Kent Ninomiya travel - Articles - Zimbio

Currency Karma - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:15:59 -0700

Right now is arguably the worst time in memory for Americans to travel overseas. The dollar is at record lows against many currencies around the world. Gone are the days when you could travel to “cheap” countries where the mighty dollar pounded the “monopoly money” of an economically weaker nation. America’s bully currency is now itself being bullied. The humiliation is humbling. I recently had to change an airline ticket in Europe. Even though I originally purchased the ticket in dollars, the airline demanded I pay the change fee in a more stable currency… Polish zloty. Business in third world countries often takes place in “hard” currencies instead of the inflation prone local money. Until now the dollar was the gold standard of hard currency. No more. I spoke to a friend of mine in Africa the other day who says no one wants dollars anymore. I remember back in the early 1980’s when a dollar was worth ten francs and nearly equal to the British pound. Americans ran off to Italy then Greece then Turkey chasing cheaper and cheaper sunspots where they could lounge on the beach while their dollars stretched further and further. If you believe in karma then this is just America getting payback. The euro came and did away with the lire and drachma. Southern Europe was no longer cheap. Our economy is now in the toilet and the United States is suddenly the travel bargain for international tourists, not the other way around. Could the day be coming when we have droves of Europeans talking loudly in our restaurants demanding to know why we don’t speak French or Hungarian or Swedish? If you believe in karma, it would only be fair. *** Kent Ninomiya ***

World Wide Financial Crisis - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:19:15 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Asian financial markets are making it clear that they fear the economic crisis in the United States will spread world wide. Today Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 5.1 percent after falling 3.9 percent Monday. They stopped trading in India when the Sensex index free fell 9.75 percent in the first few minutes. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shrank 8 percent after diving 5.5 percent the day before. The same is happening in the rest of the world. In Europe Monday, Britain's FTSE-100 fell 5.5 percent and France's CAC-40 Index slid 6.8 percent. Germany's blue-chip DAX 30 plunged 7.2 percent. Likewise, benchmark indices in China, South Korea and Singapore each fell at least 4 percent. Australia's benchmark index slid 7.1 percent and Indonesia's market was down 9 percent. The pain is expected to come full circle. American stocks will probably fall even more leading to more selling around the world resulting in a planetary economic slowdown.

So what is this we are facing? Is it just another economic swing or something much bigger? Ask 100 economists and you will get 100 answers. Here's my take on it. We are realizing that everything in our world is interconnected. The war on terrorism, the war in Iraq, our unpopularity overseas all have economic components. We are spending a whole lot of money to support our agenda around the world. The United States is a rich nation but we have a finite amount of money. This is all catching up to us and there will be a reckoning. Most Americans alive today are too young to remember truly difficult times. 9-11 was certainly a crisis but it didn't impact most of our lives directly. Most of us don't believe we face something of the magnitude of the Great Depression or a World War. The truth is we can and may. Our economy, security and environment are more fragile than we know. We may soon find out just how fragile. Kent Ninomiya

Cheap Imitators - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:16:31 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Mixed Martial Arts are exploding on the scene. The undisputed king of the genre is the UFC. They deserve to be where they are. They endured while the league struggled with lack of interest, economic viability and lawmakers who wanted to shut them down. Like a true MMA champion they survived it all to thrive. Even though I am a martial arts purist, I confess to enjoying the UFC. I don't watch their reality show because I don't care about the private lives of the fighters, but I like watching these amazing athletes show off their skills. They are professionals and highly trained. Unfortunately, wherever there is success there are cheap imitators. Several inferior leagues have popped up trying to cash in on the UFC's popularity. Some of them are downright sad. For example, I was watching HD Net Friday Fight Night. It was worse than amateur hour. The fighters are pathetically bad. Some are downright fat. They look like they just put down their beer and pried themselves off the couch to fight. Predictably most of the fights last just a few minutes since they have no skills or conditioning. The winners then have the nerve to parade around like they've vanquished Mohammad Ali in his prime. I saw one guy with a 1-6 record win and act like he was the champion of the world. I witnessed another guy with a 6-5 record act like a punk taunting his downed opponant. The worst part about watching it on high definition is that it's crystal clear how pathetic the whole scene is. It made me wish I had an old blurry black and white TV. Kent Ninomiya

