There are many surprising and fascinating things about Japan that I was not expecting upon arrival. One of the things I had the most fun with was the vending machines. The Japanese Vending Machine Manufactures Association (I am not making that up) reports that there is somewhere in the realm of 5.5 million vending machines in all of Japan, roughly 1 per 23 citizens of Japan–or that means 1 roughly every 2 feet in Tokyo.

Travel constantly reminds me that we must always have a sense of humor. To help provide you a few laughs, may I present the first of an ongoing series, called “Things That Make Me Laugh.” Here is the Japan edition.

In the land that invented it, a quest for The Best Sushi In The World. The question is, is it really what I want?

A few years ago my friend Andrew ventured to Germany to study abroad, regularly senting email update to his family and friends back home. Reading about his wild adventure and seeing his postcard perfect pictures, I began to notice one day the he was not in a single picture. I began to suspect a hoax—he wasn’t in Germany in fact, I begin to think–he was simply hiding in a cold stale dorm room somewhere else creatively writing about a trip that didn’t really existed.

A link to the video that shot Matt Harding to fame, as he “danced” his way around the world.

Today, marks the beginning of the Year of The Pig and the celebration of Chinese New Year (or as its called here in China, the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival).

English is the langua franca of the world. This often comes in handy, say when you drop by a Starbucks, cause how in the world do you say “venti drip vanilla double soy espresso macchiato with room con pana” in Chinese? (actually I don’t even know what I just said in English?)