Just before leaving Hong Kong I was invited to join an artist friend to revisit the surreal Dafen Artist Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen. It’s the place where you can get any painting faked for pennies. The artist friend was
Kibbutz Dafna : Northern Israel
While visiting Israel this year I was fortunate to get a tour of northern Israel by a friend born and raised in the area. One of the places we visited on that wonderful day was Kibbutz Dafna, which is one
The funkier side of Guanghzou : Arts and nightlife
In my last few visits to Guanghzou before leaving the region I got to experience a whole new side of this vibrant metropolis. First off, I visited Redtory, the new growing art district was once a large factory, but
Visions of Nara : Japan
This post concludes my visit to the lovely city of Nara – the ancient capital city of Japan, an hour south from Kyoto and east to Osaka. Temples, shrines, huge seated Buddhas, museums, Japanese gardens, and most importantly – deer,
The temples and shrines of Nara Park
Wrapping up my trip to Osaka-Kyoto, I spent a day touring the ancient city of Nara. Although smaller than Kyoto and with supposedly similar temple atmosphere, Nara has a lot to offer that is different from Kyoto. Most of what
Computer History Museum : San Jose – California
I’ve always considered myself a bit of a geek. Okay, a lot of a geek. Since I laid my eyes on the XT machine my dad brought home to run an experiment back in the early 80s I was completely
Senado Square : Macau
Senado Square is small piece of Europe at the heart of Macau. I previously wrote about Saint Dominic’s Church and the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Macau, but the area that ties these attractions together is the Senado Square,
Visions of Jerusalem #2 : Israel
Although I’ve lived in Jerusalem for most of my young life, Jerusalem remains a treasure of hidden gems and spectacular beauty. Every time I visit back I get to see and capture more of its beauty, appreciate things that I’ve
Tel Aviv Harbor, Old Jaffa, City Center : Photo Walk Tour
Earlier this year in one of my visits to Israel I got to do one of my favorite walking tours in Israel. Going all the way from the renewed Tel Aviv Harbour in the north, through the Tel Aviv boardwalk
Indiana State Museum & White River State Park : Indianapolis
During my first month moving to Urbana-Champaign I was very worried that being in this small university town would be very isolating and I won’t get to see much that’s interesting. But, although surrounded by corn fields for two hours