After walking around the city, it’s easy to see that Paris has a wealth of phallic symbols, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, etc…    Joke if you must also about France’s Napoleon complex, but whatever shortcomings we may think they have, I believe the Parisians have some serious bragging rights: look …
A Vietnamese-American in Paris
 I’ve not lived in Paris but have spent enough time there for each subsequent visit to trigger a sense of deja vu. The nice thing about visiting Paris is that it seems to take on a different hue each season, so even if you walk through the same neighborhood every single time it still feels like a new discovery, …
A Tale of Two Palaces
Note: click on any of the pictures in my blog to enlarge it. If you think about it, every time you put a bunch of people together, a leader emerges. I bet even in the days when man first started walking upright there was a designated cave captain. So whether you assume the top dog position by force or by birthright, …
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Kyoto Rockettes
 I believe every cultural stereotype the world has about Japan can be found in Kyoto. Once the imperial capital of Japan, this city is presently and understandably a tourism hotspot. Come visit Kyoto in the Spring and be enthralled by the blooming cherry trees that line the magnificent palaces, shrines, and temples. To see these flowers in person is …
Konichiwa Tokyo
 Regardless of your personal position on whether the sun does rise above its empire, Japan is one of those places that you must experience in 3-D to appreciate. From everything I’ve ever read or heard about Japan, their minimalist aesthetics and obligation for order have always resonated with me. Their culture seems to operate on a higher level of civility. I …