This video is funny but true. Lots of Asian food, no Asian people on the Food Network other than Ming Tsai, and his show isn’t on the network anymore.

An aside: I saw Tsai, the East Meets West star, when I was celebrating my birthday at Alan Wong’s restaurant in Honolulu a few weeks back. Didn’t get a chance to say hello.

This post can is also on Hyphen magazine’s blog.

Chicago is a great city and has a sizable Asian American presence, but it’s nowhere near Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco, where I live. Maybe a generation ago, an Asian American writer from Chicago could have written a piece for Hyphen magazine’s “Across Asian Middle America,” a series of vignettes in The Road Trip Issue about living in places that are far away–geographically and spiritually–from areas where there are large populations of Asian Americans. Chicago is changing and no doubt the Asian American population is growing. A couple of mini-vignettes from my time in Chicago made me wonder if I would have experienced the same thing had I been in San Francisco.

Panhandlers are common in San Francisco, so I’m used to people coming up and asking for money. My first night in Chicago, walking on a downtown street to a restaurant, a young black man in his 20s comes up from behind me and hands me a copy of The Onion newspaper and starts telling me about a charity that helps the poor he’s collecting donations for and then he gives me two postcards with featuring Chicago tourist sites. I’m sort of half listening to his pitch and half wondering why I’m holding The Onion and two postcards and quickly realizing this is a clever panhandling ploy.

Eventually, I politely decline his offer and for a half a city block, I’m berated for wasting his time and not only that, I’m a “racist” for not giving him any money.

Where does that come from? How has his view of Asian Americans been formed? I’ve experienced my fair share of aggressive and even rude panhandlers but I’ve never been called a racist.

When we finally get to the restaurant, my friend and I, both Chinese American men in their 30s (though my time as a 30-something runs out soon) sit down at a table. The waitress, who is white, comes by and asks us what we’d like to drink. We ask, “what’s on draft” and she runs through the options. We both make our choices (I had a hefeweizen), and she asks us for our IDs.

Even at my advanced age, I still get carded occasionally, and for me it can be a compliment. But it just seemed that, in the waitress’s eyes, being the only two Asian Americans in the room, we didn’t look “man” enough to order a beer. The stereotype about Asians looking younger than they are is out there. I’m sure there was no malicious intent on her part, but again, perhaps her views of Asian Americans are shaped by her environment.

My Onion-wielding friend accused me of being racist, but I would by no means characterize Chicago that way. Like the places you’ll read about in “Across Asian Middle America,” Chicago and the rest of the country is changing. Attitudes about Asian Americans and race in general are changing. It’s not an easy road, but we’re getting there.

A version of this post can also be found on Hyphen magazine’s blog.

A tourist junk sails in Halong Bay, Vietnam. More photos from Japan and Vietnam

It’s probably not common to combine visits to Japan and Vietnam in one trip, but we did it. We had friends we wanted to see in Japan and Vietnam sounded interesting, so why not? There’s quite contrast between Japan and Vietnam. They have almost nothing in common, but each was intriguing in their own way.

We were lucky that we had two friends living in Tokyo and one in Kyoto. Ahmad Coo, my buddy from UC Berkeley journalism school, is a producer for the morning news show on Bloomberg TV and Marc Denny is the sports editor for the English edition of The Asahi Shimbun newspaper. And, my former colleague at the San Francisco Chronicle (Marc worked there as well) Sei Chong, an editor for Reuters news service in Seoul, flew in for the weekend to hang out. My friend Rick Elizaga, who I worked with at the old Web site Channel A, is living in Kyoto with his wife Mari, and they took us to traditional Japanese lunch.

So now I present the Top 10 (+1) Things We Saw and Did in Japan and Vietnam:

No. 11: Tokyo train and subway system – Two train systems and several subway systems, some operated by the city and some privately run, ferry millions of commuters each day. Public transit in the city is very confusing to the uninitiated. For American tourists, the main problem is the bare minimum of English signage and directions. Luckily, we had Ahmad, Marc and Sei to show us the ropes. But alas, we did what many rookies do: get on a train heading the wrong way, get off at next stop, go back, get on another train, end up going wrong way again. We got straightened out eventually and got comfortable riding the trains. Be sure to get a Japan Rail Pass. It’s really worth it.

