Myths Parents Teach Their Children

There is no playbook for parents when it comes to raising children. Sure, there are parenting guides and books written by experts on how you should raise your children.  I won't get into my opinion about these "so called" experts because even those who have done studies on hundreds or, perhaps, even thousands of children, haven't tried to raise my child. I am not saying I have a difficult child because she isn't. But, just like every other child in this world, she is unique.

I think the idea of parenting is to try instill the same thoughts and beliefs you have into your child.  Some of this process is through teaching them what you believe, some of it comes from surrounding them with people you think hold the same beliefs you do such as at church or other social clubs, and some of it is just from you doing what you do.  Of course, children aren't stupid. They can see the hypocrisy if you say they can't smoke and you do, or if you say don't drink and you do.  Setting a good example goes a long way. It did for me with my parents.

Even when you set a good example - and I am not talking about me in this particular instance - things aren't easy. Life is not black and white. We all have to find our way, and in most ways it is a very personal and lonely journey. If everything were black and white, we would believe those life tenets everyone has heard.  Those myths our parents teach us like "Honesty is the best policy" and "Cheaters never prosper".  Nice little jingles they are, but not very factual.  Real life shows us that there are a lot of very powerful people in politics and business who lie and cheat.  More applicable tenets might be, "If you are going to lie, lie well" or "Cheaters prosper, but bad cheaters suffer consequences".

I have always been a bad liar, so honesty IS my best policy.  I was never very clever in ways that would make me a good cheater, so it would be true for me personally that I would never prosper as a cheater.  It may be that I never practiced enough to come to these conclusions. It could be that I could be a very powerful, rich person if I had focused more on lying and cheating. I guess it was my parents' examples that led me to the conclusion that I should be honest.

As a parent, though, I think when we teach these things to our children - assuming we do - we really want them to be honest with us, and not cheat on us.  A good example would be, let's say, that I caught my daughter smoking in the house.  I personally don't like the idea of my daughter smoking, but I understand teenagers are going to try things. I would much rather her try smoking and drinking, than sex and drugs. I would want her to understand that I don't approve of these things because she is not old enough to do either, at least according to U.S. laws.  But, I also understand that that first drink and that first puff is a rite of passage, usually at a time in our lives when we are trying to define ourselves. Getting caught, however, even if the cigarette is not in her hand, let's say, means manning up and having character enough to admit it. I would like to think my daughter could tell me that she was just trying it. My only point of confusion then would be as to why she couldn't find someplace a little more discrete. 

I guess if I could teach my daughter one thing about lying and cheating, it would be this:  Once you lie or cheat someone, trust is gone.  It is unlikely you will easily gain that trust back, so be very sure you are ready for that new relationship with the person you lied to or cheated.  With family, once you lose the trust, you still have the love; but with coworkers and friends, you have nothing left.

Submarine Hanoi

Without a doubt the issue of who owns the Spratly and Paracel Archipelagos in the South China Sea (East Sea) is complicated.  A quick look at the Spratly Islands Dispute gives a pretty good idea of how many nations are laying their claims.  Vietnam currently occupies 31 islands in the Spratlys alone.  But, if you take a look at Google Earth at some of these islands, you can see there are ongoing verbal disputes; many of which are clearly visible in the comments of the photos that have been geo-posted.

These disputes aren't new.  In 1974 the South Vietnamese lost a major engagement in the Paracel Archipelago and in 1988 the Socialist Republic of Vietnam lost three vessels and 64 sailors/marines.  These are just the significant engagements that have been recorded for us to see.  I have no doubt that saber rattling takes place on a regular basis within the shoals and islands of the archipelagos.

The Vietnamese have records that show a line of possession that would be hard to dispute, unless you were a much larger country with more money and might to say differently.  China has laid claim to everything in both island chains in their description of a Cow's Tongue. With reason out the window, Vietnam has turned to her friends in the U.S. and Russia, in part to mediate and also to purchase weapons.

A quick look at offensive weapons the Vietnamese are acquiring backs up the Vietnamese affirmation that they will not peacefully give up their claims to either island chain.  The Vietnamese have 20 Sukhoi SU-30 Flanker Cs, and according to reports in August have put in an order for 12 more.  They also own 14 SU-27s from earlier purchases.  It is easy to find that the purpose of these latest generation fighters is to defend their claims to the Spratlys and Paracels.  The Vietnamese have also bolstered there Navy with the purchase of new Gepard class frigates, Tarantul Corvettes, and they are making their own modern patrol boats designed specifically to take out landing crafts and troops.  Gone are the days of the SRV purchasing Yugo class subs from the Koreans (My sister once purchased a Yugo. It wasn't a submarine, but I have no doubt she would call it a piece of shit!)

Newly elected Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, a young foreign affairs diplomat with a Western education, a lot of diplomatic experience and a good relationship with the U.S., has already made commitments to the people to protect Vietnamese sovereignty in the archipelagos.

I have seen references in Vietnamese language newspapers to preserving peace in the East Sea through strength.  These slogans are often followed by articles about the latest weapons soon to fill their arsenal, 6 Kilo-Class 636 submarines purchased and built in Russia.

VNEXPRESS.NET posted a great article on these submarines that I translated below:

Vietnam's Kilo Class Submarine Hanoi

Thursday, November 07, 2013

3:27 PM

Important milestones of submarine Hanoi

The Hanoi, the first Vietnamese kilo-class submarine, has undergone many tests with excellent results, and has been prepared to be turned over to the Vietnamese Navy.

Links:

Process of realizing 6 Vietnamese submarines.

Kilo-class submarine - invisible killer

Ordered during an official Vietnamese leadership visit to Russia at the end of 2009, Submarine Hanoi, the first in the order of six, underwent a long process from production to testing, and now is ready for the handover.

In this 28 August 2013 photo, Kilo-class type 636 submarine Hanoi is placed on the launching docks in preparation for the official christening at the Admiraltei Verfi Ship Factory, in St. Petersberg City, Northern Russia.

Submarine HQ-182 Hanoi began construction on 25 August 2010.  53 Vietnamese officers and sailors trained on the submarine for many months in Russia.  In the photo are the sailors of the submarine Hanoi at the christening.

The Hanoi is the first Kilo-class submarine of the six contracted vessels purchased from Russia to be launched.  This ship is well-known for it quiet and stealth in operations.  In the photo is the traditional ceremony before the launch.

The christening took place according to traditional etiquette and with Russian cultural activities in August last year.

The leadership at the Admiraltei Verfi Ship Factory presented the Vietnamese Navy leaders a model of the Kilo-class type 636 submarine Hanoi at the christening ceremony.

The Hanoi, anchored at the factory harbor during the completion of the tower.

Early in December 2012, the Hanoi went a sea for the first time, officially starting the factory's testing phase.  The photo is the Hanoi when preparing to depart the harbor.

