One Day in Chongqing
I just came back from a trip to China filled with family time and good food. While physically tired, I feel mentally refreshed because there’s no better reminder of what life is is all about than returning to your roots. I spent my childhood in Beijing, but the longer it has been since I moved away, the more Chongqing, my dad’s hometown, feels almost just as much of a hometown to me. This time I visited Chongqing for about 3 days, primarily to spend time with family members and celebrate my grandpa’s birthday. However I was still able to carve…
View PostA Brief Walk in Bronx and Brooklyn
I’ve been to New York City in 2008, 2012, 2015, and also a couple times when I was little, of which I barely have any memory. What I have absolute no memory of is venturing into any borough that’s not Manhattan. During this trip I made it a point to explore outside of Manhattan. This was made a bit easier by the fact that my best friend now attends medical school in the city. For the first time I get to visit from somewhat of a local’s perspective. On my first day here, we decided to go to the Bronx…
View PostFlying Solo in NYC
I’m currently sitting in front of a window at Newark Airport listening to calming music in order to drown out the inescapable hustling noise that comes with airports, because guess what, my flight has been delayed 3 HOURS. My unwillingness to accept the my bad luck and the fact that the delay is the exact same length as the time difference between NYC and LA caused much confusion and dismay, but I’ve accepted it because after all, this was one of the best trips I’ve ever been and I won’t let a small hiccup stop me from remembering it that…
View PostSnaps from East London to East LA
First of all: a disclaimer. It didn’t take much digging on Google for me to realize that the definitions of “East” London and “East” LA are highly debated subjects that touch on ethnic histories and class struggles. The “east” that I’m referring to in my blog title, however, is much more personal than geographically accurate. I pretty much just mean places in London and LA that are generally on the east side, especially compared to the places that I’ve lived. While London and LA can hardly be any more different as cities, I noticed a lot of similarities between some…
View PostWalking in London’s Parks
When you think of London, probably at least some of these things will pop into your mind: Big Ben, double-decker buses, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the Underground… All these things do a fine job representing London, but to me, one of the absolute best things about the city is its parks. Despite being an extremely tight-quartered metropolitan city, London has green spaces of various sizes that used to be royal hunting grounds or private gardens for residents that later opened to the public. They are magical slices of heaven that immediately block out the bustle and noise of…
View PostPortland, OR
Earlier this month I visited Portland for the first time. I wasn’t sure what to expect out of a place that prides itself in being “weird”, but it definitely exceeded whatever implicit expectations I did have. The thing that made the biggest impression on me was how amazingly friendly everyone was. On our first day, a bus driver gave us day passes for free and showed us exactly how to get to where we wanted to go, and that was just the beginning. Everyone else from hotel staff and waiters to strangers on the street, was as just warm and…
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