The buses are honking. A woman on the overhead speaker lists off scheduled departure times. Incomprehensible chatter surrounds me. Noise has taken over the Kuala Lumpur bus station. Luggage wheels scraping, cell phones ringing, loud voices. I crawl onto my bus, pop in my earphones and let my music drown out the chaos. The bus comes to an abrupt halt and spits me out at 5 AM. It's dark, it's quiet. I'm on the Northern East coast of Malaysia and in the distance the silence is interrupted by the Muslim "call to prayer." I walk down the lifeless streets with the haunting prayers echoing off the houses. Exhausted, I find a bench, fall down on it, earplugs in, and I'm out. Two hours later I jolt awake and have one of those, "Where am I, I ... read more

"I want to go to Amsterdam," my friend explains. I agreed that was fine, considering she had agreed to go to Bruges (my choice). Honestly? I didn't really know anything about A-dam except for hearing about the legalization of marijauna and prostitution. With no desire to smoke and even less desire to pay for an intimate encounter I was starting to wonder what I was going to do with myself in this land of sin. Read on as I try to find the innocence in A-dam and toil a bit with the debaucheries too... *Red Light District (RLD)* Writing about the RLD in a way that's appropriate for all readers presents a challenge. The RLD isn't meant for young eyes. None-the-less, I am going to attempt to say a few words about this area in the ... read more

From one city of lights to the next! Shanghai to Paris. From modern light spectacles to historic illumination. From the Pearl Tower to the Eiffel Tower. Here I am. So what can I possibly write about Paris that hasn't already been spelled out in plain English, French, and every other language? Well, after spending two years in China, coming to France has me looking at everything from a different perspective. The two countries are like polar opposites, and because I've been deprived of luxuries such as Western dining, low noise-pollution, and Latin-based language, I believe it gives me a more naive and pure perspective of the place. So read along as I treat myself to all I've been deprived of over the last two years and possibly gain some insight on how to not overlook the ... read more

Turkey sandwich, check. Cold beer, check. Blanket, check. Some good friends to bring along, check! Picnic in the old town gardens anyone? How have I lived here for over a year and never been to this part of town? I look up at this mountain every day on my way home from work and I'm just now going to check it out? It's amazing how far we're willing to travel to see something new and exhilarating, when we sometimes forget there's a plethora of adventure within a 5-mile radius of us. “Old town” is situated on the outskirts of dusty Wuxi, settled at the bottom of a tree-infested mountain. The gardens, ponds and streams are connected by old courtyards, circular entrance ways, and connecting quaint bridges. We eat our lunch in the garden by one of ... read more

Prior to the trip, the city was described to me in one word, “lush.” This word kept sweeping through my mind as I partook in the activities around the city of Hangzhou's West Lake. Dense greenery and an abundance of trees isn't usually on the agenda in China's major cities, however, Hangzhou was luckily out to prove it was an exception to the rule. The majority of the West Lake is surrounded by pagoda-topped hills infested with foliage. Trees line the roads around the lake towering even over the buildings and concrete. The air feels fresher. The haze that encompasses most Chinese cities seems to be absent from Hangzhou's skies. It's clean. It's tranquil. It's fantastic! A handful of my friends and I stayed next to the lake at Hangzhou West Lake Youth Hostel located just ... read more