“I measure the time and I stand amazed” – Orcas Island

A year ago, my best friend* and I took a day-hiking trip to Orcas Island on President’s Day. We left at 5:30 in the morning to find the first Zip Car’s keys were missing; got a ticket in a speed trap in Skagit County; didn’t pack enough food; weren’t able to get food at the brewery where…

The Import Store, Preserved

During Dragon Fest, I headed over to the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. Although I had initially gone to see the art exhibitions, I also discovered that the museum includes the storefront of the former Yick Fung Co. grocery, preserved as it was when it closed in 2008. The store was…

Baudrillard and the Food Truck: Dragon Fest 2013

One of the aspects I hadn’t anticipated as much regarding my culture shock expectations was adjusting to Americanized- and fusion Japanese food, especially for foods that I encountered for the first time in Japan. This isn’t to say that American-Japanese food isn’t delicious–quite the contrary–but it can be a bit alarming at times to see…

What I Ate: Chicago

I haven’t had a fever in so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears. While I’m holed up on the couch with obscene amounts of tea and a Sherlock marathon, I thought you all might like to see a handful of food photos of…

Travel Checklist: Local Foods in Hida-Takayama, Part 1

Submitted to the November 2011 J. Festa “Dining in Japan,” hosted at Japingu. Part 2 is here. In September, a friend and I traveled to Takayama, about 3 hours from Kanazawa. Located in Gifu near the border of Nagano, the old towns of Hida (飛騨) and Takayama (高山)are a food tourist’s paradise. Since the town…