Chiang Mai flower festival

Currently The 2010 Flower Festival is taking place here in The Northern Rose. It kicked of with OTOP market and walking street yesterday  and lots of nice flower shops of course. Then in the evening there was a the Beauty Contest and some contemporary Lanna Jazz live music in Suan Boak Had park.Today, the festival  started with a flower parade. All the festival floats parked at the Nawarat bridge and then slowly started moving towards Suan Boak Had park around 9 am this morning.

It is still possible to see the floats in the park, and there will be more live music in the evening.

Please enjoy some of the pictures from the festival:

© Text & 
Photos, 
Per Sundberg

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Filed under  //   Festivals   Flowers  

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Fun and Beauty

Festivals of fun and beauty in Thailand

After staying in Thailand for a while you start to realise how many festivals are held here. Thailand is simply the country of festivals. These are especially frequent in the north and northeast of the country. In conjunction with a festival there is almost always a beauty contest. During the recent umbrella festival in Chiang Mais Bo Sang district in January Miss Umbrella was held, and in the upcoming flower festival in the beginning of Februari there will be a parade and another beauty contest. Thailand adores beauty and there are at least 500 different beauty contests per year held in the country. Every city has its own pageant and every harvest season creates a reason to have yet another beauty contest. Miss Strawberry, Miss Garlic, Miss Durian just to name a few. In connection with the marketing of new products  there are also beauty contests when the companies launch their products. Miss Mobile IT and Miss Science are two examples.

Democracy Training
According to the book Very Thai. The first beauty contest was held on Constitution Day, December 10, 1934. Believe it or not, but the contest was intended as an exercise in democracy. Simple, You got to vote who would win. To make sure that there would be attention and interest in democracy, it ought to be sanuk - ie. fun. The contest was called "Miss Siam National Beauty Contest" and the winner would be a true symbol of the goodness of the Thai race. Even the nationalist leader Phibun advocated beauty contests. 1941-1942 he promoted the Miss Afternoon Wear, to show that Thais were not some half-naked savages but modern and stylish just as westerners. Thailand has won Miss Universe twice, first time was in 1965 with beautiful Apasra Hongsakula and in 1988 won Porntip Nakhirunkanok who spoke Thai with an American accent.
Beauty ideals
In Thailand it is hip to have the Luuk Krung look, ie. mixed origin, "- I am Thai" but I have borrowed some from the west. Mix Haxholm from Sweden became Miss Thailand 2003. (In Sweden, perhaps best known as archery and sports commentator.)

Thai-Chinese origin are also common among movie stars and advertising models and for some time now there has been a great hype about Korea. 

Miss Second Kind of Woman and some of the more exotic kind of  "Miss titles"
 Each year the most beautiful katoy - "ladyboy", or Miss Second Kind of Woman competion is held in Pattaya. The official name is Miss Tiffany Universe. Miss Tiffany is originally an elaborate drag show that has been going on for 35 years. The competetion draws about 15 million viewers to the TV sets  every year. 20 years old Sorrawee Nattee won the competition in 2009.
Then we have a number of beauty contests for people that are overweight;
Miss Elephant, there is also Miss IMF (I am very fat) and Miss WTO (Weight top over). The idea here is to promote self-esteem in overweight men and women. The winners missions could be to be an ambassador for instance to protect endangered elephants. During a competition in Bangkok, organizers had to build a special stage that could hold all the 24 finalists, which together weighed 2.5 tonnes. One of the more exotic competitions would be the Miss Drunk contest. A local alcohol company put up a contest where you should drink five shots and then smoothly pass a slalom course with whisky bottles as cones. The race was complicated by the fact that the participants wore a traditional silk dress and a crown of gold on their head.
And if there is a competition for the drunk, there are of course also competions for hangover, Miss Hang as in hangover. 
Miss Wheelchair is another example of a bit odd beauty contest, but is not seen in Thailand as something politically incorrect. (In neigboring Cambodia you even find Miss Landmine).
In Chiang Mai there has also been a contest of the most beautiful Miss Chiang Mai since the beauty competion started. A lady who was in the competion 1939 put on her robes again and was carried through town in a parade.
Well the point is, if you see that there is a festival coming up, there will surely be beauty competion. At The Northern Rose we will do our best to update our readers of whats going on in Chiang Mai the coming months.
Upcoming;
5-7 February Flower Festival Chiang Mai.
8-22 February Chinese New Year
For more on the calendar of the festivals in Thailand, visit the TAT website. 
© Text: Per Sundberg
© Photos: Jan Friman

