personal Archives - Page 2 of 3

January 25, 2023January 27, 2023asia, australia, personal, travel

My AirAsia Fiasco: Missed Flight Connection & the AVA Chatbot

I recently made my first post-COVID trip home to Perth. Everything was going well until my return flight back to Tokyo, booked with AirAsia.

September 23, 2022September 23, 2022personal, thailand, travel

Trying Cannabis for the First Time in Thailand

I was eager to try cannabis without having the need to smoke or vape, so the range of edibles in Thailand presented the perfect opportunity.

March 15, 2022September 23, 2022asia, china, personal, winter

Dystopian Scenes from the Beijing Games Bubble

I just finished spending two weeks inside the so-called “closed loop” for the Beijing Winter Paralympics for work, and it was fantastically dystopian.

May 31, 2021May 31, 2021japan, life, personal, tokyo

Private Rental Gyms in Tokyo: Work Out During COVID

Private rental gyms in Tokyo are the perfect solution to keep up those gains during a COVID-19 state of emergency. I tried three this time.

January 11, 2021October 17, 2023life, personal

Inspirational Quotes from 10 Non-Fiction Books I Think About a Lot

With Tokyo under another state of emergency, I thought I would share some inspirational quotes from 10 books that I think about all the time.

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020japan, life, personal

Review: 5 Reusable Masks for the New Normal

I decided to review five different types of reusable masks I’ve used during this pandemic, based on the metrics of price, comfort, functionality and aesthetic.

May 29, 2020January 27, 2023china, personal, travel

A Tale of China Southern Airlines’ Kickass Customer Service

China Southern Airlines wing shot (courtesy of Faraway526101 from Pixabay)

China Southern offers free hotel stays for long layovers in Guangzhou, but I initially had no idea. Cue this tale of their kickass customer service.

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020japan, personal, tokyo

A Timeline of Japan’s Response to COVID-19 in Memes

The world is fighting a coronavirus pandemic. But how has Japan’s response to COVID-19 been, and how had it affected me personally? Find out through memes.

January 25, 2020January 25, 2020eating, japan, life, personal, tokyo

A Guide to Koenji, the Subculture Hub of Tokyo

SLUT, the name of a vintage clothing store in Koenji

An unabashedly, highly biased guide to Koenji, an area known for being the centre of Tokyo’s alternative culture. And in my personal experience, crazies.

November 4, 2019November 4, 2019asia, china, life, personal

Consequences: 6 Episodes from Living in China

For 10 months in 2013-2014, I lived in China teaching English. Here are 6 stories from my rather unwise decision to live in Yongzhou, Hunan Province.