Fresh Air
First impressions: fresh off the plane in Tokyo and Bali
There is something magical about the air in Asia. As soon as step off the plane ramp, it hits you. Sweet like rose petals, thick like coconut butter, and a little kick of paprika. Welcome to Asia.
Whether we’re ready or not, my partner Bjorn and I just began a 6-month journey backpacking through Southeast Asia, studying the new culture of creativity and innovation in maturing Asia urban centers. Our plan is to cover 16 major cities, visiting over 40 innovation labs and documenting our learning and conversations with the leaders behind them.
After a long 12-hour flight, we landed in Tokyo, the motherland of technology and cultural trends.
We can already sense we like the Japanese just based on the way they design their airports. They have plug-in stations with free Wi-Fi, tiny Japanese alleyways filled with ramen and sushi houses, boutiques, pastry shops, robotic bathrooms (so amazing!), full bookstores with entertaining reads (including the mother of all cat memes book — see below), and scenic seating areas with Japanese umbrellas. This is my kind of place.
We then took a red-eye to Denpasar Bali, where we immediately rode a cab to Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali, famous for its artisan crafts, tropical fruit smoothies, live music and dance and rice terraces.
The first sign that we were in Bali was the suited up mo-ped seen on the road. Asia is famous for its mo-ped culture and a creative use of space in order to fit the most extraordinary load on a single ride. Lo-tech innovation, but still, innovation.
We hope to continue our freelance design + development business, DoorStep Studios, and write on our publication platform, Creation Catalogue, about our more formal research.
Hope that you’ll join us on this adventure. And please, send along your feedback, ideas and thoughts!
* Ting + Bjorn
