Booze Review: Bia Hoi

Bia Hoi. A truly unique beer experience. They even named an intersection after it. Bia Hoi corner is the stuff of college fairytales. Holding down an intersection deep in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, tiny plastic stools and tables litter the already chaotic streets. As the sun sinks, the intersection fills up with backpackers, […]

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Banh Da Cua Da Lieu

I feel like I’ve rediscovered Asia. I’m eating one of the most complex foods I’ve had since I touched down on this side of the Pacific. It’s called Banh Da Cua Da Lieu (Crab and Brown Noodle Soup), and it’s one of Hanoi’s most iconic dishes. Hanoi just feels so right. I’ve got a lot […]

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Ca Phe Den Da

Vietnamese coffee is strong, and it’s got a bite, like Mike Tyson’s bite in his bout with Evander Holyfield strong. I order my Ca Phe black with ice (Den Da). When Ca Phe Den Da is served, the glass is only filled about 50% of the way (including the ice); it’s so strong that a caffeine […]

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Early

I’m in Laos now, in Luang Prabang. I officially leaned that you do not pronounce the “s” at the end of Laos. A little hunger is growing. It’s the latter part of the 7th hour and I’ve been up since 4:45. A 9:30pm bedtime proved that I’ve gotten into some unexpected sleep early, rise early routine. We […]

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Waste

It’s 12:30am. The room went dark a while ago, I can’t remember when. I’m lying in a 20-bed dormitory in Chiang Mai’s city center and I’m nursing my first anxiety attack ever. It’s only beginning to subside after two and a half hours. Tomorrow is day two of Songkran, the raucous three-day water festival celebrated […]

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Songkran: Call of Duty Style

Songkran is the raucous 3-day water festival celebrated by Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, recognizing the Buddhist/Hindu Lunar New Year. It was a damn good time filled with imitation Super-Soakers and plenty of Thai Rum. I channeled my inner 10th grader and played the city-wide water fight in 1st person shooter mode. -S Photo: […]

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The Paradise Effect

Perception of time fades swiftly once you’ve settled in. Not knowing what day it is and not needing to know what day it is. Not having to change your clothes or brush your hair, not having to take care of yourself like they do in the ‘real world’. Just existing. Not much more than basic […]

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A Political View from Abroad

Watching the presidential race unfold abroad is an eye opening experience. As I speak with people from all over the world, all walks of life, all financial situations, all kinds of political systems, I’m gaining a powerful perspective on what’s going on in the states right now. When I left the states, the Trump campaign […]

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