On the road again...... LOVE....snoring nude....hotel clusterfuck......Toan..... and back HOME ... weak......but Karma strikes again

In my house in my village:

5:30.....the unfriendly voice of the alarm clock gets me out of bed

6:45

Nhat drops by....

Somehow I survive the 90 minute taxi ride to the airport and the UIH-SGN flight ...

13:00

I check into HomeAway early....they got my room ready early.....Thank God......because I am exhausted.....the walk from the 152 bus stop at the end really wore me out.....

14:00

I've bought hand juice (the thing I forgot), wine, cigs (the other thing I forgot), and bibimbap and coffee chocolate .....

time to relax..... I made it to Sai Gon ;-)

17:45

I just ordered the usual food at Parkhaus......walking here my legs and arms are shaking and I've been SO SLUGGISH all afternoon..... watching Princess Margaret die on Netflix......I hope it's lack of food and not what she had......never know....

4:15

I wake up just before the church bells ring at 4:20 ;-)

still weak

I eat the rest of the Schnitzel and talk to Eda

go buy more Cialis.......police and lots of female gossipers next to a blue tarp on Bui Vien next to my pharmacy ..... OH !!! ....there is an elbow sticking out...... Dead person on the ground and the Western tourists are sipping their coffees just across the street.....surreal

I start packing......

12:00

The new receptionist wants to CHECK my room before I leave......he doesn't know yet WHO I am......fruity Levi rolls his eyes at that.....a darling he is....

a nice Grab driver in a tiny car....Phap wishes me a good journey and says he'll meet me at 7 pm in Bien Hoa...

in the Grap taxi.....we just passed a LARGE gasoline tanker truck .....in bright BIG red letters it says CAM LUA (Fire forbidden) on the side of the tank.....

The tanker truck is going FAST......The driver's window is open.. he is driving with only his right hand....and his left hand is leisurely hanging out the window....with a burning cigarette....

... I give the Grab driver 400k instead of the charged 332k....oh what the fuck....it's friggin Christmas ....AND  ....I can do that 100,000 times more before I have to sell the house....  (in retrospect that sounds FOOLISH)

13:15

and I get room 205 again ...I love this hotel...... and I message Phap....

Phap arrives in the evening as promised

4:45

I'm having my first smoke....and then he's getting up and dresses .....not tam gio....but nam gio.... he's leaving early ?!

I feel bad for having to rub one out while holding it.... but the horniness was almost unbearable....

7:30

Breakfast ....the usual.....carry it into the room...

still weak....too much traveling !

I talk to Chantal....and she tells me about Conrad and Mika in a kidnapping danger township in the middle of nowhere South Africa and Mika running off and the police returning him...... OMFG....

Eda calls.....she is in NV.... and I can tell by her voice that she is STRESSED...... stupid Christmas present exchanges (or NOT) with the White Trash crowd in her house (a $400 T-shirt for the uncle????)

Randy is an idiot and his girlfriend is the biggest gold digger I've ever heard of...

11:00

I don't want to....but it needs to be done...... by foot to LotteMart...... I have 20k ready just in case someone offers me a ride..... a Grab rider does ....but only 40 meters from Lottemart....I decline gracefully .....

Buy baguette, coffee, cheese, grapes, 4 bottles of wine......basics covered.....I'm too exhausted by the loud Christmas music and the bright lights to buy a Zippo....  hopefully in Saigon.....Choi deserves one... (?)

I'm wobbly and my shirt is drenched in sweat when I return to my room.....

eat, sink laundry, drink wine, organize tomorrow's departure....start getting organized for my GST return.....finish watching the movie Vantage Point.... calisthenics

13:15

Now that I've written all that down, I realize why I feel so exhausted.  I've done a lot.....

nap

14:00

slight bellyache .....but a stinky dump relieves it..... 3 eggs for breakfast are too much !

15:00

Idiot me....for tomorrow in Sai Gon......I booked a room at the SUNNY Guesthouse....NOT the FUNNY Guesthouse.....good thing the two are not far apart.....

15:15

I take my first look in the mirror at the itchy spot on my back.....YUK.....don't like it.....What the fuck is it?

I buy a ticket home for Tuesday......and ask My to meet me at the airport.....

16:20

No arrival yet.....time to nap.....

5 minutes later Phap arrives

He get's off violently....

and falls asleep while watching soccer....

18:45

He is snoring..... it's too early for me....

morning...... as usual I am awake and he is asleep....

There are competing titles for the above oeuvre of photography:

Xmas Eve (hint: it's a double entendre ;-)

Ihr Kinderlein kommet !

But the one I like best is:

Self portrait with snoring Nude/Dude

9:15 he leaves..... I want to give him 1 million for a present for Duc....he asks for 2 million..... LOL.....no worries....

Tony Diemert sends me one of those electronic Xmas cards.....Blech.....but as soon as I hear Smetana's Vlatava, I get tears in my eyes....... and I'm happy....

11:15

Again, I drank too much...... I miss feeling and touching him next to me.....but I do have stuff to do....

12:00 I grab a Grab taxi

13:10   Sunny Guest House.....she is very friendly and makes me walk up to the 3rd floor (NO elevator) to show me my room.....  a family room with two giant bed and NO balcony.......I flip out at her......she even dares to ask me to cancel my booking.....so she can save the commission..... I reply "If you do that I will leave you the worst review ever".....which I will do anyway.....this shit has to stop........

I try Liberty hotel......he shows me a room.....the guy who is supposed to be cleaning the room is sleeping on the bed..... the earliest I could have the room would be 3pm...it's 13:30 now.....I don't think so...

I start walking towards Gemini Saigon, because Booking.com says they have lots of rooms.....but then I stop myself.....I don't reward liars by going back....

I need to breathe and think..... there is a fancy bar with outside tables......No one comes to take my order.....so I open my bottle of wine.....and my laptop..... when I leave after 20 minutes, I see the waiting staff inside.....typical floosy idiot......