Asian American Role Model - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:43:00 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Michael Chang is elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a big moment for Asian American athletes. It validates the landmark career of this amazing athlete. Chang was just 17 years old when he won the 1989 French Open. He is still the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam title. Chang was also the first U.S. champion at the clay-court Grand Slam since Tony Trabert in 1955. It was an amazing thing to watch. He was so exhasted during his five-set upset of number 1 seed Ivan Lendl that he had to serve underhanded. Still he beat the best player in the world at the time and went on to defeat Stefan Edberg in the final. He never won another Grand Slam but finished runner-up three times at Grand Slam tournaments and won 34 singles titles. Chang reached a number 2 ranking in 1996. Not bad for a kid who was just 5'9" and 160 pounds. In an era when male tennis players were huge and dominated with power, Chang got it done with hustle and heart. Just like Tiger Woods with golf, Michael Chang inspired a generation of Asian American kids to enter the world of competitive tennis. Congratulations Michael, you deserve the honor. Kent Ninomiya

Asian Lunar New Year - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 10:32:50 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Happy Lunar New Year everyone! All around the world there are celebrations with feasts, fireworks and dancing dragons. It's a time for Asian families and familes of Asian decent to get together and revel in the new year. It is Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day all wrapped into one in asian culture. It's often called "Chinese New Year," but this isn't particularly accurate. While it is widely observed in China, it is also an important holiday for people throughout East Asia and of Asian ancestry all over the world. Believe it or not, there are still people out there who do not realize all Asian people are NOT Chinese. Lunar New Year is also a more accurate term. The holiday usually begins on the first day of the first lunar month. This makes the lunar calendar much more accurate than the Julian calendar. Jokes are often made about the Chinese being backward for celebrating the new year late. In reality the west celebrates the new year early. While the traditional Chinese calendar does not record continuously numbered years, 2008 is considered year 4705. So happy 4705 everyone! Kent Ninomiya

Action Star Stands His Ground - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 21:25:49 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Action star Wesley Snipes is found not guilty of six felony tax charges but found guilty of three misdemeanor counts for failing to file a tax return.

Considering Snipes could have faced 16 years in prison, this has to be called a major legal victory. This is also a victory for those who object to our tax system. Snipes certainly isn't the only one who refuses to submit to our tax system, though he is perhaps the most prominent. Regardless of whether you agree with his views, you have to respect his courage. Snipes could go to prison for his beliefs, yet he is fighting the system anyway. His legal victory will embolden others to follow his example. This could be the beginning of a tax revolution. Kent Ninomiya

Passports Please - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:20:51 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The next time you cross the Canadian border be prepared to show you passport. Starting January 31, American and Canadian citizens over 18 must show government ID and proof of citizenship. Gone are the days when you merely had to tell the border agent your citizenship. The government sites national security concerns. Realistically they had to do it to be fair considering the tightening of the Mexican border to the south. It's a blatant double standard to restrict one border and not the other. Another log jam of passport requests are expected in the coming months. Last year when the rule took effect for travelers flying to border countries the passport office was overwhelmed. If you plan to cross into the Great White North anytime soon, you'd better get in line. Kent Ninomiya

Airport Security Prize - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:10:42 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - How would you like to make a half million dollars? The company Clear is offering the $500,000 prize to whoever can design technology that can speed up those maddening airport security lines. You know... if I had the cash I would pay someone a half million dollars myself to get through those lines faster. The company says the innovation can be an improvement on existing technology or something completely new. Here is my idea for the record. We use the honor system so everyone speeds through. However, if you are caught with contraband then on your flight you will be forced to sit between a smelly religious zealot who wants to recruit you into their cult and an irate complaining woman with a screaming baby. That will keep everyone honest. Kent Ninomiya

