Bai Bien Cua Toi (V)... Lobster (again ;-), a last supply run, and TET at the beach

5:00
I'm restless..... and just a tad depressed..... I've been sleeping alone for too long ...

But - as is ALWAYS the case at this beach - that touch of melancholy evaporates instantly the moment I walk to the water's edge ....  watching the sun rise out of the ocean is therapy ;-)

just LOOK at that twirly little water tree ;-)

Puppy is on my terrace again ..... she knows where I live but also knows that she's not allowed in my room....

I've developed a thing for this dog ;-)

8:00
Not enough wind to fly a kite.... would have been nice without the distracting crowd of 4-year-olds ;)

9:00
My office is coming along..... I'm ready for TET ;-)

10:00
Time for my invitation....   Lobster again.... and there they are:

....while Chau is cooking I have time to look at the TINY house and front yard

Tu\ng has a problem with his new computer.... he can't remember his Gmail Password..... and the instructions to reset it are in English.... so I help him and it WORKS!

 I also notice that he has been LEARNING ENGLISH with Duolingo!   And he is getting bloody amazing for a 10 year old!


Self-flattery STINKS, but I can't help but say "Job well done ;-)".

Muoi also shows up a bit later... and at usual makes me smile ... .Woman of my dreams (WTF, I am GAY!). But she is fabulous!   Of course, it is her that notices and mentions that my arm and leg hair is no longer black but blond....
Another bottle of wine emptied between me and Chau, I take my leave.....
















Back at home, Ti/n again proves to be the perfect teacher... I FINALLY understand and pronounce the difference between Ba?y gio (NOW) and Ba^y gio (7 o'clock).  Hearing that difference is another matter ;-)


I let the kite soar while I swim.... a coconut usually suffices to hold the bottom string in place ;-)

12:40

I'm out of wine... I better ride to Song Cau (with an utterly illegal alcohol level, there is no eating at Chau's without finishing a whole bottle) to buy more....
Also, I'm DYING for one of those Ice creams bars ;-)

It's simply impossible to forget that TET is NEAR with all those flags EVERYWHERE

4 bottles of Chilean White and 1 bottle of Dalat Red... that's all I can get out of my store today..... I've depleted stocks in 2 provinces now, LOL.

I stop at a completely out-of-the-way store and there is yet another one of these moments when the Vietnamese think they see a ghost:  There is a tall white guy trying to buy 2 cigarette lighters and indicates that intention in something that ALMOST sounds like Vietnamese (the usual response to this unbelievable occurrence is to repeat what the white guy said to the nearest Vietnamese person and this time is no exception: bang tieng Viet! the woman mumbles to her co-worker ;-)  I pay 5000 VND  (28 Canadian Cents) for the two lighters and don't even forget to wish them "Chuc Mung Nam Moi!" which results in more of those "I'm going to faint" looks.

If nothing else, I think I fill my self-appointed role of Good-Will Ambassador quite well.  At least some Vietnamese now know that not all foreigners are idiots ;-)

17:15

19:30
Dinner was supposed to start at 19:00, Ti/n and the Christians have been cooking (French Fries? YUM!), but WHERE are the guests ?

22:00
That was a lovely dinner.  Chats with the French living in Indonesia & Vietnamese Phillipe living in California.... and then chatting with Ti/n until late...... what a sweet kid... and I am shocked that my gut feeling was correct in sensing issues with his father.   Kids that grow up with a proper father keep radiating that certain je-ne-sais-quoi all their lives.