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Wong Kim Hoh meets...

Meet mark wiens, the man who eats his way to international fame.

Mark Wiens remembers the meal which started it all.

“It was 2010. I was sitting on a street (in Bangkok) and I had ordered three dishes, all stir-fried at a stall right next to this extremely loud highway with buses, motorcycles just whizzing past. I was inches from the road. And then I took a photo and I said the photo is great but...”

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• Cast & crew

Food Affair with Mark Wiens

Hosted by beloved foodie and travel vlogger Mark Wiens, this six-part docuseries explores Singapore's uniquely diverse culture and cuisine - one plate at a time. Hosted by beloved foodie and travel vlogger Mark Wiens, this six-part docuseries explores Singapore's uniquely diverse culture and cuisine - one plate at a time. Hosted by beloved foodie and travel vlogger Mark Wiens, this six-part docuseries explores Singapore's uniquely diverse culture and cuisine - one plate at a time.

• Edward Chong
• Soon Puay Keow

• Self - Host
• Self - Executive Chinese Chef, Peach Blossoms
• Self - Owner and Managing Director, Spring Court
• Self - Chef, Restauranteur & Food Writer
• Self - 3rd Generation Owner, Hainanese Delicacy
• Self - Chef, Restaurant Zén
• Self - Chef, Director and Co-owner, Chinoiserie
• Self - Food Writer
• Self - Co-founder, Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• November 18, 2022 (United States)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 30 minutes

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International YouTube food blogger Mark Wiens reflects on his Arizona roots

Search for Mark Wiens on YouTube and you'll find videos of him chowing down in overseas destinations from the Philippines to Pakistan.

With more than 5 million subscribers to date, Wiens'  YouTube channel  showcasing the world's street food scenes has become his full-time job. But before he was eating his way around the world, Wiens was shaped by his roots in the Valley. 

Wiens, 33, was born in Phoenix, but he didn't stay long. His parents, both missionaries, moved the family to France when Wiens was 5. They later moved to Africa, first to Tandala and then to Kenya, where Wiens graduated high school.

He did eventually return to the Valley, taking classes at Glendale Community College for a year before transferring to Arizona State University, where he earned a global studies degree.

On a recent trip home to visit family, Wiens returned to ASU for the first time since his 2008 graduation. Sitting outside the Tempe campus' Memorial Union building, he reflected on his time there and how his global studies degree inspired the career he's paved for himself. 

“The mindset of having an international degree focusing on cultures, focusing on art — it was a drive to see more places," he said.

A growing independent food culture in Arizona

Wiens was impressed with the diversity he found in Arizona's food cultures.

“I even remember back in university I would go to some Ethiopian restaurants and I’d go to a Somali restaurant,” he said.

Surveying ASU's campus for the first time in 12 years, Wiens predicted a bright future for the mom-and-pop shops and street food of metro Phoenix.

“There’s a lot more individually owned businesses where people care about the food, where people care about the business,” he said.

For Wiens, Little Miss BBQ immediately came to mind. He highlighted the restaurant in a YouTube video that amassed 7.6 million views. 

“I think the owner and the whole family — they have so much passion," Wiens said. "They love what they’re doing, and it’s a good product.”

'It’s really about determination'

Wiens' YouTube fame began with a travel blog.

He started his website, Migrationology.com , in 2009 and, shortly after, bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok. He traveled through Southeast Asia for months before landing a job as an English teacher in Thailand. 

"With a lower cost of living, I could afford to spend time working on my own projects ... Things grew slowly, but I kept persisting, and experimenting."

He turned his food blog, where he immersed himself in local food scenes, into a  YouTube channel. 

“I started publishing videos eight years ago and it’s been two videos per week since then," he said. "It’s been a big commitment and a major consistency of publishing.”

That type of commitment can make a work-life balance tough to maintain. When he travels, Wiens said he films each day from 6 a.m. to midnight. On top of that, about 12 to 20 hours of editing goes into the episodes you see on YouTube, which usually range from 20 to 40 minutes long. 

But it's a labor of love for the YouTuber, and his persistence has paid off. Wiens' channel now ranks No. 2 for travel accounts on Socialblade, a website that tracks YouTube and other social media analytics. The site estimates he earns  up to $1.5 million  per year from video views. 

