I am what is known as a late adopter. (Fine. It’s not strictly one of the technology cycles but much preferable to being called a “laggard“.) I didn’t climb aboard the iPhone bandwagon as much as I was chloroformed-into-a-moving-van onto it by a friend who had an after-contract 3GS ripe for the taking. By the … Continue reading
In a twisted hobby, I’ve been known to go on job interviews for positions I wasn’t truly interested in. I also like taking tests. One job I went for actually had me do an IQ test as part of the selection process. Best. Interview. Ever. And I may have been part of my school’s “It’s … Continue reading
I kind of like to imagine myself as a photographer.But I’m not. Yeah, I did make it to the top 25 finalists in last year’s Conde Naste Traveler Photo contest, so close to the $25,000 grand prize I could almost taste it. And NBC News may have picked up a photo I took on safari. … Continue reading
I’ve never been a big fan of ballet. Surprising, I know, considering I’m such a huge snob supporter of the arts. But when I got a chance to sit in on the final rehearsal of Cinderella at the Saigon Opera House, I didn’t refuse (mostly because I love the old world glamor of the Opera … Continue reading
Flower seller in Durban Square, Kathmandu Why do I spend irresponsibly on travel when I’m so responsible in every other facet of my life? One week only sale to Nepal? Book it! Last minute 14-day cruise for $499? I’m there! Go camping for two months straight? Sure! Why do I love getting lost in travel … Continue reading
I love my parents. Despite growing up in a lower-middle class family when we immigrated from Vietnam in the 70′s, they indulged my every extracurricular whim. I remember walking to the nearby strip mall in my shiny new black tap shoes, hearing the clickety-clack of the taps on the sidewalk (even though I knew I … Continue reading
Failure is not an option for me. I hate to fail. At anything. Anytime. I blame it on my massively type A personality. Or my ENTJ Myers-Briggs type, affectionately known as “The Field Marshal”, the Bringer of Order to chaos, the need to control everything and everyone. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I’m good … Continue reading
“Work” is a such a strange thing. We all dream of the day when we don’t have to do it. And yet, it defines us for most of our adult lives. When I moved to Vietnam about a year ago, I was anticipating a full year off with no work. I had saved up. I … Continue reading
Brigitte Bardot in St. Tropez. Beyonce in St. Barth’s. George Clooney on Lake Como. There’s a reason celebrities flock to these destinations. They’re exclusive. They’re gorgeous. They’re either hard or expensive to get to or sometimes even both. They’re an unreal slice of the luxe life where people go to get away from real life, … Continue reading
Money spoils everything. It’s at once an evil that changes everyone it touches and yet we all need it in order to travel to these far flung magical places, so beautifully illustrated in glossy magazines. I’m always a little sad to visit “minority villages”. They’re inevitably a shell of the real thing, presenting tourists with … Continue reading