I've decided on 3Beans......they do have a balcony room....and it's ready....it's on the 6th floor and they don't have an elevator......and the owner is GREEDY.....and the room lousy.....she takes 500k when it should be 250k.....khong quan trong....I have a room and a bed to lay on...

15:30

time to get stuff done.....bank machine....success.... CircleK....Toblerone and soup (no fork) and gummy bears.....next Parkhaus....the usual....I take half home.....

Nhat calls and asks me when I'm coming back.....I know the right people...

the DUMB girl at HomeAWay again....she doesn't understand ANYTHING.....

I buy wine and cigs.......and later..... YES, putting a cardboard take-away container on top of a steaming water kettle heats the contents nicely ;-)

lots of messages with Monkey and Toan (he will take the bus tonight) and Phap (he will go gift shopping with Duc tonight)   

I sent the "self portrait with snoring Nude" to Seamus and to Marion......Marion LOVES it !   which makes me happy..... gotta get away from those crusty Brits....

19:00

What else to do.... I don't want to do stairs again ....

watch Netflix and at 23:00 sleep

5:00

coffee, wine, smoke

nap more 

8:00   Good sleep, nice mattress...

8:30 Call Eda.....talk for an hour.....she's becoming neurotic.....found the fuse for the evil outside lights....and now she wants to install a surveillance camera.....(ONE ! , which doesn't do squat....and she will be staring at her phone the whole time...)

Phuong posts a suggestive video 

Yet another naked Xmas Card ;-)

 and sends me a Merry Xmas message....

Down the stairs, talk to Levi, buy lip balm, tooth brushes, and some food (disgusting sandwich) and up the friggin stairs again.....

10:30

worn out... tipsy...... 

nap

shower water is not hot.....a cat wash will have to do...

12:30 I leave and hand the key to the cute laundry guy who is cleaning a room....

My room is not ready.....I leave 100k for Levi to hurry things up with the nice woman....and go eat some Sushi...... I bought 2 lottery tickets and I tip the sushi server with it....  "chuc may man", I say

Talk to Levi.....and show him the 'self portrait with Nude'...... when I tell him that Phap is married to a woman he almost loses it....I am living a much wilder life than the young ones ;-)

13:00

Finally In the HomeAway room....

veg out....drink wine, watch Netflix, write emails and messages...

nap

16:30

Toan will show up around 19:00

easy..... which is also what I will take it like....

19:00

Here Toan is..... a glass of wine

19:30

Parkhaus......Toan's chicken tastes like sawdust.... too bad....

we talk....and he tells me I should try public washroom cruising....LMFAO.....

20:30

Back at the hotel, more drinking and talking.....it's fun, but there is a slight abrasive edge to him today..... he's not happy....

22:30

He goes home and I go to bed at 23:00

4:00

There is funny music outside......Yup, another funeral.... much more modest than the last one...... the guys in the white uniforms double as band and coffin carriers.... this is how early they start their day....I'm sure they have many more bookings today.....

5:30

Chantal is with Tamil in Victoria.... Good for her..... Mika & Conrad will return tomorrow....

6:00

I miss Phap

Back to sleep....but NO.....I putter and pack and watch more Netflix

I phone Chantal.....she's with Tamil on Vancouver Island, so she decided to go after all.....good for her..... Tamil shouts something and I secretly cringe at her voice

8:05

I start walking to the bus stop......the orange bus starts moving after the first cigarette.... it actually has 4 passengers on this trip.... a new record.....

Eda calls back while I'm on the bus......she went to the movie theatre to watch 'Hunger Games'.....really?

HUGE lineup at the VietJet check-in counters....Good thing BayDep already sent me a boarding pass....I have another smoke and then take my two backpacks through security, including a 550ml bottle of Nivea and a corkscrew..... try that in the uncivilized world !

9:45

A beer and a ham and cheese sandwich later.....tiredness hits me..... 30 mins+ to riding the stupid shuttle bus again....

14:15

I'm HOME....still shaking from too many stupid people and driving 1.5 hours on an imperfect road....

2 glasses of wine later and I feel slightly better

Nhat walks by and we shake and smile 

15:00

Still a bit weak and I think I should eat something...but what..... then I see Yen return....with a big green plastic bag.....containing 2 pizza boxes.....HOLY SHIT.....I forgot that I asked her to bring me 2 .....and JUST at the right time ...... Cam On Nghiep Chuong

17:15

Phap FINALLY sends something...... and he's communicating....... he won't have time in two weeks to travel to Tuy Hoa....... we'll meet in Bien Hoa in 3 weeks.... and some other sweet words......and I realize how much my immediate happiness depends on him...... nhung ma anh ay luon that bai !!!.....

We'll see ....

17:30

I visit Choi to let him know that I'm back and that we're still anh em..... but I can tell that he's otherwise occupied, so I leave after one cigarette....but Hoa (the darling wife) gives me a bowl of fried tiny shrimps....and Choi insists that I take it home..... I donate it to Yen and company..... I would just feed the cat with it....

18:45

Nhat drops by.....and tells me that he missed me while I was gone.....

I set fire to my pile and the stupid hotel pile.....still here after a looong time....

19:30

and set fire to it again.....but the high tide is wetting it from below.....Idiots !

19:45

I have a confirmation for HomeAway in 15 days.....and Ha Trinh is booked.....I explore Cambodia options....ah well....not something I have to do tonight......

20:15

Monkey says it is not cold..... ah well....he probably is wearing a WARM hoodie.....

20:30

ready to end this day.....and trip..... and see what happens tomorrow.....

On the road again.... Saigon ...2 LOVE birthdays ....Toan .....Clusterfuck return to home

Thursday .... 6:00

OUCH .... getting old

6:30 Nhat shows up

9:30 My, the taxi guy (that even rhymes ;-)

14:30 I arrive at Home Away in Sai Gon

19:30 Levi is leaving....because Long wants to put a CircleK into the lobby....WTF?

