So, I have an unhealthy obsession with maps. It’s something that may seem a little strange to the general public, but I’m comfortable writing about it here as I’m sure most Matador readers share the disorder.

I could easily while away an hour looking over a country map…any country. Really....

Papa Tao crooked a finger at the waitress and barked, "Boligrafo!" He made a rough sketch--very rough--of the path to Casino Chung Wah and accompanied its production with overly complicated verbal directions. After four visits to Chung Wah--closed each time--I am finally able to speak with...

I may have learned my lesson about springtime travel in northern/central Europe - it certainly isn't spring in California or fall in Australia. I've developed a serious cold/sore throat and lost my voice this afternoon, probably due to overexposure to the elements. Tomorrow I'll have a bit of catching...

I don't know how much anyone follows international affairs, but is looks like I am going to be in a part of history with Australia working towards becoming a republic by the year 2010. I am still researching much of the Summit information (tabloid papers here are mostly focused on Kate Blachett bringing...

Want to see an old Roman church in Washington, D.C.? The National Cathedral is the closest thing I've found since touring Italy last summer.

The world's sixth largest church is celebrating its 100-year anniversary despite finishing the final construction in 1990. You may recognize the church from...

I car pool.  I have for a few months now.  One of the benefits that I didn't anticipate (since I planned on saving gas money) is that I could look around and enjoy the scenery.  The other day on the way home from work, I saw an old abandoned house.  I wonder who lived there.  What was their life...

Baseball is leaving RFK Stadium on Sept. 23 for a new shiny stadium next season just a couple miles away. Another of Washington's monuments will be overlooked once more.

RFK was D.C. Stadium in 1961 when opening for the Senators and Redskins teams. It became RFK in 1969 to honor slain presidential...

When I was little, we had five restaurants, two bakeries, one butcher shop, and one cheese maker in our little Swiss village. The cheese maker is now gone, but the village’s character remains seemingly undisturbed. I moved to the United States 12 years ago and was not able to visit my home country...

The last couple of days, I can’t seem to get away from the river.

Yesterday I went for a long walk up the south shore, near my apartment, and watched Canada geese wandering between the sculptures a local artist has made from the rock scattered along the banks. And today at work I got re-assigned...