Blog | aricsqueen

A Letter From Nina's [or] The Beginning of The End

If things had to come to an end, at least the view was to die for. To have a dear friend offer you a place for even an evening is...

Japanese Curry

When I asked Mui —a good friend and my favorite DP to work with—what she considered to be the best food in Japan, she—who’s visited Japan...

Tokyo City Guide

Like many, I was scared to death at the thought of navigating the most populated city on earth. In fact, I had half a mind to cycle into...

The Weirdness of Okinawa

I should have kept better notes in Okinawa. As I sit here, three months later, I’m cursing myself for not doing so. In all fairness, I...

The Hidden Churches of Goto

To look at the churches of the Goto Islands—nearly as far down as you can get—especially from a Western standpoint, they’re unremarkable....

No Tattoos in Japan!

I adore Japan. I hope that’s obvious by now. That being said, that Japan exists with one foot in the future, The other in the past, Is a...

A Conversation with JR Heffelfinger

JR Heffelfinger is one of those people who, upon entering the room, you know they’re doing something colorful with and for this life. A...

Hiroshima Ramen

In what can only be described as a culinary Marshawn Lynch move, I literally walked to the other side of Hiroshima to try their famed...

A Tour of Hiroshima

Hiroshima was an hour-and-a-half ferry ride away from me here in Matsuyama. It was an absolutely depressing day—even before we arrived....

Hiroshima Prefectural Sports Center

To be absolutely honest with you, I both a) don't know a thing about this complex and b) couldn't find out anything online, save for it...

A Night of Japanese Baseball

A few weeks ago, after arriving here at Nina’s apartment in Southern Japan, I decided that I needed to go visit Hiroshima. I knew it...

Kenzō Tange's Peace Pavilion

I thought we'd talked about Kenzō Tange, no? We must have. Maybe it was just on Instagram. Kenzō Tange is one of my favorite Japanese...

A Conversation with Peter Besson

It’s tough work, deciding on how to start an interview with Peter Besson . The obvious angle would just be to drive straight in on his...

A Love Letter to Stepwells

Maybe it was The Dark Knight Rises. Or finding out the prison in that film where Batman was thrown into is a real place. Or maybe it was...

Recipe: Dahi Vada

Look, I’ve been a few places. And I’ve eaten a few things. To the point now where there’s not a lot that surprises me. I don’t say that...

Mr. Singh's Magic Chai

I already wrote about he and I's meeting eight years ago, along with our comical exchange, but on this trip alone, I must have gone to...

on: Delhi

I can’t be certain, but Delhi might be the worst city in the world. How it has not collapsed upon its own greed, pollution, potholes and...

Everest Base Camp 2024 (and 2025!)

Not gonna lie to you, this one was tough. Half the weather—a winter storm came out of nowhere, leaving us truly looking like an...

Gurkhas—World's Most Feared Army

Before everyone flew out of Kathmandu, I brought them to a traditional “khkuri” knife shop. Kukhuri are the bent knives carried by the...

Recipe: Momo + Chutney

Admittedly, even looking at this photo makes me ill. Not in a nauseous, per se, just in a if-I-never-see-another-momo-again way. Nepal is...