Walking Ueno Park in the winter

The Ueno area is known or its large, beautiful park. It has some of the most beautiful green areas and temples in Tokyo city (better, I thought, than the Imperial Palace). But outside of cherry blossom, and in the cold days of winter, what is there to do? Toshogu shrine and Kiyomuzi Kannon are years … More Walking Ueno Park in the winter

Visiting Myanmar in 2012, newly opened to the world

It’s not very often you feel like you’ve stepped into a new world.  Myanmar is the official name for the country most people know as Burma. This isolated place secretly hugs the shoulder of Thailand, touches the eastern point of India. In a region dominated by sunny Thai resorts, Vietnamese food and Singaporean skyscrapers, this … More Visiting Myanmar in 2012, newly opened to the world