With his own success cemented, Wiens has a simple piece of advice for those trying to make it in his — or any — industry: Just go for it. 

“If you love to do something, it’s really about determination, it’s about consistency … and it’s about just going for it.”

Do you spend way too much time on Twitter, Facebook or Reddit and have a story idea? Reach social reporter Angel Mendoza at [email protected] or slide into his Twitter DMs at  @angelmendozaAZC .

Entertainment

Popular YouTuber Mark Wiens has a new HBO series that's all about Singapore's obsession with food

Advertisement.

The show, titled Food Affair With Mark Wiens, kickstarts a three-year partnership between Singapore Tourism Board and Warner Bros Discovery, which aims to spotlight and inspire travel to Singapore. Time to makan!

Mark Wiens eating Selera Nasi Lemak on his new TV series Food Affair With Mark Wiens. (Photo: HBO GO)

Genevieve Sarah Loh

Mark Wiens has made a name for himself as one of the most popular food vloggers on the Internet, sharing his love for street food to his nine million subscribers on YouTube while racking up more than two billion views.

On his website, Wiens bills himself as an eater, traveller, author, blogger, video host, and coffee drinker. Now, he can add TV food series host to that expanding list.

Focused entirely on Singapore’s obsession with food, this HBO Asia Original production is the first non-scripted food series hosted by Wiens. The six-episode series is set to premiere on Nov 18 and will centre around the untold stories and history behind Singapore's smorgasbord of delicacies, from fine dining cuisine to everyone’s favourite hawker fare.

Singapore is currently home to more than 50 Michelin-starred establishments and more than 60 Bib Gourmand locations, including hawker centre stalls.

Directed by Singaporean Gillian Tan, each episode will feature a star-studded panel of guests comprising a fine dining chef, culinary veteran and a hawker.

“In addition to eating lots of delicious food and exploring the cultural diversity of cuisine in Singapore, it was most rewarding to learn the stories of each restaurant owner and how they have followed their passion, sometimes against many challenges, which is truly reflected in the taste of their food,” said Wiens, in a statement.

“It’s undeniable that food is at the centre of all our lives, and that's what brought us all together. It was a huge honour to be a part of the Food Affair series. I am immensely thankful for this opportunity, and grateful to everyone who has made it possible.”

The series is executive-produced and created by filmmaker Eric Khoo, who's a consummate foodie. He also created the HBO anthology series Folklore 1 and 2 back in 2018 and 2021, respectively, as well as the award-winning Food Lore in 2019.

“Singapore is a delightful melting pot of mouth-watering food from the woks of street hawker fare to high-end Michelin-starred restaurants – a reflection of our multicultural society and heritage,” said Khoo. “Through food, I want to share with the rest of the world the diversity of what this tiny island has to offer.”

Food Affair With Mark Wiens kickstarts a three-year partnership between Singapore Tourism Board and Warner Bros Discovery, which will see both parties collaborate on a suite of original entertainment and lifestyle content, including drama serials, animation and reality shows, all in the bid to spotlight and inspire travel to Singapore.

Stream or download Food Affair With Mark Wiens from Nov 18 on HBO GO. 

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• Forbes Life

The future of food and travel influencers

With the covid-19 pandemic almost shutting down the global travel and hospitality industries, influencers in the sector are staring at an uncertain future.

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Jasodhara is Deputy Editor-Desk. She has a keen interest in global affairs, which led her to study international relations in the UK, and complete a fellowship on India-China relations from the University of Oxford. And she always loves a good story, whether in fiction or in journalism.

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Moscow, Pullman baseball primed to make a splash at state tournament

May 15—For the Moscow and Pullman baseball teams, a year like this has been building for a while.

Guys like Tyson Izzo, Connor Isakson and Levi Anderson for Moscow, or Caleb Northcroft, Calvin Heusser and Cade Hill for Pullman, have suited up for the Bears and Greyhounds since they were underclassmen, often battling against bigger and more experienced teams day in and day out, year after year.

Now, Moscow and Pullman are the veteran-laden squads heading into their respective Idaho Class 4A and Washington Class 2A state tournaments this week.

