On our way to buy subway passes yesterday, Jacob and I passed a woman making ji??n b??ng, one of Beijing's many common snacks sold on the street. Not hungry but unable to resist the aroma, we stopped and bought one for 2.50 yuan (35 cents US). Ji??n b??ng is a crepe-like snack typically found only in the north. The ji??n-b??ng-maker first pours small amount of batter onto a hot griddle, and smoothes it out with a metal spatula. She then adds egg and scallions, flips it over, brushes on hoisin sauce and chili paste, and folds it up. Most vendors, like the one we bought from yesterday, will also add a large piece of fried dough in the middle. Crispy, savory, and warm - all good qualities for a cold weather road-side snack.

On our way to buy subway passes yesterday, Jacob and I passed a woman making jian bing, one of Beijing's many common snacks sold on the street. Not hungry but unable to resist the aroma, we stopped and bought one for 2.50 yuan (35 cents US). Jian bing is a crepe-like snack typically found only in the north. The jian-bing-maker first pours small amount of batter onto a hot griddle, and smoothes it out with a metal spatula. She then adds egg and scallions, flips it over, brushes on hoisin sauce and chili paste, and folds it up. Most vendors, like the one we bought from yesterday, will also add a large piece of fried dough in the middle. Crispy, savory, and warm - all good qualities for a cold weather road-side snack.

As promised, the video of the big fried balloon-like puffs at Zhongshan's Shiqi Lao. Bonus: a fish flopping out of a bucket.

As promised, the video of the big fried balloon-like puffs at Zhongshan's Shiqi Lao. Bonus: a fish flopping out of a bucket.

Hong Kong recently introduced plastic currency in an effort to make bills more durable. For now they only have plastic $10 bills ($1.29 USD at the current exchange rate), but they're fun to play with and are even see-through.

Hong Kong recently introduced plastic currency in an effort to make bills more durable. For now they only have plastic $10 bills ($1.29 USD at the current exchange rate), but they're fun to play with and are even see-through.

Shanghai's Yuyuan Bazaar is best known as a marketplace for all the souvenirs and tsotchkes you could want. It is also a haven for street food: soup dumplings, sweets, even birds-on-a-stick. Weekends are especially crowded, when even neighborhood grannies and little kids jostle with tourists to be next in line.

Shanghai's Yuyuan Bazaar is best known as a marketplace for all the souvenirs and tsotchkes you could want. It is also a haven for street food: soup dumplings, sweets, even birds-on-a-stick. Weekends are especially crowded, when even neighborhood grannies and little kids jostle with tourists to be next in line.

Our journey from New York began on July 31st. After spending a frenzied month packing, giving away 90% of our possessions, and saying good-bye to friends and family in New York and Boston, we hopped on a train bound for Florida, the first destination in our passage to China. The decision to leave was not an easy one. After all, we had only been in our nice new apartment for 10 months, just settling in. Better professional opportunities were beginning to present themselves. New York was home. So, then, why leave? The dilemma we faced is a common one shared by many 20- and 30-somethings who are still young : to settle into a niche that is comfortable, or to abandon comfort in favor of an exciting, though terrifyingly uncertain path. Plenty of people lead wonderfully rich lives without ever living abroad. I was already in an ever-changing and ever-surprisingly city. A city full of amazing people, culture, and food, and enough material for any budding writer to fill up a lifetime's worth of books. The fear that haunted me for over a year was that if I left, I would miss out on New York. Then another realization fought back, and won. If I stayed in New York, I would miss out on the rest of the world. And so the adventure begins.

Our journey from New York began on July 31st. After spending a frenzied month packing, giving away 90% of our posessions, and saying good-bye to friends and family in New York and Boston, we hopped on a train bound for Florida, the first destination in our passage to China. The decision to leave was not an easy one. After all, we had only been in our nice new apartment for 10 months, just settling in. Better professional opportunities were beginning to present themselves. New York was home. So, then, why leave? The dilemma we faced is a common one shared by many 20- and 30-somethings who are still young : to settle into a niche that is comfortable, or to abandon comfort in favor of an exciting, though terrifyingly uncertain path. Plenty of people lead wonderfully rich lives without ever living abroad. I was already in an ever-changing and ever-surprisingly city. A city full of amazing people, culture, and food, and enough material for any budding writer to fill up a lifetime s worth of books. The fear that haunted me for over a year was that if I left, I would miss out on New York. Then another realization fought back, and won. If I stayed in New York, I would miss out on the rest of the world. And so the adventure begins.

On Jacob's to-do list before we left New York was to ride the Cyclone at Coney Island, the world's oldest wooden roller coaster. (Get there quick, kids. The Cyclone will still be up after they tear down Astroland, but riding in against the backdrop of luxury condos will be kind of lame.) The sea of people on the ground were there for M.I.A. at the Siren Music Festival.

