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Naruto (ナルト) adalah manga dan anime karya Masashi Kishimoto. Bercerita seputar kehidupan tokoh utamanya, Naruto Uzumaki, seorang ninja remaja yang berisik, hiperaktif, dan ambisius; dan petualangannya dalam mewujudkan keinginan untuk mendapatkan gelar Hokage, ninja terkuat di desanya.
Manga Naruto pertama kali diterbitkan di Jepang oleh Shueisha pada tahun 1999 dalam edisi ke 43 majalah Shonen Jump). Di Indonesia, manga ini diterbitkan oleh Elex Media Komputindo. Popularitas dan panjang seri Naruto sendiri (terutama di Jepang) menyaingi Dragon Ball karya Akira Toriyama, sedangkan serial anime Naruto, diproduksi oleh Studio Pierrot dan Aniplex, disiarkan secara perdana di Jepang oleh jaringan TV Tokyo dan juga oleh jaringan televisi satelit khusus anime, Animax, pada 3 Oktober 2002 sampai sekarang. Seri pertama terdiri atas 9 musim. Musim pertama dari seri kedua mulai ditayangkan pada tanggal 15 Februari 2007. Di Indonesia, anime Naruto ditayangkan oleh Global TV setiap hari Senin hingga Jum'at pada pukul 18.30. Dua episode berurutan ditayangkan sekaligus, sehingga durasi penayangan menjadi satu jam. Trans TV juga pernah menayangkan anime Naruto dan sempat diulang hingga beberapa kali. Indosiar juga akan menayangkan Naruto, namun tidak dari awal melainkan langsung ke Naruto Seasion 4.




Perkembangan dan popularitas
Sekarang Naruto adalah manga yang paling terkenal dan naik daun di seluruh dunia. Sejak awal penerbitannya, Naruto telah memancing permunculan ribuan situs fan yang berisi informasi rinci, panduan, dan forum internet tentang manga ini. Beberapa situs terkenal muncul setelah versi Inggrisnya diterbitkan pada bulan Agustus 2003. Selain itu, muncul pula situs-situs yang menyediakan pindaian manga versi Jepang yang telah diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Inggris yang dapat diunduh secara gratis.
Volume 7 dari serial ini berhasil memenangkan Quill Award untuk kategori best graphic novel di Amerika Utara.[1] Sementara dalam sebuah poling 100 Anime terbaik versi TV Asahi, Naruto menempati peringkat 1.[2]

