The Japanese have perfected good manners and made them indistinguishable from rudeness.

There are two worlds: the world of the tourist and the world of everyone else. Often they're side by side. But the tourist doesn't actually see how people live.

I don't think that it's possible to have a truly rewarding experience in travel if it's simple.

What I find is that you can do almost anything or go almost anywhere, if you're not in a hurry.

The measure of civilized behavior is compassion.

When I'm writing, I like to travel alone. If you really want to find out about a place, you need to be as free as possible to be spontaneous. You also need to be lonely, because loneliness is a great teacher, too.

Notice how many of the Olympic athletes effusively thanked their mothers for their success? “She drove me to my practice at four in the morning,” etc. Writing is not figure skating or skiing. Your mother will not make you a writer. My advice to any young person who wants to write is: leave home.