May 29th, 2010 Contributed by: Ivette Figueroa HONG KONG — Hong Kong is the largest market center for jade in the world. So naturally, when we were debating where to go on our visit to Kowloon, the girls decided to make the Jade Market a priority stop. We arrived at an unimposing teal warehouse and strolled [...]

Jun 9th, 2010 Contributed by: Ivette Figueroa BEIJING, PRC–Just off busy Ping’anli Street, a slate-grey stone-tiled plaza spreads out towards the gleaming waters of Qianhai lake. Every inch of it is crammed with groups of people playing Chegi (a game in which a giant shuttlecock is kicked around like a hacky sack) or couples ballroom [...]

Jun 4th, 2010 Contributed by: Ivette Figueroa BEIJING, PRC —In the back of my mind, I knew I was standing on a piece of ancient history. But somehow, I couldn’t determine the significance of it all. I simply soaked it in. The mountains dressed in forest greens, the smell of stone, the constant clamor of [...]

Jun 1st, 2010 Contributed by: Ivette Figueroa HONG KONG — After exploring the picturesque sights of Hong Kong in the daylight hours, the nightlife scene can be quite a shock. The foggy skyline is swallowed up by a multitude of lights as the city keeps burning the midnight oil straight into the next day. Tourists, [...]

Jun 7th, 2010 Contributed by: Ivette Figueroa BEIJING, PRC — The Panjiayuan or Dirt Market is a living, breathing, giant mass. An entity that swallows you whole with its endless stalls and picnic blankets of trinkets. Ceramic Buddahs, pipes, dolls, feng shui compasses, calligraphy brushes, carpets, watercolors, pottery, masks, coins, ancient weaponry — all jockey [...]

May 28th, 2010 Contributed by: Ivette Figueroa SHANGHAI, PRC — The World Expo 2010, being held from May 1 to Oct. 31 in Shanghai, is an international fair where over 190 countries have set up pavilions showcasing their culture, technology, and future goals for creating a better urban environment. After winning the bid to host [...]

May 22nd, 2010 Contributed by: Ivette Figueroa SHANGHAI, PRC— At 10,000 feet every place looks the same. All pasteurized microchips — a monochromatic patchwork of browns and beiges. At 5,000 feet the land becomes a pop-up story book. Towers jut their irrevocably arrogant bodies into the air and, yet, it all has a Lego city [...]