Nevada: Boulder City, Summer 2018

Boulder city is a very small little town outside of Las Vegas, where gambling is illegal within the city limits, and there's only a handful of traffic lights (if that). It's a quiet place, where families that tire of the excitement (and crime) rampant in Vegas proper can go to escape the city, while still benefitting from the predictably arid, sunny climate and close proximity to all the entertainments of the city. I actually spent a few years living in Boulder City when I was younger, and was exceptionally bored by the quaint, quiet little town as an energetic teen. Now that I'm older, and presumably wiser, I suppose I can see the allure to moving out of Vegas for Boulder City, if you're 60. It's a great place to retire, and if you can afford one of the homes on the slope towards Lake Mead you'll have an excellent view of the dwindling resources at the bottom of the hill. Of course, the ongoing drought has impacted some of the landscape choices in the area, but there are still plenty of open, green areas where the Big Horn sheep of the area will congregate to graze and get their fill of grasses. In a town as small, and quiet, as Boulder City, it should come as no surprise that the cops get stuck playing sheep-herder when the stubborn sheep begin to wonder perhaps a bit too close to the nearby residences. 

If you like outdoorsy or water-bound activities, having Lake Mead in your backyard is certainly a boon, despite it's drying out. As bored as I was throughout much of my angsty youth, I have to admit certain gratitude for the friends I made in that little town, the experiences and mischief we shared in that safe little burb, and the opportunity to explore. I'm certainly not going to be moving back any time soon, but for old time's sake it was fun to breeze through. We didn't stop for lunch, like we normally would, as we'd had plenty of snacks out at the Lake and had been driving for a while by this point. We were more eager to get home and grab a shower than to get down on some grub. Given as much, the photos are going to be a bit scattered. Still, I hope you enjoy!

Reno: Further explorations downtown

To be honest, Reno really does have a lot going for it. Most of the same entertainments and vices anyone could want from Vegas, like fancy dining, gambling, card games, cheap questionable meal deals, booze and slots, along with the natural beauty and outdoors entertainment of the natural splendors surrounding in both the high desert and northern california. Lake Tahoe is pretty close, I guess. Given that you're quite a ways farther north than Vegas, there are more options for skiing and snow play available, though that's not to say that Vegas is entirely lacking in those things. 

In Reno, there are vices you can fulfill and tantalize that aren't as readily accessible in it's bigger brother down South.  

These days, Reno is the closest approximation to my hometown I have available unless I wish to jump on a plane to Vegas (which would end up costing me less in the end). It's still quite a trek, however, to step foot on Nevadan soil. Maybe this should sadden me, but it doesn't, not yet. Maybe in time some aspect of the irradiated desert and it's desiccated expanses will call to me, but for now, this is more than enough pleasant nostalgia.  Suffice to say, Reno has most of the things Vegas has to offer, without the excessive crowds and much more enjoyable weather. There's still the spun-out homeless lingering in alleys, a profusion of booze flowing throughout the city and illicit substances in the veins of it's downtrodden. You can also get a $5 steak! And a hooker! You can even rock-climb the hotel you're staying in! And there's plenty of snazzy street art and beer gardens and other hip, happening things to pass the time and add to the sense of surrealness. 

Korea: 부대찌개 Budaejigae and snacks in Insadong

In the magical and mysterious, far-flung land of Seoul, South Korea, there are a seemingly insurmountable variety of selections available for your culinary delight. You can grab a steaming hot cup of Americano from your local train station or Starbucks, then mow through some fresh-off-the-griddle gyerrangpang, these addictive little sweet breads with a fresh egg on top, then stop for sushi for lunch and Italian for dinner...or switch out the different variables for whatever combinations of foods you personally enjoy, whether it's thai, slow-cooked American-South style barbeque, tacos... This was not always the case, though- the Korean peninsula has gone through a lot over its many centuries of civilization, and a hearty resiliency and ingenuity have become a point of pride in the people. After the Americans began to occupy the country during the height of the Korean war, then lingered after the tentative ceasefire took hold, their culinary presence spread, from dishes to canned goods ready to use, and were adopted by the locals. The continued presence and popularity of American fast food chains, like McDonald's and Taco Bell, demonstrate this fact to this day, but subtler influences remain, like the almost perverse love of Spam that can be found from Seoul to Okinawa, Manila to Hawaii... all places where a strong American army presence has lead to the introduction, and then infiltration and acceptance of processed tinned meats and other Americanized foodstuffs into the local cuisines. 

Budaejigae, or Army Base Stew, is a self-aware epitome of this phenomena, utilizing ubiquitous Korean foods like kimchi, gochujang, and local vegetables tossed into the pot with hot dogs, baked beans, spam, ramen, and maybe a slice (or three) of good old American processed sliced cheese for good measure. There are a billion different ways to make budaejigae and nearly as many different restaurants to choose from when trying to find a place to try it. You can also buy it in premade instant ramen form, heavily leaning into the popular role instant ramen noodles typically serve in soaking up the flavorful broth left in the pot at the end of the meal. It's a satisfying hodgepodge of sweet, savory, spicy and creamy, and this particular vat of goodness was enjoyed with a coworker during our lunch break, not far from Ssamziegil in Insadong area of Seoul. It was a delicious and filling lunch, and budaejigae combines comfortingly familiar flavors with Korean seasonings in a way that I think most any American could enjoy, were they brave enough to try it. 

Be brave, my friends. Try all the things!

Korea: Dongdaemun Grilled Fish Alley 동대문생선구이골목

One of my favorite things in all of this great big, beautiful, strange, horrifying, ecclectic world is certain to be the immense and borderline incomprehensible variety of things we can dredge out of the depths of our oceans and waterways. From cute little crustaceans and mollusks filtering particulates out of the water for sustenance, to the big burly beasts lumbering in the deeper reaches of the unknown. Most seafood is something I'm quite resolutely content to devour, whether its completely raw and potentially squirming or cooked until crisp and crackling over charcoal. Luckily, being a peninsula, South Korea has no shortage of delicious options to satiate any seafood fan! 

