yin& yang
volume 01
01
Aaron does Asia
While at heart I am a backpacker, my adventure comes with a twist. The modern metropolitan cities of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur aren’t quite so suited to the budgeting traveler exploring backpacker routes. Instead they can provide a buzzing city break or for many a place of business; and if you look in the right places, you can still find heaps of character, culture and history infused within the streets, the food and the people that make these cities what they are. With three incredible and ver y different hotels as bases, I was free to wander and wonder within the city streets.
Little India is alive with character, culture and colour, I can only imagine it to be a microcosm of the country itself. It’s almost impossible to pick somewhere to eat amongst all the stalls and restaurants but a long queue or lack of spare tables is usually a good sign. Also within walking distance of Wanderlust is Arab Street, where once again character, culture and colour surround you. On Haji Lane, the shop fronts and street art are eye catching and at closer inspection you’ll find coffee shops, vintage clothing stores and arts and crafts.
My final days in Kuala Lumpur were by far the most luxurious of my trip. Afternoon tea, a two hour spa treatment, a haircut at Truefitt & Hill (the worlds oldest barbershop) and two nights in a suite that rivalled my entire house. There seemed to be little reason to leave.
The enormous and heavenly beds made it difficult to even get out from under the sheets, let alone out the front doors.
A two hour body scrub and oil massage left me in a state of ecstasy, refreshed and relaxed despite my hectic schedule. Perhaps most notably, the haircut I received at Truefitt & Hill was like none I had been given before. Never had someone taken such time with my hair, while sharing
such a touching life story. He even trimmed my eyebrows, which apparently needed some maintenance.
The current state of UK Basketball
I remember attending my first ever NBA game in London. 2008, a pre-season matchup between the Celtics and Timberwolves. The first time the NBA had been in the UK since 1995. A sold out O2 Arena watching Ray Allen nail threes from the corner. My dad bought my friends and I tickets. A great experience, for sure, but what annoyed me was that not long after that game Sky Sports decided not to renew their contract with the NBA. The pinnacle of basketball was brought to the UK and captivated everyone, including those who shouted “GOAL!” when Kevin Garnett made a layup. Only for a complete anticlimax as the game couldn’t be watched as regularly as before, with just Channel 5 unconveniently showing West coast games at about 2am.