tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49615502845272239622024-03-05T12:38:32.756-08:00.The Adventures of Setch PisherUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-67808881347494395152009-06-17T22:01:00.000-07:002009-07-01T18:36:05.682-07:00"Vietnam"I went to Vietnam to make peace with a part of my father's memory. I went there because I'd heard the word "Vietnam" all my life and I knew it as a horrible place and time that people didn't really know how to talk about. It was a story that I would catch random parts of now and then that never had a happy ending. It was the reason that Dad screamed in his sleep.<br /><br />I went there to bury that and to pay tribute to my Dad, who came back from that place and had a family and a career where he served his fellow man, protected the innocent and saved lives. I went to heal my own heart and to help some of the people of that country in whatever way I could.<br /><br />There is a tradition there of burning gifts for ancestors. It's often fake paper money but sometimes it's cars or other kinds of property. These gifts are raised to heaven on the smoke which occupies the place between the material and the immaterial world. If there is any need of money in heaven, I think Dad's probably ok. He never had any trouble finding gainful employment and he liked to work for what he got. But I learned how to make origami lotus flowers by watching the kids at Blue Dragon. So I sent up about a half dozen of those the night before I left.<br /><br />"Vietnam" is no longer a war for me. It's a country full of people that struggle under a corrupt government, but with endless energy, curiosity, ingenuity, and optimism. A place where shy, smiling children say hello to you just for walking down the street - full of friendly, young, amateur tour guides, and people who quickly become like family.<br /><br />"Vietnam" was my home for a while, and It's a place where a part of my father's memory came to rest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7v4E47nhklQMfSnrlITb-OLDnfIvVwG9Jl7VMbGm8DZEp4_g2dacsmzciq6zLzVl8zfL1SC0ZOHrEqOCPMVwR0I29tz73sStNYaFAKBXPQ0FQlNcsh1crjxfvzxGQ7me8oXyAHXQoSw/s1600-h/lotus+flowers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7v4E47nhklQMfSnrlITb-OLDnfIvVwG9Jl7VMbGm8DZEp4_g2dacsmzciq6zLzVl8zfL1SC0ZOHrEqOCPMVwR0I29tz73sStNYaFAKBXPQ0FQlNcsh1crjxfvzxGQ7me8oXyAHXQoSw/s400/lotus+flowers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348530321101886322" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-44162542516551380832009-03-21T21:51:00.001-07:002009-03-21T21:59:59.137-07:00Where the Blog EndsWell, I'm back in the States for about 3 weeks now. My brother was in a serious accident at the end of last month, so I packed up and came back to be with he and the family. This is also why I haven't had any posts here in a while. Just thought I'd mention that here because a few people were curious. I plan to have one more wrap-up post soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-42493012754764082312009-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:002009-02-15T07:01:57.042-08:00chuc mung nam moiChuc mung nam moi means happy new year. Well, literally, it's something like "good/advantageous/lucky year new". And don't even try to say it if you don't speak Vietnamese because I can't put the accent marks that tell you the tones, and even if I could you wouldn't know what they mean. I've actually come to believe that it would be easier for me to teach everyone here English than to learn Vietnamese myself.<br /><br />Anyway, Tet is by far the biggest holiday of the year. Preparations, and the actual celebration, seem to go on for about 2 months. First, the decorations start to go up. Tet predates communism by centuries, but the party isn't about to miss an opportunity for self promotion.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9PzXtlsTQNwwrcJZvfVo7G_B-zBCG2mo0YkaF4I4j6cbzZ5I0EFl4M81sAJA4xf_0QYM6lJS09dximj8cnipIwDdwLlP_M7JuprLlnA_0lO5dwaRR1h4l5t0mzVFvL6Nc8UOuzpiPWs/s1600-h/xmas+sickle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9PzXtlsTQNwwrcJZvfVo7G_B-zBCG2mo0YkaF4I4j6cbzZ5I0EFl4M81sAJA4xf_0QYM6lJS09dximj8cnipIwDdwLlP_M7JuprLlnA_0lO5dwaRR1h4l5t0mzVFvL6Nc8UOuzpiPWs/s400/xmas+sickle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303019120421459698" border="0" /></a>There are 2 kinds of Tet trees. One with little citrus fruit, and another with pink blossoms. I think someone told me that the ones in the south have yellow blossoms. In any case, it seems like every other motorbike had a tree on it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiQhpKxBm0HReejYrZ2rQvev9vk_w4poWRwiEM8a3kPYtd3MSEz5nj3nwPsGu7yBtBYufQzmP-FQ-JOxTajaQq1DyWwTwfUZbp-ZLhI0bCYAUjNy14ywvkP5AiMV2agH4oWLtB2JhKgE/s1600-h/orange+tree.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiQhpKxBm0HReejYrZ2rQvev9vk_w4poWRwiEM8a3kPYtd3MSEz5nj3nwPsGu7yBtBYufQzmP-FQ-JOxTajaQq1DyWwTwfUZbp-ZLhI0bCYAUjNy14ywvkP5AiMV2agH4oWLtB2JhKgE/s400/orange+tree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303019107724458418" border="0" /></a>The kids get ready for the Tet pageants, which involve flowers, and singing, and dancing (and nose picking if you look closely).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3w1IxtUQE-6H6gO49Tk09oogh-j8N4kUDVNi4ZwXDaCprqxmNxxKwCpMyJSfREOpziiR7L7IwK0-oIIZwbXuCqrxW6nC0tUf_GwGpX8XaKQ231XYGbrpRrCJ8m4ga2nF5ToONwiRzrc/s1600-h/kid+show.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3w1IxtUQE-6H6gO49Tk09oogh-j8N4kUDVNi4ZwXDaCprqxmNxxKwCpMyJSfREOpziiR7L7IwK0-oIIZwbXuCqrxW6nC0tUf_GwGpX8XaKQ231XYGbrpRrCJ8m4ga2nF5ToONwiRzrc/s400/kid+show.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303019103550732066" border="0" /></a>Blue Dragon helps a bunch of kids out in the countryside and goes out a few times a year for big assemblies. The Tet extravaganza had a dancing dragon, Tet gifts, and contests... This one involved blindfolded participants trying to feed each other yogurt. The kids loved it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSqPXAimQmQeehCU8sXHlWYJjbU9IgZFgblVE-ZwfaimtKiociZuCIGVbRX_pFn6Yi7XXngmnFV492D0Aykgf_BkhyJS3P2RGvNq_UfT1HVZtabpDrhgUp50W_gx1zf5zJCOnLQM20lk/s1600-h/food+game.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSqPXAimQmQeehCU8sXHlWYJjbU9IgZFgblVE-ZwfaimtKiociZuCIGVbRX_pFn6Yi7XXngmnFV492D0Aykgf_BkhyJS3P2RGvNq_UfT1HVZtabpDrhgUp50W_gx1zf5zJCOnLQM20lk/s400/food+game.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303017702908040370" border="0" /></a>And I got invited to a Tet party at the house where I lived when I first arrived. Hot pot seems to be the standard celebratory meal. One or two pots of boiling water are put in the center of the table and bunches of plates with things ready to be boiled. It honestly seems to be much more about the communal experience than the food itself. I didn't try the fetal duck. It didn't look so good. But the conversation was excellent.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mn7fHRwHIhIX_upQczMAevazgVVf7-tkYcCZo9n4zzDvSMmZb8KBvTGLwLr74VL2PaYSW1BFgsu9V5qoqzDrylHXxwTjZNYcJY9OySKYHk2NDWdB1CEJVq4uxbuVMWAGUDUifLNfFk8/s1600-h/duck.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mn7fHRwHIhIX_upQczMAevazgVVf7-tkYcCZo9n4zzDvSMmZb8KBvTGLwLr74VL2PaYSW1BFgsu9V5qoqzDrylHXxwTjZNYcJY9OySKYHk2NDWdB1CEJVq4uxbuVMWAGUDUifLNfFk8/s400/duck.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303017694580441170" border="0" /></a>Along with the trees, vendors sell a lot of Tet gifts. People spend the first few days of the new year visiting family and friends. The clean their houses, get haircuts, cook special food, and buy gifts to hand out on their visits. These gift baskets have everything you need to make someone's day - including booze and a pack of marlboros.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUALyhgMU2J2xodQoVOVl6p2Lh2u98LHfc-ZAxlt7TGsL4ZDOrLyFWYi6DPPTmePgc0mkHo-55IdRYQcykLRTvAL3QTdVhQ0elJ29k5mex6_BKKDc2TG6lvxvoVBS1tHcS9MSusYd7ZBI/s1600-h/giftbaskets.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUALyhgMU2J2xodQoVOVl6p2Lh2u98LHfc-ZAxlt7TGsL4ZDOrLyFWYi6DPPTmePgc0mkHo-55IdRYQcykLRTvAL3QTdVhQ0elJ29k5mex6_BKKDc2TG6lvxvoVBS1tHcS9MSusYd7ZBI/s400/giftbaskets.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303017707248347874" border="0" /></a>Any important celebration in Hanoi seems to involve balloons. This is the year of the ox (or cow, or buffalo depending on who's telling it) and so there were plenty of ox balloons on new year's eve. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7M06XExtPJNTlpINBFW2mTJwX-jNhbaCYpI0NDCKDhFdQaVHYR10q5tEaJDHnzePWhbmWnBKWMhP5c2FgSb0A0T2GMqgarfJYJOfA8SdoJhqiGrWAKPrIkDM1Yvid3JdJJ1xGVNMf2U/s1600-h/ox.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7M06XExtPJNTlpINBFW2mTJwX-jNhbaCYpI0NDCKDhFdQaVHYR10q5tEaJDHnzePWhbmWnBKWMhP5c2FgSb0A0T2GMqgarfJYJOfA8SdoJhqiGrWAKPrIkDM1Yvid3JdJJ1xGVNMf2U/s400/ox.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303019117687656210" border="0" /></a>And fireworks. Even the cops stopped to turn their heads skyward in awe. Maybe this is why pickpockets are so fond of these celebrations.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeNbXx5lFCuipN1UJXQFWgLAan6eakVzUgJ0WPOotx2FPtRSm98mD6P3LJsjFHA3rQZmjZUz6frP6QbceKPfTEXJFHgRwdgX02DAbzzKdAvvo3vtfeWiPEMVFzr14f_WTvxbz6BBA2V0/s1600-h/fireworks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeNbXx5lFCuipN1UJXQFWgLAan6eakVzUgJ0WPOotx2FPtRSm98mD6P3LJsjFHA3rQZmjZUz6frP6QbceKPfTEXJFHgRwdgX02DAbzzKdAvvo3vtfeWiPEMVFzr14f_WTvxbz6BBA2V0/s400/fireworks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303017702313823746" border="0" /></a>And just after midnight, the ancestors are paid tribute. People burn fake paper money among other things, and they are conducted by smoke to the next world. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuot6BV46mfmcQajyApOupUX7uOuXZp28ZkAMM1H1bIBO1i67JQTq2L5tCLGEVDkGzwR3a0s-Rmi69vUGwocuZbSuzeSpyApnqhA_Vv_0_Lg9TJOHwb0kPWBOIvq4QaT93Ub3iFu5OCc/s1600-h/sidewalk.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuot6BV46mfmcQajyApOupUX7uOuXZp28ZkAMM1H1bIBO1i67JQTq2L5tCLGEVDkGzwR3a0s-Rmi69vUGwocuZbSuzeSpyApnqhA_Vv_0_Lg9TJOHwb0kPWBOIvq4QaT93Ub3iFu5OCc/s400/sidewalk.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303019121815664962" border="0" /></a>So I imagine that the ancestors enjoy tet too. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LZ26R3BIXt1voD94qdn0LzVNwmh9K6YnLosTLEFBz6QPK8nwpq2URXZnsZkH_LPZWhoWAkYQIiI2ZB5KGXg-niI6AOWfROPehIfO_7ON559unOzIb_UzKtMrb64r1exbLRu_DuQXTQM/s1600-h/altar.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LZ26R3BIXt1voD94qdn0LzVNwmh9K6YnLosTLEFBz6QPK8nwpq2URXZnsZkH_LPZWhoWAkYQIiI2ZB5KGXg-niI6AOWfROPehIfO_7ON559unOzIb_UzKtMrb64r1exbLRu_DuQXTQM/s400/altar.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303019675329669970" border="0" /></a>After that, you go to Thailand because everything is closed for a week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-70242773756566970622009-02-01T04:53:00.000-08:002009-02-07T09:05:00.231-08:00ThailandTet is Vietnam's version of the Chinese new year. It's lunar new year's eve and the few days around it. I'll have a post about that later. What it meant for me was that everything was shut down and it was a good time to get out of town.<br /><br />I signed up for a ten-day silent meditation retreat in Thailand. Unfortunately, it was full, so I went on the waiting list. I signed up for another one, but that one was full too, and I'd already bought plane tickets. I wanted to see Thailand anyway, and I'd always wanted to try scuba diving, so I decided just go and see what I could see.<br /><br />At the Hanoi airport, I had a chance to buy some souvenirs from Tahiti. So I could have just bought one of those, told everyone I went to Tahiti, and called it a day. But I decided to go through with it anyway. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LeJh78wDRK2XAwO9TsUUWt9t1CFqRgmYaiN1csj4jnOlIZNSqQhyoXCehcq5XG82Ab_CC0nfjM4q4T9yynJhHZ7ZEkY9iO0twJz0GPLjPxSyg8JhefuP9t_KhVM22egvYZqmXsA1H5A/s1600-h/101_4330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LeJh78wDRK2XAwO9TsUUWt9t1CFqRgmYaiN1csj4jnOlIZNSqQhyoXCehcq5XG82Ab_CC0nfjM4q4T9yynJhHZ7ZEkY9iO0twJz0GPLjPxSyg8JhefuP9t_KhVM22egvYZqmXsA1H5A/s400/101_4330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297812052355208370" border="0" /></a>I was happy to get to Bangkok before I left the airport. Mainly because it was warm. I got a sim card for my phone, saw a Starbuck's, got 3 free maps, and saw a lady-boy before I even left the airport. Ah, yes. Civilization...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBX_GoSOevuJpqLLha0_FpABBpezKoPeGlS01-07cAKTWQGmjN3Q6QM4QTqKWWkACVQSOUOsE09NVG7frfC6Oqdvrho28FdnQPPHS2g0Hx7Vyc5SOr-BMt2l61DHo7-NHN18uimjchqpQ/s1600-h/101_4337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBX_GoSOevuJpqLLha0_FpABBpezKoPeGlS01-07cAKTWQGmjN3Q6QM4QTqKWWkACVQSOUOsE09NVG7frfC6Oqdvrho28FdnQPPHS2g0Hx7Vyc5SOr-BMt2l61DHo7-NHN18uimjchqpQ/s400/101_4337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297812066992269410" border="0" /></a>This was the first 7-11 that I saw. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB-wea_QoGBdRIWREqT6d3R1xUxvkoYgfeMBqtzlnJsKGwqbMHPftqVuLcSQ_xN2EvVJN_O7oOljwruuDYu2RjWc4jRGDIiwUipG0BJpixpO1E7KSld_8o_-RKqWhi8MpJUgvb-bhzDg/s1600-h/101_4336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB-wea_QoGBdRIWREqT6d3R1xUxvkoYgfeMBqtzlnJsKGwqbMHPftqVuLcSQ_xN2EvVJN_O7oOljwruuDYu2RjWc4jRGDIiwUipG0BJpixpO1E7KSld_8o_-RKqWhi8MpJUgvb-bhzDg/s400/101_4336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297812061970805714" border="0" /></a>I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that I think I went into a dozen 7-11's that day. Not to buy anything, just to soak up a little A/C, look at all the stuff I COULD buy, and remember my childhood. I practically grew up in convenience stores, so this was a heartwarming homecoming for me.<br /><br />Eventually I made my way to Khao San Road, the touristiest of touristy areas in Bangkok. I found a scuba diving shop, booked a trip to Koh Tao and wandered around for a couple of hours until it was time to get my bus. Not this bus...<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxYnCD8av7lkkmBl5di5L3Oj42EHJC9f7D-TOhvAh0FjP16oJS6OXEE4H2V0iUsMJ4YiCxnq2kDieBsHIwkvUgBrH6st_KHUx67tr6bNoyKdr-GvzWqezpaqSFLpOzTxj0zBB51YYt3c/s1600-h/101_4335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxYnCD8av7lkkmBl5di5L3Oj42EHJC9f7D-TOhvAh0FjP16oJS6OXEE4H2V0iUsMJ4YiCxnq2kDieBsHIwkvUgBrH6st_KHUx67tr6bNoyKdr-GvzWqezpaqSFLpOzTxj0zBB51YYt3c/s400/101_4335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297812059929405218" border="0" /></a>The bus I was on wasn't quite as quite as pimped out. No unicorns.<br /><br />But I did get on this boat...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMtvw7LnmBmv0i-90A31BQVUDfb_e7qrAcnzwNO2YPeA573mKYkLooJj5Kw__kI-BJRJFji6J7fD4jXBYv8Z8BmZunMqCTWNUTr_W7kBtOfCkscFa4oTETaYWypRZAWv5OXG3XYAzrfo/s1600-h/101_4417.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMtvw7LnmBmv0i-90A31BQVUDfb_e7qrAcnzwNO2YPeA573mKYkLooJj5Kw__kI-BJRJFji6J7fD4jXBYv8Z8BmZunMqCTWNUTr_W7kBtOfCkscFa4oTETaYWypRZAWv5OXG3XYAzrfo/s400/101_4417.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297816034577935538" border="0" /></a>And about 27 hours after I left the house in Hanoi, I was here. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt8kjusLuenpsceb3xajvC7NPwmcxLotCyJwyIPzOBLosLbEdMTQcu_aBURXbyfv1ifoldJTkSQ7uuJUy38jz9l5X_KONCnxN142nn91nzI4KChm32QF_nDF6tojQh_IrjbM0DhUkwoE/s1600-h/101_4398.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt8kjusLuenpsceb3xajvC7NPwmcxLotCyJwyIPzOBLosLbEdMTQcu_aBURXbyfv1ifoldJTkSQ7uuJUy38jz9l5X_KONCnxN142nn91nzI4KChm32QF_nDF6tojQh_IrjbM0DhUkwoE/s400/101_4398.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297814797411440082" border="0" /></a>I found a place to stay and took a 4 hour nap. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYyz2U_ySAh67tgkJ73VyMbrIzW0EMUGNDuCbDnQv9s_QWbjh30omI3Xst3KEgNEgGF4d3bqcNhH7dTplds3ZriNFI3KHOAf5gR36gatly8B_4yEV9Sg64g1y12Bc2E_g61HFntE8OZg/s1600-h/101_4430.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYyz2U_ySAh67tgkJ73VyMbrIzW0EMUGNDuCbDnQv9s_QWbjh30omI3Xst3KEgNEgGF4d3bqcNhH7dTplds3ZriNFI3KHOAf5gR36gatly8B_4yEV9Sg64g1y12Bc2E_g61HFntE8OZg/s400/101_4430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297835288401710738" border="0" /></a>The little bungalow was dirty but only about $15 a night, and about 100 yards from the beach.<br /><br />I had to share it with this little guy, but he mostly just kept to himself behind the mirror in the bathroom.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshiapQkhnb03qfWHaq1S_VTsbtJPsmiU4euEucgJcOvssvGZ5fJ5h6b8A5gwKJhDScwXqht83vQncL1wZ0yFyfOgqL9lG_E8KNwe24emroF9aKCqsIRURmzyhAFoJOMkj_HqD7aTu-oQ/s1600-h/101_4371.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshiapQkhnb03qfWHaq1S_VTsbtJPsmiU4euEucgJcOvssvGZ5fJ5h6b8A5gwKJhDScwXqht83vQncL1wZ0yFyfOgqL9lG_E8KNwe24emroF9aKCqsIRURmzyhAFoJOMkj_HqD7aTu-oQ/s400/101_4371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297814789495417954" border="0" /></a>Koh Tao island is about 7 kilometers long and it's a big destination for scuba divers. I did 2 dives on Wednesday. It was a good time, but dealing with the pressure changes from the depth was a real hassle. I had some trouble getting my ears to pop, but eventually did, and got down to 10-12 meters (35 feet or so). We saw some cool corals, colorful fish, and various crazy looking sea cucumbers.<br /><br />But the coolest stuff I saw was on a snorkeling trip around the island the next day. It was on a long boat (bigger than this one)...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Y9XLh66fZUBfr1cNA0MTaLMa-PYWPKBT9iPO6r-2w7w08Ed7lEc6WU0QQgXhhA5nA-30K_Q5wlx76lCVbkwwatZH6rG_X-NlIM-eYnQ8IK6qilNYoKOpfoehkr0XZDYGPwbkDB8seKk/s1600-h/101_4387.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Y9XLh66fZUBfr1cNA0MTaLMa-PYWPKBT9iPO6r-2w7w08Ed7lEc6WU0QQgXhhA5nA-30K_Q5wlx76lCVbkwwatZH6rG_X-NlIM-eYnQ8IK6qilNYoKOpfoehkr0XZDYGPwbkDB8seKk/s400/101_4387.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297814794798561762" border="0" /></a>And we stopped and snorkeled at a bunch of little bays and reefs and did a complete loop around the island. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuqklBqI-hpY4TY9ACcwSgiW4PzASJ-huCNs9401qWh_EI6_QyHmDOFnrp0b02UD1oz2wkD5qNEvK3FXF8laX15A0QDZ9xGUKCv0EbjavBlfP06bmGFdR6LuVSU4elaoOb-P6cpIcohY/s1600-h/101_4424.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuqklBqI-hpY4TY9ACcwSgiW4PzASJ-huCNs9401qWh_EI6_QyHmDOFnrp0b02UD1oz2wkD5qNEvK3FXF8laX15A0QDZ9xGUKCv0EbjavBlfP06bmGFdR6LuVSU4elaoOb-P6cpIcohY/s400/101_4424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297816040178570418" border="0" /></a>The first stop was by shark island. I was the first one in the water and I practically landed on top of one of these guys.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJEaftqqb5GOthjUWVALunUfbwR1R8eTz418H2yHCKhhEHIVQpS5QNxNrpC0D6UID8UtNLlhi7AWd4eNtfFs6dv52X6ZqF_xqV8vdKoZuQ6EoXR5O62lZRH15fQ4ipUpQ7NM2wZzXw2E/s1600-h/800px-Blacktip_reef_shark.