Saigon, December 4, 2001
I’m at the office – on another deadline as we send films out day after tomorrow. I plan on working till around the 21st and then, if all goes as planned, head down under. If I can help it, I’ll spend Hanukkah in Vietnam, Christmas in Australia, and New Years in… New Zealand? Flights from VN through Bangkok are only about $600 to get to Australia. That’s as cheap as NY-CA!

Last week I went to see the London Festival Orchestra at the City Opera Hall. It’s a beautiful building, built in 1900 most likely by the French. It’s very western and made me feel (a tiny bit) like I was back in NY listening to live orchestral music (and I wasn’t in a loud horns/soft strings dead spot like in Avery Fisher Hall). There was a bird fluttering around the dome near the upper tier of the hall – I actually wondered if it was a Vietnamese stunt or a poor trapped bird. By the time we were through with Tchaikovsky, the bird disappeared just at intermission.

Life goes on in Vietnam. It’s still hot, though it’s winter. That means bearable heat, opposed to unbearable heat. Much construction continues in Vietnam, including the main road along the Saigon river where we live. They’re working on expanding the road and gentrifying the area over the next two years. It also means that a lot of people will lose their businesses and their homes (on property that actually belongs to the government anyway, but then again – the government owns all the property in Vietnam).

Oops. Mike just popped up on messenger. I’ll finish up later!

All right – word just in on what a blast Lisa's brunch was. For the New Yorkers that missed Lisa Kirt’s fabulous Sunday Brunch and Holiday Studio Sale in Brooklyn today, YOU STILL HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE! And if you have good taste in design, and a stomach for authentic Italian pastries, then you MUST present yourself at Lisa’s on Sunday, December 16 for your chance to get gorgeous KleinReid Ceramics and a first hand visit of their studio.

Here’s the excerpt of Lisa’s invitation (extended to all of you), and you ought to RSVP (to lkirt@yahoo.com) to make sure you get your share of the pastries!

you are warmly invited to my annual december brunch and holiday studio sale

for those of you receiving this email for the first time, this is your chance to buy near perfect seconds and discounted firsts at KleinReid, designers and producers of hand-cast porcelain. dansk has produced several lines of KleinReid dinnerware, they've been profiled in the nytimes, their work has been featured in every major design magazine, and their vases are sold at fine stores around the world. all objects are useful, beautiful, and affordable (prices start at $10). and the boys are from OHIO! go figure!

italian pastries, coffee, juice, holiday salsa & jazz at my house, then visits to the studio, which is just one block away. you can drop in any time either day. you can also
just come over to hang out or mambo in my kitchen with me -- shopping is optional. and i can point you toward bedford avenue, if you want to check out the hip shops and cafes.

i'm doing two brunch/sales this year, to offer people more options -- and to try in some way to make up for the fact that KleinReid is not opening its own store (read here:
economy). it's been a hard fall for everyone, and artists are no exception.

here's the scoop:

sunday december 2
AND
sunday, december 16
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

RSVP by responding to this email with the date you'd like to attend. feel free to forward this email along, and to bring friends. the more, the merrier. ALWAYS.

566 metropolitan avenue, #4 / williamsburg, brooklyn / 718-963-0879
lorimer stop of the L train / metropolitan ave stop of the G train

detailed directions upon request - my house is just 10 minutes from union square.

and you can also check things out on www.lisakirt.blogspot.com (I’m clickable)

So, on my recommendation, GO! And you will NOT be disappointed!

I will write more about Vietnam when I can find more time, as I seem to have left some of it in Hanoi. Just back from a 2 week vacation and we're preparing for films for the new magazine so I'm off to get more work done (I have to remind myself sometimes that I'm retired, and this is really just for fun...)

November 26, 2001
If you have an online log or website, click on Link & Think which is dedicated to World AIDS Day (December 1) and connect your site!

I have been back at the office only one day though it feels like an eternity. I heard from the bike tour company today that they will be sending applications at the end of December so it is still hopeful that I can be a bike tour guide in Europe. Of course, that all depends on how the tour season might turn out this coming summer. I'll keep hoping and we'll see.

I ran into my aunt's fortune teller at Dong Du Cafe today and she wanted to tell me my fortune. Since I was in a hurry and on my way out the door, I told her my fortune to save her the trouble - that I'll only encounter happiness and ease and luck in my life. The others around her asked if that was true and she said "you can see it in her face" so I guess that's a good thing, huh? I didn't have time to tell her the rest of my future - that I'll never be rich in dollars but I'm rich in family and friends, and that I'll be happier working with people outdoors or in schools or other meaningful places, and not in 9-5 office buildings. I'll especially be happy if I could be a bike tour guide in Italy and France next year. We'll see how lucky I really am.
h.

Sai Gon, November 24, 2001
Jeff has just headed back yesterday and stopped in Singapore. We had a very full trip that began in Hanoi with beautiful weather. We took a day trip out to the Perfume Pagoda outside of Hanoi and hiked two hours to the cave pagoda. The highlight of the trip is the boat ride to get to the Pagoda path. I'll send pictures, as I can't really begin to describe it to you.


A couple of days spent in Hanoi, and I also met with some friends in the north. I saw a surprisingly well performed play in Vietnamese while Jeff got caught up on jet lag his first day in Hanoi. Another evening, we went to see the water puppetry, a traditional and ancient Vietnamese entertainment.

We headed to Halong Bay on Monday for a day trip. There are over 1500 islands that dot the landscape and small grottoes and caves worth exploring. The Vietnamese tourism has done some work to assist tourists, but they've only managed to make the caves look a little bit like the It's a Small World ride at Disney World.


