We were in Osaka for almost a week, and here is what we saw: 1) Kuromon Market: This is an excellent food market that leans heavily toward seafood. Unlike other fish-related markets, it isn’t smelly or dirty, and the path through the stalls is wider than many markets we’ve seen. We ate here several times, and I could go…
Hello A! Thank you! I am very lucky to have a job where I can work from different places and at weird times. The things you liked—the beauty, the food, and the customs—are some of our favorite things, too! One place in particular—Singapore—was a very diverse city (a country that is one city!). It’s a…
Our first day in Japan was not our smoothest arrival. Our flight got us into Osaka (the second- or third-largest city, depending on how you count) at 10:30 pm local time. Check-in at our long-stay apartment-style hotel closed at midnight, and a cab was supposed to take half an hour, so we needed to make it through baggage,…
One of my friends, “S”, is teaching English in Chile, and she came up with a great idea for a unique Cultural Diversity assignment: our blog! When she approached us with the idea, we were flattered that she would consider us, but the best was yet to come. A nice surprise After reading some of…
Hi A! Thank you for the kind words! We think it’s pretty cool, too! We’ve seen lots of amazing things on our trip, and we’re very glad that we did it. Learning how different people live has been one of the best parts of our trip! People everywhere are similar to us in lots of…
We didn’t see as much of Kyoto as we might have liked, but there were still a few things that surprised us about the city: In many of the Kyoto subway stations, the subway worker – dressed like the conductor from the Shining Time Station show we watched as children – often says ‘Thank you’…
Neighborhood: Yamashina-ku Also Called: Otowa? Pros: It is a residential neighborhood, so you can see how people really live here. It’s pretty, with mountains and cherry blossom trees nearby. It’s quiet. It has plenty of dining options—though many are chains—and the employees/servers are very nice. It is right on a major subway line through the city, so…
For many of the cities we visit, I look up events happening during our stay. We don’t attend many, since they tend to be performances of international artists or bands – and we’ve come to that country to experience their local art. However, in Bangkok, we did. I had read about a market/festival that had gotten rave reviews the…
Neighborhood: Tennoji-ku (ward) Also Called: N/A Pros: It was within walking distance or a short subway ride to almost everything we wanted to see, from a distinctive Japanese puppet show to their Times Square-like area. It felt safe, but that was true of everywhere we visited in Osaka, so not sure if that merits mentioning. It was…
Cambodia had a lot to recommend it. Regardless of what’s in the guide books, here’s what we enjoyed and remember the most – now that we’re two months removed: B’s List Being rich! From being able to get so many massages to paying $15 for medical care that would have cost thousands back home <link coming>,…