As early as age 6, I remember enjoying the likes of Steevie Wonder and MJ, but also finding the likes of Queen and Boy George seriously embarrassing and too hysterical, musically. And BTW Linh, to flatter your native country, Trinh Công Son is in my top 5 for composers. Whenever I'm away from Viêt-Nam, hearing his melodies instantly brings tears to my eyes.
I'm waiting for someone to open a restaurant called Putin's Poutine, but I guess it will be unpopular now, and maybe be forced to close. They forced to close a Hitler restaurant in India. They cooked with gas, and had good juice.
"... it's rare for a man to actually teach a boy how to do anything?"
I have to share this with my partner, I think he thinks he's the only man in the world whose father taught him NOTHING. Here in Maine a lot of men teach their sons and daughters how to do things like take care of a vehicle, maintain a house, etc. On the flip side, my grandfather was a small-town accountant who certainly never did any manual labor that I'm aware of, and my father -- who could do everything (where did he learn it?) -- didn't want his father driving his car!
While being taught things by one's parents and friends certainly can help one ease into the world, it's not really necessary. Just learning how to read and think logically is enough to get you going if you can make yourself go. Speaking of going check out this woman getting things done. Her sister was similar in her ability to do just about anything. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzJQOBmhr_Q
The problem with this is that many people do not learn well from reading and learn much more successfully from doing.
I have two books from Country Women, a group of women who went "back to the land" with male partners, found their male partners were lazy-ass good-for-nothings, got rid of them, formed a collective and taught themselves how to do everything from raising chickens to building houses.
I'm glad the woman in the video learned from her mistake, but a harness attached to the roof framing could have prevented her fall. It's what the pros do!
True, skill and craftmanship don't come from reading but I imagine at least one woman in your
example figured out how other people went about accomplishing projects before starting their own.
That woman is the sister of my last girlfriend. She grew up in the bush 70 miles from Huslia, Ak. One would be hard pressed finding a tougher individual. I am pretty sure that if I were in the picture she would find me a lazy-ass good for nothing and I am pretty competent at that sort of stuff. I just don't do things at 100 miles per hour all day long.
Very funny! The lazy-ass good-for-nothings closely resembled the men at the "utopian" community in central Massachusetts (Brook Farm), the men surrounding and including Bronson Alcott. They sat around having philosophical discussions instead of farming, and their wives and children went hungry until local people took pity on them. That's what these women described, not partners who just worked slowly and competently, but partners who did virtually zilch.
Very, very true. My father liked to joke that people left the farm and still ate like farmers while riding around on lawn tractors. My grandmother grew up on a farm and hated it, but she still dressed out live chickens from the market, sewed, knitted, etc. Interestingly, my extremely competent parents had an incredible respect for labor and I was shocked to find that many people do not.
My father-in-law didn't know how to do anything because he thought he was intellectually superior (NOT!) and he despised actual labor of any sort. I'm trying to find what language has a succinct word or phrase for people who think they're intellectually superior and who are actually really stupid. My partner is now facing these truths and struggling with them because he and his siblings were all taught they were superior to other people (NOT!).
Thank god that you had teachers and coaches and mentors. My partner was too scared to go to boy scouts alone and his father -- who was jealous of anyone else paying attention to his eldest son -- refused to accompany him. As a girl, I had none of the above so was left to find my way alone in life.
Not interested in history and literature! I used to be a fanatical reader of Victorian novels but now I'm a fanatical reader of history.
Not familiar with either Terry Pratchett or Victor Davis Hanson, though I actually have read some books on military history (mostly when I proofread [past tense] for work). I don't have access to a really good library, unfortunately.
Book Smart, Street Stupid is pretty damn good! I'm looking for something such as l'esprit d'escalia (wit of the staircase; you know, when you think of the perfect reply five minutes later).
It has taken me 57 years to realize how very damaging my mother selling our family home was when I was 12 years old and she started the process of dragging me around hell's half-acre. I think my life would have been very different if we had stayed put; I became accustomed to chaos, which is not a good thing.
