[3839 Café in Pakse on 8/9/23] Back in Pakse five days, I’ve seen a few friends. Dropping into Coffee Saigon before 7AM, I was greeted with shouts of surprise. When I disappeared two months ago, they never thought they’d see my drowsy face again. “I was in Thailand,” I explained. “I was sick. For nearly a month, I was lying stiff in bed.”
Aug 12, 2023·edited Aug 12, 2023Liked by Linh Dinh
I have the utmost respect (not to mention admiration) for your truth-seeking and truth telling, Mr Dinh.
I grew up in an America in which inconvenient or unpleasant truths were simply not talked about. The tacit philosophy of my elders seemed to be: "Don't talk about it and maybe it will just go away." In other words if big, hard problems are too difficult to deal with just don't mention them. Maybe in a week, or a year or in some indefinite future they'll be gone and we won't have to face them.
I grew up in this milieu of magical thinking and of course without being addressed (by my family elders) the big problems didn't go away. They just got worse. Eventually (in fact early in my life, when I was 11) my father died; then my mother lost our house and then she herself died.
All because no one in my family had the courage to address "the big problems." It is for this reason that I have the deepest respect for truth seekers and truth tellers. Hiding one's head in the sand to attempt to escape the vicissitudes of life can (literally) get you killed.
PS Might I suggest avoiding frivolous people who laugh at their own lame jokes? I know, not always easy to do.
Nice writing, Linh. I'm tempted to call it "travelogue," but it's not. It's about people, and places where people are, and conversations with people, and observations about people, and feelings shared with people. Nicely done. You couldn't do it without either of two things, you're personality and proclivity for human fellowship, and your writing chops. Nicely done.
My belief, whether true or false, is that (at least in the US) it is IMPOSSIBLE to make an "honest" buck. Regardless of the job, profession, vocation, or just part-time hobby, every single amount of American "money" earned is connected to corruption and often outright murder, if one just traces the money back far enough. I came to that belief after reading Gus Russo's book Supermob.
I haven't felt this well in about nine weeks, but I have to make sure I don't lapse into bad eating habits.
Many thanks to you, and everyone else, for wishing me luck and cheering me up during this self-inflicted fiasco! Many of the advices, too, were very useful.
Hi Linh. Thank you for posting the links to your articles on Ukraine. I followed them, and all the links to the photos you took during your visit. Tragic.
I've led a mostly sheltered life growing up in the West, and have never set foot in the Ukraine, but it is the land of my great grandparents. (And yeah, I still tend to say "the" Ukraine.)
It breaks my heart seeing women on their knees, begging in the streets, and seeing other well-dressed women walking on by. It reminds me of old black and white photos from the Holodomor era, the ones that show people walking by the bodies of emaciated dead children on the roadsides.
I don't have the words to explain how this makes me feel. But I just wanted to thank you for telling what you understand of the Ukrainian story to the rest of the world. At least for those who are listening. "... ears to hear."
Really pleased to see the picture of you taking tea and looking so much better. (I'm assuming that was you in the photo at the beginning of the article?)
To be able to drink tea in a civilized setting is truly something of note. Time seems to flow around the first image. A remarkable moment captured as if by Mr Kodak himself.
i looked up the fred reed quote - he did write that but the page on which it appears is no longer accessible
some people attempt to be realistic - fred is one of those in his sarcastic way - linh is another, in his own way as well - i don't always agree with them
eva zu beck is another world traveler - she puts videos on youtube about her own adventures
my neighbor's son used to be a cop - earlier this year he and another cop chased a shoplifter out of a shopping mall and in the process the shoplifter was shot dead - the cops were afraid he had a weapon, but he didn't - there's a racial issue in this too - now there is a chance the former cop will be prosecuted, but the matter isn't settled yet
"Arriving from Macau in 1617, the Milanese Cristoforo Borri lived in Central Vietnam for five years. He observes, “Whereas all the other Eastern Nations, looking upon the Europeans as a profane people, do naturally abhor them, and therefore fly from us when first we come among them:"
From the book: Notes on The Place of Prejudice in Modern Civilization
By Sir Arthur Keith:
Page 8, 7th Para. “Keith’s firm conviction, following years of study and research, was that nature had incorporated into the human psyche a prejudice or bias in favour of one’s own kind which channelled
primitive man unconsciously into an infinitely slow but continual program of racial improvement.”
You are looking good, Linh... It is always nice to be a welcomed and remembered traveler. Thank you for your continued commentaries.
I have the utmost respect (not to mention admiration) for your truth-seeking and truth telling, Mr Dinh.