From <http://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/the-gioi/anh/nhung-dau-moc-quan-trong-cua-tau-ngam-ha-noi-2906706.html> 

Tendinitis

Without getting into whether I like Facebook or Google + more, I would like to say I try to keep up with my friends on  Facebook.  The friends I have on FB span my entire lifetime and I am able to follow their updates easily through the newsfeed.  It usually takes me at least half an hour each morning to go through the newsfeed to the point I read from the day before.  It probably isn't a healthy addiction, but in my defense, who really wants to do anything in that first half hour after waking up.

Through this routine, I see that I lead a very lucky life.  I am relatively healthy, don't go to the hospital, don't have serious relationship problems, and my only child is a relatively good child very good daughter considering she is a seventeen year old girl with all kinds of crazy thoughts swirling around in her teenage head.

As a matter of fact, my problems are so inconsequential compared to everyone else's that I find myself very reluctant to ever post anything that I consider a problem.  I feel others would make fun of me with retorts like, "I eat those problems for breakfast and go back for seconds!"

Anyway, even though I didn't post it on FB, I experienced significant pain for the last week in the form of tendinitis in my ankle.  It felt like a sprain without the obvious pop or tweak that usually happens before such pain.  It came on suddenly last Friday and I couldn't figure out why. Granted, I had just gotten over a moderately painful bout with plantar fasciitis (the inflammation of the band of tendons and muscles on the sole of the foot), but there was no reason to expect the ankle pain.

It got so bad on Wednesday night that I couldn't sleep through the pain. This is significant because I can sleep through just about anything.  The next morning, Diep made me go to the doctor.  Doctor Damian (his real name)  told me what I already knew, the tendons in my ankle are irritated and I need to take it easy on my feet for a while; ice it and take ibuprofen to ease the swelling around the tendon.  For $100 consultation, that is what I got.  That, and Diep stopped annoying me about going to the clinic.  It was worth the latter.

It took me another day to figure out why my tendons in my left ankle were hurting so.  Long story, but maybe I am too old to be doing jump shrugs. I was probably over training anyway, still trying to lose the weight I had gained over the last six months of being on the road and on vacation.

So, I feel better now that I am able to get my trivial life problem off my chest.

Plastic Surgery in Vietnam

I figure everyone knows at least one person who has had some type of plastic surgery.  I know quite a few people who have, for whatever reason, become dissatisfied with their person and opted to change their physical attributes. When it comes to people outside of immediate family (meaning my wife and daughter), I figure everyone has the right to alter their self however they see fit.  The only reason I don't feel the same way about my wife and daughter is because I feel more responsible for their safety and appearance, AND I have to look at them every day.

Plastic surgery seems to be common in Vietnam.  I know a lot of Diep's friends have traveled to Bangkok and Hong Kong to get breast augmentation, and I see a lot of women here who have had nose and eye surgery. So, I know the idea of plastic surgery is not uncommon, though some Vietnamese may be a little reticent to have it done in Vietnam. They should be!

A recent death on the table at a local cosmetology clinic brought the issue to the forefront in the minds of a lot of women in Vietnam. A young 37-year old Hanoian (who I heard weighed 49 kilos, or 108 pounds) went to the Cat Tuong Clinic in Hanoi to have liposuction, and breast enhancement using the fat sucked from her belly.  Apparently she had a reaction to the anesthetic and died on the table.  The doctor then enlisted the help of a security guard to cart her body to the Vinh Tuy Bridge and toss her into the Red River. The case is ongoing, but apparently there is a legal need for the body before authorities can charge the doctor with murder; to date, the body has not been found.

As the article states, four people have died from botched plastic surgery since 2005.  All of those botched surgeries occurred in Hanoi, but despite popular opinion, things aren't any better in Saigon.  A Vietnamese-American successfully sued a Saigon-based plastic surgeon finally getting the equivalent of USD$10,700 in compensation for damage to her health and breast beauty.  In the procedure that she underwent, she lost her right nipple to infection.  This, to a person who appreciated her mammary-assets so much that she had already had three breast surgeries prior to this one.

I imagine the most common cosmetic surgery in Vietnam is to the nose.  Most Vietnamese aren't satisfied with their nose, they long for a high bridge… this I understand, seeing my own wife trying to find a pair of sunglasses that stay on her nose.  I remember one particularly attractive Vietnamese-American who had a nose bridge put in while I was in the U.S.  An infection followed and she was forced to have the bridge taken out, leaving a horrible scar. I wonder if there was any regret. Probably the second most common surgery is to the eyes, to cut the flap of skin over the eye to have it lay against the eye. I really don't get this one at all. What I find most peculiar about these two procedures, is the button nose and "squinty" eyes are usually pretty cute, and very characteristic of the Vietnamese race.  Characteristic of women who are known for their beauty and grace throughout the world.

I have nothing against tattoos in general, but I hate to see a woman who has tattooed her eyebrows black or lips red. That is one that I have no tolerance for in my immediate family. Apparently, this procedure saves time putting on make-up in the morning. My advice, either take the time and do it right, or just don't put on make-up in the first place.  You look fine, believe me!  I imagine the best deterrence to these tattoos is to point out every older woman who has had these tattoos for a decade or two.

I know at least two men who have had liposuction.  I thought about that, for about two seconds. I was told it is a painful procedure, and if those two guys can be taken as examples, I can see it is only temporary without a change in lifestyle.  As long as I can work out and diet,I will just keep trying the old fashioned way.

It seems to me the women who need cosmetic surgery the least in Vietnam are the ones who get it the most.  My best advice to any woman looking to get cosmetic surgery who isn't deformed or tragically mutilated in a motorbike accident is, JUST SAY NO!

Motorbike to Work

Thanks to the government shutdown, we didn't have operational funds to fuel our office vehicles for the past three weeks.  Normally, a car picks me up and drops me off to and from work; this is approved by our major command and is intended to prevent accidents and injuries to our office personnel.  Road accidents in Vietnam for 2012 accounted for nearly 10,000 fatalities, so this decision is not without foundation. That is quite a number when you consider the majority of the 80 million citizens of Vietnam don't own a car.  Even more so when you consider the speed limit on most city streets is 40 kph (just under 25 mph), and that wearing a helmet is compulsory on a two-wheeled, motorized vehicle.

During the shutdown, half of the American office staff decided to ride their motorbikes to work and the other half decided to use the remainder of the fuel in the vehicles for duty to domicile with the intent of paying to refuel the car when it ran out of gas.  I figured the five dollars it costs me to drive six miles round trip to the office and back for three weeks was cheaper than divvying out a portion of the hundred dollars or so that it costs to fill up a Pajero in Vietnam.  My logic was sound in theory because I have been riding in Vietnam for some twenty years or so and I have experience on a liter bike in the U.S.  I know to fix my mirrors and pay attention to people behind and in front of me, and I know the special characteristics of Vietnamese drivers.

