Over the years I’ve developed an increasing fondness of contemporary art museums. The more traditional art museums have their appeal too, ofcourse, but with those I usually know what to expect – a few highlights of Picasso, some Chagall, maybe

Lake Michigan walk : Chicago
The first thing I did after arriving in Chicago and putting down my things was to head over to the lake-side and stroll along the lake towards the city. My lovely host family were located at the adorable boys-town East

Beaches near Tallahassee : Saint George Island
Though Tallahassee is not on the water, an hour or two drive away are some of Florida best beaches. On one sunny cold weekend I finally made it to the coast line and visited Saint George Island. Here’s what

Visions of Saint Petersburg, Sarasota & Tampa Bay : Trip Preview
After a cold visit to New York during Christmas and Newyears, we headed down to warm up in Florida. Straight from the airport we headed west towards Tampa Bay and stayed on a beach on Treasure Island near Saint Petersburg.
My 2012 : Year Summary
So what did 2012 look like? to me this was a year focused around academia. After settling down into the PhD program and generally figuring out what my research directions are, my travels were mostly around the places where my

Visions of New York City : Trip Preview
New York City is everything I remembered it to be and much more. Last time I was in NYC as a tourist, it was 2001 just after 9/11 to visit a friend studying in Julliard, and it was a bit

Beijing : Visit Summary & Suggested 4D3N Itinerary
I finally made it to Beijing. It took over three years of living in Hong Kong but it finally happened, and I have my father to thank for that. Beijing was our last stop in a trip that started in

Thirteen Tombs of Ming Dynasty : Beijing
Having to decide which side of the Great Wall you’d like to see, the Badaling tour includes an extra bonus – a visit to the Ming tombs. I’d generally recommend staying away from Badaling and go the less crowded parts

Forbidden City : Beijing
If there was ever any place that I’ve really wanted to visit in China long before I ever knew what China was really about, it was probably Beijing – with its Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. The

Boating Around the Suzhou Canals
Suzhou is famous for its canals. There are ancient Venetian style canal streets in Suzhou that date back 1200 years – Pingjiang (平江路) and Shantang streets (山塘街) and offer a glimpse of Suzhou’s former grandeur. Many of the famous Chinese