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJEaftqqb5GOthjUWVALunUfbwR1R8eTz418H2yHCKhhEHIVQpS5QNxNrpC0D6UID8UtNLlhi7AWd4eNtfFs6dv52X6ZqF_xqV8vdKoZuQ6EoXR5O62lZRH15fQ4ipUpQ7NM2wZzXw2E/s400/800px-Blacktip_reef_shark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300084735771321698" border="0" /></a>I didn't have a waterproof camera, so this isn't my shot, but it's a black tip reef shark. The ones that we were swimming with were probably only 3-4 feet long, but everything looks bigger under water, so they seemed like 5-6 feet long. Big enough that I was glad it wasn't dinner time. Our guide told us that they feed at night. There was definitely something counterintuitive about swimming toward sharks when I saw them instead of away, but it was really cool. Definitely the highlight of the trip.<br /><br />I was going to go back to Bangkok, but I couldn't think of a good reason not to stay on the island another night. There was plenty of exploring to do. For instance, I got to try salaberry fanta from the 7-11. It tasted a little like crushed hopes and dreams strained through a bandana that's been sitting in the bottom of an old tackle box.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7JkbFC4oDiLjC75SuYaITlGuFhGzzkD7Jjl22gm20uTO2LZ2c4nJwWSMeoGZ8jYcqj2eSAzJWzKJ1eV3-MhlJ2mh2vQWgAwVsw1QSz5LEMD1sgOQueDOH633WETHpehU7mE4-w6zQ-s/s1600-h/101_4412.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7JkbFC4oDiLjC75SuYaITlGuFhGzzkD7Jjl22gm20uTO2LZ2c4nJwWSMeoGZ8jYcqj2eSAzJWzKJ1eV3-MhlJ2mh2vQWgAwVsw1QSz5LEMD1sgOQueDOH633WETHpehU7mE4-w6zQ-s/s400/101_4412.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297816033286075810" border="0" /></a>All together I was there for 4 days and 3 nights. I left relaxed, with some great memories, and the sunburn of a lifetime.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AH3PwtSAwko-im4_guSz7nROLBy1sdaKlk09_dxqHswOsOrkaMk070OaNDhbFnBEE2MEBQ6oI3PNmfxXXwICIc1T9O3tTZVzlnlT9_tHq4UXh4CO5IQ2wUWtfeKmdnQSCICsKUJwFig/s1600-h/101_4407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AH3PwtSAwko-im4_guSz7nROLBy1sdaKlk09_dxqHswOsOrkaMk070OaNDhbFnBEE2MEBQ6oI3PNmfxXXwICIc1T9O3tTZVzlnlT9_tHq4UXh4CO5IQ2wUWtfeKmdnQSCICsKUJwFig/s400/101_4407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297816031768143298" border="0" /></a>The next morning I arrived in Bangkok at about 4AM. I wandered down the the temple complex with the famous reclining Buddha and dozed on a bench outside until they opened. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwm5k0b61Z2het2WXvXxsoXj88VTRBtsSVYjAxu1yt5DtHqbEWwc_lUReZFVovsZkwjjLlxCMtnUh6lXwpE6qV8boI6Dd6xMDNW8dH8GV6R_SvDKBlETlZlF1E611qClQkdMY1fjdKzKM/s1600-h/101_4459.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwm5k0b61Z2het2WXvXxsoXj88VTRBtsSVYjAxu1yt5DtHqbEWwc_lUReZFVovsZkwjjLlxCMtnUh6lXwpE6qV8boI6Dd6xMDNW8dH8GV6R_SvDKBlETlZlF1E611qClQkdMY1fjdKzKM/s400/101_4459.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297817111982652722" border="0" /></a>The reclining Buddha was just like in picures and on TV, but bigger. The temple school is sponsored by - you guessed it - 7-11. They're everywhere! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpsgWhPfvnu5KN36kSH7xKLEIJDsE9uUuv1cl9_I8ZN7LaTMG92zbrFm1nO9nb6xR4XQU2ATQdlbPfAIXDkBAgy9A1rVwzktziM_HBe-aUKtP2bnAH0_2Ev0WrimiRJo0Jgl7OhFeDkY/s1600-h/101_4460.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpsgWhPfvnu5KN36kSH7xKLEIJDsE9uUuv1cl9_I8ZN7LaTMG92zbrFm1nO9nb6xR4XQU2ATQdlbPfAIXDkBAgy9A1rVwzktziM_HBe-aUKtP2bnAH0_2Ev0WrimiRJo0Jgl7OhFeDkY/s400/101_4460.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297817120255656258" border="0" /></a>Which reminds me, I also got to try "Pepsi Green". It tasted the way I imagine fairy pee must taste like after the fairy's been on antibiotics for a week or so. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7u8TsF_1h1LvhbHJVmrHFklJ6rdHU2yzavwNHZG0sYB0Cx9oBCGQWHPBOOWpPr8BhkQf3ZmtGYRTwroTiYhfhkf_o972PspmWXmNV0KGQzIKiBXCkhJV7uUmR1Zmm7Mf3sG2b8f1eV4/s1600-h/101_4484.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7u8TsF_1h1LvhbHJVmrHFklJ6rdHU2yzavwNHZG0sYB0Cx9oBCGQWHPBOOWpPr8BhkQf3ZmtGYRTwroTiYhfhkf_o972PspmWXmNV0KGQzIKiBXCkhJV7uUmR1Zmm7Mf3sG2b8f1eV4/s400/101_4484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297817844340218066" border="0" /></a>And speaking of anti-biotics, I realized while I was in Bangkok that my scuba diving injury needed a little medical attention. I scratched my toe on a bench when we were waiting to get into the boat, and after 4 days I could tell that it was infected in a pretty nasty way.<br /><br />Luckily there were plenty of pharmacies to chose from, soI skipped this one for obvious reasons. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYFkAUUgnfEp_WFrFdiHztcUCkrUs7JRw6j0G9isO4MqV_dCf7xgLnPeOqcQt6yVxrYxtxmPNJg4KkdFCDkJdVD5HmG2mDud8SrBmXPmd9rGmfiIeSog7kWPYdYNlJjOhmTzDbkUeEJg/s1600-h/101_4365.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYFkAUUgnfEp_WFrFdiHztcUCkrUs7JRw6j0G9isO4MqV_dCf7xgLnPeOqcQt6yVxrYxtxmPNJg4KkdFCDkJdVD5HmG2mDud8SrBmXPmd9rGmfiIeSog7kWPYdYNlJjOhmTzDbkUeEJg/s400/101_4365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297813294083155490" border="0" /></a>I found a place with a pharmacist that spoke excellent English, and hooked me up with a whole sack of toe dressing supplies and a 5-day course of antibiotics for about $15. That's what I would pay back in the states just to get the paper that says I can pay someone else for the pills. And that's with insurance. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK22dWSqM-YjtOxPttz6pQi-aOrsGdUm3BRFlBf9Ql2Raf-4rhl-xsnuSTPaanRn86-YGwTD4B2xotEbj9eq52PxyQPKaTGAceyi_-eNUPg2SdNcVLaU4P09BWbfy8oqGzQtcu9gftTkM/s1600-h/101_4480.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK22dWSqM-YjtOxPttz6pQi-aOrsGdUm3BRFlBf9Ql2Raf-4rhl-xsnuSTPaanRn86-YGwTD4B2xotEbj9eq52PxyQPKaTGAceyi_-eNUPg2SdNcVLaU4P09BWbfy8oqGzQtcu9gftTkM/s400/101_4480.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297817838358291650" border="0" /></a>I stopped at the local Starbuck's while I waited for the flop houses to clear out so I could get a room for the night. With a frappaccino and a muffin, I felt like I was in Ohio. Which some tourists would whine about , but I was lapping it up like a slurpee. After all, I wasn't on vacation from Akron, I was on vacation from Hanoi, a sadly slurpee-less land, and I was loving it.<br /><br />Khao San Road is the main hub of the banana pancake trail, trustafarian set. It's like that street with all the bars in any college town, but on an international level.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2xaMageRXNm9R3sAnxap89EylrbYDJxkrTrppR3ER3-kXVunnG-xsrvqMjmEa0Zh6nyQIphgd6jc5xPDtipHagc16Jym_AXTwmNEWm0eYFt6qO35Lf-6ho-8Wo0YsBPMzDrOkCu9gqU/s1600-h/101_4366.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2xaMageRXNm9R3sAnxap89EylrbYDJxkrTrppR3ER3-kXVunnG-xsrvqMjmEa0Zh6nyQIphgd6jc5xPDtipHagc16Jym_AXTwmNEWm0eYFt6qO35Lf-6ho-8Wo0YsBPMzDrOkCu9gqU/s400/101_4366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297813299105629986" border="0" /></a>T-shirts and black market cd shops line the streets along with all sorts of random gift shops and restaurants. There was one vendor that was selling nothing but plastic lizards and fake poo. They knew their demographic.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vQVDSzvuBNa0BuQypqgTFq333ZIjI_fKpzO3oSmm-MXJAiUQIH-ehDv8M8udCHDN5TMf9Ac5FOfrn2nNjPoWwL_j6lSQTPVXIx9rmFg0V8B32K2ZbJC2dUlUjFR3mH_E6qzuyQglj5g/s1600-h/101_4356.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vQVDSzvuBNa0BuQypqgTFq333ZIjI_fKpzO3oSmm-MXJAiUQIH-ehDv8M8udCHDN5TMf9Ac5FOfrn2nNjPoWwL_j6lSQTPVXIx9rmFg0V8B32K2ZbJC2dUlUjFR3mH_E6qzuyQglj5g/s400/101_4356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300100743644279490" border="0" /></a>Elephants too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUK2ESldcbNwjLaEE0v73czR2uZjFvkbHdwHt6SSvV8IkYpflPprO1FhhzVX6HRjMcj1EH2MKgHFVAviDUD5vltXj9yyaTIhfCQUVROnRRt084hm2jz2bkOQqNjXYon8TKpjZ5p_K5Zs/s1600-h/101_4363.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUK2ESldcbNwjLaEE0v73czR2uZjFvkbHdwHt6SSvV8IkYpflPprO1FhhzVX6HRjMcj1EH2MKgHFVAviDUD5vltXj9yyaTIhfCQUVROnRRt084hm2jz2bkOQqNjXYon8TKpjZ5p_K5Zs/s400/101_4363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297813289092485970" border="0" /></a>It was a great place to spend a day, but afterward I was ready to get back to Hanoi.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-23962674373131029712009-01-16T04:32:00.000-08:002010-06-24T08:44:42.391-07:00More MotorbikesI don't know why, but Blogger wouldn't let me use it for a while. And I don't know why I can use it again now. But I'm behind in my posts. So have a look at this. More motorbikes!<br /><br />I'm still surprised by what people will do/put on a motorbike here.<br /><br />Trees...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcWjwHjB6MeMQvl5IShPPCWliM3xQN9IFQ9hrLDOE5YdeDz8WhPrnzXwkHVVfC3e76EjaEDaZ4Vd9gowcY838XIDuQ9Y0-Ztxko2ccyIG-lR_RL8Yaw1VQAj1GRvPDq8DeDOTSGonZ1A/s1600-h/trees.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcWjwHjB6MeMQvl5IShPPCWliM3xQN9IFQ9hrLDOE5YdeDz8WhPrnzXwkHVVfC3e76EjaEDaZ4Vd9gowcY838XIDuQ9Y0-Ztxko2ccyIG-lR_RL8Yaw1VQAj1GRvPDq8DeDOTSGonZ1A/s400/trees.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291871001970407170" border="0" /></a>AK-47's...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfLfWKTMYw_NkKoQ4A4JIw-r_UgQu8SMn83c2VtPctdEfVZsCXeVHwYFIOsObvG41RvDXKHeHGJpOtzF6G_oVH6DvTTu6jcgnLJ7i3SFSrvsPfBI5IMEQ7Cz3e-mU3l8sBYhPuHsKsh4/s1600-h/ak2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfLfWKTMYw_NkKoQ4A4JIw-r_UgQu8SMn83c2VtPctdEfVZsCXeVHwYFIOsObvG41RvDXKHeHGJpOtzF6G_oVH6DvTTu6jcgnLJ7i3SFSrvsPfBI5IMEQ7Cz3e-mU3l8sBYhPuHsKsh4/s400/ak2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291869286046504562" border="0" /></a>And an entire bathroom, one piece at a time. Toilet...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEtvv-lQKkxc8SMZJ89fQlw26M6Ebzp0U5_KZ-lxC8nW9irtgvCUUaqOg_Owv62lT8LfzXBLOJ_umZF9QMYTd81CnjF2n_8jOrsqRKy9NX7gJoMGSkger5yRrAuKjnfAz2rH3SJmfIAw/s1600-h/toilet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEtvv-lQKkxc8SMZJ89fQlw26M6Ebzp0U5_KZ-lxC8nW9irtgvCUUaqOg_Owv62lT8LfzXBLOJ_umZF9QMYTd81CnjF2n_8jOrsqRKy9NX7gJoMGSkger5yRrAuKjnfAz2rH3SJmfIAw/s400/toilet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291870995991588802" border="0" /></a>...glass cabinets...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhE1ww59MTiGXrtDm0Qj8XBWZwdWDre7jltHZc4dQc1FG9M0e3q5ctyNcUDLLJYyt1Fbc7jHJRACT1TqNs9-DUF6AEMOorryadr3GC6CBmK2In5ubvoxpdm_gUn05NqTOQQdpTU0WweY/s1600-h/glass+cabinets.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhE1ww59MTiGXrtDm0Qj8XBWZwdWDre7jltHZc4dQc1FG9M0e3q5ctyNcUDLLJYyt1Fbc7jHJRACT1TqNs9-DUF6AEMOorryadr3GC6CBmK2In5ubvoxpdm_gUn05NqTOQQdpTU0WweY/s400/glass+cabinets.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291870970958336146" border="0" /></a>...bathtub...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80mqArUn4Q19ErwZICrP8jLb5E8x6o4a95aWUySQ0Q2YPEseXbyOPApFy1a5OafW7UOWPTSA2Q7uBxvgwUQq6m5v9A53dHwj0EgjNuX_SAwZD0GFZt-Dgazwr9ylEqJj7CLUqstF_tG8/s1600-h/bathtub.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80mqArUn4Q19ErwZICrP8jLb5E8x6o4a95aWUySQ0Q2YPEseXbyOPApFy1a5OafW7UOWPTSA2Q7uBxvgwUQq6m5v9A53dHwj0EgjNuX_SAwZD0GFZt-Dgazwr9ylEqJj7CLUqstF_tG8/s400/bathtub.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291869297625069922" border="0" /></a>...and the door...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZnNWz_iyDHQh7m81O78Uf1RqWkDRUVSY5ymTc6XtlmyNK_9cgkJwZZ2eUi9h0E7I9Slrf_6a7axP4qkhok_x1uGcEniqo8SRRyPbxnzqf2GKhVs4clfXAjSlam6dVOi45R5ws5Tvj8o/s1600-h/door.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZnNWz_iyDHQh7m81O78Uf1RqWkDRUVSY5ymTc6XtlmyNK_9cgkJwZZ2eUi9h0E7I9Slrf_6a7axP4qkhok_x1uGcEniqo8SRRyPbxnzqf2GKhVs4clfXAjSlam6dVOi45R5ws5Tvj8o/s400/door.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291869309137339714" border="0" /></a>This guy seems to have worked out some kind of airbag system for himself.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_GFqWjFkGUxeXB6mP-TKuMDA3z7e2IrkUFBlrZewhAzkcPTlfH5TqHXW9eNuZUAKcid5qHb-r1_NOyNDPUsr0JfP8n420VbkEyfWGwcNPn8Sls7Xxi160BdJv_XWPcQ7RimHTigq17c/s1600-h/airbags.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_GFqWjFkGUxeXB6mP-TKuMDA3z7e2IrkUFBlrZewhAzkcPTlfH5TqHXW9eNuZUAKcid5qHb-r1_NOyNDPUsr0JfP8n420VbkEyfWGwcNPn8Sls7Xxi160BdJv_XWPcQ7RimHTigq17c/s400/airbags.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291869289839350770" border="0" /></a>This guy looks like he's taking his dogs to the vet. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it didn't look like they were going to make it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvg9r2dxqrkjqN706mrTHDjPWDPCtgUggrwFjn1vRLKriUwfYly6nGYL66gsvcGJNLgMwQPO97_At16ZDbMVaNmLlH2IWGQx4WOCeXwo4DrDnSBqR8eO5EKhI4R4ZMwKRrIhhBpLhP0Y/s1600-h/dogs.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvg9r2dxqrkjqN706mrTHDjPWDPCtgUggrwFjn1vRLKriUwfYly6nGYL66gsvcGJNLgMwQPO97_At16ZDbMVaNmLlH2IWGQx4WOCeXwo4DrDnSBqR8eO5EKhI4R4ZMwKRrIhhBpLhP0Y/s400/dogs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291869304500367474" border="0" /></a>But there were four guys in a row, all with pigs on their bikes. They looked healthy as could be. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdx8fNeSTfBiKFNF1iD1ohnSHo_vVbSnxksv_9Vipv8p5lJx7_Hwv3HkeoHLoljWiF9zI1vmhf4iLkhvYSblgPeJwHTIMF-zgBYNw8nfpP2Gb6o1Iz3rGpPidUFvpuERo0N4U85xq4Z9g/s1600-h/pig+parade.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdx8fNeSTfBiKFNF1iD1ohnSHo_vVbSnxksv_9Vipv8p5lJx7_Hwv3HkeoHLoljWiF9zI1vmhf4iLkhvYSblgPeJwHTIMF-zgBYNw8nfpP2Gb6o1Iz3rGpPidUFvpuERo0N4U85xq4Z9g/s400/pig+parade.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291870987152807474" border="0" /></a>Don't worry guys, I'm sure they're just taking you in for a regular check up.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNbbP_spficI75uQjjic4jbuuvl8rLi1WlEs-ikRKjb2NEevnZcp-eEtOq8GIIGgBZESZQf5E7Dq_d_cpzUVcMU25wCBi56l_47fEmBFrIvfQyP_a8iAnVU0xDTE1j9WKOr2YQQVewTo/s1600-h/little+piggy+went.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNbbP_spficI75uQjjic4jbuuvl8rLi1WlEs-ikRKjb2NEevnZcp-eEtOq8GIIGgBZESZQf5E7Dq_d_cpzUVcMU25wCBi56l_47fEmBFrIvfQyP_a8iAnVU0xDTE1j9WKOr2YQQVewTo/s400/little+piggy+went.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291870980541498594" border="0" /></a>Aren't they cute?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-26702917083243233862008-12-28T08:46:00.001-08:002009-01-03T02:38:27.345-08:00Vietnam Vo Dich!!!New Year's was fun. It's a bigger deal than Christmas around here. There aren't as many decorations, but there are a lot more closed businesses.<br /><br />But what's even bigger is when Vietnam wins Thailand for the AFF Cup. It's hard to desribe what a big deal this is. I watched the game in a restaurant with a friend of mine who tried to explain it to me several times. I didn't really get it until the last goal when the waiters, customers, and staff all started yelling, jumping, and running around for joy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">As soon as we had seen the team receive the cup on TV, we went outside to watch the mayhem. All of the streets were filling up with traffic heading toward the lake at the center of town. The intersection in front of the opera house was just starting to fill up.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9n0ztnbtTiIHcnpUZ9NkQRT5qv-ZThtM4OVfUK_60OMYjBPeZ-gKHFHFdbHcgjys5venYXY6yrsQ00seTpRrEbwZxQSYiCa0h6dx6GJSd0KsSzMhYha7JSYn1hNTOtBHzVRM-KUPw_D0/s1600-h/float.JPG"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw_rT7jUWtx2RlxfFv5BsADFPN9wnltUObXZAD8hECTJktpYNdGtAspc51Zof8Zu8eoIpJ0VzJqpU-7TN6UtQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></a><br /></div>People were honking even more than usual. The preferred technique for motorbikes seemed to be one person driving and one person waving the biggest flag they could find. Of course, flag vendors magically appeared in the intersections as well.<br /><br />Apparently, this was the biggest football win in 39 years, so some of the young ones needed some training in proper Vietnamese style celebration. Here is a family of 4 on a motorbike. Come on, baby. Wave that flag!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ljkmtzXpZaif7G9M_S8vIgJ-sYc5k8uDd4-RHfV13KZBNyn_9Wg26ozi63gTZc-MSfbLvVfYO1e62v3Hd4sZSNIlc_0ZzY_gflFyXOhvGHO4WOKws4YPstx6ZdJeBQPzewHZckTypec/s1600-h/fan+fam.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ljkmtzXpZaif7G9M_S8vIgJ-sYc5k8uDd4-RHfV13KZBNyn_9Wg26ozi63gTZc-MSfbLvVfYO1e62v3Hd4sZSNIlc_0ZzY_gflFyXOhvGHO4WOKws4YPstx6ZdJeBQPzewHZckTypec/s400/fan+fam.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284884502023272450" border="0" /></a>Some lucky revelers had trucks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9n0ztnbtTiIHcnpUZ9NkQRT5qv-ZThtM4OVfUK_60OMYjBPeZ-gKHFHFdbHcgjys5venYXY6yrsQ00seTpRrEbwZxQSYiCa0h6dx6GJSd0KsSzMhYha7JSYn1hNTOtBHzVRM-KUPw_D0/s1600-h/float.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9n0ztnbtTiIHcnpUZ9NkQRT5qv-ZThtM4OVfUK_60OMYjBPeZ-gKHFHFdbHcgjys5venYXY6yrsQ00seTpRrEbwZxQSYiCa0h6dx6GJSd0KsSzMhYha7JSYn1hNTOtBHzVRM-KUPw_D0/s400/float.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284884494431139522" border="0" /></a>Vietnam Vo Dich! Means Vietnam is the Champion! And when they heard a foreigner saying it they went even crazier. It was like having magic words that made people go insane with joy whenever I wanted them to. I tried to use my power responsibly, but I did use it to get a good shot of these guys.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWjmPYT2CLLWAaihXxUQiC41BmEXKlo89nnu1b0KBXBtMhHJxAmg8UHS7Qv4SKZ5gU1j2X6M4Dj2KU4yvS7Sf_mqqtLBJ5gpkzvKKTu-TIttL-6Gkl6ywt-MDueUMpi8EaeYr0ZIDPAU/s1600-h/vo+dich.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWjmPYT2CLLWAaihXxUQiC41BmEXKlo89nnu1b0KBXBtMhHJxAmg8UHS7Qv4SKZ5gU1j2X6M4Dj2KU4yvS7Sf_mqqtLBJ5gpkzvKKTu-TIttL-6Gkl6ywt-MDueUMpi8EaeYr0ZIDPAU/s400/vo+dich.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284884509063161298" border="0" /></a></div> We didn't stay out long because my friend was worried that all of the streets would be jammed. We had to turn around a couple of times, but ended up getting home ok. I drifted off to sleep, rocked gently by a lullaby of honking and screaming.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-41233722969502127642008-12-28T02:59:00.000-08:002008-12-28T07:10:55.086-08:00KaraokeNo time for a real blog entry this week, so I'll leave you with this little gem...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzEyQpGU3ADUHlYz3vGhnwDwOuEYCqbOmElOXKysRnxvEwLNUklqnTO5UtYEpUC9UbKyuFJhooyts9PqMSpAw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Happy Holidays!<br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-26420644206103596212008-12-18T22:30:00.000-08:002008-12-19T06:58:55.655-08:00BRING US A FIGGY PUDDING!!!Christmas cheer has spread around the world, and Hanoi is no exception.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUbDllJ4MF1yxDZaPZ7uwjAgGdZE35r_M_eRp6Xa69oBlRHSFFPSTJWAHZjalXlM1PgtbIjRUvkNg4M0iJLUiBE2zemL4LvFJGw2mHZzQ9q9qFWpgAQ2LTUvag1AHXNOoHcQ9VbApNmo/s1600-h/christmas+tree.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUbDllJ4MF1yxDZaPZ7uwjAgGdZE35r_M_eRp6Xa69oBlRHSFFPSTJWAHZjalXlM1PgtbIjRUvkNg4M0iJLUiBE2zemL4LvFJGw2mHZzQ9q9qFWpgAQ2LTUvag1AHXNOoHcQ9VbApNmo/s400/christmas+tree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281406220855613570" border="0" /></a>I've been busy sending Christmas cards. Well, postcards actually. I haven't seen any Christmas cards, so I got some postcards and did a little cut-and-paste on them to make them a little more Christmassy.