Sapa Valley is a wonderful cultural exhibit and we went with a small tour (seven people total) where we had the opportunity to sit with some of the local ethnic minority families of the H'mong and Dzay tribes. It was like a field trip to the Museum of Natural History, only real and contemporary. We hiked three hours our first chilly day there, and five hours on our second day, which happened to be sunny and beautiful. Jeff and I took the overnight train back to Hanoi and I froze for the 10 hour trip in my bunk as it was only 12 degrees Celsius on the train and I hadn't a blanket.

In Saigon, Di 10 treated us royally and had wonderful meals prepared for us, as I had expected she would. All vegetarian / seafood dishes and lots of Nelly Natural Italian Ice Cream. Jeff and I spent a day going to Cho Lon (Sai Gon's Chinatown) where we rented cyclo drivers who took us around the city to seven different pagodas.

Mr. Ngoc & Mr. Thuong, directors of Saigon Mui Ne Resort paid same kindness and VIP treatment to us in Phan Thiet. They invited us for drinks at the bar, then dined with us, and Jeff was given all the free Nelly ice cream he could consume. They also gave us a sauna & massage treatment on the house, and a souvenir t-shirt to each of us. We again were met with great weather, and were able to take side trips to the Cham temple, the red sand dunes, and the Mui Ne bay.

After rest and relaxation on the beach in Mui Ne, Jeff and I headed back to Saigon and home where we had a very beautiful Thanksgiving seafood lunch ("like eating at a gourmet restaurant," Jeff says). We then headed back to the city to run our last errands, go on a final shopping spree, and eat auntie's great pizza and gnocchi at her restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner before getting home to get packed.

Friday morning we were off to the airport, and although I had hoped to get to Dalat to meet up with Chuong in the afternoon, flights were full and so I said goodbye to Jeff at Tan Son Nhat International and played hookey from work for the day. Our trip really seemed to fly by, and in some ways, it's hard to believe that Jeff was really here in Vietnam! It was wonderful to hear my native English and to be able to really go around Vietnam like a tourist with Jeff. I have lots of pictures to show for it!

Anyone else interested in visiting? I'm running out of time here (and mom and aunt 5 and aunt 8 are all coming in January)

Sai Gon, November 19, 2001
I'm back in Saigon with Jeff and we wandered about a little bit today. We spend another day in Saigon and then on Tuesday head for Phan Thiet / Mui Ne to the beach. It's late and everyone in the house is asleep but I can't rest, though tired. However, I am too lazy to really write much except to say that Jeff and I have been able to visit Sapa Valley, Halong Bay, and the Perfume Pagoda in northern Vietnam. Much to report that I'll send later.
h.

Hanoi. November 13, 2001
Jeff and I are okay and traveling well. We leave for Sapa Valley tonight by night train and arrive there early in the a.m. tomorrow. We had a relaxing day today since it rained (our first day of rain as we've had beautiful and perfect weather these last few days) and each had a massage. Yesterday we were at the renowned Halong Bay and got beautiful landscape shots of the countless limestone structures jutting out from the sea.

We heard the bad news today and it's sombering, but we are moving forward with our travel plans despite how depressing the news is.

On Friday we return to Hanoi and will head southward. Till then, H.

November 7, 2001.
Saigon. In the midst of a deadline. I’ve been at the office late. It’s nearly 9 pm and I still have much to do before we prepare films tomorrow. Jeff is really on his way (got an email from him while in transit in Seoul) and I’ll see him on Friday.

Can’t wait. More later
Hani

Belated posting
Saigon. November 5, 2001
Just back from a long weekend in Nha Trang, one of Vietnam’s coastal towns, with Chuong. I left the office at 2 on Friday and was sitting on the beach in Nha Trang by 4. The flight is less than an hour, and the airport is about 200 meters from the coast. Chuong picked me up from the airport and took me straight out to the Café Lousiane where we hung out on the beach chairs in the unseasonable sunny weather we were lucky to have. We then dropped by some friends’ where we were staying, and later in the evening went back out around town. Chuong also took me to the Ana Mandara resort – one of Vietnam’s nicest – where we sat at a private table on a dock and shared Grand Marnier’s with the full moon and its glorious reflection.

Our weekend in Nha Trang met us with perfect weather – it rained only at night or while we were indoors – and we managed to take a little motor boat along the Cai River, where Chuong owns some property. He also drove me all around the small town by motorbike along the main roadway where kids play soccer in the middle of the street. Nha Trang is really sweet, but unfortunately, it’s undergoing a lot of construction. Chuong and I have decided that what each town in Vietnam needs is an Aesthetics Director. The Vietnamese have supremely bad taste in quite a lot of things, and the construction of a WATER PARK along BEACH FRONT property is typical of their inanity.

Chuong was raised in Nha Trang, and half the town still knows his father. We had a jellyfish noodle soup at a place he frequented for 40 years. I also got to go to Hon Chong, a rocky overlook near a small bayside area of the ocean (I’ll send a few photos later) and had snails, cuttlefish, and clams by the shore. Sunday afternoon we spent outside of the city at Anh’s house, a friend of Chuong’s, where we had a local dish called “Goi Ca.” It’s a salad dish with fresh fish and endives that you roll in rice paper and dip in a special soupy egg-drop sauce. By late afternoon, he and I were back on the plane to head for Saigon and I was ready again for western cooking (this time, I’m craving good salsa and enchiladas).

I’m back in the office with a book to layout by Thursday and a flight to catch on Friday. It looks like Jeff is coming for REAL and we’re gonna visit the north by week’s end.
H.

i'm writing to mike online right now and thought i ought to post a little bit since it looks like blog hits are up, and i've been a slacker.

