Inspired by a European travel guide gifted by her late father, 30-year-old Denae McGaha moved to Budapest, Hungary, with only $4000 saved, to teach in 2017. She credits this move with enabling her to live a comfortable lifestyle she couldn't afford in the U.S. See how she lives.
Paul Lee, 28, moved to Bangkok, Thailand from NYC three years ago. He lives in a 650-square-foot one-bedroom apartment in the Thonglor neighborhood, which Paul says is "the SoHo of Bangkok." The apartment came furnished, and Paul has access to amenities, including a pool and a gym.
Unlocked is a home tour series focused on how much people across the globe spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.
The taxi industry in Singapore has undergone major shifts since the rise of ride-hailing apps, with passengers swapping standing in line for confirmed rides and flat fees. Are metered taxis still relevant?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert put the questions to transport economist Walter Theseira and the general secretary of the National Taxi Association, Ban Kum Cheong.
Spancer visits Bangkok with an eye on the country’s first ever road. Built in 1864, Charoen Krung Road was the city’s original commercial district and home to iconic buildings like the Grand Postal Building and Siam Commercial Bank.
But Charoen Krung is now in the midst of a creative renaissance. The road’s heady commercial days are long gone but the country’s next generation have now stepped in to bring their own spin on things through new artistic endeavors. Spancer successfully destroys some street art, learns to make bad coffee and gets a new-gen tattoo – all experiences that have now become the norm in a transformed Charoen Krung Road.
In Japan, a school teacher’s day begins at around 8am but often ends only after 8pm. Much of this time is occupied not by actual teaching, but a laundry list of tasks like administrative work, dealing with parents’ complaints and supervising club activities. The pressure that educators face is causing record numbers to suffer from mental illness. Many are leaving the industry, as their ever-growing workload cuts into their personal time. Some also report “power harassment” – a side effect of an unhealthy work environment.
As schools become increasingly short-staffed, those who are left are forced to take on heavier burdens. Meanwhile, application rates have dropped drastically as the younger generation shuns the profession. Schools are trying to woo and retain teachers, such as by reducing official work hours and offering sabbaticals. Authorities too acknowledge the need to address the problem and are taking steps to resolve the teacher shortage. But is it too little, too late?
Dad, Mum, and 13-year-old Lucy departed Chengdu, China with hopes of illegally entering the United States. They are part of a growing trend called ‘zou xian’ or ‘Walk The Line’ in Chinese internet slang, referring to those who take long and arduous detours to America. Their journey across the continent started in Ecuador, spanning 7 countries and 6,000km.
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