The Beach-Bitch likes Verdi

PLAY THIS WHILE READING:

 

It was cold this morning.....my feet were cold.....23 degrees Celsius.

.....I can no longer live in the WEST.

13:00 hours....I'm finally fully awake..... sitting on my terrace....blasting Pavarotti singing 'La Donna e mobile' at full power  (how many women sing along with this song without understanding what the lyrics actually mean?)

The Beach-Bitch (inside joke: Vietnamese can not pronounce BEACH...they always say BITCH).....(We are talking about a female dog) shows up and lies down in front of me.

Usually the dog shows up to see whether there is food from me for her. And usually she leaves quickly after realizing that there is no food.

But this time she stays.......Pavarotti is singing.....I am singing along......she is closing her eyes and sleeps.....the dog seems to LOVE IT (how many Vietnamese dogs have ever heard Verdi ???)

One of those moments that make life SPECIAL....

Lest we forget ....it is IN THE EYES

 Most people will be forgotten QUICKLY....even during their lifetimes......because there is NOTHING memorable about them..... (another life wasted :-(

...but SOME people will live in our memories forever....the SPECIAL people....those who CARE about others....and who care about their own people......

Long dead, they are still LOVED and CHERISHED by their peoples...... Honest and hard-working people.....

What else do they all have in common????

Che

Uncle Ho ....Ho Chi Minh

Atatürk Kemal Pascha

Gandhi

Fidel Castro

Bhumibol of Thailand

Anwar el Sadat of Egypt

 you can SEE it in their EYES

 And as Peter Gabriel beautifully sang in this song 

I'd rather trust a countryman than a townman
You can judge by his eyes, take a look if you can
He'll smile through his guard, survival trains hard
I'd rather trust a man who works with his hands
He looks at you once, you know he understands
Don't need any shield, when you're out in the field

 

Stay away from the Zombies with the phony eyes and phony smiles !!!!

It is TIME..... time to revive this blog

February 10, 2013........Chinese New Year .....The start of the Year of the Snake....that was the first post on this blog

.... Thank you, Yiman, for telling me about this....because I am a Snake.....

Place mat in a Chinese restaurant in Gibsons

A snake postage stamp on my Grouse Inn door in 2013

.. ..I wore something RED EVERY day for a whole fucking year....to remind me every day that I am not allowed to be lazy or to procrastinate........ONE WHOLE YEAR of living life to the FULLEST !

Chinese New Year's Parade in Vancouver in 2013

..and it was the best year of my life.....and at the end of the year, I thought.....WHY should I STOP?.....because this was SO MUCH fun ..... and then I just refused to stop .....otherwise I would NOT have ended up where I am now.

In addition, 12 years ago, I followed the example of Alan, my foremost Ferry Consultant, to write a BLOG about a SPECIAL year in my life.....

You can do the math.......every 12 years........it is time again for yet ANOTHER Year of the Snake.....

The coming Year of the Snake will start on January 29th, 2025..... but my gut feeling tells me that it already started EARLY ;-)

However......instead of turning 48 years old during that previous Year of the Snake, I will be turning 60 years old....and  that is a BIG difference, which I can feel in my aching body every morning.....

I don't want to think about the one after that, because I can't imagine myself at 72 years of age.....

 But I am prepared for this one......the same watch ends I was wearing 12 years ago ...

...and some new SNAKE underwear from Amazon

that Eda was very KIND to mail from Canada to Viet Nam.  

 

I AM READY......  bring it ON <GRIN>

Chúc mừng Ngày Quốc Khánh Việt Nam

 

 I feel privileged and honored to be allowed to live in this country with these amazing people !!!

And YES, there is a personal connection here  ;-)

..... and I cry when thinking about the high price Millions of Vietnamese had to pay for that freedom......

FUCK 'You know Who'  (U.K.W. ?  U.O.H?......U.W.A.?.....oh no, I just remembered.......  ;-)

Lest we forget......

 

On this day (August 6) in 1945 the US dropped an atomic bomb on a city of 300,000 CIVILIANS (Hiroshima)......

and in the last 79 years nothing really has changed......

SHAME....

Another trip..... A Wedding.... and return HOME...with too many doubts

Still at home...on a Friday ... 2 days until the wedding ....

 4:00

A panic attack about the mole on my chest...... am I dying ?

