Travelfish #531: The Digital Flex Edition

This week I’m leading with a piece on a kinda weird form of “digital flexing” that I’m thankfully yet to encounter in person. Have you? If so, please do tell. This week I’m leading with a piece on a kinda weird form of “digital flexing” that I’m thankfully yet to encounter in person. Have you? If so, please do tell. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Return to the Travelfish homepage](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/STM0LP3FzC_qXiVIxOXxY6bvCvc=390) [alt_text] [Travelfish #531: The Digital Flex Edition](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F531/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/EYPVsfQhG5Tmqq4afLobUBECLZ4=390) Published: 3rd September, 2024 Hi all, This week I’m leading with a piece on a kinda weird form of “digital flexing” that I’m thankfully yet to encounter in person. Have you? If so, please do tell. As I’m already a day late with the newsletter, I’ll leave it with the above, and as I have no pics of my-carry-on-made-beautiful, you’ll need to settle with a couple of other random pics I have on my desktop for no particular reason. In case you missed recent issues, a quick note for paying Couchfish subscribers, I’ll be adding a few months to all your subscriptions as I’ve not got an edition out for ages due to the workload from my thesis. Apols, but new issues coming soon! See you next week! Stuart [[READ ONLINE](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F531/2/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/6BcusPIQCre3Ly_YfLmbwxBJPjE=390)] [[UNSUBSCRIBE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for an affordable riverside spot in Bangkok? [Hostel Urby](%2F%2Fwww.agoda.com%2Fpartners%2Fpartnersearch.aspx%3Fpcs=1%26cid=17598%26hid=4261472%26tag=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/X7yEf5DR27ls4_pwNJ3GC_6Vz2Y=390) [Ad: Hostel Urby from 750 baht per night. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.agoda.com%2Fpartners%2Fpartnersearch.aspx%3Fpcs=1%26cid=17598%26hid=4261472%26tag=newsletter/2/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/hhzQlwhlcNx5Y7l0ot_Rfc4vhuM=390) --------------------------------------------------------------- An AI-assist on a digital flex [As close to a digital flex as I can manage.] As close to a digital flex as I can manage. Photo: Stuart McDonald. --------------------------------------------------------------- ⭐️ Story of the week - [‘The New Digital Flex’: The Airport Tray Trend Stirring Outrage And Delight](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffashion%2Farticle%2F2024%2Fsep%2F02%2Fthe-new-digital-flex-the-airport-tray-trend-stirring-outrage-and-delight/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/7_0HCng9t1IH528fKZGKGXK7sTw=390) from The Guardian 📚 What I’m reading - [The New Tourist](%2F%2Fwww.paigemcclanahan.com%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/iUqP92RaUdHJLy5SdhGK4Wkdv8c=390) by Paige McClanahan 🇲🇲 Burma - [Bagan Preserves Myanmar's Ancient Lacquerware Tradition](%2F%2Fenglish.news.cn%2F20240827%2F34c19e3c3cf74a6d8da3f3f9cf768ca0%2Fc.html/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/BlUchsw00IKOEyw0iGUn89e4SAc=390) from Xinhua - [South For The Winter: Myanmar’s Cyber Scam Industry Migrates](%2F%2Fwww.frontiermyanmar.net%2Fen%2Fsouth-for-the-winter-myanmars-cyber-scam-industry-migrates%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/uXrvgVGC8Bzv8JOdiBRl7tuGhIw=390) from Frontier Myanmar ($) - [Guardians Of Pat-chan: How River Conservations Thrived Before Myanmar’s Crisis](%2F%2Fwww.mekongeye.com%2F2024%2F08%2F26%2Fpat-chan-conserv%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/6zBbn5idy3ZA4Cnx9XVEZUncJWA=390) from Mekong Eye 🇰🇭 Cambodia - [Think Outside The Temples](%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv=EQYAad3t9-E/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/oRqZtzCAN_rb-r7CQwSHURMpyOM=390) from Cambodianess (Video) - [Failed Cambodian Land Concession Leads To Eviction Threat](%2F%2Fwww.mekongeye.com%2F2024%2F09%2F02%2Felc_eviction%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/rBE00_yG-cnVmTE7wnAcp9dIHtY=390) from Mekong Eye - [Chicagoans Learn About Cambodia Through “Fishy, Funky” Flavours](%2F%2Fkiripost.com%2Fstories%2Fchicagoans-learn-about-cambodia-through-fishy-funky-flavours/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/yjA2GD1ItPnDry_K8cCtUjplHZQ=390) from Kiripost - [A New Asian American Boom: A Reading List Of The Cambodian American Experience](%2F%2Flithub.com%2Fa-new-asian-american-boom-a-reading-list-of-the-cambodian-american-experience%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/1l1SIC0t0iMA5LJNyHpuewzlrWQ=390) from LitHub Book your travel with 12Go! Online ticketing agent 12Go offers one of the easiest and reliable ways to [book your transport in Southeast Asia](%2F%2F12go.asia%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/hTNB9uiGhz53z-R5nHFZFl8L3wg=390). Be it buses, trains, ferries, or even planes, 12Go can help. Get started with some of the sample routes to choose from below. - [Bangkok to Chiang Mai](%2F%2F12go.asia%2Fen%2Ftravel%2Fbangkok%2Fchiang-mai%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/ChwDjG9S7pJYq8uv0eBXkw1KWA4=390) - [Kuala Lumpur to Penang](%2F%2F12go.asia%2Fen%2Ftravel%2Fkuala-lumpur%2Fpenang%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/n2Y6lMdu7pJhR-mTqEN44_RkDsE=390) - [Siem Reap to Bangkok](%2F%2F12go.asia%2Fen%2Ftravel%2Fsiem-reap%2Fbangkok%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/0nWx5QITmwoK9F5DDPitKM-5L-I=390) - [Hanoi to Sapa](%2F%2F12go.asia%2Fen%2Ftravel%2Fhanoi%2Fsapa%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/qBpNP6DLeWwbkZrtK2C64jijyKY=390) - [Luang Prabang to Hanoi](%2F%2F12go.asia%2Fen%2Ftravel%2Fluang-prabang%2Fhanoi%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/ODhxwxL3MH5LQ6M7O_f6YHwq5R4=390) - [Singapore to Kuala Lumpur](%2F%2F12go.asia%2Fen%2Ftravel%2Fsingapore%2Fkuala-lumpur%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/Z_In8Ij0lDeNUU84VR9Achai5S0=390) - [Bali to the Gili Islands](%2F%2F12go.asia%2Fen%2Ftravel%2Fbali%2Fgili-islands%2F%3Fz=1280%26sub_id=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/DDfKByMva8GMk_XjDnB6J_jmZtQ=390) 🌴 Environment - [Norwegian Outdoor Tourism Campaign Shelved Over Environmental Fears](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2Farticle%2F2024%2Fsep%2F02%2Fnorway-outdoors-tourism-campaign-environmental-fears-right-to-roam/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/m3230fYZjPY1ZOfDrW6CIGFGRUw=390) from The Guardian - [The Rise And Challenges Of Sustainable Fashion In Southeast Asia](%2F%2Ffulcrum.sg%2Faseanfocus%2Fthe-rise-and-challenges-of-sustainable-fashion-in-southeast-asia%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/2ia7HqINfj2UdKFiia-UMmtRW7w=390) from Fulcrum 🇮🇩 Indonesia - [Tracing The Path Of Tradition In The Traditional Village Of Takpala, Alor](%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpulse%2Ftracing-path-tradition-traditional-village-takpala-alor-sdnrc%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/jGMyaqn-gpxkx97JBjY57Ec_drE=390) from Thresher Shark Indonesis (LinkedIn) - [Indonesia To Reform Tourism On Tropical Island Bali, Senior Minister Says](%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fworld%2Fasia-pacific%2Findonesia-reform-tourism-tropical-island-bali-senior-minister-says-2024-08-30%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/tT7-R1aO-EG_zBFNpLJQBhTOma8=390) from Reuters - [‘They’d Come To Take Our Heads’: The Surfing Daredevils Who Risked Everything For The Perfect Wave](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffilm%2Farticle%2F2024%2Faug%2F30%2Fpoint-of-change-surfing-daredevils-perfect-wave-nias/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/9ftjQ36A39P1APmCnK5E2yNDwy8=390) from The Guardian 🇱🇦 Laos - [Young Laotians Want