So far, it looks like Jeff is REALLY coming this time. He's written for his fourth Vietnamese visa and will be here on the 9th if all goes as planned. For me, I just sent another book to the printers on Saturday, and we have another one going out on Monday the 5th. Hopefully I'll be squared away for my two week trip with Jeff along the coast of Vietnam. We'll have many more pictures to share by the end of the month.

This Thanksgiving, I'm sure we all have plenty to be especially grateful for, and I'm glad to know that my entire family will be together for dinner in New York City. I only wish I could be with the rest of you over there (my last Thanksgiving was at the Dolby's in DC with a Turducken) but luckily, I will have Jeff to spend Thanksgiving dinner with me, albeit a vegetarian one...

Sai Gon, October 24, 2001
Oi vey, what a birthday! About two and a half dozen friends gathered on the rooftop patio of the 14th floor of Diamond Plaza Building (Hey New Yorkers, that’s high for Vietnam), complete with bar, grille, swimming pool, and a great view of the city lights. Di 10, the talented hostess and entertainer, prepared marinated beef ribs, fresh shrimp for the grille, roasted chicken (ga roti) with our family recipe for ketchup-garlic-buttered rice, fried calamari, garlic bread, salade nicoise, garden rolls in rice paper, and rice noodles with shredded shrimp. Of course, we had ice cream cake to top off the delectable meal.

Although strictly instructed – no gifts – nobody listened and so I came home with six dozen roses, a basket of orchids, a potted orchid, a bouquet of orchids, a bouquet of extraordinary mixed flowers, a bouquet of carnations, a bottle of gin and a dozen gifts to accompany the flowers (and gin). The weather was perfect for our outdoor barbecue with a nice rooftop breeze – it rained days before my party and again today, and I’m told we were really lucky. We all really enjoyed ourselves - I'll send you pictures if you ask and maybe Souris will post them on her website.

After the party, a group of us went off to a nightclub (with Di 10, of course!) where it was noisy and smoky and at the closing midnight bell, there was actually a P.A. announcement of my birthday and Phu’s, whose birthday is the 24th, and we had a round of champagne. Off to another bar for a short while, and then over to a Pho eatery where the gang had some noodles before the night ended. We all got home around two in the morning, and by the time I went to sleep, it was after three. Needless to say, waking up for work today was not pleasant.

Sai Gon, October 21, 2001
I’ve had a super busy week out late at night nearly every day. Thursday night I went out with Linh, Khanh, Thang, Thien, and Phu to a very American bar where we consumed a bottle of Hennessy, and then went to another bar afterwards where I ran into two other groups of people I know in Saigon (both very different), and the people I was with also ran into familiar faces. Saigon is very very very small that way and this bar was one of maybe two that closed at 2 am instead of midnight like the rest. The following night I went to meet some friends at billiards (it’s only 25000VND an hour which is about $1.67 USD) and we went off to another bar (and was gratefully home before midnight as I was exhausted from the week’s play). All bars are relatively the same and play basically the same limited repertoire of music that Vietnam offers. It’s amazing how the conformity reaches into everything the people here do.

I had a very relaxing weekend - Saturday I lounged at home till evening, when I went out with my aunt and Chuong to a nightclub where there was live music, and then off to a very cheesy dance club where there were tens of dancing girls for rent by the hour (for dancing, of course). Chuong went back to the house with Di 10 and I to watch “Proof of Life” which I hadn’t seen. They fell asleep and I stayed up till 4 a.m. to watch the movie. Today Chuong, Di 9, Di 10, Phu, Thien, and friends of Di 10’s met at Binh An, a sort of resort-restaurant with live jazz music on Sunday afternoons, owned by Di 10’s friends. We had an excellent Vietnamese lunch and spent the entire Sunday afternoon lounging in the beautifully landscaped gardens (complete with lotus ponds and tiny patches of grass for golfing) with the live jazz band. Very nice way to spend a Sunday.

Tomorrow I’m back at work, and I will have two new employees working for me this week. Hopefully they’ll be capable of learning, as we’ve got a lot of deadlines coming up. Our new magazine is nearly a week late at the printers. Typical.

Sai Gon, October 6, 2001.
In the meantime, I return to Hanoi, which I can only describe to you with a tiny bit of melancholy as Jeff was not there as had been planned. I went out early Monday morning of last week, and in the afternoon met with Khai, a friend of Linh’s. Khai drove me around town on motorbike, and all around Hanoi’s many lakes (Ha Noi means “River Exterior” as the Song Hong (Red River) runs through it. We drove through the charming Old Quarters (made up of 36 crooked streets), and then visited the newly renovated library for a drink called nuoc mo, which is kind of like xi muoi, which is a salted & sour sort of dried prune. Yeah, sounds weird, but it’s good.

I then visited Hoan Kiem lake, notable for the pagoda that sits on an islet in the lake. Hoan Kiem means “Restored Sword” and the story goes that Emperor Ly Thai To returned his battle sword to a gigantic turtle in the lake upon his return from the Chinese Ming invasion. It is believed that the sword is still in the lake, and that perhaps the giant turtle found in 1968 – at over 2 meters in length – is perhaps the legendary figure. There is a pretty little red bridge that brings you to the Den Ngoc Son (Jade Mountain Temple) on an island in the Hoan Kiem lake where small groups of old men play co tuong, Chinese checkers. The temple was built some time during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400) and lent a good view of the Hoan Kiem pagoda. Along the lake are weeping willows, stone benches, beautiful landscaping. Couples sit by the lake, vendors vend, promenaders promenade. (see photo when Souris gets a chance to post it)

After spending our afternoon there, Khai took me to have luong for dinner with his friend Trieu. Luong is a kind of scaleless eel / snake – I don’t really know what it is, but it’s a specialty of Hanoi. It was worth a taste. We drove around Hanoi some more and Trieu let me take the driver’s seat. I handled the Honda from there to Truc Bach lake (in my last blog I thought it was another one) where we sat for hours and hours having tea and drinks. Around 9:30 the streets were packed, as were all the tables and chairs around the lake as it was Tet Trung Thu – the mid Autumn moon festival. There was a full moon out, a few paraders and music-makers, and thousands of motorbikes. From our view across the lake, I could see streams of motorbike lights driving endlessly, like a chain of white Christmas lights. Chuong and a friend of his met up with us at the lake, and when we all parted, Khai and I cruised the streets a bit more before I finally headed back to the hotel.

Next day I slept in (Khai was in school – he’s studying to be a cosmetic surgeon in Vietnam) and I got up to walk the 3 km to Van Mieu (c.1070), where Confucious once studied. When I got there, Khai called so he drove over to join me. When I got to the ticket counter, I asked for 2 tickets. “Foreigner or Viet?” she asked me. “Viet,” I said, and handed her a 50,000 dong bill. The sign in the window said 12,000 dong per person. She asked me if I had a 2000 dong bill and I wondered why, but figured it was for even change. I handed her a 5000 dong bill instead. She then gave me my 3000 dong in change and my 50000 bill back. It turns out that it only costs Viets 1000 dong (about six and a half cents) for admission and foreigners nearly a dollar. In the end, it’s nothing either way, but the discrimination drives me crazy.

Van Mieu is set up in five courtyards, landscaped differently, and was once a University in Hanoi. Eighty-two turtle stellae (c.1484-1780) line one of the courtyards where 1,037 names of former graduates are engraved in the stones. Art students lingered about in the courtyard drawing and painting its structures and gardens, while Vietnamese and Western travelers alike wandered within it. There were some beautiful water puppets there (we didn’t manage to see a show) and you can see a photo of them if you go to Souris’ site (after she has time to post them).

October 12, 2001
Khai took me around the old quarters for some souvenir shopping, and when I was in one of the shops, I asked the shop girl how much for one of the bags they had, and she said “oh, I thought you were a foreigner.” And then she gave me the “Vietnamese” price for the bag. Good to know that my Vietnamese has improved enough that I can actually pass as a Vietnamese.

Later that night, Khai and Trieu drove me out of town a bit to the Cau Thang Long (Dragon Bridge) as the sun was setting. We drove through an entire strip of dog-barbecue restaurants (unimaginable) before we could get there. Driving along the river, we passed a soccer game with grazing cattle on one side, and oxen on the other. When we reached the bridge, we stood in the middle and I turned around and saw a huge red circle in the sky over the Hong River. At first I thought it was the sun still setting – it was so red and round. Then I realized as the minutes passed that the ball of light was rising, not setting, and that it began to glow an even red-orange as it rose and eventually the lunar spectacular lightened in the sky over the course of an hour. It was amazingly beautiful.

Finally on my third day in Ha Noi, Chuong and I spent some time together eating, drinking, visiting the History Museum, eating some more, and drinking some more. Cafés in Ha Noi are cute and charming, and it’s easy to find a nice place to hang out.

The following day, Chuong and I went to a family wedding (the daughter of one of my first cousins on my dad’s side) where I met about a dozen or so relatives (mostly first cousins and their grown children). It was a well produced Vietnamese wedding where the food was actually pretty good (and not Chinese) and the décor not tacky. Of course, there was the typical show of singers karaoke-style.

Eventually, life returned to normal upon my re-entry in Saigon, and I am now busy at work again, having just finished a deadline.

Sai Gon, October 6, 2001.
I'm back from Hanoi, but busy at work. While away, it seems things were not taken care of and the onus has fallen upon me to design a magazine that I don't wish to design. I'll get it done, however, and in the meantime, anticipate my next vacation.

On Thursday when I returned from Hanoi with Chuong, we stopped in Di 10's Café ¤irectly from the airport. I saw a face I recognized, and instantly asked, "Xavier?" Upon the look of confusion I received in reply, I then immediately realized -- "Manu??" Sure enough, there was Manuel, the son of an old friend of mom and Di 10. Manu is Xavier's brother, and they are beautifully French-Vietnamese. I met Xavier for the first time in February during his visit here, and met Manu 15 years ago in Arlington when he stayed with our family for a month. As it turned out, Manu has been in Vietnam for a month, and was leaving that very day. Neither of us knew the other was in the country and unfortunately didn't manage to meet earlier (Di 10 was in Europe for a month, and she is our link). So we had lunch, caught up on life, and will hopefully meet again. It was incredibly nice to see Manu again after so many years. Our families share a mutual affinity for one another that transcend from our parents to us.

I'll write about Hanoi tonight and send pictures to post on Souris's site.
Till then. Bacione, H.

Ha Noi, Vietnam. October 3, 2001
I’m visiting the office of one of Chuong’s friends right now (after a really wonderful french meal prepared by orphan students of a vocational school). I’ve spent the last few days wandering around Hanoi on motorbike with Khai (Linh’s friend) and Chieu (Khai’s friend). The sweetest part of Hanoi is its lakes. The other evening we spent about six hours drinking tea around Hoan Kiem Lake where it’s cool with weeping willows surrounding the lake.

Hanoi is much cooler than Saigon, although still hot, and the people in general seem less agressive. I’ve spent all my time riding around on motorbike, eating, and drinking. Yesterday, Khai took me all around the old quarters, with street names like Hang Bong “flower vendors,” Hang Giay “shoe vendors” and so on. There were once 36 streets in Hanoi where the locals would buy their specific goods at these little thoroughfares. Now, only a few remain, but thet all still have small boutiques and shops and many retain their old french charm.

There’s much to describe, but I will save it for when I return to Sai Gon. Only wanted to touch base here a bit and say hello. More upon my return tomorrow or Friday...

Saturday, September 29, 2001
Early birthday wishes for Nam-Tan for tomorrow as I'll be in Hanoi on Monday through Thursday with Chuong.

Linh and I had a change of lunch plans this afternoon. She came over instead and brought over a noodle soup called “bun moc” which is specialty of the North. Then we went up to Di 10’s room so I could work on the computer while she read some Vietnamese poetry, and then we watched “The Thomas Crown Affair” which I happen to think is pretty good mind candy. After dinner, I decided I was too lazy (and still to congested) to go out to Trinh Cong Son’s concert, so I stayed home to compose this rather bland blog report.

I will, however, brighten it up a bit by telling you a story about my brother, Forrest Gump. Lobo is, in Uncle Mike’s words, “the luckiest son-of-a-bitch” you ever met. Somehow, things always fall into his lap. And the thing is, he is inexplicably affable and absolutely charming. He’s the nicest kid you ever met. He’s an avid sports fan and music lover. He gets free clothes, free shoes, free CDs and free movies. He alphabetizes his DVD collection and likes to show you his organized household cleansers when you visit his apartment. Basically, super cool.

To give you some background, Lobo works for Fred Durst, lead singer of Limp Bizkit, among other things. Bo is Fred’s right-hand man. This job fell into his lap which was prefaced by the internship at Interscope which is thanks to Uncle Mike, of course. So the first time Lobo ever goes abroad, he is granted with an all-expense paid first-class airfaire trip to London where he stayed in a five-star hotel while on tour with Limp Bizkit just this summer. That’s just the beginning.

Kiki and I were instant messaging last night on Yahoo and here is the story I got from her after we were talking about how we (my siblings and I) all treat famous people like janitors (with the same due respect). Here’s her story:

kiki_h98: Have you heard about Lobo and the Seahawks?
hanihong1973: no, what's with forrest gump?
kiki_h98: Oh MY GOD!
kiki_h98: You'll love this.
kiki_h98: Lobo got to be friends with some agent guy who manages some players, one of whom is a player for the Seattle Seahawks.
kiki_h98: That player wants to be a rap artist or something so he and Bo have chatted lightly a few times.
kiki_h98: Bo saw them play some pre-season games where the guy got hurt. He called his agent friend and said, "Hey tell him I'm really bummed he got hurt but I'm looking forward to seeing him in the playoffs cuz I know they'll make it."
kiki_h98: So the PLAYER calls Lobo back and says, "Hey man, thanks for calling, that was really nice of you. I wanna fly you and five of your friends to Seattle for any of our games with all access passes and you can watch from the sidelines."
kiki_h98: So Lobo's flying three friends from Arlington and is taking the nephew of the guy who owns Interscope and another Interscope executive to the game.
kiki_h98: Friends + networking.
kiki_h98: This is our brother.

It’s all really too funny. Typical Lobo. Forrest Gump.
So that’s really all I have to tell for today. I love my family. They rock. xxoo Hani

Sai Gon, September 28, 2001
Birthday wishes to Kim and Marc…
Everything here has been continuing as I like it. Last night I went to bed with a raging headache, a sore throat, and stuffy sinuses. I woke up to much the same, only several degrees worse. Anticipating taking next week off, I dragged myself out of bed and went to the office like the prudent worker ought to be. As it turns out, I improved over the day, although I opted out of two evening social invitations to come home and rest. I accepted two invitations for tomorrow, however, and will see how I’m feeling.

Tomorrow evening I am invited to go see Trinh Vinh Trinh sing at a Trinh Cong Son concert held nearby his “mo” (gravesite). TCS is the famous Vietnamese singer who passed away several months ago whose sister is married to my paternal grandmother’s cousin. Got it? So anyway, I am going to try to go if possible as it is somewhat far from the center of town and I’m without a car.

Everyday I pass by a fairly busy street market below the bridge near my house (not quite the same meaning as 59th Street’s Bridge Market), and the fruit stands have pricing signs such as 5000 dong/kg. The funny thing is, if you tell them, “make sure it’s a kilo” then they say, “well, that’ll be 6000 dong.” Sometimes there are signs even that will say “5000 dong/kg – 6000 dong/true kg”. Too funny.

Jeff made his final decision not to come to Vietnam this time. We’re going to wait and see how things turn out in this world. In the meantime, I am going to go ahead and go to Hanoi on Monday with Chuong, my cousin, who happens to already be going up there. I’ll stay till Thursday and then return to go to a wedding of a cousin once removed in Saigon that evening. She’s the granddaughter of dad’s oldest sister. So instead of parading around the country with Jeff, I’m just going to make a pit stop in Hanoi and get out of the office for a week. I’ll be back at work next Friday, October 5th. The cell phone can be used anywhere in the country so if you call, use that number.

Will possibly write more tomorrow or Sunday, but if not, then I will be in touch again next week. Ciao now.
Mille baci
Hani

So I got my macaroni and cheese today. Good homemade oven baked real cheese stuff, i.e., no powdered cheese (scary).
Jeff and I are still debating our trip. Today it looks like we won't be going. If that's so, I will decide another time what to do about traveling within the country.

Couple of nights ago, I went with my cousin Chinh (from San Francisco) and friends Daniel, Thierry, and Youri, to Tuan's birthday party at a nightclub called Hazard where we were met with Saigon's elite gay community, loud music, and dancing. It was an incredible lot of fun. The day after I went out with Linh, Chuong, and Chinh again and had dinner with some other relatives, then off to a small music club where they play live Peruvian music as well as some of Vietnam's typical repertoire of American oldies.

Have had a stomach ache most of today. Work is still super busy. Sent out another proposal today, designed a spread on Harley Davidson's new V-Rod for our auto magazine, and edited some of next month's new Guidebook.

This morning Souris called me from NY. That was fantastic. It's always good to hear from all of you at home. Suddenly I have a bit of a head cold. Gotta get some rest.
Ciao carissimi.
hani

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

Sai Gon, September 24, 2001.
Below is a letter from my friend Lisa, who works for Robin Hood, an innovative, inspirational foundation (like you've never seen) whose objective is to end poverty in New York City - done in Robin Hood smart fashion and which means many pioneering programs. Their Board underwrites all administrative expenses so that every penny (100% of your contribution) Robin Hood receives goes to the organizations they support. I ask you for your capable support. So many of you have always been so generous to me in the past efforts I've encountered for the AIDS rides and friends of mine from the rides. Many of you who read my blogspot have never met me, and so I post this letter here, for those whose email addresses I do not have. Even if you can not donate at this time, I would emphasize again, that browsing their website is worth the visit. Thanks for reading.

Hi,
This is a letter from my dear friend Lisa in New York City. I am sending it
to you because you have shown me your kindness and generosity before, and if
you are able, I hope you would do the same now.

Robin Hood has many many programs that I find wholly worthwhile and
inspirational, and encourage you to browse their website. It is an
incredibly innovative program and the people behind it are absolutely
amazing, if I can generalize by what I know of Lisa Kirt.

Please email Lisa or call or contact the numbers below if you can help. Lisa
is at lkirt@yahoo.com
With much love and thanks,
Hani

----- Original Message -----
From: lisa kirt
To: Hani Hong
Sent: Friday, September 21, 2001 11:34 PM
Subject: Robin Hood Relief Fund

Dear Hani:

THANKS for spreading the word about the Robin Hood Relief Fund. In response
to the World Trade Center attack, Robin Hood is raising money to ensure that
those who are unprotected financially, socially, and emotionally receive
essential and effective support services in recovering from the disaster.
Since 1988, Robin Hood has built a donor base from the Wall Street community
which supports innovative and effective programs to fight poverty in New
York City. As you can imagine, our donor base is devastated by this event.

Donations can be made online, by mail, or by phone.

To donate online:

www.helping.org/donate/rhf_donate.adp

To donate by mail:

Robin Hood
attn: Lisa Kirt/Robin Hood Relief Fund
1211 Avenue of the Americas, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10036

please address checks to ROBIN HOOD RELIEF FUND

To donate by phone:

212-901-4325

To learn more about Robin Hood:

www.robinhood.org


If any of your folks donates online, I'd appreciate an email, so I can track
the Hani Hong progress for you! (I can't promise candy bars this time, but
I *will* make sure people get thanked profusely.)

Hani, many thanks & mucho amor. I am still suffering shock & stress -- but
working on this project makes me feel better.

love, Lisa

I'm back from Phan Thiet. Had a good trip and spent time sleeping on the beach.
Jeff and I are in the process of re-planning our trip, and hopefully we will take up on our adventure in just about a week, if we can.
I will blog more later.
H.

Saigon. September 20, 2001
I'm going back out to Phan Thiet tomorrow with some friends and family. Will be at the beach through Sunday.
Will blog again when I get back.
Have heard much from those of you back home and am grateful for it. Keep your letters coming.
I plan on remaining in Vietnam through February, to celebrate Tet with the locals before I return to the States.
Am relatively well. I've been spending a lot of time out lately and it has peaceful.
Much love to everyone.
un bacione,
hani

September 19, 2001. Sai Gon.
I am registered at the US Consulate here in HCMC under my legal name, Lan Dung Thi Hong. My home address is
1B Cu Xa Ngan Hang
Tran Xuan Soan, District 7, HCMC
Tel: 84-8 872-4539
DongDuCafe: 84-8 823 2414

Work is Minh Nhat Company (ask for Hani)
51-53 Vo Van Tan, District 3, HCMC
Tel: 84-8 930-5812 / 930-1388

My cell phone is 84 091 343 8920

My permanent home address in Arlington is
5508 N. Carlin Springs Road
Arlington, VA 22203-1202
Tel: 703-525-2784
Emergency Contacts:
Chuong Giu Hong / Bach Tuyet Hong – dad & mom, Arlington, 703-525-2784
Kiki/Cathy Hong – sister, Atlanta, work 678-336-2000, chong@atv.com
Kelly Hong – sister, New York work @ BMG, 212-930-6727, Kelly.hong@bmgdirect.com
Souris Hong – sister, New York cell - 917-687-2332, souris@fakefunk.com

All friends and family have access to my whereabouts through the Vietnamese US Consulate & Embassy offices. I have signed a waiver for such information to be distributed to any of you in case you inquire.

Over the past week, I have had a thousand thoughts, and have communicated often with all of you back home. Instead of writing a compendious blog about what I thought and felt, below is a conglomeration of messages sent to different friends and family that describe what I’ve been going through.

---------------

My family is safe. I was out on Tuesday, and arrived home at 10 p.m. Saigon time. The phone rang – it was mom. She called to tell me that she and dad and Kiki were all okay in Arlington and that Kaly and Souris were both in contact from New York. I asked her what happened so she put Kiki on to tell me. I didn't really believe it, and my reaction was almost comical "I miss everything!" I said to Ki. But there was nothing funny about this. I immediately bolted upstairs and turned CNBC on and the internet and got online with Souris and other friends in NY. I watched and I wrote and I cried and I cried. My sisters are both safe. Souris watched the explosion of the second building upon impact, and the crumbling of the towers from outside of her home in Soho – she’s at Sullivan & Broome where it meets 6th Avenue – in direct view of the Towers. A man next to her fainted. Everyone stood on the street and cried.