19:45 DEAD tired.....

 1 am..... awake again.....super horny...but I keep it in for tonight....

somewhere in here is a Friday and Saturday.....but it's a blur of love and happiness ....because it is MY birthday.....and at Midnight it becomes HIS birthday ;-)

Sunday

9:15 Phap leaves and while my love battery will hold some charge for a while, I already feel it draining

But then Joanna calls.....and I talk to Eda.....and I feel much better again ;-)

12:00

I order the Grab taxi....but it's not showing up.... I finally find him on the main road....he's parked and fixing his engine.....

13:00

I arrive....and they tell me my room is not ready yet.....WTF?  What did I bribe Levi for?....WORSE....

18:30

23:30 Toan leaves.....

sleep

sweat a lot...

6:00

OUCH.... getting old ;-)

7:45

Andrea calls..... she forgot my birthday.....apologizes way too long about it and then chews my ear off about her weird 'wealth management' issues......

No call from Eda..... I don't call her because she wanted to be with her friends.....

Eat some more chicken Schnitzel .....  It's expensive at 290k (12 Euros), but for me it is dinner, breakfast and lunch..... that's 4 Euros each meal ;-)

12:00

Buy more wine & cigs

14:00

I walk over to the bank.....I want 2000 us$ and 120trieu (5000$).......they can give me the US$ but say they have NO vietnamese money left..... OMFG....... and I'm STUPID enough not to take as much as I can in US$...

14:30

another news item.....developers built these mega cities....and they don't sell.....guess who lent them the money..... oh oh...

I contemplate going back to the bank to take as much money in US$ as possible....

16:00 

I've applied for my new Cambodian visa.....this time the payment worked..... one of the few successes today..

17:30

I almost cry my eyes out when Georgie on Young Sheldon tells his parents that he got a girl pregnant.... and that she wants to keep it ....to get the husband......I cry for Phap.

Then 17:50

Phap writes: Wish a happy evening in Vinh Hoa, Love....... OMFG....he never listens

18:00

I'm back at the ParkHaus to drown my sorrows in a Jaegerschnitzel and Caesar Salad....

They are still drumming in the park.....maybe I should make a video of it after eating....

Some stupid white-skinned skinny fake girl Korean band......and the Viet kids are loving it....it's the end of the world as I know it....

23:00

Finally pass out drunk..... I miss him

4:45

Shit..... wide awake..... might as well get ready....

8:10

Levi in his gayest tone:  OOOH....you're leaving already ?

I have to run for 10 meters waving, but I do catch the 109 bus......I'll be early at the airport....

9:00

Trying to check in......and I'm told that I'm on the 15:10 flight  ....WTF???

Turns out they cancelled the 10:45 flight........ OH GREAT...... if someone had TOLD me, I could have stayed in my room, I could have gone to the bank, and I wouldn't have to spend at least 6 lousy hours at Tan Son Nhat .....I start sweating and am about to collapse with frustration....

11:50

At least the bank machine worked....I contacted My that the flight is MUCH later.....I had a nap on the benches....2 beers and way too many cigarettes...I will be a wreck tonight.....especially since the new flight probably will be delayed....

13:30

After another nap, I'm back for another Ham&Cheese sandwich and a 333.  I am weak and shaking..... I eat the sandwich to prevent fainting from exhaustion.  I am too old for this shit.... I feel like crying....wishing Phap would be here to calm me ...or the Monkey....

Nhat calls and asks when I will be back.... no idea, but it will be dark already and I will barely be able to walk.....

13:45

less than one hour until the SCHEDULED boarding time.....  

I finally get home at 19:00.......after an exhausting 11 hour journey.....and it's pitch dark and raining....and I only have 1.5 bottles of wine left...... ah well I might have to finish the Gin .....

but no, there is a break in the rain and I go get some wine..... My Vietnamese is so obviously flawed by my exhaustion, the store woman looks at me funny....

On the road again .....3 hours of UTTER HAPPINESS .... International ST00PID day .... returning HOME

A 'holiday' in Cambodia: 

4:00

not enough sleep.....the mattress smells of smoke...or BO....don't even know anymore....the only thing I know is that it doesn't come from me....

An email from Inglewood.... Nurse Chan wants me to buy a second set of arm protectors for Grandma.... let's hope that works from Vietnam....

7:00-8:15

The Monkey is waiting for Thai Linh and leaves

I forgot to call Eda.....do it now....

shave shower....I feel better.....small breakfast upstairs....

Andrea calls.....nightmare talk that puts me in a bad mood....she can't take care of herself or think straight..... bad thought: "No wonder he ignored her"

9:45

NEED nap...I set the alarm clock for 11:00

nap

10:30

nap again......or finish the wine?

11:30

Finish the wine it was ;-)

Monkey stays another day (Young Love ;-), but I have to make my way back to Viet Nam ...... Uneventful....

1st on the list: Bun Cha Ha Noi ;-)

The Monkey and Thai Linh....overlapping hand prints and hearts made from finger prints.... ..... Young Love....beautiful....but never lasts long :-(

3:00

A weird dream with bullies, coke, and gorgeous kites.....

6:00

slightly tipsy..... need to nap more....Phap is coming soon...

8:45

There is the Phap phone call .... The Monkey is shy again.... hides in the stairwell when we take the elevator up....

so much kissing and HAPPY eyes and kissing and touching..... OMFG.... I am so in LOVE

11:45 

he's leaving....kissing, necking...we start another round... only I get off...somewhere in the middle of it I hear a LOUD noise from the hallway...... OOPS we left the door wide open...  

12:15

He leaves.....and I'm left by myself again.....

but I'm glowing

then HUNGRY

but Bun Cha 145 is overcrowded... I keep walking down Bui Vien

I take a tiny alley to get to Pham Ngu Lao...... there is a tiny restaurant.....Taj Mahal.....next to the window a big Indian guy eating something that looks yummy....

Chicken Biryani .....  I order one....I can not even finish half.....the Big guy ate TWO of those....

