• Into the Lion's Den

    Into the Lion’s Den

    How many of you have heard the name “Transdniestr?” Not too many, I’m guessing. Transdniester – also known as Pridnestrovie in Russian – is a small rogue nation occupying a narrow strip of land along […]

  • Dare to Dream

    Dare to Dream

    Somewhere around six months ago, I was sitting in my apartment talking on the phone with my mom. From just outside my window I could hear Buddhist monks chanting at Ninnaji, an enormous wooden temple […]

  • Huashan: The Danger Trail

    Huashan: The Danger Trail

    On December 20th of 2006, I received an e-mail from my dad. It contained this Powerpoint file. The forwarding messages all included such phrases as: “I CANT EVEN LOOK AT THE PICTURES WITHOUT GETTING DIZZY!!” […]

  • An Average Night Out

    An Average Night Out

    The following is not actually a single narrative of one continuous evening, but a composite of many. It’s written as a representative summary of my average night out in Kyoto. Nothing is exaggerated. It’s Saturday […]

  • Bushido and Jump-Rope (VIDEO)

    Bushido and Jump-Rope (VIDEO)

    “They are an intriguing people. From the moment they wake, they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seen such discipline.” -The Last Samurai. Seeing that fantastic archery demonstration the […]

  • A Different World

    A Different World

    Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to announce that this post officially marks the first time in almost two years that I’m actually writing about the country I’m in! Welcome, at long last, to Cambodia 😀

I was last seen 5 months ago in Los Angeles, .

Tour de Denmark: On to Aalborg

 Denmark, Public  11 Responses »
Nov 242010
 
Before leaving Oslo, we picked up two whole roast chickens from the supermarket: Dinner on the boat and breakfast in Fredrekshavn. Heaps of protein before starting our long cross-country ride.Before leaving Oslo, we picked up two whole roast chickens from the supermarket: Dinner on the boat and breakfast in Fredrekshavn. Heaps of protein before starting our long cross-country ride.

Day One: Frederikshavn to Aalborg.

Although the typical party atmosphere on the overnight cruise from Oslo was nowhere to be seen, we did manage to connect with a pair of young Norwegians with whom we ended up socializing until just hours before our arrival. Like most of the other passengers they’d be heading straight back to Norway – not even setting foot ashore. But we had a festival to get to. So at 7am, we disembarked.

It was so early when we set off that almost nothing was opened in Frederikshavn; we had to clean our hands in a fountain after breakfast.It was so early when we set off that almost nothing was opened in Frederikshavn; we had to clean our hands in a fountain after breakfast.

It was the usual story: a couple hours of sleep and still marginally buzzed from the night prior. Only this time, there’d be no lazy morning in bed. Today was Day One.
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Tour de Denmark: Danskebåten

 Denmark, Public  4 Responses »
Nov 232010
 
Our private cabin on the boat to Denmark.Our private cabin on the boat to Denmark.

The first leg of our long trek to Roskilde was an overnight cruise to Denmark. Conveniently, Peder lives just a short distance from the harbor – so after a quick (and somewhat drizzly) descent towards Oslo Fjord, we were promptly on our way.

…Well, almost promptly. When we reached the boat with our bicycles, a man at the gate said we’d need to pay extra to bring them onboard – but as the drizzle grew to a heavy rain and he fumbled helplessly with the ticketing computer, eventually he just waived us by for free. Sweet! 🙂
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Tour de Denmark: Gearing Up

 Norway, Public  7 Responses »
Nov 222010
 
The dungeon-like basement of Peder’s parents’ apartment.The dungeon-like basement of Peder’s parents’ apartment.

When I said in my last post that Peder and I finished our day by repairing an extra bike for the ride to Roskilde…what I probably should’ve said was that he repaired the bike while I sat there futilely trying not to doze off 😛

By the time we’d finally separated from his incredibly kind and welcoming parents (who reminded me in many ways of Joe and his wife, who took me into their home for nearly a month in Hong Kong) it was just past midnight. Apparently that afternoon in bed still hadn’t been enough to recharge my batteries (thanks in no small part to the incessant construction next door), as no matter how hard I tried I simply couldn’t keep my eyes opened. I found myself falling halfway off my chair every few seconds while Peder sat there tuning up the bike on his own…
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Tour de Denmark: Introduction

 Norway, Public  3 Responses »
Nov 172010
 

When I first started planning this trip, my intention was to spend the vast majority of the time in Norway. With a free place to stay and a knowledgeable local to accompany me, it seemed like the perfect spot to enjoy a warm European summer. But as more and more destinations crammed themselves into our itinerary the Norwegian leg grew shorter and shorter – and understandably so, as it was Peder’s summer vacation too. If we were already venturing into the unknown regions of Eastern Europe, it only made sense to take advantage of every possible day.

The result was that the months I’d originally set aside turned to weeks…and then to days. We landed in Oslo on June 23rd – midsummer – and just one week before the commencement of Roskilde. The famous Roskilde, a festival so massive that it’s known simply by its host city’s name. A festival that, ever since attending Brazilian Carnaval in 2008, Peder has described as the only party he’s been to that could possibly compare. It’s one of Europe’s biggest, and the main reason I wouldn’t come to Scandinavia anytime but July. It was to be the highlight of the trip. And the time was almost here. Continue reading »

Are You Justin?

 Norway, Public  8 Responses »
Nov 162010
 

At one point during our brisk tour of Oslo, Peder and I stopped in a local park for lunch. Because eating out is insanely expensive in Norway, he’s made a habit of always preparing his own meals before heading out for the day. Our quick-and-easy meal: three homemade fried egg sandwiches.

As we sat on the park bench chewing away, a man rode up on a bicycle out of nowhere. He stopped directly in front of me, looked me in the eyes, and asked “Are you Justin?” Continue reading »

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