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- 7 of Asia's toughest sports
- How to climb Mount Fuji the (really) hard way
- The Mumbai male commitment-phobe speaks
- Everything but the man: Chinese 'golden spinsters' just can't get hitched
- Like a hole in the head: The fundamental incomprehensibility of Thai politics
- Jakarta taste test: Street food vs. flashy cuisine
- Dry July: Sydney gives up the booze
| Posted: 23 Jun 2011 11:03 PM PDT Karate, sumo, judo, kung fu ... punch a board, push a fat guy out of a circle, beat up 26 guys in a row. Sure, these are strenuous sports. But even the tradition of earning belts can be overrated. As Bruce Lee once observed: "A belt is only to hold your pants up." Among Asia's many tests of guts and glory, the following are so brutal that at the end of the day their competitors are sometimes either dead or close to it. So, without further nervous stalling or wimpy excuse-making, let's get ready to crumble.
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| How to climb Mount Fuji the (really) hard way Posted: 23 Jun 2011 10:00 PM PDT When most people climb Mount Fuji, Japan's highest and most iconic peak, they start from the fifth station, which is already a good 2,300 meters up the side of the 3776-meter-tall mountain. Most of them will tell you that even climbing from there is hard enough, thank you very much. But for a group of international volunteers supporting Oxfam Japan, a true test of endurance and respect for the mountain is to scale it from the absolute bottom. So, on July 23, they'll be setting out to hike from Tagonoura Beach in Shizuoka all the way to the summit of Japan's symbolic volcano. |
| The Mumbai male commitment-phobe speaks Posted: 23 Jun 2011 06:58 PM PDT  You know the stereotype: the New York man-boy -- conflicted, commitment-phobic and confounding expectations at every turn. More into his buddies than his baby; happy to be in a relationship as long as the exit chute's in close proximity; eternally avoiding the BIG question, driving generations of worthy, wonderful, extremely marriageable women mad with anxiety. Is there any thing to suggest that his Mumbai cousin is reaching the same levels of toxicity? For the answer to that I take a trip to a South Mumbai jewelry store, my curiosity aroused by the news that Promise Rings have been flying off the shelves. |
| Everything but the man: Chinese 'golden spinsters' just can't get hitched Posted: 23 Jun 2011 03:00 PM PDT Single ladies of Asia who are past conventional marriageable age -- there is hope. Just look at 41-year-old pop diva Karen Mok who gleefully announced on stage that she is going to marry her high school sweetheart this year, after they reunited at a high school reunion. |
| Like a hole in the head: The fundamental incomprehensibility of Thai politics Posted: 23 Jun 2011 02:58 PM PDT The Thai general election is upon us, but if you've come here expecting a handy, cut-out-and-keep guide to what's going on, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. The nice people at the Bangkok Post have provided a "Dummy's Guide" to the poll (see below), which is lovely as far as the rules and mechanisms goes, and even suggests the potential make-up of any government coalitions once the votes have been totted up. But this doesn't offer the interested observer any idea on what makes the politicians tick, or how people decide how to vote. |
| Jakarta taste test: Street food vs. flashy cuisine Posted: 23 Jun 2011 02:55 PM PDT As Indonesia's economy grows and its earners start demanding more for their money, its traditional street-side eats, sold out of stalls called warungs, are being given a contemporary spin in modern restaurants. But does that make these new, revamped dishes superior? Here, locals compare the old with the new, to find out whether paying more means tasting better. The ratings are based on scores given by the tasters in each case.
Nasi gorengFried rice with sweet soy sauce Rating: Old = 8, New = 8.25 Price: Old = US$1.75, New = US$5.25 |
| Dry July: Sydney gives up the booze Posted: 23 Jun 2011 12:57 PM PDT  Drinkers across Sydney -- and Australia – are preparing to abstain from alcohol for the entire month of July to raise money for cancer patients. For the fourth year running, Dry July is encouraging people to raise money online by pledging to steer clear of the hard stuff for a month. All the money raised goes to benefit people living with cancer in Australia -- but the organizers aren't preaching anything other than the cause. "We've always made sure that Dry July isn't about anti-alcohol, so it's not about the dangers of binge drinking -- it's just about the challenge of taking a month off drinking," says co-founder Phil Grove. "We don't need to tell people that they might be drinking too much, but we offer a reason for taking a month off. |
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