Amit Janco Blog

It's hard for me to pinpoint the exact moment that the germ of this wild notion sprouted in my brain - or more likely, within my longing spirit. But in late November, over a delicious vegan lunch shared with a dog-loving acquaintance whom I didn't know well enough to worry about ...

Build it, and they will come. At least, that was the plan when an environmental initiative recently took root across the island. And so, the Balinese came. And still they are here, in my beach town of Sanur. · Even if they gather for the sake of a pay-cheque, the ultimate bene ...

Since the pandemic crept into Bali, nothing’s been the same. Most mornings, I wake up, get out of bed and stand on my head. Even if dawn has barely broken, and this island still teeters on the rim of darkness, it seems like the sanest way to greet the world each day – as tops ...

Not long into his 2019 TED talk, British journalist and New York Times bestselling author Johann Hari tells the curious story of a Cambodian rice farmer who suffered from severe pain and psychological trauma, after his leg was blown off from a landmine. Outfitted with an artifici ...

Another day of surreal stillness in Bali. · Celebrating this first evening of Passover, ensconced alone in my new Bali beachside digs (as of 2 days ago), I find myself contemplating distinctive Balinese religious rituals that came to light (for me) very recently, in this year of ...

Unlike in years past, the 2020 edition of Bali’s New Year (aka Day of Silence) hobbled its way into the island a week ago, as if it were a slow-moving and suddenly disabled steam train, chugging begrudgingly, through unfamiliar terrain, into its final station. It was a Nyepi unli ...

It’s shiny. It’s new. And, to paraphrase the tagline on its promotional brochure, it adds “a little sparkle to your visit.” But “a little sparkle” would be a misnomer. The amount of bling and glitter that sparkles inside the newly-opened Changi Airport Jewel is heist-worthy. · S ...

A couple of days after the final results were called in the recent Indonesian elections; and in the wake of violent protests that had broken out across Jakarta, and led to deaths of innocent civilians, I joined the long queue outside the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore. It was a ...

The Republic of Singapore, a city-state with a current population of nearly 6 million residents, is known by many nicknames; among them, The Lion City and the Red Dot. But also: A Fine City. Sure, it’s hailed as a Garden City; green and clean and oh-so-pretty. But in this case, ‘ ...

In early 2009, I fell through a bridge while cycling in Cambodia, losing consciousness and landing on a rocky riverbank 30 feet below. My body was battered, my bones shattered and the injuries were many: Nerve and muscle damage, a leg shortened from impact. My lower back took ...