Sinopsis
Perhatian: Bagian di bawah ini mungkin akan membeberkan isi cerita yang penting atau akhir kisahnya.
Prologue
Tiga belas tahun sebelum cerita ini dimulai, seekor monster rubah ekor sembilan bernama Kyuubi menyerang Konoha, sebuah desa shinobi yang terletak di negara Api. Kekacauan terjadi di desa Konoha dan korban banyak berjatuhan....akhirnya ada seseorang yang berhasil menyegel Kyuubi itu ke tubuh Naruto, putranya sendiri,seseorang yang berhasil menyegel siluman rubah ekor itu dikenal sebagai Yondaime Hokage,Hokage ke 4 atau Namikaze Minato.
Awal Cerita
Tiga belas tahun kemudian, tersebutlah seorang remaja bernama Naruto Uzumaki yang sering membuat onar di desa Konoha. Naruto melakukan hal itu karena menginginkan perhatian dari penduduk desa yang menjauhinya karena rubah di tubuhnya. Naruto kemudian di tipu oleh seorang pengkhianat untuk mencuri gulungan rahasia dari Hokage ke 3, Naruto yang polos melakukan hal tersebut dan berhasil mencuri serta mempelajari jurus seribu bayangan. Setelah tahu bahwa dia dimanfaatkan Naruto menolak memberikan gulungan tersebut. Naruto kemudian ditolong oleh guru Iruka yang merupakan guru favorit Naruto. Dialah orang yang pertama kali megakui keberadaan Naruto.
Haku dan Zabuza
Naruto kemudian lulus menjadi genin, dan satu team dengan Sasuke dan Sakura. Team mereka disebut Team 7 yang diketuai oleh Kakashi. Saat menjalankan tes dengan Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke dan Sakura nyaris tidak lulus, karena melihat kekompakan team antara Naruto dan Sasuke maka Kakashipun meluluskan mereka. Misi Naruto dan yang lain dimulai, yaitu mengawal seorang penduduk negeri Air. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke dan Kakashi berhadapan dengan dua ninja kuat pelarian dari negeri kabut yaitu Haku dan Zabuza yang dikirim oleh seorang gangster kaya raya untuk menghentikan pembangunan jembatan oleh penduduk negeri air yang miskin. Pertarungan sengit terjadi, Haku hendak menyerang Naruto tetpi malah terkena Sasuke yang melindungi Naruto. Mengira Sasuke tewas Naruto marah serta chakra Kyuubi pun terlepas membuat Haku kewalahan. Kakashi yang hendak menghabisi Zabuza dengan jurus raikiri mengenai Haku yang melindungi Zabuza. Karena terharu atas pengorbanan Haku dan merasa dikhianati oleh pihak gangster yang malah mencoba membunuhnya, Zabuza pun mengamuk dan membunuh ketua gangster dengan kunai kecil di mulutnya. Akhir pertarungan Zabuza tewas disamping Haku. Penduduk negeri air pun menamai jembatan baru itu dengan nama jembatan Naruto sebagai tanda terima kasih dan penghargaan kepada Naruto yang telah membangkitkan semangat penduduk negeri air.
Pembukaan Ujian Chunin
Hokage 3 memanggil para Jounin Konoha untk mendiskusikan mengenai ujian chunin antara Konoha dan Sunagakure. Para Jonin sepakat untuk mengadakan ujian dan mengirim ninja - ninja pilihan mereka. Saat pendaftaran ujian Naruto, Sasuke dan Sakura bertemu dengan banyak saingan baru yang kuat antara lain, Gaara, Kankurou, Temari, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga dan lain - lain. Ujian awal dimulai dengan tes tertulis, berkat Naruto sebagian besar peserta dapat lulus. Ujian kedua berupa pencarian gulungan di hutan. Diluar dugaan, Naruto, Sasuke dan Sakura diserang oleh salah satu sannin legendaris Orochimaru yang menyamar menjadi peserta. Orochimaru menandai Sasuke sebagai calon pengikutnya. Naruto dan yang lainya berhasil lolos berkat Kabuto yang banyak memberi petunjuk pada Naruto, Sasuke dan Sakura. Sementara itu, Kiba, Hinata dan Shino menyaksikan kehebatan Gaara yang mengerikan, babak ketiga dimulai ! Babak ketiga dimulai, Kabuto tiba - tiba mengundurkan diri membuat Naruto keheranan. Pertarungan sengit dimulai antara Sakura versus Ino, Neji versus Hinata, Naruto versus Kiba, Garaa versus Rock Lee dan lain - lain. Pertarungan demi pertarungan berakhir dengan mengharukan, Naruto yang melihat kekejaman Neji saat melawan Hinata berjanji untuk mengalahkan Neji. Pertarungan Lee melawan Garaa adalah yang paling sengit dimana Lee terpaksa menggunakan serangan pamungkasnya ula renge, membuat Garaa terdesak dan nyaris gelap mata membunuh Lee apabila guru Guy tidak datang tepat waktu untuk menghentikannya. Sementara itu Kakashi memberikan pembatas segel yang diberikan Orochimaru pada Sasuke. Kakashi nyaris bertarung dengan Orochimaru yang tiba - tiba muncul. Disini juga terungkap bahwa Kabuto adalah mata - mata Orochimaru. Babak ketiga usai...
Jiraiya, Sang Senin Katak
Hokage 3 memberikan masa istirahat dan latihan untuk para peserta selama 3 bulan sebelum babak ke-4 dimulai. Naruto pun dilatih oleh guru pribadi Konohamaru untuk latihan berjalan di atas air. Sedangkan Kakashi melatih Sasuke. Naruto yang menjalani latihan dengan guru barunya ini bertemu dengan seorang pertapa aneh yang mengaku bernama Jiraiya sang sannin katak. Jiraiya lalu membuka segel dari Orochimaru saat babak kedua. Naruto lalu memaksa Jiraiya untuk mengajarinya jurus baru karena menganggap Jiraiya telah menggangu latihannya. Jiraiya menganjarkan jurus pemanggilan. Semula Naruto hanya dapat memanggil seekor berudu merah kecil, setelah Jiraiya melemparkannya ke tebing, Naruto berhasil memanggil Gamabunta. Jiraiya tertarik pada sifat Naruto yang penuh tekad dan pantang menyerah menjinakkan Gamabunta.
Bulan Sabit Merah
Sepulang latihan, karena kelelahan Naruto dibawa Gamabunta ke rumah sakit. Di rumah sakit, Naruto mendapat kunjungan dari Shikamaru. Mereka berdua lalu mendapati Garaa mencoba membunuh Lee yang sedang tidur. Saat guru Guy muncul Garaa ketakutan dan pergi. Garaa pergi memata - matai latihan Sasuke dan Kakashi, Ia ketahuan oleh Kakashi. Gaara memutuskan untuk pergi. Malamnya Ia membunuh shinobi negeri bunyi yang mencoba membunuhnya di bawah bulan sabit merah.
Babak ke-4
Babak keempat dimulai. Naruto akhirnya bertarung melawan Neji yang kuat, dengan tekad dan kecerdikannya Naruto pun dapat mengalahkan Neji serta memenuhi sumpahnya pada Hinata yang kebetulan menyaksikan pertarungan itu. Shikamaru mengalahkan Temari dengan kecerdikannya, tetapi malah menyerah diakhir perttandingan padahal ia bisa menang. Kankorou mengundurkan diri membuat Shino kesal. Pertarungan Sasuke dan Garaa memakan waktu paling lama, karena Sasuke terlambat datang bersama Kakashi. Garaa di desak oleh Sasuke hingga terpaksa bersembunyi di dalam perisai pasir dan hendak mengeluarkan Ichibi. Sasuke melancarkan serangan Chidori membuat perisai pasir hancur dan Garaa terluka untuk yang pertama kalinya. Ichibi nyaris keluar, semua kacau saat terdengar ledakan di gerbang Konoha, Kazekage menyerang Hokage 3 dan para ninja negeri pasir dan bunyi bergerak menyerang, Konoha dalam bahaya ...
Penghancuran Konoha
