MACAU, CHINA – If you’ve spent any time in Hong Kong, then you know how bloody crowded and claustrophobic it can feel.  If you’ve actually lived there, you also know that there’s only one way to deal with all that craziness – the weekend getaway, the key to making HK living bearable. It seemed like everyone I knew in [...]

    LOS ANGELES – While most visitors to LA flock to the renowned Getty Museum, they often forget about the city’s first major museum dedicated solely to art:  the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Granted, LACMA may not be housed in a beautiful, mountain-perched Richard Meier-designed building (like the Getty) and can’t boast an unrivaled collection of [...]

  HONG KONG – Back in my corporate days, when I was constantly on the go traveling from one city to the next, the airport often became my temporary home, a place where I would eat, drink, shop, shit, work, sleep and even shower, while waiting for my flight onward.  It’s not something I particularly enjoyed (because, like it or [...]

  BANGKOK – Beach, Singhas, massage and go-go bars?  Is that all you have planned for your Thai holiday?  Like to make a bit of difference while you’re there?  Then think about making a donation – large or small – to any one of Thailand’s amazing temples. These so-called “offerings” are the lifeblood of Thailand’s temples, and are essential to [...]

  SAN FRANCISCO – Head over to the Van Ness/Upper Tenderloin area these days and there – amongst a cultural melting pot (Vietnamese, Indians, Pakistanis have all taken stakes in the area) and the backdrop of San Francisco’s skid row – you’ll find the very impressive gallery, 941 Geary.  This relatively new exhibition space specializes in what is one of [...]

SAN FRANCISCO – When it comes to San Francisco, I have very mixed feelings.  Growing up, I loved spending time there and felt it was one of the best places ever.  But now, after having seen a bit of what else is out there in the world and having looked at what SF has become, I find it less in [...]

  NEW YORK:  It was not a good day to do the Met (aka The Metropolitan Museum of Art).  The weather was crap, gray and sad, verging on showers.  The eastside subway connecting downtown to the Upper East Side was on a very limited schedule due to some seemingly never-ending construction (which usually means long waits and packed trains).  And [...]

    NEW YORK – I’m not a huge fan of Brooklyn; it’s a bit too hipster-y for me.  But I’ve always enjoyed Brooklyn’s main museum located over in Prospect Heights.  Housed in a lovely, turn of the century McKim, Mead & White designed building (the same blokes who designed a bit of the Met and that grand entrance to [...]

  LOS ANGELES – Given all that we love about Downtown LA, what would we suggest if you only had one day to spend in Downtown?  If you’re into the arts, we would suggest starting the afternoon with an art crawl (Route #1).  Begin at MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo and check out their latest show, then walk a [...]

      LOS ANGELES – Downtown is one of the few parts of LA where you can find classical architecture – from beaux-arts and art deco to revival – mixed in with a range of starchitectual wows.  As far as LA goes, Downtown truly represents a treasure trove of architectural gems, reflecting not only the area’s rich history but [...]