14:00

The key does not open the door to my room..... of course when I finally track Levi down (walking all 4 floors up the stairs)....the fucking door opens with his key....

nap

15:30

feeling lost and overwhelmed......

16:30

buy 3 bottles of wine and another carton of Marlboro....

I tell Long about the red light and the failure to open of my room door.....he replaces the batteries....

18:00

Organizing things...... Graeme, double checking the Verification, traveling home, fixing the invoice..... NO actual work done...... and I'm tired..... and HUNGRY

I get 10 trieu out of the bank machine..... don't feel like ParkHaus...... the corner restaurant doesn't have any bright lights so I can't even read their menu.....  so I end up eating a TINY hotdog (this is Vietnam ;-) on a normal bun.....but it has lettuce, mustard, pickles, ketchup, etc etc.....it will just have to do....

19:30

I send the email and call Graeme.

I send an email to Phap.  This morning I was SO HAPPY!

He replies..... "me too.... good night Love"

21:45

sleep

5:00

"I can barely stand on my feet .......I look in the mirror....and cry...."

Graeme replied......money will be in the bank on Tuesday....

doze/nap

8:00

Eda does not answer.....but I talk to Chantal...... NO ONE works who works for the Government...

8:45

Online check-in with Bamboo does not work.....because my e-ticket does not include the e-ticket NUMBER....... MORONS...

9:30

Bank Machine..... "The card-issuing bank declined" it says when I try to get another 5 trieu..... Fuck Canada !

Buy a sandwich and a Bibimbap at CircleK..... I barely manage to stop the idiot from nuking it....

10:00

Eda is a little cranky on the phone and it is not a happy phone call....even though it is Friday over there...

11:00

I bring out the garbage and ask Levi to do 401 as soon as they move out.... one hand washes the other....

Start translating....

12:00

I'm hungry.....I get ready to head to Sushi Sun..... and learn that Long granted late checkout to the people in my new room..... WTF ????

work, nap

14:45

I'm finally in 401.....I like Levi more and more..... he is funny.....

work

Bun Cha 145 ;-)

work

Another Hotdog

More horribly loud bass from the park

22:00?

pass out

sleep

2:15

might as well get up

my laptop was shut down by updates again.....and this time it reports 'Drive Errors'...... FUCKING FUCKERS...

EARLY morning .....

Bamboo Airways is almost on time.....

I told My 10:00 and I walk out of the airport at 10:04...... NOT bad....

11:45

BACK HOME....

drink some wine.....talk to Lisa....same old same old.... :-(

13:00

1.5 bottles of wine left.....I should buy more today.....

Khai shows up......oh no....fun talking to him, but I'm just not getting anything done....

15:00

I leave to buy wine.....the scooter doesn't start....battery EMPTY.....so I walk....5 people shout "Xin Chao Han"..... and I'm happy to reply to this one "Chao buoi chieu Tinh".....  I'm sure tomorrow people will hear about it....

15:30

Nothing from Phap even though I sent him a lovey message this morning......it is starting to STINK....and the anger is building again...

a bit of work, a bit of reading, a bit of snoozing.....

19:30

NOTHING from Phap.....on his day off.....WTF?!..... he is SO CLOSE to losing me....  I'm drunk, and by now I know NOT to write impulsive emails in this state......but he is SO CLOSE....

8:45

Phap finally wrote....he had fun with his son today......HOW could I deny him that ????

But I am so fucking miserable without him.... and I reply in that tone...

Han RAT vui vi Phap vui voi Duc.

Han cung rat nho Phapie....(va Duc ;-)

cuoc song phuc tap qua

ngu ngon tinh yeu.

that's only a tiny fraction of my feelings.... and he is SO CLOSE to getting dumped....

21;00

I refrain from taking it further..... not while I'm drunk..... but this can't go on forever....

sleep

Home...chickens and snakes..... kind Hoa ...Gunnar and the Villa Villekulla/Kunterbunt

 I wake up and it is not dark outside.....let's call it 5:15

It is the longest day of the year...

..summer solstice !

there are messages from Kealy, Marion, Fabian....

6:15

Choi shows up for coffee.....we move inside because it is TOO sunny outside.....

7:00

I talk to Eda..... she's TIRED..... "talk tomorrow"

8:00

Nhat shows up for a chat

9:50

Quang shows up......again he mentions that a friend of him in Saigon can get me a SIX months visa..... I ask Quang whether Tina knows about this...... he waves the idea off the table...... OMFG....THEY can NOT make friends here.....

Choi comes back...there is loud bickering on the construction site again....I talk to Lisa.....they're threatening to play Karaoke forever and shout "no one will sleep tonight".... I just laugh.....

13:00

Buy some Wine and milk and Coke from Linh

nap

eat an anchovy omelet with capers !?!

14:15

do dishes..... again.... I need a wife or a cleaning lady ....

15:00

Screw it....I walk over to the hotel and talk to the interesting looking guy...... Warren, English carpenter, nice, but not enough to keep my interest.... I leave after half an hour....

16:00

People keep showing up....

Monkey

Khai

Nhat

2 chickens, 2 snakes.... we have fabulous fun until 22:00

NEED to pass out .....

5:00

OUCH...everything HURTS..I really NEED to stop these nightly drinking sessions....

thinking about Phap.... I miss his oh so GENTLE demeanor..

5:30

What now?

Kai is still sleeping in the hotel hammock ....

6:15

too tipsy already.... don't like it.....

6:30

I have tears in my eyes...... realizing how lucky I have been...... (emotional Drunk ;-)

I've always wanted to make my house into the Villa Kunterbunt... (in SPIRIT, not ARCHITECTURE)

VILLA VILLEKULLA

.. then a guy walks over from the hotel ..... older than I.....his name is Gunnar Nehls

We talk.....He tells me that he is one of only 8 professional engravers in the world who still know how to engrave the metal printing plates for currency notes (bills) by hand.....Nowadays it is all done by computer 

I tell him the story about me trying to create my own Villa Villekulla..... 

