Sunny Breaks

these past days and weeks and months i find myself drawn away from the computer and oftentimes i do not touch one for days. i understand what is happening in vietnam. you are busy living and that is ok.

It’s been nice not being around you for the last week and some days. Suprisingly, I haven’t missed you at all. I don’t even know what day it is.

I did have a photo to show you but I forgot to bring it.

I decided that the motorbikes as traffic are the most logical solution in this situation. The people here are way nicer than those in Korea. I don’t want to leave. Maybe I won’t. The food is pretty good. Am currently biv-o-whacked at a beach resort on the south central coast. The waves crash at about forty feet from the room door. Been having intense, vivid long and many-per-nite dreams. Last night one each about both parents — not happy but then that’s not bad either.
I think it’s got something to do with the white noise sound of the waves and wind and maybe even having my head facing the ocean.

It’s pretty damn amazing the range of geographical conditions here. We went through dry scrubby sandy flat bits with rocky hills in the distance. I am going to get a small australian production crew and a couple of (au) gringos, one or two vietnamese-australians and then hire a bunch of local villagers as extras — all of who seem to have a little pidgeon-english anyway (so that’s perfect) for my vietnamese rice-noodle (pho) western. Title forthcoming.

[written last wednesday]

Well, I had 12 days back in Victoria, ostraya and for some reason it felt like it had to be a holiday from this computer I have been chained to for the last 12 months, so I didn’t write anything here.
Happy New Year, as they say. Those twelve days were bright on the eye, pleasant on the skin’s temperature receptors and rather harsh on the wallet thanks to a thing known as The Met. I was staying in zone 3 so each day was a wallop on the wallet. Sorry, I’m totally out of rhythm with writing this.

This thing on the wall of the train struck me as a dare more than anything. Psychological tactics do not suit the met.

Caught up with some friends. Bought some mostly 2nd hand CDs. Cruel Sea. Beast of Bourbon. Not much else to say. Land very dry.

And so now I am in downtown Hanoi with my friend from chicago. Living it up, riding bikes, eating delicious food, (as they like to say in Korea) froggering the traffic and examining oxen. We saw three oxens today right here in the capital city of the country. I wonder which country would win a contest of oxen population within capitol city limits?

The traffic is mesmerising in its chaos - and yet it functions - and functions seemingly well. And dear friend and fellow personal-transport enthusiast in Melbourne was just the other telling me about how often he gets abused by motorists when he is on skateboard or bike or just walking and usuing the road.

This is where I am going to be living and working as of approx. Feb & Mar. this year. Living in the top far corner and working in various below. Kind of strange but the commute time should be minimal, provided I don’t get stuck in the lift. The mountains are a nice touch. They totally remind me of Old school star trek. Every time Kirk, Spock et al wound up on some planet that did not have a happy story they’d go to the Californian badlands, so the rocky outcrops remind me of that.
And to me, these ones actually are mountains. Folks here call everything mountains but if there’s stuff growing on it then it’s a hill in my book.

I get on the plane for Melbourne Wednesday.