When tracing back the origins of the impetus for me to try hitchhiking in China, the seeds of inspiration had been sown over time. There was my old soccer teammate I encountered in Beijing who hitchhiked through the Gobi desert to Ürümqi – the Uighur capital of Western China. There…
Category: Travel
China
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Mistranslations, Gibberish, and Poetry: The Quirky World of Chinese Signs
More than any other country I’ve visited, China has an abundance of hilarious English translations and all-around bizarre signs. My theory to why China in particular is so affected by this hilarious plight – as opposed to, say, Indonesia, which has generally very accurate English signs – is because: 1….
Travel
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What Happened to Little Italy?
Growing up in the United States, my image of New York was invariably shaped by its portrayal in mass media. Movies like Goodfellas and the canonical macho Frat classic that is the Godfather (take nothing away from its cinematic brilliance) portray a side of New York seeped in Italian American…
Europe
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Shell Game Scam: How to Spot Tourist Traps on Westminster Bridge
On the Westminster Bridge – amidst the heaving, swelling waves of camera-wielding tourists, annoyed commuters, and languid policeman – are a few scattered groups crowding around. At first glance, they draw attention. What are they looking at? Maybe a street performer or protester? In fact, they surround an Eastern European man…
Europe
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The Eternal Wait in Line at Berlin’s Most Exclusive Club
Berghain – One of the most famous clubs in the world is notoriously difficult to get in. Built in a former power plant in East Berlin, its industrial alternative vibe and infamously strict door policy are the stuff of legends. I’ve even heard that Berghain asks (or pays?) to be…
China
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Return of the Three Cornered Bread
It’s been three years since I first discovered the simple but fulfilling Shanghai school cafeteria delicacy that is Three-Cornered Bread (三角并). With each additional trip to Shanghai, the legend of the aloof fried dough grew. Empires rose and fell in those three years, but the one constant was the search…
Favorites
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New Orleans – A City for the Senses
What a beautiful, thriving city New Orleans is! I had very little expectations arriving on a sweltering day in early July. Unlike New York, whose image is captured in the public eye daily, I only had a vague preconception of jazz and Mardi Gras inside my head. Little did I…
China
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The Hunt for Three-Cornered Bread: A Shanghai Breakfast Treasure
Three years ago, I studied abroad in Shanghai with the University of Washington business school. This was my first adventure in China, and it proved to be an incredible, formative experience. We stayed in East China Normal University’s (华东师范大学) dorms, and while our classes were taught by UW professors, living…
Indonesia
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YKIP’s Mission Of Hope: Empowering Bali’s Underprivileged Students In Crisis
With the pandemic raging, now more than ever, strangers pose a risk to our very existence. Yet, we cannot succumb to apathy. We must fight to care for our fellow human beings who are suffering more than us. While living in Bali, I had the pleasure of volunteering with YKIP…