Tourism is complex. It’s also one of the fastest growing industries in Asia. Bloggers make a lot of money in countries facing extreme income disparity and economic upheaval. Tourism has come to dangerously mimic colonialism, leaving those who actually live in the destinations without basic needs. Many countries rely on tourism precisely because of colonialism and having their resources extracted, and so tourism is continuing a dependency begun in colonial eras. Some travel bloggers' behavior in previously colonized countries in Asia have perpetuated narratives against the locals of that country–and even gotten them arrested. Tourist photography also falls into the trap of objectifying people belonging to a certain place and gaining profit through them. But there is a way to travel ethically as an individual. Start with understanding the destination’s historical, political, and environmental contexts. Upon arrival, support local business, seek sustainable living options, and make the trip about more than just yourself. If locals are struggling to access freshwater, rethink your luxury hotel. You can also follow @lostwithpurpose and @baniamor on Instagram to learn from ethical travelers. Ethical travel begins with your consciousness.

Violent clashes between British Hindu and Muslim groups erupted in Leicester, England this past weekend - and spread to nearby Smethwick on Wednesday. Earlier headlines tied these events to the recent India vs. Pakistan cricket matches in the Asia Cup tournament, but locals say the tension has been brewing for weeks, fueled by disinformation. Social media videos show both groups engaging in acts - like men marching in Muslim areas shouting a far-right Hindu nationalist chant, and other outside a Hindu temple vandalizing religious flags. 47 people in total have been arrested since late August. Leicester had previously been called a model city for multiculturalism, with Hindus and Muslims making up almost an equal percentage of the population according to the 2011 UK Census data. Now, community leaders from both sides are urging for solidarity and calm, and calling out “foreign extremist ideology” for causing division.

Being a lesbian in China was hard for Lexi Zhang. After she came out, Lexi’s family shamed her, and she fell into depression. Leaving behind a "toxic" environment, Lexi immigrated to Canada, where she began building a new life for herself, and literal homes for others–really tiny ones. Many Asians can relate to this: sacrificing the majority of your life trying to please your parents. After college, when Lexi realized she liked girls and came out to her family, she also learned that she would no longer be able to please them–because she was gay. Her long-term partner, Da Cheng, became a cornerstone in Lexi’s journey back to herself. They now live together in Calgary, where Lexi has joined a tiny home construction company. She is working towards becoming a Red Seal carpenter and has learned about her own strength through this journey. She also has learned that the LGBTQIA+ community is stronger when each member finds their individual power. And for ordinary girls like her, who may not have believed they can live out of the box that other people have placed them in, Lexi says you need to believe in yourself enough to try.

Did you know Boho Chic furniture is rooted in an Asia torn apart by war? Rattan is a material indigenous to Asia, and has been utilized in South East Asia for centuries. But most Asians didn't sit on chairs, they sat on floors. European colonists influenced these pieces. Rattan can be found in tropical palm trees in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Today, Indonesia is the world’s largest supplier, providing 80% of the world’s raw rattan. The ‘Manila Chair’ became a fad for celebrities and politicians like Cher, Diana Ross, and John F. Kennedy. Western designers have integrated many designs that look like Asian rattan furniture, without crediting the cultures they come from. Instead, “Boho-Chic” furniture and aesthetic is often categorized as “ethnic” or “tribal,” grossly generalizing and erasing their roots. And the appropriation is expensive. Rattan chairs are sold for $800 at Pottery Barn, without clear understanding of how ethically the rattan was produced and manufactured.

Cox’s Bazar is now the biggest refugee camp in the world. Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh are at a breaking point, with almost 1 million refugees. And the Rohingya, a Muslim minority who have suffered decades of persecution, are left with little basic rights and no secure way of returning home. More than half of this vulnerable population are children under 18. Refugees are not only banned from education and work, they are vulnerable to trafficking. The fragile temporary shelters are prone to fires, floods and landslides every year. Myanmar's Buddhist-majority state cracked down on the Rohingya in 2017, killing at least 7,000 people and forcing almost 700,000 refugees across the border. Today, human rights and aid groups say these camps will collapse, and are calling for the Bangladeshi government and the UN to work together to come up with measures beyond confinement. Here is a list of non-profit organizations that are helping the Rohingya on the ground rated by Charity Navigator: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=5522

Fan Qinhui, records sounds of a quiet trail in Taiping Mountain, Taiwan to find warning signs of environmental change. Qinhui says listening can help you create a relationship with land--and listening in the quiet trail isn’t about hearing silence, it’s about hearing clearly. Taiwan’s dense population and narrow land doesn’t make it easy to hear nature without people, cars, or planes–so Qinhui records at 5 am before anyone arrives. She isn’t focused on the quietness of the quiet trail–she’s documenting sounds of a monsoon, forest birds chirping in the fog, and how sounds change in the four seasons. Though Qinhui didn’t study biology, she’s gradually created a unique sound map. She’s translated this sound map into a website where you can hear what species there are and see what they look like. She encourages everyone to take the 1km path quietly, and change our way of listening and reconnecting with the land.