New BA flights - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:06:11 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Next summer British Airways hopes to fly non stop from the United States to the European Continent. They would skip the now required stop over in the United Kingdom. This would likely be good for travelers since it would increase competition and theoretically lower fares. However there are many who don't want to see it happen. European and American based airlines don't want the competition. They will lobby against regulatory approval from the European Commission and American regulatory agencies. Landing rights will also need be be obtained from airports. Still, the announcement shows thawing in the traditionally restrictive international travel rules. More choices are always good for the traveler. However, if the dollar doesn't get stronger soon there will be few takers come this summer. Kent Ninomiya

Huge discounts on Airfare, Car Rentals and Hotels

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:31:29 -0700

Hey there. Great cash saving site offering up to 65% off flights, rates as low as $13 on rental cars and 40% on hotels. My work has me traveling the country on a regular basis and ive tried every discount site out there but have been a faithful customer to this great site for around a year now. Check out the links below for the deals you want.

1.) Cheap Air

2.) Cheap Hotel Rates

3.) Cheap Car Rentals

How to Travel Around Asia on a Budget

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 22:09:22 -0700

How to Travel Around Asia on a Budget

Asia is a wondrous place full of vivid, diverse cultures and fascinating people. Traveling around Asia doesn't need to be expensive. Many Asian countries are downright cheap, and there are bargains even in the pricey countries. There are even inexpensive ways to travel the vast distances between the countries of Asia. Here's how to enjoy an Asian adventure while spending a reasonable amount of money.

Instructions
Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step 1:

Choose your destinations carefully. The cost of a trip to Asia can vary drastically depending on where you go. Japan is one of the most expensive places on Earth to travel. Taiwan is nearly as pricey. China can be expensive, because organized tours are usually required. Places like Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea can be affordable if you know where to look. Countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are downright cheap. By choosing a destination that suits your budget, you can minimize costs. Do plenty of research. Look at budget travel guides like "Lonely Planet" or "Let's Go." Avoid mainstream travel guides like "Fodor's" or "Frommer's." You won't be staying in five-star hotels and dining in fine restaurants, but you will soak up the culture and have a great time.

Step 2:

Bundle flights together to significantly reduce the cost of your airfare. An All Asia Air Pass combines round-trip trans-Pacific airfare with flights to other Asian destinations. For someone on a budget with a limited amount of time, this is perfect. Cathay Pacific Airways has one of the most popular air passes. Prices start at $1199 for Hong Kong and two other Asian destinations, and you have 21 days to use it. You can add cities and time for an additional cost. Note that the biggest expense you will encounter is your airfare. It is a 12 to 16 hour flight to most parts of Asia from the United States. Distances are also vast around Asia, so the only practical way to get around is by plane.

Step 3:

Forget about the big chain hotels. You are in Asia to soak up the culture. Budget lodging isn't just cheap. It's also a cultural experience. Stay where the locals stay, and you will get a taste of what their lives are all about. You may also make some friends. Every city and town in Asia has a hostel or budget hotel where backpackers stay. They cost a fraction of what you would pay at a hotel. Accommodations vary widely, but some places are very nice. Depend on fellow travelers to point you in the right direction. Reservations are rarely needed. If you are adventurous, all you need to do is ask around when you get to town. Just look for other people who look like they are traveling on a budget like you. Be sure to look for lodging early in the day. Nice-quality budget places fill up fast. If you wait too long, you may spend more than you want to that night.

Step 4:

Forget about fine dining when you are traveling. Nothing will drain your budget faster than a few ritzy restaurants. The best food in Asia is found on the street. Look where the locals eat. In Asia, most food is fresh. They don't preserve and freeze their food like in America. You may be disturbed to see all the freshly killed animals around, but you will be assured that they haven't been dead long. Watch the locals. If what they are eating looks good, give it a try. It doesn't matter if you don't speak the language. Just point and smile. They will be happy to feed you. Also, leave your diet at home. You didn't come to Asia to eat healthy. Enjoy the delights of Asian cooking. If the food doesn't look safe, opt for fast food. At home, fried chicken and french fries aren't considered healthy. However they are a good alternative if the fresh food looks like it will give you hepatitis.

Step 5:

Don't waste your money on lots of tourist sights. All of Asia is a tourist sight in itself. Soak up the culture. Most things worth doing are cheap or free. The Star Ferry in Hong Kong costs less than a dollar. Go to the places where locals congregate and watch the people. Old folks doing Tai Chi in the park or a wedding ceremony at a Buddhist temple are things you won't see at home. Spend your money only on the "must do" things. Of course you have to see the Great Wall of China. But you don't need to spend money on a museum full of stuff you won't remember when you get home.

Tips & Warnings
•  Put yourself on a budget and do your best to stick to it. However, you need to be flexible. Unforeseen circumstances may require you to spend more one day and less another.   Prices change, so be sure to check the latest about your destinations before you depart.
•  Never sacrifice safety to save money. If you don't feel comfortable somewhere, then don't stay there. It's best to travel with others and do most traveling during the day. Never eat food that looks like it is unsafe. If necessary, resort to McDonald's rather than eat something that will make you sick. Even a McDonald's in Asia is a cultural experience.

battery warning - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 3 Jan 2008 22:25:39 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The new year brings with it new restrictions on air travel. The rules of what you can and can't take on an airplane are getting more byzantine every year. Now it's lithium batteries. Take note. This from Yahoo travel: The FAA has taken aim at lithium batteries, a response to the bevy of exploding laptops that menaced offices and airports alike over the last two years (one of which occurred at LAX).
The new rules are confusing and extensive (and are being reported incorrectly in numerous mainstream publications), so I'll try to boil it down for you here, accurately. Hit the link at the end of the story for the entire text of the new rules straight from the horse's mouth. The rules took effect on January 1, 2008.
Installed batteries (already in your phone, laptop, camera, etc.) and spare batteries (carried loose) are treated differently. Only lithium-based batteries are concerned here; not nickel-based rechargeable or alkaline batteries.
You can't pack spare batteries in checked baggage... but you may check equipment with batteries installed.
In your carry-on baggage, you can take as many batteries along as you want (installed or spare), as long as they contain less than 8 grams of lithium content each. How do you know how much lithium is in a battery? An 8 gram battery equals about 100 watt-hours of power. Now, your battery won't say how many watt-hours it provides, but it's easy to do the math. Look on the bottom and you'll find a voltage rating and a mAh (milliamp-hours) rating. Multiply these two together and divide by 1000. That's your watt-hours. In the (big) battery I'm looking at as an example, it offers 11.1 volts and 7800 mAh. Multiply and divide by 1000 and you get 86.58 watt-hours, acceptable under the new rules.
Now, you can also bring two spare batteries that break the above rule. These two batteries can have a total lithium content of 25 grams, or about 300 watt-hours. Where might you find such a giant battery? Namely in those third-party laptop battery slabs designed to give you a full day of computing. A product like this Electrovaya PowerPad 300 would just barely make it... but would probably earn you a delay at security.
These rules mainly concern lithium-ion batteries. Lithium metal batteries (which are comparably rare) have more stringent rules. Check the link for full details if you use lithium metal batteries, but since lithium metal batteries are usually quite small, there's not that much cause for concern.
Whew! Bottom line: Most travelers are fine as they are now, especially if they don't bring along spare batteries. If you do carry spares, take a look at the FAA's safety tips, which advise placing spare cells in a plastic bag to prevent short circuits. Just make sure those spares aren't too big, and only carry two.

