I have a tight working schedule, thus I still don’t know how much will I be able to post. Initially, my plan is once or twice a week.

Please feel free to drop me a message for any questions or advice.

I can still assure you of the quality and truthfulness of what I write.

The Substack will be completely free, I don’t feel like I’m in a position to make readers pay for now. I’m doing it for my enjoyment and enrichment and, hopefully, for yours.

There is already an excellent Substack that delves into SE Asian affairs: @ASEANWonk by Dr. Parameswaran. I suggest you follow it. I cannot match his expertise, but I have been trying to build specialist knowledge about SE Asia for some time and I am still learning.

My knowledge about Southeast Asia (still green and very much developing, I admit) comes from self-learning and the couple of elective courses I chose during my time at the university.

I have written about Southeast Asia extensively in recent years, despite not having an area studies background on the region. My academic education centered on international relations and strategic studies, without a specific focus on this or that region of the world.

there are many things that are interesting about it. Using animals is one of them. What about the millions of horses killed in battle throughout history? The elephants used by the Persians? Military dogs still used today? Not saying is right or not consequential. But it is interesting. That is all.

I do not think it is arrogant at all. It is a normal bio that only states my job position and research fields. Anyway, people who study war often suffer from the stigma that if we study war it automatically means we like it. We do not. War sucks. But it is necessary to comprehend it, and...