Category Archives: Travel

Where’s Chinatown?

Chinatown, Los Angeles. Walking through there, it’s obvious that the neighborhood is struggling. With broken sidewalks, empty and abandoned stores, widespread vandalism, and a lack of commercial activity, it’s no wonder that hardly anyone walks through these streets. Though there … Continue reading

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Traveling China: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

By Bing Fu Huang   My favorite place to enjoy and relax with my family is at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China. This national park has three main places worth visiting: the big lake, the big forest, and the … Continue reading

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Traveling Japan: Sakura Season at Nagoya’s Yamasaki River Kanae Bridge

‘Tis the hanami (flower viewing) season in Japan again, and I thought I’d share one of my favorite sakura stroll experiences in Japan. While the famous spots are often in popular tourist destinations like Tokyo and Kyoto, one thing I … Continue reading

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Traveling Japan: Narita Omotesando and Shinsho-ji

When they built the Narita International Airport out in the Chiba Prefecture back in the 70s, the idea was to decongest the main Haneda airport in Tokyo and establish a more spacious, higher capacity, and cost efficient alternative to flying … Continue reading

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Traveling Taiwan: Downtown Hsinchu

Before Taipei was even a thing, there was Hsinchu, the first northern city to be developed in Taiwan in the early 1700s. Savvy international investors and world leaders have definitely heard of this rather small, unassuming town because even though … Continue reading

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Traveling Philippines: Masungi Georeserve

East of the major Metro Manila area, past Antipolo in the rainforests of Rizal is the award-winning Masungi Georeserve, a private conservation area which serves as a sanctuary for various wildlife as well as a limestone landscape and unique geo-landforms … Continue reading

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Traveling Japan: Fort Goryokaku at Hakodate, Hokkaido

Although relatively less known in the States, Hokkaido is a common travel destination for people in Asia, so I’ve known quite a few family and friends who have visited this most northern part of Japan, and I’ve commonly seen pictures … Continue reading

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8Books Review: Essential Japanese Grammar

After having gotten hooked on learning some legit Japanese for my trip to Japan last year, I’ve been rarin’ to continue my Japanese language skills for a future return trip to Kyoto study tea ceremony traditions. Thus, when given the … Continue reading

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Traveling Japan: McDonald’s in Japan

I suppose it is fitting to talk about McDonald’s in Japan as it was the last stop before we headed back home Stateside, a sort of transition from Japan to America. I have pretty much removed McDonald’s from my dietary … Continue reading

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Traveling Japan: Kyoto Snowstorm

Before we begin this little journey through a Kyoto winter wonderland, I should start with the disclaimer that I grew up in sunny southern California. I put on a scarf whenever the temp goes under 70 degrees Fahrenheit. When I … Continue reading

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Traveling Japan: Toei Kyoto Studio Park

It’s quite lovely to experience Kyoto’s preserved machiya neighborhoods and many ancient temples, but equally fun and still historic is the Toei Kyoto Studio Park. Basically, imagine Universal Studios but minus all the big fancy rides and massive studio set … Continue reading

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Traveling Japan: New Year’s Festival at Yasaka Shrine

If you watch a lot of anime, you may have noticed that festivals are a big deal in Japanese culture and story telling. Just like there’s usually a onsen hot spa episode, a beach episode, or a class field trip … Continue reading

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