To Learn Mandarin – Not Go To University](%2F%2Fwww.rfa.org%2Fenglish%2Fnews%2Flaos%2Fyoung-laotians-learn-mandarin-university-08302024155744.html/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/llehfntKCEbWL2_vmOEV0t2HFNc=390) from RFA - [The Unusual Place In Laos Chinese Visitors Are Drawn To](%2F%2Fwww.eureporter.co%2Fworld%2F2024%2F08%2F22%2Fthe-unusual-place-in-laos-chinese-visitors-are-drawn-to%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/fnUjaj7oUepPbD33ehW5tgpVkhc=390) from EUReporter 🇲🇾 Malaysia - [‘Crisis Of Confidence’: Malaysia Airlines Under Scrutiny Amid Safety Concerns](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Fweek-asia%2Fpolitics%2Farticle%2F3276973%2Fcrisis-confidence-malaysia-airlines-under-scrutiny-amid-safety-concerns/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/D1itdM4RoW7NTKRnfYtPJpXFysY=390) from SCMP ($) - [KL Sinkhole: Search For Victim Halted; Police To Decide Next Steps](%2F%2Fwww.straitstimes.com%2Fasia%2Fse-asia%2Fkl-sinkhole-search-for-victim-halted-police-to-decide-next-steps/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/A-5duA8FgFV1RTyZNQLFzp5QUFo=390) from The Straits Times 🇸🇬 Singapore - [‘Frozen In Time’: Has Singapore’s Sentosa Cove Lost Its Allure After 20 Years?](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Fweek-asia%2Flifestyle-culture%2Farticle%2F3276621%2Ffrozen-time-has-singapores-sentosa-cove-lost-its-allure-after-20-years/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/z75t_aPka2OjtCIYgWxaqfIu2fw=390) from SCMP ($) - [From Punggol With Love: Tracing The Origins Of The Hougang Spirit](%2F%2Fwww.jom.media%2Ffrom-punggol-with-love-tracing-the-origins-of-the-hougang-spirit%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/1qM1xZ3QnTFqCesfTq1kps3v0Ig=390) from Jom ($) 🇹🇭 Thailand - [Thailand First Country In Southeast Asia To Increase Its Wild Tiger Population](%2F%2Ftigers.panda.org%2Fnews_and_stories%2Fstories%2Fthailand_first_country_in_southeast_asia_to_increase_wild_tiger_population%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/Ues6eERWWzAvuzHPhfY-PcrSLtk=390) from WWF - [Thailand Considering Investing In Three Deep Sea Ports To Boost Marine Tourism](%2F%2Fwww.nationthailand.com%2Fblogs%2Fnews%2Ftourism%2F40041082/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/fD8BEVDJbC6BDB4ktGywGjUqpdM=390) from The Nation - [T.I.C.D.: Surat Thani coast & offshore islands](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Fthaiislandquest%2Fp%2Fticd-surat-thani-coast-and-offshore%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/psNaa9cHnphlpfcuyAGq5YY2RJE=390) from Thai Island Quest ($) - [Pretty In Pink](%2F%2Fsecretsiam.news%2Fp%2Fpretty-in-pink%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/1QTRtUudoTs93g3NDeP_6mVEcAU=390) from Secret Siam ($) - [Why Thailand Legalized Marijuana — And Then Almost Banned It Again](%2F%2Fwww.salon.com%2F2024%2F08%2F07%2Fwhy-thailand-legalized-marijuana--and-then-almost-banned-it-again%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/KYltoKDU_h3q7K9GJyLgwXzGTlA=390) from Salon - [Thailand Road Trip From Chiang Mai Reveals Fascinating Sights, With Few Tourists](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Flifestyle%2Ftravel-leisure%2Farticle%2F3275887%2Fthailand-road-trip-chiang-mai-reveals-fascinating-sights-few-tourists/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/by9z6MmzcX2wncidds3aqcCRj9Q=390) from SCMP ($) --------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for a beach shack on Ko Pha Ngan? [Mai Pen Rai](%2F%2Fwww.agoda.com%2Fpartners%2Fpartnersearch.aspx%3Fpcs=1%26cid=17598%26hid=287968%26tag=newsletter/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/k0T1ytncGryT9qo0rwvQ8lp7Dh4=390) [Ad: Mai Pen Rai Bungalows on Ko Pha Ngan from 850 baht per night. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.agoda.com%2Fpartners%2Fpartnersearch.aspx%3Fpcs=1%26cid=17598%26hid=287968%26tag=newsletter/2/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/EpHaafQg7p4nPQ9rtNGSCttSxiU=390) --------------------------------------------------------------- 🇻🇳 Vietnam - [Hoi An’s Ancient Streets Overflow With Visitors During Long Holiday](%2F%2Fvietnamnet.vn%2Fen%2Fhoi-an-s-ancient-streets-overflow-with-visitors-during-long-holiday-2317990.html/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/6WiKj6FfIgWG7vK86CI22BicBDQ=390) from VietnamNet - [1999: My First Trip To Vietnam](%2F%2Fwww.vietnamcoracle.com%2F1999-my-first-trip-to-vietnam%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/BYhNJ-LtZBRjhHSsWjqgtR3ymeA=390) from Vietnam Coracle - [A Visual Timeline Of Hội An's Historic Chùa Cầu Through The Eras](%2F%2Fsaigoneer.com%2Fvietnam-heritage%2F27243-a-visual-timeline-of-h%25E1%25BB%2599i-an-s-historic-ch%25C3%25B9a-c%25E1%25BA%25A7u-through-the-eras/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/ieDvTnZ1Glm88JOrRAdhwc-LXwg=390) from Saigoneer - [A Letter From Saigon, The City Of Countless Cafes](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Fconnla%2Fp%2Fa-letter-from-saigon-the-city-of%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/_BoEfK_2Mn71sv8wWC3HJkIRJY0=390) from A STory From Connla Random other stuff - [The Rise of the $1,000-a-Night Hotel Room](%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Flifestyle%2Ftravel%2Fluxury-hotel-room-prices-inflation-640dfc8c/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/hak9F63JKQqiulGnp9HwxZQdtY4=390) from The Wall Street Journal ($) - [Souvenirs Are A Sham. So Why Do We Keep Buying Them?](%2F%2Fwww.afar.com%2Fmagazine%2Fsouvenirs-are-a-sham-so-why-do-we-keep-buying-them/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/82tyB61RMoNC4HT0mIY9ZypzpgQ=390) from Afar - [Away From The Algorithm, Do Unique Travel Experiences Still Exist?](%2F%2Froadbook.com%2Fopinion%2Fsocial-media-algorithm-travel-experience%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/5FuioeykxJi_irIxWQ0pprN3lYI=390) from Roadbook - [Italians Fight For The Right To Feast On The Beach](%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F08%2F28%2Fdining%2Fitalians-beach-picnic-lunch.html/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/8nN6Wwqib2XfxQ1ldXztFfR9Hmk=390) from The New York Times ($) - [AI Is Driving A Holiday Crimewave – Here’s How To Protect Yourself](%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Ftravel%2Fadvice%2Fai-holiday-crimewave-how-to-protect-yourself%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/93M-HeAfZ9rlUlmNuRZ2kcUjDdk=390) from The Telegraph ($) - [Buy-Now-Pay-Later Plans Lead To Rampant Scams And Bad Debt Across Southeast Asia](%2F%2Frestofworld.org%2F2024%2Fbuy-now-pay-later-credit-loans-southeast-asia%2F/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/Cpa0MAwU_LAVTLoOi1VRO0smqwg=390) from Rest Of World - [The Honest Pre-flight Safety Demonstration Video That Airlines Are Afraid to Show You](%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv=SZB4_-tiRt0/1/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/oQxYF5Ws6N18zLSLc68PJmipbNc=390) from ReThinking Tourism (Video) No AI always better [On the road with the family—Ko Kut edition.] On the road with the family—Ko Kut edition. Photo: Stuart McDonald. --------------------------------------------------------------- So that’s the wrap. I hope you are all in good health, and thanks for reading. Cheers! Stuart --------------------------------------------------------------- If you’d like to view this newsletter online, you can [do so here](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F531/3/01000191b83331e7-a350bce3-0d42-4436-b5a9-65edf68cc95f-000000/RMTjGm-JZWpiSlT2VYBj-HTV4MM=390). This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to the Travelfish newsletter. If you no longer want to receive these emails, [you can unsubscribe at any time here](. Travelfish.org Bali, Indonesia & Sydney, Australia Copyright ©️ 2024 Travelfish.org. All rights reserved.