Garaa yang terluka dibawa lari oleh Kankorou dan Temari ke hutan, sementara Sasuke mengejar mereka. Para penonton tertidur karena terkena serangan ilusi dari Kabuto yang menyamar sebagai anggota ANBU. Hanya beberapa ninja yang tidak terpengaruh, antara lain Kakashi, Guy, Sakura dan Shino. Naruto yang terkena dibangunkan oleh Sakura, sementara Shikamaru pura - pura pingsan pun dibangunkan. Shikamaru, Sakura dan Naruto mengejar Sasuke dibantu oleh pakkun. Kazekage ternyata adalah Orochimaru yang menyamar, Hokage 3 pun memulai pertarungan sengitnya dengan Orochimaru yang memanggil Hokage 1 dan Hokage 2 dengan jurus terlarang untuk membunuh Hokage 3. Kankorou bertarung dengan Shino yang muncul tiba - tiba, keduanya draw. Sasuke mengalahkan Temari lalu mengejar Garaa. Sasuke nyaris terbunuh oleh Garaa. Untungnya, Naruto dan Sakura tiba. Shikamaru melawan para ninja bunyi tetapi kehabisan cakra. Dia ditolong oleh Asuma disaat kritis. Garaa menyerang Sakura, membuat Naruto yang semula ketakutan pada Garaa menjadi marah. Sasuke yang sudah lemah tidak dapat menolong Naruto. Garaa berubah menjadi Shukaku. Naruto hendak memanggil kamabunta, tetapi malah kamagichi yang keluar. Katak kecil putra kamabunta. Naruto berhasil memanggil kamabunta dengan cakra rubah ekor sembilannya. Pertarungan sengit terjadi, Naruto dan kamabunta menang melawan Garaa. Sementara di Konoha, Hokage 3 menggunakan jurus mematikan yang mengharuskan penggunanya mengorbankan nyawa untuk menghisap nyawa Orochimaru. Malangnya, Orochimaru lolos dan hanya roh kedua tangannya yang terhisap. Pertempuran berakhir dengan mundurnya musuh dan kematian Hokage 3.
Kunjungan Tak Terduga
Seusai pemakaman Hokage 3, dua sosok menyaksikan Konoha yang sudah porak - poranda dari kejauhan. Mereka adalah anggota Akatsuki. Kakashi mendapatkan informasi mengenai organisasi akatsuki dari Jiraiya. Sasuke diundang oleh Kakashi untuk minum di sebuah kedai, dimana di kedai tersebut dua anggota akatsuki tadi sedang istirahat. Kurenai dan Asuma tiba, mereka mengikuti dua anggota akatsuki tadi. Kurenai dan Asuma kaget saat mengetahui bahwa salah satu dari mereka adalah Itachi Uchiha. Seorang clan Uchiha yang membantai seluruh anggota clannya serta merupakan kakak kandung Sasuke yang ingin Sasuke bunuh. Itachi ditemani oleh seorang pengkhianat dari negeri kabut, Kisame Hoshigaki. Juga senior dari Zabuza. Asuma dan Kurenai nyaris kalah hingga Kakashi tiba. Pertarungan Kakashi dan itachi dimenangkan Itachi. Kakashi terluka mental karena jurus ilusi Itachi. Guy tiba dan membuat Itachi serta Kisame kabur.
Sasuke dan Itachi
Para penasehat Konoha menemui Jiraiya dan memintanya untuk menjadi Hokage ke-5. Jiraiya menolak dengan alasan masih ada satu sannin lagi yang lebih baik daripada dirinya dan Orochimaru dan ahli dalam bidang medis. jiraiya mengajak Naruto mencari sannin ketiga tersebut. Kakashi yang terluka akibat serangan Itachi dirawat di rumah sakit. Sasuke yang datang menjeguk tanpa sengaja mendengar percakapan para jonin mengenai Itachi yang datang ke Konoha mencari Naruto. sasuke dengan amarah mencari Itachi. Naruto bertemu dengan Itachi dan Kisame di hotel saat Jiraiya sedang pergi bersama gadis yang sudah dihipnotis oleh Itachi. Sasuke tiba tepat waktu, tetapi Itachi terlalu kuat untuk Sasuke. Itachi menghajar Sasuke hingga babak belur. Naruto yang mencoba menolong cakranya diserap pedang milik Kisame. Naruto nyaris ditebas, untungnya Jiraiya tiba tepat waktu. Itachi dan Kisame melarikan diri karena merasa tidak dapat menandingi Jiraiya. Guy tiba sesaat kemudian dan slah menendang Jiraiya. Sasuke yang terluka parah dibawa kembali ke Konoha oleh Guy, sementara Naruto dan Jiraiya meneruskan mencari sannin ketiga.
Pertemuan dengan Tsunade
Jiraiya menjelaskan pada Naruto mengenai bahayanya Akatsuki lalu mengajarkan Naruto jurus baru yang dulunya merupakan salah satu jurus handalan hokage 4 yaitu "Rasengan". Naruto dengan susah payah mempelajarinya. Naruto menggunakan "kagebushin" miliknya untuk mengeluarkan rasengan. Perjalanan berlanjut. Jiraiya dan Naruto tiba di sebuah desa. Naruto dan Jiraiya akhirnya bertemu dengan shizune dan Tsunade. Naruto yang mengetahui Tsunade adalah calon Hokage 5, Naruto marah dan menantang Tsunade bertarung. Dengan mudah Tsunade mematahkan serangan "rasengan" Naruto. Melihat keteguhan Naruto, Tsunade menantang Naruto untuk menguasai jurus itu dalam waktu satu minggu. Naruto semula menolak tetapi setelah diiming - imingi kalung hokage 1 yang harganya mahal, Naruto bersedia. Di luar dugaan, Kabuto dan Orochimaru menemui Tsunade dan bernegosiasi bahwa bila Tsunade menyembuhkan Orocimaru maka dia akan menghidupkan Adik dan Pacar Tsunade yang lama meninggal. Tsunade minta waktu untuk berfikir. Jiraiya mengjaak Tsunade minumkemudian mengancam Tsunade bila membantu Orochimaru maka dia akan membunuh Tsunade. Sementara itu, Shizune menceritakan pada Naruto mengenai masa lalu dan penderitaan Tsunade semenjak kehilangan orang yang di sayanginya. Naruto yang mendengar cerita itu terpacu untuk menuntaskan jurusnya. Tsunade menyaksikan latihan Naruto, kemudian mencampurkan obat diminuman Jiraiya. Kemudian ia pergi menemui Orochimaru dan Kabuto. Orochimaru nyaris dibunuh Tsunade tapi Kabuto menghalanginya. Tsunade memutuskan untuk tidak menolong Orochimaru. Pertempuran sengit antar Sannin dimulai saat Jiraiya tiba. Naruto menghantam Kabuto dengan Rasengan. Pertarungan semakin memuncak saat ketiga sannin memanggil mangaa masing - masing. Gamabunta dan Manda terlibat pertarungan sengit. Dimana puncaknya, Manda kabur. Orochimaru dan Kabuto pun melarikan diri. Naruto dan Tsunade beradu argumen lagi di restoran menyebabkan keduanya duel lagi. Kali ini Tsunade tidak memukul naruto melainkan memberikan hadiah berupa kalung dan kecupan di kening.
Kunjungan Ninja Bunyi
Beberapa hari sesudah pertarungan sannin yang dahsyat, Naruto telah kembali ke Konoha. Tsunade membicarakan masalah operasi untuk menyembuhkan Lee akibat menggunakan 'urarenge' saat melawan Garaa di Ujian Chuniin. Operasi kemungkinan gagal, Guy maupun Lee kaget.tetapi Guy tetap, meyemangati Lee. Sementara itu,Sasuke yang baru dikalahkan oleh Itachi menjadi kesal,iapun kesal karena merasa tersaingi oleh Naruto yang makin kuat. Saat Sakura dan Naruto menjenguk, Sasuke malah menantang duel Naruto. Pertarungan keduanya cukup sengit, hingga nyaris beradu kekuatan, untungnya Kakashi muncul dan melerai keduanya. Diluar Konoha, para ninja bunyi handalan Orochimaru tiba.
Perginya Sasuke Dari Konoha
Keempat ninja bunyi andalan Orochimaru Tayuya,Sakon,Kidomaru,dan Jirobou datang ke Konoha untuk menjemput Sasuke ke tempat Orochimaru setelah diperintah Orochimaru pada malam hari mereka bertemu Sasuke terjadi pertarungan antara Sasuke dan Tayuya,Sakon,Kidomaru,dan Jirobou setelah pertarungan itu mereka mengajak Sasuke pergi dari Konoha mereka mengatakan tentang kekuatan yang akan diberikan Orochimaru mereka akan menungu Sasuke di luar desa pada malam harinya Sasuke segera menningalkan Konoha sebelum pergi Sakura bermadsud menyakinkan Sasuke untuk tidak pergi tetapi gagal setelah malam pada pagi esoknya harinya segara di ketahui Tsunade dan segera memerintahkan Shikamaru untuk membuat tim untuk membawa pulang Sasuke setelah berkeliling Konoha tim terbentuk tim terdari Shikamaru,Chouji,Kiba,Naruto,dan Neji Pengejaran Sasuke di mulai.






