Culinary Prohibitions
Some people have dietary restrictions, but in some countries, certain fruits are banned. In Malaysia, durian is forbidden in enclosed areas.
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Friday Photos
Hiding Beneath the Clouds
After contemplating my fortune when it comes to atmospheric elements and scenic photography, I remembered my first trip to Hong Kong. The weather was absolutely miserable. It was late May and the humidity was unbearable. Being my first time in Hong Kong, my uncle decided he should show me around a bit. We ducked into
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Counting Blessings
On my second major holiday journey during my time in China, I traveled to northern Sichuan Province to visit Jiuzhaigou National Park. This was the only time I visited a Tibetan region of China as it was (and still is) rather difficult for foreigners to access the province of Tibet. I stayed in Shuzheng village
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Relaxing on a Chinese Lake
There’s a lot of beauty around China, and the scenery around Dinghu in Zhaoqing represents some of what the country has to offer travelers.
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Peaceful (?) Contemplation
Sometimes signs in foreign countries can be confusing. In China, it was mostly the Chinglish that made signs confusing, sometimes hilarious. In other cases, it was placement of signs that baffled the mind. After visiting the Thai and Burmese Buddhist temples down the street in Penang, Malaysia, I came across a meditation center that was
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Forbidden Olympics
When I visited Beijing in the couple years before the Olympics, I didn’t see any of the venues for the games. At that time I didn’t even know where in the city they were located. I stuck with the tourist destinations that included the Forbidden City. Unfortunately, it was difficult to see the Forbidden City.
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What’s Crossing the Road?
I’ve seen plenty of animal crossing signs in my travels. Some are obvious and others are not. When I was 16 and traveling with my parents through New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, we came across a Bigfoot Crossing sign at Pike’s Peak (I’ll have to scan my old photos for that one). I’m not sure
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Crashing the Thai Queen’s Birthday Party
It was a pleasant coincidence that I booked my trip to Halifax during Canada Day celebrations. I also visited Montreal last year during a fireworks festival that I discovered while searching for things to add to my itinerary. Sometimes celebrations are more of a surprise on trips. In 2008, I went with my parents for
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To Canada, Eh
Later today I will take a short flight to Nova Scotia to visit Halifax for a few days. I’m sure to do plenty of walking and eating. It was about a year ago that I took a very slow train ride to Montreal (is this the beginning of an annual trip to Canada?). I arrived
In Ancient Capitals
The best vacation day trip I’ve ever taken was to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand that was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. Today, most of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with tourists heading to the ruins of the temples and the Khmer-style architecture that remains. It was a short train
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Fluttering in Panama
Watching the hummingbirds feeding in Gamboa while waiting for my Diablo Rojo bus back to Panama City.
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Advantage Hong Kong
I spent almost four years as a expat in Shenzhen, China, which is not known for much other than its factories. It had some redeeming qualities, but lacked true character. However, it did have one advantage over any other Chinese city: it was right next to Hong Kong. It was six months before my first
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Just a Facade in Macau
A view of the facade of the ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city.
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Works Like Magic
While in China I encountered many signs that didn’t make much sense. Most of these signs were written in Chinglish and poorly translated. Despite the numerous campaigns in major cities to proofread such signs (as well as menus), there were still plenty of errors. Sometimes it wasn’t what was lost in translation that caused the
The Thought Police, They Live Inside of My Head
With apologies to Cheap Trick (FYI, the best version of “Dream Police” was sung by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon). Finding parking on city streets sucks. And New York City is probably the worst for this (which is why I have never driven there despite living in New Jersey for most of my life). Where’s the ACLU when
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