Bits by Maria K.

Japan seems not-so-far-away these days. United and American have more flights going to more cities like Osaka and Nagoya, and often have last-minute sales for as low as $399… Roundtrip! I took advantage at a point when the price was so low it would have been a waste of money NOT to go.

I flew in to Osaka, but immediately hopped a JR train to Kyoto to visit a friend. He and I would make day trips back there to go shopping, or night trips to hit the clubs, but it wasn’t really a top destination on such a short visit. However, on my way back to the airport at the end of the trip, I hopped off the train to check out a highly recommended destination: The Kaiyukan Aquarium.... More»

My head has been buried in books from the very moment I learned to read. History has always been my favorite. I still vividly remember Mr. Bongi’s 6th grade social studies class, when we learned about ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. We’d chant “Hammurabi! Hammurabi!” over and over. I didn’t always remember who he was or what he did, but the name was indelibly etched in my mind alongside Rameses, Cleopatra, and Alexander the Great.

Fast-forward fifteen years, and there I was in Alexandria, Egypt, named for that luminous conqueror now most unfortunately and inextricably linked with Colin Farrell. Nevertheless, it was with a lifetime of anticipation that I stood before the newly rebuilt Bibliotheca Alexandrina... More»