Japan Warning

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 19:21:46 -0700

As the United States struggles through a tough economic time, it's important to distinguish the difference between the economies of Japan and China. Right now, Japan is very much like the United States. Both economies are huge, established machines. The US is the largest economy in the world followed by Japan. As a result, the economic stagnation felt by the US over the mortgage crisis will likely impact Japan hardest among Asian economies. On Monday, the former Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kazumasa Iwata said "the economy is at a difficult stage. Japan's industrial production and capital spending are flat and growth in corporate profits is slowing, though at high levels." He also pointed out that prices of oil and food prices continue to rise.Meanwhile, China marches on with impressive growth. Even if it falls off a bit from last year's 11.9% GDP expansion, it will still be relatively good. China's GDP for 2008 is expected to be a robust 9.8%. Japan doesn't have that kind of cushion. Any slowdown of Japan's economy will bring expansion of recent years to a standstill.The bottom line here for investors is to treat investments in Japan like you would investments in America. Be cautious. China is still very much an emerging market and strong growth is expected to continue.

anti missile 767's - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 4 Jan 2008 15:24:33 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The next time you fly on an American Airlines jet you could be sitting on top of the latest anti missile technology. It scary and reassuring at the same time. (AP) Up to three American Airlines jets carrying passengers will be outfitted with anti-missile technology this spring in the latest phase of testing technology to protect commercial planes from attack. An American Airlines spokesman said Friday that the test will determine how well the anti-missile system holds up under the rigors of flight.
The first Boeing 767-200 will be equipped in April or later, said the airline spokesman, Tim Wagner. American operates that Boeing model mostly between New York and San Francisco and Los Angeles.
American said it is "not in favor" of putting anti-missile systems on commercial planes but agreed to take part in the tests to understand technologies that might be available in the future.
The technology is intended to stop a missile attack by detecting heat given off from the rocket, then firing a laser beam that jams the missile's guidance system.
The device on the belly of the Boeing 767-200 aircraft will be operational but won't be tested on regular flights, Wagner said. The use of a signal to mimic a missile attack has already been tested in the air, Wagner said.
American, the nation's largest carrier, has been working with defense contractor BAE Systems PLC on the project for a couple years. In 2006, BAE installed its hardware on a Boeing 767 that wasn't used to fly paying passengers.
About a year ago, reporters were invited to American's maintenance base in Fort Worth to see a jet outfitted with the laser-jamming device on its belly.
"We are now entering the next phase," Wagner said, which is "to see how the system holds up on an aircraft in real-time conditions — weather, continuous takeoffs and landings, etc. — and to test its maintenance reliability."
Wagner said American is also collecting more information on how the laser-jamming device affects fuel consumption.
Congress has approved funding for anti-missile research partly out of fear that terrorists armed with shoulder-fired weapons could hit jetliners as they take off and land. U.K.-based BAE won a contract from the Homeland Security Department to test its technology.
Fort Worth-based American, a unit of AMR Corp., has said anti-missile defense is best handled by stopping terrorists from getting missiles that could shoot down commercial jets and by improving security around airports.

Cultural Hypersensitivity - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:45:40 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - We are in the midst of an era of hypersensitivity over slips of the tongue and cultural issues. First there was the suspension of Kelly Tilghman for joking that Tiger Woods should be "lynched." Then it was ESPN's Dana Jacobson suspended for comments about Notre Dame and Jesus at a roast. Now it's CNN's Kyra Phillips coming under fire.

She was in a discussion with Gerri Willis and co-anchor. Willis joked that if she could predict the stock market, she and Phillips could run off to an island, prompting Phillips' , to ask not to be left out of the girls' getaway. This resulted in the following exchange:Gerri: Alright Don, you come too.Kyra: We could bring him along with the girls. Gerri: Come on!Kyra: He's paying! Thanks, Gerri.Don: A little sandwich!Kyra: Ooh!Gerri: Whoa, I have to go now!Kyra: Yeah, good time. You don't want to talk about the reverse oreo!

If you watch this exchange (you can find it easily on the internet) you will see that it's innocent banter. No one there was offended. However the hypersensitive among us could make this out to be racial insensitivity, sexual insensitivity or both. I would not be surprised if there are calls for suspensions. That seems to be in vogue these days.

I argue that cultural sensitivity is not the same as racial blindness. Pretending that we don't see that people are different is hypacritical. We should acknowledge and embrace these differences as what makes our American culture great. When someone makes a comment that is warmly greeted by the people they are addressing, it is not up to third parties to be gravely insulted. I believe that to be the case here with CNN. It's a bit different in the Jacobson and Tilghman cases since their comments were not so innocent, but I still think people over reacted. We have better things to do than micro manage every word people on TV say. Kent Ninomiya

Jo Jo - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 23:51:39 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - ATW day 3 - The Philippines.

