When we imagined Beijing, the words that jumped to mind were Power, Government, Olympics, Traffic. The last thing we thought about was Art. But on the outskirts of the city, beyond the fifth outer ring, not too far from the airport, something exciting is happening. In a district that was nothing but abandoned warehouses ten […]
HIROSHIMA: A FAMILY REMEMBRANCE
We had always planned to go to Hiroshima from early on in thinking about our time in Japan, but we had thought it would be a day trip from Kyoto. Yet something led us to wanting more time there. We imagined Hiroshima would be a somber place, but our time there was far more vibrant […]
FINN PRESENTS SENSŌ-JI TEMPLE
Speaking in Japanese (with handy subtitles), Finn takes you on a brief tour of Sensō-Ji, an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo. This is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and one of its most well-known. Tourists from all over the world visit Sensō-Ji every year. On the day we were there, we counted eleven different field trips of […]
TWENTY QUESTIONS: THE MAORI PEOPLE
We had the opportunity to sit down with Tainui Stephens, a Maori director and producer, in Wellington, New Zealand, and discuss what distinguishes the Maori from other indigenous cultures around the world. So many indigenous people, such as the native American Indians, saw their land taken from them and their culture marginalized. But in New […]
FAST FINNY FELSON
When we set off on the trip, Finn had never picked up a pool cue. Now, 53 days later, we make a point of seeking out a pool hall wherever we can find one. The kid is officially hooked, proudly proclaiming “Now I have a sport.”
HOMEWORK AT SUNSET OVER ADELAIDE
Due to the way the harbor is situated, Adelaide is one of the few cities in Eastern or Southern Australia that gives you a full-on western sunset. On this particular night, Franny and Finn used the nifty glass-enclosed balcony of our apartment to catch up on schoolwork. Finn is working on his math, while Franny […]
THE PRICE OF GAS IN AUSTRALIA
In our further study of fuel prices around the world, we present exhibit B: The cost to fill a tank in a normal five passenger sedan in Adelaide, Australia.Yes, that’s $97.25 Australian dollars. And keep in mind that currently it costs just over 105 U.S. cents to buy an Australian dollar, so that brings the […]
THIS IS WHAT TOMORROW LOOKS LIKE
It’s September 9th in Los Angeles, but it’s September 10th in Australia. Here is a sneak preview of tomorrow. On an overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne, we woke up before dawn — still jet-lagged from the flight from South America. The assignment for each of us was to write a short poem with the […]
FRANNY REPORTS: THE RECOLETA CEMETERY
Throughout our travels, Franny and Finn will file occasional reports about places we’ve visited or experiences we’ve shared. To begin, Franny reports on one of the curious treasures of Buenos Aires: There is a saying that the dead live on in our hearts which keeps them alive forever. This saying was shared with me when […]
TANGO FLACKETT LEVIN
The name just about says it all. It takes four to tango. As you watch this, you might notice that one of these Flackett-Levins is not like the others. Mark seems to get his sense of rhythm from a long line of clumsy, drunken elephants. But check out the fleet-footed moves of the rest of […]