Writings and Travels of Lina Em
It’s a long weekend in Astoria, Queens! That means early dismissal and completely disconnecting from work! Saturday was a beautiful day with a rainy afternoon, spent in Brooklyn catching up with friends, which is the best way to spend Saturdays. Brunching in Brooklyn.
Continue reading “Astoria Flea Market”
This is going to be the summer of Astoria, I had promised myself. Greek food, Italian food, outdoor brunches, and midday cafe people watching with my cutey sidekick dog, Ker Ai.
Continue reading “St. Demetrios Festival 2014”
Despite being jet lagged from a returning flight from Munich, Germany, Thursday morning was another travel day. This time, for Wilmington, Delaware for a friend’s wedding at this posh men’s club dating back almost 200 years. I joked that I only agreed to attend as a date because I had really wanted to go to Longwood Gardens (that plan was foiled due to lack of transportation but there’s always another time now that I know how easy it is to get there!).
Continue reading “Delaware Wilmington Downtown & Riverfront”
It’s a firm belief of mine that the destination of my life is not marriage, family, and children. There is and will never be a destination for me because life is too wonderful to have an ending. I’ve always followed the belief that finding happiness by means of traveling, exploring the world, creating art, and writing pieces that bring joy to other people is the most important aspect of this life’s journey.
Continue reading “First, Comes The Ring”
The last full day in Montreux greeted us with another gloomy morning. However, the cloud eventually parted by early afternoon, offering a warm respite over the snowy Alps.
I had a dream earlier that my boyfriend’s mother was asking us to go on a boat tour. I woke up telling him that. So it was funny that during breakfast, his mother offers the suggestion.
Using the Riviera card, you can book a Splendour of the Alps cruise tour on Lake Geneva, which is a 2 hour ride. There is also an option for a 4 hour ride with lunch being served, which is 90 CHF per person. The Riviera card will give you half price off. Of course, try to board 2nd class tickets to avoid overcharge. You’ll still get a good view of the towns.
Continue reading “Switzerland Day 4: Retrospection”
It was pouring rain as dawn slowly woke the town, gray clouds swirling the mountain top, the blue sea was green and dark, waves slightly rougher than the day before. Since rain came and went throughout the day, I tried not to make too many plans, allowing the weather to dictate what we would see and do.
Continue reading “Switzerland Day 3: Old Montreux And Reunion at Monte Rosa”
When I was a child, I was in an accident that rendered me bedridden for a good 4 months. It was the most boring experience time of my time. It was a time before internet surfing, cell phones, and my parents were much too poor to buy me a hand held device game (considering the fact they were paying medical bills—I was quite an ungrateful child). But for lack of entertainment, I grew to enjoy reading (library books became my best friends since friends were not allowed to visit), watching PBS from morning through afternoon until home tutoring in evening, and playing jigsaw puzzles. I played puzzles day in and day out. We had about 3 boxes of puzzles I played. Sometimes I would play puzzles upside down to challenge myself. My mother got sick of watching me play puzzles and taped them up and hung them on the wall at one point.
Continue reading “Switzerland Day 2: Château de Chillon”
Switzerland?! Now that’s a destination I don’t hear often. Why are you going?
I suppose it’s with natural surprise that I get asked to explain why I am heading to such a destination. It’s not exactly the best season to attend with rain always being forecasted.
Continue reading “Switzerland Day 1: From Geneva to Montreux”
I have a dog that at the sight of a suitcase, he will have the worst explosion, of the stinky sort. He is absolutely notorious for getting sick, getting anxious, and sad and depressed, wallowing in the closet somewhere when he gets the slightest sense that I’m packing up to go somewhere.
So I had learned long ago that packing must never happen until he’s gone off to doggy camp. That, of course, leaves me with very little time to prep and organize.
Switzerland has never been on my list of countries to visit, since I don’t enjoy the cold. I prefer warm weather, old buildings, history and romance, or blazing sun on white sand beach with warm teal water. And since the country is in fact surrounded by the Alps, it didn’t seem like the most seasonable situation for me. Weather Channel is forecasting rain the time I’ll be there. Alas, temperature and precipitation aside, who could refuse a request to be a date at a ball in a palace?
Continue reading “Meet Me In Switzerland”