I like that your grandfather was a hometown intellect! My grandmother went to work when she was 12 -- her mother died -- had 2 children out of wedlock (one went to a Catholic orphanage and died, the other to a baby farm and died), worked out west, including meeting Clarence Darrow at the resort he liked in Iowa, returned to Ohio and after her divorce in the 1930s worked as a nurse's aide and waitress. Yet she was culturally, politically and intellectually aware; my mother got her first library card when she was 3 years old. I think it's a sign of devolution when the working class has forgotten that once upon a time they were hungry for genuine education.
That took courage to write what you did. I think many more men than will admit it battle what simpler minds attribute to them through their observations. If you make Mike Tyson with a voice replaced with Jesse Ventura's the standard for what it is to be a man, then sheeeet, we are all undefinable girls! Just get rid of it!
I too take this sheeeet, not so much in school as I was a jock with a girlfriend, but later when I rarely had a girl by my side. I still take smack. I had a neighbor say I could visit him when I get a girlfriend. How am I to maintain my privilege with all this flak? Can I help it that I like the looks of the ones that say, "My man at a minimum needs to make $500,000 per year" except I would flat out reject her for saying that. So what to do? Choose the one that looks similar to that one but says, "Looking for a man 18 to 99." She looks like that and has no standards! What a find! Hmmmm? Or should I downgrade? Obviously, you can't downgrade beyond what you like. Right?
"A mind is a place in itself, it can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven."
Sure enough, no truer words were spoken. Welcome to planet Earth.
I am 61 my last girlfriend was at 45. I did my own thing my entire 'adult' life as I didn't really care to join the system. I lived pretty much like they do in Don Det and stayed away from anyone who I thought might pull me into the system. I too am not a people person and have a hard time relating with others. I just think it is hard to be different no matter what that difference is as people wonder why you don't do things the way they did. I went a few times to the "sexual marketplace" but that kind of scene didn't fit my nature. That kind of place is where my incompetence shines...
When I was in that world back in the 80's I was the guy hanging by the keg getting hammered so that I could handle the scene comfortably numb. The observer guy.
I started writing when computers came to be, it sort of provokes anxiety in me but some say to do things outside your comfort zone so here I am. I was recently wasting time on whatever.com which interviews girls from the same place I played comfortably numb observer guy. Gonzo.
Linh, regarding you comment in your last post about aggressive Vietnamese:
yesterday my wife told me that there is a lot of talk on Thai social media about how Vietnam is no longer safe for Thais. There are 3 Thai travel bloggers who used to love Vietnam but have recently had big problems including one getting robbed at gun point by a taxi driver.
Thoughts?
I am not sure what to think. For years every eastern Asian I have met who has worked in Vietnam grew to despise Vietnamese. That includes a Vietnamese American whose family returned to start some type of business. They find them dishonest and untrustworthy.
I find that negativity interesting because North Vietnam is one of my favorite places. HCMC was OK but I found it bland. The rest of the country, I loved. I found the customer service in Hanoi to be some of the best I have ever had and people to be outgoing in a good way in Hanoi and some smaller towns.
Granted I never worked there and have only spent a month but that is usually enough time for me to get a read on a place.
Could my being white be the reason that I have not had the negative experiences as the Eastern Asians? If so that might be the only time I got something out of what the Jews call white privilege
Being white marks you out as a prime target for Vietnamese assholes, so you just got lucky. I'd say most Vietnamese are fine, but if just 5% are cheaters and hustlers, that can be a serious problem for visitors.
Just today in Don Det, a Lao woman told me she was shaken down for some extra cash at the Vietnamese border by an official, then was hustled by a bus driver on her way into Hue. He said he could drive her further for an extra charge, but she insisted, quite forcefully, on getting off. She didn't want to be dumped by the side of the road somewhere. Her final destination was Nha Trang.
As the owner of Datta Banana Leaf, she buys a lot of produce from Vietnamese merchants in Pakse, and finds them more honest and reliable than Laos in Nakasong. Unlike some Laos, they don't sell you 9 kilos of potatoes as 10! Her Sri Lankan husband also has had good experiences dealing with Vietnamese.
