In Chinatown, Sydney, gauzy red lanterns and gawping dragons spar for space among tourists and locals along Haymarket, for the Lunar New Year celebrations which will soon be underway. The largest bash of its type outside Asia, there’s a jubilant atmosphere with scrumptious street food to savor and traditional lion dancers entertaining crowds. It’s all about luck and good fortune… View Post
It’s no secret that old friends are worth their weight in gold. Kristin and I met over 15 years ago in Atlanta due to the kismet of our mutual obsession mania appreciation of wiener dogs. She texted me this week; “I’ve just read the street food article, so good!! …. Oh hey, headed to Singapore for work soon- any advice?’… View Post
“I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable.” -Anthony Bourdain Street food is akin to what you’d buy in a food stall at a festival or a fair, except in less developed countries. You’ll find that there is usually less (sometimes zero) oversight when it comes to hygiene, food handling, temperatures and storage. Y’all don’t freak out!… View Post
“Oh my God, this is never gonna come out. Look at that, they’re completely orange. Decidedly, ragingly orange.” I’m whining to Mr. Twos about the demise of my Converse. My beloved once-white-Chuck’s are now the color of salmon roe; they’ve been properly christened by the desert silt. I’ll be wearing my *RM’s from here on out….. We arrive in June,… View Post
My mom and dad hadn’t been to Australia in 6 years. Ugh, life; it’s full of twists and turns and we couldn’t work out timing. We made it happen this year (a month-long visit!) and we knew that Hammo would be on our itinerary. It’s an easy, accessible, laid back place to be. The four of us spent a week… View Post
Please tell me you’ve done it, that I’m not the only one? Chosen a destination you think will be just what you need, only to get there and find letdown and regret akin to never learning that second language ’cause you always wanted to be bilingual… (Or is that just me?) I wish I were kidding when I tell you… View Post
Part one of many “But it’s so farrrrrrrrr.” -Everyone, about Australia Damn you, Sydney. You gleaming jewel by the harbor, shimmering in a gown of aqua blue sequins. You say, “This old thing?” and you mean it sincerely because you’re innocent like that. Or naive. You’re open and honest and you don’t give a rip what the rest of the… View Post
“Babe,” he says. “We’re just going for the weekend, it’s three days. Do you really need to check a bag?” Are you a chronic overpacker? Ever tried to get a handle on it? It’s more a curse than a compliment, succumbing to the tyranny of the ‘what-if-I-need-its.’ Those carefree carry-on-only people, the cool kids dexterously wheeling around duty-free with their… View Post
Read Part One here “But, they’re GREEN?,” I say, sotto voce, as we stare into the tank which will be the last known address for these gorgeous but unlucky Maldivian lobsters. Choosing to forego eating them, these jade and saffron striped beauties, Mr. Twos and I are led to our table, at the edge of the deck overlooking the impossible… View Post
Selfies, schmelfies. This time, it’s the two of you; let’s call these welfies, shall we? Sometimes, a cell phone camera is the way to go (No schlepping around the digital SLR means more hands for holding piña coladas.) You know those people who always look like a commercial for good health and happiness with photos that are sofreakingperfect? (I know,… View Post
I love food, but I’m decidedly not what you’d call a foodie. Having put that little disclaimer out there, sitting down to a beautiful meal is a luxury, a sure-enough experience in the most complete sense of that word. Do you feel that way, too? Food sustains us, but it can also satisfy the curiosity of both mind and senses… View Post
Read Part Two, Guesthouse or Resort HERE We fly into the airport in Male’, and our first glimpse of the Maldives (pronounced Mul-deeves) spreads before us like the mecca of all enchanted places. As we take turns plastering ourselves to the window, we see nothing but a blanket of glistening sapphires below. Nestled within this swath of the Indian Ocean… View Post