No. 10: Bun, Cha Ca – The food in Vietnam bursts with flavors and just seems tastier than what you can get in the United States. We had bun at a little hole-in-the-wall called Bun Bo Nam Bo. It’s listed in guide books but we didn’t see any other tourists there. A small bowl of delicious bun is 75 cents. Cha Ca La Vong has become part of the tourist route and there was a large group of travelers there when we arrived. The specialty is chunks of white fish pan fried with dill and tumeric. You get the pan delivered to your table and mix in rice noodles, peanuts and other toppings, sort of like hot pot. The funny thing about both places is they serve one thing and one thing only. Just tell them how many you want.

No. 9: Yakitori, Tempura, Tonkatsu – On our first night in Tokyo, Ahmad took Ramie, Marc and I to a yakitori joint in Shinjuku where you could get almost anything grilled on a stick. We also tried the raw chicken. Ramie ate it right away. It scared me at first, but Ahmad said the chickens are raised clean in Japan. It was served sliced like sashimi and tasted like sashimi. Ahmad also took us to a tempura place near the Imperial Palace that was the best I’ve ever had: crispy and not soggy and cooked to order. “The Japanese have perfected the art of deep frying,” Ahmad said. A few days later, Sei took us to the Harajuku-Aoyomo location of Maisen, a chain that specializes in tonkatsu (fried, breaded pork cutlet), and it was as good as the tempura. Cooked perfectly and not soggy like the tonkatsu you get at most places in the United States.

No. 8: Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo – There aren’t too many things worth getting up at 4 a.m. to see (we happened to have been awake due to jet lag anyway), but going to the fish market is one. Known as world’s biggest wholesale fish market, it’s also a tourist stop, but it didn’t seem like it at first. You walk in and all the buyers and sellers are going about their business selling and buying every kind of seafood you can imagine. There’s no organized tour or anything like that. You’ll see giant tuna all around and guys with saws cutting the heads off. It’s a whir of activity, and if you don’t watch out, you’ll get run over by motorized carts that are whizzing around. After our self-guided tour, we stopped at one of the sushi shops and had fresh fish at 6 a.m.

No. 7: Harajuku, Tokyo – The scene at Harajuku is bewildering but says a lot about Japanese society and how many people in Japan become obsessed certain fashion or music and take it to extreme degrees. Not that it doesn’t happen in other countries, but there probably aren’t many places in the world where you find men dressed as little girls, teen punk rockers screaming their lungs out, a guy lip syncing 80s songs in English with his back to the crowd and goth chicks all in the same little walkway between Harajuku Station and Yoyogi Park.

No. 6: Golden Gai, Tokyo – Ahmad also took us here on our first night. It’s a small area in the Shinjuku district with several alleyways with a bunch of tiny bars. Most can only seat 10 or fewer people and many have themes. One of Ahmad’s favorite places shows pro wrestling (the WWE variety) all the time. It was busy, so we ended up at one with a 60s rock theme. The bar tender’s English wasn’t that good, but he was friendly and told us he was in a band as we enjoyed some fine Japanese beers.

No. 5: Mui Ne, Vietnam – This beach area about a four-hour drive northeast of Saigon was our last stop in Vietnam. Our friends Gavin and Thu spent part of their honeymoon here and they recommended it. For some reason, this area is popular with Russian tourists. We were the only non-Russians at the hotel we stayed at until our last day. Mui Ne has a long, white-sand beach and it was beautiful. In reminded me of Ko Samui in Thailand (where we spent part of our honeymoon), though not quite as developed. Judging by all the construction we saw, it won’t be too long before it becomes an overrun tourist spot. The area is also known for its red sand and yellow sand dunes. It was kind of odd to see a desert so close to the ocean. Fishing and making fish sauce are two of the leading industries in the region.