"For the most part, this has been a long ride for all of them," Moscow coach Griffin Rod said. "When you take on a bunch of young players, you do it out of necessity. And now this is the year where it really transitioned (to veteran players). It's gratifying for me, but I'm sure it's even more for them."

In other classifications across the two states, Kendrick and Orofino enter their state tourneys as district champs and Asotin and Pomeroy are already underway.

Here's a full look at state baseball for the area:

No. 2 seed Bears riding a big winning streak

Few teams are hotter than the Bears (17-7), who enter the 4A state tournament on a 10-game winning streak that includes a championship run in their district tournament.

No. 2 seed Moscow opens State against No. 7 seed Minico at 9 a.m. Pacific on Thursday at Vallivue High School in Caldwell.

It was a long, steady grind to get to this period of late-season dominance for the Bears. Last year, Moscow snuck into the state tournament with a losing record only to leave with an 0-2 mark at State.

That left the Bears — who returned all but one player from that team — wanting more this time around.

"When we started this season, we just had a renowned focus on growing our offense and creating a different type of team approach because we felt that was the piece that was missing," Rod said. "We had good pitching, we played great defense, we just weren't able to put up enough runs."

That all changed this season. Now, the Bears still boast their great pitching and defense, plus they can score runs in bunches.

Moscow is led by speedy leadoff man JP Breese (.447 average, 19 stolen bases), consistent cleanup hitter Anderson (.406 average, 29 RBI) and the powerful bat of Ethan McLaughlin (four home runs).

Izzo at catcher and Isakson in the outfield give the Bears some of the best fielders in the business. And Anderson (6-2, 0.83 ERA) also doubles as Moscow's ace pitcher.

Pullman will play defending champs

The No. 9 seed Greyhounds get a tough draw to start the Washington 2A state tourney.

Pullman (18-4) faces two-time defending state champ and eighth-seeded Tumwater (18-6) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Auburn High School.

But, like Moscow, the Greyhounds are hoping their veteran-laden roster will pay off in the postseason.

Pullman's roster features 10 total seniors and three juniors who have played varsity ball since their freshman seasons.

The Greyhounds enter State as both the regular-season champ and the district tournament champ out of the 2A Greater Spokane League.

"They've played together for a long time. They all get along really well," Pullman coach Kevin Agnew said. "Every time we've needed somebody to step up, a different guy's done it, and hopefully that continues this weekend."

Pullman's strength starts with its pitching with the one-two punch of Northcroft (6-0, 0.62 ERA) and Heusser (7-1, 1.98 ERA).

"We've won a lot of doubleheaders this year because we have two good guys throwing for us," Agnew said.

The team's vocal leaders also include team captain Hill and Joey Hecker.

And no player has seen more plate appearances than Brayden Randall, who leads the team with 28 runs.

Whitepine League dominates 1A

No baseball league in Idaho has been more dominant over the last three decades than the Whitepine League.

The last time a WPL team didn't win the 1A state championship was 1998, when Greenleaf Friends took the crown — a school that has long since discontinued its baseball program.

The WPL's four teams vying for the title this year at Capital High School in Boise include Kendrick (15-7), the district champs; Troy (15-5), the two-time defending state champs; Potlatch (15-7) and Clearwater Valley (13-13).

Each of the last two years, it's been an all-WPL semifinals.

Players like Kendrick's Hunter Taylor (37 runs, 27 hits) and Troy's Makhi Durrett (.554 average, 31 hits, 20 RBI) are among those to watch heading into State.

"I've been really proud of these guys, the way they've worked hard to be able to get there," Kendrick coach Kyle Jones said after the Tigers topped Troy in their district title game. "It's been a really cool ride and we're just excited to keep it rolling."

The opening round begins today with Kendrick facing Idaho City at 8 a.m. Pacific, Clearwater Valley facing Lighthouse Christian at 11 a.m. Pacific, Potlatch facing Glenns Ferry at 2 p.m. Pacific and Troy facing Vision Charter at 5 p.m. Pacific.

Maniacs enter with 22-2 record with Grangeville right on their heels

Orofino wasn't perfect this season, but it was close to it.

