PASSPORT CONFESSIONAL: japan

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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Favorites, 2009 (Part 4, With Friends)

As I’ve said before, one of the least favorite things about being a travel writer (if there is such a thing) is having to travel with people that you would never—ever—want to travel with. On the flip side, however, I consider myself to have been very lucky. Last year, I traveled with some of my dearest friends—and even made some new ones along the way.

In the midst of the H1N1 scare, my brother, Matthew, and I embarked on our first cruise ever, sailing from Long Beach, Calif. to Victoria, B.C., on the Carnival Splendor. We still had fun anyway, even if it was a lot rainier and cloudier than it would have been in Puerto Vallarta. (May 2009)

My friend, Jennifer, whom I’ve known since the second grade, was my travel buddy on my first-ever river cruise, sailing down the Rhine with Avalon Waterways. We snapped this photo in Heidelberg, Germany. (Photo (c) Jennifer Eriguel; August 2009)

Cindy and I cast a shadow on the shores of Achsiv Beach in Israel. (September 2009)

And, on the first night of our trip to Japan and Korea, my boyfriend, Eliot, and I enjoyed a feast at The Peninsula Tokyo’s Peter restaurant—just one of many great meals we savored throughout both countries. (December 2009)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Favorites, 2009 (Part 2, Scenes)

Sometimes, a single snapshot of a particular place can convey so much about that place or time. Here are some of my favorite photos from last year that seem to have done the trick.

I snapped this photo on a bus tour through San Francisco. I just loved how this mural seemed to envelop the entire building. (May 2009)

The clear-blue sky just seemed to melt into the glittering ocean near Waimea Canyon, Kauai. (July 2009)

I loved how this family in Amsterdam repurposed these clogs into decorative flower holders. (August 2009)

In Strasbourg, France, you can just walk along a street and—all of sudden— you might just find yourself at a beautiful cathedral. (August 2009)

Beit Shean, ancient Roman ruins in Israel, are lit up at night. (September 2009)

Thoughtful graffiti in Akko, Israel (September 2009)

Lanterns in Israel (September 2009)

Candles in the Old City of Jerusalem (September 2009)

Textiles in the Old City of Jerusalem: I loved how colorful they were. (September 2009)

Jaffa, an artists’ colony just outside of Tel Aviv, felt like a little microcosm unto itself. (September 2009)

An interesting building in Tel Aviv (September 2009)

The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe at sunset (December 2009)

A guestroom decoration from The Peninsula Tokyo: The contrast between the gilded leaves and red backdrop was stunning. (December 2009)

The bamboo grove in Kyoto’s Arashiyama neighborhood. I couldn’t keep my camera still or in focus because my hands were shaking—it was so cold! (December 2009)

Same goes for this snapshot, taken as we crossed the Togetsukyo Bridge by rickshaw. (December 2009)

I took this photo as Eliot and I made our way up to the Senko-ji Temple in Kyoto. (December 2009)

Eliot and I literally stumbled onto the Rakkudo Temple after making a quick pit stop at a Starbucks in Kyoto. (December 2009)

Visiting the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima (December 2009)

It was so moving to see all these thousands of paper cranes at the site of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. The cranes became a symbol for peace in Hiroshima in honor of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who developed cancer from the bombing. She attempted to fold 1,000 cranes as she was dying from her cancer, in the belief that if she could accomplish such, she would be granted her wish. (December 2009)

It was equally heart-wrenching to walk around Imjingak, South Korea, where families have left photos and mementos of loved ones who never came back from the north. (December 2009)

On our last night in Seoul, we went up to Namsan Tower where we saw thousands of literal locks of love. (January 2010)

(All photos © Deanna Ting)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Favorites, 2009 (Part 1, People)

While I think it might be a little late to revisit some of my favorite photos from 2009 (this is something traditionally reserved for the end of last year, right?), I figured, oh well, better late than never, especially since I'm getting ready for another trip soon (more details on that later). I’m not a professional photographer in the least bit, so you’ll have to forgive me if the photo quality isn’t always up to par; I picked my favorites based on the stories behind them, and not necessarily on the image quality or sense of color and depth.