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup6Xmhf5jZwvjOX7EziXaycDrthFO1OqwlQdzNYNIDKE_LOSsA8HmlvFvnexr_35vd04Nn3c1dy_2JXLzVBCgSFMO6j7gVhI8llQNsD-ZBqbjJEiTgrPEmqHHFoxqGFwjKeKgKpM72Ng/s1600-h/postcards.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup6Xmhf5jZwvjOX7EziXaycDrthFO1OqwlQdzNYNIDKE_LOSsA8HmlvFvnexr_35vd04Nn3c1dy_2JXLzVBCgSFMO6j7gVhI8llQNsD-ZBqbjJEiTgrPEmqHHFoxqGFwjKeKgKpM72Ng/s400/postcards.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281406228722892274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygpw3jzQnSjryNRkOxovj62WnX4Vd4FFqvmtfrPXM1zrM3CP_2m0dttPocAX_eTjPMFF-SSFDa47mzB0_gOCmSXN3dUys4G5745FZa6PA-X3PdI6ukNdX1ENhRZrdaNEvgkFj8C_7fEs/s1600-h/santa%3F.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygpw3jzQnSjryNRkOxovj62WnX4Vd4FFqvmtfrPXM1zrM3CP_2m0dttPocAX_eTjPMFF-SSFDa47mzB0_gOCmSXN3dUys4G5745FZa6PA-X3PdI6ukNdX1ENhRZrdaNEvgkFj8C_7fEs/s400/santa%3F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281409576110255186" border="0" /></a>And the kids have been learning Christmas carols at the kindergarten. Here's there version of We Wish You A Merry Christmas that I recorded during class...<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz-QAm-hY2cS_wZa6YBwSuWBaO_Z_Zm9qYeJePeQR_5TusqWCfDy3pPIdT0yti301eTOVmxuHt_GJ7afW0pRw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />As you can see, they were a little distracted by the camera, and just a little distracted in general. So for take 2, the teacher told them that the video would be taken to the police after class, so that the authorities could see who was singing and who wasn't. It worked like a charm.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dymjQSSDU6fOAaaykxO8O97OUP_KxuDEeSVR5K6AaZKSIv6OVLiWR2pZOhMlB20jRpuB6ocGM6TrouwQiEXZA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />Who knew that fear and cheer were interchangeable?<br /><br />So remember, if you know someone who is a bit of a grinch and you want to cheer them up during this holiday season, you can always threaten to report them to the authorities.<br /><br />Merry Christmas!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-80911848327367713532008-12-14T23:10:00.000-08:002008-12-17T00:40:59.684-08:00Ninh BinhI got to go to a town called Ninh Binh with some friends during the weekend. They have wifi, and ox carts...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQF6yjnNGiAeScvNFuUAvutWmAL0POpd4IxlKjqpcN_pDaO5Tb-FdBstrKt80lehfNfQ2ObdOHcT1ty6ZR-RcijjHFz9iDu_t6ap1DlkH-ltpixkZbDi3nH80RY-j3Z1kRVCkpcqHJCgA/s1600-h/oxcart.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQF6yjnNGiAeScvNFuUAvutWmAL0POpd4IxlKjqpcN_pDaO5Tb-FdBstrKt80lehfNfQ2ObdOHcT1ty6ZR-RcijjHFz9iDu_t6ap1DlkH-ltpixkZbDi3nH80RY-j3Z1kRVCkpcqHJCgA/s400/oxcart.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279991121206189394" border="0" /></a>...and a lot of ancient pagodas and nice scenery. We took a bus out of Hanoi and rode for about 2 hours, checked into a hotel, and rented some bicycles.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Zp1db8zS8n8LelIQ5XfvfhFmIojRrIzLNMiv3uOCCimDWMjuLCeZ_TlXo86LnxFgRscVdxKDpBc2wX5C-x2-sFJysX7arJhpeB8vVcX63W2KCv3Ycl2X_ln26GLJq_BKxgr3zSM5cA4/s1600-h/bikes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Zp1db8zS8n8LelIQ5XfvfhFmIojRrIzLNMiv3uOCCimDWMjuLCeZ_TlXo86LnxFgRscVdxKDpBc2wX5C-x2-sFJysX7arJhpeB8vVcX63W2KCv3Ycl2X_ln26GLJq_BKxgr3zSM5cA4/s400/bikes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279923813862035858" border="0" /></a>One of the major local attractions is Tam Coc, where there are goats (that I heard are delicious)...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha95fxgms3R-9WpVE_70l8yFCnjPDe0rosNDI7jSIDXHxh59X9ww6l44h3Zb9TCiEEqoDd2h3U8CYreyUeqih1bloG30aEcFxw-PSHwrF8EDRNASjmn0Lh96onry7xlKcCgpJEWQhhln0/s1600-h/traipsing+dalal.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha95fxgms3R-9WpVE_70l8yFCnjPDe0rosNDI7jSIDXHxh59X9ww6l44h3Zb9TCiEEqoDd2h3U8CYreyUeqih1bloG30aEcFxw-PSHwrF8EDRNASjmn0Lh96onry7xlKcCgpJEWQhhln0/s400/traipsing+dalal.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279991145358223314" border="0" /></a>...and boats with elderly people to paddle them. They're actually paddling right through that big rock cliff in the middle of this shot...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mvZyG8CdRB9LbZXGpLOyv_zugt7ZX2d2CsZf8A79Ds1o6qfiX6RiG5KZLfFI00KFtdnxEMIvr9Xmdr8pPEPIrYNhgAh9Lx_TVPUFOdFANupUB7V_KyL_6NbZ59-SS3iIy1JpBEFTWSU/s1600-h/through+rock.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mvZyG8CdRB9LbZXGpLOyv_zugt7ZX2d2CsZf8A79Ds1o6qfiX6RiG5KZLfFI00KFtdnxEMIvr9Xmdr8pPEPIrYNhgAh9Lx_TVPUFOdFANupUB7V_KyL_6NbZ59-SS3iIy1JpBEFTWSU/s400/through+rock.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280034759810075010" border="0" /></a>...through a few little caves.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUtyrjYMoLFDJUokDKDAO5N5pzR6IWI_2a6VLXj0xNl555DV_1iefordW2Y9Cle8tzyHJA50IUwd1v_sjGmVHG9LU7Jc1TQtR7SxZ-76gxqi68vsT2m9HLNOfA6tZPnAiYTuwR2aoa60/s1600-h/cave+view.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUtyrjYMoLFDJUokDKDAO5N5pzR6IWI_2a6VLXj0xNl555DV_1iefordW2Y9Cle8tzyHJA50IUwd1v_sjGmVHG9LU7Jc1TQtR7SxZ-76gxqi68vsT2m9HLNOfA6tZPnAiYTuwR2aoa60/s400/cave+view.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279923822151332546" border="0" /></a>When they get tired of paddling with their arms they use their feet.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_sqREs4wk8SNCsaGFABfG01pbD2o1RlE_uwPqaYZQIM94vx0-zk_hXiL-pldl09eQhGH_GvgtyjcUjiktk_gTboo5ZKdnDLCn7qZMgMqMqSHhLw36bGH03Jel1wjORJ5SHbmFJ5hVGo/s1600-h/pedal.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_sqREs4wk8SNCsaGFABfG01pbD2o1RlE_uwPqaYZQIM94vx0-zk_hXiL-pldl09eQhGH_GvgtyjcUjiktk_gTboo5ZKdnDLCn7qZMgMqMqSHhLw36bGH03Jel1wjORJ5SHbmFJ5hVGo/s400/pedal.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280667076671939458" border="0" /></a>We also checked out some really cool pagodas, and met the nicest guy in southeast Asia. Who showed us around one of the pagodas, told us about the history with a little Vietnamese, a little French, and a lot of hand gestures, played a couple of tunes for us, and even gave some music lessons.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLuZbT9fRILBWKpdInooURFKRh3gcNgYkwFMFowqG5ZH0ZAMfjcbGWP2iGvqTanILdOdnnYM7oOJIP5gr4ErK0_fe90ALrkyCogCsq6WkWV_gZEJSFRsdxt_ouiwSnBmoxt-sgJVnzw8/s1600-h/music+lesson+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLuZbT9fRILBWKpdInooURFKRh3gcNgYkwFMFowqG5ZH0ZAMfjcbGWP2iGvqTanILdOdnnYM7oOJIP5gr4ErK0_fe90ALrkyCogCsq6WkWV_gZEJSFRsdxt_ouiwSnBmoxt-sgJVnzw8/s400/music+lesson+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279923835017660818" border="0" /></a>With all of that and some stops for food, it was a pretty full day. When we got back to the hotel, I was out like a light.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8zxNKZIjOkVk9X8zoiFCf0DpOJQswE3V4lzmSjgfTRPaEjWLn7uCWdavUIVRAOsZGHrRtm98DPNdBy7hPpxh31vKCOT7SaHYJ8uHBMxde_N9HkxzdXQ8W3q06ICFa27XUJwkMoP0Ykg/s1600-h/sunset+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8zxNKZIjOkVk9X8zoiFCf0DpOJQswE3V4lzmSjgfTRPaEjWLn7uCWdavUIVRAOsZGHrRtm98DPNdBy7hPpxh31vKCOT7SaHYJ8uHBMxde_N9HkxzdXQ8W3q06ICFa27XUJwkMoP0Ykg/s400/sunset+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279991135249199666" border="0" /></a>On Sunday, I followed Glitter, and Veggies (not their real names) out to Bich Dong. At least, I'm pretty sure it was called Bich Dong. I had some trouble keeping the names of all of the scenic locations around the area straight. They all seemed to be either obscene or unpronounceable.<br /><br />This was a temple built into a cave...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwEE2TU39DCtvzOu_ZKwd-s2liUhnKLJMmZeeRLSH9J9pI6am3pjj9jf2wm3hbDYAbvfeiVrDQqMPTXPvRDYhGc10wqOJlieCuGV9r2ed8F176ryJFzY_q9vK8W1DdSTiW4tTHng5pSY/s1600-h/cave+temple.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwEE2TU39DCtvzOu_ZKwd-s2liUhnKLJMmZeeRLSH9J9pI6am3pjj9jf2wm3hbDYAbvfeiVrDQqMPTXPvRDYhGc10wqOJlieCuGV9r2ed8F176ryJFzY_q9vK8W1DdSTiW4tTHng5pSY/s400/cave+temple.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280034772638353218" border="0" /></a>Shot from inside the cave...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuKDh5m2REIqslEpBj9Elh1-fcoXnSbdXBfJdBUR3XNfCR17nX7NtcWlgxXq4iH1vYF7iDkHJ3TYersOPaJJCxkzV8Y3OuxUnwKsN-SayRCy24wfBMzknGNq-cC0nG_wAnlD8_Q5swBI/s1600-h/in+cave.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuKDh5m2REIqslEpBj9Elh1-fcoXnSbdXBfJdBUR3XNfCR17nX7NtcWlgxXq4iH1vYF7iDkHJ3TYersOPaJJCxkzV8Y3OuxUnwKsN-SayRCy24wfBMzknGNq-cC0nG_wAnlD8_Q5swBI/s400/in+cave.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280034766822210402" border="0" /></a>And, inside the cave there was a passage up through another cave with a couple more altars, that led to another shrine, that had a rocky "path" behind it, that led to this... <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeRTRC7NHE08EvYVBB6WhaGKjR626MLlLgQKPrz8xw-Fi6bcHm_LvIwm-3LJXfNSpWfmIOwJcMB1nhRg9sbqcrBzh6OGNBMo_uI0VJURpqa0yLmr7mIdJyyckRUbT9y6syu1G_sTRB40/s1600-h/mt.+goat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeRTRC7NHE08EvYVBB6WhaGKjR626MLlLgQKPrz8xw-Fi6bcHm_LvIwm-3LJXfNSpWfmIOwJcMB1nhRg9sbqcrBzh6OGNBMo_uI0VJURpqa0yLmr7mIdJyyckRUbT9y6syu1G_sTRB40/s400/mt.+goat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279923826872490354" border="0" /></a>The view was absolutely amazing. And worth the whole trip by itself.<br /><br />I snapped a few other random pics during the weekend that I'll post because... well why not? I'm not paying by the picture here.<br /><br />Incense pot graveyard...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk0u7Hj5FVvJc7CQ3FsAgV4WDVCOStfzY1dL5A5UIqJIw9uUbrzK6W_FwYRSiuN9DO0y3k-2ytLmuF9dUlaZjVKAi8CPMUJRB2fRe0GW3FvJ8WvU533Ec6v-loKeNeADJi7CUCOTKaRM/s1600-h/pots.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk0u7Hj5FVvJc7CQ3FsAgV4WDVCOStfzY1dL5A5UIqJIw9uUbrzK6W_FwYRSiuN9DO0y3k-2ytLmuF9dUlaZjVKAi8CPMUJRB2fRe0GW3FvJ8WvU533Ec6v-loKeNeADJi7CUCOTKaRM/s400/pots.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279991128717497698" border="0" /></a>Bird delivery...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHHyVp_Jx0B1dHeqjPMVcGA9WzFTYAo6sNTB-NuOxKrSluq68Ami865-j1pE5USau4dnkHl07GuiHAujwM3j2sReDMDCM2clFSnpkxzwv9hZmByOBBQ6vQ8n5B-bnbmSuGh8kKOYKyow/s1600-h/birds.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHHyVp_Jx0B1dHeqjPMVcGA9WzFTYAo6sNTB-NuOxKrSluq68Ami865-j1pE5USau4dnkHl07GuiHAujwM3j2sReDMDCM2clFSnpkxzwv9hZmByOBBQ6vQ8n5B-bnbmSuGh8kKOYKyow/s400/birds.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279923817175590754" border="0" /></a>Can't get that in the States can you?<br /><br />And this little fella was our waiter. He helped us pick something from the menu...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreJjLb7RI8QnahZiqw0M_IX6deiBh1rUWDkiL6ISclkDE1ZmADQpmdlVgIotCTeO3JoXhRlDDuuVmG5atQIwFbYPQvVWvoRTGb5bA2AalSJsIpAU9BZftuK3LcyTyXgxyb7rXNUMlax4/s1600-h/nosey+waiter.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreJjLb7RI8QnahZiqw0M_IX6deiBh1rUWDkiL6ISclkDE1ZmADQpmdlVgIotCTeO3JoXhRlDDuuVmG5atQIwFbYPQvVWvoRTGb5bA2AalSJsIpAU9BZftuK3LcyTyXgxyb7rXNUMlax4/s400/nosey+waiter.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279991100082660290" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-21174551760947874322008-12-07T00:35:00.001-08:002008-12-07T06:33:30.054-08:00Attitude Adjustment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT0ZYZTK991TOkAEculVcyUJ3185wF4REtzm2MyfnTHS9U9cCpGinJN7RWbXIndtvKmoytogVAh4vVIW_O2gpqv8CN7wePpuvBFGhfBrmLivIR07FWsfWFschC9c7zk3ucCQn_wXcynY/s1600-h/back+seat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT0ZYZTK991TOkAEculVcyUJ3185wF4REtzm2MyfnTHS9U9cCpGinJN7RWbXIndtvKmoytogVAh4vVIW_O2gpqv8CN7wePpuvBFGhfBrmLivIR07FWsfWFschC9c7zk3ucCQn_wXcynY/s400/back+seat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276968855940430466" border="0" /></a>Unfortunately, my motorbike has been giving me trouble from the day I bought it. I got a flat tire within the first few days of getting it. As long as that needed to be fixed, I decided to have the tires replaced. They were due. I also bought the bike without working turn signals and wanted to get those fixed. It turned out that the signals didn't have sockets for bulbs, and the bike didn't have a decent battery in it. All of the wiring needed to be replaced too. I had the wiring done at the same place that put on the new tires. I figured they did a decent job with the tires, so I'd give them some more business. They put in a new horn, battery, and turn signals. But they lost the air filter cover. In the picture above, it's the blue thing just below and behind the handle bars. They replaced it with one that they "custom made" from a can of coolant.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPlavDYly-aJEVNtxq7DrYQlXyY1_ItAWmhwfQOXmKd7PoPHVBuPzEdhPCY1w7vnqHabr544XejJ3qUlFYEM9PE_HjH2AYx1NvT5WtHtt1B9Iscj0RB5HibwvNTFsKLoKxHQjcKko6tQ/s1600-h/air+filter+cover.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPlavDYly-aJEVNtxq7DrYQlXyY1_ItAWmhwfQOXmKd7PoPHVBuPzEdhPCY1w7vnqHabr544XejJ3qUlFYEM9PE_HjH2AYx1NvT5WtHtt1B9Iscj0RB5HibwvNTFsKLoKxHQjcKko6tQ/s400/air+filter+cover.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276969259991858530" border="0" /></a> Of course, the lights and horn went out not long after they were installed. Then, on the way home from teaching one day. I ran out of gas. Which was odd, because I was sure I had plenty in the tank. Luckily, (I thought) there were some corner mechanics right there to help me out. There are guys on every other block that just sort of hang out on the sidewalk and wait for someone to break down. It seems like anybody with a handful of tools can call themselves a mechanic and go into the business. So they put some gas in the tank from a jug that they had on hand. It immediately drained out of the bottom of the tank through the fuel line that had come loose. They stuck the line back onto the tank and poured in a little more gas, but the bike still wouldn't start. In hindsight, that's when I should have gotten my bike away from them. But I let them try to fix it. They pulled out the spark plug, destroyed it with a wire brush, and put it back in. Then tried without success to push start it. After some negotiating over their fee (shouting) I paid them for the gas and their work, and pushed the bike home.<br /><br />Luckily, (for real this time) I got in touch with Andrew at VIP Bikes, and he fit me in there. VIP Bikes was set up by Blue Dragon to provide vocational training for Blue Dragon kids who want to become mechanics. The apprentices at VIP bikes are the best mechanics I've come across in town. They got my bike running again, replaced the spark plug, fuel line, and ignition switch that was ruined by the dumped gas, and Andrew actually gave me a small set of hand tools. So I can open my own sidewalk shop I guess.<br /><br />Unfortunately, they gave her a look over and she could use a lot of work. It hasn't been idling since then either. I found the choke (I think) that is now being held by a wire.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb9hhVeaoYWXkRoZkGNT8p0GoAnPZCS9ymKE2YzDC_W3avd8Xmgi2IE6phL-HyTKMmPu0ARUjjBK_kVhumtQvSDP7yX8MBa6nQqn2aIXP1PDlldfeWrah-rtm_ZPwqF1i8N0e5oyRUxo/s1600-h/choke%3F.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb9hhVeaoYWXkRoZkGNT8p0GoAnPZCS9ymKE2YzDC_W3avd8Xmgi2IE6phL-HyTKMmPu0ARUjjBK_kVhumtQvSDP7yX8MBa6nQqn2aIXP1PDlldfeWrah-rtm_ZPwqF1i8N0e5oyRUxo/s400/choke%3F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276968858151614770" border="0" /></a>And it explains why there is no choke cable connected to the controls.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuvloVFDFm9_R1Y_Jw1xsWLpKFTxVbB2YFzbNR8Ac1x8YZpkHwzcSccV4wyXg0k9_J4tHjGxcfjdYWxVqtILMkY336_jlmxgA8Bf2xFmSOb94qBX3rJ-UqcKUqSBBjVP2nmLhZVFTiE8/s1600-h/cable.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuvloVFDFm9_R1Y_Jw1xsWLpKFTxVbB2YFzbNR8Ac1x8YZpkHwzcSccV4wyXg0k9_J4tHjGxcfjdYWxVqtILMkY336_jlmxgA8Bf2xFmSOb94qBX3rJ-UqcKUqSBBjVP2nmLhZVFTiE8/s400/cable.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276968865037726418" border="0" /></a>So I could get a cable and attach it, or adjust the choke at the carburetor in the mean time, but I'm not going to. The fact that it dies whenever I let go of the throttle has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because the ignition broke and letting the bike die is the only way I have to shut it off.<br /><br />The bolts that held my back seat to the rack worked themselves loose from vibration a few weeks ago, and I lost the back seat somewhere between a couple of evening lessons on Thursday night.<br /><br />So I was looking her over and thinking about getting rid of her and just renting a bike for the rest of my time in Hanoi. Or maybe buying something else.<br /><br />The white plastic fairing is cracked too.<br /><br />So I decided to do what I could to fix what I could the other day. I washed the bike, took off the fairing and taped it up, took the back rack off completely (To cut weight. It's really more of a racing bike anyway), and reconnected the loose wire from the horn.<br /><br />At some point, I remembered working on my BMW back in Chicago. I had to do everything out on the street, which was a huge hassle. If I needed to go in to grab another tool or something, I had to take everything with me because I couldn't leave anything out on the sidewalk. I remember wishing that I lived in a ground floor place that I could ride my bike into so that I could work on it inside. And that's when I realized two things. First, that my dream home is a garage. And secondly, that I actually have what I wanted back in Chicago. I have a great place to work on my bike...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXkyYiQvlyycnWIByXXYcg6_kapGNCsKZ9tYApXUhyphenhyphenbJb9AY4fnLwFh4UyWsGRQ2LMbQvDH0XZL8Nya4qtCTbHGp820N1Wj4vzz5kTgOiwbnRU_2HPwZPaoQwhnkHZi-Qz-GMNBETskY/s1600-h/garage.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXkyYiQvlyycnWIByXXYcg6_kapGNCsKZ9tYApXUhyphenhyphenbJb9AY4fnLwFh4UyWsGRQ2LMbQvDH0XZL8Nya4qtCTbHGp820N1Wj4vzz5kTgOiwbnRU_2HPwZPaoQwhnkHZi-Qz-GMNBETskY/s400/garage.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276969266334134258" border="0" /></a>And a bike that is constantly falling apart. It's a dream come true!<br /><br />When I buttoned everything back up the horn worked again, and as if by a miracle, so did the turn signals. So I've added a couple of items to my little tool kit...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFqPa_6ST4JxGmCob5A3DuHOMGxHo8E9xwzujSqsTRA2KCbI6MUG6jbmqcXlB-S74QQ35UKqNCL_hbHeLWY8HYDR6Q9WeLEm8MG8s0O51sWeynXVmvpSqm8apet768pP0J4cZR8CcAgw/s1600-h/tools.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFqPa_6ST4JxGmCob5A3DuHOMGxHo8E9xwzujSqsTRA2KCbI6MUG6jbmqcXlB-S74QQ35UKqNCL_hbHeLWY8HYDR6Q9WeLEm8MG8s0O51sWeynXVmvpSqm8apet768pP0J4cZR8CcAgw/s400/tools.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276968869554526274" border="0" /></a>...(the switchblade and tootsie pop don't come standard), and I've just decided to enjoy the ride.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7ajvlgA8hYs-KDFs1FSdovsHq4XHZyr9HpWc744s7WtzrT9_5z9OGsHrp9x6Y8hYwtuMWPpFagTF3kFsCyyXjFtaTmoOjGw5-FheukozH2-yZygP0qbpHfbd9yIiv6I1VwNHiZe9Pl0/s1600-h/bike.