Kuala Lumpur, MY — She’s called, “The queen of Petaling Street, ” and in her majestic presence I became a royal subject, a devoted follower and a lifelong fan. Madame Tang has been selling muah chee or as the Japanese call it, “mochi, ” a glutinous rice flour dessert, rolled Read more
“I’m going to Memphis where the beat is tough. Memphis I can’t get enough. It makes you tremble. It makes you weak. Gets in your blood, that Memphis beat.” Jerry Lee Lewis. Memphis, TN– I’ve never been a foodie or a food blogger. While there are millions of idiots with Read more
Memphis, TN– Nathan Bedford Forrest was a confederate general, a founder of the Ku Klux Klan and its first grand wizard. Forrest became wealthy from the slave trade often advertising in local newspapers, “Fresh Negroes Delivered Daily.” A concrete slab sits boarded by a fence, where Forrest’s statue once stood Read more
Salem, MA–Are witches real? I went to Salem to find out; stayed in a haunted hotel and discovered one of America’s most charming towns. What I wouldn’t have given for another day there. Located about an hour North of Boston, Salem is best known for it’s 1692 witch trials. During Read more
Rotorua, NZ — Since there are about seven sheep for every person living in New Zealand, a career in sheep herding and shearing is something that could provide a lifetime of steady employment. I wanted to explore opportunities in this field and no where better could I do that than Read more
Wellington, NZ — “Are you going because of Lord of the Rings? Are you going because of Lord of the Rings?” That was the question I was most frequently asked when I told friends that I would be going to New Zealand where both the Lord of the Rings trilogies Read more
Wellington, NZ — She took the seat next to me in the compartment of the train. She reminded me of women I had seen before on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, an aging hippy. “Good Morning, ” I said. “Hello, ” she replied. There was no trace of a Kiwi accent. Read more
Auckland, NZ — I’m standing on 53 volcanos, but I’m not worried, the last one erupted 600 years ago. Auckland is a city built on volcanos. It has all the qualities that make it a great city. It’s clean and green. Seventy percent of it’s energy comes from renewable sources. Read more
Honolulu, HI — You’re in Hawaii, so many choices. Do you go to the beach and work on your tan? What about a luau or learning to surf? Or you could spend some time volunteering at The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF). That’s exactly what I did. Now in its Read more
Toronto, Ontario — Canada is often called, “The Great White North, ” but in Toronto there are over 130 different languages spoken. As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, no one is talking about building walls, instead they are talking about diversity and no where is that diversity greater than in Read more