 

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Filed under  //   Beauty Contest   Chiang Mai   Festivals   North Thailand   TAT calender   Thailand   Travel  

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Village festivals of Chiang Mai, Ban Patan (Pratan)

There is not a single month without a festival in the area of Chiang Mai. The major trend at the moment is that the smaller villages have their own festivals, with a walking street, lots of food, traditional dances and of course a live band and some fair amount of local whisky consumtion. From Ban Tawai, to Bo Sang and Muangkung to Ban Patan. It seems that every village in Chiang Mai is engaged in some kind of handicraft production and therefore promotes its own festival.

     
Click here to download:
Village_festivals_of_Chiang_Ma.zip (4031 KB)

My favorite from last year is Ban Pratan.
It was held between September 11-13 in the area where they make the charming garden dolls in Chiang Mai. (Hopefully, this year there will be another festival.) I didn´t know that all these dolls seem to me made in more or less the same place in Chiang Mai.

Me and my wife were driving on the main road between Hang Dong and Chiang Mai (108) and  suddenly we saw this huge sign. Another festival taking place. How to keep track of all of these festivals I thought? Luckily though, we decided to have a look. When we drove in through the narrow soi, we didn’t feel like we were in Chiang Mai at all. In a few minutes the noise of the big city was exchanged to the sounds of a countryside village. With my pocket camera I took a snapshot of one of the ladies making and selling clay dolls. It took her only 20 minute to make one doll! I wasn’t sure as of why I took the picture. But later Jan told me;

- Well look at her face and then look at the dolls she is making. That is the explanation to why you took the picture.

It was a great local festival. The street was extremely long and there were clay and stone dolls exhibited outside every house, all the way up to the local temple.

The villagers said that the village can be visited any day of the year, but since its still fairly unknown. Most shop keepers sell their products to the flower markets and to the Ban Tawai-handicraft area for retail. Now they hope that more people will find their way here, and this was only the start of a new festival tradition.

- Where is Ban Patan?

When you drive on road 108 from Chiang Mai Central Airport towards Hang Dong, look to left just before the traffic light, where you turn right to go to the Night Safari and the flower expo, there you can see a big doll and a sign that welcomes you to Ban Patan.

© Text and Photo: Per Sundberg

 

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Sa Mer Jai - Khao Soi - Part 3(3)

Just by the river Ping we enjoy a lunch at the famous Khao Soi (Khao Sawy) Sa Mer Jai. ( ร้านข้าวซอยเสมอใจ)

At lunch time the place fills up with Thai people, all proving that this place still provides great taste and value for the money. This restaurant is an institution when it comes to typical northern Thai style Khao Soi. There are quite a few restaurant down by the river in this area that seems appeling by the way.

 

 

In our case though we were more impressed by the fantastic northern Thai dish, Gaeng Hangley , than the Khao Soi noodle curry soup.

Gaeng Hangley is a sweet, sour and spicy pork curry, cooked for a few hours in a ginger-tamarind sauce. It’s not that easy to make a perfect blend of sweet sour and spicy but here in Sa Mer Jai- simply a perfect balance! Gaeng Hangley is also a popular choice at kantoke, northern Lanna Thaidinners where its served with khao niow (sticky rice). Sa Mer Jais selection of colorful Thai desserts that mostly are based on coconut milk or egg were also impressing.


After lunch we relaxed at Wat Faham temple nearby, enjoying the silent flow of the muddy brown Ping river together, with a fresh brewed coffee from the local “buscafe”!