Here's a telling tidbit from a 2015 article by a Vietnamese female tralever in Laos. When she asked a Viet restauranteur if she missed Vietnam, the lady said, "I'm used to this place. It's small but peaceful, and the people are nice. To be honest, us Vietnamese don't trust each other the way Laos trust us."
Has the Vietnamese dishonesty gotten worse since the lockdowns? Some Americans in Latin America report that crime is a lot worse there because of the destruction of much of the economy during that time
From 1975 to roughly 2000, there was a lot of stealing and begging in Vietnam because people were so desperate. As people are allowed to buy, sell and be their own bosses, as they're allowed to take charge of their own economic destiny, there's actually much less dishonesty. If you cheat your customers, you won't have any.
Of Vietnam's lying culture, I have this to say in my 2010 novel, Love Like Hate, "In a country with few private rooms, where people live on top of each other, lies and half-truths become the only forms of privacy. People lie because they assume everyone else is a liar. Those who don’t lie must be either saints or idiots, or just plain rude. In this shimmering world of big and small deceits, people often have to snoop and spy to hunt down the illusive truth."
Bing Chat's response to how Freddy Mercury was American:
Freddie Mercury was influenced by American rock and roll artists such as Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. He also admired American soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and James Brown. He incorporated elements of these genres into his own style of music, creating a fusion of rock, pop, soul and opera.
Freddie Mercury and his band Queen achieved great success and popularity in the United States, especially after their performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985. They had several hit songs that topped the U.S. charts, such as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are the Champions”, “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Under Pressure” (with David Bowie).
Freddie Mercury’s music reflected some of the values and themes that are often associated with American culture, such as individualism, freedom, rebellion, diversity and innovation. He expressed his unique personality and identity through his music, challenging the norms and conventions of his time.
I first comment, then prepare my mountain sake with fresh strawberry, this one ice-cold. Then I read your piece. Because I know it is going to be good! Best! T
I first comment, then prepare my mountain sake with fresh strawberry, this one ice-cold. Then I read your piece. Because I know it is going to be good! Best! T
I like how they simplified their boat drives and got rid of the need for a coupler. That's the simplest, most reliable boat drive I have ever seen. I wonder if Honda thought some folks would run their engines at such a tilt. If you called them to enquire, would they say, "Yep, ben der don det, no prob"
If they really wanted a sustainable planet, all companies would build products like Honda does, but many don't by choosing to take the planned obsolescence route while crying out that we, the consumers, are using up the planet's resources. Welcome to planet Earth, enjoy your stay.
Your little vignettes always make me long for Cambodia. All the senses aroused, the air so thick and electric you feel the person standing 10 feet away from you, it was the only time I ever actually felt alive and human.
The thief was still in the cabin when the Brit tourist woke up. That's pretty frightening. I've been told that steel bars, such as exist in my two windows, were only installed after that incident.
Hi everyone,
There was a fair last night in Don Det, so here are some photos of the excitement:
https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/04/merry-go-round-at-fair-on-4-1-23-don.html
https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/04/people-watching-singing-and-dancing-on_2.html
https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/04/singer-and-dancer-on-stage-on-4-1-23_2.html
https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/04/singer-and-dancer-on-stage-on-4-1-23.html
https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/04/dancers-on-stage-on-4-1-23-don-det-copy.html
https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/04/people-watching-singing-and-dancing-on.html
https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/04/singer-on-stage-on-4-1-23-don-det-copy.html
And a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSvWdwq57po
Linh
Hi everybody,
Of course I know Mercury was not American, but you know what I mean. Uncle Sam spreads everything English.
Linh
Thanks Linh.
As early as age 6, I remember enjoying the likes of Steevie Wonder and MJ, but also finding the likes of Queen and Boy George seriously embarrassing and too hysterical, musically. And BTW Linh, to flatter your native country, Trinh Công Son is in my top 5 for composers. Whenever I'm away from Viêt-Nam, hearing his melodies instantly brings tears to my eyes.
Hi Arthur,
It's fascinating the appeal of Freddie Mercury worldwide. In Bangkok, there's even a restaurant called Freddie Ricecurry!
https://twitter.com/PoohChaiKonNun/status/1269152279157850113
Linh
My best laugh of the day so far. Even my best room mate, Dustbin Hoffman, had a laugh.
