real dog, confirmed

tokyo sidewalks

Tokyo is a buzzing beehive of a city, right up there with New York and London except with less diversity. Make that a lot less diversity: no one is overweight and no one left home without first looking in the mirror.



Take me to Tokyo to see men who dress like this. Show me red blazers and striped pants. Bold black glasses and bags that stand out in the crowd. In a city so criss-crossed with life and energy and blinking signs five-stories tall, these flashes of style bring you right back down to earth.



But the show comes flying past fast. And if you're not quick with the camera you'll only get a memory, because these guys don't dawdle - they swagger.

all together now

Sometimes we worry that the uniquely vivid slacks so beloved by Italian males are going unnoticed since we've left Italy. So during our recent wander across northern Italy we made up for lost time... In Treviso. In Venezia and Burano. In Milano and Alba and Bassano del Grappa. The uomini of Italy didn't let us down and even made sure to hang out in pairs so that they would be easier to spot in a crowd. And for their efforts, we say: "Grazie mille. Our trip wouldn't have been the same without you."

Oh, and one more thing: "Punch pants!"

home is where the kimchi is

After flying over Canada, Russia, and the Pacific Ocean we finally heard the words that we'd waited over twelve hours to hear, "Welcome to Seoul." And then there was the small matter of setting our watches. "It's 6:00pm in Seoul. We've crossed the international dateline so it's now Wednesday." So while our hearts and minds (and watches) still said Tuesday, our plane had instead landed squarely in Wednesday.

So we did it; we flew into the future and are here to report that it ain't half bad. In fact from where we sit it's looking pretty good. Seoul is an incredible city - one of the ten largest in the world - and I think we're going to fit right in. I use the phrase "fit right in" rather loosely here, of course. Seeing as we neither resemble the folks who fill this city nor speak their language it might be a little difficult to fit right in. But we sure like the food.



Eating in Seoul is an absolutely fantastic experience although I couldn't tell you exactly what we've been eating. There's a lot of rice; that much is clear. There are also piles of pickled vegetables, sizzling meats, lettuce leaves, and octopus - and that was just our first lunch here. Being unable to read the menu either renders you more adventurous or starving and we've decided to embrace the adventure.

The food here can be spicy and sharp but also homey and comforting. It's ok to slurp at the table and I'm happy to report that you get to use a spoon for your rice. The metal chopsticks are for everything else and we're getting used to the fact that they tend to get a much more slippery grip on things than the wooden variety do. You get a fork and knife if you order any sort of deep-fried meat slab (talk to Stefano about that) and tumblers filled with water seem to come standard with every meal. Another standard is kimchi, the pickled and spicy cabbage that we've been hearing about since the day we knew we were coming to Seoul. The good news is we like it.



Eating street food appears to be as popular as eating inside and by the few items we've already sampled I can see why. Street food is plentiful, cheap, and incredibly good. We've had thick pancakes filled with a layer of molten brown sugar and also cubed pieces of nougat dusted with rice flour. On the savory side we've seen sizzling sticks of meat and steaming pots of stewed bugs. There are sweet potato fries and snails and blood sausages. And all cheap, cheap, cheap.

Seoul and Milan are surprisingly similar and might as well be long-lost cousins with their shared interests in coffee and fashion. Seoul's streets point to a real obsession with coffee - you can't walk ten feet without running into an American chain (Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks) or an Italian-themed café. And while I'm sorry to break the hearts of my dear Italian amici I must admit that some of these coffee places can make a mean cappuccino.



And fashion... these people definitely know how to dress. No one's walking around in sweatpants and the only fashion "dont's" seem to result from an overabundance of fashion "do." For example, older men here like to take a nice suit with a pattern, and wear it with a nice shirt that also happens to be patterned. Unfortunately the shirt's pattern is wildly different from the suit's pattern and while either would be nice on its own you put the two together and bam! you're unintentionally stopping traffic.

Another unique fashion whim of the Korean male is the wearing of a purse. At first it looks as if the guy might be dutifully carrying the purse of a lady friend but no, said lady friend has her own purse under control. These guys are wearing their own purses and while I have no clue what they're putting in them, they manage to rock the look. Italian males, take note.



The city is also ringed by mountains and hills and there are several in the middle of town. It's great to look up from big city Seoul streets and see green peaks rising in the near distance. We've heard that you can take the Seoul subway straight to hiking trails and be on the mountain in less than an hour. (That's assuming you can figure out the subway system.)

It won't be easy living in a country where we can't speak the language let alone read the alphabet, but we're here to stay. Happily, we already know how to say hello and thank you and with only five days in country, we're feeling pretty good about our progress. The real question is how many days will it take Stefano to buy a purse?

we (heart) italy

Last week marked our one year anniversary in Italy. Time has a way of speeding up when you're in the middle of a good thing... And going at light speed when you're living something great.

In honor of our little "something great" that's raced past at the speed of light here are four of the myriad things to (heart) about Italy.



Fashion, for lack of a more nuanced descriptor

Some call it fashion, others are less generous, but there is definitely a love of following recent trends. Of buying what's on the racks and throwing it on your body. Of putting on jeans that read "RICH" across the bottom, and then walking around with a boyfriend who's wearing the exact same pants. And should there be any question of whether these two identically-dressed individuals are together there's always a healthy display of public affection to make their intentions clear.



Dogs in every shop, restaurant and mode of transport

Whether you have two legs or four, you're welcome in most any Italian establishment. While having a morning coffee at the bar, a visitor can count on at least one dog nosing around their feet, eating brioche crumbs off the floor. Riding the Metro is not only for people-watching, but pooch-watching as well. And in the high end fashion stores there will almost certainly be a small pup nosing around its own business while its owner attends to some luxury purchases.



