calling.

Gallery: Singapore's vibrant wet markets

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 02:58 PM PDT

Discover the hustle and bustle, sights and sounds of Singapore's Tekka and Tiong Bahru wet market

Leave those air-conditioned environs, the piped music and the squeaky-clean floors.

While the rest of Singapore does its shopping at the mall, this island's numerous wet markets hum with the lively sounds of good old-fashioned commerce.

It's no mystery why they're regarded as "wet" -- fresh fish, raw meat and produce lies piled atop countless stalls, their various smells mixing with the scent of curries, herbs and fermented pastes on other stands.

Hands easily get wet in a place like this.

These cavernous confines come with a distinctly organic charm; here sellers are friends, price tags are nonexistent -- they're all committed to memory -- and cash is king (yes, prices are very low).

Rohan Joshi: The guys who made Mumbai's new drinking law must have been drunk

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 02:58 PM PDT

If you're in Mumbai and under the age of 25, get used to the joys of a fine mocktail. Or Google the art of home-brewing.

The good men that run the state of Maharashtra (of which Mumbai is the capital) have decided that if you're younger than 25, hard alcohol is not for you.

This is significant for two reasons.

1. Maharashtra now has one of the highest drinking-ages in the world. Elsewhere the average legal drinking age is between 18 and 21.

2. With this law, the Maharashtra government has done what most people thought was impossible; it has made people like it even less.

Top 3 value hotels in Seoul

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 02:56 PM PDT

In luxury-obsessed Seoul, searching for a quality hotel that won't leave you gasping over the final bill can be a daunting experience. These three hotels offer a lovely stay that doesn't break the bank.

ibis Myeong-dong

Located in the heart of Myeong-dong, the ibis Myeong-dong is ideal for those wanting to stay in the midst of busy, central Seoul. The hotel is just minutes from the Namdaemun market and not too far from the Namsan Tower. Visitors should request a room with a view of Namsan.

Although rooms are compact, they're built to optimize space so you won't feel claustrophobic. Come prepared though –- amenities are limited.