I'm waiting for someone to open a restaurant called Putin's Poutine, but I guess it will be unpopular now, and maybe be forced to close. They forced to close a Hitler restaurant in India. They cooked with gas, and had good juice.
Mercury was prescient!
He predicted the Kardashians, and wrote a song about it.
"... it's rare for a man to actually teach a boy how to do anything?"
I have to share this with my partner, I think he thinks he's the only man in the world whose father taught him NOTHING. Here in Maine a lot of men teach their sons and daughters how to do things like take care of a vehicle, maintain a house, etc. On the flip side, my grandfather was a small-town accountant who certainly never did any manual labor that I'm aware of, and my father -- who could do everything (where did he learn it?) -- didn't want his father driving his car!
While being taught things by one's parents and friends certainly can help one ease into the world, it's not really necessary. Just learning how to read and think logically is enough to get you going if you can make yourself go. Speaking of going check out this woman getting things done. Her sister was similar in her ability to do just about anything. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzJQOBmhr_Q
The problem with this is that many people do not learn well from reading and learn much more successfully from doing.
I have two books from Country Women, a group of women who went "back to the land" with male partners, found their male partners were lazy-ass good-for-nothings, got rid of them, formed a collective and taught themselves how to do everything from raising chickens to building houses.
I'm glad the woman in the video learned from her mistake, but a harness attached to the roof framing could have prevented her fall. It's what the pros do!
True, skill and craftmanship don't come from reading but I imagine at least one woman in your
example figured out how other people went about accomplishing projects before starting their own.
That woman is the sister of my last girlfriend. She grew up in the bush 70 miles from Huslia, Ak. One would be hard pressed finding a tougher individual. I am pretty sure that if I were in the picture she would find me a lazy-ass good for nothing and I am pretty competent at that sort of stuff. I just don't do things at 100 miles per hour all day long.
Very funny! The lazy-ass good-for-nothings closely resembled the men at the "utopian" community in central Massachusetts (Brook Farm), the men surrounding and including Bronson Alcott. They sat around having philosophical discussions instead of farming, and their wives and children went hungry until local people took pity on them. That's what these women described, not partners who just worked slowly and competently, but partners who did virtually zilch.
My grandfather's (cowboy / cook / musician) mother took off for California in her eighties to get married again! Craaaaazy!
Very, very true. My father liked to joke that people left the farm and still ate like farmers while riding around on lawn tractors. My grandmother grew up on a farm and hated it, but she still dressed out live chickens from the market, sewed, knitted, etc. Interestingly, my extremely competent parents had an incredible respect for labor and I was shocked to find that many people do not.
My father-in-law didn't know how to do anything because he thought he was intellectually superior (NOT!) and he despised actual labor of any sort. I'm trying to find what language has a succinct word or phrase for people who think they're intellectually superior and who are actually really stupid. My partner is now facing these truths and struggling with them because he and his siblings were all taught they were superior to other people (NOT!).
Thank god that you had teachers and coaches and mentors. My partner was too scared to go to boy scouts alone and his father -- who was jealous of anyone else paying attention to his eldest son -- refused to accompany him. As a girl, I had none of the above so was left to find my way alone in life.
Not interested in history and literature! I used to be a fanatical reader of Victorian novels but now I'm a fanatical reader of history.
Not familiar with either Terry Pratchett or Victor Davis Hanson, though I actually have read some books on military history (mostly when I proofread [past tense] for work). I don't have access to a really good library, unfortunately.
Book Smart, Street Stupid is pretty damn good! I'm looking for something such as l'esprit d'escalia (wit of the staircase; you know, when you think of the perfect reply five minutes later).
It has taken me 57 years to realize how very damaging my mother selling our family home was when I was 12 years old and she started the process of dragging me around hell's half-acre. I think my life would have been very different if we had stayed put; I became accustomed to chaos, which is not a good thing.