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7ajvlgA8hYs-KDFs1FSdovsHq4XHZyr9HpWc744s7WtzrT9_5z9OGsHrp9x6Y8hYwtuMWPpFagTF3kFsCyyXjFtaTmoOjGw5-FheukozH2-yZygP0qbpHfbd9yIiv6I1VwNHiZe9Pl0/s400/bike.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276968849181562354" border="0" /></a>She still cleans up nice don't she?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-30387877038300025022008-11-26T18:17:00.000-08:002008-12-02T01:45:59.347-08:00Self ImprovementThe place where I teach in the evenings has a deal with a gym down the block. We teach English to 5 of their employees, and we get 5 memberships. I went 3 times last week. I really like running on the treadmill because I don't have to dodge motorbikes. It would be nice if I could stand up straight in the locker room, but it doesn't cost me anything so I'm not complaining.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6Ym4Sb329OhV08INUFJ-rTjtvt0mvT2jxv2xld1opkz4xeCvPb_SvZLBEoM0H2IOh1WBLuBQHSG2kpmOhpa89B6YXxnPNoFJrgLKO-kngmI3qcccGP2NXZurRJvtpCnBRiU-USDnnvY/s1600-h/headroom.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6Ym4Sb329OhV08INUFJ-rTjtvt0mvT2jxv2xld1opkz4xeCvPb_SvZLBEoM0H2IOh1WBLuBQHSG2kpmOhpa89B6YXxnPNoFJrgLKO-kngmI3qcccGP2NXZurRJvtpCnBRiU-USDnnvY/s400/headroom.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273975422227148274" border="0" /></a>With the help of Ambassador Iroquois Dandelion , I've finally found a place to go for services. I've been going to a few different churches on Sundays and checking out this and that. I've liked a couple of the churches, but I've really been interested in practicing and learning more about Buddhism while I'm here. Unfortunately, most of the pagodas are really touristy, and local Buddhists don't have Sunday morning services. Everything revolves around the lunar calendar. Without speaking Vietnamese, and without even having a lunar calendar, I can't do much more than go to pagodas, take pictures, and be hassled about buying postcards like the other westerners.<br /><br />But last week I started going to morning meditation at a zen place that has everything in English. They don't have anything going on on the weekends, and I can't go to any of the evening stuff because I'm teaching in the evenings, but I'm free on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 6:30 (who isn't, right?), so I can do that. There is also a reading group that's been on a break, but I plan to attend that when it starts up again.<br /><br />It's in a neighborhood with some of the nicest architecture...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSPWJRYq23aKpot3vFUqTUtTEtBXL_cwuUWUNsJPHRLz5OAbOGZ1qrx3HCWYLgxpQUupoQEO6P8_5Ui5QESszS6lg7qOp4Avn0vdBe36RRQeEE6sktzqQWGYPsVPUda5I8QckE_c2BWA/s1600-h/architecture.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSPWJRYq23aKpot3vFUqTUtTEtBXL_cwuUWUNsJPHRLz5OAbOGZ1qrx3HCWYLgxpQUupoQEO6P8_5Ui5QESszS6lg7qOp4Avn0vdBe36RRQeEE6sktzqQWGYPsVPUda5I8QckE_c2BWA/s400/architecture.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273975782084380962" border="0" /></a>...and the biggest dead rat I've ever seen.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AeEtBoTS8tzhIX3_5Wr6XOh3QvfBF36OusO-vyGo2j8FwKa9duEKSnzprDdOFbdS3SY-qRSbAFjovmiRkWTLzOL-6MSTsKmv8RF_RtwQUWLp-wgPEMI9CvZwDaVb8dotGNG0ge1FIrA/s1600-h/rat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AeEtBoTS8tzhIX3_5Wr6XOh3QvfBF36OusO-vyGo2j8FwKa9duEKSnzprDdOFbdS3SY-qRSbAFjovmiRkWTLzOL-6MSTsKmv8RF_RtwQUWLp-wgPEMI9CvZwDaVb8dotGNG0ge1FIrA/s400/rat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273975775455771298" border="0" /></a>I really wish there were something in that shot for scale. That thing was huge.<br /><br />This is a good example of some of the different cultural norms here that still baffle me. The neighborhood is beautiful, but there is garbage in the streets, and there are tangled masses of wires overhead that don't seem to go anywhere. People will often hand me my change with both hands instead of just one, in order to be polite. But then they'll stick a finger into their nose up to the knuckle and root around like Bill Murray on a gopher hunt. Practical strangers strike up conversations and offer to show me around the city, but people will bump into you on their motorbikes and not even bother making eye contact, let alone saying "xin loi" (sorry). Still very odd to me. And I'm sure I'm doing weird and offensive things all the time too. I just don't know what they are yet.<br /><br />Getting up so early for meditation has shown me a part of the city that I didn't know existed until now. There are probably a couple of hundred people in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before dawn each morning, getting their morning exercise. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGf9gzDx1YYIy4IV3H7t9ZRtK2TD9qc-aadx_tIO6sENdkJ5AbKLcxBh1arrc2dQddCvHhulmwS_DbZzb4yw0rf5yPnfC8vnYVFSM-pCXgCKOibMkCDmdUrYcccmOGyyRwBDW-2TaDYA/s1600-h/HCM+Mausoleum.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGf9gzDx1YYIy4IV3H7t9ZRtK2TD9qc-aadx_tIO6sENdkJ5AbKLcxBh1arrc2dQddCvHhulmwS_DbZzb4yw0rf5yPnfC8vnYVFSM-pCXgCKOibMkCDmdUrYcccmOGyyRwBDW-2TaDYA/s400/HCM+Mausoleum.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273975431952616274" border="0" /></a>I think I only saw 2 runners in Hanoi before this last week, and now I know why. They're all done with their daily exercise before 7.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GisuGL2I3qLdz1BJibiJvRi_WB8L-iBUQDPv4hlKfqfy3ct14R9rV1PPd8YSLIsbm9bvtBjspampdX_TPSgM6DS1hjYU-HlPFaowz3dNpcyFALJ0BrugTWCuHmsXxX-svZl1MXIX6d4/s1600-h/truc+Bach.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GisuGL2I3qLdz1BJibiJvRi_WB8L-iBUQDPv4hlKfqfy3ct14R9rV1PPd8YSLIsbm9bvtBjspampdX_TPSgM6DS1hjYU-HlPFaowz3dNpcyFALJ0BrugTWCuHmsXxX-svZl1MXIX6d4/s400/truc+Bach.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273975435403537522" border="0" /></a>Through the house room mates, I got an invite to a Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday.<br /><br />There was eating...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs3O_cmsy-xf2cjmFxgsoHq6mNYEEsapNkP1NdNwTJAuE24Ey9ougJq4Nk85imcLeKkTDqjnDQkP64qGjWuo7VONe1KwUfJyku_5itsj7G2RbKQyoSgrQ5CSRv9GrTi6oFCS4TZ-kFDs/s1600-h/thanksgiving.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs3O_cmsy-xf2cjmFxgsoHq6mNYEEsapNkP1NdNwTJAuE24Ey9ougJq4Nk85imcLeKkTDqjnDQkP64qGjWuo7VONe1KwUfJyku_5itsj7G2RbKQyoSgrQ5CSRv9GrTi6oFCS4TZ-kFDs/s400/thanksgiving.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275123663027066530" border="0" /></a>...simulated dancing...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtrGKRbcbpox-UcF4j5PTOHSF-8-4NXHUdMSGYmzxM06fMZPq1rFRVDVD0PZGhsYwNmYqpXkLXzJ-nxjQWAQND55FJI8NvwrtYQctOgksrbiZn0t7P6c-U295sj0MbC0pBpdjuYkUuBk/s1600-h/dance.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtrGKRbcbpox-UcF4j5PTOHSF-8-4NXHUdMSGYmzxM06fMZPq1rFRVDVD0PZGhsYwNmYqpXkLXzJ-nxjQWAQND55FJI8NvwrtYQctOgksrbiZn0t7P6c-U295sj0MbC0pBpdjuYkUuBk/s400/dance.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275123666044037618" border="0" /></a>...and simulated napping...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXF2AGvWT4UHeHw9eWWI9BrlatvEAQqg1FvEOjKRuw0j-ma5nLCf1lcJybHmmKaRC6VVPUOy1VfQgxz9N1jgCSGkn26DBFvhZgwgjJ_WF_mqED9ltWz30U6JiJQl04-K1TjY7fvGPYbg/s1600-h/nap.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXF2AGvWT4UHeHw9eWWI9BrlatvEAQqg1FvEOjKRuw0j-ma5nLCf1lcJybHmmKaRC6VVPUOy1VfQgxz9N1jgCSGkn26DBFvhZgwgjJ_WF_mqED9ltWz30U6JiJQl04-K1TjY7fvGPYbg/s400/nap.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275123684763272866" border="0" /></a>Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. But I already had a great Thanksgiving in June, which included all of my favorite folks and food, thanks to Don and Jen. I even got to bite a toddler. So I wouldn't have felt like I was missing out, but it was still good to have a proper Thanksgiving closer to the actual day.<br /><br />It did seem a little odd though. It's December now, and the forecast high today was 80Ëš F.<br /><iframe id="AnswersBalloonIframe" src="javascript:;" style="border: medium none ; z-index: 99998; position: absolute; width: 490px; height: 306px; visibility: hidden; background-color: transparent; top: 3547px; left: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px;"></iframe><div style="width: 490px; position: absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index: 99999; text-align: left; top: 3523px; left: 2px;" id="AnswersBalloon"><div id="AnswerTipHook" style="background-image: url(http://www.answers.com/main/images/hook-topL.gif); width: 67px; height: 24px; margin-left: 25px; position: relative; top: 10px;"></div><div class="AnswersHeader"><div class="AnswersHeaderInner" id="AnswersHandle0" style="cursor: move;" handlefor="AnswersBalloon"><div class="AnswersHeader1"><a style="float: right;" onclick="var ac = document.getElementById('answertipClose'); if (ac) ac.innerHTML='close'; else window.status='close'; return true;"><img id="AnswersCloseImage" style="margin-right: 10px; position: relative; cursor: pointer;" alt="Close" src="http://www.answers.com/main/images/close.gif" align="top" border="0" /></a><a id="AnswertipMore" target="AnswersQueryWindow" onclick="var ac = document.getElementById('answertipClose'); if (ac) ac.innerHTML='close'; else window.status='close';return true;" style="float: right; text-decoration: none; visibility: hidden; padding-right: 10px; margin-top: 9px; cursor: pointer;"><span class="AnswersHeader3"> Read more >> </span></a><a id="AnswertipOptions" onclick="var ac = document.getElementById('answertipClose'); if (ac) ac.innerHTML='options'; else window.status='options';return true;" style="float: right; text-decoration: none; padding-right: 10px; margin-top: 9px; cursor: pointer;"><span class="AnswersHeader3"> Options >> </span></a></div><div><a style="float: left; cursor: pointer;" href="http://www.answers.com/?initiator=FFANS"><img id="AnswersLogoImage" style="" alt="Visit Answers.com" src="http://www.answers.com/main/images/answers-logo.gif" align="top" border="0" /></a></div></div><div id="Answers_frame" class="AnswersContentFrame"><table id="Balloontable2" class="donotmoveme" style="width: 480px; float: left;"><tbody><tr><td> <div id="Answertip" style="overflow: hidden; height: 235px; width: 473px;"></div> <div id="answertipClose" style="display: none;"></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="AnswersFooter" id="Answers_footer"><div style="width: 471px; height: 22px; float: left;"><iframe id="AnswersAds" allowtransparency="true" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; width: 100%; height: 22px;" src="http://www.answers.com/main/tip2.jsp?s=today%2520was%252080%25C5%2593%25E2%2588%2591%25C2%25B4%25C2%25AE%25E2%2580%25A0%25C2%25A5%25C2%25A8%25CB%2586%25C3%25B8%25C3%25A5%25C3%259F%25E2%2588%2582%25C6%2592%25C2%25A9%25CB%2599%25CB%2599%25E2%2588%2586%25CB%259A%25CB%259A%25C2%25AC%25C2%25AC%25CB%259A%25CB%259A&wt=1&nafid=&cobrand=" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div> </div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-6775020601595112802008-11-22T01:36:00.000-08:002008-11-22T03:19:13.092-08:00Teacher's DayThere are some things about Hanoi that I just don't like and I'll never get used to. For example, the traffic. How bad is it? It's bad enough that sometimes I have time to take my camera out of my pocket and take pictures while I'm slowly working my way through an intersection.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX9BpRooK2l5v-zUQa0jedSCaDLQuVF14HUlboq0_S8bgC-rqxs1g4LiKdcKWe6cBafyzyeCmYda5My1rcDtjB5r9X5hK6np2AnnW2IcYEyJiWLcKDh2KkKOoh2tR_zlqJ2cY8zaydus/s1600-h/traffic.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX9BpRooK2l5v-zUQa0jedSCaDLQuVF14HUlboq0_S8bgC-rqxs1g4LiKdcKWe6cBafyzyeCmYda5My1rcDtjB5r9X5hK6np2AnnW2IcYEyJiWLcKDh2KkKOoh2tR_zlqJ2cY8zaydus/s400/traffic.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271414399067328658" border="0" /></a>The only thing that I've come across so far that's really frightened me was this. Notice anything strange?... <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALXPO2pXo6_vOTMcDRPgF9v-ih9Kok5aMdZAriA9qmF2gaiGWaWsOvjZxASAHtx51f3wrbbGOgrG3h6fPDRKB0zpZalMkmmfvv4kWuE-AL-h4y75f-9E6fVFtv3CkDboe_oAkMjWJXIg/s1600-h/duct+tape%3F.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALXPO2pXo6_vOTMcDRPgF9v-ih9Kok5aMdZAriA9qmF2gaiGWaWsOvjZxASAHtx51f3wrbbGOgrG3h6fPDRKB0zpZalMkmmfvv4kWuE-AL-h4y75f-9E6fVFtv3CkDboe_oAkMjWJXIg/s400/duct+tape%3F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271414401330394018" border="0" /></a>All that tape and NONE OF IT IS DUCT TAPE! Dear sweet Lord, what kind of godless heathens don't have duct tape?! If duct tape isn't holding their society together WHAT IS!?!?!<br /><br /><br />Not as scary, but twice as funny is the fact that Vietnamese people get cold when temps drop below 75Ëš F. This is one of the students at the language center where I teach in the evenings. She's all bundled up and ready to head home after class. I checked the temp online just before I took this and it was 70Ëš.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98_RjqWyvIagEZvYPhPOJd0PkeZu3P1IBJJm-BNqjLwU4F60zkqRKuF-eIoi16mVbLuu7w2oJxxxvW4Iz4X63oZmdbafmK7SrK71d5ZHniSDqH2YC1xrlEkLkXSTWxpSAP4HUPYLHZfw/s1600-h/snacks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98_RjqWyvIagEZvYPhPOJd0PkeZu3P1IBJJm-BNqjLwU4F60zkqRKuF-eIoi16mVbLuu7w2oJxxxvW4Iz4X63oZmdbafmK7SrK71d5ZHniSDqH2YC1xrlEkLkXSTWxpSAP4HUPYLHZfw/s400/snacks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271414412465998754" border="0" /></a>Though, she does have snacks in both hands. Which is kind of nice.<br /><br />Another nice thing they have here is Teacher's Day. It's a pretty serious holiday for these folks. They give gifts to teachers and some people even visit old teachers to pay their respects. I got a couple of plates from two of my favorite students at Blue Dragon.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKsY1k0Aj7tnAL0Bn3E8CTew-yRJ7Ctf439KlNVnRv9JzJa7TFgVg9HNU19pdxwhQ4RWtmlJTfiQkf6EgKkS-ssvYQ0h3nsAmtzFykXH67AAPqlgJ1LPKnLNoem14ImVf2N8tBP_65JY/s1600-h/plates.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKsY1k0Aj7tnAL0Bn3E8CTew-yRJ7Ctf439KlNVnRv9JzJa7TFgVg9HNU19pdxwhQ4RWtmlJTfiQkf6EgKkS-ssvYQ0h3nsAmtzFykXH67AAPqlgJ1LPKnLNoem14ImVf2N8tBP_65JY/s400/plates.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271414417512687922" border="0" /></a>(I made the aluminum foil candle holder myself. If you like it, make me an offer.)<br /><br />And I got flowers from a couple of my other students. Which was pretty nice.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnKz-Q44aLKE4eCPDIO3oB1mDAYEoq6a20WsL8XGy_5wCNa8vNQwKO9vM8UTDMMYIDxqJlvq46H3QCGq73k09TirpSpbKjOO8Ht7Fuvnj6sxcNCu_AlHh8T8EmN90ULfep2NLcS0Fo3Q/s1600-h/Miss+Bangs.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnKz-Q44aLKE4eCPDIO3oB1mDAYEoq6a20WsL8XGy_5wCNa8vNQwKO9vM8UTDMMYIDxqJlvq46H3QCGq73k09TirpSpbKjOO8Ht7Fuvnj6sxcNCu_AlHh8T8EmN90ULfep2NLcS0Fo3Q/s400/Miss+Bangs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271414425160793602" border="0" /></a>The whole thing reminded me of one of the teachers that made a big difference in my life back in the day, so I decided to get into the spirit of the holiday and send her a little thank you email.<br /><br />So just when I get annoyed with some of the less attractive elements of life in Hanoi, something like teacher's day comes along and makes me really appreciate the place and the people.<br /><br />And the food's pretty good too.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9Dp7F0unqK995Id4_5njI-guOEf1bfxkqb6isag7a12Oy1J2ROnFg-Q63_pabyNmJMxQn56rO7fIVuxGVac4mYGjijPexF2RnVM0r0uAFyHFsASjg3gymnyOKwGDt4doP0E6TeMg4s8/s1600-h/grazing.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9Dp7F0unqK995Id4_5njI-guOEf1bfxkqb6isag7a12Oy1J2ROnFg-Q63_pabyNmJMxQn56rO7fIVuxGVac4mYGjijPexF2RnVM0r0uAFyHFsASjg3gymnyOKwGDt4doP0E6TeMg4s8/s400/grazing.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271415894150560882" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-67481539562996404082008-11-17T07:56:00.000-08:002008-11-17T09:36:20.790-08:00Into the JungleThis last weekend I went to Cuc Phuong National Forest with a dozen other nice folks. We rented a bus and were headed for a stilt house in the forest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0um9nRTZCGWOvBA4iPdkyzT5jNQBiMEVlY_0SIcchrUBHDEG_n1NMmZ-1UviDimM8fp26jzhkcsECmeiLnSKVii6YC3ofJa7hxCUj41VN-fEUboadZkNFDvwvCsDFGVNhIvQbHlw3ADI/s1600-h/adventure+bus.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0um9nRTZCGWOvBA4iPdkyzT5jNQBiMEVlY_0SIcchrUBHDEG_n1NMmZ-1UviDimM8fp26jzhkcsECmeiLnSKVii6YC3ofJa7hxCUj41VN-fEUboadZkNFDvwvCsDFGVNhIvQbHlw3ADI/s400/adventure+bus.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269661981666660482" border="0" /></a>The stilt house wasn't exactly what I expected. The "stilts" were concrete, and there was a restaurant in the base. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfr4DYcwTA3derlX0wbLLRF5fEJ9NwoxSYWun-NdroIHX1HHhGHoPjszrL01qKfvnNQg7lDfzxRQ5DtlJIfSt4nPHPppbIhJwSDyIXFyowiw0GglnG-OlnlJeAY6lVLcY4bKur3JRRng/s1600-h/sweet+solitude.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfr4DYcwTA3derlX0wbLLRF5fEJ9NwoxSYWun-NdroIHX1HHhGHoPjszrL01qKfvnNQg7lDfzxRQ5DtlJIfSt4nPHPppbIhJwSDyIXFyowiw0GglnG-OlnlJeAY6lVLcY4bKur3JRRng/s400/sweet+solitude.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269664134220700386" border="0" /></a>There were also around a hundred young college kids. Hanging out on the garbage-strewn grounds.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvlvrOB1pBWBq203B_aCOso91EgWfmifl0w3RExShZPUFpD8_hItmIlU6J1itk3a6I0a5xuo_UyG2vg8nUZeasUdtFWm5YFjVNTK8CYy2cNe_PlOJwZXMc6jQjof12uM6I4_qeSrRv8E/s1600-h/trash+garden.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvlvrOB1pBWBq203B_aCOso91EgWfmifl0w3RExShZPUFpD8_hItmIlU6J1itk3a6I0a5xuo_UyG2vg8nUZeasUdtFWm5YFjVNTK8CYy2cNe_PlOJwZXMc6jQjof12uM6I4_qeSrRv8E/s400/trash+garden.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269664144380214658" border="0" /></a>Some of them asked me if I could speak Vietnamese, and when I managed to say, "I'm an American." in Vietnamese they actually cheered. They couldn't have been sweeter. Which made it all the easier for me to scoop them up and carry them off to my cave, where I gobbled them up like popcorn. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdNLYYIIxoQayPIMUILGcv87YDxpGe3-1jwv4fLDaFmuM8nM8Y2KtymoPl1kvScGWE7JbP92PakUP3SreYE0SrXyfzsU0eHP5DQkR5ROGJhoWt8gpHcKGV-3-F-A-AEoRFRHrTkVCTUs/s1600-h/frankenstein.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdNLYYIIxoQayPIMUILGcv87YDxpGe3-1jwv4fLDaFmuM8nM8Y2KtymoPl1kvScGWE7JbP92PakUP3SreYE0SrXyfzsU0eHP5DQkR5ROGJhoWt8gpHcKGV-3-F-A-AEoRFRHrTkVCTUs/s400/frankenstein.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269661998234682450" border="0" /></a>We went on a 7k walk around the forest, saw some beautiful scenery...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYp6sYrt7tX4E6Z0T9BT5mwJNV8Kme61hogMCtGoW-a3-fEZmIS8C5NYuTOGTjOEbXEfw8YkqTBcWWfBSe93CehEmQUlNOJo5yoLzrlbZcp5u_AiWUakAKeXxnqwL1-ISTotZxPg3JlcQ/s1600-h/landscape.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYp6sYrt7tX4E6Z0T9BT5mwJNV8Kme61hogMCtGoW-a3-fEZmIS8C5NYuTOGTjOEbXEfw8YkqTBcWWfBSe93CehEmQUlNOJo5yoLzrlbZcp5u_AiWUakAKeXxnqwL1-ISTotZxPg3JlcQ/s400/landscape.