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Los Angeles on $100 a Day

WHEN I told people I was visiting Los Angeles for a week without setting foot in a car, one word came up more than any other: “impossible.”

There is the fact that the county covers more than 4,000 square miles. That it has seemingly endless, overlapping multi-lane highways versus a tiny number of bike lanes. And oh, yeah: that it is bisected by a mountain range.

Taken together — not a great place to get around on a bike.

But what if you can’t afford to drive? What if, in fact, you wanted to visit the city on about $100 a day?

Well, that was my mandate — one I quickly learned would be impossible to achieve if I rented a car, which could run me $40 a day, not to mention gas and parking. So last month, armed with padded biking shorts and determination, I went to Los Angeles to take in the sights on two wheels.

Seven days and six nights without a car turned out to be not only possible but in many ways afforded me a more unfiltered view of Los Angeles than I would have gotten behind the wheel, taking highways rather than local roads and further buffered from my surroundings by a windshield and a loud radio. I could pedal down the Pacific coast, pause at food trucks and pop into parks uninterrupted by the need to find a parking spot — or worse, a valet. Los Angeles felt within reach.

And as the days passed, I realized that, for a city known for its car culture, Los Angeles can be managed on a bike. The small number of dedicated bike lanes and marked bike routes are scattered around somewhat unhelpfully, but Google Maps’ bike mapping beta for mobile and Web does a fairly decent job of making sense of them. Widespread, though not ubiquitous, signs around the city urge drivers to “share the road” and give cyclists three feet leeway. Though I occasionally hopped up on sidewalks when I felt uncomfortable in traffic, I found drivers to be reasonably accommodating.

To be fair, my view may have been skewed by the fact that I chose Santa Monica as my base of operations, in part for its coastal bike path and relatively calm streets but mostly because I landed a $28-a-night bunk at an outpost of Hostelling International, the brand for youth hostel associations around the world. The 260-bed hostel on Second Street, just two blocks from the beach, had come highly recommended by an Angeleno I’d met on a recent trip to the Caribbean. Once settled in, I searched the Internet for bike shops in the area and went with Bicycle Ambulance, which, in addition to offering rental rates as low as $22 a day, with taxes, had stellar online reviews. That left me with $50 to play with, half of which I’d spend on eating in all those good spots foodies and taco connoisseurs had recommended to me, and the rest for recreation and for bus and train fare. (I had sworn off cars, after all, not public transportation, which in Los Angeles proved to be a nimble system that welcomes bikes on the light rail trains and on all buses.)

To maximize my biking and taco-sampling and bus-hopping, I kept to a fairly regimented schedule. Below is how I spent four of those days, biking anywhere from 15 to 40 miles a day and making it back to my base well before any leg cramps set in.

Beverly Hills and Hollywood

On Sunday morning at 7:45, I set out east on Santa Monica Boulevard toward Beverly Hills. At that hour, the street was so empty that it looked like one big bike lane. By the time I neared my destination about a half-hour later, traffic had picked up a bit, and I discovered an actual bike lane, which lasted for about 20 blocks before disappearing again.

I headed a few blocks to Rodeo Drive, pausing to window-shop at Porsche Design, Harry Winston Jewelers and Bijan. The stores were not yet open — not that it really mattered; they’re not exactly frugal territory. Sweaty and clad in just a T-shirt and tight biking shorts, I’m not sure I would have been welcome anyway.

I worked my way through some small side streets over to a place that would sell goods I could actually afford: the Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market. It was the first of many frugal food destinations recommended to me by friends and colleagues. (As I would learn during my trip, the incredibly varied cuisine of Los Angeles is a frugal traveler’s dream, as long as you don’t mind buying from stands and trucks.) One good thing about a traffic-clogged city is that there are plenty of signs to lock your bike to. After doing just that, I wandered the market, where I fueled up on fresh grapefruit juice, Mexican chilaquiles and British scones for just over $10.

My brunch over, I could embark on my entertainment for the day: a tour of stars’ homes. Instead of paying $40 to take a tour in one of those open-topped vehicles, though, I set off on my own version of the tour, using as source material the bike route laid out in the “Beverly Hills Star Home Loop” section of the book “Bicycling Los Angeles County” by Patrick Brady (Menasha Ridge Press). Though the book overall proved useful, this particular tour was plagued with errors, telling me to turn left when I should have turned right. It did guide me to houses once inhabited by George Burns, Frank Sinatra and the Menendez brothers. Judging from the hedges hiding it, the Sinatra house was probably extravagant, but the other houses hardly looked more outrageous than those of any other upscale suburb. It was the broad, empty streets, the Maseratis in the driveways and the utterly impeccable landscaping that suggested something different. Well, that and the star-tour vehicles that crawled past me, their passengers staring my way as if I could have been a star myself.



From there, I cruised a few smooth miles east toward Hollywood via back streets parallel to major thoroughfares, where, even on a Sunday afternoon, traffic was looking like a challenge. (A smartphone with Google Maps or other GPS-like applications is an invaluable help, although I believe they still make maps on paper as well.) Once there, I made a turn on Vine for a quick stop at the Cactus taco stand, recommended by a college friend, for three tacos, one each of carnitas, moist goat and spicy al pastor. And then I was off to gawk at Jack Nicholson’s footprints outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater, in the middle of a crowded retail strip a couple of miles north of the taqueria — and a lifetime away from the calm residential streets I’d navigated in Beverly Hills that morning. My final stop that evening was at Jitlada, a foodie-anointed Thai restaurant a few more miles east of Grauman’s. I stuffed myself with the Crispy Morning Glory Salad and the pork kua kling, ordered in its second-most spicy version (which I would characterize as “blazing inferno”).

Thoroughly decongested but exhausted, I performed a routine that became easier as the week progressed: I waited for a bus, then when it arrived, I caught the bus driver’s eye, lowered the bike rack on the front of the bus, and fastened my bike into place. Then I boarded, resting my legs on the ride back to my bunk.

The Coast

It would be crazy to try to see the 15-mile coastline between Santa Monica and Redondo Beach on anything but a bike. It’s flat and almost entirely traversable if you use the dedicated bike paths that run along the beach. You can turn back any time you want, and you can go any day of the week at any time, since you won’t have to compete with rush hour (or even weekday) traffic.

