JAPAN BY PREFECTURE: OSAKA

JAPAN BY PREFECTURE: OSAKA

Osaka Prefecture (大阪府; Osaka-fu) is part of the Kansai Region (関西地方; Kansai-chiho) on Honshu, the main island of Japan. Despite being one of the smallest prefectures area-wise, it boasts an impressive amount of cities. Thirty-three to be exact; with the most famous being it’s capital city of the same name– Osaka. Daitō Fujiidera Habikino Hannan Higashiōsaka Hirakata Ibaraki Ikeda Izumi Izumiōtsu Izumisano […]

#FINDINGASIA: MOCHITSUKI AT THE MIDWEST BUDDHIST TEMPLE, CHICAGO

#FINDINGASIA: MOCHITSUKI AT THE MIDWEST BUDDHIST TEMPLE

Mochi (餅), which is a sweet sticky rice cake, has been eaten in Japan since ancient times for special celebrations and festivals. The practice of hand-pounding mochi, known as mochitsuki (餅つき), is now rare even in Japan as most people would rather buy machine-made mochi sold at stores instead of making their own. Yet still, whether store-bought or […]

LUXURY AND LOCATION AT HOTEL GRANVIA, BARCELONA

LUXURY AND LOCATION AT HOTEL GRANVIA

Checking into Hotel Granvia was bittersweet. It was our final night in Europe and we were fortunate enough to be spending it in a 19th century palace. Commissioned in the late 1800s by the owners of the Bank of Barcelona, it became one of the few palaces in Barcelona’s city center. It was weird to think of a […]

#FINDINGASIA: CASA BRUNO CUADROS, BARCELONA

#FINDINGASIA: CASA BRUNO CUADROS

Las Ramblas is one of the most touristy areas in all of Barcelona. Filled with tourist tat and scam artists, I would normally say to avoid such areas, but in this case, I say go. Located along the Rambla is Casa Bruno Cuadros, known locally as Casa dels Paraigües or “the House of Umbrellas”. This shop, now a […]

MY BIGGEST TRAVEL REGRET: BARCELONA

It’s confession time. From apartment rental mistakes in Paris to spending only one night in Rome, I’ve talked about some of the mistakes I made throughout my trip around Europe. But do you want to know my biggest mistake of all?  Barcelona. Oh the regret. Other than always wanting to go to Ibiza, which I knew wouldn’t work out […]