The Maniacs (22-2) are making their fourth straight trip to the 2A state tournament and they're hoping this is the time they'll come home with a championship trophy. They will face Firth (16-11) at 11:30 a.m. Pacific on Thursday in Pocatello in the first round.

Joining them in the 2A tourney is conference-foe Grangeville, which Orofino defeated 4-3 in extra innings in their district tournament championship. The Bulldogs (21-4) play defending-champion Malad (14-8) at 5 p.m. Pacific on Thursday.

"We're grateful for the opportunity to go down and be one of the eight teams in the tournament," Orofino coach Scotty Tondevold said. "We have six seniors (and) this will be their fourth year in a row going to the state tournament. ... The guys are excited and they should be."

Orofino's biggest strength might be its balanced roster. Aiden Olive (46 runs) and Jaeger Tondevold (38) are the scoring leaders, Dash Barlow and Bodey Howell pace the group with 30 RBI apiece and Silas Naranjo does a bit of everything.

The Maniacs also have five core pitchers who "could go out there on any day and do a (great) job for us," Tondevold said.

Asotin, Pomeroy already underway

The Washington state tournaments for Pomeroy (1B) and Asotin (2B) are already underway.

On Tuesday, the Pirates were eliminated in the first round by Orcas Island 2-1 and the Panthers defeated Liberty Bell 2-1 in their respective tourneys. More information about those games can be found in the Tribune's area roundup.

Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, [email protected] or on Twitter @StephanSports.

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Orthodox Russians mark Easter with night-time service in Moscow cathedral

Worshippers including president vladimir putin have packed moscow's landmark christ the savior cathedral for a night-time easter service, article bookmarked.

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Worshippers including President Vladimir Putin packed Moscow’s landmark Christ the Savior Cathedral for a night-time Easter service led by Patriarch Kirill , head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an outspoken supporter of the Kremlin.

The traditional sung service begun late Saturday, with Kirill delivering well-wishes to Orthodox believers which were broadcast on Russian TV. A procession of white-robed clergy then circled the vast cathedral, rebuilt in post-Soviet times and widely seen as symbolic of Russia’s rejection of its atheist past, as they swung smoking incense censers and chanted the liturgy.

Most Western churches observed Easter on March 31, but the Russian Orthodox Church follows a different calendar.

In his Easter address, Kirill wished for “God’s blessing over Russia,” its people and all countries where the church has a presence.

In a written message published earlier on Saturday on the church's website, Kirill noted that “awareness of God’s love … gives us strength to overcome the most difficult mental states and difficult circumstances, elevates us above the bustle of everyday life, helps correct previous mistakes and destroys despondency.”

The patriarch this year appeared to steer clear from political pronouncements, unlike last April when he lamented “grave events taking place on our Russian historical land,” referencing Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine and reinforcing the Kremlin’s narrative that Ukrainian statehood is essentially a fiction.

The service, featuring a mixed-voice choir and standing worshippers holding thin red candles, was set to extend well into Sunday.

Putin was shown among the worshippers, standing next to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin as the two joined in the traditional Easter greetings. The Russian leader was later seen exchanging festive gifts with Kirill.

Earlier on Saturday, Orthodox Russians headed to churches to have baskets of festive foods, including hand-painted eggs and traditional Easter cakes, blessed by a priest.

Putin has been eager to portray himself as defending “traditional values” espoused by the Russian Orthodox Church in the face of what he repeatedly casts as the West’s “degrading” influence. The country has increasingly taken a conservative turn, with attempts to restrict abortion and broad bans against LGBTQ+ activism and gender transitioning that have met with the church's support.

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• Bangkok Food Tour
• City Guides

These meals will make you want to travel, just to eat!

Prepare yourself to drool over these 41 meals, each featuring mouthwatering photos, details, and where you can eat it.

I've also included some of my personal travel eating tips and answered some of your top questions... like "Mark, how do you make money to travel?".

You must love food as much as I do!

Just enter your name and email below and I promise to only send you delicious emails :)

The Ultimate Bangkok Food Tour!

I’m excited to announce to you “ The Ultimate Bangkok Food Tour !”

A Thai food immersive experience, where you’ll taste authentic regional varieties of Thai food, explore the backstreets of Bangkok, go on a whirlwind ride of Bangkok’s transportation, and support local communities along the way.