I like that your grandfather was a hometown intellect! My grandmother went to work when she was 12 -- her mother died -- had 2 children out of wedlock (one went to a Catholic orphanage and died, the other to a baby farm and died), worked out west, including meeting Clarence Darrow at the resort he liked in Iowa, returned to Ohio and after her divorce in the 1930s worked as a nurse's aide and waitress. Yet she was culturally, politically and intellectually aware; my mother got her first library card when she was 3 years old. I think it's a sign of devolution when the working class has forgotten that once upon a time they were hungry for genuine education.
That took courage to write what you did. I think many more men than will admit it battle what simpler minds attribute to them through their observations. If you make Mike Tyson with a voice replaced with Jesse Ventura's the standard for what it is to be a man, then sheeeet, we are all undefinable girls! Just get rid of it!
I too take this sheeeet, not so much in school as I was a jock with a girlfriend, but later when I rarely had a girl by my side. I still take smack. I had a neighbor say I could visit him when I get a girlfriend. How am I to maintain my privilege with all this flak? Can I help it that I like the looks of the ones that say, "My man at a minimum needs to make $500,000 per year" except I would flat out reject her for saying that. So what to do? Choose the one that looks similar to that one but says, "Looking for a man 18 to 99." She looks like that and has no standards! What a find! Hmmmm? Or should I downgrade? Obviously, you can't downgrade beyond what you like. Right?
"A mind is a place in itself, it can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven."
Sure enough, no truer words were spoken. Welcome to planet Earth.
I am 61 my last girlfriend was at 45. I did my own thing my entire 'adult' life as I didn't really care to join the system. I lived pretty much like they do in Don Det and stayed away from anyone who I thought might pull me into the system. I too am not a people person and have a hard time relating with others. I just think it is hard to be different no matter what that difference is as people wonder why you don't do things the way they did. I went a few times to the "sexual marketplace" but that kind of scene didn't fit my nature. That kind of place is where my incompetence shines...
When I was in that world back in the 80's I was the guy hanging by the keg getting hammered so that I could handle the scene comfortably numb. The observer guy.
I started writing when computers came to be, it sort of provokes anxiety in me but some say to do things outside your comfort zone so here I am. I was recently wasting time on whatever.com which interviews girls from the same place I played comfortably numb observer guy. Gonzo.
Linh, regarding you comment in your last post about aggressive Vietnamese:
yesterday my wife told me that there is a lot of talk on Thai social media about how Vietnam is no longer safe for Thais. There are 3 Thai travel bloggers who used to love Vietnam but have recently had big problems including one getting robbed at gun point by a taxi driver.
Thoughts?
I am not sure what to think. For years every eastern Asian I have met who has worked in Vietnam grew to despise Vietnamese. That includes a Vietnamese American whose family returned to start some type of business. They find them dishonest and untrustworthy.
I find that negativity interesting because North Vietnam is one of my favorite places. HCMC was OK but I found it bland. The rest of the country, I loved. I found the customer service in Hanoi to be some of the best I have ever had and people to be outgoing in a good way in Hanoi and some smaller towns.
Granted I never worked there and have only spent a month but that is usually enough time for me to get a read on a place.
Could my being white be the reason that I have not had the negative experiences as the Eastern Asians? If so that might be the only time I got something out of what the Jews call white privilege
Hi Al,
Being white marks you out as a prime target for Vietnamese assholes, so you just got lucky. I'd say most Vietnamese are fine, but if just 5% are cheaters and hustlers, that can be a serious problem for visitors.
Just today in Don Det, a Lao woman told me she was shaken down for some extra cash at the Vietnamese border by an official, then was hustled by a bus driver on her way into Hue. He said he could drive her further for an extra charge, but she insisted, quite forcefully, on getting off. She didn't want to be dumped by the side of the road somewhere. Her final destination was Nha Trang.
As the owner of Datta Banana Leaf, she buys a lot of produce from Vietnamese merchants in Pakse, and finds them more honest and reliable than Laos in Nakasong. Unlike some Laos, they don't sell you 9 kilos of potatoes as 10! Her Sri Lankan husband also has had good experiences dealing with Vietnamese.
