Odds n' Ends

This will be my second last post. My last one, which will be reflections of this experience, I will write and post after returning home to JP. I suspect a little geographical and time distance will allow for deeper reflection and insight. Perhaps that is why many authors (especially Irish writers, which is my heritage) wrote their best pieces from abroad, away from their home country. And yes I realize JP is my home country, but Hoi An has been an amazing home this last while. 

Great Signage





 





Mark who lives above me has a wine bar. the porch is open air and it's lovely to sit enjoying a glass overlooking the river across the street. 





My area of Hoi An is rather rural. The coffee houses are oases of Zen-like serenity. 






And of course the beer.. Mostly lager here, but some craft beers would make Willibalds and Fairweather proud. This is 7 Bridges Taproom's line-up. 









No technology, just bamboo, dried reed, a machete, nylon string and hands to make beach umbrellas. 




Honouring the dead...



All the same inscription. A covid area?



When using Google translate on iPhone, one speaks or scans to get the translation. If spoken, the receiver has to be shown the screen, and can then speak into their phone and show to answer. Iman has a foldable Galaxy Flip 6. With the phone folded, there is a screen on either side. When he speaks English onto his screen, the receiver sees the translation on the screen facing them. The receiver can then speak Vietnamese (or whatever language has been specified, which appears as English on the screen facing Iman. 


POP here is a lot of guess work. The formula is interesting and the prevailing winds coming south from the Gulf of Tonkin often push South China Sea onshore breezes south aloooooooong the coast. JP3 was a little over a km from the ocean and some days I never knew whether to take an umbrella or a hat.




Unique Food Choices







My fave tea - winter melon 


And sometimes one just craves a goopy hot dog and potato salad. The Dingo Deli does it right.  


I did make some faux pho....was just meh. 


This artist was obsessed with Picasso-esque bicycles.


And finally, why I gave up trying to learn Vietnamese......


BTW, an incredible novel, mostly reality, detailing incredible challenges facing the Viets from WW2 to the present day. Tough to read, but my question is why does everyone laugh, smile, say Hi and seem so content. Maybe because Ho Chi Minh's brand of communism actually has made the lives of this wonderful people better. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 24, 2025 at 1:24 PM

    Welcome Home
    I really enjoyed your blog.
    Cheers Pauly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMarch 26, 2025 at 6:18 AM

      Glad you enjoyed it Pauly. Just now sleeping through the night after the 12 hour plus 1 day time change.

      Delete

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