By bicycle, it was an easy trip. I was joined by Jeff Hartleroad, an old college roommate — now a neonatologist — whom I hadn’t seen in well over a decade. Jeff is a serious biker. I was temporarily intimidated by the fact that he was wearing shoes that actually clipped into the pedals, but I got over it.

We started out at the Santa Monica Pier and rode the curvy, well-maintained path that heads down the coast. Even on a weekday, there were plenty of cyclists out, though not enough to make things crowded: my only complaint was that the path got a bit sandy in parts. In just a few minutes Jeff announced we were in Venice Beach, though I suppose he needn’t have: along the boardwalk, one after the other, was a medical marijuana clinic, a Botox-on-the-beach clinic and a toe ring specialist. It was midmorning, and Venice Beach’s homeless population was still camped out. I love it when iconic spots turn out to be exactly as I imagined them.

Right after Venice, the bike route turns inland and then runs alongside Marina del Rey, which is one of those places that I’d heard of a million times but never imagined actually existed. It looked pretty fancy, and Jeff once again became intimidating when he mentioned that he owned a boat docked in the marina that gives the neighborhood its name.

From there we biked on, first past Ballona Creek and the power plant eyesore between Dockweiler State Beach and Manhattan Beach, until we finally rode by the enticing beachfront homes along Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. When we turned inland in search of a lunch break at Redondo Beach, I was charmed by the shops and outdoor cafes lining the walkable streets of its town center.

For lunch, Jeff suggested El Burrito Jr. in Redondo Beach, a cheesy-looking structure with a red A-frame roof and yellow awnings and a few tables to the side. I had the chili verde burrito with pork, he had the super-deluxe burrito with carne asada, both around $6. We laid down our bikes along the round tables and dug in. Mine was mediocre, his was much better, but when you’re not used to biking for 19 miles or so, it really doesn’t matter.

Downtown and Beyond

I knew that Los Angeles had a real skyline full of tall office buildings and bustling activity, but on my brief previous trips I had never bothered to go there. In my mind, it had become like the view of Emerald City just before Dorothy and the gang run through the poppies: a faux backdrop. So I was curious to see what it was all about — and the No. 10 express bus covered the 16 miles from Santa Monica to downtown’s Union Station, saving energy to bike up and down the hilly downtown.

I found that close up, downtown Los Angeles is even more dazzling than it is from afar, with architectural baubles like the Bradbury Building, its cast-iron interior staircases almost as stunning as the metal-sheathed exterior of the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall.

My first stop off the bus was for lunch at Traxx, an Art Deco restaurant right inside Union Station that is credited with reviving the downtown food scene. Though bicycles are allowed inside the ornate, soaring station, I locked mine at the bike rack out front and braced myself for a potential confrontation with the maitre d’ over what I feared might be a no-bike-shorts dress code. “Don’t worry, it’s a train station,” he said. The menu was good — I went with the asparagus appetizer and contemporary version of the Mexican pork soup called pozole. And because I happened to be visiting during dineLA restaurant week (twice annually, in October and January), my fanciest meal of the week set me back $22 plus tax and tip.

Right across from Union Station is Olvera Street, which goes through El Pueblo de Los Angeles National Monument, a collection of historic buildings at the site where in 1781 a few dozen settlers established the community that would ultimately become this sprawling metropolis. My trip down history lane was disappointing, though; unfortunately the buildings were largely obscured by horrendous tchotchke-selling stands set up along the middle of the street.

I hurried along to the heart of Chinatown. I biked through its central plaza — closed to car traffic but not to me — enjoying the kitschy feel of pagoda-influenced architecture and (after locking up my bike) wandering into shops with names like Phoenix Imports selling novelties like morning stars, ninja outfits for Halloween and deformed coffee mugs reading “I got smashed in California.” Tempted as I was by the chocolate-flavored cigarette wrappers, my only purchase was some mediocre pork buns and pastries from the Wonder Bakery.

The rest of the day, however, was more challenging, as I set out for the vast, nontouristy immigrant neighborhoods west of downtown. I was especially interested in Koreatown, with its strip malls packed with Korean businesses, some without English-language signs. I also had received a great dinner idea from Margy Rochlin, who writes about food (and other things) in Los Angeles: stop off for a taco appetizer along West Third Street at dusk, then head south to Koreatown for the main course.

These traffic-clogged and unevenly maintained roads were not meant for biking, so I was glad I had chosen a sturdy hybrid Trek model from Bicycle Ambulance. My attention darted from pothole below to braking cars ahead to Guatemalan bakery windows to the side. This was definitely not cyclist heaven.

At Taco Móvil at Third and Mariposa (every day, 4 p.m. to midnight), I downed a surprisingly ungreasy chorizo taco (ungreasy being a relative term for chorizo; it generally means the orange ooze drips only on the ground and not down your arms and onto your shirt). But the torta de milanesa de res — or breaded beef cutlet sandwich — was the highlight, bathed in beans, topped with white cheese, jalapeños and avocado on a roll dusted with flour.

For the Korean course, I went to Beverly Soon Tofu. It was also fantastic — a bubbling cauldron of tofu and kimchi and a side of galbi (Korean short ribs) that tasted almost like candy. By this time, it was after 8 p.m., and I was in no mood to bike the rest of the way back to Santa Monica. So Google Maps led me to the No. 920 bus, a straight shot back to Santa Monica via Wilshire Boulevard.

Pasadena

Pasadena is about as far away from Santa Monica as you can get in Los Angeles-area tourism, but I wanted to enjoy a sporting event while I was there. Fortunately my budget and my interests aligned: why would you go see the Lakers when you could see a football game at the Rose Bowl? And though paying $36 face value for reserved seating at a U.C.L.A. game would have still been extravagant, Craigslist led me to a guy named Steven willing to part with his reserved seat for that Saturday’s Washington State game for only $15. We met in a Von’s Supermarket parking lot just 40 blocks inland from my hostel.

I planned a day in Pasadena, figuring if I got there early enough, I could fit in breakfast at Marston’s, home to a reputedly legendary breakfast, and at least a short visit to the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, which opened at 10:30, before heading to the 12:30 p.m. game. The trip from Santa Monica to Pasadena was just under 90 minutes via the No. 10 express bus to Union Station and then up an elevator to the bike-friendly Gold Line train to Pasadena.

Marston’s Restaurant, set in a cottage across the street from Memorial Park, is one of those upscale comfort-food brunch spots that attract lines on weekend mornings. But as a single customer, I almost immediately got a spot at the counter, where I ordered sourdough French toast crusted with corn flakes and topped with strawberries, and their good coffee, and was off, through the tree-lined, bike-friendly-at-least-on-weekends streets of Pasadena and just over the border into San Marino to the Huntington.

