The Arctic regions have fascinated me for years, starting with visits to Tromso and then to Svalbard, the closest permanently inhabited place to the North Pole. Arctic discovery was originally undertaken by the British, Danish and Norwegian explorers, looking both for the elusive Northern trade route to Asia, and also in the whaling industry. Most of the Russian influence on the Arctic remained remote, even though the bulk of the Arctic circle is Russian territory, until the Soviet era.

The Khulan, or Mongolian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus hemionus) is a rare species of donkey that is only found deep in the Gobi Desert and is consequently not often seen by most visitors to the country. The Przewalski’s Horse is rather more famous, and while fascinating in its own right, is resident in national parks just a few hours’ drive from Ulaan Baatar. Trekking out to see the Khulan (also known as the Onager) in comparison is a three-day journey.

Every year, all of my Dezan Shira & Associates have a long weekend off to develop team building and camaraderie, and as a reward for their hard work. With 40 offices and close to 1,000 staff throughout Asia, that’s a lot of long weekends! As the Chairman and Founding Partner, I can choose which trip I wish to attend, and as our New Delhi office has just appointed, due to retirement, a new Managing Partner, it made sense for me to participate in their trip to Dalhousie, in the Indian Himalaya.

I am a big fan of the Russian artist Nicholas Roerich, an explorer, philosopher and artist, some of whose works I am lucky enough to have in my private art collection. I have previously visited the Roerich Museums in New York and St. Petersburg, and last year visited his home in UlaanBaatar, Mongolia, where he spent two years planning his extensive Central Asian and Tibetan expeditions.

My new book, “The Optimistic Kingfisher” has just been published by Jam Fruit Publications in Colombo. It’s a collection of stories written for children aged about 7-12, designed to introduce them to Sri Lanka’s nature, including flowers, birds, insects, fish, turtles. It was inspired by my own Godchildren coming to visit a few years ago, when they stayed with me for 6 months. I would write for, and read them bedtime stories. 

It’s been distributed throughout Sri Lanka, and has had very positive reviews, such as this one in the Colombo Sunday Telegraph.   

I’m also a featured author at the 2025 Galle Literary Festival which takes place from 6-9 February, and where I shall be reading some of the stories. 

Next year – expect more books! 

Its back to Malta for a couple of weeks, where I have had a penthouse apartment overlooking the marina for over ten years now. I am here to oversee a few minor repairs, and do some yachting, where I was also fortunate to be joined by Uliana, taking a break from her University studies in France. She’s been out with me on yachts before of course, when she was at junior school with her brother in Sri Lanka, we used to go out fishing. Now she’s older so it’s time to introduce her to some more serious sailing.

So, what do you do when mentoring Russian artists, living there part of the year, attending loads of music events, encouraging and composing, only to find that the country is sanctioned, getting too Europe is now expensive and unpopular, concerts there are banned and recording studios are super expensive in Moscow and St.Petersburg?

The brothers Ron and Russell Mael, better known as the now, somewhat belatedly acclaimed ‘pop’ – as in popular – group Sparks, have been having somethings of a renaissance – itself something to wonder at as both men are now well into their seventies. That speaks volumes for the sustainability of the creative muse when many men are happy to drift into retirement, and accept their best years were long ago. But not these Gentlemen. Here is a brief career background – it’s been well covered elsewhere, and their ultimate journey back to referencing their Paternal Mother Russia.  

2024 marks the 75^th anniversary of Russia (previously USSR) and China diplomatic relations, with both countries having played an enormous part in my life over the past 30 plus years, in both business, culture, and romance. To mark the occasion, the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe of China have developed a new form of ‘acrobatic ballet’ loosely based upon the Swan Lake ballet, but with additional acrobatic routines as part of the performance. It was staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg, and I was lucky enough to attend. Part an homage to Tchaikovsky, part Chinese Cirque du Soleil, and part just mad, it’s quite the spectacle and an entertaining blend of East and West. I wonder what Mao and Stalin would have made of it. (more…)

Roy Chapman Andrews was a famous explorer and naturalist, who uncovered, as a result of several 1920’s expeditions into the Gobi desert, that dinosaurs laid eggs. He also discovered many new species of dinosaur and helped direct the evolutionary theory that contemporary birds are the evolutionary extension of these prehistoric creatures.