No. 4: Heated toilet seats – Japan leads the world in toilet technology, and the bathroom in Ahmad’s apartment and the hotel we stayed at in Kyoto were outfitted with a heated toilet seats with washlets. Basically, the seat heats up when you sit down, and when you’re done, you can turn on warm water jets that shoot up to clean you off. Sounds a little outlandish, but it’s actually very nice on a cold morning.

No. 3: Moped traffic in Vietnam – The first thing foreign visitors probably notice about Vietnam is the chaotic traffic. Like in many Asian countries, they drive like maniacs here. Most people drive scooters or motorcycles, and it’s a cacophony of exhaust spewing tailpipes and horns. Oh, the horns. They are everywhere nonstop! It takes about a day to get used to the idea of walking into traffic to cross the street, but that’s what you have to do, or you won’t get very far. The oncoming traffic (hopefully) will maneuver around you. It all seems to work in its own way. I thought I was going to die by moped, but we didn’t witness an accident the whole time we were there. Here’s a couple of videos of the traffic:

No. 2: Halong Bay – What’s bringing more and more tourists to Halong Bay are the 700 islands and islets that jut out from the emerald waters. The myriad of rock formations and the shapes and contours, along with the shimmering bay makes this a spectacular site. Words can’t describe it. The one negative about this must-see spot is that there are too many tour boats on the bay. At some point it’s going to have an impact on the environment if it hasn’t already.

And, the No. 1 thing about our trip: Seeing Ahmad, Marc and Sei – There’s nothing like getting together with old friends.

Japan, where we spent about nine days, is clean and orderly other than when you’re jammed inside a subway car during rush hour in Tokyo. The cities in Japan are modern and have most conveniences familiar to Americans, but (understandably) most public signage is in Japanese, making it difficult international travelers.

People in Japan are polite and helpful if they speak English, but you sense an underlying uneasiness Japanese society has with outsiders. Ramie and I also read “Shutting Out the Sun: How Japan Created Its Own Lost Generation” while we’re there, which painted negative view of Japanese society. It was insightful and, right or wrong, influenced my view of Japan.

Vietnam is still very much a developing country. We spent about 10 days here. The infrastructure is not what Americans would be accustomed to and the standard of living for most very low compared to Japan or the United States. At least in the touristy areas, it seemed like English was more commonly spoken than it is in Japan. Travelers who can’t adjust to maneuvering in busy street traffic or breathing car exhaust may want to take a pass.

As in Japan, the food is wonderful. Maybe it’s the freshness of the ingredients or the potency of the spices, everything just seems to pop with flavor.

A great trip overall despite some rain in Vietnam and the blisters I got from walking so much.

The jet lag is wearing off, but I’m still waking up at 5 a.m. Tokyo time. Ramie and I have been here almost a week and just got back from two days in Kyoto.

Japan is a study in contrasts. Goth teens, maid cafes (waitresses acting dainty in French maid outfits), men in little girls’ clothes, geishas and staid businesmen in dark suits all seem to work in this society.

See photos here

More thoughts as the trip progresses.

Zimbabwe one of the big issues while we were there. Heidi Holland, owner of the guest house where we stayed in Johannesburg, is a journalist and author who grew up in Zimbabwe.

She told us a story about meeting a young, idealistic Robert Mugabe before he became president and dictator, leading his country to ruin. If I remember correctly, Holland said she didn’t sense that he would become a tyrant and wondered what went wrong.

Zimbabwe’s problems are spreading to South Africa, and the Times story says the border issues have sparked the “reflexive racial hostility of apartheid.” We never saw any overt signs of racism or met any whites who were outwardly racist, but we were mainly in the tourist areas. Holland and Mark, our Viva Safaris guide in Kruger National Park, both were not racist and were comfortable around blacks. They are probably indicative of many whites in modern South Africa

But as I wrote before, it’s clearly still a segregated society in South Africa, with whites controlling most of the economic power and many black and colored people living in poverty. As the border issues show, the end of apartheid hasn’t ended racism in South Africa.

The bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip.

My first visit to Las Vegas was in 1999. A buddy and I booked the best hotel deal we could find, and not knowing the geography, we ended up in the Stratosphere, at the far north end of the Strip away from most of the action.

In subsequent trips, we’ve got a little smarter and stayed at hotels at the southern end of the strip, where most of the big hotels are located, but often still trying to get a decent room and eschewing the larger luxury casinos, which have grown in size and number since 1999.

The last couple of years, trips with the buddies to Vegas have been less frequent, but the hotels I’ve stayed at have gotten more upscale. Marriage and getting older does that I guess.

We did managed to renew what for a while was an annual trip a few weeks ago. As always, there was gambling, golf (though I don’t play, and stayed behind while the rest of the guys hit the links) and there was the food. It used to be that a quick meal at any old place would do. This year we renewed a recent tradition of having at least one dinner at a nice restaurant.

It was happening already when I first visited in 1999, but now Vegas has solidified its position as one of the culinary capitals in the country. Many of the best chef’s have restaurants at the hotels on the Strip. It’s a far cry from the $1.99 buffets that a trip to Vegas used to be known associated with.

We went to Roy’s restaurant, a very nice Hawaiian fusion place (look for my story about Hawaiian food on the mainland in the summer edition of Hyphen). We ate at Roy’s a couple of years ago on our last trip as well, when we also tried Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio. The consensus was that Roy’s is a lot better. It’s not as crowded and the food was better and more affordable.

This year we tried the Sterling Brunch at Bally’s. It’s pricey, $65 per person, but it’s not your average quantity over quality buffet. It was all good. There was all the champagne you could drink, whole roasted lobster, oysters on the half shell, shrimp, sushi, sea bass, prime rib, a dessert bar and more.

Something is afoot at another regular spot on trips to Vegas: Star Trek the Experience at the Hilton. With no Trek TV show on the air now, there’s nothing to anchor the attraction to. Sure, for the hardcore fan, it’s still Mecca. But it’s been a few years since there’s been anything new and things are looking a bit dated. There was one part of the Promenade where it look liked they piled up boxes and other junk with no real effort to cover it. I still enjoy having a drink a Quark’s Bar and geeking out in the store, but with nothing new to look forward to, it’s losing some of its appeal.

It was a fun time had by all. The Bally’s buffet might have been the highlight of the weekend. That’s not something I would have said in 1999.

But Marshall had been attending Golden State Warriors playoff games (see her in this audio slideshow) and they played at the Arena Friday. The giveaway was the “PM” on the back of her cap. It was her.

She somehow managed to join the pre-boarding group and snagged a seat in the front row of the plane.

Marshall, who hasn’t directed a movie in several years, is going to be in a reality TV show with her co-star from “Laverne & Shirley,” Cindy Williams. The pair will play themselves and live in Marshall’s house.

You’d think most Hollywood celebrities who’ve been successful and have made a lot of money wouldn’t fly Southwest. I guess she’s just spending her money smartly like the rest of us who take Southwest.

It’s all of these things that make Hawaii unique and make me feel so comfortable when I visit. What really sets Hawaii apart, though, is its population. About 60 percent of the state’s residents are Asian Pacific Islanders.
I live the San Francisco Bay Area, where there are a fair number of Asian Americans. But even I found myself going “whoa” at the sheer majority that APIs have in Hawaii on a trip there last month.

Many people in Hawaii pride themselves on how well the various racial and ethnic groups who have landed on the islands have intermingled, intermarried and intermixed. In fact, the theme for Asian American Journalists Association conference I attended was “Where Diversity Lives.”

Diversity means different things to different people, and there’s no doubt that Hawaii has a great mix. But there’s a clear majority in the mix, and Hawaii might be the only place outside of the NBA where white people may feel discrimination.

