Sitting on dirt in the middle of a construction site, dust swirling around me from cars driving by, sweat soaking my shirt, my throat parched, my quads cramping from dehydration and exhaustion, I wondered if I would make it back to my hostel. I read that cycling or riding a scooter around Yangshuo were great…
Dance Dance Evolution!
When I was growing up in Malaysia, I used to see groups of old(er) people gathered in local parks to do “Tai Chi“, a slow, graceful martial art that is meant to represent Zen, Yin-and-Yang, and being one with nature. But primarily, it was exercise. (I later learned that people who’re proficient in Tai Chi…
Chinese Food
China seems to get a bad rep when it comes to food. Those I’ve spoken to in the past who’ve had food in China usually use the same word; bland. The internet has also posted videos of Chinese people “salvaging” used cooking oil in drains, aptly called “gutter oil“. There are news articles which show crocodiles…
Mission #1 in China: Get a data sim card
Traveling with a smartphone has been a revelation. I remember back in 2010 when I first got to Ireland, I didn’t even have a guidebook. (This was quickly rectified once I learned about Lonely Planet from a fellow traveler.) Back in 2014, I still traveled with only a guidebook and a camera. This year, I…
Explorers
I had recently come across a video shared by someone on Reddit. It was a montage of his 2018 adventures on a motorcycle. The song in it (“Explorers” by The Midnight) caught my attention because I think it represents the spirit of adventure. I think there are many people out there, who, although lead normal…
Summary of China 2018
I remember about a year and a half ago, I was in the local Barnes and Noble near my apartment. I wandered to the travel section to look at guidebooks for fun. I saw a section on China and I thought, “I will explore you one day, you land of magical mysteries”. The land where…
#kuidaore #yolo #banzai
While I was in Japan, there were two foods that I made it a mission to eat; Kobe beef and “fugu” (pufferfish). I don’t even remember if I’ve ever had wagyu beef before I came to Japan but I had some melt-in-your-mouth A5 Hida beef in Takayama, which was very memorable. I used to be…
Kakinoha Sushi
When people hear the word “Japan”, the first food most think of is “sushi”. Back in 2016, I enjoyed a wonderful experience eating sushi with my family in one of those sushi joints next to Tsukiji Market. The sushi was fresh and delicious and was worth the experience of lining up on a rainy morning…
Let’s Talk Ramen
Ramen. The food of the people. Shio, shoyu, miso, tonkotsu, tsukemen; all terms most who love ramen are familiar with. I visited many ramen joints during my trip to Japan and each had its own signature broths. All were delicious, of course. Fukuoka is a particularly interesting city when it comes to ramen so if you are…
“Kuidaore”
While I was in Osaka, I learned about a philosophy that I believe all foodies out there can relate to. It is called “Kuidaore” and it means “to eat oneself into total ruin”. Now, maybe not all of us eat until we are financially ruined but I think it’s fair to say there are those…