Kao Soi Sa Mer Jai

Telephone 05324 2928

Coordinates: 18°48'14"N   99°0'17"E

Adress:

391 M.2 Jalernraj.Rd

T.Fahar. A Muang

Chiang Mai

 

© Text, Per Sundberg

© Photo, Jan Friman

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Join us for Khao Soi - Part 2(3)

Khao Soi Islam-  Khao Soi the Haw (Ho) Muslim way

If you are on the night bazaar street in Chiang Mai, you also happen to very close to a small side street which is home to the most typical lunch dish in the north. On Charoen Prathet soi 1, you will find the roots of Khao Soi.

 

Charoen Prathet ("improve the country"), soi 1 is a narrow street inhabited of Chinese Haw Muslims. Once you enter the soi you feel more like you are in Malaysia or Indonesia than Thailand. You can see a big mosque, Muslim tailors, Hassans mobile shop and yes indeed a few Khao Soi restaurants. On the Charoen Prathet street, Chinese Haw Muslim caravans ended their long journey from the south of China, and these Haw traders introduced the dish to the northern parts of Thailand, Shan - Burma, and northern Laos. 

 

Try Khao Soi Islam restaurant, they have been in business for around 50 years. The present owner khun Wanida Lertpunwilai said that her parents couldn’t come up with a catchy name, therefore they decided to name the restaurant after the main dish they served, that is Khao Soi the Haw Muslim version. 

Khao Soi Islam serves a Khao Soi close to Yunnan’s version, but slightly modified for the northern Thai market. The coconut milk is lighter then in the thai verison. The original yunanese style seems to have been served with a clear soup and rice noodles. Where and when the coconut milk came in to the picture is somewhat of a mystery? Some people say it can be traced to a Burmese noodle dish, someone says Shan origin and someone claim it might come from the royal cuisine of Bangkok. I try to ask in every restaurant where I eat Khao Soi and the owners all have different answers. In Khao Soi Islam the egg noodles are not strongly yellow colored and they are a bit slippery (the owner claims that the yellow color used can cause to cancer). Not everyone has this idea, someone say the yellow color comes from the healthy tumeric herb. Chicken or beef Khao Soi are the trademarks of the restaurant, but also a vegetarian version can be served. The small pickles are also sweeter then what you get in the normal Lanna Khao Soi and the chili paste is claimed to have a touch of Sichuan spiciness.

 

This restaurant is a personal favorite when it comes to Khao Soi in Chiang Mai. Why? Well, the dish really has a very unique character in this restaurant. Maybe its just imagination but Khao Soi Islam’s Khao Soi feels like a dish quite true to the origins when the dish was first introduced in Thailand.

- The Price?  Just, 30 baht!


The service is fast, and many of the other dishes on the menu are also worthwhile testing. For instance try their spicy beef curry or their crispy fish snacks.

 

Khao Soi Islam is one of these restaurants that doesn’t look inviting at all from the outside, but just see the crowd at lunch time and the continuous flow of people throughout the day and you will understand that there is something about this place. So don’t miss out. Later on, you can compare it to eating Khao Soi in some of the other famous northern thai restaurants and compare the difference between the styles of Khao Soi.

 

Text and Photo: ^PS


 

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Filed under  //   Eating in Asia   Eating in Thailand   Night Bazaar  

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Join us for Khao Soi - Part 1(3)

Food of the Southern Silk Road - The history of khao soi
When you come to Chiang Mai. Forget all about chicken with cashew nuts, beef in oyster sauce and sweet and sour pork. Try Khao Soi instead, one of the dishes really associated with northern Thailand. But what is today a typical northern thai dish has ,according to some ,a shanburmese name and roots back to southern China (in chinese the dish is called something like "ming"and even the Turkish-Muslim cuisine. 

The history of this popular lunch dish actually gives testify about the entire region's ethnic diversity. It tells about exciting cultural meetings, where the trade between different areas created a whole new food culture in the region. Khao Soi appears to have been introduced to Thailand by chinese haw muslims from Yunnan. The haw, in their turn, are originally a turkish people from Central Asia, that in the 13th century worked for the great Khublai Khan to guard the Yunnan region, while he was planning his invasion of the Pagan Empire in Burma.