 

 5:45 Nhat shows up.....

I call "Chao buoi Sang" to a figure walking on the beach, thinking it is Fabian......NO....it's one of the gay guys......and he's NOT traveling with his boyfriend but with his straight cousin..... and he asks me about the 'tribal music' he heard coming from my house last night ..... LOL.....I write it on a piece of paper: TINARIWEN

 Phap had replied.....a company function...... men wearing kimonos and waving umbrellas.....I'm glad he's busy....but he doesn't look happy......he says "I wish you were here"......

Nhat, Fabian, The Monkey.....My terrace is a ZOO......Villa Kunterbunt indeed ...How did I get here ?

Saturday

My drives the Monkey and me to Tuy Hoa. ....there is a wedding to attend...... and I'm glad I have the Monkey as company.....

AND the wedding might include my boyfriends PARENTS.........both the Monkey and I have brought long pants and proper shoes.

Sunday.....  

 15:30  We waited as long as possible to put on these uncomfortable clothes .....SOCKS?...SHOES?.. WTF?

16:00 The Monkey orders an electro-taxi......

I was right about the location.....we hesitate a bit to go in ..... to miss the bla bla and the waiting...

the parents usually don't look too happy 

 

...but Tam, co Tam's husband spots us and waves us over......

Uncle 9's wife spots me and wants to take a picture with me..

... Thanh is there....but his eyes are a lot less slit-like today.....OH....it's the younger brother......and everybody of the family knows my NAME.....

Aunt 8 (mother of the bride) giving me directions

we drop our envelope with 1 trieu...... and there is a Viet guy with a mustache waving at me from 50 meters away...... 

I grin and put up 7 fingers (it's Uncle 7) and he gives me the thumbs up...... I sit with the Monkey at an outside table....better not draw attention...he's looking behind me and says oh oh.....it's Thanh (the one with the slit-like eyes)...and Thanh sits next to me AGAIN.......the table slowly fills up....mostly younger guys and one old guy right across from me...seems a bit grumpy and doesn't look me in the eye.

I scan the wedding guests......somewhere in the crowd of 200 people is Phap's father....

About an hour later, I give up.....I ask Thanh (the older one).....you are 5; I know Binh (aunt 10), uncle 9, aunt 8, uncle 7.......but WHO is uncle 6 ?....... and he points at the old-looking guy RIGHT ACROSS from me....

....This can NOT be a coincidence...there are 20 tables here......he must he must have chosen this seat on purpose... with only 4 white guys at the wedding.....he knew EXACTLY WHO I was......the diddler of his son...... he got to study me for one whole hour without me having a clue....... Meet Phap's FATHER.......3 years younger than me....

...and the WHOLE time he does NOT clink glasses with me or meet my eye....... WOW

As for the wedding...... as usual, Matthias selbstbeweihräuchert (sings his own high praise)......both the bride and the FAT husband are stoopid..... but harmless....both Christians....they found each other in Church.... Good luck to them !!

We eat.... the many courses......and it's good food.....Zala catered !

18:45...almost out of cigarettes.......time to leave.......we have to empty our glasses first (I'm learning).....and the Monkey tells me that I HAVE TO say good bye to all the IMPORTANT people......I ask "Who are the IMPORTANT PEOPLE?"........He says  "The FAMILY"...... SHIT...that INCLUDES Phap's father...... how can I say good bye to him if he won't look me in the eye.....

OH SCREW IT.... Thanh (older) is first and I walk up to the man who sat across me all evening and shake his hand......HOLY SHIT....he even smiles..... Aunt 8 and uncle 8 (more forced drinking), cousin 8, Uncle 9, Uncle 7 (more drinking).....they point at Thanh (the younger) and I say "Toi khong quen !"   Aunt 8 asks me "Mathias?" and grins when I shake my head in horror.

Then on the way out the wife of Uncle 9...... and they all know my name......it's family.....it's fucking freaky !!!!

19:15

The Monkey drank a lot of beer and just passes out....

I am too wired by the evening's events.......and try to sleep at 21:30.... not until 23:00

3:30

AWAKE.......

I drink and smoke while the Monkey snores.... 

6:00 Monkey's alarm clock goes off again.....I flip out and hit him on the feet "Turn it off" he doesn't wake up.....I put the phone in the fridge.....

7:00

Monkey is finally awake......My texts that he'll only be here at 8:30 instead of the promised 8:00..... BLECH.....

Then we pick up relatives of his before Song Cau......lovely..... no more lying-down space in the back and I'm still paying full price......I am overly enthused <sarcasm> .....But even the greatest annoyance eventually ENDS.... 

10:00 I am HOME ;-)

Nhat, Fabian, Monkey, Fabian, Nhat.... Fabian is starting to seriously go on my nerves.... consumption-oriented but without a clue.....and MANIC.....  He needs more therapy, me thinks....

15:00

Fabian takes a taxi to Quy Nhon to buy WEED.....idiot

I walk to the Other Store.....4 cases of wine delivered, 2 cartons of cigs, Coke, Peach tea, and bubble water, and 6 eggs......2.7 trieu.... 

17:00

The THIRD wiener with cheese and wasabi of the day.....but that is all I'm eating.....

Nhau a little with Choi......but I have neck pain/headache.....so I leave soon.....

nap

20:00

There it is ... first he said next weekend at my house....then he changed it to next weekend in Tuy Hoa...and here is the message...in TWO weeks in Tuy Hoa.....

I reply:  "In TWO weeks???  Phap fails again :-("

I'm SICK of it......

Looking at the bright side......I have enough food.....I can hang out at my house and enjoy time with Fabian and the Monkey next weekend.......Never mind about IDIOT Phap.....there is Thanh...... actually there are THREE Thanhs ;-)

21:00

No response from Phap.....I message Thanh VH....(he replies RIGHT AWAY)...I refuse to be Number 6.....son, wife, mother, father, work......and then MAYBE I.....  too often now.....

One month until my visa expires.......maybe this will be the right time to go to Germany ....refill my prescription.....meet some NICE relatives...grab some cash.....and ride a bicycle.....and stay away from IDIOTS ...

Drink more and try to pass out....

Strange Money .....A trip ....for love..... Weak.....ANGRY.....Construction and no water.... FURIOUS ....LOVE..... ride home

 6:00

OUCH ...getting old is no fun !

someone left a coin outside on a chair  

The Monkey knows:  A Chinese coin....might be 500 years old ..

8:00

Nhat.....he was sick yesterday....that's why I didn't see him then

9:00

need another nap

10:00

she does it again.... Kodiak Island woman coming out of the ocean like Ursula Andress in the James Bond movie 'Dr. NO'

but this time I walk up to her on the beach and show her THIS picture .... she is flattered;-)

Nhat again

Kodiak woman kisses me Good Bye when I leave at 11:45

Only one guy at the barber......I decide to wait........and then to Tuy Hoa......it's EXHAUSTING......I can't remember the last time I rode this.....and SO MANY changes......

I get room 206....

I pay Joy for doing the taxes

15:15

NEED to pass out..... but NO......I get the wine from the scooter......I reserve 306 for next weekend....

16:30

Always do first whatever you are trying to avoid..... Winmart.......yogurt, grapes, Wieners, sandwich cheese....this place is REALLY going downhill......the assortment is appalling....a WHOLE AISLE filled with Soy and Chili sauce......but try to find mustard......same thing with cheese.....20 kinds of processed plastic-wrapped slices....but not a SINGLE piece of REAL cheese..... appalling !!!

and YES, those Wieners were heated in the water kettle, LOL

19:00

AGAIN......I'm out of village and Choi is nhauing and wants me to join...

15:45 The contractors leave.....  Just in time.....

16:30 He is STILL NOT HERE ......I'm getting so FURIOUS .....If I did NOT still really loved him, I would change hotels NOW.....

18:00

he arrives.....I give him the FUCK-YOU talk......

1 hour talk

a quick make-out

he sleeps for 12 hours

 I wake up and there is a message from MY....he wants to borrow 40 trieu to buy another car....WTF?

another 1 hour talk and Phap is off to see his parents.....

 I ride home in ferocious head-wind and fucking bumpy roads....true hell....

13:00

It's SO good to be home....... QUIET after all that NOISE

I'm on my first cigarette and first glass of wine when Nhat shows up.....Nice...

The rest of the afternoon........I get stuff done..... put away the food, organize, settle back in.....

BUT SO TIRED and EXHAUSTED.....

at least I manage to take a shower in the evening and apply Nivea to my sun-burned skin ;-)

18:00

Sleep......