Dogs and bicycles: two great tastes that taste great together

It's the Italian version of chocolate and peanut butter. Dogs + bikes = happiness for everyone. "Walk" your dog while riding a bicycle! Put your dog in your bicycle basket and tool around town! Who knew that dogs and bicycles were such natural cohorts? The Italians, of course.



The hands-clasped-behind-the-back saunter

Reserved for well-dressed men over 70, this casual stroll epitomizes the Italian way of life. It's slow, it wanders with no clear direction, and it's well-dressed. You will find these men at all times of day, alone or in groups, slowly walking around town. Their arms are always behind their backs and they are always moving languidly. If you don't have anywhere to be, it's beautiful. If you need to get to work on time, and this man and three of his friends happen to be on the sidewalk in front of you, it's a tad less glorious. (But charming nevertheless.)

Italy is everything people tell you. It is beautiful and passionate and full of laundry drying outside. It has fresh fruit available only in season and buffalo mozzarella that must be tasted to be understood. There are glorious wines, heaps of beautiful people, and a musical language. And for 365+ days we've been here too.

Eating, watching, living... and looking for the perfect pair of RICH jeans. On second thought, make that two pair.

built in mittens

Parma just may have something here.

What keeps people from using their bikes in the winter? You might answer snow. Or sleet. Or ice on the roads. But what if you live in balmy Italy and just want to get on your charming vintage bicycle, in a skirt and six-inch stilettos, and pedal your way to a nice bottle of wine. What might keep you from using your bicycle?

Well, duh! It's obviously the age-old dilemma of cold hands. But now this enterprising cyclist will never again have to add "put on mittens" to their to-do list in the morning. They simply have to get on their bike and their mittens are put on for them.

Who says Italy never melds fashion and function?

a little game we like to call punch pants

Do you remember that game you played in the car when you were little? It was called "Punch Buggy" or something like that? And every time you saw a VW Bug go by you had to yell "Punch Buggy!" and then attach the color of the Bug to the end of your declaration and punch the person nearest you. So if a yellow VW Bug scooted past, you'd turn to your sister in the backseat of the car, punch her in the shoulder as hard as you could, and then yell "Punch Buggy Yellow!" And that meant you won.

It's a game that's easy to play and is really quite inclusive. No special rules, no age limits. And it's such a great concept -- you all agree on something that's obvious yet unique and then beat each other to the punch, literally, trying to notice it first.



It is now time for me to add that Milan has fallen prey to a male fashion trend that is calm and demure and very, very subtle: pants in colors meant really only for citrus fruit and tropical dancers. Welcome to the world of red, orange and lime green trousers. It's a very vibrant world and one that's begging for a little game we like to call "Punch Pants."



We had friends in town several weeks ago and without much fanfare or hoopla the game of Punch Pants came to be. I don't remember exactly who I should give credit to, although I know it wasn't me, but it was a glorious invention and one that lives on today.

When a man wearing vividly colored (read: tropical) trousers strolls past, a Punch Pants competitor must turn, whack the person closest to them, and declare as loudly as suits the situation, "Punch Pants Red!" Or "Punch Pants Lime!" or whatever color is currently singeing your retinas.



And what's so great about this game is that everyone is wearing these pants. Young men, old men, fathers, sons... Men who love lime green sweaters tied around their necks. There is no limit to the fashion magic of these pants.

So if you should come to visit us, be ready. Because it seems that Punch Pants isn't going away anytime soon.

window shopping

We spent a good part of our Saturday morning poking around the world famous shopping streets of Milano. Everyone who's anyone in fashion really does have an address in Milan. Chanel, Gucci, Armani, Ferragamo, Krizia... the streets are lined with them. We were merely looking in windows but there are people of the world who are here to truly shop. For the most part they are already dressed in several thousand dollar outfits and at the very least have a miniature dog trotting at their heels.



Please note the above fashion disaster. If nothing else it serves as a reminder that everyone, and I mean everyone, is invited to poke around the shops. And should you be feeling particularly un-fashionable that day there will always be someone who looks far worse, and she may even have a daughter that she has taught to do the very same.

Additionally, guys in Italy love the color orange. Mostly because it goes with their tans.



I was thinking of popping into Dolce & Gabbana for a hayride gown. Nothing says "I've wasted a sackful of euro" and "I've never sat on the ground before" like a Dolce & Gabbana evening gown on straw. Are we laughing? Are we crying? Or are we just trying our best to understand the way the rich think?



Viktor & Rolf, a very fashionable & hip team, has the best designed shop here. If you'll notice, it is upside down. The chandelier hangs upward, the door handle is strikingly high. And when you look inside the furniture is sitting on the ceiling. We may not be able to afford their clothing but we must love their ideas.



And being Italy, there is always food not far away. This pastry shop & cafe was doing a very brisk business. The dove-shaped torta with the wild strawberries on top is only one of many Easter-themed food goods that is starring in shop windows of late. Easter is apparently a big holiday here if the sheer number of pastries devoted to it are any indication. Doves seem to be a central theme and also immense chocolate eggs worthy of display. I imagine these eggs weigh several pounds each being well over the size of an American football on average. No reports yet on whether the Easter Bunny comes to town.



And finally, a nod to the American tourists. This 480 euro Balsamic vinegar was in the window aging gracefully. Another American couple was taking a photo of it and in noticing that the signage is in English I think this shop knows exactly what it's doing. Maybe the Americans who take a ha-ha photo of our expensive vinegar will find our 35 euro porcini mushrooms a bargain and buy some for the plane ride home. We didn't fall for it and went home for a pizza.