In return for their effort, they were offered to take chinese wifes and several generations later, they have adopted a more chinese appearance. 

Haw people became over time the southern Silk Road merchants. Trade between Yunnan, Thailand, Burma and Laos relied on on them, and while they were trading they spread their food culture as well, and when it met tai/shan culture. The splendid taste of modern khao soi was the result. One addition from tai culture is said to be the coconut milk. Khao soi later spread throughout Chiang Mai, since this was the city where the trade caravans finished. Later on when more and more haw chinese came to work on the railway between Chiang Mai and Bangkok, the haw kitchen gained even more influence (see Early travelers of Chiang Mai).


Khao Soi is in many ways the ultimate composition of food. It consists of coconut milkfresh egg noodles, and on top, crispy yellow egg noodles, a kind of chilli saucelime, and then topping with picklesshallots and dried chilli if you so desire. In most cases it is based on chicken. It can also be made as a vegetarian dish if you wish. 


The fun is to see when foreigners are served a bowl of khao soi the first time. Chopsticks and a spoon are provided!

- Eating soup with chopsticks - the puzzled tourist exclaims!? 


So then, Khao Soi isn´t really a soup, or to put it more correct; it is more than just soup!

Khao Soi is a  curry noodle soup. The dish is best described that way. Not as simple as soup and more than noodles - the ultimate blend of curry, soup and noodles. I mean why have only soup when you can have curry and why eat only curry when you can add noodles. Just Brilliant! A well-cooked Khao Soi really satisfies the needs of your taste buds, strong, mild, slightly sweet, sour ,and slight touch of bitternes, which comes from the pickled vegetables.

Please join us for Khao Soi at The Northern Rose. We will be presenting some of Chiang Mais Khao Soi restaurants in our upcoming posts.


You can also find other storys related to khao soi on the TNR Reference Archives [@Twine_official]


^PS

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Filed under  //   best food of Chiang Mai   Burma   China   curry   dining   food of asia   khao soi   lunch   noodles   Silk Road   Travel   Yunnan  

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The Northern Rose Developers Blog

Introducing The Authors Uncut on The Northern Rose Developers Blog

Here you will be able to check out "behind-the-scene" stories and get some glimpses of upcoming blog posts and articles being produced for thenorthernrose.asia - You will meet some Lanna-feel-good people, you'll get notified of interesting upcoming events and we will share tips and recommendations about special places and destinations.
We also plan to showcase and offer uniquely crafted products and art from the region.

You are hereby warmly invited to join the TNR Web Eco System at these following web spaces:

✎ We will add further links and content to this list as the network develop

If you have any questions or maybe even wish The Northern Rose to host your experience while visiting the Chiang mai-region then please don't hesitate to contact us at thenorthernrose@gmail.com and we will provide you with our best recommendations.

^JF
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Filed under  //   blogging   Chiang Mai   Events & Happenings   Thailand   Travel  

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Be Cool in Thailand, Go North!

After the merit making for 10.000 Buddhist monks, the street of Nimmanhemin in Chiang Mai has been hosting two larger events.  The first one was NAP (Nimman Street Art and Promenade จัดงานที่นิมมานเหมิ) which took place between 5-9th December on soi 1- the soi of design and contemporary art. Just as the name say, this was an opportunity for designers and artists to show their work. Closing the street for traffic turned soi 1 in to a "pedestrian paradise". 

 


Then to be in phase with the climate conference in Copenhagen, Think Green (10-13th December) –  an initiative to promote the future of environmental friendly Lanna architecture, took place opposite Amari hotel. It seems that by focusing on the traditional Lanna type of house much can be won in terms of green housing. The event also put some focus on rediscovering bamboo- the plant of life.

 


However, Nimmanhemin is primarily a place to go people watching. December is the time when Thai people go north, it seems hugely important for some Bangkokians to show up at trendy places and coffeeshops (such as Wavee coffee) in winter clothes at this time of the year.


