The Faster Lane
from Tyler Brûlé
Even buzzing Bangkok feels flat when the spark is missing
If you follow this column with some degree of commitment you’ll know that I have a pretty set travel circuit. While some cities come and go (not so much Los Angeles, New York or…
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Read the room: How hosting well became part of the story
Is it a cold? Could it be jet lag? Have I now joined the ranks of those who suffer from hay fever? Or could it be the morning after a rather extraordinary evening that…
Ten reasons why a Bangkok base is hard to resist
Are you someone who spends a lot of time doing the north-south Asia circuit (mostly for work, occasionally for pleasure), has never lived in the region but always finds themselves playing the “but if…
Mark Carney in Tokyo: Coffee, conversation and how to lead a charm offensive
“Shall we go for a little walk? Grab a coffee nearby?” he asked. It sounded like a perfect start to a sunny Saturday in March. After all, we’d both earned it. He’d already been…
Five days, three cities and 10 discoveries to take home
This week The Faster Lane touched down in Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo for a bit of market surveillance, cocktailing with subscribers and friends, and even some rapid retail immersion in Aoyama with a…
In praise of private dining rooms and outwitting AI
1. We start this Sunday with a thank you to all those readers who took the time to drop a few encouraging words of support and additional ideas off the back of last week’s…
Want worldly, employable children? Put them on a plane
It’s that time of year (in the northern hemisphere at least) when high school graduates start weighing up where they might want to spend the next three to four years enrolled in programmes that…
From a summit in Bahrain to a soirée in Shanghai, join Monocle’s next story
As we’re already halfway through Q1, it’s perhaps a good moment to take stock, pull out the diary and do a bit of forward planning and general housekeeping. While the Monocle crew can spontaneously…
How majlis, moxie and global talent are shaping the modern UAE
If you tune in to Monocle Radio, follow our weekday newsletters or were on the rooftop of Iliāna at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab on Wednesday, you will know that Monocle was very much in…
Planes, trains and brogues: a week on the move
The Faster Lane was in top gear this week as it moved westward from last Saturday, zipped eastward again on Thursday, went high-altitude on Friday and made a dash to the Gulf at about…
Mark Carney drops by the table to put manners back on the menu
It’s Wednesday afternoon at Monocle’s HQ in Zürich and our café is in full swing with the usual mix of matcha mums, family office custodians, neighbours and subscribers. It’s sunny and just a little…
