Something of use in Sakhalin and Bombay

Given the great disparities in climatic conditions for most of the year between the Russian Far Eastern island of Sakhalin and India’s chaotic metropolis, Mumbai, one would be hard-pressed to find a common item in a shoe-rack in both places. Yet, in the summer months on the Russian island, which coincide with the rainy season in the home of Bollywood, there is something that has universal value: the humble сапоги рыбака (sapogi ribaka or fisherman’s boots).

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Why I love Moscow

There's so much to see and do in Moscow and it goes way beyond the Red Square and the Kremlin.

Read about a few activities that you can undertake in 1 day in the Russian capital.

Impressions of Sakhalin

Being back home in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk after too long is a surreal feeling, despite the fact that the city is still stuck in a seasonal time-warp. May is usually glorious in the city with temperatures flirting around 20 degrees Celsius, especially in the latter part of the month. I have been told that the last few Mays have been cold here.

I landed here on a sunny day with the temperature at 5 degrees above zero. It warmed up as the day went by but now, I recall those long cold days I spent here. It's raining and there is a chilling breeze blowing south.

After getting used to the crowds in Moscow, it feels odd to see just a handful of people on the streets here. Some of the buildings on Lenin Street have been painted in very colourful combinations, whereas the rest of the city remains brown...The panels in the 1980s buildings are also fading...Dust storms and deplorable roads add to the decay, of which the icing on the bittersweet cake is smog, a completely new phenomenon in this city.

The month of Vesak

Holy to Hindus and Buddhists, this month usually coincides with the month of May every year. It was in Vesak that the Buddha attained enlightenment. I feel inspired when I think of the great man sitting under the Bodhi tree in Sarnath and using every ounce of mental strength to attain nirvana.

India in the days following the Buddha's attainment of Nirvana, saw its best days. I can't even imagine how simple life must have been in those days or how clean and pure the air and the great rivers of the country would have been then.

May the light of Vesak bring peace and contentment to people around the world

The Great China trip

There were so many impressions from my wonderful trip to the Middle Kingdom that somewhere along the way, I just lost the habit of writing them down.

All I want to write in this post is that I love the wonderful, generous and hospitable Chinese people. They made me feel completely welcome and I loved immersing myself in Beijing life. Chinese society, like Indian society, is open and welcoming of outsiders and it was a pleasure to be a part of it even if only for a short while.

Russia and America vie for influence in Vietnam

Despite the visibly popular pro-American sentiment on the streets, the Vietnamese government tends to be guarded in its approach to relations with Washington. “Russia definitely enjoys excellent political relations with Vietnam especially when compared to the West,” says the diplomat in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Russian community in Vung Tau

As a cool breeze from the South China Sea brings much-needed respite on a warm and humid afternoon, a group of Russians patiently queue up at the Gastronom to buy borsch, vinegret, mashed potatoes and a variety of main courses on offer. Welcome to the Vung Tau’s Russian village: a medium-sized gated community that is home to employees of Vietsovpetro, a Russian-Vietnamese oil and gas explorer.....

My article about the Russian community in Vung Tau was published by RBTH Asia