The weather in Hanoi in the spring and fall is the best five weeks of the year.  The rest of the year is crap, with drizzly, cloudy and cold weather in the winter and melt-your-skin-off heat in the summer. So, early October was perfect for the decision to drive the bike.  I only had two days that it rained on me, and I had rain pants and coat that someone had left in the office on their end-of-tour departure to protect me from the elements.  Actually, I don't have a problem riding in the rain, but the flotsam jetsam of road debris that gets thrown up by other bikes is nearly impossible to wash out of clothes once they are stained.

When on the roads of Vietnam, it is important to remember the actual rules of the road, and not the rules that you might read in the Vietnamese Traffic Laws.  Let me cover some of the most important ones here, as they may save your life:

Rule number one:  When turning, a Vietnamese citizen may just nod his head  in the direction he is turning.  This nod can be very subtle. So subtle, in fact, that it may be better to expect a sudden turn for no apparent reason at all.

Rule number two:  Sudden stops without easing to the edge of the thoroughfare are perfectly legal.  These stops may be for reasons ranging from receiving a phone call, sending a text message, or just to taking a breather.

Rule number three:  Regardless of the speed of the vehicle they are operating, most Vietnamese citizens will gravitate towards the center of the road.  This allows for more room to maneuver in the event of another vehicle operator exercising rules number one and two.

Rule number four:  The centerline is often determined by the number of vehicles traveling in a specific direction.  The actual paint on the road is merely a guide.

Rule number five: U turns should be made by easing to the extreme right of the road and then executed by cutting across the path of as many vehicles as possible in both directions.  Look for the head nod.

Rule number six: For pedestrians, it is important to remember that you are the lowest form of life on the road system. You should not cross the road at any other point other than the indicated cross walks, and then you must remember to yield to all other motorized vehicles and bicycles. It is a good practice to stick your hand out at the approaching vehicles; it will remind them that the palm of your hand will smash into their face before their wheel breaks your leg.

Rule number seven: Though helmets are compulsory, it is important to remember that beautiful people, specifically people with beautiful hair, may be waived from the requirement to wear headgear.  If you find yourself resenting these people who are waived of the requirement, remember, don't be a hater.

With those rules in hand, you may just survive a government shutdown.

Now that fuel is in the cars again, I get picked up next week. I survived my three weeks on the motorbike, and even enjoyed the freedom of leaving the apartment when I felt like it and not waiting for anyone when the clocked struck five.  Having said that, I think my longevity has been extended, because even knowing the rules of the road, there's always that bus with your number written on it.

QV06 I hate you...

There are a large number of freeware and open source software porgrams out there that can make your life easier.  I use at least a couple in my day-to-day computer interactions.  I use a free, open source program called Unikey to type in Vientamese and I have used a program called GIMP for photo processing.  There are even free operating systems out there like linux and free office suite programs that work very similar to Microsoft Office.  I try to be careful what I download because I know the risks can be high.

During the summer break I bought a new ultrabook because I thought I would be traveling a lot and that I would need a personal computer to bring along with my bulkier office computer.  The job changed a bit and the ultrabook isn't as necessary now, but it is still nice to have.  Anyway, when I first bought it and fired it up, I wanted to load GIMP see about using it in lieu of Photoshop Elements.  I was in a hurry, so I typed GIMP into Google and quickly chose one of the top-tier search results.  It didn't take long before I knew I chose the wrong program download site, because my browser was hijacked.  With a highjacked browser, no matter what you do, your browser will default to a specific home page.  My browser was hijacked by QV06 and no matter how many tricks I tried from online help, it wouldn't go away.  Honestly, I didn't try too long because the computer was new and I didn't have much to lose by just reinstalling the operating system and starting anew.  The firewalls and virus detection systems out there (I use Microsoft Security Essentials and the Windows default firewall) do very well at protecting your computer from those uninvited threats, but there aren't many out there that can protect you from a file you choose to download and open on your system.  Lesson learned... sort of.

Jump ahead to this past weekend. I had a file that was typed with a Vietnamese font that I wanted to view and save as a PDF.  There are a couple of Vietnamese font packages (TCVN3 and VNI) that I have downloaded in the past with little problem.  I was in a hurry this time, and true to habit, I downloaded the font package from one of the top tier search results from Google.  Ironically, I realized after I started the downloaded that the program was taking way too long to download for what it was so I cancelled before it was finished.  I cancelled too late.  Once again, this QV06 malware was on my system.  The problem is, the computer I was using this time was my primary system in the house with all of the programs I like.  Knowing it would take a very long time to recover the system to factory settings and then reload all of my software (I actually purchase all of my software except for the open source programs I use), I spent a little more time trying to recover my system from the malware.  I  downloaded several malware and spyware removal programs and did everything short of editing my registry (a very dangerous proposition) No joy.  Truth of the matter is, even if I had un-hijacked my system, I probably would have reloaded the operating system anyway, because I would be paranoid some other computer virus like a trojan, or back-door program was lurking in the background.  Ends up, I found an online font coverter website that converted the font to a unicode font that can be read on any system.  I didn't even need to download the font package... ARGH!

The weather in Hanoi was beautiful this weekend, so I didn't waste it on reloading my operating system on my computer.  That task will be put off for a rainy day. Literally.

I guess what really bothers me is that this QV06 malware is out there so prolifically that on the two times I chose some freeware online, on a top-tier search result,  I ended up infected.  I don't even know to what benefit this malware can provide to the creator.  Let's just say I hate it. 

Back in Time

I guess it didn't really hit me until just recently, but I have become fascinated with history.  Not the history of high school, where I memorized events, dates, and names to pass a test, but the historical journals available at the Amazon Kindle Store and in Google Book.

Last year I read a book a friend, Dan, gave me titled, Hanoi, Adieu - A bittersweet memoir of French Indochina by Mandaley Perkins.  The book covers a lot of history in the protagonist's life as an expatriate in Vietnam during a very interesting period. I am not sure how much is actual biography (written from interviews with his step-daughter) and how much the author added from research, but it made me fall in love with Hanoi, if but for a little while.  It didn't take but a couple of times out on the motorbike to shock me back into the reality that I don't much care for this city.  What I liked about the book, however, was the vivid descriptions that were written about Hanoi during the late '30s, 40s and 50s.  The locations and scenes that the author described were detailed enough that I knew where they took place, even if the street names were different, or not even provided.

