Father Neu

When home is just a stopover. North America » United States » New York By Father Neu July 3rd 2007 Peter Neu After leaving Guatemala I flew back to the US of A. Well, sort of. I flew to Miami for a 5 day 'adjustment period.' I didn't take many pictures or do much of note so I will skip blogging on Miami and just take you to New York City. And while New York is my home I haven't yet ended my Round the World adventure. Because I bought my ticket in Morocco, I still have a flight over the Atlantic. So, like my 2 months in Seattle, my time here in NYC is just a stopover on this overall journey. And while I'm tempted, I'll spare ... read more

I found myself in Acapulco during the week of college spring break. I’m not sure how I managed that one. I haven’t been to Mexico for spring break since freshman year of college. And in all honesty I had no intention of returning. However, when I found out some of my good friends from NY were going to be there, I jumped at the chance to catch up with them after 8 months away. And to be fair, this wasn’t a Holiday Inn kind of week. A private home in the guarded community of Las Brisas was our exclusive domain, repleat with a staff to cook, bartend, and clean up after us. Hell, we even guys with machine guns at the corner of the block! Day one was a private affair with my cousin Jeff ... read more

Tokyo Tokyo is beyond my grasp. Its size, its population, its lack of grid is nearly overwhelming. No, actually, it is overwhelming. It’s so thoroughly massive that you don’t even realize how little you’re actually seeing. A bird’s eye view would have been helpful for perspective but I never left the worm’s eye view. My whole understanding of the city is based on the main circular path of the metro map which itself is only conceptual. So basically, even after spending 10 days there, my understanding of Tokyo is at best, conceptual. This vague understanding was dotted with distinct experiences in dining, shopping, and sumo. The udon noodle shops were incredible, and plenty reasonable. The largest fish market in the world was impressively, well, large. Massive frozen tunas were moved about, marked in red paint, ... read more

I last left you in Shanghai on New Year’s Eve, 2007. What better city to start a new year? China, the country of the future, the economy of the future. (Update: Ex-Fed Chairman Greenspan has just issued concern over China’s stock market that it’s a bubble, growing 3 times in value since beginning of 2006. Same day another article concentrated how a high number of Chinese investors invest like we might play roulette. Double 8s equal double happiness, BUY! Someone needs to give these guys financial statements.) The implied promises of the Red Dragon hang high over the people of this ‘democratic republic.’ And although I counted down 2007 in a cab in Shanghai traffic (symbolic?), the night ended on a high note with a great party and new friends. January 1st I reluctantly awoke ... read more

Shanghai is the Chinese city for me. More than Hong Kong, more than Beijing, Shanghai has it going on. Whatever you want is here. It is much more sophisticated than anywherer else and has a long history with western peoples and cultures. The art community is fantastic, with a whole complex of galleries and studios on the edge of the city, and many more scattered throughout. The photo titled 'Island 6 Art Gallery' is a great old building that sits in a large open space, with a backdrop of looming housing development towering above. The Island 6 building is one of very few landmarked buildings in Shanghai. With the incredible amount of money coming in, everything is growing rapidly. But, you can still get a 3 bedroom spacious condo here for the price of a cramped ... read more