I locked up my bike on the convenient racks in the Huntington parking lot, which I noted was more elegantly landscaped than most New York City parks; the gardens themselves — especially the mind-blowing Dr. Seuss-like cacti of the Desert Garden — concentrate more landscaping effort than some nations. The 90 minutes I had were not enough to begin to cover the gardens alone, and I also managed to sneak in a visit to the one of the dozen existing vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the midst of the Huntington’s awesome collection of ancient books.

It was a 40-minute bike ride to the Rose Bowl from the Huntington, which I thought more than justified buying a $7 grilled pork banh mi sandwich from the Nom Nom Vietnamese food truck stationed in the parking lot when I arrived.

With no bike racks visible among the sea of cars filling up the $15-a-space lots, I locked my bike to a parking sign, gazed admiringly at the Rose Bowl sign and headed inside to my seat in the corner of the stadium, where I was surrounded by the powder blue T-shirts of fans whose wild enthusiasm suggested they were recent graduates. It was hot and the stadium was not full, so I was eventually able to move up under the shade of the press box, where almost as enthusiastic, although somewhat more wrinkled, older fans were enjoying the game in the shade.

When my week drew to a close, I turned in my wheels to Bicycle Ambulance, packed my bag and hopped the No. 3 bus to the airport. To be honest, I had expected getting around Los Angeles by bike and public transportation to be a barely tolerable chore — a money-saving second-best way to see the city.

Why, then, was I feeling so elated about my trip and smitten by a city I had never particularly liked before? No, it was not just the endorphins, or the sightseeing — as much as I had enjoyed the palm trees and beaches of the coast, the glittering facades of the mansions of the stars in Beverly Hills and the footprints rendered in concrete in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. What I had really liked were the moments in between: the strangers who shared secrets on the buses, the dog walkers and Dutch tourists who stopped to chat with me along Rodeo Drive, the aspiring actor I struck up a conversation with on Santa Monica Boulevard, as he cycled to an audition and I cycled to pick up my U.C.L.A. football ticket. These were true Los Angeles moments — moments that most visitors, stuck in freeway traffic behind the steering wheel of their rental car, never get to experience. Or, at most, happen only when they stop their car at a taco or banh mi truck.

In Korea

HASTILY rebuilt after the Korean War, Seoul is shedding its once-gritty image to become one of Asia’s most glittering metropolises. Under its design-obsessed mayor, Oh Se-hoon, the city has been spiffed up with everything from sleek bus shelters to decked-out bridges. What’s more, it was named this year’s World Design Capital by an international design alliance. But that’s just the beginning. Seoul has a booming contemporary art scene, fashionable stores throughout the urban landscape, and a thriving pop and youth culture that now rivals that of other Asian capitals like Tokyo.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) CULTURE, THEN AND NOW

The convergence of art and architecture, Korean and Western, old and new, finds a marquee home at the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art (747-18 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu; 82-2-2014-6900; leeum.samsungfoundation.org). Squirreled away in a hilly residential section of the Itaewon area, the museum showcases the Samsung Foundation’s impressive art collection in a campus of buildings designed by Rem Koolhaas, Jean Nouvel and Mario Botta. Pieces date from historic Korean Buddhist paintings and celadon ceramics to works by Mark Rothko, Anish Kapoor and Nam June Paik. Then, for a contrast to the Leeum’s polished presentation, walk five minutes to Ggooll (683-31 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu; 82-70-4127-6468; choijeonghwa.com). The experimental artist Choi Jeong Hwa has turned this former hovel into a riotous, well, hovel that doubles as a cafe and alternative gallery.

7:30 p.m.
2) KIMCHI REDUX

It was only a matter of time before Korean cuisine got the nouvelle treatment, and a pioneer in this growing movement is Jung Sik Dang (3F, Acros B/D, 649-7 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-517-4654; jungsikdang.com), next to Dosan Park. The dining room is modern and subdued, with white tablecloths and leather chairs. The rotating set menu (100,000 or 120,000 won, or about $92 or $110 at 1,085 won to the dollar) might include sea squirt bibimbap, anchovy paella and “Five Senses Satisfaction Pork Belly.” There is just a handful of tables, so be sure to make a reservation.

10:30 p.m.
3) SEOUL AFTER DARK

Seoul has a panoply of night-life districts that cater to different crowds, but perhaps the trendiest is Garosu-gil. It’s home to cute cafes and immaculate boutiques like p. 532 and Ilmo Outlet, but at night its many bars throb to life. Two cool spots include Café des Arts (2F, 545 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-541-0507), with its beer and flea market vibe, and the yuppie-ish, dark-and-moody Wine & Dine (535-18 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-545-6677).

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) DESIGN DIGS

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a massive complex designed by Zaha Hadid, will be a centerpiece of Seoul’s design transformation when it is completed as early as 2012. Though still under construction, its impressive, space-age skeleton is already worth a look (2 Eulji-ro 7-ga, Jung-gu; 82-2-2266-7330; seouldesign.or.kr). So is the new Hadid-designed park that surrounds it, which elegantly incorporates recently discovered ruins, including a military complex from the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). Small design exhibitions accompany a museum chronicling the site’s history.

11 a.m
5) WHITE CUBES

The city’s contemporary art scene is blossoming and it’s centered in pleasant Samcheong-dong. Blue-chip spaces include Gallery Hyundai (80 Sagan-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-2287-3570; galleryhyundai.com); Kukje Gallery (59-1 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-735-8449; kukjegallery.com); and Arario Gallery (149-2 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-723-6190; arariogallery.com). Anchoring the area is the Artsonje Center (144-2 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-733-8945; artsonje.org), founded in 1998 to support contemporary and experimental art. Meanwhile, over in the Cheongdam area is the Platoon Kunsthalle (97-22 Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-3447-1191; kunsthalle.com), an alternative art space built from stacked shipping containers.

1:30 p.m.
6) CHEAP OR CHIC

For lunch in Samcheong-dong, try the Kukje Gallery’s upscale continental restaurant (18,000 won for the scallop risotto). Or slip into one of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants tucked into the hilly side streets, like Cheonjin Poja (148-5 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-739-6086), where an order of pork mandoo dumplings will set you back 4,000 won. There’s also aA (55 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-722-1211), a new four-level temple to vintage modern furniture, though the draw is more the Danish lighting than the 8,000-won ham and Brie sandwiches.

