How do you eat potato chips and use the keyboard at the same time? This question has plagued computer uses since the computer was first invented over 200 years ago in German. In fact some of the first computer cards ever made were stained with chip grease by the early programers. Luckily the Japanese have a solution. More »

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From Rekuru:

Hiroshima from Tokyo: by bullet train (2 hours 30 minutes) Nagasaki from Tokyo: by bullet train to Fukuoka (4 hours) then by special express (2 hours)

There is a lot more to both these vibrant cities than that they alone, of all cities on earth, were once atomic bomb targets. But let’s be honest, we go there for one main reason. More »

From Rekuru:

What: Studio Ghibli Museum and Nakano Broadway indoor shopping mall Where: Tokyo Area, Nakano and Mitaka stations on the Chuo-Sobu line What to do: Get out of Tokyo, but still enjoy all the good things about it

Go West, Young Man is proverbial advice, funny when you consider that Japan (the “East”) is actually west of the States; but this is also good advice if you find yourself in Tokyo and crave a bit more animanga culture than Akihabara gives you, and especially if you’re a fan of director Hayao Miyazaki. Just jump on a west-bound train to the suburb of Mitaka for the Studio Ghibli Museum, and hit up Nakano Broadway en route. More »

Woot Korea! Probably one of the best Asian countries to visit especially because of Kpop! If you didn’t know, SM Entertainment artists have been responsible for making the official commericial for Seoul. Tourists have increased over the year, probably because of the cultural movement of kpop and kdramas. More »

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Of course, without the help of Kpop stars, this would never be achieved. Hooray for Seoul! Seoul became the number 1 desired vacation spot for people living in China, Japan, and Bangkok. Already you can tell why. A lot of these countries are fans of Kpop, and many kpop stars go to these countries to perform. More »

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In Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, if a woman dies in childbirth, her corpse must be treated specially: the mouth is filled with glass beads, a hen’s egg put under each armpit, and needles are placed in the palms of the hands.

And why is this done, you ask? More »

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Asia is known to be one of the most haunted continents in the world. Not surprising since its history is full of, not only development and expansion, but violence and destruction too. Let’s take a look at a few restless spirits who just can’t let go of their pasts. More »

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Double, double, toil and trouble! Fire burn and Ningin cauldron bubble! What have we in our cauldron, my pretties? Oh, nothing but the Ningin Halloween Special! (Insert sinister laugh here.) The Ningin ghouls and ghosts have put together a spooktacular special dedicated to one of our favorite holidays. More »

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Although you know Twilight’s Justin Chon as human Eric Yorkie, I’m happy to say that the humanity doesn’t stop there. After chatting with him yesterday for a few minutes he’s easily made it on my list of super down-to-earth people. That my friends, is a good list to be on. Aside from earning a spot on that list, he was able to dish on the upcoming New Moon movie and fill us in on what he’s been up to since we last chatted. A few times, he even turned the tables on me by asking me questions. More »

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In 2001, Keiichi Iwasaki left his home in Japan to travel across 37 countries with only 160 yen (~$2) in his pocket. More »

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A 70 year old man in Japan’s Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, stabbed a 64 year old lady to death this past Thursday over some stray cats. More »

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My favorite airline, Asiana Airlines, has started screening two inflight animation videos on global etiquette recently. The airline’s objective is to provide its customers a travel 101 on how to behave on the plane and at a tourist site. The inflight animation was created by the same team that created Pucca, a famous Korean animation character. More »

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Did a quick stopover in Nagoya, Japan before I wrapped up my brief summer break here in Asia. Nagoya may not be as fascinating as Tokyo or Osaka, but there are things tourists will like about this city.  Here are the 10 things I like about Nagoya: More »

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Ok guys, I am sweating my ass off in Kuala Lumpur right now. It is sure hot and muggy around this time of the year (actually most of the year since the country is located close to the equator). But weather aside, there are many things to like about this capital city of Malaysia. In addition to my family and friends, here are the ten things I like about Kuala Lumpur: More »

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Without counting my Tokyo trip last May, I finally ventured out of Seoul for the first time in years — five to be exact. On April’s Fool Day, I went on a quick day trip to visit someone in Gumi, a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do area, which happens to be near Daegu. The trip took two hours by the KTX trains (my first time on the KTX!) after leaving the “dreaded” Seoul Station. What’s my verdict about the KTX? Well, it’s certainly fast, and for 28,000 won for a normal ticket (equivalent to about $23), it’s worth it. More »

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Let’s get one thing straight first: Yes, I live in South Korea, but I’m affiliated with the US military bases scattered around the peninsula, and so I have access to American moola.

With that said, I am now a proud and happy owner of a $2 bill, and I type this with a big smile on my face. See, the military bases do not use pennies except at post offices (thank goodness, I suppose), and $2 are something of a rarity to many people here. Including me. My mother has one, but she refuses to let me have hers. Ever since her blunt refusal, I’ve been dying to have a $2 of my own. More »

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The irony here is, of course, you’re likely to die while doing it. And that’s no exaggeration. Located in the 陕西 province (Shaanxi) in the northwest of the People’s Republic of China, 华山 (Mount Hua) is one of the five sacred famous mountains of China, and one of the scariest freakin’ hikes in the world. Imagine Yosemite’s Half Dome, ten times scarier, with wooden planks precariously nailed into the sheer rock face as your only path, some rusty chains your only lifeline. More »

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a piece of undesirable sushi sitting on the rotating conveyor belt of a sushi restaurant? You’re probably fifteen-minutes-old, and you keep going round and round on the conveyor belt. Diners only look, point and make fun of you, but none of them will pick you up and dip you in the wasabi mixed soy sauce. Now, that’s pretty sad for the life of a sushi, if you ask me. More »

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Who here is a fan of Winter Sonata (겨울연가 = Gyuh Ool Yun Ga), that famous South Korean drama that made Bae Yong Joon (Yon-sama!) and Choi Ji Woo popular? I’m not, but after reading this article about Namiseom (Nami Island), I discovered a new place to visit one day. See, Namiseom is the place where Winter Sonata was filmed. Due to the drama’s popularity, the place boomed with tourisms. To attract more tourists, Namiseom’s officials are offering free admissions to foreigners who visit the site from February 28 to March 8. I would like to visit. The location in the drama really was a gorgeous place, so I would love to see if it’s really as beautiful as the drama portrayed it be. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to check it out while the admission is free; luckily, admission isn’t too expensive if I choose to go at a later date. More »

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Oh, the contradictions and the hypocrisy. This is killing me. Here we have South Korea being ultra-conservative about practically everything in the media, and now they want to have a nude beach? Give me a break! The government want to propose the idea of a nude beach to draw more tourists to Jeju-do? I mean, yes, Jeju-do has that sex education Love Land, so to have a nude beach would sort of make sense. More »

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