Get ready to eat your way through Bangkok on our thrilling Ultimate Bangkok Food Tour!

Note : I (Mark Wiens) worked with Michael and the team from Bangkok Vanguards to research and put together The Ultimate Bangkok Food Tour, however, I’m not the guide on this tour as I travel frequently. The team at Bangkok Vanguards are extremely qualified and passionate about Bangkok and will be taking great care of you on this tour.

You can book the tour here !

I met Michael from Bangkok Vanguards years ago at a conference in Bangkok.

We connected quickly as we both share a passion for Bangkok, eating Thai food, and having fun.

Something I love about Michael is his love for getting off the beaten path, and his deep commitment to helping and learning about local communities within Bangkok and throughout Thailand, and preserving heritage.

A number of years after meeting Michael, him and I together decided to explore Bangkok’s Charoen Chai Community (ชุมชนเจริญไชย เยาราช). We filmed a street food tour video about this Thai Chinese community with so much history and heritage. Michael shared his love for the community and its immense historical significance, and I shared my love for the flavor of Thai food. Together, it was fun, educational, and delicious, all at the same time.

From that day forward, we had an idea:

What if we collaborated to create an ultimate Thai food tour experience?

We’d combine our specialties and interests – Michael’s knowledge of the backstreets, history, religion, and culture of communities in Bangkok, and my love for local Thai food – to create a memorable Bangkok food tour that captured

A year of research and exploration

It took over a year of research and exploration – checking out a multitude of markets, restaurants, food stalls, and back alleys of Bangkok.

The idea was to eat from a few of my favorite Thai food spots in Bangkok, while being able to manage transportation and a connection from one place to another.

One of the things I love about Thai food in Bangkok is that Bangkok is a melting pot – not only internationally, but it’s the city where people from all over Thailand come to live. In light of this, you’re able to find Thai food from every region of Thailand within Bangkok. This was also part of our idea, to offer a tour where you can taste the major differences of regional Thai food. Though one country, the north to the south of Thailand have entirely different cuisines, and within the Ultimate Bangkok Food Tour you’ll have a chance to really see the diversity of Thai food.

Michael again, is an expert on back streets, transportation, and seemingly hidden neighborhoods in Bangkok. He’ll take you to forgotten communities that are hidden in the shadows of sky-scrapers, and he’ll take you on a journey to connect with people on a personal level.

To combine our passions and areas of expertise on this tour, we chose some of our favorite Thai foods in unique communities, and connected them all by back alleys, trains, and waterways.

Join us on a memorable ultimate Thai food tour of Bangkok and a learning experience!

The Ultimate Bangkok Food Tour

Again, I’m thrilled to bring you The Ultimate Bangkok Food Tour – a Thai food experience by Bangkok Vanguards and Mark Wiens!

The tour includes:

• All you can eat Thai food and snacks, from a variety of Thailand’s regions
• Amazing local communities and markets
• Off the beaten path Bangkok sights and attractions
• Back streets, back yards, rail roads, and unique urban terrains
• Small groups

Bookings are available here !

Thank you for your incredible support and we are excited to bring you this unique Thai food experience in Bangkok!

Putin to discuss Ukraine and energy with Xi in China

• Medium Text

• Putin to visit China on May 16-17
• Putin and Xi to discuss Ukraine, energy and trade
• Putin takes his new defence minister to China
• Rosneft, Sberbank, VTB chiefs in delegation
• First foreign trip for Putin of new term

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Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Christina Fincher and Ros Russell

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Thomson Reuters

As Moscow bureau chief, Guy runs coverage of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Before Moscow, Guy ran Brexit coverage as London bureau chief (2012-2022). On the night of Brexit, his team delivered one of Reuters historic wins - reporting news of Brexit first to the world and the financial markets. Guy graduated from the London School of Economics and started his career as an intern at Bloomberg. He has spent over 14 years covering the former Soviet Union. He speaks fluent Russian.

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Slovak pm fico shot and wounded, slovak media report.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and wounded in the abdomen after a government meeting on Wednesday, Slovak media reported.

Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson injured at least 17 people, local officials said on Wednesday.