You don’t have to take any drugs to “space out” in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese culture is so different than anything you are used to in the West that you are guaranteed to go into a trance when you first arrive here. And it will last longer than a few days!
So many of your “out-of-awareness” assumptions […]
Archive for October, 2006
Oct
2006
29
Being a Foreigner in Vietnam
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam. ClosedVietnam is a place that will frustrate the hell out of you, but also a place that you will really miss when you leave. It’s special in many ways — some good; some bad — but it will keep you guessing (and many times frustrated), but rarely bored.
Many times being a Foreigner in Vietnam […]
Yes, Vietnam is a great place to bicycle once you learn the rules of the road — mainly never think you understand what the Vietnamese person in front of you will do next. They will constantly surprise you when you least expect it.
Anyone coming to Vietnam should bring the loudest horn you […]
Oct
2006
29
Isolation then Sudden Modernization Caused Problems, Part I
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam. ClosedYes, the Vietnamese can drive motos and cars, but they really don’t understand traffic flow, road courtesy1, maintenance, safety and many other concepts which we take for granted.
Looking around, one begins to realize that the sudden influx of technology has outpaced the Vietnamese ancestor-worship, family-centered, rule-based, total-obedience society where most people learn early to say […]
Oct
2006
29
Leave your Logic at Home!
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam. ClosedWhoops, used German-based logic again and fell flat on my face over here.
Somehow my German/Irish background, 30 years of logic-based programming and a propensity toward analytical problem solving doesn’t work well over here. The Vietnamese have a very different reality than the Western reality (see next post).
Mai’s sister, Hoa, has been asking […]
I never thought I would miss a dog so much, but he was a gentle, fun-loving, extremely friendly and very intelligent dog.
My daily routine started with scratching behind his ears for 5-10 minutes while sitting on the front porch at 6:00am; Megan and I enjoyed taking him for a walk around the block and Twerp […]
Oct
2006
27
Twerp died today.
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam. 3 CommentsMegan’s dog, Twerp, died today, Friday, Oct 27, 2006 at 9:45am.
In THREE DAYS, he went from being the healthiest dog on the block to death from a bird-flu-style dog virus.1,2,3
He was an extremely friendly, people-loving and playful dog.
Everyone in the family really enjoyed him, and it’s been many years since I became […]
Oct
2006
20
Superstition and Fear Reality
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam and This'n'That. 2 CommentsWhile Vietnam has 85 million people and is about the size of Ohio, the people have been kept extremely isolated during their whole history.
Only a few were educated and most were illiterate. In fact, the lady who I buy BUN from each morning cannot read. Mai wrote some instructions for Megan’s bowl of […]
Oct
2006
20
Is Vietnam is secretly (Fascist) Republican
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam and This'n'That. ClosedFor over 50 years the people of Vietnam fought for their version of freedom for Vietnam. After the war ended in 1975, I have met people from both the North and South who feel extremely disappointed concerning the condition of the corruption, addiction and total government control of the Vietnamese society now. The dream they fought and died for never happened.
Oct
2006
20
3 Yrs of Mourning; but TV Ok.
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam and This'n'That. 1 CommentBecause I played energetic, joyful music the neighbors started complaining because I was playing music and not mourning for THREE YEARS for my father-in-law’s death. I told Mai that her mother and sister listened to music everyday on the TV and that didn’t seem to be a problem.
I told Mai if the family really wanted to display suffering, they should turn off the TV for three years! That would be suffering.
Oct
2006
9
Hurricane Experience, Part IV
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam. ClosedAs a sequel, I want to add that the people of Vietnam are very industrious.
The morning after the monsoon, a large number of people were out cutting up trees which had fallen down (to sell as firewood), shoveling mud from in front of their houses and on the street, bailing water from around their houses […]
Oct
2006
3
Hurricane Experience, Part III
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam. 4 CommentsOur friends in France had more information about the path/strength of the hurricane than we had here. They telephoned us the day of the hurricane and told us what to expect.
Trying to get an update on the hurricane, I turned on my short-wave radio and found out that there are virtually no radio stations […]
Oct
2006
3
Hurricane Experience, Part II
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Vietnam. 1 CommentJust got on-line again. Electricity been on and off for several days. The electricity was turned off the evening before the storm hit and was out for two days. It was turned on again yesterday during the day and turned off at 10:00pm. Usually the gov’t turns it off around 10:00pm […]
Oct
2006
3
Hurricane Experience, Part I
Published by The Alchemist? 1 year, 10 months ago in Travel Experiences and Vietnam. 2 CommentsA hurricane hit us, in Hue, on late Saturday, all day Sunday and a bit of Monday. It rained and rained and strong winds whipped the trees crazily around us, but Da Nang got hit worse with the eye of the hurricane.
Since we are on the other side of the mountains from […]
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