Text: ^PS & Photo: ^JF

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Filed under  //   Chiang Mai   Events & Happenings   Festivals   Thailand   tourism   Travel  

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Guide to Nimmanhemin - Street of Fashion and Trends Northern Thailand

Visiting Chiang Mai?  

Don't miss the Nimmanhemin street in the western part of Chiang Mai. It has been the place to be for a few years now. 

This area is more of a phenomenon then an ordinary street. It is an area developed when Chiang Mai University started to gain importance but was almost destroyed due to the building of a new super highway. However, Nimman as the locals call the area survived and is thriving with activity. Fashionable, young and innovative. 

Nimmanhemin has it all: Hotels, Spa's, Boutiques, Cafés, Galleries and a buzzing Nightlife of course!


Here are a few quick tips to get you started. Enjoy!

 

Design and fashion

Most of the trendy boutiques can be found in soi.1

Suriyan Chandra - In a room with world music and sleepy cats you find collections in clay featuring the daily life of Chiang Mai, monks and fat ladies catches the eye.

Also notice Gong Dee Gallery blending the best of lanna thai traditions with a touch of Japan. Maew Jai Dee has all the aromatic candles you can think of and Loyfar exhibits fantastic pewter products.


Nightlife

There are a lot of places to choose from. These are some of the most popular ones. Note that all bars, restaurants and nightclubs close at 24.00! So a good time to start your "nightly" activities is around eight o'clock. 
Cafe Warm Up - Always full and many livescenes to fit all kinds of music tastes. Main street Nimmanhemin.
Monkey Bar - Year after year it proves to be one of the most popular nightspots in Chiang Mai. Their logo can be found on cars all over Northern Thailand.
The Glass Onion - Great lounge bar, on the otehr side of teh road opposite Warm Up.


Eating out

Thai

Just all over the place really. One institution on Nimmanhemin main street is the Hong Tauw Inn which serves good northern thai dishes in an old house full of clocks on the wall.  

 

Italian

Beccofina - An Italian Trattoria(!) coming at a price you can afford. Plenty of food. Great Pizzas from the Wood Oven - at Soi 7.


Tapas
Su Casa - Between soi 11 and 13. Try their spicy oysters. Maybe some of the best cocktails in town. Try their Watermelon Margerita. Yum! 

Hamburgers
Mikes 
- Claiming they are converting vegetarians. On the main street of Nimmanhemin.

Noodles 
Nua Tun Rot Yiem - Fantastic beef noodles opposite Su Casa.
Noodle Mao - Bamii noodles in a trendy little shop. End of soi 5. All Authentic. Mao watches over you! 
Khun Mor - More good noodles in soi 17, opposite the popular vegetarian restaurant Khun Churn. Also here you will find some great vegetarian choices. Try their Blueberry Soda. 

Vegetarian
Khun Churn
  A rich buffé coming at great value. Current fixed rate for lunch buffet is around 90 Baht (around 3 USD).  Try their menu which has a great variety of typical northern style dishs. Soi 17.

Icecream
Iberry 
- Try durian or spicy mango icecream in a fashionable garden setting. Opened by a famous thai stand up comedian with a big nose (Check out the huge yellow dog at the entrance and you'll understand). Soi 17.

Check out our guide map on Google Maps >

Text: ^PS
Photos: ^JF

 

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Filed under  //   art   Chiang Mai   fashion   food   guide   nightlife   Thailand   trends  

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6.09, Magical Lanna mornings - When 10.000 monks appeared in Chiang Mai

Saturday 28th November, at 6.09 in the morning, busload after busload with saffron colored monks are entering Nimmanhemin Rd in Chiang Mai.
 
According to the organisers 10.000 monks from different parts of Thailand, Burma and Laos are participating in this form of meritmaking, or Thambon. This is the term for merit making and function like a kind of religious bridge between the layman and the monks, who are the reservoirs of merit that the laymen morally can benefit from. Except from the benefit of meritmaking itself, money and food donations are also given for various benefitting purposes.

