Lately

Lately ... I'm enjoying eye-candy

Mini — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:32:23 GMT

Albania has centuries’ worth of history, with many abandoned castles and forts to roam around and beaches galore. Just when I was craving a museum, the universe heard me.

In Shkodër, the Marubi National Museum of Photography scratched that eye-candy itch — and had blasting AC (always a plus in this hot European summer). The studio and its namesake have a…

Lately… I’m craving broccoli and anything super spicy

Mini — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 10:48:21 GMT

I haven’t written about food since I gushed about the variety and cookies in Morocco. Food in the Balkans has been, unsurprisingly, mostly fish, octopus, and seafood with cucumber and tomato salads — which I love — but my tastebuds are dying for variety. There is no spice here. Even when I ask for something “spicy,” it doesn’t crack a 1-pepper rating. I…

Lately … Another bus “mishap”

Mini — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:30:30 GMT

Yesterday, I finally left my Albanian lake oasis for a change of scenery. A storm had come in and brought in lots of dead grass floating on the edges of the lake … so I took it as a confirmation sign that “it’s time.”

Fortunately, I found a bus from Shkodër to Himarë — a coastal town on the Albanian Riviera with a coastal profile similar to the iconic Gr…

Lately … I’m enjoying sunsets

Mini — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:35:58 GMT

I’m in Shiroka, Albania (at a family-run b&b by Lake Shkodra). Regardless of the debates about Airbnbs, in most non-urban areas, it’s enabled small family businesses to flourish. The husband reminds me of my dad … chain-smoking, gruff and really kind at the same time.

The lake is huge and mostly free of boats. There are kayaks, paddleboards, maybe a boat…

Lately … I’ve been consumed by everything NY Knicks

Mini — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:57:36 GMT

I’m not a Knicks fan. Not a hater either. But I have been completely consumed by this story.

The Knicks’ playoff run is the exact story every sports movie has ever told — except it’s real: a city desperate for its team to win, lovable underdogs, a villainous owner, college friendships (poor Donte), giving up $113MM “for the good of the team,” and a young…

Lately … I’ve been exploring walled cities

Mini — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:07:02 GMT

Ever since my visit to York, England many, many years ago, I’ve been fascinated by walled cities … the epic construction without modern machinery, the monumental gates with intricate statues and decorative elements that have survived centuries, and the compact living quarters within. A walled city is an urban settlement enclosed by a continuous defensiv…

Lately … Bus travel and the human experiment

Mini — Sun, 31 May 2026 20:26:37 GMT

Yesterday, I took a FlixBus from Dubrovnik to Kotor, Montenegro. FlixBus is supposed to be the MegaBus of Europe — but I think we got the black sheep of the fleet.

I got there early. No seat reservations, and I was not about to spend a windy coastal road fighting motion sickness. I’d also read: the driver charges baggage fees not included in your ticket.…

Lately ... Things look the same

Mini — Sun, 24 May 2026 13:11:45 GMT

I went looking for water shoes.

The Adriatic beaches are rocky, the kind that will turn my plantar fasciitis pain into an unwanted, wtf stone foot massage. So I walked into Decathlon in Casa — the French sporting-goods giant — and stopped in the doorway for a second, genuinely disoriented.

Because it could have been the sporting-goods aisle of a Walmart o…

Lately… I've Been Thinking About Luck and Paperwork

Mini — Fri, 22 May 2026 14:15:49 GMT

How have I gotten through adulthood without a birth certificate?

Shocking, right? I know. But here’s the thing: I was born at home in a tiny village in the northwest South Korean mountains and immigrated with my family when I was three. Most foreigners only think of Korea now as this high-tech, K-pop, K-drama, cosmetic/skincare, hyper-developed country, …

Lately ... "Where are you from?" has one answer

Mini — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:00:14 GMT

Casa, as the locals call it, was more a pragmatic choice than a bucket-list dream — but it's been a pleasant surprise. I'd return in a heartbeat, and I'd recommend it as a longer-stay place, especially if you speak French or Arabic. And the weather barely changes — pleasant almost year-round, comparable to coastal Southern California. It's a Muslim coun…

Lately ... Moroccan cookies. Daily. Possibly the best I’ve EVER had.

Mini — Sun, 17 May 2026 22:45:29 GMT

Yes, best ever — and that’s a high bar, because I’ve eaten a lot of cookies, globally. To clarify: not my favorite dessert ever (still can’t forget the knafeh in Israel), or cakes (German and Austrian-style), or madeleines (St. John in London), or gelato (fig and black walnut at Gelato di Natura in Venice). So many categories. But specifically cookies. …

Lately … I applied for Portuguese citizenship (Part 1)

Mini — Thu, 14 May 2026 09:53:04 GMT

In August 2014, on my first trip, I fell in love with Lisbon — the tile-covered buildings and walls, the black pork, the ceramics, the warm, easygoing vibe, and lower costs. Leonor, the guide from that first trip, is still a good friend (if you ever need a guide, her knowledge of history and food is unmatched). Back then, she was just dating her now-hus…

Lately … Hammam’ing under the Hassan II Mosque gave me flashbacks to childhood

Mini — Sat, 09 May 2026 15:05:52 GMT

A traditional hammam is 100% not a spa. A hammam is a traditional steam bath or public bathhouse. In the past, most homes didn’t have hot water, and bathrooms typically had a toilet, sink, and spigot — not a bath or shower as we know it today. The first apartment I stayed in (and left) had a teeny space with just a shower handle for the “shower” (see pic). It reminded me of visiting my relatives in Korea decades ago, where they had a shower handle in an open space in their wet bathroom.

Lately... I’m spending time in Casablanca, Morocco.

Mini — Wed, 06 May 2026 20:40:10 GMT

Here’s why I picked it: