August 30, 2001
SaiGon. August 30, 2001
Response from most of you leads me to believe that you might be somewhat disappointed in my new view of Vietnam. Fear not, it is still relatively rosy. Good life seems to follow me where ever I land, so I am not having such a terrible time of it.
Since I’ve been back, I’ve begun to make good use of taxis, relied less on Thanh and my aunt for transportation, and I’ve met more westerners which have helped me feel closer to home. It’s true, I haven’t had a bowl of white rice since I’ve returned. It took me 28 years and two trips to the homeland to figure out that I don’t like Vietnamese white rice!
I feel a great loss at being away from New York all this time, especially with Tokion’s Neo Graffiti 3 party, Palm Pictures’ opening party, and Lisa Kirt’s birthday all in the same weekend! No matter, I have made up for it, by going to Phan Thiet last weekend and seeing life in a different light for now.
In two weeks Jeff will be here and we’ll visit beautiful landmarks in Vietnam that I should have visited on my last trip. I’ve told the office that I will be GONE FOR GOOD as of Tet 2002. I have written for my application to be a bike tour guide in France and Italy for next summer. And I am really enjoying my life right now.
Response from most of you leads me to believe that you might be somewhat disappointed in my new view of Vietnam. Fear not, it is still relatively rosy. Good life seems to follow me where ever I land, so I am not having such a terrible time of it.
Since I’ve been back, I’ve begun to make good use of taxis, relied less on Thanh and my aunt for transportation, and I’ve met more westerners which have helped me feel closer to home. It’s true, I haven’t had a bowl of white rice since I’ve returned. It took me 28 years and two trips to the homeland to figure out that I don’t like Vietnamese white rice!
I feel a great loss at being away from New York all this time, especially with Tokion’s Neo Graffiti 3 party, Palm Pictures’ opening party, and Lisa Kirt’s birthday all in the same weekend! No matter, I have made up for it, by going to Phan Thiet last weekend and seeing life in a different light for now.
In two weeks Jeff will be here and we’ll visit beautiful landmarks in Vietnam that I should have visited on my last trip. I’ve told the office that I will be GONE FOR GOOD as of Tet 2002. I have written for my application to be a bike tour guide in France and Italy for next summer. And I am really enjoying my life right now.
August 22, 2001
Sai Gon. August 22, 2001
Feel sorry for me. I am using a 21600 bps connection (it takes approximately five minutes for one hotmail page to load), and I have six mosquito bites, one on the ball of my big toe. Ouch! The power went out early this morning (so imagine the heat I had to bear in the house without AC) and am recovering from jet lag. I went to work. I was happy to see that everyone was well at the office and even happier to see that I should be able to pass my work on to them.
It’s okay to be back. I’m looking forward to Jeff’s visit in September and a trip to Australia in January. It’s fucking humid. It’s RAINY season so it’s raining all the time and when it’s not, you’re wet from the humidity alone. It’s disgusting. My room felt drenched last night and the AC wasn’t ready to cope. Everything in my boxes were wet from the humidity.
Purposefully dressed “like an American,” I got through the international arrival line without bribing the sober fellow at the counter, and then proceeded through customs as if I did not speak a word of English. I had to carry each 70-pound box onto the x-ray myself while the airport officials sat on their green uniformed asses. The guy at the x-ray tried to pick a bribe with me, but the guy who had my paperwork responded with “she doesn’t speak vietnamese” and X-ray man waved me off. No one helped me with my luggage since people who are picking you up are NOT ALLOWED into the airport and the officials are useless. So my 95 pound back-packed self (hey, I gained 7 pounds) was left to push 140 lbs. with one hand on a cart with a shaky left-bound caster and a carry-on roller in my other hand. Of course, 100 pounds were mostly food & chocolate for people here (and then I have received complaints about not bringing other things!). I was thrilled to see aunt 10 and really wanted to see aunt 9 today, but haven’t had a chance.
The visor I bought is great. It’s especially good for browsing my vindigo downloads so I can feel like I’m in NYC or DC again. How sad is that? I must stop writing as my feet are asleep from being curled underneath me to prevent further bug biting.
Later.
H.
Feel sorry for me. I am using a 21600 bps connection (it takes approximately five minutes for one hotmail page to load), and I have six mosquito bites, one on the ball of my big toe. Ouch! The power went out early this morning (so imagine the heat I had to bear in the house without AC) and am recovering from jet lag. I went to work. I was happy to see that everyone was well at the office and even happier to see that I should be able to pass my work on to them.
It’s okay to be back. I’m looking forward to Jeff’s visit in September and a trip to Australia in January. It’s fucking humid. It’s RAINY season so it’s raining all the time and when it’s not, you’re wet from the humidity alone. It’s disgusting. My room felt drenched last night and the AC wasn’t ready to cope. Everything in my boxes were wet from the humidity.
Purposefully dressed “like an American,” I got through the international arrival line without bribing the sober fellow at the counter, and then proceeded through customs as if I did not speak a word of English. I had to carry each 70-pound box onto the x-ray myself while the airport officials sat on their green uniformed asses. The guy at the x-ray tried to pick a bribe with me, but the guy who had my paperwork responded with “she doesn’t speak vietnamese” and X-ray man waved me off. No one helped me with my luggage since people who are picking you up are NOT ALLOWED into the airport and the officials are useless. So my 95 pound back-packed self (hey, I gained 7 pounds) was left to push 140 lbs. with one hand on a cart with a shaky left-bound caster and a carry-on roller in my other hand. Of course, 100 pounds were mostly food & chocolate for people here (and then I have received complaints about not bringing other things!). I was thrilled to see aunt 10 and really wanted to see aunt 9 today, but haven’t had a chance.