He stares at me with a strange look......and says "Wait a minute".....and goes to his room.... and comes back and gives me money....

Money for which he engraved the printing plates by hand...... 

.....I still have that 20 Kronor bill... And YES, that is Astrid Lindgren (and Pippi Longstockings who lived in the Villa Villakulla ;-)

and Gunnar engraved the plate !

.. and now my house has become just what I intended it to become..... a place for NICE people to congregate and laugh.....

I need to ENJOY every moment .......The Monkey will go to university in September; Khai will quit his job in October..... the summer (not of 69) of 23 is ending soon

Sleep.....

7:00

I email Phapie with love....

Khai and Warren (the latter returning the Nivea ;-)

8:30

Phap replied...... ;-)

LOTS of people drop by..... it's a good life....

Hoa from Blue Dragon replies..... and it's a NICE & KIND email.....

Chào anh Chris,

Wow anh đang được ở biển Phú Yên. Thích quá! Biển Phú Yên đẹp lắm. Em rất thích.

Thank you so much for your additional 'egg' of kindness. I hope that young man will have great results at the exam and pursue his dream in university. He is really fortunate to get to know you and receive your kind support, just like the kids at Blue Dragon. I'm happy for him, and grateful to you, Chris!

Chúc anh một mùa hè tuyệt vời và hẹn gặp anh ở Hà Nội.

Best wishes,

Hoa

18:15

doc sach?

Nope....Monkey shows up again .....

21:00

48 hours in Cambodia ...Canada ablaze..... collapsing and flipping out in SaiGon

 4:00

Tired...but my head is too active...... jerking off twice thinking of Phap (and Pong Li ;-)

I set the alarm, but I can't sleep again..... instead I watch the daily ritual of the people living across the street..... it's calming....because every day it's the same.... I wish for some calm routine in my life instead of the constant running around.....

6:30

Time to get my act together....  what bit me in my hand and left arm? .....better not be scabies !!!!

Talk to Eda.....she's a bit down...but can handle it....

8:00

Showered..... ....almost ready to hit the road but I have more than one hour.....

8:38...... getting closer.....

I leave at 9:00

talk to an interesting Spaniard at the bus stop...... his summary....people in the West are brain-washed to CONSUME and be afraid....

the bus has problems with the retractable step.....it gets fixed by tying it in retracted position with metal wire .....

10:00 at the airport

check-in ....too many stupid people......immigration security .....too many stupid people.....

10:45

I'm sitting in the usual bar with a glass of white wine.....

And I just got my new Vietnamese visa ;-)

And Phap emailed......he didn't sleep well either because I wasn't next to him....

11:00 

I see the Cambodia Angkor Air propeller beast land on the tarmac in front of me .....that means we should not be late.....but it also means we won't be boarding in 20 minutes.....

11:10

I've booked Ha Trinh hotel for in 10 days.....

12:00 Talk to an older Canadian at the gate.....and he says "people in the West are brain-washed"..... 2nd time in one day......

The usual flight...fill out the forms...I don't even bother changing SIM cards.....bus transfer to the terminal.....fast immigration (I know it's better to pee AFTER immigration than before, so I don't lose my spot as 1st in the queue ;-)

a nice TukTuk driver

I tip him and he gives me that nice smile "Good luck to you"

14:00

I'm in my room....503

14:05

The room phone rings..... I forgot my blue backpack at the reception.....she's sending a boy up to deliver it..... Thank God I still have a 1-dollar note in my wallet.....

15:15

I've been to the bank machine for US$ 600 and it's nice to finally drink some Cinsault again ;-) Even though opening the genuine Cambodian probiotic yogurt was difficult and it splattered everywhere.... It' shouldn't be that difficult to design an easy to open plastic container ....

15:30

The TV doesn't have Netflix...but it has Al Jazeera....and there is a special of the US military's contribution to global warming...... a thought that had occurred to me repeatedly.....

I feel BLOATED 

nap

17:00

sink laundry etc

17:45

I'm starving.....I go up to the pool...... 2 gayish looking guys but NO PONG LI...

Damned....I've even worn the Turkish beige t-shirt .....

His replacement is wearing very nice pants.....

The Caesar salad is getting smaller and smaller......  maybe I should revisit Ohana for the $4 Salad Nicoise.. tomorrow....

18:15

Swimming feels good....even though the water is bloody warm......

19:30

TIRED......but then I did OK today....FIRST time I went swimming on the same day as arriving here....

8:00

I'm back from SMILE market.....I got the last glass of Morello sour cherries and another yogurt and two packs of cookies.......  I'm happy.....

Another email to Phap "I'm going to hug my pillow and think of you; sleep well Love"

21:00

Phap now has my second Canadian Zalo.....

Toan replies "Come back home more easy"

sleep

5:30

ouch.... Cinsault for breakfast...thinking that 100km on a scooter in one day is too much....maybe cancel...

6:00

The rising sun hits my balcony.....

6:45

Talk to Andrea for quite a while...... her brothers......her ex husband.... but at least she's learning....no more bullshit....

7:45

I call Eda..... FUN....but then the hotel Wifi is getting weak.....

8:15

OK.....Ohana breakfast is calling.... but it's a disappointment....I'm happy paying $10 for my tiny appetite.....but they no longer have the chicken sausages...... SAD....  Maybe I should have breakfast at Le Botum tomorrow <grin>

9:15

Chantal answers the phone.... issues with her brother ....but she's doing a great job trying to be an organic farmer....

10:15

Alberta and BC close to Fort St. John are ablaze......the air in Calgary is unbreathable.....and it's ONLY MAY.... shit....I was right again ..... the West Coast and BC are becoming uninhabitable....

nap

11:30

Wow.....

Patty replied....she drove through burned-down northern BC just yesterday.....

12:00

Time to do some walking in the heat and buy more Vin Gris..... at the Other Store, I hope....