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269663226441748914" border="0" /></a>and got to act like Tarzan.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXbR119h-_8jyu6ZEjEtQaKmijHy6RSk8mlp199Y64po9w3xaafQjCiJBdBzF_6d4PLr6lP9VHGmRYG6cdsoKNihc61xqzMzEuHc1O7vEoZCu3L87MNsKYBn0wchXaA4XG32y6SMxDlo/s1600-h/tarzan.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXbR119h-_8jyu6ZEjEtQaKmijHy6RSk8mlp199Y64po9w3xaafQjCiJBdBzF_6d4PLr6lP9VHGmRYG6cdsoKNihc61xqzMzEuHc1O7vEoZCu3L87MNsKYBn0wchXaA4XG32y6SMxDlo/s400/tarzan.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269664138640270466" border="0" /></a>That night there were not one, but two bonfires. At some point a girl from the school group grabbed me and brought me to a coconut or something that was lying on the ground full of straws and who knows what else. I put my lips on one of the straws to mime a drink and thanked her. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OXOq2Q6xE2kW1Sy_0Gs5yAFSPHqjP8rfNW8ZzwJNHqXuRrokKldoSgckYd-0tJmrfVK_8DY59OUDKHnFXqihYyxOGlIclS5ZtbCReLhJTXYlSQ5DY5C5i32LjDNBS71HRYlkf2ObXLA/s1600-h/fire.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OXOq2Q6xE2kW1Sy_0Gs5yAFSPHqjP8rfNW8ZzwJNHqXuRrokKldoSgckYd-0tJmrfVK_8DY59OUDKHnFXqihYyxOGlIclS5ZtbCReLhJTXYlSQ5DY5C5i32LjDNBS71HRYlkf2ObXLA/s400/fire.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269661991627790130" border="0" /></a>The next day we saw a cave, a monkey sanctuary, a turtlearium (I just made that word up) a pagoda, and a church. There was a tight spot in the cave that was a kind of exciting.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixh_eh1lcR9Z7NC_4O5F7lizHkldv_ydt-dkoNlb0sAnJUK982A9xn4vyVS7LfZgWlq5qESTgUBMx9Hf4PyTezjUUFW2TC473fZBIbN9wSRWp6-Fpb4XnAU-QvOrrRTPZDKDo26OvH-JY/s1600-h/lil+somethin%27+4+the+ladies.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixh_eh1lcR9Z7NC_4O5F7lizHkldv_ydt-dkoNlb0sAnJUK982A9xn4vyVS7LfZgWlq5qESTgUBMx9Hf4PyTezjUUFW2TC473fZBIbN9wSRWp6-Fpb4XnAU-QvOrrRTPZDKDo26OvH-JY/s400/lil+somethin%27+4+the+ladies.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269663231137770674" border="0" /></a>At the turtletory (probably not a real word either), we came across one of these really cool walking sticks. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxQeZp2CFgGyHRm6nWHOTdpPAMaDhJEi7eR-LmqrSscbNhH4K-xBMiqSOcK0a5QHnOSWfPJMWpJYohVx0MKBPt-5McskUkg7bSjmIu203JoY-dKK9J4IthwUSEPYfR94bgnwnYMdklL4/s1600-h/walking+stick.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxQeZp2CFgGyHRm6nWHOTdpPAMaDhJEi7eR-LmqrSscbNhH4K-xBMiqSOcK0a5QHnOSWfPJMWpJYohVx0MKBPt-5McskUkg7bSjmIu203JoY-dKK9J4IthwUSEPYfR94bgnwnYMdklL4/s400/walking+stick.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269664152826056226" border="0" /></a>and then accidentally stepped on it.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSECziPfPVE6XFU794gLW9n65WIR8hgY3VFskJvMINC4dPZ5VMtwU44PetJ1XhieS6xYYMtQjswDuLjYoIuGUrYyokNvplZGlr6u5nPuJkyIH_3gYV6mK8w2nuafx4uaof9VvGcDHvVDQ/s1600-h/squashed+stick.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSECziPfPVE6XFU794gLW9n65WIR8hgY3VFskJvMINC4dPZ5VMtwU44PetJ1XhieS6xYYMtQjswDuLjYoIuGUrYyokNvplZGlr6u5nPuJkyIH_3gYV6mK8w2nuafx4uaof9VvGcDHvVDQ/s400/squashed+stick.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269664744052451778" border="0" /></a>Kind of brings a new meaning to that whole "Leave nothing but footprints" thing.<br /><br />We found a secret lair where we could take a break for lunch, make evil plans,...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT2I9svmJTF3nF_vPIKw9CX7CtTHhg94Zvzvxo8_N8B55DHzCJ16YH3STqJVEGA0pJWN2cXmDehdKlqygtKwwKQnsTPzYdEcH3VrvOC2pekkoH_zJB1c3KOIPDu7YEiEaLVOuocqldA8/s1600-h/secret+lair.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT2I9svmJTF3nF_vPIKw9CX7CtTHhg94Zvzvxo8_N8B55DHzCJ16YH3STqJVEGA0pJWN2cXmDehdKlqygtKwwKQnsTPzYdEcH3VrvOC2pekkoH_zJB1c3KOIPDu7YEiEaLVOuocqldA8/s400/secret+lair.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269663246197837602" border="0" /></a>get a Flintstones style workout...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXbjYEGmiIxJ3anqz6UFVHikefKrMdpezw3UAENmCVyzd38dTbCZPOEq5meV98O9sbRq-Y0VUrO93l3BTh08E4Uc7UoarVEs1QJYx543B3-xyBpOBazo3nZRaRbtB79_wgcFH479Ftcc/s1600-h/feat+of+strength2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXbjYEGmiIxJ3anqz6UFVHikefKrMdpezw3UAENmCVyzd38dTbCZPOEq5meV98O9sbRq-Y0VUrO93l3BTh08E4Uc7UoarVEs1QJYx543B3-xyBpOBazo3nZRaRbtB79_wgcFH479Ftcc/s400/feat+of+strength2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269663241935306178" border="0" /></a>and watch a preying mantis have a post-coital snack.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybD-dDsOjklxZT-BKTMqDjKopCqDCsUkWBUPLdNtZ2pLUgUex1lRp5M7zgSN5xWmndmTc9s0iviv1wE0QJ3yoWf_it4sUPvdfvo_QK35ZwZu957ul58b7abidcg4k_hjEAqFFsoEUl_I/s1600-h/mantis.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybD-dDsOjklxZT-BKTMqDjKopCqDCsUkWBUPLdNtZ2pLUgUex1lRp5M7zgSN5xWmndmTc9s0iviv1wE0QJ3yoWf_it4sUPvdfvo_QK35ZwZu957ul58b7abidcg4k_hjEAqFFsoEUl_I/s400/mantis.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269663236074419426" border="0" /></a>The last stop before sunset was a 17th century Catholic pagoda/cathedral.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihZKZg6lnI5Kkemkzp5elwwrY_HgRbGJjrh3ETuULU_6OnneXtoTU5NW4TJ9UUEKyZPhJwQgep-WteVVN0mP2Wn6s2DN6ud4IchvsszpBbmVTEsNCQc9A6-YZ1iezjINvrGo-nKlBvYs/s1600-h/101_3047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihZKZg6lnI5Kkemkzp5elwwrY_HgRbGJjrh3ETuULU_6OnneXtoTU5NW4TJ9UUEKyZPhJwQgep-WteVVN0mP2Wn6s2DN6ud4IchvsszpBbmVTEsNCQc9A6-YZ1iezjINvrGo-nKlBvYs/s400/101_3047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269679386726488642" border="0" /></a>Seeing the temple dogs replaced with saints, and the dragons replaced with crosses was pretty fascinating. The buildings and grounds were beautiful and they knew how to draw a crowd too. The evening mass was standing room only.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-62771773472404698722008-11-09T00:08:00.000-08:002008-11-11T18:51:54.614-08:00ShoppingThe flood waters have receded, I'm back to a normal schedule, and we finally got to have Halloween in my English class at Blue Dragon. Thanks to some construction paper and several pounds of candy that mom sent from the States, a good time was had by all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoYiiUNyWrd78WoZrP9e9LR1Ix2_RvCiojvxSDnGJUgKdp7jmV0GYVnts6o__QH_X4BBhDYAphrLHCTGKZ5LFYCV1RBbqNejFlpR5DqqIAvBLkhXD6YSycW9iML_HEDua02cBhIzTnFY/s1600-h/masks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoYiiUNyWrd78WoZrP9e9LR1Ix2_RvCiojvxSDnGJUgKdp7jmV0GYVnts6o__QH_X4BBhDYAphrLHCTGKZ5LFYCV1RBbqNejFlpR5DqqIAvBLkhXD6YSycW9iML_HEDua02cBhIzTnFY/s400/masks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266568970588859570" border="0" /></a>I've also been able to go out and do a little bit of shopping. Shopping is kind of a big deal here. Tourists love to shop in the Old Quarter for bargains and souvineers. Vietnamese people love to ask people how much they paid for everything. And expats like to exchange info on where to get the stuff they miss from back home. I got to fill someone in today on where to get full-sized stick deodorant, and I got a good lead on where to get tortillas.<br /><br />My dress shoes were soaked in the floods, and I tried to clean them up a couple of times, but they kept getting all moldy. I eventually tossed them because I didn't want to get some kind of foot rot. So I went shopping for some new ones. My friend Paul took me to a place where he got some shoes and hooked me up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAkJiGaxNhYj3R2Qaali7Z4qPwQLcUBXunDZ8TvfMJI8s86OU2pFPiM2Cc-kmMr7Cn5dOLVlo2DIqqTQg1Y3WPbVuNkjGxTNvEVFHIv_Hn5oVY4w6ij0nBX2N1zo4Aay8-tQOcremw2o/s1600-h/shoes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAkJiGaxNhYj3R2Qaali7Z4qPwQLcUBXunDZ8TvfMJI8s86OU2pFPiM2Cc-kmMr7Cn5dOLVlo2DIqqTQg1Y3WPbVuNkjGxTNvEVFHIv_Hn5oVY4w6ij0nBX2N1zo4Aay8-tQOcremw2o/s400/shoes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267415648253988594" border="0" /></a>They were 350,000 Dong. Which is pretty good considering they were designed by Italy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuGMNWiHkhVzWj68lXQ2l2TRv1fzwOQcWBHDgJFyW7w028af6oVA1Yc9noukx8p6SDyGqxUOhPPJOLZMPjgpyZfh_BMYch8yOxslofRZP1wZ-z91teKbgkkSsj4Ymc9wmRTjpwyUVi6U/s1600-h/shoe+label.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuGMNWiHkhVzWj68lXQ2l2TRv1fzwOQcWBHDgJFyW7w028af6oVA1Yc9noukx8p6SDyGqxUOhPPJOLZMPjgpyZfh_BMYch8yOxslofRZP1wZ-z91teKbgkkSsj4Ymc9wmRTjpwyUVi6U/s400/shoe+label.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267415650552512210" border="0" /></a> I mean, if an entire country put everything on hold to design a pair of shoes, they gotta be worth $21.58. Plus they're slip-ons, which is handy around here.<br /><br />There are all sorts of bargains to be had in Hanoi if you know where to look, and there are lots of interesting products too. For example, hygene products named after America's fattest president.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH1zpyoRQ4v15BAuYoMKRAOD2fb9hUv2bd70ovHPudEha0ofOgwaw76ISohQvASe2HU3BwDxlrSkIHanwahDcGFHB08u0pSN5j2dmTJrwpRHW5z2K2dcSAKsHJWVSgFitcPm59WE16J0/s1600-h/taft.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH1zpyoRQ4v15BAuYoMKRAOD2fb9hUv2bd70ovHPudEha0ofOgwaw76ISohQvASe2HU3BwDxlrSkIHanwahDcGFHB08u0pSN5j2dmTJrwpRHW5z2K2dcSAKsHJWVSgFitcPm59WE16J0/s400/taft.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266568962446222850" border="0" /></a>And you know how people like to point out that "Evian" is "naive" spelled backward? Well here they spell it right.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTe8TMIzoE22VzRbNv5Qa4WEUlHvoFVL-l774hx78M2UShL5PNXM2JsZ_FFxaNB9-0jrJJtYBO4KeIw13VBGaoJQ4fAm1oWVt36R4HISfO5v5XIISurZz2WIwneB33ykEoWT_wI1VBMI/s1600-h/naive.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTe8TMIzoE22VzRbNv5Qa4WEUlHvoFVL-l774hx78M2UShL5PNXM2JsZ_FFxaNB9-0jrJJtYBO4KeIw13VBGaoJQ4fAm1oWVt36R4HISfO5v5XIISurZz2WIwneB33ykEoWT_wI1VBMI/s400/naive.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266568961117553746" border="0" /></a>You can get women's beauty drink...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAPnN7S1zgH3ci2jTIdbXuQ9sxJ5oXjYwvb7LzJZZwL-ihZm3DC9nJhQ_IVLm0PvZEmR5TGFEaHm6_4gmmToVnepjiVhK3Ki0h-JS9p6X8vtJgq-3hkTKMRoN5ej-a-y5poyHHLkMS8Q/s1600-h/beauty+drink.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAPnN7S1zgH3ci2jTIdbXuQ9sxJ5oXjYwvb7LzJZZwL-ihZm3DC9nJhQ_IVLm0PvZEmR5TGFEaHm6_4gmmToVnepjiVhK3Ki0h-JS9p6X8vtJgq-3hkTKMRoN5ej-a-y5poyHHLkMS8Q/s400/beauty+drink.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266568956768864818" border="0" /></a>...young rice, green tea, and peanut ice cream...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKVN6gdMst51Gk-ig2r11KUQFi6kQlBzoiGTGg-TGACAflKqrVlfApm_zg8s2iEP5msDy699cm-rl8lSweYzA-alvI-j3M4bKLXNl2X4qSQYmJV9nTbFX92m_SYIYVkGs75c1i44I5N8/s1600-h/ice+cream.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKVN6gdMst51Gk-ig2r11KUQFi6kQlBzoiGTGg-TGACAflKqrVlfApm_zg8s2iEP5msDy699cm-rl8lSweYzA-alvI-j3M4bKLXNl2X4qSQYmJV9nTbFX92m_SYIYVkGs75c1i44I5N8/s400/ice+cream.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267380291449052050" border="0" /></a>...American ginseng drink...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQ1-jtJA6X2C9dB5rkwn7CG4-Amt6TsrPx5VPlc-pkOG6tXmjyI4Ts2WGhtVVyOlwhYkkpK-VAPgOr809KlssC0lgkMy-jAZeLn7m12K3yb6iUwKkPnrA6SPYPOdH-72M_Qa16i3XuPo/s1600-h/ginseng.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQ1-jtJA6X2C9dB5rkwn7CG4-Amt6TsrPx5VPlc-pkOG6tXmjyI4Ts2WGhtVVyOlwhYkkpK-VAPgOr809KlssC0lgkMy-jAZeLn7m12K3yb6iUwKkPnrA6SPYPOdH-72M_Qa16i3XuPo/s400/ginseng.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267415644147207458" border="0" /></a>...Batman 5...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IoDaVHm3vVVR-hFduWdgVY94W6HF8ibfyE4_NEXyrzzg2ATa-drl5ZjU_7KrS3NiQlTzDJTEmvooSYQPcmjkMmwkqs9VmR5jslu2B8X10N6E1Veuvwddm2v9l6LWhZEbs0SfpYq0F7U/s1600-h/Batman+%25.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IoDaVHm3vVVR-hFduWdgVY94W6HF8ibfyE4_NEXyrzzg2ATa-drl5ZjU_7KrS3NiQlTzDJTEmvooSYQPcmjkMmwkqs9VmR5jslu2B8X10N6E1Veuvwddm2v9l6LWhZEbs0SfpYq0F7U/s400/Batman+%25.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267380286991009714" border="0" /></a>...and moon cakes with "Chinese sausage", "fin of fish", and "gac oil" on the list of ingredients among a lot of other things. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eKMDU8mFEpKq6SQh3LgSaSoVlTKOFTb_kfbPRwK6hxiDdfptEsfJ3QC2Ks-KadrNHVARg6neBR8BtQgp_OJpyhwJ2n97qE6oN2LmB4eqz7xdR5TOe2ieW-p4qwCBx3zhbAL5RwTshlQ/s1600-h/moon+cakes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eKMDU8mFEpKq6SQh3LgSaSoVlTKOFTb_kfbPRwK6hxiDdfptEsfJ3QC2Ks-KadrNHVARg6neBR8BtQgp_OJpyhwJ2n97qE6oN2LmB4eqz7xdR5TOe2ieW-p4qwCBx3zhbAL5RwTshlQ/s400/moon+cakes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267380295084918610" border="0" /></a>I still haven't found any Ben and Jerry's ice cream. It's probably not going to happen. But this week I have found contact solution, my favorite hot sauce, and a can of cranberry sauce that I'm saving for Thanksgiving.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuvXAEaksmweO8eYyAhdFM3Zz9aDAb51fNrskzapME3glidRPIL9HbEKtaKD8nkeNxy3ZNdbLQunXZVWAZFoe09_dkYADx3Si3Y-oYawnn0w49DWjyaDoExITIshogwKk8XYQHLSn5-k/s1600-h/cranberry.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuvXAEaksmweO8eYyAhdFM3Zz9aDAb51fNrskzapME3glidRPIL9HbEKtaKD8nkeNxy3ZNdbLQunXZVWAZFoe09_dkYADx3Si3Y-oYawnn0w49DWjyaDoExITIshogwKk8XYQHLSn5-k/s400/cranberry.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267419023892494242" border="0" /></a>So, it was a good week for shopping.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-46257301136739926062008-11-02T20:44:00.000-08:002008-11-03T05:34:28.461-08:00FloodsIt rained all night Thursday night, and it was still raining Friday when I got up to go teach my first class. On the way there, I got to a main intersection that was flooding pretty badly. The streets to the right and left were flooded out too, so I eventually decided to just go through the water. It was over the tailpipe, but I managed to get through.<br /><br />I like this shot because you can see the traffic cop, in the raincoat and helmet, in the center of all the mayhem just waving everyone into the water.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkcN2CIXEbGoXqtNfi-637oOjRecMznZPpojmOw3nC936TkDq-NIxzfPLP1p9EfdgJiVHG1T7eY2emNTzSY2m__hVVoFTcj2Q5LnACeBO01frgLZgVaoO1LZOheQVgRxcCsDlBJtMNJU/s1600-h/traffic+cop.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkcN2CIXEbGoXqtNfi-637oOjRecMznZPpojmOw3nC936TkDq-NIxzfPLP1p9EfdgJiVHG1T7eY2emNTzSY2m__hVVoFTcj2Q5LnACeBO01frgLZgVaoO1LZOheQVgRxcCsDlBJtMNJU/s400/traffic+cop.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264413878595223618" border="0" /></a>Two brave students came to class, so I didn't go all the way down there for nothing. The trouble was getting back. It hadn't let up at all during class, and when I got back to that intersection again the water was up to the seats of most motorbikes.<br />I stopped for a while and just watched as person after person rode their bike into the water...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjsjnAZkG2KDCrLNxmybP0F0U5bL1LBLLGMGRTWmFEPZy3P1i6FqttKb32H1ML2gLuAvzXUtHI5V63KD1DlOhFKRpZAeY2anBn73ZTMSn9NYgIQ1qw8WBya2F5TCRsLy05CTbj86GcHw/s1600-h/2+up.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjsjnAZkG2KDCrLNxmybP0F0U5bL1LBLLGMGRTWmFEPZy3P1i6FqttKb32H1ML2gLuAvzXUtHI5V63KD1DlOhFKRpZAeY2anBn73ZTMSn9NYgIQ1qw8WBya2F5TCRsLy05CTbj86GcHw/s400/2+up.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264421394300313634" border="0" /></a>...looked surprised when the engine died in the water, and pushed their bike out the other side.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0J8pmo7Gx8TAkp8TknIywDHAMIPLUl4iKRsD5pCiTlTKeyYwIYjLcEc9cu4rtJOO5w9xHVt7-J0f4DF5sRrsSa0NzV2cgKxMPULtuCxynqQusB0WJfBnFDPTnvCy2kdhccXPGaNzQtE/s1600-h/pushing.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0J8pmo7Gx8TAkp8TknIywDHAMIPLUl4iKRsD5pCiTlTKeyYwIYjLcEc9cu4rtJOO5w9xHVt7-J0f4DF5sRrsSa0NzV2cgKxMPULtuCxynqQusB0WJfBnFDPTnvCy2kdhccXPGaNzQtE/s400/pushing.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264415520815569858" border="0" /></a>Cars and trucks were having the same problem by now because the water was above hood level. There were dozens of bikes on either side of the water with people waiting for one of the "mechanics" (any guy with some hand tools) to dry off their spark plug and help them out.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhFDYZcwnrvhjmlNf1TOg8gE3e-wZEKYMdJ0aNxdWLhfoMoe4kt982IwfECpmkKMTFFPlh44Ee0MvA1uR9svfsQNxqj0kOn8SPdf8e6FSN1xU_X90RE07ApVM_acuyT7Hv11f785dDSI/s1600-h/clinic.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhFDYZcwnrvhjmlNf1TOg8gE3e-wZEKYMdJ0aNxdWLhfoMoe4kt982IwfECpmkKMTFFPlh44Ee0MvA1uR9svfsQNxqj0kOn8SPdf8e6FSN1xU_X90RE07ApVM_acuyT7Hv11f785dDSI/s400/clinic.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264416310103459410" border="0" /></a>I actually saw a couple of guys with their bikes up on the center stand on the curbs and tilting them back to pour the water out of the tailpipe. As it turns out, engines won't run under water. A lot of people seemed to think that their engine would be the exception, but I wasn't one of these people. I went back to the school, waited a few hours, and tried again - still flooded. I eventually parked at the school and walked home, wading through mid-thigh deep water, along the way.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WeuiqmPqn6RAGiCDjWNvmZAQlBixtWrYowwgvZrJoOpeht546hr6LMIvA6sbKKaEoIAfPOYTHrLoinYHXh_gsYt06yxDesJgA7BlRoUppDD-FqW6uImr-ToeAbWuezzuolWaaONYQBA/s1600-h/petrol+bldg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WeuiqmPqn6RAGiCDjWNvmZAQlBixtWrYowwgvZrJoOpeht546hr6LMIvA6sbKKaEoIAfPOYTHrLoinYHXh_gsYt06yxDesJgA7BlRoUppDD-FqW6uImr-ToeAbWuezzuolWaaONYQBA/s400/petrol+bldg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264413888888211170" border="0" /></a>And the rain kept coming. Classes were cancelled. The office staff in the house where I'm staying had trouble getting home and one person stayed overnight. It rained more-or-less all weekend. the office didn't open Saturday morning. A friend of mine had her house flood and advised me to buy food, which I did. According to news reports 18 people in the city died. Even this morning I had to walk and wade again, but I managed to find a way to ride back and I've got my bike home. The worst of it seems to be over and I shoudn't have to do anymore wading.<br /><br />On the plus side it's nice and cool here now. It should be getting down into the 60's at night. The locals have started talking about how cold it is, which makes me chuckle every time I hear it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-10327801721751123242008-10-28T05:52:00.000-07:002008-10-28T06:13:24.335-07:00Postcard ExchangeOne of the lessons that I have coming up with my group at Blue Dragon has writing a postcard as an exercise. And I figure I might as well have them write real postcards to real people that can send real postcards back. So I'm looking for volunteers. If you have time to answer a postcard from Vietnam, let me know. You could have a beauty like this all the way from Southeast Asia decorating your cubicle wall. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZFV9sNAfyjiAwmcLnAB6N6xBSqI754MEcMnxQOAkSeAcqNGJmJAsXjIjI_-eQEoeQjPL42H1VuX4_jdGTQ3aHC5RBVzu2OdPKaS0jXQAEECW0kmGyXbY3WJDdr7lqivtJImF8JssdKk/s1600-h/postcard.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZFV9sNAfyjiAwmcLnAB6N6xBSqI754MEcMnxQOAkSeAcqNGJmJAsXjIjI_-eQEoeQjPL42H1VuX4_jdGTQ3aHC5RBVzu2OdPKaS0jXQAEECW0kmGyXbY3WJDdr7lqivtJImF8JssdKk/s400/postcard.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262189516538767602" border="0" /></a>Send me an email if you're up for it. fishercommaseth("atcom" -that's what they call it here)gmail.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-88542499681843025422008-10-24T03:27:00.000-07:002008-10-24T04:40:07.166-07:00T-shirtsI've started collecting pictures of shirts with weird things written on them in English. It started when I saw a guy walking along the lake in my neighborhood wearing an orange t-shirt with big block letters that said "PINK GAL". That's when I knew I had to start documenting this phenomenon.<br /><br />English is often used as a design element without regard to what it actually says. Kind of like the random "Chinese" you might see on a sports bike or a poorly thought out tattoo, where the owner isn't necessarily sure what it actually means, or if it means anything at all.<br /><br />This shirt was in one of my classes today.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2bunLDJ74lil-3PNj6tGwqi8PfNpkPuafR_pVxfOS2JbEkUGRwwfsRibN8NhzAoonJWp4kFQlUbwFH0hmTXIPgglzf1jNlILRYXKuYw724twWtLv5SRKcL3WNzkv653ak_9zxseEqEo/s1600-h/loneliness.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2bunLDJ74lil-3PNj6tGwqi8PfNpkPuafR_pVxfOS2JbEkUGRwwfsRibN8NhzAoonJWp4kFQlUbwFH0hmTXIPgglzf1jNlILRYXKuYw724twWtLv5SRKcL3WNzkv653ak_9zxseEqEo/s400/loneliness.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260670170614767170" border="0" /></a>"Popular Chemical Element Loneliness" So there are how many elements now? It seems like they're always discovering new ones. I can't keep track.<br /><br />This one is a little hard to read, but it says, "SPORT- UPPER BOY LIKE". <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOiWzEYo8iBCiKIyhnxlZeGWmRDbePVScMAuY5YXJalvBxDWSupClapEug3n7AgQnbOXgYvSqiPDyWgeIXXqj7RIb0s-Kq62PSxymwKiihaEx3_4ipkDX1iLg61IfVkmVdWkE0NnpZH0/s1600-h/sport.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOiWzEYo8iBCiKIyhnxlZeGWmRDbePVScMAuY5YXJalvBxDWSupClapEug3n7AgQnbOXgYvSqiPDyWgeIXXqj7RIb0s-Kq62PSxymwKiihaEx3_4ipkDX1iLg61IfVkmVdWkE0NnpZH0/s400/sport.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260670162080349730" border="0" /></a>Not quite sure what to make of that.<br /><br />I've seen a few shirts that have pretty clear suggestions.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfin-EidsGOK5H8RCGTaC6IazvaHojacYdWDYI2gqteBF710ZNtXAyTHkWGsP6ELcSutVRBN8Cv17GmXeaMOsDX_DgH5ghtHEF4vRWaude1bU8ZP-yFz-1tPg-cP_CAbXV67js30UhPs/s1600-h/premium+sporting.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfin-EidsGOK5H8RCGTaC6IazvaHojacYdWDYI2gqteBF710ZNtXAyTHkWGsP6ELcSutVRBN8Cv17GmXeaMOsDX_DgH5ghtHEF4vRWaude1bU8ZP-yFz-1tPg-cP_CAbXV67js30UhPs/s400/premium+sporting.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260670153317051026" border="0" /></a>"We suggest the premium sporting". But of course. I would have no other kind.<br /><br />The front of this one is pretty straight forward. "Kid's Nature" could be a brand I guess. Though, it also mysteriously says "KLW" in the corner.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguH_3RH2PhFciWBX_dQHSiOy5JvAks9ee85g8q4ZoBK59NZFSUYo_FtxppQ1RxjjCAxsJlPyKi4QwTzCRxnZyau_9Qb18yNatoF1qPwJyyHW4GY8j0XCUKkuZxFmLI3zhyphenhyphenu4eUS184Cc/s1600-h/kids+nature+front.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguH_3RH2PhFciWBX_dQHSiOy5JvAks9ee85g8q4ZoBK59NZFSUYo_FtxppQ1RxjjCAxsJlPyKi4QwTzCRxnZyau_9Qb18yNatoF1qPwJyyHW4GY8j0XCUKkuZxFmLI3zhyphenhyphenu4eUS184Cc/s400/kids+nature+front.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260669070699128946" border="0" /></a>On the back it says, "Let's walk in a hurry like me!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu03Ib0tS6jYRCZJXUxnAm1cyXwHTUPHztgio_yHmYq-rUm-EnN431N6s5t19tI67gAWSRBlNnBR3lCqIkH8WEVUHBKEysiRxtYELXUQbGZaI3st8YqLOEjtrkaJMNvSUP1wht2ptvlcI/s1600-h/kids+nature+back.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu03Ib0tS6jYRCZJXUxnAm1cyXwHTUPHztgio_yHmYq-rUm-EnN431N6s5t19tI67gAWSRBlNnBR3lCqIkH8WEVUHBKEysiRxtYELXUQbGZaI3st8YqLOEjtrkaJMNvSUP1wht2ptvlcI/s400/kids+nature+back.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260669076983606562" border="0" /></a>This poor kid is going to grow up paranoid that people are chasing him.<br /><br />I like PowerPoint as much as the next guy, so I was excited to see that they're releasing a new version called "Super Storm". I guess they've finally figured out how to incorporate police dogs into the software, which will be a big improvement. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx3Njp3cORNXWrafvto5LJ3KkWPllh7lQKxdXsiM1iO8E9NANC_AHiXAWe-mK9Qb5DsVUnkFkklIhJ-0Lf-4xYNejszdgXXo8qJMDzr4byBH1kCIYoNR9bdDv9kBR9K2xRSzKhkYbA_o/s1600-h/power+point.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx3Njp3cORNXWrafvto5LJ3KkWPllh7lQKxdXsiM1iO8E9NANC_AHiXAWe-mK9Qb5DsVUnkFkklIhJ-0Lf-4xYNejszdgXXo8qJMDzr4byBH1kCIYoNR9bdDv9kBR9K2xRSzKhkYbA_o/s400/power+point.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260670143427003874" border="0" /></a>This one goes into the generally confusing category. It says, "Never tasted, Pop Up, Cutie Friends, Bow! Wow!" I'm not sure exactly what it's all supposed to mean, but it makes me want toaster pastries.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxO8myNWvwdCUJv94FQqvUQJVZjbz7flYvxyx3NHWEVZeyiOxnvpiAyXkWKBU1SktYubohyKROPUJULhDqhYEkF8hBF5WK9s_ykZLupC_wOlUI78iJd8K5ARlitpbqd9Ptwut0a-KMfyY/s1600-h/pop+up.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxO8myNWvwdCUJv94FQqvUQJVZjbz7flYvxyx3NHWEVZeyiOxnvpiAyXkWKBU1SktYubohyKROPUJULhDqhYEkF8hBF5WK9s_ykZLupC_wOlUI78iJd8K5ARlitpbqd9Ptwut0a-KMfyY/s400/pop+up.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260669086186773922" border="0" /></a>This one makes perfect sense.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOozAatVFuOSMVxgYsPXnLsFcWxjKa5jWTgDpaFvf3zP4E9O5v6smZGbYz0FhW1n0G_nTMpBzsyJKFxnfKI7OSnKl8kpJYunxcT2eKY5LH4Nk6G4zYc0vO1p-4ANBXYyRWDzgTC-TCZ3U/s1600-h/x+girl.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOozAatVFuOSMVxgYsPXnLsFcWxjKa5jWTgDpaFvf3zP4E9O5v6smZGbYz0FhW1n0G_nTMpBzsyJKFxnfKI7OSnKl8kpJYunxcT2eKY5LH4Nk6G4zYc0vO1p-4ANBXYyRWDzgTC-TCZ3U/s400/x+girl.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260670166020742530" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-87515918764776973612008-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:002008-10-24T04:41:46.995-07:00ChangesI quit volunteering at Hanoi Children's Palace this week. Can't say I'm going to miss it. I just couldn't take the lack of organization and the unaddressed behavior problems any more. And when I found out that they hadn't been paying for the food and housing that they were supposed to be covering for me, I decided that I could better spend my volunteer hours somewhere else. Though I will miss some of the kids.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmkTHqJUKUv7J5_txHLf-jADE6H8Q84HxK00-GncIksBetk4oodV1gdpIT8XOf8v8Pa29iJkrY8Icj-CuuTK_Ch_juYfrIhMed_7gwi2IGiy9vseNicaCg4Fv2yp2m7yMF3WNnuZYHWg/s1600-h/vandalism.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmkTHqJUKUv7J5_txHLf-jADE6H8Q84HxK00-GncIksBetk4oodV1gdpIT8XOf8v8Pa29iJkrY8Icj-CuuTK_Ch_juYfrIhMed_7gwi2IGiy9vseNicaCg4Fv2yp2m7yMF3WNnuZYHWg/s400/vandalism.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258522886665981330" border="0" /></a>I won't miss trying to teach with this outside the door.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmkTHqJUKUv7J5_txHLf-jADE6H8Q84HxK00-GncIksBetk4oodV1gdpIT8XOf8v8Pa29iJkrY8Icj-CuuTK_Ch_juYfrIhMed_7gwi2IGiy9vseNicaCg4Fv2yp2m7yMF3WNnuZYHWg/s1600-h/vandalism.JPG"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxnEe34CHcZk1C-1JRyZRN5qbSP4zn3Xu9V74StUzwC2iEZ12MRjw3tk_zC_N2NG3LQtSXGixvfS4J2N2M5GQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></a><div style="text-align: left;">Seriously. I took that standing in front of the classroom door. Yeeesh.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I picked up a class at a language center that's M-F at 8:00 AM. I'm not really enjoying the early alarm clock, but it's a good place and it'll help cover expenses until I can find a few more hours. Once I do I'll be able to spend more time volunteering at Blue Dragon Children's Foundation.<br /><br />So it was kind of a weird week and I was glad to get to the weekend. And, today I got to ride all over Hanoi with my new friend Ambassador Iroquois Dandelion (not her real name) on our Honda Super Cubs and check out some art galleries.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJKEpgkKJjKheX1hgkxWtQeblv7UHGBFpB-pYUHn9UxDCpdVBlak0PzWIFtWCIvu3B56dOWFB9h5F2sn8ub9p2pGE6AaCs1NCpkrkByfCzsVz1J-lB4rlGL6gDPCkBxldGO6Ri4Prcqg/s1600-h/lan.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJKEpgkKJjKheX1hgkxWtQeblv7UHGBFpB-pYUHn9UxDCpdVBlak0PzWIFtWCIvu3B56dOWFB9h5F2sn8ub9p2pGE6AaCs1NCpkrkByfCzsVz1J-lB4rlGL6gDPCkBxldGO6Ri4Prcqg/s400/lan.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258522879115253730" border="0" /></a>One place had a photo...<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiF5CndinomPGnqAOTNrHQ2XHDUJcl4uyqTCJ9jyyubXv25QkxDub1HEDJRcboZFCWFOpBC0iVvE2pgvHiNSXacIBGt_eXfqbAa9ivwe4Br5lgSwYBWXTGMazlm4jq2PrYzuT2jBhuRY/s1600-h/silent+tankers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiF5CndinomPGnqAOTNrHQ2XHDUJcl4uyqTCJ9jyyubXv25QkxDub1HEDJRcboZFCWFOpBC0iVvE2pgvHiNSXacIBGt_eXfqbAa9ivwe4Br5lgSwYBWXTGMazlm4jq2PrYzuT2jBhuRY/s400/silent+tankers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258522874655388226" border="0" /></a>...that reminded me of one I took in Florida a while back.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBnNDJLcQHsEv-hNstazRnw0RE2DGn5aTl0sEy_NTLqW2xUOUdJbJFi1FlWmV-IYixdeSzqtrBDMw_boL3Fd_4SR4eM43jmd7YA2IYTcvUKPvkZDcIwlxymYv9HN1qc5vFdQvP0BAPws/s1600-h/FL+tankers.JPG"> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBnNDJLcQHsEv-hNstazRnw0RE2DGn5aTl0sEy_NTLqW2xUOUdJbJFi1FlWmV-IYixdeSzqtrBDMw_boL3Fd_4SR4eM43jmd7YA2IYTcvUKPvkZDcIwlxymYv9HN1qc5vFdQvP0BAPws/s400/FL+tankers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258522842582047682" border="0" /></a>Though, I went a little crazy with the negative space in mine.<br /><br />Some of the best stuff was at a gallery where they didn't want people taking pics, but I didn't have that problem at Hanoi Future Art, where I saw this neon sign...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF0kB2gykx1DBldTaC-n3wFWP-zRBEKzOyO_KkH_Hz4MHUFEqOKZ0NE1ysciI7rOL4vEyaiKqM3D9spge1oCsRvSpncQTnoCjxpwqPlH11eTgBsYGuId5GxBymsD5kyKB7hmbmbcVm1I/s1600-h/face.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF0kB2gykx1DBldTaC-n3wFWP-zRBEKzOyO_KkH_Hz4MHUFEqOKZ0NE1ysciI7rOL4vEyaiKqM3D9spge1oCsRvSpncQTnoCjxpwqPlH11eTgBsYGuId5GxBymsD5kyKB7hmbmbcVm1I/s400/face.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258522834312843730" border="0" /></a>...and made friends with Pip. Whose facebook page was one of the pieces in the exhibit.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8BY_galp4ClqJYQOSGdE-yCcebml0LR_UdTIdsygAmwyN2cpb25W9Ygy77w80kgm8VnIjtlwQ0HqxUKk5eVMuR_8QY0_Vn-ds9l3HemRzY0Cufkf7-_hmSY8eZV_du_he0w9UWvz7Ks/s1600-h/pip+facebook.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8BY_galp4ClqJYQOSGdE-yCcebml0LR_UdTIdsygAmwyN2cpb25W9Ygy77w80kgm8VnIjtlwQ0HqxUKk5eVMuR_8QY0_Vn-ds9l3HemRzY0Cufkf7-_hmSY8eZV_du_he0w9UWvz7Ks/s400/pip+facebook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259891336377770306" border="0" /></a>We ended our tour by hanging out at a neighborhood bar and trying to solve the world's problems. Her parents are both die hard Communists and their lives were profoundly affected by the American War. We both admitted to feeling some impact from the war on our own lives, even a generation later. Over the past couple of months I keep thinking about the fact that good and noble, self sacrificing people, with pure hearts and the best of intentions, can do horrible things. And I, as a person of faith, can fit that into my worldview. It's a big, hard, ugly truth to wrestle with, and I'm not quite sure how to do it.<br /><br />But just the fact that the two of us could spend a day together, checking out art galleries and hanging out tells me that even when the wounds of war are deep enough to affect the next generation, there is hope for healing.<br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-44396451119871819722008-10-11T09:12:00.000-07:002008-10-11T10:01:06.814-07:00Museum of EthnologyToday, I was treated to a trip to the Museum of Ethnology by a student of my house mate Paul. Ha, and her friend, (also named Ha), showed up at 10:00. Ha, Ha, Paul, and I hopped on a couple of motorbikes, and we fought our way through the crazy Hanoi traffic to the museum that chronicles the history of the 54 distinct indigenous peoples of Vietnam.<br /><br />The Vietnamese are a fairly slight people in general, especially by my super-sized American standards, but I guess they used to be even smaller. Apparently, they lived in these tiny houses...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYZG21L5YHyHka_t0y-C-CQytSGAmCVQtTfI1DPyjQlwzu5A3PNHcqHpedlwSM-FlHkUEBFcO_q9xInHlo7deVq4jO0JMD6bLPuPppiGqWP4-7JlYfD59YqeSNvgRsC9osg44AvEtJQs/s1600-h/little+house.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYZG21L5YHyHka_t0y-C-CQytSGAmCVQtTfI1DPyjQlwzu5A3PNHcqHpedlwSM-FlHkUEBFcO_q9xInHlo7deVq4jO0JMD6bLPuPppiGqWP4-7JlYfD59YqeSNvgRsC9osg44AvEtJQs/s400/little+house.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255931188282586322" border="0" /></a>And fished from these tiny boats...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9_W9PxY558q2sZ_Kd4hvLB-9cSpOX9A1UqFIE0F_jFVwd-RXFj7C8u0WdHSPeP88wk3A_tTcPIOHuLOEqK-viGXgq3mq8WtAuH5FAoCgJAnnfIqYlAPUAQeQyhtAtze8TNqQrgcpJN0/s1600-h/little+boats.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9_W9PxY558q2sZ_Kd4hvLB-9cSpOX9A1UqFIE0F_jFVwd-RXFj7C8u0WdHSPeP88wk3A_tTcPIOHuLOEqK-viGXgq3mq8WtAuH5FAoCgJAnnfIqYlAPUAQeQyhtAtze8TNqQrgcpJN0/s400/little+boats.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255931158095752050" border="0" /></a>They were probably around 1 or 2 inches tall. But of course, they use centimeters here, so that's just a rough estimate.<br /><br />The most formal people of Vietnam are the White Thai people.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0DOpvx4vNnWSEqIlluL91OzKLtxLoBUSm2OAzaR6X0oSpAdVITnrfLwwe1hNBe6LLRImcIKsFhujSGoWTh3BdARf5ipqLrJJeH4fXvg31N6Du3a6nA7kGJFL6b8pdUhZyDGf0gUBHzU/s1600-h/white+tie.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0DOpvx4vNnWSEqIlluL91OzKLtxLoBUSm2OAzaR6X0oSpAdVITnrfLwwe1hNBe6LLRImcIKsFhujSGoWTh3BdARf5ipqLrJJeH4fXvg31N6Du3a6nA7kGJFL6b8pdUhZyDGf0gUBHzU/s400/white+tie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255931201662882626" border="0" /></a>The White Thai have a reputation for being a little snobbish, but very, very dapper - especially when donning their traditional top hats and tails.<br /><br />You may recall from earlier blog entries that they tend to load up motorbikes and bicycles like pack mules here. They really have a talent for it. It's about half art and half sport. This bicycle loaded with baskets was so well stacked that it actually made it into the museum.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb_OvekYd7Qp6PHVbYzl9oWM2VkIMEOiMJ34ILhZnzWK0PzLOrmtRs9B1yaSubwvzf-uS72947FI_liz6g5lM6-jFFarLLcOB4MWZ3vzGZthrBllmLKHwyjYb6iyJ0Gk2BZNFqGRqeKs/s1600-h/basket+bike.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb_OvekYd7Qp6PHVbYzl9oWM2VkIMEOiMJ34ILhZnzWK0PzLOrmtRs9B1yaSubwvzf-uS72947FI_liz6g5lM6-jFFarLLcOB4MWZ3vzGZthrBllmLKHwyjYb6iyJ0Gk2BZNFqGRqeKs/s400/basket+bike.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255931143755406082" border="0" /></a><br />(If there are any young children in the room, you may want to cover their eyes for this next part.)<br /><br />As we walked the grounds we came upon some sort of statue orgy.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp8j-Y-nFmg1eGCKgC1kWE2juaM5A-pHwgc-FJEZdO6IHstb6l7u7iqo9lx4AMZuuPQmlCXs8_RrusjyOeGP7Ep2WIpMlNH148qSfGni6d7yYmqro15kUFpOnmZIe3Pu5qpEfCzbBspo/s1600-h/statue+orgy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp8j-Y-nFmg1eGCKgC1kWE2juaM5A-pHwgc-FJEZdO6IHstb6l7u7iqo9lx4AMZuuPQmlCXs8_RrusjyOeGP7Ep2WIpMlNH148qSfGni6d7yYmqro15kUFpOnmZIe3Pu5qpEfCzbBspo/s400/statue+orgy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255933248144943698" border="0" /></a>This one noticed me staring and looked like he wanted to beat me up, or worse. So we moved on pretty quickly. It was a little shocking and uncomfortable.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAfpVx1e3lflhnVuBvooCgh2tJDdu_zSD0xngU-6lWzsn1R3W-DnOg3BQifthzqFkRmv9a31OsHif8MyDZjvjGuyEZY0WnTRItAh1RPb0Z98B5xGYiPu_dUSOxqMAdyv1PAt9aYeQwdQ/s1600-h/caught+peekin%27.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAfpVx1e3lflhnVuBvooCgh2tJDdu_zSD0xngU-6lWzsn1R3W-DnOg3BQifthzqFkRmv9a31OsHif8MyDZjvjGuyEZY0WnTRItAh1RPb0Z98B5xGYiPu_dUSOxqMAdyv1PAt9aYeQwdQ/s400/caught+peekin%27.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255933253282246514" border="0" /></a>I was also shocked that there were so many things in the museum that you could handle as you walked around. There were full sized stilt houses on the grounds that you could walk through, and displays with artifacts lying out in the open.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEuS5bZj5tcjrm6NcY-uFPYUMM9MLMJAewPxs79ZVDZ1kWfgpKhWSykajB0gSsjy8ZEUpZ0klVYVX9ZRNc7aHenj4ETPl3on9ZPFksRDB-gy0Rn4D3Pfo6bxvIt9bf8K044l2j227lFY/s1600-h/free+pot.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEuS5bZj5tcjrm6NcY-uFPYUMM9MLMJAewPxs79ZVDZ1kWfgpKhWSykajB0gSsjy8ZEUpZ0klVYVX9ZRNc7aHenj4ETPl3on9ZPFksRDB-gy0Rn4D3Pfo6bxvIt9bf8K044l2j227lFY/s400/free+pot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255931209478695922" border="0" /></a>Someone's getting an ancient artifact for Christmas...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-22642606232753521182008-10-03T17:50:00.000-07:002008-10-03T22:58:17.290-07:00Motorbike Shopping/PlayoffsI'm looking for a different teaching gig for the evenings, checking out apartments, and meeting people that I want to hang out with. The time has come that I need more than a bicycle, so I started looking at used motorbikes. The first one that I checked out was this...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JcxuLTdKRorA5nAwodJGR8kfZ-mr0ajIOIHImTvNHqB3VK6e2CjeXrWQIrUXvtAn5xcHktNtHSQUpnafDpo2bMPjfPQHGb7Ir8M0gZvQwKKQG1e3i95G-D4Rmc-VaTY-BFzyPeMvfyM/s1600-h/minsk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JcxuLTdKRorA5nAwodJGR8kfZ-mr0ajIOIHImTvNHqB3VK6e2CjeXrWQIrUXvtAn5xcHktNtHSQUpnafDpo2bMPjfPQHGb7Ir8M0gZvQwKKQG1e3i95G-D4Rmc-VaTY-BFzyPeMvfyM/s400/minsk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253098454317864610" border="0" /></a><br />It's a Minsk. A 125cc, 2-stroke, Soviet made, kick starting, black smoke spewing, little monster. I loved it right away. But I didn't get it. This city is thick with smog already, and this bike gets about the same mileage as my BMW in the States, even though it's about 1/5 the engine size and half the weight. And because it's a 2-stroke, you have to pour oil into the tank each time you get gas, to be burned off as the engine runs. It just seemed like a little more fuel cost, hassle, and environmental damage than necessary.