April 2, 2015.  Kyoto in early April is a showstopper.  The way women move in vintage silk kimonos, the cherry blossoms bursting...

April 1, 2015. Guess where we spent our final few days in beautiful Japan? If you're thinking "well she's writing this the...

3/19/2015.  To get around Chinese internet controls I've been using a VPN (virtual private network) which makes me look like I'm...

3/16/2015.  Yesterday I met Ji, a 25 year old who wanted to improve her already excellent English.  We traded language practice for...

3/6/2015.  Half of Koreans proclaim no religion.  The other half is divided into Christianity and Buddhism.  But almost all Koreans have...

3/31/2015.  The room phone in my hotel rings at an alarming, unadjustable volume.  A ringing phone is one of my great phobias....

2/23/2015.  I just spent an entire afternoon in a dark basement in Shanghai.   It was amazing.   A collector named Mr. Yang has...

2/19/2015.  A few days ago Francesca and I were looking at some paintings and sculptures in an Ubud museum. I asked...

Except for when you can. 2/18/2015.  In our tiny no-name village between Ubud and Penastanan there are about seven warungs (food...

2/15/2015.  I've been exploring the interior of Bali for three weeks now.  While I expected the Hinduism, I didn't know there'd be...