Drinking Rice Whiskey

Tet, Vietnamese New Year kicks off this weekend. Lots of flowers and color…and rice whiskey.

This evening’s generous selection of Rice Whiskey was definitely fermented and distilled but maybe not too long ago. The shrimp spring rolls and chicken pate, compliments of my neighbor and drinking companion Anh (Mr.) Toui, were a nice addition to the fare and the liquor went down well. Mot Hai Ba YO!

This morning I practiced my patience throughout the Confucius-Tao-Buddhist Vietnamese realm: A spider size of Donald Trump’s hand was camped out on the floor in my office. Rather than confront the creature I played hooky from work and went to the beach. This Eastern thinking is working out quite well.

Lunch w/Jackie, Putin & Pilot at An Bang

I found out later that the spider was harmless and only ate bugs not people. The sun came out today at 9:21 am. It is the first real sunny day since Western New Years. If the rain continues I must be positive and reflect on the money I am saving on sunblock.

Jackie, Putin and Pilot with me

Today I spent the afternoon swimming in the ocean with two 12-year-olds and an interested, but still timid six year old, who probably saw the waves in a larger context that the others.

Can Lau for lunch, and why not? Best in An Bang is Red Apple on the street between the beach restaurants and the highway, right just past the bicycle hawkers who often jump out in front of you and grab your handle bars in an attempt to get you to park in their lots for 50 cents.

Ruins of My Son, the Holy Land of the Cham Culture in Central Vietnam

On the way back to town on our bicycles we stopped for lemonade whereupon the host lady returned with Lucky, a fluffy white puppy, who went to town with the children. I went back to the restaurant one morning for shrimp and eggs and they were closed. I was disappointed. How could they do this to me! It was like Trump shutting down The Washington Post.

Today I passed my bicycle operator’s test, which means I have been riding my bicycle all over Hoi An for two months and am still among the living. The traffic is insane but my bike gets me to the beach, to the old town and out into the countryside…and to the famous Cho Ba Le (fruit and vegetable market).

These little commies have figured a way to sell delicious Cold War tomatoes. I call them Cold War because we used to have good tomatoes in US back then. Now they are corporate plastic that look like tomatoes. Eat your genetically altered dinner or they’ll be no genetically altered dessert for you! People in the US are getting screwed and don’t have the sense to know it. Donald Trump is not leaving and Jesus is not coming back.

Entourage at My Son

I’m still studying my Vietnamese with a wonderful teacher but perhaps if the French had not Romanized the alphabet in the 1800s I would be forced to rely on karaoke to express my inner feelings.

Yesterday I attempted to explain to an shop keeper that I would not write a review on Trip Advisor because of the mass intrusion it has created. Then I told her I owned both Trip Advisor and Facebook. Fortunately my Viet is mot chut an he just smiled in admiration then tried to sell me a small Buddha carved out of soap.

I’d like to go on but I’m frightfully and frantically engaged eating peanuts with chopstick after closing all the bars on Cua Dai last eve. It could take all day.