3 p.m.
7) CREDIT CRUNCH

There’s no shortage of ways to max out a credit card in Seoul. The heart of temptation lies in the Cheongdam-dong district, and spreads out from there. Watch international brands try to outdo one another, be it with the vegetation-covered Ann Demeulemeester (650-14 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-3442-2570; anndemeulemeester.be); the new concrete-on-concrete Rick Owens (651 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-516-2217; rickowens.eu); or the unapologetically decadent 10 Corso Como (79 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-3018-1010; 10corsocomo.co.kr). For homegrown luxury emporiums, stop by Boon the Shop (89-3 and 79-13 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-542-8006; boontheshop.com) and the edgier Daily Projects (1-24 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-3218-4075; dailyprojects.kr). And for local skater and streetwear design, Humantree (4F, 653-1 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-514-3464; humantree.info) shows off its hoodies and T-shirts next to a Planet of the Apes blow-up doll.

7:30 p.m.
8) FASHION BARBECUE

Given that its proprietor is a former editor at Vogue Korea, you might expect Tadak (412-29 Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu; 82-2-333-6564) to be a tad pretentious. Quite the opposite. Stylish yet low-key, this warm-and-woody Korean barbecue restaurant opened earlier this year near the Hongdae student night-life district. Beef, pork and vegetables are grilled over wood charcoal at your table, accompanied by all the pickled and bean paste fixings. The prices are just as palatable: 10,000 won per one-person portion. A serving of cold naeng myun noodles is 4,500 won.

11 p.m.

9) WHERE THE KIDS ROAM

Seoul has its share of sleek bars and sophisticated clubs, but for a bit of urban anthropology to go with your drink, head to Hongdae. Packed with teenagers, university students and other 20-somethings, this carnivalesque, neon-lit area is where on weekend nights you might find yourself dodging a stilt walker as a rock band plays nearby. On the main drag, you can’t miss Luxury Norebang (367-39 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu; 82-2-322-3111), a multistory karaoke palace that looks like Pee Wee’s Playhouse as decorated by Laura Ashley. For a more upscale party vibe, check out Lound (83-13 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-517-7412; 74lound.com), which draws a fashionable set to its hyperslick spaces.

Sunday

11 a.m.
10) TAPAS WITH A VIEW

Have brunch with the in-crowd at Between (124-7 Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong; 82-2-795-6164), a multilevel Italian and Spanish tapas restaurant, with a terrace and lounge, that opened earlier this year. Its airy, contemporary interior is an ideal place to wake up with an eggs Benedict (16,000 won) or prosciutto sandwich (17,000 won) and good people-watching.

12:30 p.m.
11) BATH AND BEYOND

A staple of Korean life has long been the jjimjilbang, or bathhouse. And perhaps the biggest and most extravagant of them all is the seven-story Dragon Hill Spa & Resort (40-713 Hangang-ro 3-ga, Yongsan-gu; 82-2-798-0114; dragonhillspa.com). Something like an amusement park with a touch of ’80s Vegas, complete with pyramids and a Native American-themed pub, this family-friendly spot comes with sex-segregated spa areas, shared saunas, outdoor pools, Jacuzzis and more: picture nail salons, video arcades, an Internet cafe, even a cinema and putting green. (Admission 10,000 to 12,000 won; spa packages from 100,000 won.) A Zen retreat this is not. But it’s a fun (and funny) place for a few hours of entertainment — and maybe some relaxation, too.

IF YOU GO

The 185-room Park Hyatt Seoul (995-14 Daechi 3-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-2016-1234; seoul.park.hyatt.com) occupies a 24 -story glass-and-steel building in the central Gangnam district. Floor-to-ceiling windows, warm wood finishes and granite baths outfit its spacious, modern rooms. Doubles start at 270,000 won (about $249).

The new IP Boutique Hotel (737-32 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu; 82-2-3702-8000; ipboutiquehotel.com) is conveniently situated in Itaewon. It has a colorful facade that matches the 132 comfortable rooms within: think lots of white with splashes of Pop color. Rates start at 200,000 won, with frequent discounts available.

Situated in the heart of fashionable Garosu-gil, the Hotel Tea Tree & Co (535-12 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-542-9954; teatreehotel.com) opened last year with 38 spare yet cozy rooms. Standard rooms start at 96,800 won.



A staple of Korean life has long been the jjimjilbang, or bathhouse. And perhaps the biggest and most extravagant of them all is the seven-story Dragon Hill Spa & Resort. Something like an amusement park with a touch of ’80s Vegas, complete with pyramids and a Native American-themed pub, this family-friendly spot comes with sex-segregated spa areas, shared saunas, outdoor pools, Jacuzzis and more: picture nail salons, video arcades, an Internet cafe, even a cinema and putting green.

Obama’s Trade Strategy Runs Into Stiff Resistance

SEOUL, South Korea — President Obama’s hopes of emerging from his Asia trip with the twin victories of a free trade agreement with South Korea and a unified approach to spurring economic growth around the world ran into resistance on all fronts on Thursday, putting Mr. Obama at odds with his key allies and largest trading partners.

The most concrete trophy expected to emerge from the trip eluded his grasp: a long-delayed free trade agreement with South Korea, first negotiated by the Bush administration and then reopened by Mr. Obama, to have greater protections for American workers.

And as officials frenetically tried to paper over differences among the Group of 20 members with a vaguely worded communiqué to be issued Friday, there was no way to avoid discussion of the fundamental differences of economic strategy. After five largely harmonious meetings in the past two years to deal with the most severe downturn since the Depression, major disputes broke out between Washington and China, Britain, Germany and Brazil.

Each rejected core elements of Mr. Obama’s strategy of stimulating growth before focusing on deficit reduction. Several major nations continued to accuse the Federal Reserve of deliberately devaluing the dollar last week in an effort to put the costs of America’s competitive troubles on trading partners, rather than taking politically tough measures to rein in spending at home.


The result was that Mr. Obama repeatedly found himself on the defensive. He and the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, had vowed to complete the trade pact by the time they met here; while Mr. Obama insisted that it would be resolved “in a matter of weeks,” without the pressure of a summit meeting it was unclear how the hurdles on nontariff barriers to American cars and beef would be resolved.

Mr. Obama’s meeting with China’s president, Hu Jintao, appeared to do little to break down Chinese resistance to accepting even nonbinding numerical targets for limiting China’s trade surplus. While Lael Brainard, the under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs, said that the United States and China “have gotten to a good place” on rebalancing their trade, Chinese officials later archly reminded the Americans that as the issuers of the dollar, the main global reserve currency, they should consider the interests of the “global economy” as well as their own “national circumstances.”



