Undoubtedly, one of my predicaments as a full-time worker is the restricted vacation days I get off work. And so, planning vacations, trips and weekend getaways has always been a strategic process. Like when I flew to Japan for a friend’s wedding. I knew I MUST ‘stop’ by Seoul, one way or another. I couldn’t…
Tag: history
Chopin Museum
I’m a frustrated pianist. Growing up in a typical overachieving Asian family, music is only one of the things I was expected to learn. Everybody in the family knows how to play at least one instrument. It’s a requirement. And so when I was little, I was taught how to play the piano by my…
Hemingway Home
“Don’t you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you’re not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you’ve lived nearly half the time you have to live already?” Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises For many years I have read Hemingway novels and autobiographies, watched documentaries and movies about…
Gaudi’s Barcelona
Barcelona is an architect’s city. When you walk its streets, you are easily transported into an eclectic mix of Modernism, Baroque and Gothic Art. One noted architect in particular dominates Barcelona’s streets. Antonio Gaudi’s legacy can be seen all over the city. He is probably the most influential and well known architect in Spain. His…
Berlin’s Beaten Path
Berlin was one of the most memorable cities I’ve visited. The city has been through a lot and its history is far from romantic. I came to Berlin with some pre-conceived notions based on its war-torn history, but I left with a new appreciation of its vibrant urban life. Its dark past will always going…
Walking the Fairy Tale Road in Germany
Famous storytellers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm were born in Hanau, Germany. The Grimm Brothers often used the landscape of Germany as an inspiration for their stories’ setting. Tales like Rapunzel, Snow White, The Pied Piper and Little Red Riding Hood are only some of the stories that came out of Germany. Now, visitors can actually experience…