I remember as a kid, going through a crafts phase. First it was popsicle sticks and glue. Me: Mom! Look what I made! Mom: Another popsicle stick basket? Really? OK. Maybe she didn’t actually say that, but I’m sure that’s what she was thinking. Surprisingly, there are...
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Phnom Penh, My Friend
There’s something to be said about old friends. Sure, new friends are great, too. There’s that whole period where you’re just getting to know each other and every new detail makes that person seem that much more awesome. Wow! Really? You’ve been to Antarctica? That’s just so...
The Birdmen of Saigon
I’ve always had pets, as far back as I can remember. My parents lovingly put up with a menagerie of animals, starting with me bringing home a guinea pig from 2nd grade (I didn’t like it) and various reincarnations of birds and fish. There was even the...
Vung Tau, Vietnam — How to go to the beach like a local
Saigon can be… frenetic. There’s so much to love about this city, including unexpected sights around every corner. But even for the most spasmodic, sometimes it can get a bit… much. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation’s 2010 stats, there are 320,000 cars...
Vietnamese Food On The Cheap — A Photo Essay
It’s the age old question that man has been asking since the dawn of time: What is the meaning of life? Where can I find a great meal for under a buck? While I’ve been fortunate enough to have eaten by my way through over 60 countries,...
It’s Report Card Time! Grading My First Three Months in Vietnam
As a true nerd, I always loved getting report cards as a kid. Some strange, twisted streak in me loved getting judged (and the inevitable praise that followed). Anything less than As were unacceptable. Even a B+ was the equivalent of an Asian F. To set the...
Photo of the Week — Driver’s Ed, Vietnamese Style
I remember the first time I ever visited Ho Chi Minh City. I was walking with a local friend when she very nonchalantly crossed the street, inadvertently leaving me paralyzed on the other side, an image of the 1980’s videogame, Frogger, flashing through my mind. For those...
Unemployed, Alone and Often Confused — And Loving Every Minute
Since I quit my job last September to take a trip around the world, life has been pretty great. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still unemployed, alone and often confused. But that’s mostly by choice. Well, maybe not the confused bit. While life is made much easier...
Where in the World Would You Go With $25,000?
I never enter contests. The cynic in me says you never get something for nothing. Supermarkets want access to your buying history. Timeshares just want to sell you something you don’t need that you can’t afford. I never fill out any of those silly entry forms to...
Cambodian New Year – Asia’s Groundhog Day
For the last 10 years, I’ve been in the strange position of ushering in the new year not once, not twice but three times a year. That’s a lot of resolutions, people. There’s International New Year on January 1, followed by the Chinese / Vietnamese Lunar New...