I just finished A Voyage to Cochin China, that I downloaded free as a PDF file from Google Books. I found this fascinating because it was written by a USN Navy Lieutenant who sailed from Salem to Saigon and Danang on the USNS Franklin in 1819 to establish U.S. trade with Cochin China (present day coast line essentially stretching from Hue to HCMC).  This cautionary tale appears to be the lieutenant's diary on his adventure.  Though the English is a little old and some of the terms were not readily familiar, the story line was outstanding.  He described in good detail the corruption that took place after the civil war in the late 1700s in Vietnam, as well as the flora, fauna, and land form of the country.  I have been to all of the places he described and could, in my mind's eye, picture the scene as it was at the time.  There is no doubt we as people have lost the ability to write, to some degree, with the advent of photographs and other digital media. I made myself keep reading through the slower parts just in the hope that I could adopt the easy style of description that he used that was brief and yet allowed me to "see" what he was describing.

He included several anecdotes that were amusing. My favorite was his story of the royal tiger that was presented by the Viceroy as a gift to the crew.  The crew fed the tiger a dog each day as nourishment, but one particularly fierce dog thrown in the cage became the friend of the tiger.  Another favorite was the routine throwing of stones by invisible hands.  This reminded me of Diep telling me the kids would throw rocks at the Cuban sailors after 1975. She said it was a game to them, and they would run like hell after they threw the rocks. If those Cuban sailors caught the offending kid, they would thrash the hell out of him.  Overall, though Vietnam has changed in many ways, I saw many of the Vietnamese characteristics as described by the lieutenant.

His description of the Saigon Citadel got me looking for photos and maps on the web. Though the citadel has long since been destroyed it appears it stood in the general vicinity of the Ba Son Shipyard on the river side and abutted or extended into the Saigon Zoo.  The French destroyed it in the late 1800s.

I also took a motorbike ride to Ba Vi National Park with a co-worker last Monday during the government shutdown furlough.  The weather was ideal for the ride, and the mountain was cool, if not almost too cool.  The park lies about 60 kilometers southwest of Hanoi proper and is within easy reach for a day trip on motorbike.  Ba Vi, like Tam Dao, was a favorite resort area of the French in the early 1900s.  There are still vestiges of some of the resort's cabins and the chapel, now gutted, on Ba Vi.  Beautiful place to just visit. Not a whole lot of activity going on, but the ride itself was the adventure.  National Highway 32 has recently been widened and allows for an easy jaunt to the park.

Remnants of a 100 Year Old Chapel  on Ba Vi National Park Grounds

I know my updates have been far between of late.  Some career disappointments have kept me from posting "how I really feel".  I complain enough in real life, and I want to keep my posts as positive as possible. Hopefully this medium can help my life emulate my writing.

Waiting for the Wife in Danang

The good news is that I am almost caught up on my investigation reports.  With the movement and spotty connectivity in the hotels, it has been difficult to get my reports done.  We are in Danang, now, and all of those other issues are resolved. We have a couple of more cases in the area, but we don't have to change hotels.

I am really looking forward to September 1, because Diep will be traveling down to spend a couple of days here before going back to Hanoi. I enjoy her being here because I think she enjoys this beachside resort more than I do. I often feel like I am wasting a hotel room because I simply don't get out the way I should.

One of the best things that happened to me on this trip is I managed to fix my mouse on my work computer.  I was having problems with the left click button, either having to mash it hard or find the sweet spot to make it "click".  Sounds like a really small issue, and normally I would just simply have purchases a different mouse.  Unfortunately, our office laptops are locked down so hard, we can't even add a simple piece of hardware like a mouse without a special admin privilege.  Anyway, I never really realized how many times I used that left clicker until the issue popped up.  The thing was driving me crazy every time I had to open a file, rename a file, copy and paste, etc.  Finally, I realized it must be a piece of sand or some other object inside the mouse that was causing the issue. The mouse is super small and has no intuitive way to get into it, but I shook it a bit and blew into the opening where the wheel had a gap on top. It lodged whatever was stuck free and things have been smooth ever since. Not just smooth with the mouse, but it seems like everything is just easier now!

Some good news on the furlough front since the last time I was on this site.  Instead of 11 days of unpaid days off this year, the USG cut it down to 6. I did my six before ever coming on the mission, so I am good to go. No doubt, the furlough hurt me less out here than those in the U.S., but it still hurt.  We get used to a certain income and when that income is cut, things get sacrificed. Even if some people - present company excluded - have that government worker mentality of doing just the absolute minimum to get by, they still have families and commitments that they have to provide for.  The whole furlough thing is just unsat.  I hope someone fixes that soon.

I have some plantar fasciitis that I am nursing right now, but it is getting better by the day. I am not helping things by trying to run here. Other than that, things are going well. Weather in Danang is beautiful and it is great to be alive.

Great 2013 Vacation

It has been a week and a half since I got back from my family vacation in the U.S.  We had a great time in Mobile, Austin and Amarillo.  Upon return to Hanoi, I took block furlough days to cover me for the next month and some days while I am on an investigation activity in Vietnam.  Even though I didn't get paid for the five days I was off, it was nice to have five days to decompress and get over jet lag after the vacay.

I really enjoyed seeing Dad and appreciate his wife for allowing us to stay with them for the days we were in Mobile. And, it was great to hit a couple of good restaurants, notably Blue Gill and Wintzell's Oyster House, with David and his family; even though we didn't see Nicholas Cage while we were in town.

Driving from Mobile to Austin and then onward to Amarillo before returning back to Mobile was quite a long time in the car for Diep and Megan.  Diep's initial awe of the immensity of the U.S. quickly waned and turned to boredom after about 1,000 miles of barren plains.  To me, the drive was definitely worth it to see my big sis and her family, and then to see one of my oldest, most trusted friends.  We got to see the Cadillac Ranch and shoot some guns.  I wanted to let Diep and Megan shoot guns on this trip because it might not be so easy to do in the not too distant future.

Megan got some great tours at the University of Texas - Austin and the University of South Alabama.  Even if she doesn't go to either school, I think she was able to see both ends of the spectrum with regards to school size, activity, accommodations, etc.  She definitely has a better idea of what to expect.  She will retake her SAT and send her scores to a couple of schools for consideration. She did great on her first SATs, but I bet she does even better this time!

We ate some great food at home, but Diep was ever vigilant and didn't let Megan and I go full unleashed. It only took a week for me to get back down to pre-departure weight.  Getting back in shape may take a little longer because I have been fairly inactive for nearly two months now.

We have already started our advance work portion of 13-4VM. I am coordinating in Hanoi with our counterparts as they prepare work in central provinces, but I will be depating mid-week next week for the central provinces and I will be moving quite a bit until the beginning of September.

What a ride...

The End

'The End' is the finale of all good stories, is as the same with the conclusion of the 111th Joint Field Activity.  I learned a lot and feel much more comfortable with what I am getting myself into, but at the same time see some great obstacles that I will have to hurdle.  Not surprisingly, the biggest hurdle will be my family.  I have to convince my wife that this new job I have is a means to an end.  I already know that I won't be able to lead an investigation team for too very long, because I am right at that age where I never know when some injury or disability is going to sneak up on  me.  Statistically, it probably isn't that much different than 10 or 15 years ago, it's just my body's ability to bounce back is diminished.  So, back to my point, I am trying to strengthen my skill set in areas to make myself more marketable should I start looking for something a little different down the road.  This is precautionary, not visionary.  Who knows what will happen in the next two years?!

