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“The Story With Animals Is The Better Story.”

“The Story With Animals Is The Better Story.”

by Calvin Sun | Jun 25, 2011 | Epiphanies on the Road, Introspection, Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come

Doubt is useful for awhile. . . . But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.– Life of Pi, Chapter 7In the course of 6 hours on the bus from Kathmandu to Pokahara I have finished Yann...
Cared for By Dubai, Winded By Kathmandu

Cared for By Dubai, Winded By Kathmandu

by Calvin Sun | Jun 23, 2011 | Nepal, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, United Arab Emirates, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

  Our 16 hours in Dubai was no less than magical. It completely reaffirmed my belief in humanity; that there are people in the world who trust in the goodness of others and will help each other in realizing their personal legends. Our 16 hours here demonstrated...
Petra By Day

Petra By Day

by Calvin Sun | Jun 21, 2011 | Crisis, How's the weather?, Jordan, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Walking Tours, What Dreams May Come

 Can’t help but contextualize this entry with this classic scene from a classic movie:  As if last night’s awe-inspiring moment wasn’t enough, guess what the Treasury at Petra looks like by day: The road through Petra by day is...
Where Do Dreams Come From? Petra

Where Do Dreams Come From? Petra

by Calvin Sun | Jun 20, 2011 | Jordan, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come

My turn:   If an experience is unwriteable, how about a place? Or how about a place at a specific moment of the day? Far far from a tourist trap, Petra by Night is something everyone has to do at least once in their lives. You take one of the most beautiful...
Understanding a Moment In Amman

Understanding a Moment In Amman

by Calvin Sun | Jun 19, 2011 | Epiphanies on the Road, Introspection, Jordan, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come

  We are the only two foreigners. Scratch that — the only two Asians in a sea of local Jordanians and other Arabians. In a balcony cafe awash with the perfumed smoke of nargile, we overlook the quiet chaos of downtown Amman. For a moment, everything seems...
Beirut, Baalbek, And Hezbollah

Beirut, Baalbek, And Hezbollah

by Calvin Sun | Jun 18, 2011 | Lebanon, Let me tell you a Story..., Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come

Beirut: A cosmopolitan city policed by carbine-armed soldiers, where Ferraris and BMWs park next to armored tanks, and where glass-paned high-end boutique shops neighbor derelict husks of concrete bombed out by a 10 year old conflict.  There are military...
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