A change in latitude, does wonders to my attitude.

Thanks to a circle of diplomatic friends, past and present, I am able to circle the globe and catch up with some of them. Hello Sunnies That was what I did with Takako Suzuki and Yuko Ishigawa when I knew we were going to be in Tokyo for a week. Takako took me to Yanaka, an old street famous for its craft shops, artisanal biscuits, rice crackers among other stuff. It is in the suburbs, away from glitzy Ginza and Shibuya, where you still find old fashioned mom & pop stores, the best Soba, florists, University of Beaux arts and home to many shrines. Thank goodness, Takako helped me choose the correct tea fitting to my tea drinking habits and pocket, as there are all kinds of tea. I bought some miniature ceramic cat souvenirs as Yanaka is known for its alley cats. We queued up in the sunshine at that famous Soba place for lunch and Takako said that it was normal for good restaurants. Yanaka - alley cats Tokyo subway is efficient and easy o use, once you know how to buy a

Gyeongbokgung Palace Secret Garden As a first timer to Seoul, I could not believe how lucky i was to be able to see Seoul in 5 days. In addition, my Korean friend, Miri Kim has been back from her postings abroad and it would be a double bonus to catch up with her. I hatched a plan with Miri, I sent her < CNN's list of 55 things to do in Seoul > and she asked me to highlight the things I wanted to do. Many of my friends have gone ahead of me to enjoy Seoul.  I, for one, adore Korean food and seduced by Korean skin care and beauty products judging by the ageless beauty of Korean women. I packed my best walking shoes, minimal clothes, save for a pullover for chillier nights as I was hoping to buy clothes there too. Some like it with many side dishes What a modern, clean and efficient airport, ready to rival Singapore's Changi Airport. Moving along quickly, we got the luggages and headed for the waiting cars. The drive to the hotel in Itaewon, Grand Hyat