Music is best when everyone is involved. — One of the delights of travel is finding something unexpected, and one of the most serendipitous discoveries is music. I realize that many people disagree with me on this point. There are those who find buskers to be an annoyance. For the kind of person who is forever encased in…

The sunflower is a commonly recognized symbol of the state of Kansas, but it’s a rare pleasure to see a field of them. This particular field was grown and cultivated as an anniversary present, but it turned into a gift for everyone. For a short drive, one could enjoy the…

This is the end of an era, at least for me. — I really thought we had a reasonably good relationship here. For six years, I lived and worked in your country. That’s a lot longer than any romantic relationship I’ve ever had, longer than any friendship for that matter. That’s a little bit sad for me, but it seems like it…

I’m not a pizza snob, though I‘ve been known to play one for the internet. Mainly, I find pizza interesting as a phenomenon: An incredibly simple food with countless variations that’s a classic American comfort food despite originating (in very different form) in the Old World. Also it’s tasty, but…

Korea can be a bit of a hiker’s paradise. As a nation built up between mountains, one is never more than a brief bus ride away from a footpath, a mountain park, or some other geographically superior position. If nothing else, it provides a ready escape from the noise and…

It really is the little differences that you notice the most. — The first time I ordered takeout in one of China’s ubiquitous KFCs, I received something a little unusual. I received a fountain drink as one usually does, but rather than carrying it out myself, the person at the counter gave me the cup in a small, thin plastic bag. It…

Hey, did you know that they have ice here? — I’ve been in the Republic of Korea for about two months. That’s clearly not enough time to really understand the culture. On the other hand, I was in the People’s Republic of China for six years, and that’s enough time to get painfully familiar. China and Korea tend to get…

If there’s space for people, then there’s space for amusement. — I’ve made it this far without indulging in analysis of anything as tedious and shopworn as “selfie culture.” It’s just been done. Even in China — where there are entire “museums” that exist primarily to facilitate teenage girls taking pictures of each other in front of strange things — I…

These are the things you miss living in China. — One of the biggest differences between South Korea and China is the presence of political activism. While it does exist, activism in the PRC is (as you’d imagine) very rare and certainly not something you see on a daily basis. This was a pretty significant shift given that I moved…