YES....they have it for 22000 KHR (US$ 5.30) per bottle...

..INSANE buying the French stuff at SMILE for DOUBLE the price....while I'm there (do NOT go shopping when hungry) I buy bread and French olive tartinade, cheese, and salami.... Mon Dieu

13:15

I just learned another lesson....I paid $22 for 4 bottles of wine....and $20 for bread, salami, cheese, tartinade...

..OMFG ....their booze is CHEAP.....but their groceries are INSANELY expensive...... another lesson learned.....

13:30

I've cancelled the Homestay....two reasons....the pictures were misleading....and 100km travel in one day is too much..... I feel sorry for Mao.....but I shouldn't be exhausting myself to bring 25 Euros to a Homestay owner in the very South.....

More of that salami... OMFG.....yes, it was almost US$9.....but every bite is worth it....it is SO GOOD....

14:00

I call Joanna in the Flips...... so much laughing....she has such a great sense of humour....I miss her....and KEN IS COMING......

15:00

Time to get my ass in motion....no calisthenics yet, no shower for 2 days..... and more salami and tartinade.. ;;-)

15:15

I send a lovey email to Phap....long time no hear from him :-(

15:45

gym and Pad Thai.....

16:15

A second gym round.....getting tired again....should I swim?....YES, I should....but it's hard to kick myself into motion......

I feel better (but tired) after swimming very few laps.....but it would be such a waste..... yesterday and today I am the only person I noticed in the pool.....

16:45

Time to pay the bill....it's not that I dislike sitting here in my swim trunks.....but the music is to teenagey ;-)

17:00

Phap replied......OF COURSE to the WRONG Zalo.....I redirect him to the normal one....I hope he gets it...

Pouring rain and crashing thunder claps..... love it.....

17:45

..... good thing I'm leaving tomorrow..... otherwise I'd just be wasting days.....

too much wine and I send too many emails

too much Netflix....

21:30

a sleep well from Phap

sleep

5:30

email from Joanna/Paris

a message from the Monkey

He got 93% in his English exam ...... 

A message from Joanna/Seattle.... she's sitting in a plane next to a large man with bad body odor.....for 14.5 hours.... I guess I'll be able to Signal her soon when she's out of the UAE censorship range ....

7:30

Call Eda....but she's busy with Randy BS....

8:00

Oh oh....the airport will be busy today.... the SEA Games ended last night.... both athletes and fans will be flying home today.....

9:00

Eda calls back...... FUN

9:30

I'm LOVING my in-room breakfast of black-olive paste, a bit of cheese, and the Pyrenees salami

But I also realize I'll have to get ready soon.....

I've started watching "Working. What we do all day" with Obama..... Tears are welling up after 5 minutes when a hotel cleaning lady says that after she bids Good Morning to some hotel guests they completely ignore her...... 

10:00

I call Julian.....FUN talking but the bad hotel Wifi disconnects us....and I have to get ready anyway

11:00

Showered....and I've applied the Foot Fungus cream.....used about half.....let's see how that works.....

11:20

Time to start speeding up.....

11:45

12:15

As expected....the airport is BUSY

So I get to the airport.....lots of time to spare.....even with that HUGE lineup at the economy check-in line for Vietnamese airlines..... that would take about 30 minutes of standing......as usual, there is another counter for WEB-check-in....only 2 people there

So for the second time, I sit down on one of the benches, take out my laptop....check in online with Vietnamese airlines (takes about 4 minutes) and walk up to the Web-check-in counter with NO line-up to drop off my luggage.....only quickly glancing back at the cattle in the looong line-up..... and I'm actually glad that they won't learn.....because my line would be longer if they did....

Going through security....maybe the whole Timor Leste team is surrounding me....I'll have to look up where that is later ;-)

In the plane: Talk to some Americans

nod off a lot

Immigration.....the guy in the wheelchair aisle is lazy

152 bus....no 109 in sight

walk

 

16:20

I hear the church bells ringing when I wave at Levi through the glass and he opens the door for me.....again he asks.... "Are you OK?"..... do I look that rough?....but then I realize maybe he's asking "Anh khoe khong?", better translated as 'how are you' or 'are you healthy'

17:45

buy new hand juice (it slipped out of my pocket in the plane) and 3 bottles of wine.....

I still have about 3 trieu....but I will definitely have to visit the bank machine tomorrow....

18:00

Dead tired and exhausted...... but I need to get out.....

Sushi <pic>  300k .....really.... a bit much....it's going to be Bun Cha next time ....

500k for Cialis

yogurt and banana bread at CircleK

return home, flop on the bed and watch Obama......it's about working people.....I can't understand how people still have the energy to WORK.....omg...I am so spoiled.....but then.....looking at the STUFF they BUY is mind-boggling..... they wouldn't have to go to work if they didn't buy all that crap.... 

(Sorry to the small percentage of people who don't by crap and still do have to go to work....I realize you do exist....and it SUCKS)

20:00

Nothing from Phap..... I'm thinking of canceling my trip to the South and to Bien Hoa and just going back home on Saturday.....

20:30

I flip out..... I cancel my booking in Ca Mau....I cancel my booking in Ha Trinh next weekend.... I'm NOT going to hang around the south for a whole fucking week if Phap says that he has NO time this weekend even though his parents and wife are gone.....

I message Phap.....no words, just my visa stamp.... I know it's a stupid thing to do..... but that's all I can think of right now....

sleep

4:00

Horny

4:20

Church bells....I get up to have coffee......still CRANKY and I'm trying to figure out WHY.....

6:00

Eda texts "Are you awake yet?"...... early...and she needs a nap ....that's why she wants to talk early....

6:45

Need nap...... so happy I don't have to do anything today.....

nap

8:15

I message Levi....Please extend my room until Monday....

watch Netflix....still too exhausted to do anything else

9:00

Jessica replied.....

9:15

Message Phap.....TIRED....and he replies right away.... tired too...