The visor I bought is great. It’s especially good for browsing my vindigo downloads so I can feel like I’m in NYC or DC again. How sad is that? I must stop writing as my feet are asleep from being curled underneath me to prevent further bug biting.
Later.
H.
August 17, 2001
August 13, 2001
New York, NY
Spent my whole day today with friend Jeff whom I met last year while training on the AIDS Ride. We went to see Buster Keaton in "Navigator" and I laughed so hard, I cried. We saw an additional three shorts at the Film Forum today during the double feature. Then I headed into my beloved Brooklyn, and after a walk in Park Slope, I went to meet Lisa for dinner in her hood. Tomorrow I go to the museum of Natural History, and perhaps to another with Antal, a nice Hungarian boy I met on the ride up from Washington the other day, on his very first trip to New York. Told him I'd show him around.
Then lunch plans, after lunch plans, pre-dinner plans, dinner plans, and into Wednesday with breakfast plans, lunch plans.... the cycle begins over again.
I have overbooked myself.
no matter.
life is short.
On Monday I return to Vietnam. As it was, I didn't want to return at all, but in the last few days, I've begun to rethink my feelings here, and though I'm not anxious or excited or even looking forward to returning, there are several reasons for me to do so. Namely, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, Jeff's visit in September (for our tour of Vietnam from North to South), and of course, the Tet celebration. So I'll return for a short six months. Upon my true re-entry to the States in February, I'll surely be visiting New York, and quite possibly Santa Monica again. There is reason to go to Portland, Seattle, and other cities, and possibilities for living and biking in Italy and France. Hell, I'll improve my French, my Italian, my geography, my culture, and my legs (I've logged zero miles this year on bike vs. 1500 miles from last year!).
Frankly, I've no idea what I'll do when I return. It's a toss up - any suggestions? Takers? I'm interested in working with cool people who love life. Maybe I can write the uncensored version of life in Vietnam, or maybe I'll be a toy engineer, or maybe I'll just do the bike tour guide gig. Do I sound confused? Fear not, I'm not. I plan on doing all these things in my lifetime. Who says you have to have one measly boring job for life? Certainly not I.
Spent my whole day today with friend Jeff whom I met last year while training on the AIDS Ride. We went to see Buster Keaton in "Navigator" and I laughed so hard, I cried. We saw an additional three shorts at the Film Forum today during the double feature. Then I headed into my beloved Brooklyn, and after a walk in Park Slope, I went to meet Lisa for dinner in her hood. Tomorrow I go to the museum of Natural History, and perhaps to another with Antal, a nice Hungarian boy I met on the ride up from Washington the other day, on his very first trip to New York. Told him I'd show him around.
Then lunch plans, after lunch plans, pre-dinner plans, dinner plans, and into Wednesday with breakfast plans, lunch plans.... the cycle begins over again.
I have overbooked myself.
no matter.
life is short.
On Monday I return to Vietnam. As it was, I didn't want to return at all, but in the last few days, I've begun to rethink my feelings here, and though I'm not anxious or excited or even looking forward to returning, there are several reasons for me to do so. Namely, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, Jeff's visit in September (for our tour of Vietnam from North to South), and of course, the Tet celebration. So I'll return for a short six months. Upon my true re-entry to the States in February, I'll surely be visiting New York, and quite possibly Santa Monica again. There is reason to go to Portland, Seattle, and other cities, and possibilities for living and biking in Italy and France. Hell, I'll improve my French, my Italian, my geography, my culture, and my legs (I've logged zero miles this year on bike vs. 1500 miles from last year!).
Frankly, I've no idea what I'll do when I return. It's a toss up - any suggestions? Takers? I'm interested in working with cool people who love life. Maybe I can write the uncensored version of life in Vietnam, or maybe I'll be a toy engineer, or maybe I'll just do the bike tour guide gig. Do I sound confused? Fear not, I'm not. I plan on doing all these things in my lifetime. Who says you have to have one measly boring job for life? Certainly not I.
August 06, 2001
Arlington VA.
I've been back to 2 chefs for steak & cheese sandwiches, had bbq, and plenty of other American food recently. I spent ten beautiful days in Santa Monica, went to the Getty Museum, and played with the kids. Saturday I spent at the National Gallery of Art in D.C. where there is an excellent Jasper Johns exhibit as well as a collection from Nationalgalerie Berlin (including some beautiful work by Adolf Menzel).
Arlington is hot and humid, much like Vietnam, and I suppose New York will be the same. I go to NY later this weekend through the 15th and return to Vietnam on August 20. Much to do, and little time to do it.
h.
I've been back to 2 chefs for steak & cheese sandwiches, had bbq, and plenty of other American food recently. I spent ten beautiful days in Santa Monica, went to the Getty Museum, and played with the kids. Saturday I spent at the National Gallery of Art in D.C. where there is an excellent Jasper Johns exhibit as well as a collection from Nationalgalerie Berlin (including some beautiful work by Adolf Menzel).
Arlington is hot and humid, much like Vietnam, and I suppose New York will be the same. I go to NY later this weekend through the 15th and return to Vietnam on August 20. Much to do, and little time to do it.
h.