I have always been impressed by the large number of monks walking through Mae Hong Son or Luang Prabang in Laos at dawn.
This, event was however of an entirely different magnitude. The sidewalk full of people waiting to pay respect to the monks, many of them dressed in white holding the buddhist symbol of a lotus between their hands. The monks in their turn are taking pictures themselves and the event. They seem to be enjoying themselves while preparing their walk through Nimmanhemin.
 
This amazing event is a kick off for a lot of happenings that will take place in Nimmanhemin area and other areas in December.
December is the month when Nimmanhemin really comes alive with jazz afternoons and “walking streets”. There is also the Royal flower show in Ratchapreuk Gardens starting on the 1:st of December running all through the 10:th of December.

Thenorthernrose.asia will of course make an effort to envision these illustrious events. We warmly welcome you to join us in some of the most colorful events in Chiang mai.

Text and Photo: ^PS

 

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Filed under  //   buddhism   Chiang Mai   Events & Happenings   History   Nimmanhemin   religion   Thailand   Travel  

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About

In late 2009 the neighbors and tennis partners, Jan Friman and Per Sundberg, thought it was time share the well hidden treasure and story of The Northern Rose - A Kingdom of Well Being.

The title describes an ancient region were people through the centuries have learned to live in peace and harmony, based on the Buddhist philosophy. The tribal people from this region have at the same time developed a unique sense of maintaining a delicate balance with nature.

To inspire people and visitors, contributing and spreading knowledge about this precious lifestyle in todays fast evolving society, they decided to start a common publishing project and business venture: The Northern Rose - A Kingdom of Well Being.

The project aims to awaken and grow travelers and peoples interest in South East Asian culture, to investigate and publish stories on the development of the Lanna region in Northern Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

Bios:
Jan Friman, 45, is an experienced photo journalist, project manager and management consultant from Stockholm, Sweden.

Jan started his career as a Freelance photographer back in the mid 1980's, after photographic studies in Rome. In the early 1990's he ventured into the art business and trade, starting his own contemporary art gallery. He also began his studies of Art Science in the University of Stockholm.

Jan carried out photographic assignments companies like Inter IKEA Brussels, Gourmet, Dagens Nyheter, Norstedts, Elle interior and Charlotte Lund Gallery.

In the mid 1990's Jan got assignments as a assistant art director, creative director and project manager for several national and international advertising agencies like Producenterna, Intellecta, Young and Rubicam and Wognum. Working with clients like Posten, Scania, Ericsson Mobile Europe and Nordea.

Early 2001 Jan got recruited by a Swedish IT company (Kentor), working as a management consultant for companies Ericsson Business Innovation, Com Hem and LRF.

In 2004 Jan decided it was time to leave the Swedish capital, settling in the beautiful region of Dalarna in north of Sweden. There Jan started a successful regional innovation project, financed by the Swedish Government (NUTEK) for small businesses called "Företagsdialogen"/"The Corporate Dialogue" working as its project manager for 3 years.

After meeting his lovely wife Thanya on a holiday trip to the northern regions of Thailand, Jan decided to settle in Chiang mai, Thailand in late 2007.

Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/janfriman
Linked In | http://www.linkedin.com/in/janfriman
Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/janfriman
...

Per Sundberg, 36, from Jönköping, Sweden, has been hosting Scandinavan visitors in the Asian region for more then ten years. He is working for the acclaimed Swedish culture & adventure tour agency TEMA Resor.

Per has a university background with studies in Humanities such as History, Religion, Philosophy and Literature and started the Asian experience as a teacher in Taiwan 1995.

Apart from Taiwan, Per has lived in Japan, China and finally settled in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with his lovely thai wife Tak and their son Alexander.

During the years Per has developed a great understanding of the cultures and the people in the region. He is also working part time writing short travel stories for travel magazines.

The last 4 years Per shared his views on Asia in a much appreciated blog, "Fotavtryck i Asien"/"Foot prints in Asia" (in swedish) for people with a keen interest in Asia.
www.fotavtryckiasien.com