If you haven’t yet visited Tokyo, the time is ripe. This dynamic city is gearing up for the 2020 Summer Olympics so it’s a fine time to discover its wealth of offerings. From the swanky shops in Ginza to the teen fashion Mecca Harajuku, there’s a neighborhood to please every tourist’s taste. There’s so much to do and see in this bustling metropolis, you could stay for months--or years-- and still not see it all. Make sure you allow plenty of … [Read more...]
Ode to the Antonov-24
I’ll hear no grumbles about bumpy flights on twin-prop planes from regional airports in the U.S.. No sighs about the robotic sign-off from the cabin steward, “Thank you for choosing United” (as if you had a choice). No, you have no grounds for complaint because you don’t know how terrifying such flights can be. You have not had the Antonov-24 (a Soviet-era airplane) experience. The Antonov-24, a Soviet 44-seater turboprop which made its … [Read more...]
A Teacher’s Story: My Gaijin Experience In Japan
I’ve always had a curiosity about life outside of the United States. Geography was my favorite subject as a child. I first heard of Japan in the fourth grade when my teacher would go on xenophobic rants about how the Japanese were determined to take over the world and eventually own America. Due to circumstances, I would have to wait until my mid-twenties before going abroad. One day, my life took a drastic turn. My first serious relationship … [Read more...]
“Advancing in a different direction.” The lows and highs of an Indian Ayurveda Retreat
There is a slither of daylight creeping through the windows that are covered by heavy red drapes. I stay in bed to keep warm. My room is just as bad this morning as it was in the dark on arrival last night. There’s a draught from the chimney, so I adjust the wood cover to prevent cold air from entering. The hard floor is ice cold when I put my feet down. From my window, the sky is misty over the hills outside. The window is slightly open and I … [Read more...]
Semi-Quarantine in Singapore
Semi-Quarantine in Singapore Or The Best Laid Plans of Men and Microbes By Joshua Samuel Brown, Special for Dave’s Travel Corner “Mmm…yes. Tsk.” Doctor Eung shone his light into my partner’s inflamed right ear canal. “You say you flew yesterday, is it?” Stephanie nodded grimly, her face swollen in several places. “Better you had not,” said the doctor. The illness had hit a few days earlier, caught from an old friend in … [Read more...]
Open Cremation at Pashupatinath Temple
It was a crisp Friday morning in December; I was standing on a temple compound in Kathmandu thronged by hundreds of sombre-looking devotees offering prayers with garlands and fruits. The air was scented with a mixture of fragrance from the flowers and incense. The sidewalks were bustling with vendors hawking a wide variety of religious souvenirs and infested with stray dogs scavenging for food through piles of garbage. The place was overrun with … [Read more...]
Tai Chi in China
Our dear tai chi master, Dr. Paul Lam, and his partner Hazel invited us to join them as part of a small group on a two-week tai chi workshop/tour of China. Dr. Lam said he designed the trip to be “fun and serious, leisurely and exciting, like the yin and yang of tai chi.” This design of contrasts generated a trip of remarkable paradoxes: Absolutely clean wide modern streets and filthy holes-in-the-ground bathrooms. Great Wall preserved … [Read more...]
2018 Penang Temple Fair
Chinese New Year is undoubtedly the best time to visit Penang. During this time, this UNESCO World Heritage site becomes a buzz of activity with crowds, colorful holiday decorations and a lineup of exciting and interesting events. One of the most anticipated events that always draws a diverse crowd is the Temple Fair, otherwise known as Miao Hui in Chinese. This celebration is a large-scale street fair co-hosted by a collective of Chinese … [Read more...]
Two Lost Americans On A Borneo Rainforest Safari
Just a smidgen before sunrise in the Borneo rainforest when a gray mist still veiled the chocolate-colored Kinabatangan River, the macaques and proboscis monkeys started dropping down from the trees in search of breakfast. From our motorboat on the water, we kept an eye out for movement among the leaves. The monkeys often traveled in packs, so many times when we'd see one swinging down to the river's edge, the rest of the group — either bachelors … [Read more...]
Unsettling
We entered a narrow lane crowded with shoppers, shopkeepers, motorcycles, rickshaws and animals. Throngs of people pushed their way past us, ogling us suspiciously, much like the dead fish lying in frozen ice in one of the shops, their eyes wide open staring at us. Above us there were twisted and tangled cables and wires, like spaghetti, hanging from buildings and poles. On each side were endless rows of shops with dirt floors and corrugated tin … [Read more...]
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