I’ve heard about white people who feel they’ve been discriminated against in Hawaii, and the student journalists I was working with at the conference considered doing a story about it for the convention Web site. We didn’t have time to pursue the story, but I was reminded of it the week after the conference while vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii.

I was taking a swim in the volcanically heated hot-spring pool at Ahalanui State Park when I over heard two white guys talking. One said he came to Hawaii 20 years ago and never went back to the mainland. The other was a tourist who said he had visited the islands numerous times over the past 20 years.

“You’ve been here enough times. Have you considered buying property here and moving?” the kama‘aina (not a native, but someone who’s lived in Hawaii a long time) asked the tourist.

Family reasons would keep the tourist from moving, but also it would be hard to compete with all the Asians, he said. “All the signs in Waikiki, they’re all in Japanese.”

Probably the only time tourist has felt like a minority is in Hawaii, and from his Japanese comment, I can only deduce that he’s among those who “can’t tell them apart.” All the Japanese signage is for visitors from Japan, not local Hawaiians, and why assume that all Asians can read Japanese? That’s for another blog entry.

I’m not trying to discount any discrimination or racism white people may endure in Hawaii. I’m sure it happens. Unfortunately, prejudice is everywhere. I do wonder what the tourist and others like him take home after visiting Hawaii and leaving their comfort zone.

Do they begin to resent APIs if they’ve felt the sting of racism? Do they lament at how the Asians have taken over? Or do they go home with a new understanding of what it feels like to be uncomfortable, as many who are not in the majority have experienced?

Hawaii is a comfortable paradise for some, but not for everyone.

See this posting and follow it’s discussion thread on Hyphen magazine’s blog.

Our South Africa trip is winding down. Ramie and I (seen with the Three Rondawels rock formations along the Blyde River) are in Johannesburg now on our last day in the country. We’ve been to Cape Town and been in the bush country on a safari. It’s been a great trip. The aftermath of apartheid can still be seen almost everywhere, and the country is still very segregated.

Blacks, whites, coloreds (that’s the acceptable term here for mixed-race people) and Asians (mostly Indians but we saw a few Chinese people, and restaurants, around) don’t seem to mingle much with each other, but mostly that’s attributed to economics. Throughout apartheid whites controlled most of the money and that’s still very true now. Not that there aren’t racists out there still, which I’m sure there are. There’s democracy and non-white people have more freedoms, but the economy still lags behind the human rights gains that have been made since the new South Africa began in 1995.

For a foreign tourist, South Africa is a great place. Things are affordable for Americans, with food and drinks about half the cost of what it is back in the States.

Cape Town is very much like the Bay Area with natural scenery, water and some nice night life. There’s also a wine country outside of the city that we also visited. We had a taste as well.

On the safari we took to Kruger National Park, we saw all of what’s known as The Big Five animals: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. It was amazing to see wildlife up close like that. It’s a shame that so much of the territory where these animals once roamed is gone and they’re relegated to national parks and game reserves in most places in Africa.

It’s been fun, but now it’s almost time to go home. Knight Ridder has been sold, so my job at ContraCostaTimes.com could be in jeopardy when the sale closes and the whole thing is sorted out. If only we could stay here.

Food is important to her, and she e-mailed yesterday to say, that so far, she’s tried:

Springbok carpaccio (raw slices of springbok, a beautiful graceful animal, served with oil, capers, salt and pepper, delish), kudu steak (kudu is another antelope-like animal that tastes like grass-fed beef) with mashed potatoes and wine sauce, biltong (jerky of beef or other animals), and some African fare at Wandie’s in Soweto (mashed pumpkin with sugar, spinach, meat stews, intestines, beans, and pap which is corn that is processed into a fluffy bland dish). We are targeting to try ostrich, which we’ve seen with mole sauce (you know the Mexican mole sauce).

I leave on Sunday to join her. Can’t wait to try some of the dishes.

We’ll be spending two weeks seeing Cape Town and going on a safari in and around Kruger National Park.

Depending on Internet access, I’ll try and blog while I’m there.