9:30

Drop off laundry

The Vien Dong bank machine is out of order.....I get 3 trieu out of the next one

Microwave Dim Sum from CircleK....not a bad breakfast for 28k.....good thing the room has soy sauce....I actually eat all 6 pieces......too hungry to take pictures before.... ;-)

10:30

Levi finally responds....I can have a room but I will have to move on Sunday..... but I will move tomorrow.....

11:00

I book my ticket to Quy Nhon for Monday.....

11:10

I pay Levi for the room and I'll move tomorrow around 13:-14:00...he wants to travel to France, Germany, Holland....

11:15

Sushi and Parkhaus are open, BunCha soon.....but I'm still full from the DimSum....

11:30

I've applied for the new Cambodia visa.....

nap

12:45

Wow..... sleep monster..... now I'm hungry for Bun Cha.....

An older guy with a spastic son in a wheelchair is trying to collect money .... From afar I see that a white guy hesitantly hands over money and the father then follows him and hands it back to him....probably 1000 Dong....Other tourists just ignore the couple..... I'm already sitting in the restaurant and they're in the shade across the street.....but seeing that triggers something..... same as all those years ago when I noticed how Westerners were treating the father pushing his blind violin-playing son around in a wheelchair.... what kind of person would I be if I didn't try to make it right this very moment ?

And I don't hand the money to the father but to the son, after saying em oi!... and the kid is shaking with happiness.... it's not that difficult....

Bun Cha...<pic>

13:30

Back in the room......still worn out....even the magic of Bun Cha 145 could not defeat that exhaustion....must be serious then ;-)

Phap wrote again "How are you?"

14:30

I bite the bullet and tell Phap that I'm going back to Vinh Hoa on Monday.....

14:35

I message My to pick me up at 12:30 at Phu Cat on Monday.

16:00

My will pick me up ;-)

17:00

A Phap email.....he has time Saturday evening and Sunday....

18:00

I ask him to come HERE.....I'll pay for the Grab Car.....

18:30

HUNGRY...... I don't want to risk German food, so I head back to Sushi.....

...but it's not hitting the spot today.....it's too warm in the restaurant...and the rice is not cold enough.....but at least I got my calories ;-)

19:45

No reply from Phap....but I know him.....he will come and we will be HAPPY ;-)

21:00

sleep

HOME in any sense of the word....THEFT...... and PROBLEMS everywhere..... and Life's a Beach.....

 5:00

it's light outside..... I should get up

5:30

Choi for coffee and tea

6:00

Duy joins ....OMFG.....Social Central.....

Choi leaves, Duy wants BLING.....I have to kick him out....

7::30

Talk to Eda

talk to Chantal

Talk to Andrea (all 3 by Signal ;-)

Julian is still asleep....

9:15

nap

10:00

Hang and Choi show up o fix the water thing.....but it really doesn't need fixing.....150k  to fix the front water hose outlet.. I hope he's happy with me giving him 200....I will call him when/if the water pump dies.... I talk to him over a wine.....he no longer has his lover.....I feel sad.....they looked SO HAPPY together...

11:30

talk to Julian......always a joy.....and a reminder how lucky I am...

11:45

Talk to Jenny......she is so stressed...she only gets 10 trieu per month....fucking CHEAP Lisa & Tina....

nap

14:00

buy Coke, popcorn, smokes, EGGS from the OTHER store....I only have 20 trieu left.....

boil 5 hard eggs ...

eat the first real meal of the day

15:00

need another nap....

15:45

a kid shows up.....he smells a cigarette package....then he listens to it ...and he smells and listens to many things

him and his friends point out there is a bee's nest ......

16:45

Joanna/Flip sends a voice recording....she 'misses Toronto'....no hope for her....

17:00

Call Ingo..... their heating system died.....they are showering at the neighbours.....Holy shit....

putter putter

nap

18:30

nap

The Monkey is there when I wake up....he has been waiting for 20 minutes for me to wake up....

20:45

I drove the Monkey home..... petted my dog....and I'm back home.... life is good....

OOOH...there is another email from Phap.....and I tell him the truth...

I am very happy here.....but there is always something missing

Han always misses and wishes to hug Phap

Sleep well my love....I LOVE you very much !

and I DO....

21:30

try to sleep

21:35

Nhat knocks on the door..... some wine and talk...

22:00

try sleeping again...

sleep

Thursday

4:00

Shit....awake....

5:40

Old man and friend drop by.....

nap

7:30

Talk to Eda for 30 mins.....she cheers me up ;-)

8:45

Quang shows up......and he says "Lisa Trang khong tot"......OMFG....that girl is losing friends rapidly....

9:30

start cleaning the fridge and mopping the floor...

start a fire....

9:45

time for a nap?

nap 

nap

12:30

I try to disconnect the battery with the lowest voltage reading.....the connectors are HOT......so is the whole battery......OMG....all that solar energy was going into HEATING a battery with broken cells....HOT....no idea what would have happened in one week....

As soon as I disconnect that one battery.....the whole array jumps from 12.2V to 14.1V.....

A thought: WHY exactly did I give Monkey keys to my house?.......he's not doing much to protect it.....

13:30

SO TIRED today.. Watching Shooter on Netflix

14:00

TIRED....

15:00

Call Uwe in Germany....his father is OK

Try to call Seamus....voice mail....

16:00

I count my Euros....there are 800 Euros missing.....and I remember the messy money when I gave Phap 200 euros.....OH NO.....who ELSE could have taken it......it fits a pattern.....

17:30

I exchange 1000 euros for 25 trieu....

18:15

Phap wrote again....but now I don't trust him anymore.....

nap

19:15

The Monkey....everything is fine between us and I probably tell him too much about today

20:30

Monkey leaves....

sleep

Friday

4:40

ouch...everything hurts....

5:15

The guy from yesterday.....his name is Hang too.....and he's lonely and invites me to his house to drink beer.....I say "NOT today"

6:45

TIRED, SAD......

