My mom and uncle each visited Tokyo's famous Imperial Hotel in the mid-60s.Originally built in 1890 in the Victorian style, the Imperial has gone through several incarnations. In 1923 a new building was designed by one of my favorite architects, Frank Lloyd Wright (as shown … [Read more...]
Vintage Thai
My friend Charlene sent me these vintage ads from Thai Airways International.The ad on the left reads:The happiest combination in Far East travel is now offered to you on the fabulous Royal Orchid Jet Service. To the traditional Thai hospitality, superb cuisine, and … [Read more...]
Sun Ya Hotel, 1961 and 1966
Okay, I'm officially obsessed with the Sun Ya Hotel. I found these two photos, one from 1961, a year before my mom stayed there, and the other from 1966. Even back then, Nathan Road was hopping with street and sidewalk traffic.A document published in 1961 by the Hong Kong … [Read more...]
Les grandes dames
I love old colonial hotels. While I've only stayed at two--the Eastern & Oriental (E&O) in Penang and the Peace Hotel in Shanghai--I've been fortunate to dine in several: the Raffles in Singapore, the Peninsula in Hong Kong, le Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Siem Reap, and the … [Read more...]
Postcard from Taiwan, 1965
Last year I came across this postcard from my grandparents to my great-grandma. They sent it from Taiwan in 1965. In the postcard, my grandma wrote to her mother-in-law:We are here at airport to leave free China. Just said goodbye to Judy [my mom]. She goes to Manila this … [Read more...]