little guardians of Quinghefang Ancient Street…
The bus hurdled westward until Shanghai was just a collection of faded grey shapes. I watched through the window as the suburbs rolled by: groups of colourful housing complexes creeping their way across green. Power lines, train tracks, industry. Even in the mystical land of the red dragon Continue reading
waiting for the long distance bus…
From Shanghai, you have a couple easy options for getting to Hangzhou. It serves as a nice hub for other points westward (Tunxi, Huangshan, etc…) and is definitely worth the stop for a day or two of exploring and eating. Continue reading
As we surveyed the rubble through the barbed-wire fence, the whole while nursing our warm beers, Josephine recounted the story of how her house was lost to a massive storm. Continue reading
Sometimes when you arrive at a place, you find that it is full of magic. It is not necessarily filled with ancient structures to be revered, or dazzling skylines as a testament to the clever engineering capabilities of its humans. The place may not be studded with snow topped mountains, awe inspiring waterfalls, or pristine beaches. Yet, when you arrive, you can feel Continue reading
Creating the perfect bite of food in Chiang Mai, Thailand
The more time we spent in Thailand, the more obvious it became that the best way to find a great place to eat was to follow your nose, and look for the red and blue plastic chairs. Seemingly synonymous with ‘delicious’ all across the country, it took us little time to figure out that where we found the chairs, we would find Continue reading
A few dozen food stalls clustered together on the north side of Chiang Mai, whisking up delicious Thai food to order?! We wouldn’t dream of missing out…
Chang Phuaek Market in Chiang Mai, commonly referred to as the North Gate Market, is a wonderful place Continue reading
Godzilla is coming!
Tokyo:
It is a whirl, a twirl, a blur.
Facades of steel and glass make angles against the blue sky. Mind boggling crowds of humans move like liquid across wide intersections, down shopping streets, and through perfectly manicured parks. Kitchy pop music finds my ears as I stand on a corner. Continue reading
Where is the place where two rivers meet? Dumulmeori…
Two watery heads converge, making one. Liquid expanse meets distant mountain, and all around a sea of green. Lotus, lotus, everywhere… Continue reading
We entered the market and walked straight into a tide of kinetic energy.
A steady buzz,
A jostling of elbows.
Nimble fingers press dough into perfectly shaped mandu. Continue reading
High above. Gaze out and over the city. Hundreds of buildings rise up- repeating patterns of grey and white blocks.
It feels bustling, even from here. Not far beyond: the soft blue of mountain silhouettes.
Continue reading