The Philippines surprised me. It is not the third world toilet I was warned about. It's an inviting and vibrant place. The most remarkable feature is its people. They are a strikingly polite and happy group. They're always smiling and trying to help you. Even the small businessman trying to get you to part with your pesos would never be rude. I credit the inner contentment they get from living on these tropical islands. When you stand on their stunning shores you wonder why anyone would ever leave this place. It's gorgeous. The island of Bohol is lush with palm trees dusted with white sand. It's surrounded by azure waters alive with coral and marine life. A young man named Jo Jo took me up the Loay River to a waterfall. At his prodding I risked my life climbing slippery rocks to the top. I watched my life flash before my eyes as I jumped over the falls to the clear pool below. The water sucked me under then gently returned me to the surface. I inhaled a lung full of pristine air to reassure myself I was still alive. Jo Jo spent his entire life here jumping from this waterfall. He laughed at my first, rather tentative leap. This is his work taking tourists to this spot. It's also his fun and his life. He is happy, which is more than what others with more worldly possessions can claim. Jo Jo says if he were ever to leave here he would always come back. This is his home. This is what he is. I think that all Filopinos would be like Jo Jo if not for the disease of Western culture. Ever since Magellan infected the island Filopinos have been tempted. They were lured into wanting things to give them the illusion of happiness. They now crave CD's, dollars and trips to America. Filopinos love to sing, they love their beauty pagents, they love the cellular phones, they love dark sunglasses. They stive to appear so worldly yet stare like wide eyed children as foreigners walk by. In my opinion they offer more wonder than they seek.

Kent Ninomiya

The Japanese - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:41:30 -0800

The Japanese are an honorable and hard working people.Â Every one of them takes pride in their work.Â From the business suit attired salaryman to the white gloved taxi driver to the tuxedo wearing porn shop hocker... they all seem happy fullfilling their role in society.Â No one here would ever think of being rude to your face.Â Anytime you enter a business you are greeted by workers shouting "assumimasen" meaning "welcome."Â It is a society of happy workers who care more about the group than themselves as individuals.Â I have a Japanese friend named Takeshi who I met on safari in Tanzania years ago.Â Takeshi works fromÂ 9 am to midnight five days a week as a scientist, and that seems downright decadent compared to businessmen who work even longer hours and are then expected to go out and entertain their bossesÂ until the early morning hours.Â They go to ball games, strip clubs, karaoke and drink a lot.Â It may seem like fun but when it is a nightly ritual it becomes hard work.Â The salarymen rarely see their wives and children.Â Late at night and in the early morning hours you can see them on the subway staggering home.Â Many pass out on the trains and platforms.Â The Japanese have perfected train sleeping.Â They nod their heads forwards instead of back like Americans.Â They even sleep standing up.Â They learn these skills at an early age.Â Every morning you can see uniformed school children asleep on the subway.Â School lasts all day then they go home to study.Â Most alsoÂ attend extra "cram" schools on Saturdays.Â To an American this seems like a very hard life, but the Japanese aren't complaining.Â That would be impolite.Â Kent Ninomiya

San Diego - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 19:18:52 -0800

Kent Ninomiya.

I am starting a new series advocating the virtues of various American cities. I begin with a city I know best. I grew up in San Diego. In a real way we grew up together. When I was a kid SD was rustic and remote. My parents bought a house in University City in 1968. My grandparents told them the house was in the middle of nowhere and no one would ever come visit them. Today that house sits in the middle of town and is worth 20 times more than they paid for it. San Diego's greatest lure is the weather. It is perfect year around. There are stunning beaches and plenty of tourist attractions. These include the world famous San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World, Lego Land, Balboa Park and Old Town. There is the old mission and of course Mexico next door. It's a big navy town which is both good and bad. The Navy pumps a lot into the economy and culture but brings with it a seedy element near the bases. San Diego used to be able to claim they were less congested than LA but that's no longer true. It's virtually indestinguishable from LA at rush hour. The city is also expensive to live in and visit. Despite this San Diego is a must see destination. I recommend taking a long walk on Prospect Avenue in La Jolla and visiting both the cove and shores while there. Drive up Mt Soledad for the view and enjoy some Mexican food at El Indio in Old Town. Don't leave town without trying some fish tacos at Rubios. It makes me homesick just thinking about it.

