Winter can be great and all, but there’s only so much cold and darkness one can endure. In need of a break, I headed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to recharge my batteries with a weekend of tropical warmth. Of course, two days are not enough to experience everything this bustling city has to offer, so […]
Asia
Three Days in Saigon, Vietnam
I recently returned home from Saigon, Vietnam, and am excited by the changes I witnessed since my first visit in 2012. The city’s skyline has so many glitzy new additions as to be almost unrecognizable. The massive coils of electrical wires that once snaked overhead have been neatly buried, while pedestrian crosswalks (with lights!) have […]
Celebrating Christmas in Taipei, Taiwan
I have a little secret to share: While I continue to report on locales across Latvia and Europe, for the past few months those dispatches have been sent from the tropical island of Taiwan. Technology is amazing, no? Although I missed Riga terribly at first, Taipei has charmed me with its fascinating mix of cultures […]
The Best Meals We Ate in Shanghai
This post is long overdue, considering that I’ve now been gone from Shanghai for nearly six months. But while I’ve already written about many of the outstanding meals we enjoyed during our tenure in China’s largest city, there are still more worth sharing – and a few worth repeating! Chuanxiang Sichuan Restaurant Chuanxiang was our […]
Becoming a Celebrity in China
What happens when a blonde American with blue eyes and extremely pale skin moves to China? If my experience is any indication, she becomes an instant celebrity! To say that I stood out from the local population is a bit of an understatement. While China has a surprising amount of ethnic diversity, the society is […]