I think I progressed in my report writing skills, and I definitely re-familiarized myself with making site sketches.  The principles of making sketches for these sites don't differ much from when I was a party chief over a decade ago, but I was definitely rusty.  I got to watch a very accomplished archaeologist do his magic this time and it has given me the confidence to know that I can, at least, coordinate the team members to assist the archaeologist in doing his job as efficiently as possible in the future.

I had a streak on the one-off investigations I had been doing before this JFA in which I was getting rained on every time I got in the field.  This time the team provided me a Rite in the Rain field book and pen that broke the streak.  Murphy didn't know what to do with that, so he let the sun shine. Actually, the Rite in the Rain provisions came in handy whether it rained or not,because I sweat profusely when I am in the field.  The RintheR books survived my sweat well!

After this investigation period, I know I have to take my Olympus E-PL5 with me on the next mission.  Just too many good photo opportunities to leave home without it. I would even like to take my larger DSLR Nikon, but it's just too heavy.

This afternoon the teams depart for Hawaii.  Good bye and good riddance... just kidding.  It was good to see such a diverse group of young people get together and work towards one mission - to bring our fallen back home.  There will be a repatriation ceremony with one transfer case getting on the plane.  There are no happy endings when it comes to bringing home men and women who gave full measure for their country, but there can be solace for the families.

Country Ain't Stupid




Welcoming Committee in A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province

 During this investigation period in Vietnam, I traveled to some of the more remote areas of Vietnam's central region.  Flying into one of these backwater areas in a helicopter creates quite a commotion amongst the locals, and there are always security guys out to make sure everyone keeps their distance.  We do, however, get to smile, shake hands, fist pump, and flash the peace sign from time to time; and I try to take a little extra time to make small talk with the kids and elderly folks in the villages we go to.  All of this is done between the work, but does make the work more bearable. It gives me time to forget about the heat, sweat, flies and leeches.

Seeing the village residents carry on with the daily lives is refreshing. If I am not careful, I find myself thinking I would like such a simple life.  Everyone is smiling and looks healthy enough. Kids play in the water, and the friendship bonds seem unbreakable.  No one is self conscious about what others are thinking, and even when someone does something silly and others laugh at them, they laugh, too!

Best Friends Forever in A Luoi District

It doesn't take much to bring myself back to the reality that I would never make it. My fate would lie in the statistical infant mortality rate or the death toll of those who died from malaria, dysentery, or even something as simple as the flu.  You can see the evidence of hardship in the deep scars from working in the fields, and the mosquito bites that cover the legs of the kids.  Their smiles are so bright, it is easy to overlook at first.  These kids are super human.  They are the survivors of the infections and the plagues.  They have an immune system that scientist should study, duplicate and bottle; selling it to the West for a handy little profit.

The Simple Country Life



Kids Playing in a Local Stream in A Luoi District

They're not stupid.  Country ain't stupid.  These village residents would be unfazed by an apocalyptic event.  Life would go on as usual.  They would still farm their fields, raise their cattle, slop the pigs and burn the midnight oil they made themselves.  They wouldn't miss the phones and the internet and no one would complain as the rest of the world would get swallowed up in panic and chaos.  It is all a matter of perspective, but I reckon Hank Williams, Jr. got it right when he said a country boy can survive.

Fearless Iguana



Fearless Iguana of Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province

 A few days ago, I had the opportunity to work in the Bạch Mã National Forest in Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province.  The forest is protected and, at this time of year, it was alive with beautiful yellow and red blooms from the indigenous trees on the mountainside.  The air was moist and hot with the tropical humidity our team has been encountering since the beginning of the field activity. And from the complaints of some members, the area also was home to poison ivy.

The  variety of spiders and insects was impressive.  Granted, I wasn't hanging out looking for insects and other creepy crawlies, but taking breaks, it became apparent that the variety was profound. I found myself wondering if all of these bugs had been identified and categorized by local and international entomologists.  One particular insect that appeared very much like a large grasshopper, also looked very much like a dried, brown leaf. I saw him and let him go before I saw the fearless iguana.

I was working in a different area when other members of the team found, and seemingly befriended the wild iguana (kỳ nhông). Someone said they fed him a large insect, though I didn't witness that.  What I did see was a medium-sized iguana that remained motionless on a tree for the entire three hours we were at the site.  Many of us took macro shots of him, with our lenses right in his face.  This is unusual for any wildlife specimen in Vietnam, because it goes against the basic survival instinct these animals have, especially the ones who appear to be of mature size. 

I found myself looking for the fearless iguana everytime I passed him along the trail where he was perched.  I just couldn't help but wonder why he refused to budge.  I even wished I had an iPhone with one of those ant game apps to see if he would attack the digital ants.

Alas, all good things come to an end. Before we boarded the helicopter to depart our site, someone noticed the iguana was gone.  One part of me hopes he decided to leave and made a quick exit, but the other, more intelligent side of my brain, says one of the local workers caught the fearless iguana and taught him a good lesson in healthy caution. A lesson he may never be able to use.

Oh fearless iguana, may your spirit live on as your body nourishes others, my little friend.

Quang Tri Province Investigations



Landscape in Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Province

 After arriving in Danang and receiving the teams at the airport on 20 May 2013, I integrated with the 111th Joint Field Activity (JFA) Investigation Team and we moved out for Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province the following morning.  Dong Ha City is the province seat of Quang Tri and served as our staging point for all of our investigations in the province.

We were obliged to stay at the Mekong Hotel at the invitation of the province officials.  The Mekong is a large two star hotel, stoic in nature that sits on the west side of National Highway 1A in the heart of Dong Ha.  While I don't think anyone on the team appreciated being relegated to stay where the province wanted us to be, the accommodations were not as bad as they were last year when I was "obliged" to stay there.  The two biggest complaints I had with the hotel were the hard bed and poor breakfast... but, hey, life isn't always five star hotels and rock star status.  We settled in for ten nights.

On 22 May we began our first investigation and kept going non-stop until we departed Dong Ha for Hue City on 31 May.  Most of our investigations focused on Cam Lo District.  Cam Lo District abuts Dong Ha City to the west and is the beginning of some very extreme terrain and weather.  Some of the wartime U.S. firebases lie in Cam Lo. Camp Carroll and Con Thien are a couple of examples.

The photo above is a panorama view taken near one of our survey locations.  The photo is indicative of the terrain in the area. The mountains that remain are bare of any natural trees due to clear cutting and planting of industrial trees like acacia and eucalyptus.  Other mountains have been taken down a notch or two from their former glory.  Much of the limestone was used in the making of the Ho Chi Minh Highway that now spans north to south from Nghe An to Ho Chi Minh City.  It is the western north-south corridor that has linked the two regions and eased the traffic on Hwy 1A. The limestone quarried here is also used at the many Vietnamese cement factories as a raw material in making the cement.  The lack of sustainability and the ugly results of strip quarrying make it somewhat ironic that the Vietnamese continue to blame agent orange for their troubles.