Kent Ninomiya

Hong Kong - Kent Ninomiya

Sun, 2 Dec 2007 23:18:44 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Hong Kong.

You can place no price on a cool breeze in Hong Kong on sweltering June day. This is especially true if you are foolish enough to walk the streets wearing a suit. Yet that is the situation I found myself in as I looked for a tailor I read about in a guide book. The book said you should wear a suit that fit you well when you visited so they can see what you want made. For a bargain price they promise a custom made suit in less than a week. I always wanted a custom made Hong Kong suit and figured this was my chance. An unfortunate series of events gave me a taste of what hell must be like. The oppressive heat was just the first problem. Triple digit temperatures plus with triple digit humidity equals triple digit suffering. I was dying of thirst but couldn't buy a drink because it happened to be a holiday. I don't know what holiday it was but everything was closed. Then I got lost. Really lost. I ended up marching back and forth through the same park four times trying to find the address. I felt like an ant beneath a magnifying glass. I dubbed it the "park of eternal torment." By then I was delirious and screaming at the sky. I just wanted to go back to my hotel but of course I couldn't find it. It's amazing how all those Chinese symbols all look the same. So I sat there in the park of eternal torment pondering my impending doom from heat exhaustion when a cool breeze blew by. I smiled and laughed off my ordeal. You can't put a price on a cool breeze in Hong Kong.

Kent Ninomiya

ball drop - Kent Ninomiya

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:37:05 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Just once in your life you should be in New York's Times Square at New Years. Just once. It's an experience to remember but unless you are a native or glutton for inconvenience you probably wont want to make it an annual tradition. First of all it's usually cold. Sometimes it's very cold and raining or snowing. You need to be there early to stake out a spot so you are stuck out in the elements the whole time. There are a lot of people. How many? When you are awash in a sea of humanity you will swear that all of them are there. Food and bathrooms are available but expect to wait and be disappointed with the quality. Did I mention that there were a lot of people? Most of your time in Times Square you wont be able to move, and you will experience the world famous New Yorker charm as you brush up against the locals. Good luck getting home afterward. It takes hours to empty out the square. Of course you could book a hotel room in Times Square. That is if you remembered to book more than a year in advance and are willing to be gouged. Despite all this, Times Square has no equal when it comes to New Years. Dave Clark made sure everyone is watching that ball drop and you should see it for yourself at least once. I recommend just once. Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya - Montparnass

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:58:34 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Montparnass station

The train pulled into Paris' Montparnass station at 11:51 am... two minutes late. Despite her attempts she slept very little on the five hour journey. She didn't sleep at all the night before. As she craned her neck to peer out her window at the train platform she wondered. Would he be there? Did he think she blew him off? When she last saw him in Athens 10 days before she gave him the phone number of her friend Pauline in Paris. He told her she would leave him a message there. It wasn't until later that she realized she gave him the wrong number. Pauline wrote those damn European ones that look like sevens. She hoped he didn't try the number and was waiting there for her. Still she prepared herself for disappointment. She wanted to visit Fontenbleu today. If he wasn't there she would not let it ruin her day. She would go to Fontenbleu by herself and see the palace she studied in school. Still, she craved the comfort of his arms again. Had she actually considered staying longer in Europe for this guy? So much happened in the ten days since Athens. She experienced Normandy and Brittany. She traveled with her good friend from school and ate excedingly well every day. Just yesterday she celebrated her 21st birthday. She told herself that it was difficult to miss somebody with so many wonderful things happening to you. Yet within every thought there he was. She knew exactly where he was in her mind, but was he there on the platform?