Eda doesn't answer (twice)

Chantal pushes the fuck off button

nap

8:00

8:25

Spaghetti Bolognese from Lisa's restaurant....carrots?....I already spice it up with two cloves of garlic and two chilies.....and it still tastes boring ....WTF?

9:00

wander over and talk to Jenny.....she has a gaming computer with a NICE screen and 24GB of RAM......I don't NEED it....but I WANT it....

10:00

I realize that Jenny and I were bitching about Lisa & Tina.....right in front of the internet-linked surveillance camera.... we both have a laugh about it after I ask "What time is it in Germany?".

putter putter

11:30

start researching LI-PO batteries on Lazada......

talk to the Swabians over at Lisa's...... a horrible accent but not that stupid ;-)

naps....Netflix.... start to organize the parts of the Grid-Tie inverter.....600W will compensate for the fridge and part of the A/C

14:00

Go swim.....

15:00

Talk to Hiep.....I offer her 22 trieu for her laptop...

Hang and Choi are drinking again..... I join and I'm having fun.....these people I truly get along with....

18:30 back at home..... No Monkey yet....

nap

Monkey knocks

21:00

sleep

5:00

I haven't been awake for 10 minutes when Hang shows up again..... he brings me two eggs..... nice guy and I feel guilty for not liking having my wake-up phase disturbed..... I try to smile....

5:30

SHIT..... no water in the tank....

6:00

8:00

I've filled the tank....talked to Hiep.....gave her 22 trieu....

time for a nap.....but I feel too hyper...

nap

9:30

Choi shows up....to pick up the dead battery.... apparently I can get 300k-400k for a dead one !

Walk over to the Other Store......550 for a box of wine........that is 30k more than at Linh's.....

10:15

I change the 12V supply line to the walls to the other charger.....first step into running the Grid Tie Inverter again ;-)

12:00

A UK woman drags a hammock right into my line of view..... I tell her off.... "I thought this was a public beach" the bitch says.....Jenny actually supports me....

I only came to apologize for making her job harder.....but she is fine and gives me my new computer....

13:30

nap

15:00

I send a message to Phap....."Yes.....I am SAD TOO.....because you have 5 days off and you DECIDED NOT to be with me......Wish you a happy holiday...."   Harsh.....but justified..... I'm tired of always being the one trying.....and he not putting in any effort....

17:00

PRETTY Hang calls....he wants me to come over to Choi's....but his wife is there....

17:45

Back at my house.....I'm not functioning well today....and I like Hang too much....a problem when he is sitting next to his wife...

Still work to do setting everything up on the new computer.....

18:00

CRANKY.....at Phap....at The Monkey....at everyone.....not good...

nap

Monkey's knock wakes me

21:00

NEED to sleep

neck pain wakes me all the time

Sunday 4:00 .... April 30th..

..the 48th anniversary of the day the Americans put their tail between their legs and RAN

;-)

might as well get up

Phap replied......as expected....he didn't understand my email....I have to ignore him today....

7:30

talk to Eda briefly......

feeling better because I decide to no longer take Phap BS...

9:00

I email The Monkey..... no lunch for me at their place today.....I just took my ass pills again....

But I'm making lots of progress with my little projects... I almost have replaced the 12V cell phone charger.... and I can charge the MSI laptop with 12V now.....progress is being MADE ;-)

talk Andrea for a while..... I think she is benefiting from my rants.....

1000

putter putter .... repair things

11:30

sleep

14:15

Trying to get my 50% power tools from Hiep....she tells me to wait

Phap writes an email... "How is your day today?".....I knew it was coming.... now I have to bite the bullet....

I get the power tools and drill holes to spray the termites in my window frames.....

15:00

Talk to Jenny and this cute guy walks up.....I just want to say to Jenny that he looks like Quangs oldest son....when he says "Long time no see!"....it really IS Vinh ;-)

One of his friends is CUTE AND SEXY and walks to my terrace with 2 glasses of beer.....

I join them for a drink in front of my property.....but then they go swimming and I'm going to bed EARLY....

sleep

no neck pain tonight

3:30

might as well get up.....

8:30

Talk to Eda.....makes me happy

11:00

Hiep is pissing me off..... I already paid her the electricity money I owe her....I get a Zalo message asking me for a picture of the meter reading.....WTF?..... I send it to her......and walk over.....and she says she is busy.... I am NOT going to spend all day paying my electricity bill.....the woman needs to prioritize.....

I start working on the roof.....need to get the Grid-Tie inverter going.....

nap

13:00

I've installed my Grid Tie inverter.......the meters indicate that 270 watt are flowing into the Grid..... and the fridge is running on solar......so why can't I see the result on my meter ?

14:15 Monkey volunteers to buy smokes

I go to sleep EARLY

wake up horny at 4:00

talk to Jenny

Drunk nap

8:30

finally eat something baguette with a boiled egg.....

time to get this day on the road.....

But I'm feeling sluggish and my belly is not happy.....maybe just hungry?

10:30

The Monkey arrives....

stop at his house..... My dog comes out to nuzzle me......gorgeous loving dog.....

Life's a Beach Backpackers..... a guard wants 50k entrance fee per person..... I get pissed off.... we walk down the hill.....WOW....this is FANCY....  a familiar waitress waves away the guard..... I'm a VIP and I don't have to pay entrance fee......

The same usual good food and drink..... and talk to Steve for one hour......The Monkey leaves at 13:30.....says, probably over optimistically, that he'll be back in 30 mins....

14:20

Monkey back..... 2 more Pina Colada.....bad mistake....the 2nd one never tastes as good as the first one....

16:00

back at home after my dog goes wild on me again....

nap

too many stupid guests at the hotel

18:30

Monkey brings the 2L of 80proof ;-)

19:40

Monkey leaves......

Phap's absence and lack of communication is having an effect....I might actually have to look for someone else even though I love him to death.....

20:15

Netflix malfunctions....

doze off?