The disputes were not limited to America’s foreign partners. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner got into a trans-Pacific argument with one of his former mentors, Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, after Mr. Greenspan wrote that the United States was “pursuing a policy of currency weakening.” Mr. Geithner shot back on CNBC that while he had “enormous respect” for Mr. Greenspan, “that’s not an accurate description of either the Fed’s policies or our policies.” He added, “We will never seek to weaken our currency as a tool to gain competitive advantage or grow the economy.”

Much of the rest of the world seemed to share Mr. Greenspan’s assessment. Moreover, Mr. Obama seemed to be losing the broader debate over austerity. The president has insisted that at a moment of weak private demand, the best way to spur economic growth is to have the government prime the pump with cheap credit and government stimulus programs. He quickly found himself in an argument with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.

“You do hear the argument made sometimes: If you have a deficit, put off the action to deal with it because taking money out of the economy will reduce your growth rate,” Mr. Cameron said at the meeting. “I simply don’t accept that.” Even as he spoke, back home his ministers were announcing new cuts in Britain’s famed welfare system.

Mrs. Merkel, reflecting a more traditional German view born of her country’s history of hyperinflation before World War II, was equally adamant. “I am not one, and Germany is not one, who says growth and fiscal consolidation are contradictory,” she said during a lunchtime address in Seoul. “They can go together, and it is essential to return to a sustainable growth path.”

She also suggested that it was the job of deficit countries — like the United States and Britain, though she diplomatically avoided citing them — to increase their competitiveness rather than put limits on countries that had figured out how to get the world to buy their goods. “In the task ahead, the benchmark has to be the countries that have been most competitive, not to reduce to the lowest common denominator,” she said.

The differences with Mr. Cameron and Mrs. Merkel were particularly striking because during Mr. Obama’s first Group of 20 meetings — in London, Pittsburgh and Toronto — he managed to get all of the major economies to pursue something of a coordinated stimulus strategy.

But that consensus began fracturing at the June meeting in Toronto. While the administration had warned that rolling back fiscal stimulus programs too quickly could endanger the fragile recovery, the pressure on European nations to slash their deficits was becoming overwhelming. Ultimately the Group of 20 countries committed to cutting government deficits in half by 2013, a goal the United States insists it will meet.



But much has now changed. Mr. Cameron is following his conservative instincts and has made budget-cutting a signature issue. Mrs. Merkel is credited with avoiding spending heavily on stimulus programs and emerging with the most successful recovery in Europe.

And Mr. Obama faces new political constraints. Jeffry A. Frieden, a political scientist at Harvard, noted Thursday that the administration “feels it does not have the domestic political support for embarking on potentially difficult cooperative measures.”

The White House decided it was smarter for Mr. Obama to return home with no free trade accord than with one in which it could be accused of making concessions at a time that the consensus on trade has been shattered, particularly within the Democratic Party.

Similarly, accusations that China has manipulated its currency for its own advantage — and now the countercharge that the Fed is doing the same — are part of what Mr. Frieden calls an argument over “who will bear the burden of adjustment.”

“Will it be the creditor or debtor countries?” he said. “Who’s going to take a hit for our debt?”

Indeed, the struggle for advantage, which ultimately may be a struggle to set the rules for a new global financial order, was the unspoken subtext of the meeting between Mr. Obama and Mr. Hu.

Mr. Hu, in the most indirect terms, told Mr. Obama that Beijing was focused on the Fed’s role in pushing down interest rates, and its effect on weakening the dollar. The code words were obvious. For days Chinese officials have characterized the Fed’s actions as an effort to drive “hot money” to developing nations, pushing up their currencies and their interest rates, and perhaps fueling inflation. Mr. Obama had hoped to make the meeting about a related subject: China’s continuing refusal to allow rapid appreciation of its currency, which fuels its huge trade surplus.

At a press briefing in Seoul, Zheng Xiaosong, director general of the Chinese Ministry of Finance’s international department, indirectly accused the United States of ignoring its international responsibilities. “The major reserve-currency issuers, while implementing their monetary policies, should not only take into account their national circumstances but should also bear in mind the possible impacts on the global economy,” he said.

Following Scientists Into the Field

View Marojejy National Park in a larger map

It is the end of the rainy season now in Madagascar, which means it’s a good time for chameleons. They like it wet and warm. And that means it’s a good time for Christopher J. Raxworthy, who is studying chameleons, to be in Madagascar, and to kick off the Scientist at Work blog.

News and feature reports on science, well-considered essays, interviews — all of the ways we cover science — remain at a distance from the day-to-day experience of doing science. So we have started this blog to give scientists in the field a chance to describe what they do as they are doing it. We hope their chronicles of research and, perhaps, adventures and misadventures will give the blog audience a chance to be a fly, or perhaps in Dr. Raxworthy’s case, a chameleon, on a tree branch, observing what goes into the making of that research report, or that very slick nature documentary.

Christopher J. Raxworthy. Christopher J. Raxworthy

Dr. Raxworthy, an associate curator of vertebrate biology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, is our first Scientist at Work because he is passionate not only about doing science, but also about bringing nonscientists into his work.

He has been to Madagascar to study reptiles and amphibians some 30 times since his first trip as a student in 1985.

The goal of this field trip is to learn more about the chameleon species on the top of Mount Marojejy, an almost 7,000-foot-high peak that is a three-day drive from the capital city, Antananarivo. The summit is reached by two more days of hiking, through tropical forest and bamboo thickets to an area of low-lying bushes.

Time now for the editor to step back and let the scientist start talking. Dr. Raxworthy says the best part of each visit to Madagascar is the first night in the forest, because it is such hard work to get there, and you never know what you will find. …

Two-Match Ban for Mourinho

Never at a loss for words, either on the touchline or cast as a cheeky puppet in a long-running satire, Real Madrid Coach José Mourinho drew a two-match ban from the Spanish federation on Friday. Mourinho was sent off last Wednesday in Madrid’s 5-1 win over Murcia in Spain’s Copa del Rey after insulting Referee Jose Luis Paradas Romero.

He will not be on the bench for the match against Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Sunday nor will he coach when Athletic Bilbao visits next week, but he will be back against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Nov. 29.

He may not be on the bench for two games, but he is back out there, in new installments of Special1TV on BBC Three in Britain.

In the latest installment … an interview with the Boy, Wayne Rooney, during his training stint at Nike headquarters in Oregon.