The biggest impact this lack of regard for nature and the beauty of the mountains had on us was the lack of shade on the hill.  Working on a clearcut mountain in 100+ F temps for hours on end took its toll on the team.  We went through cases of water in a matter of hours and left exhausted.  Living in Vietnam, I had the advantage of being acclimated.  The team had youth on their side.  In the end, I think we came up even, though the battle turned as the team got used to the heat and humidity.

Not all of our sites were like this, but most were exposed to the sun and sat on the side of a large hill or mountain.  We drove to most of our sites in Quang Tri with just a short, though intense walk most of the time.  This is only because all of our simple sites have been addressed. What we have left are those extremely difficult cases that lie in remote areas with few or no witnesses.  The work is hard, but the rewards when success hits are great.

I am in Hue now, taking a break from the team for a day so I can catch up on my reports.  With that being noted, I suppose I should get to work.  Here's to wishing everyone else a great weekend.

Joint Field Activities

At the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), we divide our work in Vietnam into units we call Joint Field Activities, better known to teams as JFAs.  During a routine fiscal year, we conduct four JFAs lasting 34 days throughout the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in areas best suited to work based on the weather.  We have been conducting JFAs in Vietnam since 1988, and have begun advance work for the 111th JFA (also known by its number within the fiscal year as 13-3VM).

The last complete field activity that I participated in as a team member was the 14th JFA in July 1991.  A lot of things were different then from team composition, the roadways, cities, communications, and my age.  I was 25 years old and knew very little about the organization, known then as the Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC).  The organization changed its name to the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA) and grew exponentially in 1992.  It wasn't until a year after I returned as a civilian, in 2003, that we changed our name to JPAC, and went worldwide in our POW/MIA search.

Now, at the age of 47, I am returning to the teams - at least for the time being - and will begin a new chapter in my work here in Vietnam.  I leave on Sunday to integrate into the Investigation Team and will work in Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri Provinces for the following 30 days.  I look forward to the operation, but know I will miss the time I have with my family.  In the past, I traveled extensively during the JFAs, offering support to the Detachment leadership, or conducting small activities in the form of interviews or analyst support for forensic reviews. But, in those cases I generally would not be gone for longer than two weeks at a shot.  I think it is funny that I see dealing with not being home as the toughest part of this; especially considering we will be moving through dense jungle and over rugged terrain in extreme heat and humidity with such unfriendly and inhospitable travel partners as leeches, snakes, spiders and mosquitos.

I will have my camera and hope to get some good pictures.  Unfortunately, the security limitations we have on our computers mean I will not be posting any until after the activity is over.

I feel I have everything in order before I leave. I have spent some quality time with Diep and Megan and I think they are set while I am gone. After the JFA, I have only a couple of days in Hanoi before we leave for home and I will have three weeks in the USA, traveling extensively - if things line up with what I currently envision (big IF). 

Diep will have an early birthday party on Friday. She turns 43 on 20 May and probably is just using her birthday as an excuse to host a party.  That's fine, it will be a small get together and I will try to look like I am enjoying it.

Megan has exams this week. Her grades have come up in the last few months and she seems to be more focused.  Not only on her school work, but on her heatlh, too!  Things are looking positive for her to get a summer hire job at the embassy when we get back from our home leave, as well.  Even if she doesn't get a position, her efforts have been a success. If nothing else, she has better insight on how to build a resume, submit an application and do a job interview.

Tay Thien Meditation Center

The Fraser Suites apartment that I live in organizes periodic tour trips to locations in the vicinity of Hanoi, but until last Sunday, I had never taken one of the trips. Honestly, most tourist destinations in the locality of Hanoi don't interest me and this one scheduled for Tay Thien didn't look particularly different.

Diep had signed up for the trip on Friday while I was at work, with the intention of taking Megan along.  Megan balked immediately, leaving Diep to find another tour partner.  She asked me, and though I was reluctant to go, I agreed because I knew I was going away for a whole month next week.  Diep gave me an "out" saying she could get someone else to go with her, but I stuck with it, knowing Sunday was Mother's Day and wanting to do something with her.

Tay Thien Meditation Center is a large complex in Tam Dao Distict, Vinh Phuc Province, 85 kilometers northwest of Hanoi. There are several temples and pagodas within the complex and a cable car that connects the lower reception center with the temples and pagodas near the top of one of the mountains.  Tam Dao Mountain Range skirts the outlying western side of Hanoi, and is better known as Thud Ridge to pilots who used to go "Downtown" during the war.  There are many aircraft crash sites in the Tam Dao Mountain Range, though it is better known by the Vietnamese as a colonial tourist destination for French tourists back in the day, and for Hanoians looking for a day trip or weekend destination out of the city.

First and foremost, I was much unimpressed with the pagodas and temples. Though the area has a long history in Vietnam, there is very little still on the site that is older than a decade or two. The humidity and termites make sure most structures in Vietnam get rebuilt over and over again every twenty years or less.  This may be an unfair statement since I don't care much for the religious tourism that exists in Vietnam in the form of pilgrimages to the various historic, religious sites.

The cable car helps those pilgrims with time constraints or health issues to get from the reception center to the holier sites on top of the mountain by cutting the 7-plus kilometer hike up the mountain down to a 10 minute, scenic cable car tour. While this was convenient for the time our group had at Tay Thien, it was fairly sterile of any real interaction with nature.  Before getting on the cable car, many of the members of the tour group had stated they wanted to walk down the mountain rather than take the cable car, Diep and I included.  After the ride up, however, many opted out of the walk and decided to take the cable car back.  There was only Diep and I, along with another man from Hong Kong who still wanted to walk after getting to the top.

The walk back was on a concrete stairway, winding through dense trees and across streams, offering very scenic views of a prominent waterfall on the way.  There are rest stations located every 200 - 300 meters which was good for those walking up the mountain, but fairly unnecessary for us walking down.  Anyone who has walked hills for a significant distance, however, knows that it is nearly as hard to walk down hill as it is to walk up.  This was good for me to show Diep that my job isn't always a five-star lifestyle; that visiting crash sites in remote mountainous areas is a chore to some degree.

Diep almost stepped on a snake on the path, as well.  It wasn't big and looked harmless, but it is hard to tell around here since most snakes in SE Asia are poisonous.  It would seem one would see snakes in Vietnam all the time, but that generally is not the case since most wildlife is snatched up and put in the pot as quickly as you can say, "Boo!"

Diep got up this morning a little sore in the calves, but she had a good time.  I did, too!

