FEATURED MEMBER
Meet Genji Murasaka, a founding member of the Orient. An active roleplayer in the Orient, Genji is a cat lover and has built a lovely home in Edo.

FEATURED HOOD
Visit Indonesia's city of Trowulan, seat of the Majapahit Empire. I'm told that the district of Maleng has some very fine properties for sale!

FEATURED GROUP
The War College of Sun-Tzu is a group dedicated to the discussion of the ways of the various warrior cultures of The Orient: their strategy, their philosophy, and their way of life.

FEATURED ARTICLES
Have you read these interesting articles?

Cebú by Maria Clara Lapu

10 Things to Say When You're in Japan by Rachana Khan

Yi Sun-Sin and the Turtle Boat by Sankira Qin

Puppetry in Asian Cultures by Senex Caecilius



Reporter
Lalita Ashoka

World Editor
Feiyan Zhou

As we enter September, take some time to explore the hidden corners of the Orient. You never know what interesting places you may discover!


The ever popular Kublai Khantina was the scene for much revelry during our our July celebration of Tanabata. Between the house drinks and Kenji Ashikaga's delicious culinary offerings, a fine time was had by all.

Our Kenji is a mightly lucky man too! As a result of the Find Kenji a Wife Contest, he found not one, but FOUR wives!

Number One Wife: Hoshiko Murasaka
Number Two Wife: Flower Song
Number Three Wives: Antonia Marius and Azuria Servilius


Have you ever forgotten where you saw that interesting group or hood home in the Orient? Help is at hand! Aria Murasaka has created a wonderful Oriental site map to help us navigate our huge world. Do take a look. You'll wonder how we ever did without it!




We're already gearing up for Goldfest V, to be held in mid-October. Visit V and Still Alive! to participate in the sitewide planning for our fifth anniversary party and The Dancing Lion Festivity Center for Orient specific planning.


In this edition, we are most fortunate to hear from Lalita Ashoka about her RL visit to Kerala. If you are interested in further exploration of this Indian state, visit the Orient's newest group, Kerala.

"God's Own Country" Kerala is a long west coast state on India's southern peninsula. With many expatriot Keralans living in the middle east I had met over the years, I thought it would be a great choice for a first Indian vacation. Armed with a few handy words in the local language (Malayalam, not Hindu) and a vacation itinerary concocted by a Keralan friend in the tourist business, we set off to capital city Cochin.

Our stay began deep in the lush fertile mountains of Perayer in what is known as the western 'ghats' after a terrifying 6 hour drive up the sheer cliffs and steep roads in a taxi. The countryside is covered in brilliant green, terraced tea plantations, many different spice plantations including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, star anise, saffron, etc and local farming villages. The combined rich fragrance of these fill the air everywhere you go. Other parts of Kerala we visited; we sailed in a converted rice boat through Kerala's 'backwaters' where canals and waterways are in place of streets to local rice farms, another week was spent in sun and fun and even a temple tour on a southern beach dotted with posh resorts in between homey villages focused on the coconut trade. Our journey ended with several days spent in Fort Kochi, founded by Portuguese spice traders and full of crumbling cathedrals, ancient fishing nets and a distinctively European feel.

During a harvest festival celebrated during our stay and again at various opportunities throughout the state we were entertained by absolutely wonderful traditional musicians along with dancers, Koodiyatum theatre and even southern Indian martial arts known as Kalarippayattu. We also witnessed Kerala's rich wildlife; there were wild and tamed elephants, tigers, boars, monkeys, an unforgettable giant squirrel and more living happily in nearby protected wildlife reserves.

The lasting impression on me of Kerala were its welcoming, friendly people all highly educated (Kerala has a near 100% literacy rate) with open minds and religious tolerance. Mosques, Hindu temples, Jain temples, Christian cathedrals coexisted well, sometimes all on the same street. Everything was awash in brilliant color and fat, healthy cows were likely to block your vehicle's passage. People seemed to prize their heritage but embraced the best of the modern world as well.

All in all, a place I can see one being proud to be from. And a place I'd recommend to visit.

*photos by Lalita!


Bribery is nothing new, as inscriptions on two bronze urns recently found in the Shaanxi province of China tell us.
Ancient Chinese corruption

Twelfth century paintings of Buddha have been discovered in a Nepalese cave.
Nepal Buddha Art Find

Apo Mayta Huacac has shared new information on the extent of ancient Angkor Wat.
Mapping expands Angkor Wat