I watched live CNBC coverage till 5 a.m., and managed to contact many close friends immediately. Both New York and Arlington are my homes; the two places I feel closest to, and I didn’t think anyone in Vietnam would understand the proximity of the tragedy for me. Our skyline is forever changed - it is really difficult to grasp, until I go to New York again and see for myself that our towers are gone. It is also difficult to see the footage, and think - "I KNOW that corner. I've BEEN there. That's my HOME." It's very frustrating to be far away. In many ways, I wish I was in NY to be with those I love who consider NY their home as well. It is as shocking to anyone around the world as it is to anyone in America, but to New Yorkers, the Towers were a part of our everyday visual landscape.

I had a message from Jeff. As you know, he was to come visit and he was scheduled to be on a flight from JFK to SFO on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30. He was to go on from California to Singapore to Vietnam. We are grateful that he was not on a cross country plane at the time. We have cancelled everything we had planned for our two week holiday, and here I am at work instead. Jeff and I were both supremely disappointed about our trip.
I cancelled our plans to Hanoi, postponed my ticket, and made measures to change our two week plans. I wrote to Handspan, a tour agency that Jeff and I were planning on using, to tell them we will not be coming. They replied with this:

Dear Hani Hong,

We are very sorry about terrorist happened in NewYork and Washington.
It is horrible that I can not imagine. Everybody was shocked in Vietnam. We welcome you to Handspan at any time if you would like to come to Hanoi another time.
See ya another time.
With best regards
Linh Chi

I have been getting live CNBC and CNN feed here, and am getting thorough coverage. I was surprised that the Vietnamese community is totally aware. I received many calls from friends here who know that I call NY home, and who were concerned for my friends and family. I am so deeply deeply saddened by this. I never watch TV here, but of course, have been watching news since Tuesday. There is no normal programming here, as we only get cable, and only about 5 channels of which CNBC is one so there is constant coverage. I only watch every other day or so now. They repeat everything anyway.

I have to say that watching the news, and the way people are treating the rescue workers in NY, I think OFTEN of the AIDS Rides, and the way the crew treated us. It is the same sort of outpouring of appreciation for "heroes" and the sort of situation where total strangers bring out their best sides to help everyone. Again, it is because the entire nation, like AIDS riders on a smaller scale, are facing a common adversity and this is what human beings do when faced with such. And so, it seems that the only thing that will bring the world together is a newer more powerful enemy from a galaxy far far away.

It did not even occur to me to return home soon. I did, however, call the US consulate office here in HCMC and registered my name and my presence in the country. Security – expectedly – was tight. They even checked inside my cup of coffee. I should have done it when I first arrived but recent events made it even more pressing that I did so.

I do, however, feel safe here, and I am sure that I will be protected by my family should I become stranded (I will still have a job and be able to do many other things, though may perhaps postpone a trip to Angkor Wat for another time). Life very much goes on here, although my friends comment about how very sad I am and wish that they could help me in some other way. I think being home and holding friends and family and seeing them with my own eyes and seeing my New York skyline are what I need to continue to heal.

I saw a photo on the Washington Post web site last night that made me reel with pain. It was of a little seven-year-old black boy dressed in a yellow rain coat who grievously had his head in his arms, leaning against his mother's white casket, with his grandmother behind him, and there was such pain in that image. His mother was one of the rescue workers who came to the WTC to help those in need. I must stop looking at those kinds of pictures. I look at Souris' pictures of all the rescue workers, police department, and fire department in NY. It's really wonderful. NYC is truly a great city. I can't wait to return.

I've just realized that I've only got my Alaska newsletter here with me (which I've posted on the AIDS Ride blog) and the rest of my AIDS Ride letters are back home you'll have to wait till I return in the Spring to read them. In the meantime, the other blogs are ready for bathroom reading. Enjoy.

All my Blogs:
Life Is Grand, for my Annual New Year's letters (only 1999 and 2000 so far, but since I plan on living till I'm a hundred, you can be sure to see a few more in the future)
Home Sweet Home (doublehappiness.blogspot.com) for just a few logs I wrote in the States during my brief six week visit home this summer.
It's a Small World, my small world experiences (themayor.blogspot.com)
AIDS Rides, my AIDS Rides newsletters - from Philly DC to Alaska, the fundraising letters and the experience letters (moralcourage.blogspot.com).

Saigon.
The other day, while I was out, there was a little girl, about six, carrying a sleeping newborn around, and a plastic jug, begging for money. It is an incredibly pathetic sight, and worse, when I was told that many people often bear children to send them begging (children bring home more money than their working fathers). Even more heinous, people rent their babies out to beggars!!! And when children don't bring enough money home (or if they don't sell enough lottery tickets while their parents gamble with friends throughout the day), they come home to a beating. So what do you do? Well, feel a lot of pain inside, and then help out the churches and such shelters where you know your charitable donations will go to food and shelter rather than tobacco and alcohol. Oi. It's really disgusting the way it is here. I have trouble forgetting such vivid images.

Last night I went with Lan for a long (by Vietnamese standards) walk in town after work. First we headed to the Diamond Plaza department store which is a lot like Hecht Co. We then walked over by Di 10's cafe and went to a place called "Godfather Ice Cream" where we sat on the sidewalk, teeming with locals, and enjoyed some coconut ice cream in a coconut, topped off with lychees and what I am sure is cool whip. It was nice for me to do that - to get out and WALK and to break the routine of going to work, meeting up with the aunts, and going home. I wonder how it was that I would on occasion walk home from work in Soho across the Brooklyn Bridge to Carroll Gardens... about an 8K walk and very pleasant, after work. The best part was hanging out on the bridge and watching the sunset behind Lady Liberty, but timing it so that I'd hit home before dark. Just a few kms now is a lot more than I'm used to. I've gotta get back to New York and let my legs move move move. No biking, no walking, and I can't seem to convince any cyclo drivers to loan me their pedicabs for a day.