Back to Work

This morning I am back to work. All in all, it was a good week off and I feel fairly refreshed.  Siem Reap was a great destination and I find myself thinking I will go back again some day.  I like Cambodia in general and there are several towns that I would like to spend more time in, in the future.

The day after arriving in Saigon, Diep and I left early on a Sinh Cafe tour by bus. We spent 12 hours on the bus and two hours waiting in Pnom Penh, leaving us pretty exhausted by the time we got to Siem Reap that evening.  fortunately, it didn't take but about 12 hours total to get back to Saigon.  I think we will look more closely at air fare on our next visit.  The long bus ride aside, the tour itself was not bad.  I find myself wondering, however, if we would have been better off on our own, rather than with a professional guide.  With only one day in Siem Reap, I think the best way to go was with the guide, but if we had three days to explore the area I think we would have been better off on our own. The guide was very knowledgeable and more informative than I expected, though he did seem put out when I gave my opinion that Pol Pot was a physcho.

The beauty of the Angkor Wat and other temples in the area are beyond description for me. I posted some photos on my Google Plus and Facebook pages, but I think they are very much like the photos of everyone else who has traveled there.  I think the awe lies in the fact that all of the temples were built between 800 and 1200 AD and that they were abandoned for some three hundred years before being rediscovered by French explorers.  UNESCO and the Cambodian government deserved much credit in keeping the grounds in good condition for all to enjoy the beauty of this area.

Megan decided not to go with us because she had been before and she didn't much care to go again. This worked to our benefit, Diep and I, because it was one less person to worry about in our democratic way of deciding what to do.  Plus, we were more comfortable in the hotel room.  She ended up going to Long An to see some of her maternal relatives. She enjoyed it because her cousin let her drive the motorbike all the way back. I am not sure how far it is from Diep's house to Long An, but I know it is more than an hour on the bike. 

We got back on Friday, and Megan took her SAT on Saturday. Since the testing center was 15 kilomters from the apartment, I just waited at the test center rather than dropping her off and picking her up later. The five hours just sitting around was a pretty boring, but it wasn't as bad as 12 hours on a bus. 

Now I need to concentrate on our next mission in Vietnam.  After the mission, I plan on taking home leave to the U.S.  Diep is really looking forward to it this year and so am I.

Spring Break

Diep takes advantage of every significant break Megan's school has for her to take off for Saigon.  I get it, she is stuck in Hanoi away from her home town and wants to get back home.  The only thing is, UNIS has several significant breaks throughout the year. Not only is there Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Break, but there is also the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.  That is a lot of breaks. 

I get tired of traveling because of the job, but I try to join Diep and Megan in Saigon whenever I can.  Especially now that it is so hard to use up all of my leave.  This week of Spring Break worked out well for me so I will be headed down to Saigon tomorrow to link up with Diep and Megna who took off yesterday. I told Diep I wanted to go to Siem Reap, Cambodia, the location of Angkor Wat.  Diep did the advance work on the bus ride and accommodations, so we will leave from Saigon for Siem Reap on Tuesday morning.  I just have to get my game face on, because we have about a 10 hour drive from Saigon to Siem Reap and then return.  Hopefully it will be worth it. At least I am bringing my camera so I will have to photos to prove I was there.

Megan applied for a summer hire job at the U.S. Embassy before she left on Saturday.  There was a bit of pressure on her because we didn't get the announcement until Friday and she had to get the application in before 1 May. No big deal except she will be in Saigon studying for her SAT past 1 May. Lots going on for my little girl.  Even if she doesn't get the job, I am proud of her for putting her cover sheet, resume and supporting documents together without any help from me.  She did let me read it, and I was impressed with her letter writing skills.

Megan takes her SAT the day after we return from Saigon.  I have my fingers crossed. We will see how much this high faluting school has done for her soon enough.

Vietnam - Laos Border Part II

My team got to A Luoi and we spent the night at Do Thanh Hotel.  The hotel was new and clean, and a step up from the guest houses I have stayed in the area in the past. 

On Monday morning we took off early for the vehicle dismount point, rucked up and took off.  We walked for over three and a half hours before we had to turn around. We were within an hour from the border site and most of the hard part was done, but we reached a point where, if there had been a serious injury, we could not have gotten the victim out with the equipment we had.  With no signal on our satellite phone and no way to get to an area to cut a helicopter landing zone, it was just impossible to mitigate the dangers.

It took just as long to work our way back to the vehicles.  Even with a shortened hike, we walked a total of 14 kilometers over some pretty intense terrain.  We spent a good portion of our hike walking in a streambed. The streambed was covered with slick limestone and cannonball sized rocks that were extremely hard to navigate through.  To me, the stream bed was far worse than the mountain trails. With no less than forty pounds in gear per person on the U.S. side, it was extremely difficult to stay upright because we couldn't get any traction on the wet rocks. I fell no less than 10 times and I didn't have a monopoly on falling. Watching the burden-free Vietnamese lithely jumping from rock to rock, it was hard to keep our frustration in check. 


One of the many obstacles on our way to the site

Taking a quick break at one of the waterfalls

Skirting the side of a karst

Taking a break along the streambed

I guess I found our limit that day.  But, I feel better knowing it was a safety limit and not a physical limit.  I find it extremely hard to prepare for these missions physicallly because I live in Hanoi where there are no hills.  I did decide, however, that I need to change up my physical fitness routine adding more endurance leg work.

We were lucky in some aspects of our hike. The weather remained cool, but it didn't rain. And, I only got hit by one leech.

Vietnam - Laos Border

Today, I am in Danang and later I will hit the road north heading to Hue and then Hwy 49 west to A Luoi District in Thua Thien Hue Province.  There my team will stay overnight before we head to the field tomorrow.

A Luoi District encompasses the A Shau Valley and I will be heading to the extreme northwest point of A Luoi.  As a matter of fact, advance information tells me that once I get out of the vehicle, I will be walking another four and a half hours to the site I will be surveying.  It lies exactly on the Vietnam - Laos border. Good news is, it is only four hours back and the weather is cool. Bad news is, the weather forecast calls for light rain.  My predication is lots of slips and lots of leeches. Hopefully we will get it all done in one day and be back.  It is hard to believe that the 8-plus hours of walking will take me a horizontal distance of only about eight miles.

For a lot of reasons, I won't go into the specifics of the site I will be surveying.  The importance of this activity for me is two-fold. Obviously, the mission is important to prepare a team to come in and recover the location in the future, but it is also important for me because this will be one of the longest and most difficult, single-day trips I will have been on. I am interested in finding my limits here and this work could very well take me close to or to that limit.

I got an opportunity to talk to someone in the know about this particular case and the story is very interesting. I hope things aren't so busy at the site that I can't take a minute to reflect on what happened there so many years ago and mentally recompose the events as they took place so long ago in such a forgotten place in this work.

Today is Sunday, I wish I was home with my wife and daughter.  I can comfort myself by knowing I have both days off next weekend.

Tax Time

Mom always said it, and she was right. I am a procrastinator.  I guess she started to get suspicious when I would wait until the last weekend before a school project was due to sit down and write a 20 page paper and build my project.  Forget about the fact that we had been given three months notice on the project... I just couldn't be bothered.  I would like to attribute my procrastination to some higher level of cognizance on my part. Something like, "Why do this project, I could die in some unforeseen accident before it is due and then I would have wasted the few weeks I had left in this life on something that didn't matter!"  Unfortunately, in all honesty, that isn't the reason.  In all likelihood, it is for two reasons: 1) I am lazy, and 2) I am pretty good when put under pressure to get something done.  Take it for what you will.

Anyway, I have a lot going on right now, and though I had planned on getting my taxes put out last weekend, it just didn't happen.  That means I am getting it all together today... a Monday, and the first day of the last week I have to get my taxes in. I leave for the field on 13 April, so this is it.  No biggie, really, TaxCut makes things easy and I don't expect any hiccups, though I will be writing a big fat check to Alabama and Washington for the savings bonds I cashed in.  This, right before our furlough... if that ever happens. The feds have already started pushing back my furlough days.

Today is Monday and I took the day off.  Mostly because I worked on Saturday and didn't need anymore comp time in the bank.  Diep and I enjoyed the morning well enough (part of my procrastination plan). We dusted off one of the Yoga DVDs that I bought a couple of years ago, moved the furniture in the living room, rolled out our Yoga mats and did Yoga for about an hour.  It went a lot better than I expected, though I was surprised how much strength it took to hold some of the poses, i.e. downward dog.  I was also surprised at how tight I was in the shoulders.  Our little session went so well, in fact, that I think we will try to do this three times a week.

After Yoga, we went downtown and ate Thai food.  It was a pleasant morning. Diep stayed downtown while I came back to to what I had been putting off. I was waiting for the update to download so I thought I would get a quick post in.  This is it. The download is complete. Wish me luck!

Travel Week

Blog Entry 20 Mar 2013

I have been on the road since Monday and the days are starting to run into each other.  I know it is only Wednesday but I was already recalling something that I thought happened yesterday, but, in fact, it was the day before yesterday.  Yesterday was a travel day, so I spent four hours on the road before stopping to eat and then boarding a helicopter to go out to a base camp site.

Anyway, the day before yesterday, I was in Kon Tum City with a Vietnamese Recovery Team. The visit was pretty uneventful, though we did have a dinner that included copious amounts of Cuoc Lui - a Vietnamese moonshine of sorts. At the dinner, through the haze of the Cuoc Lui, I remembered that it was the anniversary of my first day in the Air Force.  That is to say, the 28th anniversary. It is so hard to believe it has been 28 years since I enlisted in the Air Force.  That was the beginning of my manhood.

I was watching a movie the other day, though I can't remember the name of it, and in the movie one man asks three of his buddies when they became a man.  In the movie, everyone of them had to think a little before giving their answer.  For me, it is easy to name the day - March 18, 1985. I was nineteen years old and it was the first day that I had full responsibility over my life. I never regret having joined the Air Force, but often wonder what my life would be like now if I had not gotten out after a little over nine years of service.  I don't spend too much time wondering, there are just too many unknowns and it really doesn't matter anyway.

So I spent last night in Buon Ma Thuot.  I didn't get to spend it the way I wanted, but I really can't complain about the restaurant I was invited to.  AND, I got home early enough last night that I was able to wake up and get an early morning run in.  I managed four miles.  Two two-mile runs with a little break in the middle to walk around in the older part of the city.  This is a nice place, but I really don't understand what the tourists do here when they arrive.

I have a late afternoon flight to Saigon today and then we will be off into the Mekong Delta region.  Just a lot of travel and not much time for anything else. Maybe I can get some work out time once I get back to Hanoi.  Oh, wait, I will be in Hanoi for part of Saturday and Sunday, but I am heading off to Bangkok on Monday.  Things are crazy around here.  Diep says I like to travel because I was born in the year of the horse.  As I get older, I feel I long for those days staying home more.

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Saturday, 23 Mar 2013
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Things were looking up as I got into Saigon. I checked into the hotel, and because they were fully booked, they gave me a free room upgrade. This was good and bad, because I had managed to talk Diep into staying the night. Diep was already in Saigon because she had flown down a few days earlier to see her cousin who had just returned home after about three years in Malaysia.  Anyway, back to the room, it was good to have an upgrade because it included a desk and living room area, but bad because Diep now thinks that I live a five-star / rock star life on the road.  This is simply not the case... some of the time.    But, unlike most of the times we try to get together when I am on the road, this chance meeting was fantastic! We went out to eat with my boss and then broke free to have a drink at a cool local bar in first district.  We were in good spirits when we got back to the hotel and had a good night 's sleep.  I had a fairly late departure in the morning which made it easy for us both to get ready and have a leisurely morning together.

The rest of my Thursday wasn't so enjoyable.  The work wasn't hard, but the travel was a killer. We drove over two hours to our first site in Long An Province, and after about two hours of discussions and lunch with our counterparts - including Cuoc Lui - we hit the road for another four before reaching our final destination in Can Tho City.  I had arranged for our reservations at the Victoria Hotel in advance, but, even with an email confirmation from the Sales Department, no one could find our reservation at the reception.  Coupled with a dead phone and a headache, things didn't start well in the rice basket of the country.  After getting our room, however, things started to look up.  The boss and I had dinner at a corner, outside restaurant and retired after an early evening.

The Victoria Hotel in Can Tho is beautiful - if not a little expensive.  The entire Victoria chain creates an environment that makes me feel like I am in French Colonial Indochine... without the oppression and uprising of the people.  Everything is done in classic French style and the staff is well trained.  The only thing I can complain about - other than the dropping of our reservations - is the tendency of the staff to stop the sink and tub when they clean the room.  This may sound trivial, but when you add a very hot water "hot" tap in the tub and a difficult-to-adjust knob, you might be able to see how a tub filling up with scalding water as you are trying frantically to get the cold water going, while simultaneously weighing how you might be able to jump out of the tub without ripping the shower curtain off the rod might be something that would be bothersome to someone who is now nursing tender feet.

Yesterday morning I got another run in, though I only managed two miles before the humidity did me in. This is by far the most humid province I have been in this travel week.  After the run, I still got back to the room in time to get my camera and capture the sun as it rose, set against the Hau River and Can Tho Bridge.

I wasn't so energetic this morning, however, and managed only to get up and get these few word written on my IPAD before getting ready for the airport and my two hour trip home to the family.  This trip I brought along my logitech bluetooth keyboard that has proven itself to me in the advantages of using it rather than the virtual keyboard program on the tablet.

Cheers to me as I finally get back to my family!


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