Pink Chopsticks

Asia is becoming more and more the place to travel for a lot of Westerners. It’s easy to see why. The Asian region is so diverse and exotic when it comes to its people and its culture. A lot of Western tourists though a bit intimidated by traveling to Asia than traveling to Europe, the US or South America. The language is a big factor.

But now that the Asian region is opening up and becoming partially Westernized, traveling to Asia can now be easily enjoyed. Here are some tips on how you can have some adventure and new experiences when you travel to Asia.

Keep in mind that Asia is the biggest continent. It is not homogenous and not all countries you can cover by simply taking a train. Asia is comprised of several countries with hundreds of different cultures you can explore. A lot of islands can be found in the Asian region as well.

The best thing to do first is to find out which are best interests you. You may want to explore: • East Asia which includes China, Mongolia, North and South Korea, and Japan. • Southeast Asia is composed of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. • South Asia region includes India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan; • Southwest Asia includes Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Cyprus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait; This region is also called the Middle East. • Russia and the states of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan Uzbekistan.

Learn about travel restrictions and the visa requirements of a country before you embark on your Asian travel. Some of the countries above are not safe for travel. North Korea most probably won’t give you a visa while other countries like Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand are easier to get in to.

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I was thinking of what my first post should be and I thought, well, this blog’s name is Chopsticks and I am also a chopsticks aficionado so I might as well start with that.

The dictionary defines chopsticks as “a Chinese eating implement: either a pair of narrow sticks that are held together in one hand and used when eating or preparing East Asian food.”

The chopsticks mainly originated in China and is usually made of bamboo. Used by the elite for a thousand years, chopsticks became popular among the common people of East Asia around 410 BC.

Nowadays, the use of chopsticks is no longer limited to Chinese and East Asians but has spread throughout Asia particularly South East Asia. The spread of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian cuisine to Western shores has also brought the chopsticks-culture to Western people.

A big number of Asians use chopsticks particularly when eating noodles and rice.I personally find eating with chopsticks more satisfying as I tend to eat slower and savor the food so I end up eating less but I feel fuller.

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Hello! Ni hao! Konnichiwa! Chao! Mabuhay! 

I’m PinkSushi and welcome to Pinkchopsticks! This blog is all about living, exploring and celebrating all things Asian. Why Asia? I am an Asian. I was born and raised in the Philippines and now I’m living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I am proudly Asian. 

Traveling around different Asian countries made me realize just how unique and diverse Asia is. Not only in geography and natural environment, but also in people, languages, culture and traditions, lifestyle and more.

Asia is the world’s largest continent and covers about 30% of the worlds total land area. Asians make up about 3/5 of the world’s population with more than 4 billion people. So what could be better than exploring the richness in culture and diversity of the Asian region?

I’ll be making regular updates on Asian culture and traditions, trivia, fun finds, travel and places, cuisine, lifestyle, technology and innovation, latest news, well just about anything Asian.

As for the site name – Pinkchopsticks, Pink, because well I’m a girl and I love pink. Chopsticks, I asked several people what are the first words that come up to their minds when they hear the word Asia, and I got several answers of: chopsticks! Hence the name Pinkchopsticks. I’ll also be using the penname PinkSushi.Hmmn, obviously, I love Japanese sushi..

Thanks for visiting this site and hope you stick around and visit again. I’d really appreciate it if you can drop me a comment or a suggestion on how I could improve the site as well as topic suggestions. Do get regular updates from Pinkchopsticks, subscribe to my feed..

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