<br /><br />So I got this...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EByJGUg3OaRsk9Ufdfjr_0SZ63AifpSKr67T-MpE4eOlaZep2Q0jTgYPRN5DtpMw-jbzN0znLrPP7n-YeaOo10C-iHOf8zZ27XWe8A6XF-MSD4m7oaTLvkAKurJj_sTwRtOG2It6XVU/s1600-h/Cubby+Blue.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EByJGUg3OaRsk9Ufdfjr_0SZ63AifpSKr67T-MpE4eOlaZep2Q0jTgYPRN5DtpMw-jbzN0znLrPP7n-YeaOo10C-iHOf8zZ27XWe8A6XF-MSD4m7oaTLvkAKurJj_sTwRtOG2It6XVU/s400/Cubby+Blue.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253098450360656610" border="0" /></a>It's a vintage Honda Super Cub. A 50cc "step through". It's taking a little bit of getting used to for me. It's not a regular motorcycle, but it's not an automatic scooter either. It's a 3-speed, and you change gears without a clutch. From neutral, they're all down. You can come to a stop in any gear and leave it running and the engine will just idle. Very weird for me, but it's the way 95% percent of the bikes around here are built.<br /><br />Even though it's been repainted this nice royal blue, all the locals think it's ugly. To westerners, it looks cool and retro, to Vietnamese people it looks like a pinto. This is the Hyundai motorbikes. (But, if you drove a Hyundai here, you'd be some kind of big shot. Go figure.) There are still a bunch of them on the streets, Honda has actually cranked out over 60 million Cubs since they started making them a half-century ago. But now Vietnamese folks are into newer bikes that have paint jobs taken directly from the spandex pants of 80's hair band lead guitarists, and pseudo-futuristic designs with way too much plastic. Bikes that I would be a little embarrassed to ride. It's funny how culture affects something like this.<br /><br /><br />In addition to being pretty, it gets great mileage. Unfortunately, like a lot of things here, it makes me look like a giant. It's just fast enough that so I've been able to evade all the pitchfork and torch wielding villagers who fear that I might swallow their pigs and children. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCB2dvueP1dIAMXo_iDNXqOnVzsVOWF0_2z1eLUzvqjio57Gp8cbJuu9i0oURYYARcd6PY1fZF2rsdu8TobUmKmTxvyMdAOKZE8WLNOlBtyJaeNWYGNRDVTwyUH11HoI1a7dty2RbcPjs/s1600-h/giant.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCB2dvueP1dIAMXo_iDNXqOnVzsVOWF0_2z1eLUzvqjio57Gp8cbJuu9i0oURYYARcd6PY1fZF2rsdu8TobUmKmTxvyMdAOKZE8WLNOlBtyJaeNWYGNRDVTwyUH11HoI1a7dty2RbcPjs/s400/giant.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253098450092522018" border="0" /></a>And probably the best feature is that it's a nice Cubby blue. Just in time for the playoffs. I found a matching helmet that's made in the USA, with a flag sticker and all. It's nice to see the home country exporting something in this day and age. And it's probably the best commercially available helmet in the country.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1oiqMUFAO7k5SElVdVDak7MeGshyrPL1FW9yJItzUECBTXZNbFekhFoKFD0xFBoiHk-dx9EUBqNYBr-FnP6sLpjbbFd9sqogajLHmGLJTxGTqNLcKjeTH-kLgbHBu2ErWezYps3EEgQ/s1600-h/usa.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1oiqMUFAO7k5SElVdVDak7MeGshyrPL1FW9yJItzUECBTXZNbFekhFoKFD0xFBoiHk-dx9EUBqNYBr-FnP6sLpjbbFd9sqogajLHmGLJTxGTqNLcKjeTH-kLgbHBu2ErWezYps3EEgQ/s400/usa.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253098460610850850" border="0" /></a>I took the cubs sticker from my laptop and turned it into a batting helmet. With the way they're playing, they could call me up at any time.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wmhum_aecUyUgX0vsjrD0nn75hU3Q7CL5rRHXhoFa-QOtN6b5yWSpdN_-aaQcRN3ccResiOhXkd1aq98zl800Zmb9cNhWzAXBm5oxsGsf0j_huhoyhoO8uTNxGbnhmrdqsYBV1PmICA/s1600-h/helmet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wmhum_aecUyUgX0vsjrD0nn75hU3Q7CL5rRHXhoFa-QOtN6b5yWSpdN_-aaQcRN3ccResiOhXkd1aq98zl800Zmb9cNhWzAXBm5oxsGsf0j_huhoyhoO8uTNxGbnhmrdqsYBV1PmICA/s400/helmet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253098455896433106" border="0" /></a>I've been getting up at 4:30 or 6:00 or whatever ridiculous time to watch the Cubs play on ESPN Star, which is carried by VTV here. But the schedule on the website is a mess. Yesterday it said that they were showing 2 American League games live. I don't know how they were planning to do that when there was only one American League game being played. The games start on the hour, but the network has them scheduled for the half-hour. The schedule is for Vietnam, but seems to be on Bejing time... <br /><br />I know I'm really only complaining because the Cubs aren't winning. I even started watching the White Sox in the hopes of seeing a Chicago win, but that just made it worse. But I'm pretty sure the Cubs will win the next three and go on to win the Series. Yeah. Pretty sure...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-57517271753339184022008-09-29T23:11:00.000-07:002008-09-30T09:54:38.381-07:00Snake VillageThanks to some friends, I finally got a chance to get out of town for a little while on Sunday. I was ready to go check out a new church, the same one I didn't go to last week, when my housemate, Paul, asked if I wanted to go to Snake Village. Well, of course I want to go to Snake Village - whatever that is.<br /><br />We met up with Paul's friend from work, Ben, his room mate, and one of his students. This was our ride for the day...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddHuPdHgvhWrU3csVO38uwVigYGTfIjbVmlxfJDorGCVo_cg0VGcGcNjSBZm8AbnAb_oSZqbxMQcpzn-KIdx0Ysyp3xTm7Fizd-s-Hwz5MdOrc5ZtuAxP0STld4nlXZ5TZ_Rb3DzQh6g/s1600-h/ride.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddHuPdHgvhWrU3csVO38uwVigYGTfIjbVmlxfJDorGCVo_cg0VGcGcNjSBZm8AbnAb_oSZqbxMQcpzn-KIdx0Ysyp3xTm7Fizd-s-Hwz5MdOrc5ZtuAxP0STld4nlXZ5TZ_Rb3DzQh6g/s400/ride.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251704902579268562" border="0" /></a>Snake Village turned out to not really be a village, so much as a part of town on the other side of the Red River that has restaurants that specialize in snake. This guy helped us pick out a nice cobra.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-k4gzY68RzFbc2Iv9B5TTbFdGhZDPHBsWxTsMLxkF9FUGUMhqSmmQf6k6ONtjf9ILvZGsdkWR3b5v0Z_mhMGoLif7kzg-ZD9ao6Eil-6G3x8NWe8vDgGsLJ6bXS-5uLkPMvttln52qo/s1600-h/cobra.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-k4gzY68RzFbc2Iv9B5TTbFdGhZDPHBsWxTsMLxkF9FUGUMhqSmmQf6k6ONtjf9ILvZGsdkWR3b5v0Z_mhMGoLif7kzg-ZD9ao6Eil-6G3x8NWe8vDgGsLJ6bXS-5uLkPMvttln52qo/s400/cobra.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251704907080457602" border="0" /></a>They weigh it, then they slit it open and pour it's blood into a beaker with vodka.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbNY1oJnq0oc9skI3f8SzX9uI4N-ZPTqChp7Ubq7PuStJDbRrAhCM_S6ubjSWupaBwaCry4ARucZqrieNusl2lh-g2S9mFDdDFKdpqg_JvKBaHEpStwsKBO-849-kj_ci-NQA0XtYxy4/s1600-h/blood.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbNY1oJnq0oc9skI3f8SzX9uI4N-ZPTqChp7Ubq7PuStJDbRrAhCM_S6ubjSWupaBwaCry4ARucZqrieNusl2lh-g2S9mFDdDFKdpqg_JvKBaHEpStwsKBO-849-kj_ci-NQA0XtYxy4/s400/blood.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251704906326944002" border="0" /></a>The bile from the liver is also squirted into a bottle of vodka to make a refreshing green aperitif.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfaUP7rA01tX6lGROgIWUvC_cI-LPTUbC31JqO1MxwTwf6h4LD9ma2eJnwx2rShaLKPegEk7v3beJPFmGzEB2jqyz2nG-WbtAjZjtRm3tQFq_rVmmQPA_vsOxRMf3bTDe84Dxv_OrSo4/s1600-h/cocktails.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfaUP7rA01tX6lGROgIWUvC_cI-LPTUbC31JqO1MxwTwf6h4LD9ma2eJnwx2rShaLKPegEk7v3beJPFmGzEB2jqyz2nG-WbtAjZjtRm3tQFq_rVmmQPA_vsOxRMf3bTDe84Dxv_OrSo4/s400/cocktails.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251704910422173826" border="0" /></a>After that it seemed like the snake dishes just kept coming. There was snake soup, fried snake meat, snake organs with star fruit, snake skin fried like pork rinds, snake bones mixed with seeds and served on crispy flat bread, more snake soup... It was really amazing. I was very surprised not to see the snake's head again.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DcniQMb4PBKSNQy3F8lstE2XTMmXPIzGht4IzEKnUufiGJgPrOM5xujkfBKV3g-Fc-4SA-v9Bj4yolHKkzVzxmYzO4pbVktf9Tu7jYluzmdcTT52OqEc3xTxijJjvRYvMmA5dUQT5c8/s1600-h/snake+feast.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DcniQMb4PBKSNQy3F8lstE2XTMmXPIzGht4IzEKnUufiGJgPrOM5xujkfBKV3g-Fc-4SA-v9Bj4yolHKkzVzxmYzO4pbVktf9Tu7jYluzmdcTT52OqEc3xTxijJjvRYvMmA5dUQT5c8/s400/snake+feast.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251704910723629874" border="0" /></a>A good time was had by all.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpiKgf2x-QrIer3CeCdHRdcGwml6pYii4ESD4k3nJULlGT6gRXjm1bUsD0x7nd-eusPLjKVqmyAqvv_ZyFbzS31NBL21B5nLlZQ0ZfnF-NXaxIlAzA4xjHGXNSKZ93EGtZapLXQWkctY/s1600-h/feasters.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpiKgf2x-QrIer3CeCdHRdcGwml6pYii4ESD4k3nJULlGT6gRXjm1bUsD0x7nd-eusPLjKVqmyAqvv_ZyFbzS31NBL21B5nLlZQ0ZfnF-NXaxIlAzA4xjHGXNSKZ93EGtZapLXQWkctY/s400/feasters.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251706163280543346" border="0" /></a>Someone ordered french fries for me. After my seafood diner experience, I was more than happy with my fries and a coke.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7FZswgPhPdhvSvD_AkMD_Vv1fGIsl7c7Xqb6xa2PeMz5sF36QG0Epub1EzaLTxA5UK1QxiHKdPHhRUfxiSXDoPC0berJa4Gp1sLVS1EUtzNThEgfkoWm-6el-qcomsbrRNK0wUCvu7k/s1600-h/happy+vegetarian.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7FZswgPhPdhvSvD_AkMD_Vv1fGIsl7c7Xqb6xa2PeMz5sF36QG0Epub1EzaLTxA5UK1QxiHKdPHhRUfxiSXDoPC0berJa4Gp1sLVS1EUtzNThEgfkoWm-6el-qcomsbrRNK0wUCvu7k/s400/happy+vegetarian.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251706166895015922" border="0" /></a>Now, when you eat snake like this, it's customary for someone to swallow the snake's heart. While it's still beating...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwM_XKfea9ntX82V-C1Xk99nJalQpvv3SAvxVZGyRDcI1YNqm4OW9HvO7cUi0t-cHKugXuwAdcnXk3xVfpx' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Paul gave it a try...<br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxOdRkKBOMEx1iEc8cT36WfMXEVT9zuUz2v8za1A7NM4w_9Mx_MIByJuJUcqiOjOOLx90QbsbtQJWco0n1nPg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And he did manage to get it in...<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwhsYsFjNTCHUeJx5TaDfXaf_FO55yVPETlvou38O52Ux-XosV9lY_Wa1JfAnhyNku8FtOxXHdp0KpytP6A_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><div style="text-align: left;">He tried again, but never actually swallowed it. He swears that he's really going to do it next time.<br /><br />And then we all went for a little ride around the countryside. I even got a new hat, and Paul took care of everything as a late birthday present. He may not be much for swallowing snake hearts, but he's a really nice guy.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNs-YBa5xOCCAnnvTJsHGF0IbFg8Rs1RC4uZHfdVP3QWAwgWljMjTvQtVoCs8LdrgKjxfcoM9pn49WQ7gCp2WotePnpez44SczQAgqpZq9jNkAcPyP-K4Hxv965hBfaF5Nm1PnAejax2Q/s1600-h/country.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNs-YBa5xOCCAnnvTJsHGF0IbFg8Rs1RC4uZHfdVP3QWAwgWljMjTvQtVoCs8LdrgKjxfcoM9pn49WQ7gCp2WotePnpez44SczQAgqpZq9jNkAcPyP-K4Hxv965hBfaF5Nm1PnAejax2Q/s400/country.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251706173875540802" border="0" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-48501580431561279052008-09-20T07:40:00.000-07:002008-09-20T08:03:02.240-07:00Trees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC99hUyPEmNUC6aydC2mP-b21_P-oZO3O6XzbDCelC3bLaMO62gUKucWOH36j5vMW0UG0X_nSvJkrdtTXurSAY7zCevPyplU6Y7p3nAiWWcdufz0ilFJXM-4qM-PKJTVuVSuHAtxSpo54/s1600-h/dec+temple+tree.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC99hUyPEmNUC6aydC2mP-b21_P-oZO3O6XzbDCelC3bLaMO62gUKucWOH36j5vMW0UG0X_nSvJkrdtTXurSAY7zCevPyplU6Y7p3nAiWWcdufz0ilFJXM-4qM-PKJTVuVSuHAtxSpo54/s400/dec+temple+tree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248114391936507586" border="0" /></a>You hear all over the place that Vietnam's economy is rapidly growing. People here seem very interested in working hard and getting ahead. Some people work two or three jobs. And, even some of the trees here have jobs.<br /><br />This one has a gig as a shrine of some sort...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTpxa1GRniSEumte2YnZ53XZR6qVDM9fHUN7Koi5WkChEqwiKVtUm6aTiLDVyvmnrPLFom2wEBWgMFye40R3GIqhiocmRG_S6F3XnJ-oeiQX_jft0uIGcXEysOilMu_5fMY0ZESLtacE/s1600-h/temple+tree.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTpxa1GRniSEumte2YnZ53XZR6qVDM9fHUN7Koi5WkChEqwiKVtUm6aTiLDVyvmnrPLFom2wEBWgMFye40R3GIqhiocmRG_S6F3XnJ-oeiQX_jft0uIGcXEysOilMu_5fMY0ZESLtacE/s400/temple+tree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248114393246842834" border="0" /></a>This tree earns its keep by helping out with the laundry.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUomfx9Rxx2h0tdrLq7N1cen_kqcOctOngZr6gX7iDkmtexvUSF0ObXgfs3AP5uP2Fb7IYBOK5tolGZ8Oel-SXP7X1TjQbV78F2W7cmvptyjF7PS8UAErJY3K-Mjanb2-OQntf8cgzvIY/s1600-h/laundry+tree.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUomfx9Rxx2h0tdrLq7N1cen_kqcOctOngZr6gX7iDkmtexvUSF0ObXgfs3AP5uP2Fb7IYBOK5tolGZ8Oel-SXP7X1TjQbV78F2W7cmvptyjF7PS8UAErJY3K-Mjanb2-OQntf8cgzvIY/s400/laundry+tree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248114397312839042" border="0" /></a>This one has a full-time job as a barber shop. There are actually quite a few of these. I hesitate to get my hair cut at one of them, because I can clearly see that they have no means of sanitation. I don't want to get lice, or something from a razor that's been dragged across a few hundred faces and carried a little DNA from each one. But there's something so Winnie the Pooh about it that it's kind of tempting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4OY94AmV2qJxOR6yBVoClWhbc9OtaSr4SubyIAQQ-GvuOeBdPoGzIcBuGAZcwQ1SqpgHgm3CNy3fpA64LKeIet6tcMo4eWLvfOfh0CpgSG0UPb2Lrw6XF0AY8yPMCvkL0PV_6tKYVHY/s1600-h/barber+shop+tree.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4OY94AmV2qJxOR6yBVoClWhbc9OtaSr4SubyIAQQ-GvuOeBdPoGzIcBuGAZcwQ1SqpgHgm3CNy3fpA64LKeIet6tcMo4eWLvfOfh0CpgSG0UPb2Lrw6XF0AY8yPMCvkL0PV_6tKYVHY/s400/barber+shop+tree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248114402724043714" border="0" /></a>And this one is probably the most successful of all. It has an interest in this Bun Cha stand. It's wired with an electrical outlet so that it can keep the customers cool with that fan you see there, and it moonlights as a photography studio backdrop. What a work ethic!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFyqQs7Nigp73Y3MnLxwXKMWYT19IaJ2Z3ahGDhVTh_41GKVmKe7AT9b7tnmyvMnBoGgPo609ZDEBpCdIUvhS9gyE7qYMzav3BywQHuZEYXj6_-fZS2nibaO62ZwNTPITt28IP5jdv7I/s1600-h/bun+cha+stand+tree.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFyqQs7Nigp73Y3MnLxwXKMWYT19IaJ2Z3ahGDhVTh_41GKVmKe7AT9b7tnmyvMnBoGgPo609ZDEBpCdIUvhS9gyE7qYMzav3BywQHuZEYXj6_-fZS2nibaO62ZwNTPITt28IP5jdv7I/s400/bun+cha+stand+tree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248114406153972898" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-36686940959907795472008-09-14T01:28:00.000-07:002008-09-14T03:03:14.696-07:00Random Observations- A lot of the toilets are made so that you stand with your feet on either side of the bowl and squat. I haven't had the pleasure of using one yet. Should be a treat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDGpD9_9AG73ld_ba2jCnlzsf4mgqslOx7P_PJU_2MBgLLZF-SPeHaESinTtMx83R5-oOx6ld7b34uO3mvoXObqmQpf6YFAnjNOZ_NsLCFJYZxanmCPz7lny0itXlxR7vF9rgjNiJyfI/s1600-h/toilet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDGpD9_9AG73ld_ba2jCnlzsf4mgqslOx7P_PJU_2MBgLLZF-SPeHaESinTtMx83R5-oOx6ld7b34uO3mvoXObqmQpf6YFAnjNOZ_NsLCFJYZxanmCPz7lny0itXlxR7vF9rgjNiJyfI/s400/toilet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245796391536979698" border="0" /></a><br />- I just realized yesterday that there are none of those stupid chirping nextel walkie-talkies in Hanoi. That alone makes moving here worth consideration.<br /><br />- This country is full of beautiful women... beautiful women that I can't talk to.<br /><br />- I've learned to love bats and lizards. Every night they come out and start eating the mosquitoes that would otherwise give me malaria, or ebola, or the croup or whatever, and I say, "Go get 'em little guys!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv764E2jaSVq12CkMylz2l3A_HnLatcQkk4vWwCrlqlX8QtEuVHM3ZQvrDzFBUiiYtz90jht34Jxzsq-xawDuMdZ9uJLJuJUe7z2ZOkwbCAk33WvzE8UKbDGYR3Tku7Pb8WBzgoxHcQdI/s1600-h/lil+lizard.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv764E2jaSVq12CkMylz2l3A_HnLatcQkk4vWwCrlqlX8QtEuVHM3ZQvrDzFBUiiYtz90jht34Jxzsq-xawDuMdZ9uJLJuJUe7z2ZOkwbCAk33WvzE8UKbDGYR3Tku7Pb8WBzgoxHcQdI/s400/lil+lizard.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245796398343970658" border="0" /></a><br />- The ice cream here sucks. Granted, I haven't eaten it all yet, but so far - bleh.<br /><br />- The coke is great. Real sugar instead of corn syrup. Delicious.<br /><br />- The coke floats? They're ok.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8PtByak6S6M-lUduvg5hF5vJmuvX5ZtAC_5BBn0wDisyw1bwlt7xR2OgU9OCJfiRuxcqRrDDM6oOswnSmJ0krTkxtRWd7kD6yh5XOxhzmRKvMOLr_YyJ-XxSPewDsmapnAH7n2f95xQ/s1600-h/coke.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8PtByak6S6M-lUduvg5hF5vJmuvX5ZtAC_5BBn0wDisyw1bwlt7xR2OgU9OCJfiRuxcqRrDDM6oOswnSmJ0krTkxtRWd7kD6yh5XOxhzmRKvMOLr_YyJ-XxSPewDsmapnAH7n2f95xQ/s400/coke.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245796402661669522" border="0" /></a><br />- You know why Asian people are thin? Because they don't eat so damn much.<br /><br />- In the US, little kids have shoes that light up with flashing red lights. Here, they have something similar, but instead of flashing lights they squeek like little dog toys with each step. If you put a jack russell terrier in the right preschool playground, you might actual get to watch its brain melt and dribble out its ears.<br /><br />- But, there aren't any crazy, annoying, wound-up little dogs here. There are little dogs, but they are all very mellow and sweet. I guess they know that there is a direct correlation between how annoying they are and how tasty they look. (Actually, I think the people make a distinction between pet dogs and edible dogs, but I'm not sure how that works.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Kr5rtf9cmYeVy9W_L47T1RZw8u0hrCkvDul6WmAub_dsM8YukBBI6BEYFjXtgicdenJYagq6r09Gm5hFmb9R_z_NWLCXqaErc64PgMPC7peYlsAp4ADuXFEDi8ksufaKEIICmh8BKWs/s1600-h/dog.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Kr5rtf9cmYeVy9W_L47T1RZw8u0hrCkvDul6WmAub_dsM8YukBBI6BEYFjXtgicdenJYagq6r09Gm5hFmb9R_z_NWLCXqaErc64PgMPC7peYlsAp4ADuXFEDi8ksufaKEIICmh8BKWs/s400/dog.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245796389472400466" border="0" /></a>-The Vietnamese wear helmets when riding motorbikes, but I see someone crash about once a week, and none of them manage to keep their helmets on. In fact, I've seen them fly off in the wind.