Macau, China - February, 2008

Two words come to mind while thinking about Macau: gambling and well.. gambling. I have to admit that I was fairly naïve before reading about Macau in my guidebook. All I continue to read and see in the news about the city is a description of the modern Vegas in Asia. Stepping into the city of Macau is like stepping into an episode of the twilight zone. I have mentioned eccentricities about my travel experiences abroad though this one is unique. First, I should mention that Macau was a Portuguese owned peninsula for five hundred years before the Chinese reclaimed the territory in 1999. It’s odd to be walking around a European styled city in the middle of China. Oddly enough, even being surrounded by what seemed to be a half million Chinese people, I still sort of forgot that I was in China. I guess that stems from my experience of being surrounded by Asians back home in Korea. I’m used to it. What I’m not used to is the sight of European architecture in Asia surrounded by Portuguese signs that are everywhere. This experience gets even stranger. Imagine transitioning into a simulated Italian culture from a “real” European culture that is within an Asian culture. This is the experience of stepping into the Venetian, a 40-story, $ 1.8 billion mega-structure modeled after the city of Venice, Italy. It is currently the biggest casino in the world. Ultimately, I thought of Macau metaphorically as a giant Russian Matryoshka doll with cultures nested inside other cultures. While it is easy to make a parallel to other cities like NYC or L.A. that have nested micro-cities like Chinatown and Little Italy, Macau feels totally different and unique. You just have to go there to experience it yourself. Also, try the pig ear salad, an interesting Portuguese appetizer.

Nara, Japan

Skiing at Nagano

Nagano, Japan-
Skiing at Nagano was absolutely fabulous. Nagano was the site of the 98 Olympics and it is an enormous cluster of ski resorts. Imagine a complex 3 times the size of Killington, Vermont. The quality of skiing reminded me of my experience at Steamboat in Colorado. The abundance of snow is light and fluffy and it feels like you are skiing on clouds. Everything about skiing in Japan is similar to The West although there are some minor differences. For one, they blast pop music at the gondolas and chairlifts, which can be a little annoying for someone who appreciates the peaceful nature of muffled sound caused by the surrounding snow ..something I prefer. You also wear a sensor on your ski pass that passes you through the gates and onto the lift.

Park Hyatt Hotel, Tokyo (filming of Lost in Translation)

I met up with my friends Rory and Carla in Japan for the holidays. We went up to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo for the magnificent view and cocktails. Contrary to the cheesy lounge singer seen in the movie, Lost In Translation, there was a great Jazz duo performing various low key tunes . We ended up going back the following night for a set dinner course on New Year's Eve.

Nikko. Japan

Jeju for Christmas Getaway