Category: Culture

It’s all roses and sunshine when you see from the outside. You realize the reality after you have become a part of that system, and it gets too late for you to get out. Whether it’s exotic dancing, journalism, or army, every profession has its dark side. Here I have discussed how you can unveil…

China is a gargantuan nation where even the smallest municipalities can have larger populations than many a European or American city. With so much space to cover and so many stories to tell, it’s all too easy to just focus on the next big adventure and trying to discover the “real China,” but sometimes the…

Foreign tourist until July 25, 2011 Recent events in northern Sichuan’s Aba Prefecture, and reverberations from the past events of March 2008 are currently hampering foreign (Western) travel to several areas of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and Tibetan regions of Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. Many counties are closed to foreigners and some people have…

If there’s one thing Thailand is known for all around the world, it’s their amazing massages. The Thai people have a deep respect for the body and what needs to be done to keep it in the best possible condition day in and day out. Professionals will help get you back to where you need…

This one’s for all you lovers out there! It’s Valentine’s Day so this photo entitled “Romance” really ought to get the attention it deserves. A beautiful shot by photographer Vincent Tandijo Saputro of Beijing’s Summer Palace… the lake, the hazy light, the couple walking hand in hand along the water. It’s enough to make a…

The 20 weeks of preparation (read: fear) leading up to our Everest trek finally dwindled down toward “game time”. We (over)packed—everything from emergency blankets and whistles to about 25 Snickers bars—and were off to Nepal. Everest Base Camp was a milestone to mark the big 30 and it did just that! We took a flight…

The islands and coastline that make up the city of Xiamen, once known as Amoy, make for a more relaxed and cleaner escape from China’s bigger cities. While there’s plenty to do in and around the city to fill in a week-long-or-more holiday in Xiamen, with just a two hour-and-45-minute weekend trip. So during the…

What’s that you say? Why is the photo of the week one of wintry characteristics during a summer of sunshine and lollipops? Well, I think they generally call it wishful thinking. This week in Shanghai, the temperature is—technically speaking—hotter than an angry goat’s hoof in the noonday Tennessee sun. You might be wondering what I…