I grew up in an America in which inconvenient or unpleasant truths were simply not talked about. The tacit philosophy of my elders seemed to be: "Don't talk about it and maybe it will just go away." In other words if big, hard problems are too difficult to deal with just don't mention them. Maybe in a week, or a year or in some indefinite future they'll be gone and we won't have to face them.
I grew up in this milieu of magical thinking and of course without being addressed (by my family elders) the big problems didn't go away. They just got worse. Eventually (in fact early in my life, when I was 11) my father died; then my mother lost our house and then she herself died.
All because no one in my family had the courage to address "the big problems." It is for this reason that I have the deepest respect for truth seekers and truth tellers. Hiding one's head in the sand to attempt to escape the vicissitudes of life can (literally) get you killed.
PS Might I suggest avoiding frivolous people who laugh at their own lame jokes? I know, not always easy to do.
Hi everyone,
Do read in its entirety Kevin Barrett's excellent new article, "'The Holocaust' and Nuclear Holocaust":
https://kevinbarrett.substack.com/p/the-holocaust-and-nuclear-holocaust?
Linh
Nice writing, Linh. I'm tempted to call it "travelogue," but it's not. It's about people, and places where people are, and conversations with people, and observations about people, and feelings shared with people. Nicely done. You couldn't do it without either of two things, you're personality and proclivity for human fellowship, and your writing chops. Nicely done.
My belief, whether true or false, is that (at least in the US) it is IMPOSSIBLE to make an "honest" buck. Regardless of the job, profession, vocation, or just part-time hobby, every single amount of American "money" earned is connected to corruption and often outright murder, if one just traces the money back far enough. I came to that belief after reading Gus Russo's book Supermob.
it is always a pleasure reading letter from a better world
Ask someone to take a picture of you! Want to see a healthy Linh!
Hi Peggy,
At 3839 Cafe, there is this nice chair. After setting my camera to shoot after 10 seconds, I enthroned myself on this chair yesterday:
http://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2023/08/at-substack-peggy-bean-writes-ask.html
I haven't felt this well in about nine weeks, but I have to make sure I don't lapse into bad eating habits.
Many thanks to you, and everyone else, for wishing me luck and cheering me up during this self-inflicted fiasco! Many of the advices, too, were very useful.
Linh
Thanks!
Hi Linh. Thank you for posting the links to your articles on Ukraine. I followed them, and all the links to the photos you took during your visit. Tragic.
I've led a mostly sheltered life growing up in the West, and have never set foot in the Ukraine, but it is the land of my great grandparents. (And yeah, I still tend to say "the" Ukraine.)
It breaks my heart seeing women on their knees, begging in the streets, and seeing other well-dressed women walking on by. It reminds me of old black and white photos from the Holodomor era, the ones that show people walking by the bodies of emaciated dead children on the roadsides.
I don't have the words to explain how this makes me feel. But I just wanted to thank you for telling what you understand of the Ukrainian story to the rest of the world. At least for those who are listening. "... ears to hear."
Really pleased to see the picture of you taking tea and looking so much better. (I'm assuming that was you in the photo at the beginning of the article?)
To be able to drink tea in a civilized setting is truly something of note. Time seems to flow around the first image. A remarkable moment captured as if by Mr Kodak himself.
i looked up the fred reed quote - he did write that but the page on which it appears is no longer accessible
some people attempt to be realistic - fred is one of those in his sarcastic way - linh is another, in his own way as well - i don't always agree with them
eva zu beck is another world traveler - she puts videos on youtube about her own adventures
my neighbor's son used to be a cop - earlier this year he and another cop chased a shoplifter out of a shopping mall and in the process the shoplifter was shot dead - the cops were afraid he had a weapon, but he didn't - there's a racial issue in this too - now there is a chance the former cop will be prosecuted, but the matter isn't settled yet
a forest precedes civilization - a desert follows
"Arriving from Macau in 1617, the Milanese Cristoforo Borri lived in Central Vietnam for five years. He observes, “Whereas all the other Eastern Nations, looking upon the Europeans as a profane people, do naturally abhor them, and therefore fly from us when first we come among them:"
From the book: Notes on The Place of Prejudice in Modern Civilization
By Sir Arthur Keith:
Page 8, 7th Para. “Keith’s firm conviction, following years of study and research, was that nature had incorporated into the human psyche a prejudice or bias in favour of one’s own kind which channelled
primitive man unconsciously into an infinitely slow but continual program of racial improvement.”
The first quote, above, is from Linh's Post Cards of today, 8/12.
The second quote (last paragraph) is from the noted book by Sir Arthur Keith.