Here's a telling tidbit from a 2015 article by a Vietnamese female tralever in Laos. When she asked a Viet restauranteur if she missed Vietnam, the lady said, "I'm used to this place. It's small but peaceful, and the people are nice. To be honest, us Vietnamese don't trust each other the way Laos trust us."
https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-viet-o-pakse-185499391.htm
Linh
Has the Vietnamese dishonesty gotten worse since the lockdowns? Some Americans in Latin America report that crime is a lot worse there because of the destruction of much of the economy during that time
Hi Al,
From 1975 to roughly 2000, there was a lot of stealing and begging in Vietnam because people were so desperate. As people are allowed to buy, sell and be their own bosses, as they're allowed to take charge of their own economic destiny, there's actually much less dishonesty. If you cheat your customers, you won't have any.
Of Vietnam's lying culture, I have this to say in my 2010 novel, Love Like Hate, "In a country with few private rooms, where people live on top of each other, lies and half-truths become the only forms of privacy. People lie because they assume everyone else is a liar. Those who don’t lie must be either saints or idiots, or just plain rude. In this shimmering world of big and small deceits, people often have to snoop and spy to hunt down the illusive truth."
Linh
I hope you say in Don Det for a while longer. I love seeing the pictures and hearing about the people. Part of me wishes that i were there.
Bing Chat's response to how Freddy Mercury was American:
Freddie Mercury was influenced by American rock and roll artists such as Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. He also admired American soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and James Brown. He incorporated elements of these genres into his own style of music, creating a fusion of rock, pop, soul and opera.
Freddie Mercury and his band Queen achieved great success and popularity in the United States, especially after their performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985. They had several hit songs that topped the U.S. charts, such as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are the Champions”, “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Under Pressure” (with David Bowie).
Freddie Mercury’s music reflected some of the values and themes that are often associated with American culture, such as individualism, freedom, rebellion, diversity and innovation. He expressed his unique personality and identity through his music, challenging the norms and conventions of his time.
In response to my request, Bing Chat wrote:
I’ll try to write a sonnet about what Don Det in Laos is known for. Here is what I came up with:
A tiny island in the Mekong River
Where time seems to slow down and stand still
A place to relax, unwind and deliver
Yourself from stress and worries and chill
Don Det is part of the Four Thousand Islands
A group of river isles in southern Laos
A haven for backpackers and free spirits
A destination for adventure and pause
You can rent a bike and explore around
Or float along the water in a tube
You can see the waterfalls and dolphins sound
Or watch the sunset from your bamboo hut
Don Det is a paradise on earth
A place to find yourself and your true worth
I first comment, then prepare my mountain sake with fresh strawberry, this one ice-cold. Then I read your piece. Because I know it is going to be good! Best! T
I first comment, then prepare my mountain sake with fresh strawberry, this one ice-cold. Then I read your piece. Because I know it is going to be good! Best! T
I like how they simplified their boat drives and got rid of the need for a coupler. That's the simplest, most reliable boat drive I have ever seen. I wonder if Honda thought some folks would run their engines at such a tilt. If you called them to enquire, would they say, "Yep, ben der don det, no prob"
If they really wanted a sustainable planet, all companies would build products like Honda does, but many don't by choosing to take the planned obsolescence route while crying out that we, the consumers, are using up the planet's resources. Welcome to planet Earth, enjoy your stay.
"A Sane, Tranquil World is Still Possible"
Are you sure? Let's hope so...
Your little vignettes always make me long for Cambodia. All the senses aroused, the air so thick and electric you feel the person standing 10 feet away from you, it was the only time I ever actually felt alive and human.
Imagine:
a country where they claim citizens own the resources, but have to rent land to grow food!
But that is average in the West because food security and its sovereignty are not allowed to be discussed.
In Russia, they do not pay for their Natural gas. They pay for supply infrastructure and repair in one monthly bill.
They also nave better food security than any western nation. In the West, it's all commodity. Period.
Hi Benedict Tiberius Cato,
The thief was still in the cabin when the Brit tourist woke up. That's pretty frightening. I've been told that steel bars, such as exist in my two windows, were only installed after that incident.
Linh
My partner just dug out the first two volumes of Gibbon's saga of the Roman empire. Will I be meeting you there?