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The Land of the Morning Calm
Seoul, South Korea 1/18/2020 Japan might be the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, South Korea is the Land of the Morning Calm. This name was given by an emperor from the Ming Dynasty in China – calling Korea ‘Chaohsien’ which means ‘Morning Freshness’; later dubbed as ‘Morning Calm’ However this is a lie in Seoul. Seoul is the complete opposite of calm; however Jeju or other smaller cities, I see it to be more accurate. In Seoul, morning calm really only seems to exist between the super early hours of the morning, I’m going to guess between 3-4am and if it rains. This city seems to 100% energized at all…
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Dubai – an uncultured city
7/18/2016 Like they typical girl you see in teenage movies – you know the one that wants to be the most popular girl, shows off her new designer handbag and jewelry, thinks and wants to be better than everyone else, but loses her true identity for the sake of her image, that’s exactly what Dubai is. Built on nothing but wanting to be the best, biggest, fastest, longest, highest at the time of construction, Dubai has a self identity complex. The city is fake. It’s cool to see the architecture which is nothing short of amazing, but culturally it’s lacking. Besides seeing local men in their white robes (dishdash and…
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Wanderers
5/23/2016 So with my travels and tours it amazes me to see people traveling alone all over the world. However, my friends are the first quickly tell me ‘yea, like you don’t do that’. I just never realized, think that I do but it’s true. I’m not sure if it’s the call of the unknown, being constantly in motion, the experience of something new and discovering something… not here. It beacons me and us to take the first step. You know the quote, “Not Until We Are Lost Do We Begin to Find Ourselves.” What is it about finding ourselves that makes us want to explore or travel? What happens…
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Biking in Wachau Valley Video
Austria – 9/7/2016 A collection of random video taken while riding through Wachau Valley, just outside Vienna, Austria. Please excuse the shaky picture – I don’t have video stabilization on my Samsung Galaxy s6 (at least I don’t think I do). Thanks to Marco from Vienna Explorer for being our guide and letting us hit up 3 places to drink wine instead of 2. Enjoy 🙂
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From the Archives: A 45 Minute Journey into Sound
Originally written (not posted) 2/7/2009 6:39 AMThe day breaks the dark winter sky with shades of pink and orange. The street lamps in the parking lot cast a subtle glow over the frosty car below. The train… already 3 minutes late.The platform … covered with salt.The air … crisp, mid teens with a wind coming in from the northMe … cold I get on the train and sit next to another passenger who’s made himself quite comfortable in the leather two-seater. Part of his thigh is on my square. Making no attempt to give me any room he continues to read his morning paper. I take out my pass and…
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Fall ’96 – Car Accident
Originally published December 27, 2015 Its dark around me, with the exceptions of a few red and white faded lights, like headlights in fog. Why am I sitting here? My hands touch the ground as I try to get up, I’m sitting on the street – I pause and try to turn around but unable to. How’d I get here? What’s the last thing I remember, what’s the last thing I remember, what’s the last thing I remember? I remember being abruptly woken up, seeing lights coming at us and possibly going unconscious. I heard a knock on the window and with glazed over eyes see someone pointing at the…
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Bali Breezed
Bali, Indonesia 1/18/2020 Yes, breezed. I’ve heard so many great things about Bali, I had to make a stop over. On my way to Singapore for work, I took a little weekend trip to Dubai then shot off to the little pre-dominantly Hindu island in an otherwise Muslim nation named Bali. I was there nearly a week and it felt like I needed more time. There’s are essentially 2 parts of Bali most tourists go to and rightfully so; the cultural side and the beachy more resort style. Let’s start off with the former. Ubud This is basically the epicenter of Bali tourism. Ask anyone who’s been to Bali and they’ll…
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Bangkok
2/23/21 Krung Thep better known as Bangkok, which basic means ‘the place with lots of olive trees. This capital city of Thailand boasting a strong population of 10.5 million people and growing has yet another name. The official name is insanely long, ready? Ok try pronouncing this: “Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahinthara Yutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukamprasit” no joke. This roughly translates to something along the lines of:The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous…
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Paradise
Originally published December 27, 2015 Its paradise. I found it, I found what my eyes see as paradise. Whether it’s a state of mind, a place or how I’m feeling at any given moment in time, makes no difference. Alone with my thoughts on a 12 day journey through parts of Europe left me with a sense of awe and wonder. I was amazed at the greenery when cutting across Austria on a train from Munich to Slovenia and eventually Croatia. What do people do in the valleys, how about in the hills that are so spread apart. How bad is winter and do they get a lot of snow in the…
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Envy
Originally published January 14, 2015 She was crippled by envyrealizing perfect she will never beTears with jagged edges she cried Disillusioned she maybe asher true wish was to be a bride Cautionary tales of tomorrowhope was the only thing she borrowed. Wavy blood lines of emotionget twisted and turnedinto a messy display ofunkept devotion
