TOKYO – Having lived in what many consider to be one of the more expensive cities in the world, I often get asked where one can get decently priced food and drink in Tokyo and my answer is always the same, “just to go to any izakaya.”  Conceived to provide sake drinkers with a place where they could also [...]

  BANGKOK – The locals call it Khao Mang Gai but this Thai version of Singapore’s national chicken rice dish is a must for any Thai visitor.  Here’s what it is:  tender slices of steamed (or boiled) chicken topped with a spicy chili sauce, served with fragrant jasmine rice that’s been cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with bits of fresh [...]

    TOKYO – Skip Tokyo’s lame attempts at phallic-like, big-n-tall structures (e.g., Tokyo Tower and the Municipal Government Buildings).  Where the city really excels is in the architectural form; and integrating it artistically and functionally with its surroundings. Okay, that may sound like a bit much but if you’re into structure and design, Tokyo certainly has it’s share of must-see [...]

                                  By MONICA BYERS LONDON – When you ask visitors what they’ve done or they’re planning to do in London….well, actually, why even ask?  The answers are completely predictable:  Buckingham (aka Bucking-HAM if you’re American) Palace, double decker bus tour, Tower of London, visit [...]

  BANGKOK – Yeah I know, BIG time tourist spot but for me, the Jim Thompson House is totally NOT about the famous JT silk; but rather a first-rate example of traditional Thai-style architecture, something not easily found on the streets of Bangkok.  Take the guided tour, which is fairly short but full of fun, interesting facts – e.g., the [...]

  TOKYO – If you’re a male in need of some personal attention from that hot someone but don’t want the baggage that comes with real life attentions, then perhaps a hostess bar might be just the thing for you.  Badd Girls (Tel: 03-5772-1872 www.baddgirls.jp) in Roppongi has some of the hottest Japanese women in the area; or alternatively, if [...]

  BANGKOK – If you want quick-access, beach action without having to plane-it or suffer the unbearable solitude of Hua Hin then head out to Pattaya.  You can do a lot worse than this sex, sand and sleaze by the sea shore and it’s just a short cab ride from Bangkok.  Stay in the quieter Jomtiem area, where the beaches [...]

  TOKYO – Most visitors to Kamakura on the outskirts of Tokyo pass up this exquisite Zen Buddhist temple in favor of the more famous and larger Daibutsu and Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine.  Shrouded in a serenely beautiful garden of centuries-old bamboo (it’s sometimes called the bamboo temple) Hokokuji is a small, peaceful temple and one of those special places you [...]