KABUL, Afghanistan – If there was ever one “foreign devil” on the Silk Road who most fascinates amateur history buffs, it must be Sir Marc Aurel Stein.

The Hungarian-born British archaeologist’s career sparked an obsession of mine – and no doubt of countless others – with the history of the Silk Road, a series of trade routes linking China to the Mediterranean.

So upon hearing Stein was buried in Kabul, I made a beeline for his gravesite as soon as I arrived here.

Adrienne Mong / NBC News

The British Cemetery sits on a dusty road in central Kabul.

Born in 1862, an era when archaeologists could still raise funds for lavish expeditions and gallivant about the globe, Stein single-handedly put the Silk Road back on the map, as it were, with a series of incredible discoveries in his later life. 

The fruits of his excavations and scholarship shed new light on the region by tracing the original trading routes along the Silk Road and, most importantly, documenting the spread of Buddhism from India to China.

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BANGKOK, Thailand – Paper plane champ Mong Thongdee returned to the Thai capital Monday with a bag full of trophies after competing in a Japanese paper airplane contest – but the young boy’s joy may be fleeting.

The 12-year-old boy, who has no official nationality, brought home a third place win in the division for elementary school students in the Chiba, Japan paper plane competition. And his three-person Thai team also won first place in a group competition where the young contestants had to quickly fold their planes and then throw them into the air. 

Koji Sasahara / AP

Mong Thongdee prepares to release his paper plane during the team indoor flight duration competition at the All-Japan Origami Airplane Contest near Tokyo on Sept. 19.

Mong glowed while cameras flashed as he greeted his Myanmar migrant parents – whose trip to Bangkok from their home in northern town of Chiang Mai was made possible by a last minute sponsorship from an airline.

Mong’s story captured media attention when he appealed for travel document to compete in Japan, where he would represent Thailand.

The initial rejection of his request to travel – on the grounds that he isn’t a Thai citizen and can’t leave the country without losing his temporary residence permit – brought to light the complicated issue of thousands of people who live in Thailand, but have no citizenship or official status.  

At the airport on Monday, Mong thanked all Thais for giving him endless support throughout his journey and said he wished to give his medals to the Thai king.

But after going all the way to win his paper plane titles in Japan, Mong returned home to the same state he’s been in: a stateless boy in the country he calls home.  

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LAHORE, Pakistan – Religious piety isn’t something you normally associate with McDonald’s. But during the holy month of Ramadan, everybody gets into the game.

For one month every year, Muslims around the world fast from dawn-to-dusk during the ninth month on the Muslim lunar calendar. Every day, from sun up to sun down, millions aim to practice restraint by abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and indulging in anything in excess.

It’s meant to be a time of reflection, modesty, and spirituality, but the mass-market appeal is hard for retailers to ignore.

McDonald’s pushes a dessert deal called “Sweet Blessings.” Pizza Hut offers a “Ramadan Special” all-you-can-eat buffet after sundown. Even Dunkin Donuts has a “Ramadan Feast” meal package on its menu.

McDonalds’s

McDonald’s advertises a special dessert deal during the holy month of Ramadan called “Sweet Blessings” as a treat for people breaking their  daily fast.

According to Pakistani writer and blogger Asif Akhtar, corporate marketing teams across all industries latch on to this idea during Ramadan.

“Cell phone companies have Ramadan packages where you can call a certain number and get Quranic verses sent to your phone,” said Akhtar. “Radio stations, instead of playing more hip and happening party songs, they start playing more religiously oriented music.”

The pressure to adhere to religious practice can be intense. Even those not fasting feel they must at least pretend to fast in public, so as not to incur the wrath of others. One young man in the capital city of Islamabad said that despite the fact that he’s unsure of his faith, and therefore chooses not to fast, he keeps up appearances in public because it’s easier than the alternative.

“Chewing gum in public will get you some dirty looks,” he said, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject. “Drinking water in public may lead someone to say something disapproving or nasty to you. And eating in public? Forget it.”

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