Photographing people isn’t always as easy as you think. And, of course, there’s always the chance that the person you want to photograph is a little camera shy (not unlike myself). But isn’t it crazy how a single image of just one person can really capture an entire place or time, sometimes? That’s why I loved these photos so much, and I hope you might feel the same way about them, too.

In Amman, Jordan, we visited a local school, the Al-Hussein Society for the Rehabilitation of the Physically Challenged, to volunteer. I loved these two kids—they were so outgoing and inquisitive. (February 2009)

This is a photo of one of the guides who accompanied us during an overnight stay in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan. He just looked so cozy (it was freezing) and I’ll always remember his super-considerate offerings of steaming-hot Turkish coffee and sweet tea. (February 2009)

In Heidelberg, Germany, this ebullient older man suddenly started clapping out of nowhere, both startling and amusing the throngs of tourists around him. (August 2009)

I just loved how this Israeli couple clung to each other as they left the synagogue at a kibbutz in the Galilee. (September 2009)

In Nazareth, Israel, we were treated to a performance by a talented local Nazarene dance troupe. (September 2009)

This father and daughter from Akko, Israel, were kind enough to let me photograph them as they sat out on their rooftop. (September 2009)

This photo, also taken in Akko, was a little unsettling: I don’t know if you can see it all that well, but the boy on the far right is playing with a mock rifle. (September 2009)

My friend and I encountered this little boy as we got lost trying to navigate our way through Akko. He was really interested in checking out our camera equipment. (September 2009)

At the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in Israel, we came across large groups of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recruits. I loved how the guy on the left decided to put on his best face for me. (September 2009)

Just another day at the pit stop for this IDF soldier (September 2009)

In Jerusalem, a father accompanied his son home from school. (September 2009)

A woman walking through the Old City of Jerusalem (September 2009)

Traditional dancers from Costa Rica—I loved how their skirts moved with every twirl. (November 2009)

I couldn’t take my eyes off of the chefs who made our fresh soba noodles at the Hoshinoya Kyoto restaurant. (December 2009)

A delighted sous chef from Tempura Matsu in Kyoto, Japan, displayed a soon-to-be-cooked-and-eaten fish for us. (December 2009)

This little boy was fascinated by the gigantic koi fish that lived in the ponds surrounding the beautifully serene Tenryu-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. (December 2009)

My one and only geisha spotting from Kyoto—but I can’t even be sure if she’s a real geisha or just a girl playing dress up. (December 2009)

One big tuna at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo (December 2009)

At the DMZ in South Korea (December 2009)

(All photos © Deanna Ting)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

April (Foods)

Okay, so I’ve started noticing a pattern. For work, whenever I can write about stuff that’s not a hotel review, tour review or a destination piece, I will almost always write about food:

From the Farm to My Fork: I wrote about my recent KCC Farmers’ Market experience, likening it to the annual Nathan’s Hot-Dog Eating Contest. (I'm showing off my first-ever barbecued abalone at left // (c) Candice Lee Kraughto)

Fave Five 2009 Travel Experiences, Part Two: I listed eating blowfish testicles in Kyoto, Japan, as one of my favorite experiences.

Overcoming My Own ‘Fear Factor’: I go into more detail about said blowfish “gentleman bits.”

Fave Five European Fast Foods: I adore fast food almost anywhere, but Europe has some especially tasty offerings.

Fave Five Vegas Buffets: One of my top reasons for going to Vegas at all, really.

Hawaii—Local Style: I wrote about all the places I ate at with my boyfriend and his relatives.

And today, I just turned in a piece called “Fave Five SoCal Ramen and Soba Spots.” Needless to say, I really like food—both consuming it and writing about it.

Looking back on my travels last year, there are so many great meals that I savored, from the best pasta ever (in Tel Aviv, no less) to the best $110 ever spent on a meal — an elaborate omakase (chef’s selection) dinner in Kyoto (where I ate those blowfish bits). Here’s a taste: