Monthly Archives: February 2015

Making Faces in Japanese Places

Posted on February 27, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

Japan, when it comes to “weird,” you manage to outdo yourself on an daily basis. In fact, your superiority in that category only meets its match with your prime export of “cute,” but today’s blog post will focus more on … Continue reading →

Posted in East & Southeast Asia, Japan, Languages | Tagged alphabets, dictionary, faces, Japan, japanese, language, weird | 6 Comments

Everything’s Bigger in… East Asia?

Posted on February 23, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

If you’ve had the chance to flip through my previous posts, you may already know that East Asia has cornered the market on many of the world’s superlatives— among numerous other (read: weird) possibilities, escalators, advertising and flight delays all … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, East & Southeast Asia, Food & Drink, Human Nature, Japan | Tagged advertising, east asia, Japan, Signs, superlatives, Texas, weird | 8 Comments

The 2015 Chinese New Year: The Year of the Escalator

Posted on February 18, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

I was wandering around the Times Square mall in Hong Kong at the time of the Chinese New Year in 2007 when it struck me that I wasn’t in New York anymore (on second though, it might be better to say … Continue reading →

Posted in China & Hong Kong, East & Southeast Asia, Human Nature, pop culture | Tagged Chinese, dragon, escalator, hong kong, lunar, new year, spring festival | Leave a comment

Be Better, Buy Butter

Posted on February 15, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

I couldn’t figure out why pillows would be in the refrigerated section of a supermarket in Manado, Indonesia. What are they trying to sell me, a local placebo for lower back pain? As you probably guessed though, that’s not an incredibly … Continue reading →

Posted in East & Southeast Asia, Food & Drink, Indonesia | Tagged butter, Indonesia, Manado, packaging, sell | Leave a comment

Take Your Imagination Out for a Spin in Jakarta

Posted on February 12, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

You’re too funny, Jakarta bus. That’s probably why, for a long time, I have adopted Frankie Smith’s method of commuting. I have nothing against public transit – in fact, testing out local methods of transportation is a must when I travel … Continue reading →

Posted in East & Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Non-Aviation Transit | Tagged bus, Indonesia, Jakarta, priority, public transit, safety, transportation | 2 Comments

Dinner? Dessert? Maybe. Japanese? Definitely. Sour Plum and Shiso Candy

Posted on February 7, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

Direct from Japan – the perpetual world capital of weird – comes 男梅, Plum Man. Who is that? The real question is, what is that? Before even touching upon what the candy above tastes like and why there are so many … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Drink, Japan, New York City | Tagged candy, food, Japan, New Jersey, New York City, plum, weird | 3 Comments

Japanese Signs: I Could Read Them, if I Could Read Them

Posted on February 3, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

During my first visit to Japan in the summer of 2000, I lived with a host family in Kanazawa for one month. Even though I was just in my early teens at the time, wanderlust had already become a favorite … Continue reading →