<br /><br />- We have the idea in the west that capitalism means freedom, and communism means the opposite. True, you don't get to vote for your leaders here unless you're a party member, and the government can spy on you (Actually, since Bush that's true in the US too.) but you can smoke a Cuban cigar in a bar, you can skateboard in the park (Go ahead, do a sick kick-flip. Comrade Lenin doesn't mind!)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf6xhArG6r-Wh-Lq39qxrIlNtpQgWu1nZfOJlWYHLRv8fVj_52qmJtzL7Hqj2M65ps2NHVAnxUBThX1OJHDRTr4hEZLuqZRDhdcWN6MywDDBFruZwVO19viUVq6KSCU63cgNCxxQVZdg/s1600-h/lennin.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf6xhArG6r-Wh-Lq39qxrIlNtpQgWu1nZfOJlWYHLRv8fVj_52qmJtzL7Hqj2M65ps2NHVAnxUBThX1OJHDRTr4hEZLuqZRDhdcWN6MywDDBFruZwVO19viUVq6KSCU63cgNCxxQVZdg/s400/lennin.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245796406859193170" border="0" /></a><br />...and you can eat french fries with chopsticks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhboxVlC2tNXoClf887yuGiLNnZthc8viCaZ1xeQFhlphAf1WYWH4IEU1kHtLkKIWqCoJ5koC58OXsdYTjV17yWs8OgyGYkgdd66R6iNBfcZxwOmBEAnGN3L0P7jLEiH6FP-bfxudOVs/s1600-h/chopstick+fries.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhboxVlC2tNXoClf887yuGiLNnZthc8viCaZ1xeQFhlphAf1WYWH4IEU1kHtLkKIWqCoJ5koC58OXsdYTjV17yWs8OgyGYkgdd66R6iNBfcZxwOmBEAnGN3L0P7jLEiH6FP-bfxudOVs/s400/chopstick+fries.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245807256602713842" border="0" /></a><br />And you can do this...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw4492xidjrVR9ldeEecAjE7aG7zFVAkWhn0gVCc1hhy6TB9blQ2-MlQ2lDQ_TGvTfC0xb5QV-sLOLpIdc4Aw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-70676247486565663452008-09-06T02:16:00.001-07:002008-09-06T03:23:45.385-07:00Ist Day of SchoolThe first day of school is kind of a big thing in the US, but in Vietnam, the first day of school is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">HUGE FREAKIN' DEAL! </span>The school that's situated right behind the building I live in has been practicing their first day of school performances for weeks. I wake up every morning to either a drum squad or some kind of singing and/or marching. They do this at schools all over the city and country, along with hanging banners and building stages and setting up sound systems.<br /><br />I was invited to be one of the guests for an opening ceremony at a brand new school in a district just west of me. It was at 7:00 AM, and I almost begged off, but I was glad I didn't. There was singing and dancing and drumming and marching and speeches... I was actually told that they wanted me to give a speech just after I arrived. They had written something for me. Then I was told that they had forgotten to bring it and I should make something up. The teacher who invited me had to leave a little early, so I was handed over to another teacher who would be my interpreter. Here's a little clip of the show...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvAKWFRVxk8b0GYhMUgnUzLm_h-xIVSAFRkyM6ctSw8LqEarwLe9SP4NM0VuGf_OoEgwnbxtdHrji7lPu9jA4PzVvJ0om5_zdjVuWOFxfCZJ9cUObtZxcG0DoYI0TSzlxIR5qsQQlbqc/s1600-h/packing+material%3F.JPG"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwW9HXvXQ-Zk_Jn5GBp8QiUYfBxUrWCwXva4zsc8tGrfyFBh5Q1ThrqnYd7kk7ZRvQLDifGIyFP-m9tjJbJmg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></a><br /></div>Ok. So the kinds look a little bored in this clip. But for the most part they were pretty excited. I was sitting and watching and making a couple of comments to my new interpreter/friend and writing my speech in my head while I waited. But, it turns out we went a little long. And I got bumped by the local supermarket chain that donated a bunch of supplies and scholarships for kids that needed it. The poor kids were paraded onto the stage and each given a sack of supplies. More speeches, a final musical number, and there was nothing left but to wait for the reviews.<br /><br />I was actually a little disappointed that I didn't get to give my little speech. Even though I'd only been told about it a couple of hours earlier. But then we visited one of the classrooms and the kids practiced saying hello, and asking me how old I was, and then they all wanted to have their pictures taken with me.<br /><br />Yesterday was the opening ceremony at the kindergarten where I teach a couple of days a week. It was a much smaller production, but just as much fun. Here are the ten little Indians about to go on in their meticulously true-to-period traditional construction paper skirts...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xyAxv3YcZkuj06k0rN4X623wz8LyQPndGpRfxXMAKmQrNDRtE4V-8tLeuOu6x_zkNExXQA9K6T4hyA4jjei6BXbo6wY9ruMYE16zogp25gUuW-b6HCX6_nJZvylpphEIZgpZT6apReI/s1600-h/10+lil+indians.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xyAxv3YcZkuj06k0rN4X623wz8LyQPndGpRfxXMAKmQrNDRtE4V-8tLeuOu6x_zkNExXQA9K6T4hyA4jjei6BXbo6wY9ruMYE16zogp25gUuW-b6HCX6_nJZvylpphEIZgpZT6apReI/s400/10+lil+indians.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242835441443219890" border="0" /></a>I had been helping work on the big ABC number for a couple of weeks. Here's a shot of that...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdNww4QSbg8nguG3IuUoqCeT07gFTcWJb3XvbUubnCz3w3RVOL_F7TVPaHG_xjk3_ltKK_rQ5iUTChldaPBKlFysARntVU6jI_2eTrkLT9y2jhMx4KrZt5V0TdPjXnO56-_ATxOKpVP0/s1600-h/ABC+number.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdNww4QSbg8nguG3IuUoqCeT07gFTcWJb3XvbUubnCz3w3RVOL_F7TVPaHG_xjk3_ltKK_rQ5iUTChldaPBKlFysARntVU6jI_2eTrkLT9y2jhMx4KrZt5V0TdPjXnO56-_ATxOKpVP0/s400/ABC+number.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242835445178496370" border="0" /></a>Unfortunately, the timing was all off and let's face it, some of these kids don't take direction well. I didn't want to say anything in front of the parents, but little heads will roll when I get back on Tuesday. Oh yes they will...<br /><br />And last night I was invited to dinner by the schools director along with all of the other teachers. Now, as a general rule, I don't eat meat of any kind. But, I hadn't told them I was a vegetarian because I wouldn't want them to make any special arrangements for me and there is almost always something I can eat even if it's just a bowl of rice. But it turns out that there was no rice and the only non-meat items were french fries and some sort of vegetable that I don't know. So I never would have gotten away with just eating the garnish. Also, you don't really just order or take what you want. The stuff sort of gets portioned out. On top of it all, I'm like a toddler in this situation and I had to have someone show me how to eat this stuff. For example, when you get a great big prawn, you eat it's head but not it's legs. Oh heaven's no. That would be gross.<br /><br />So I had 2 kinds of muscles (I think), something that was deep fried (which was the easiest thing to eat because even deep fried hair would probably taste ok), a few big shrimp faces...<br /><br />The final course was eel. It was served dead and sliced from head to tail like a loaf of bread. You put it in the boiling water, and 5 minutes later, out comes bowls full of eely goodness. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDk6atLtfQhkEfyjdSM7ZolB0dMfwwHdCw453YIXnPpvakvq_iWfdrW5_Z4jturSHfRyUWOududKAtfJhZ_Jprwep4PTTUkuDurBHnbuGXt2ixJSfieK2PSmvOX3OFD0p5KX1weBGo_aw/s1600-h/boiled+eel.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDk6atLtfQhkEfyjdSM7ZolB0dMfwwHdCw453YIXnPpvakvq_iWfdrW5_Z4jturSHfRyUWOududKAtfJhZ_Jprwep4PTTUkuDurBHnbuGXt2ixJSfieK2PSmvOX3OFD0p5KX1weBGo_aw/s400/boiled+eel.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242835451641111714" border="0" /></a>They also served what looks to me like some kind of packing material, and it all gets washed down with red bull. This was the first time I actually enjoyed the taste of red bull. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvAKWFRVxk8b0GYhMUgnUzLm_h-xIVSAFRkyM6ctSw8LqEarwLe9SP4NM0VuGf_OoEgwnbxtdHrji7lPu9jA4PzVvJ0om5_zdjVuWOFxfCZJ9cUObtZxcG0DoYI0TSzlxIR5qsQQlbqc/s1600-h/packing+material%3F.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvAKWFRVxk8b0GYhMUgnUzLm_h-xIVSAFRkyM6ctSw8LqEarwLe9SP4NM0VuGf_OoEgwnbxtdHrji7lPu9jA4PzVvJ0om5_zdjVuWOFxfCZJ9cUObtZxcG0DoYI0TSzlxIR5qsQQlbqc/s400/packing+material%3F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242835459159198594" border="0" /></a>So today I feel like I've got a sack of wet cement in my gut.<br /><br />Now, all that said, I'm still not going to turn down any dinner invitations. It's not like this stuff is going to kill me (I hope) and these people went out of their way to make sure that I was included in what was for them a special, delicious dinner. It's so easy to feel like an outsider when you're new in town and you don't speak the language and don't know what's going on half the time. And a lot of time I feel like I'm just there to fulfill some requirement, like a contractor or something - not really part of the operation. But this meal was for staff. It was for the people who are really part of the school, and even though I've been there less than a month they decided that that included me. They served me a 5 or 6 course meal and probably would have chewed it for me if I needed it. So my stomach is feeling a little taxed, but it did my heart good.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961550284527223962.post-9844684132749805092008-09-01T07:25:00.000-07:002008-09-01T10:25:11.984-07:00The One Month Mark<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ49SutNISMXwCM_qQDf_NQmgz4KQBO_mArUxTsgACiBS2cxsDV5svAUChC6DC_ALTBCvgOFVhflJx-1L-eK5ebv0oM2kwSxhlmvyk7V12o36kNL3VqRFE2XKi3KrPHKeTb35fM4havEM/s1600-h/2+jacks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ49SutNISMXwCM_qQDf_NQmgz4KQBO_mArUxTsgACiBS2cxsDV5svAUChC6DC_ALTBCvgOFVhflJx-1L-eK5ebv0oM2kwSxhlmvyk7V12o36kNL3VqRFE2XKi3KrPHKeTb35fM4havEM/s400/2+jacks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241060897696566162" border="0" /></a>A lot of people like to say that they are "spiritual, but not religious." It's usually meant to express the mistrust of organized religion while still allowing for the understanding that there is something larger than any one of us that lives in all of us. Generally, I think this is a pretty healthy attitude. It takes a person's spiritual life out of the hands of institutions and places it firmly within each individual's grasp. And I think that's healthy. Spirituality should be about a personal journey. Between you and God.<br /><br />But, especially as a minister, I'm a bit of an anomaly. I like to say that I'm religious and not spiritual. I'm more of the "We make our own destiny" school of thinking. I believe in the importance of ritual and community as a way to remind us of what's important and keep us on the right path, and I don't have a whole lot of belief in the magic side of things. My current brand of faith has more to do with the faith that I can go out into the world and try to make a difference and then let go of it. The faith that we have the power to change the world if we try. The faith that it will mean something and it will have an impact, even if I never live to see it. That said, I always try to leave the door cracked for that "experience of other" that seems to be the difference between philosophy and religion. It's the thing that seems to breath life into ideology.<br /><br />I like to have my tarot cards read every once in a while. I don't really think that they connect me to some other world or that they hold any mystical power. I think that people can see what they need to in the cards. Kind of like a spiritual Rorschach test. And for many years now, whenever I find a playing card face-down on the sidewalk, I pick it up, flip it over, and look up the divinatory meaning when I get home. At worst it's a silly little thing to pass the time - like a fortune cookie fortune. At best it's a reminder of something that I might need to think about at the moment. I get red Jacks much more often that should be probable.<br /><br />About a week ago, I was out with some new friends and I found a card on the ground. It was a Jack of Hearts. I told one of my housemates that I seem to get them a lot. When I looked up the meaning online and it said that someone who cares about me was thinking of me. "That's nice," I thought. Staying in contact with family and friends since my trip started, I also knew that it was true. I found another card a few nights ago. All by itself, face-down. When I picked it up and flipped it over it was another Jack of Hearts. Those are pretty long odds, and it sent a little shiver down my spine. The next day, and the day after that, I found cards on the ground face-down, and I just kept walking. It seemed a little too spooky to pick them up. And come to think of it, it was a pretty decent analogy for the spiritual journey. Sometimes you learn things that you might not feel ready to know. If you're doing it right, it's a little scary.<br /><br />Today marks exactly one month that I've been in Vietnam and all that time I've been looking for a good Cuban cigar. I envisioned women walking around with huge bundles of Cohiba Robustos balanced on their heads and selling for a buck piece. But they turned out to be a lot harder to find than I expected. I got some information about a part of town that should have some, but I went there and asked around and they didn't. I got the address of the only licensed distributor of Habanos in the country, and found that it was only an office or some kind of storage facility with guards that didn't speak English, didn't know anything about any cigars, and weren't about to let me wander around the building. I went looking for a hotel that supposedly had a nice bar and a good selection of cigars, only to find it wasn't where it was supposed to be on my map, and the entrance was boarded up and they were in the middle of remodeling. (You can't see the plywood in the picture, but trust me, it was a dead end.) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zznWnFpwhFo_x3jCd6iY9nkaIBzWIBgvx2kCTdo8cPWqQXBVGjyXERAj-guMaHAT76kCIvdjeMlr6ywO-aesOZRXr5WvKSnWco7we41Ogivj7pPRwnf8Aml4Hbdf9EmIFAYk6HlN2AU/s1600-h/Guoman+Hotel.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zznWnFpwhFo_x3jCd6iY9nkaIBzWIBgvx2kCTdo8cPWqQXBVGjyXERAj-guMaHAT76kCIvdjeMlr6ywO-aesOZRXr5WvKSnWco7we41Ogivj7pPRwnf8Aml4Hbdf9EmIFAYk6HlN2AU/s400/Guoman+Hotel.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241071517668934258" border="0" /></a>And, I got a cold so and gave up the search for a while. No point in a good cigar if you can't really taste it.<br /><br />So today, I finally found the first good Cubans I've seen here. They turned out to be at a really pricey hotel that I've walked past a few times. But they had a selection of exactly 2 different cigars, the humidor wasn't properly kept, and they wanted almost $40 US per smoke. I'm not a heavy cigar smoker by any means, but I've had quite a few of the best over the years from all over the world and not one came anywhere near being worth $40. I moved on, and after dinner tonight I decided to canvass every luxury hotel I could find and get a decent cigar or give up for good. I walked quite a few miles today (cigars are only bad for you if you forget to factor in all the walking) and finally, I found a really nice hotel bar just south of downtown with a good selection of reasonably priced cigars. I selected a Montecristo #3, got it cut, took a couple of boxes of matches from the bar, and went out to take my new cigar for a nice long walk.<br /><br />Tomorrow is Vietnam's National Day. Sept. 2nd is their version of Independence Day. There were six kids in my class today that usually has about 25, and if the day didn't seem different than usual, the night sure did. On my walk back with my cigar, I found this..<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwnmTNP19iCiv_Euh9miIhcOjCEmqd-CQ0GnrCdtDQ-awSB-q9xxE72EU7vbYzMFhuWVlq-z20BpmYMfRSoAmKEWCuVt0blau8txOVzVUm5ToKhmmO74zyj0W9bUH2CcXPdJSxpG19yc/s1600-h/hoolahoopla.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwnmTNP19iCiv_Euh9miIhcOjCEmqd-CQ0GnrCdtDQ-awSB-q9xxE72EU7vbYzMFhuWVlq-z20BpmYMfRSoAmKEWCuVt0blau8txOVzVUm5ToKhmmO74zyj0W9bUH2CcXPdJSxpG19yc/s400/hoolahoopla.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241071523373561586" border="0" /></a>Why are all of the audience members for the hoola-hoop girls on scooters? Because the stage is set up on a traffic island in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in town. The entertainment is something nice for people to stop and watch and honk at as they rush home to make last minute Independence Day preparations. There were cars and bikes all over the streets and the sidewalks with vendors and pedestrians climbing over and around them any way they could. The streets were Bedlam. I stopped to enjoy the show and I had a woman that sold me some really overpriced postcards once before tug on my arm and give me another pitch. Her kid wanted to try my cigar. Another guy wanted to sell me some "marijuana" (people have tried to sell me "pot", or "weed", or "smoke" before, but this was my first "marijuana" salesman). I didn't buy anything but as an English teacher I appreciated that he used the proper terminology, and I talked and joked with the postcard lady, and I encouraged her son not to smoke, and for the first time I was comfortable in all of this mayhem.<br /><br />I saw a car go by that was flying an American flag and I saluted. I bought Vietnamese flag t-shirts for everyone in the house on the way home to celebrate the second of September tomorrow. The red Vietnamese flag t-shirt with the gold star is the obligatory souvenir around here. I've been thinking that it would feel weird for me to wear that shirt, but I decided to do it anyway. After all, I saw a local just yesterday with an American flag on his shirt. I talked the t-shirt lady down to just over $2 apiece for 4 shirts partly, I think, because I was able to negotiate the sale in Vietnamese. I strolled toward home, and I felt at-home for the first time in this city.<br /><br />Along the way I found a playing card, all by itself, face down. I was in such a good mood that I picked it up and turned it over. It was the Jack of Diamonds. "Jack of Diamonds" is an old Tex Ritter song that my Dad used to sing every once in a while when I was a kid and we were riding around in his truck. I was in my twenties before I knew that he didn't make it up himself. In my mind it's always been Dad's song. I felt like the first two cards were telling me something, and that the last one was telling me that I got it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKBqkzb3suEfd-wdkfxJxLi9kMBGinCWag0MTcjU6CtB6EL-hOgO-e2jWHqz_oQwXuUGqDtKgof1fGjv14MaXbm9fT_djkO2mQwFObYPKTmHv1KBttEeQFCtwSe78fIwJBk7TNlZ_VYE/s1600-h/3+jacks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKBqkzb3suEfd-wdkfxJxLi9kMBGinCWag0MTcjU6CtB6EL-hOgO-e2jWHqz_oQwXuUGqDtKgof1fGjv14MaXbm9fT_djkO2mQwFObYPKTmHv1KBttEeQFCtwSe78fIwJBk7TNlZ_VYE/s400/3+jacks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241060917037771570" border="0" /></a>I still don't necessarily believe in cards as a way of communicating with the beyond or anything like that. But sometimes along the way, when you keep your eyes open, you find just what you need to find, just when you need to find it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2