Sai Gon, September 24, 2001.
It's nighttime now, and I've just received several notes from Jeff. We are going to reschedule our trip for next week, and spend two weeks travelling along Vietnam’s Pacific Coast. Surely, our mood is a bit more anxious than before, and a bit more subdued, but we are glad to be moving forward with our adventure as we had planned since March. We are still taking time in our lives to discover a faraway land that is new to both of us (I have only seen about 5-10% of this country in the last eight months). I will take lots of pictures of these extraordinary places and send them to Souris to post on her soldier site and you can all finally have some new landscapes to view.

Today my 93 year old grandmother was supposed to make homemade macaroni and cheese (using the staff at home as her eyes & hands) but the head cook was out, and so I came home somewhat disappointed. You know that feeling you have, when you are really really craving something, and you are about to get it and then you suddenly discover that it’s not available? Utter disappointment. So I settled for some lo mein noodles with sauteed veggies & chicken.

I have just returned from a very relaxing weekend to Phan Thiet with Linh, my cousin Chuong, and his friend Oanh. It was good for me, as it always is, to go out to Phan Thiet. I spent time walking along the warm sandy beach with Linh at night, and in the afternoon, spent some time sleeping on the beach. In the mornings, I never wake up early enough to see the sun rise over the Pacific, and got quite a bit of rest instead. These last two trips out there, I’ve spent a lot of time idling aimlessly, and this weekend there was an unusual view of all the Mui Ne fishing boats close into the beach front.

Work in Saigon is normal. I am bored of it, and am being forced into added unpaid responsibilities that eat into my travel time. Unacceptable. I think people forget I am retired. I only work for fun.

Tomorrow I’m going to a birthday party for my new friend Tuan, whom I met through new friends, Daniel and Thierry, also from out in Phan Thiet. And speaking of birthdays, I am wishing a good one to Greg Smiley, albeit belated.

The Autumn Moon Celebration is the end of the week. Moon cakes are selling, well, like hot cakes, and are made with a variety of ingredients ranging from roasted duck to lotus seeds. They’re a bit too sweet for my taste, but they’re an important part of the festivities. The festival, called Tet Trung Thu (Lunar Autumn new year) lights up the night with colorful paper lanterns, family gatherings, dancing, and singing.

Reports on life in Vietnam will continue on Thursday.
Baci,
Hani