Happy Year of the Dog
This year begins the Year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar. During my first year in China, I got to experience Spring Festival and celebrate Chinese New Year.
holidays
Freezing into the New Year in Montreal
Spending the New Year’s Eve in the frigid Canadian city of Montreal. Following the crowds to watch the festivities and fireworks along the river.
Celebrating an Expat Christmas
Celebrating holidays as an expat can be difficult and stressful. I don’t celebrate Christmas, but have celebrated in some countries.
Traveler Holiday Gift Picks
It’s holiday shopping season, so here’s a list of traveler gift picks to help you find the right gift for the traveler on your list.
Happy Year of the Sheep
新年快乐, dear readers! February 19 marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year (as well as other Asian nations’ lunar new year). This is the year of the sheep/goat/ram and it happens to be my year, so I should probably go out and buy some lucky red underwear (seriously, this is a thing in China/Taiwan). …
Happy 2015!
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” ― T.S. Eliot, Little Gidding I can’t say I’m sad to see 2014 go. I can’t say I’m happy about it either. 2014 started out with me on a boat …
Christmas Greetings from Taipei
East Asia loves Christmas–I witnessed this while living in China. My Christmas tradition didn’t change much when I moved to southern China years ago; the movies were on pirated DVDs and the Chinese food was better, but it was still more or less the same tradition. While walking around Taipei with my friends the other …
Holiday Lights of Tokyo
In the run up to Christmas, I noticed the prevalence of Christmas lights all over Tokyo. Every shopping area was decorated to attract more customers and all the people were busy taking photos in front of the displays. Last year my landlord took me on an after-work excursion to see the light display at Yomiuri …
A Very Taipei Thanksgiving
“Turkey: A large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude.” – Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary I’m fortunate to have a few friends here in Taipei. Some of them were able to join me for my birthday last week. And my two American friends …
Independence Day in Seoul
Celebrating Independence Day in Seoul, South Korea, with a spicy burger and some beer in Noksapyeong with a surprise fireworks show.
July 4th Past
As I logged in for work this morning despite my usual habit of taking off for national holidays, I realized I had no 4th of July-ish plans in Seoul. I’ve been sitting in my apartment reading Walt Whitman’s praises of America in Leaves of Grass, which I’ve mostly read on the Seoul subway and local bars. …
May Day, Day Late
Yesterday was May Day, or International Labor Day, whichever you’d prefer. It was celebrated in various ways around the world–protests in Seattle and Istanbul, and an odd mix of parade and support for Vladimir Putin in Moscow. In China, it’s a couple days off for almost everyone (it used to be a full week, but …
Happy Lantern Festival
Happy Lantern Festival, a holiday in China that marks the end of the Lunar New Year festivities.
Happy 2014!
Happy New Year, friends and readers! I celebrated in Siem Reap, Cambodia last night, but didn’t join in the festivities on Pub Street as the crowd was so large at 9 PM that I didn’t want to push my way through. I also couldn’t stay out too late because I had to catch my boat …
Celebrating Abroad
I’ve been working on the theory that birthdays abroad don’t count. I like this theory because I’ve now celebrated six birthdays abroad (one in London, four in China, and now one in Tokyo). It might explain why a lot of people guess I’m six years younger than I really am. Since my birthday was midweek …