On Jacob s to-do list before we left New York was to ride the Cyclone at Coney Island, the world s oldest wooden roller coaster. (Get there quick, kids. The Cyclone will still be up after they tear down Astroland, but riding in against the backdrop of luxury condos will be kind of lame.) The sea of people on the ground were there for M.I.A. at the Siren Music Festival.

A month ago while visiting Scandinavia, we took a two day detour to L??beck, Germany, a stop on many bike tour maps. Jacob, ever-restless, began hopping over bike racks. No bikes were harmed in the filming of this piece.

A month ago while visiting Scandinavia, we took a two day detour to Lübeck, Germany, a stop on many bike tour maps. Jacob, ever-restless, began hopping over bike racks. No bikes were harmed in the filming of this piece.

To go from L??beck, Germany to Copenhagen, we took a train that had to cross water. Being na??ve, we thought that either there be a bridge, or passengers would disembark the train and get on a ferry. Little did we know the entire train would just roll onto the ferry. The Europeans onboard gave us a look that read, Vat? read more

To go from Lübeck, Germany to Copenhagen, we took a train that had to cross water. Being naïve, we thought that either there be a bridge, or passengers would disembark the train and get on a ferry. Little did we know the entire train would just roll onto the ferry. The Europeans onboard gave us a look that read, Vat? read more

Beijing's hutongs are disappearing at a rapid rate, but for now, they're still great places to go for an inexpensive and filling meal. We stop at a noodle shop where the chef was ouside shaving knife-cut noodles, or dao xiao mian.

Beijing's hutongs are disappearing at a rapid rate, but for now, they're still great places to go for an inexpensive and filling meal. We stop at a noodle shop where the chef was ouside shaving knife-cut noodles, or dao xiao mian.

Beijing s hutongs are disappearing at a rapid rate, but for now, they re still great places to go for an inexpensive and filling meal. We stop at a noodle shop where the chef was ouside shaving knife-cut noodles, or dao xiao mian.

Beijing s hutongs are disappearing at a rapid rate, but for now, they re still great places to go for an inexpensive and filling meal. We stop at a noodle shop where the sifu was ouside shaving knife-cut noodles, or dao xiao mian.

In the Willamette National Forest (and scattered around Oregon and Washington) are random patches of prehistoric lava rock. We pulled off the side of the road (yup, they re that easy to find) and spent some time climbing around.

In the Willamette National Forest (and scattered around Oregon and Washington) are random patches of prehistoric lava rock. We pulled off the side of the road (yup, they re that easy to find) and spent some time climbing around.

In the Willamette National Forest (and scattered around Oregon and Washington) are random patches of prehistoric lava rock. We pulled off the side of the road (yup, they re that easy to find) and spent some time climbing around.

Yes, the sun does come out in Oregon. Once in a while. Taking advantage of the good weather, we took the top down in our rented convertible (that gets good gas mileage!) This video was shot in the Willamette National Forest, where we drove from Cougar Hot Springs up, up, up to the snowy Santiam Overpass and Sahali Falls.

Yes, the sun does come out in Oregon. Once in a while. Taking advantage of the good weather, we took the top down in our rented convertible (that gets good gas mileage!) This video was shot in the Willamette National Forest, where we drove from Cougar Hot Springs up, up, up to the snowy Santiam Overpass and Sahali Falls.

Yes, the sun does come out in Oregon. Once in a while. Taking advantage of the good weather, we took the top down in our rented convertible (that gets good gas mileage!) This video was shot in the Willamette National Forest, where we drove from Cougar Hot Springs up, up, up to the snowy Santiam Overpass and Sahali Falls.

Hong Kong's Central district has a large open-air market that stretches for blocks and blocks. We head towards the egg stand and try the Thousand-Year-Old Egg, a duck egg that has been preserved in clay, ash, salt, lime, and tea. Oh, and the name is a bit of an exaggeration.

Hong Kong s Central district has a large open-air market that stretches for blocks and blocks. We head towards the egg stand and try the Thousand-Year-Old Egg, a duck egg that has been preserved in clay, ash, salt, lime, and tea. Oh, and the name is a bit of an exaggeration.

Hong Kong s Central district has a large open-air market that stretches for blocks and blocks. We head towards the egg stand and try the Thousand-Year-Old Egg, a duck egg that has been preserved in clay, ash, salt, lime, and tea. Oh, and the name is a bit of an exaggeration.

Qingdao, China, home to the Tsingtao brewery, is also where the 2008 Olympic sailing events will take place. In this short intro to Qingdao, we visit a beach full of shell collectors, a park with Japanese cherry blossoms, and streets with German-style architecture. Then we hike up one of Qingdao s numerous hills to the former German radio tower that s shaped like giant bubbles.