A week away and Jeff will be in Hanoi, as will I, and we will enjoy the splendors of Ha Long Bay (rent Indochine with Catherine Deneuve), Sapa Valley, and central Vietnam, and then head out to the beach of Mui Ne (Cape Ne) in Phan Thiet. We will try to scan & send photos, but most likely you'll have to wait till I get back on the 26th to do so. The blog won't be updated during that time (14th - 26th), but do check back afterwards.

I am still busy with work because of the two week vacation I will be taking (this is untimely of course, as I've just returned from a six week vacation). October and November to be sure will be jam packed, but after Christmas, I plan to be totally free of work, and will concentrate only on traveling and spending all of my hard earned cash. Not much left for New York, but if you've got job ideas (or if you know a publisher who wants a story about rediscovery and roots) then let me know, so I can continue with my retirement. I'm quite liking it.

Sai Gon, September 6, 2001
Printers are behind again... A full day lost today because there was NO ELECTRICITY in their district. Looks like my book will be delayed a day or so. I went to the printer's yesterday, and they wanted me to return to press in the evening. I told them I wasn't coming. They said, "you can't?" and I said, "no, I don't WANT to." It was pouring out and I spent my Saturday there, and was not planning on spending this evening, yesterday evening, or tomorrow evening there either.

Speaking of pouring. The rain came suddenly and it came in torrents. It seems that most homes in Vietnam are sheltered with corrugated metal sheets and so the decibel level rises with the clanging of the rain drops. And the upper levels of corrugated metal create a sort of waterfall to the ones below, each with their distinct clamor in which thin lines of water flow between the corrugation to the ground. Children find the heavy falls and shower beneath the cold rain. Others squirm together beneath a single poncho, trying to stay dry in vain, and everyone else moves about by bike or motorbike drenched in the six inches of water that have accumulated on the roads within a matter of minutes, all the while trying to avoid the backsplash from vehicles and buses.

This is life here for the locals, and they all say... "There are only two seasons in Vietnam - Rainy Season and Sunny Season." And they're right.

Sai Gon. September 3, 2001
Happy birthday Eva and Les!

Today is Vietnam’s Independence day, and much like the U.S., we have the day off from work and the country’s flag flies over every home. Unlike the U.S. however, hanging the flag over your home and business is mandated by law. Such is communist life.

I’ve got the day off from work (which makes up for my long day at the printer’s on Saturday), and will go over to Linh’s today for banh khot, which is a specialty of Vung Tau (a nearby peninsula). Di 9 and 10 have gone to France, Amsterdam, Belgium, and Italy for a month, and Thanh the driver has gone to his home for a week. I feel FREE.
Only two weeks till Jeff arrives, and I will be in good old American company.

Off for lunch now.
Hani

Sai Gon, September 2, 2001.
Two nights ago, Kiki called me to tell me that my beloved Grampa (Arthur Grey) Bone passed away in the morning EST. Though I did not get a chance to say goodbye to him, I was lucky enough to spend time with him when I was in Atlanta for several months last winter. I will undoubtedly always think of Grampa when I see a Waffle House, or when I'm having bacon, eggs, and grits for breakfast! I'm grateful to have heard from Ki in person, and not via mail, and though I have no one to share in with my sadness in Vietnam, I am happy to hear from those of you at home who knew A.G.

Our lives with Grampa and his family really go full circle with my nuclear family. Dad met A.G. and Edna (gramma) in 1957 while at Fort Bening and none of us would have ever guessed the impact our two families would have upon each other. Perhaps Souris would not have met Silvio during her stay with Mike & Lori in Santa Monica. Lobo would not work for Fred Durst and Kaly might not be in New York. I would not have had the joy of working with and loving Mica, which has since led me to my “retirement” (as I like to call my current living situation).

So, I have come to some deep thoughts about the impact people have on my life. And the point is, if you are reading this, know that you have impacted my life and that I know that you have contributed to it in a way that has made me as happy as I am right now.

Since my return to Vietnam, I have had extreme emotional reactions to nearly everything. I have a brand new attitude at work (which is to not work as much as I previously had) because my reason for being here is not to work, but to travel. And I spent most of the last six months working. I shall now spend most of the next few months traveling. I have a new attitude at home (which is to go in and out as I please, whether I’ve got the driver or not) because I cannot stand the lack of privacy or restrictions on my freedom while living with a relative.

I am searching, searching, searching, for what is new here. For the things that made me happy on my first trip here. The new discoveries about the old life. I need to explore and to venture into new territory. So, I am. I am going to go to lots of places, I am going to spend lots of time in the mountains, at the beach, in the forest, and among the Vietnamese.

I am fighting my desire to be back in New York City, which can be difficult, until I remember that I’m living the good life here. I haven’t washed a dish since I’ve been here, my laundry is laundered and pressed for me, my room is cleaned, my food is cooked, I have a chauffeur, I have unlimited access to ice cream, and I have more trips planned to more countries than I ever did when I lived in the City. No matter where I place myself, the grass is always greener where I stand.

PS. For my really rosy feel good fun descriptions of Vietnam, just click on February's archives.

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.

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.

Arlington, VA
Just returned from NY today.
I'll be returning to Vietnam on Monday, August 20, and will continue to write in my blog until I return to the States (in February).
Check back soon.
H.

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.

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.