Kent Ninomiya

Macau - Kent Ninomiya

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:10:06 -0800

Kent Ninomiya. I found myself in the Jai Lai Casino in Macau peering at games I didn't recognize surrounded by pungent fumes from cheap Chinese cigarettes and the stale sweat of players. As far as I could tell they were all losing. They tossed out stacks of 100 Macau dollar chips in a futile attempt to win their money back. Baccarat is popular here. So is a dice game the name of which I could never figure out. The rules are impossibly complex. They involve tossing chips and slamming down dice on the table. Even black jack is played with a Macauian twist. Decks of cards are brought to the table pre shuffled. They are dealt down but then immediately turned up by the players. The dealer only takes one card then passes around a tile with the word "surrender" on it. The dealer then turns the tile over revealing the word "card" on the other side. She passes it around again. No one talks while playing. I was tempted to give it a try but no one here spoke any English and I didn't speak whatever they spoke. I still don't know what language it was. When I tried to talk to the cashier she stared at me with a frightened expression. I glanced around to see the security guards staring as well and caressing their automatic weapons. I decided to leave. Kent Ninomiya.

not the weather - Kent Ninomiya

Sun, 6 Jan 2008 00:25:24 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - If you travel much then you know that airport delays are getting worse not better. The airlines are full of excuses. Of course it's never their fault. They blame the weather or unions or gate shortages. The truth is they overbook and overly ambitious about how many people they can get from here to there in the allotted time. They don't mind canceling flights and inconveniencing people if it suits their needs. The sad part is the traveling public just accepts it. After all, what can they do about it? Walk? If the airlines wanted to, they could do a better job. They could stop overbooking flights and being so eager to cancel ones that are sparsely populated. Remember, when the cancel a flight that affects other flights down the line. The plane that didn't fly was expected for a flight somewhere else. Also, they could move their hubs to cities where the weather is better. As someone who has wasted away years of his life stuck at Chicago's O'hare airport due to weather, I say it's about time. Why would you put the busiest cross country hub in the city with the worst weather in the country? I never could figure that out. Enough excuses airlines! Clean up your act! Kent Ninomiya

Japanese trains - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:48:22 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - ATW day 9 - Tokyo

The first thing you notice about the Japanese is how many there are. Stand on any Tokyo street and you'll be convinced that every square foot of Japanese soil contains at least two people scurrying off to some important destination. The crowds are especially obvious on the trains. The Japanese take them everywhere aparently all at once. Titanic waves of humanity crash into one another but somehow everyone manages to get where they're going. It's rather daunting for a gaijin to be pulled into this tide. It's like drowning in people with no land in sight. The Japanese impressively make it all work. Trains are always on time and arrows in the stairwells tell you where to walk up and down. No Japanese would ever disobey an arrow or sign. The map of Tokyo subway routes looks like a plate of spaghetti. It is unbelieveably complex especially if you don't read Japanese. When you ride a train it is silent. No one says a thing. It is considered impolite. Being polite is everything to the Japanese. I saw a man put his ringing cellular phone in his briefcase rather than answer it on a moving train. That would never happen in America.

Kent Ninomiya

caucuses - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 2 Jan 2008 22:28:23 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - In honor of tomorrow's Iowa caucuses here's a look at Iowa tourism just in case you may want to visit the state on your next vacation. The official Iowa tourism web site describes the state like this: Put aside the rush of your daily routine and indulge in a getaway that puts balance back in your life. The hospitality of an Iowa destination helps shuffle those priorities to make 'what really matters most' at the top of the list. Iowa's all-season playground provides an ideal backdrop to connect with family and friends. To awaken your spirit of adventure. And satisfy your appetite for urban cultural pleasures. Discover the changes that spending quality time together in Iowa can make in your life.

Notice how they don't mention anything specific? That's because there is nothing to do in the state. Their big draw is that you can put "balance back in your life." Does boredom add balance? Iowa takes the national stage tomorrow for the caucuses then sinks back to anonymity again for the next four years. Unless you are a journalist working the caucuses there's no real reason to go there.