You might be thinking to yourself, they’re writing about Seattle again? What’s there about it to write so much about. Well, Seattle is not only home to the Space Needle, the Pike Place Market, and the Seattle Mariner’s, but also the Monorail. Just recently, we are home to the Northwest’s newest light rail, the Sound Transit. Rather than riding the metro, which stops every block, you can ride the Sound Transit, which stops every 10 blocks. If you’re in the Seattle-Tacoma area, you know that from Seattle to Tukwila by bus usually takes at least an hour. However, if you ride the Transit, it takes approximately only 24 minutes. And, the best thing is, you can ride the Sound Transit for about the same amount as the Metro bus!

Journey to the West, an epic story written by writer Wu Cheng-en (Ngo Thua Thien), begins with the world in a state of peril. The demonic monsters from the underworld have traversed the 18 stages of hell and shown themselves on earth. The king of the mightiest region in China at the same time was experiencing an incurable illness, where in his dreams, he is visited by the demons of his past. At this time, however, in the Holy Kingdom above, where His Holiness, the grand Buddha, was lecturing his disciples in the wisdoms of man. During the lecture, a disciple named XuanZang accidentally fell asleep, and the Buddha reprehended him and sent him down to earth to fulfill a mission before entering again the realm of the Gods. His mission was to save earth from the demons that were quickly taking over. To be continued.

If you’ve ever watched a show on the Travel Channel called Bizzare Foods hosted by Andrew Zimmern, you would know that durien is one of the few things he cannot ingest. The reason is that durien is an acquired taste. If you are not used to it, then it’ll stink in your mouth, literally. Southeast Asia is  home to this exotic, strange fruit. If you ever stop by Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia or Thailand, make sure you pick up a durien to test your taste buds, and if for the first time you don’t vomit, then I guess you’ve acquired more of a taste for ‘bizzare foods’ than Andrew Zimmern himself.

If Paris, London, Beijing, and Tokyo are the major capitals of the world, then America’s New York City pars no lower than any capitol. With the graceful statue of Lady Liberty holding tightly the red flames of American desire, New York is the world’s capital city for finance and business. Home to Wall Street, the Big Apple, and the World Trade Organization, NYC is probably the most important city when it comes to business. However, famous as it is for the endless possibilities and promises New York holds, they are not the only things that bring fame to the city. From the ever-so famous subway stations to the ever-so high skyrises, NYC is one of the most developed cities in the world. It’s the epitomy of American success. With businessmen, doctors, lawyers, and corporate managers browsing the streets, there is no better place that can better describe America in its glory. In addition, because New York is probably the first true melting pot of American culture, where people of all descent, from England, Ireland, Germany, China, Japan, and other countries come together to form a nation greater than the ones from which they come, it is truly a culture that one can appreciate. Along with the night markets and the Asia-like streets filled with bustling people, NY offers a place where many can truly call home. From the entrepreneural spirit of the businessman to the hopeful innocence of the college graduate to the dreams of an immigrant fresh off the boat, NYC offers everything anyone can hope for.