An especially apt location to find your fix is Noryangjin market, of course, where you can pick out and point out your unwilling dinner while it swims hopelessly in a tank, but if you prefer your food already dead and long detached from consciousness before you interact with it, 동대문생선구이골목, or Dongdaemun grilled fish alley, is going to be your destination of choice. You'll probably catch a whiff of the signature charcoal and fish smell as the fresh catch is thrown atop the grill, one after the next, to fill the aching bellies of the various visitors who filter through the many restaurants lining the small alleyway. If you'd rather have chicken soup, or dog meat stew, those were both available in their own restaurants during my visit, though the dog meat (보신탕 or "Boshintang") may be growing harder to find these days. Obviously, it's a bit of a controversial food, just saying that as of late 2016 it was still very much available and visibly advertised. While this alley might not be at the top of many tourism to-do plans, it's really not a bad option for a delicious and affordable meal with a real taste of South Korean hospitality. My grillmaster was exceptionally friendly and accommodated my foolish over-ordering of fish with patience and a smile. Cheers, my friend. Thanks for an excellent meal! 

And, I mean, what's not to enjoy about piping hot fish fresh off the grill, the grease still sizzling and sputtering from the crispy skin? While I'm not one to be upset by the scent of any fish, I can understand that some people don't necessarily want their house to be perfumed with the pungent scent of fresh mackerel. To each their own. Another benefit to eating here, though, is the smell only lingers on your clothes for a short while. It felt almost like dining in a private home, with the small restaurant I dipped into being empty during the majority of my meal. It was a bit early in the evening yet, though, and the flocks of hungry visitors had yet to really descend upon the area. As was always the case, there were plenty of banchan side dishes to nibble on alongside the main course, and some even danced for me! Dinner and a show, how can you beat that?

Japan: Monzen Nakacho 2012-06-18

As part of my work agreement, I was slated for an annual physical.

Our medical office was located in an office building attached to the train station, which made finding it pleasantly simple. One thing about Japan is that the address system and structure of the buildings can make finding specific businesses difficult, sometimes nearly impossible. Sometimes a world famous restaurant or infamous eatery could be tucked into a corner of a sub-basement of a major shopping centre.  This same set-up means that you're bound to find some truly wonderful hidden gems if you explore enough!

Since my physical was scheduled early in the morning, I had the rest of the day left to use as I wished. I spent some time wandering around Monzen Nakacho before moving on to other neighbourhoods. 

I found out later that one of my coworkers lived in the area! It seemed quite lovely from my time there, with lots of waterside walkways, parks and bridges as well as many reasonably priced restaurants. 

Japan: Daily life & unique foods 2011-11-27

MOS Burger! 

A Japan-specific burger chain, they're actually pretty tasty. One of the things they're most known for is being among the first burger chains to offer rice buns, essentially rice balls subbed in for the regular bread buns. Who knew the Japanese were early adopters of the gluten free movement? ;)

A typical Japanese taxi, classy in black.

Japan: Visa renewal & Ikebukuro 2012-11-09

Ah, the Yamanote line. 

A major artery for Tokyo, running in a loop through most of the hot-spots people hear about:

Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, etc…

As much a necessity for tourists as it is for the locals, like these sleepy fellas.

On this particular day in November it came time for me to renew my legal right to stay in Japan as my 1 year introductory work visa was rapidly coming to completion. 

This was a bitter-sweet moment for me, to be sure; it was enthralling to be granted legal permission to reside in a country I had always hoped to spend time in, and the prospect of a shiny new visa in my passport was lovely, but the idea of spending another 2 full years abroad was still a bit daunting. 

Initially, I had expected to get a single-year contract, as my predecessors had. 

I got a 2 year contract to start, and after 6 months of having lived in Japan the company pressed me to renew, extending my contract through to two and a half years instead of my initial goal of a single solitary year... Womp womp. 

As a child I would become miserably homesick after spending even a few short weeks away from Vegas, even in the safety of my loving grandparent's home, could I really handle another two full years away from all my friends and family?

In the end I did, but it wasn't always easy.

Anyhow, this fateful day saw me travel to Shinagawa to renew my passport and after a lovel lunch & afternoon coffee I wandered to Ikebukuro to explore the area. In a small jazz bar I happened to make conversation with a friendly duo who were working for the same studio that produced one of my favorite anime, Trigun!

You never know who you'll run into! 

Union Station: Cali-trip 2015

Union Station, a central point for travel in L.A. 

After our adventures in Santa Monica, we made our way to Union Station. This was my first time in the area and it was wonderful to see such a historic landmark. Personally, I'm a fan of the juxtaposition of seeing normally bustling areas when they're deserted, which you may have noticed with my photos of Namdaemun market at night. The area around Union Station was no different, with normally vibrant tourist areas quite and empty during the evening.

Seoul Trip: May 5th, 2014 Insadong visit

The historic neighborhood of Insadong was a relatively short walk from where I was staying, so I headed over my third day there. 

Photo heavy post below! 

Seoul Trip: March 3rd, 2014

Hey guys!

      It's about time I shared my epic journey to Korea, right? Seoul is a city bursting with top-notch design, beautiful fashions, old and new architectural wonders, and some seriously delicious grub. Korean food has long been a favorite of mine; if you've ever checked out my cooking blog you might have noticed this trend. Have you seen the new Avengers movie?! I got SO excited to see Seoul as a location in a major blockbuster film!

Head's up: image-heavy post ahead!!