In which I can't wait to get home

June 10, 2007 → Day 6 of 16
Today is officially ten more days till I get to come home. How exciting. However, I no longer have internet access which sucks. I think we will go to the beach next weekend at my behest. That means that we’ll probably be staying at another hotel which will probably have internet. Horrah for hotel’s wifi!

Today was mostly driving. I woke up at probably 6 or 7 and got dressed pretty quick. I was actually in a good mood. I think I looked decent today. In case you were wondering, I was wearing jeans, an orange tanktop and a brown shirt thing. Anyway, I was all self confidant and whatnot. Then I got breakfast and spent the rest of the morning in my room. We left at about eleven. The trip started with two stops at two separate fish markets. Great. Then it was the long haul to Saigon. I skipped lunch and that annoyed me.

When we got here, I went into my room and finished Shroom. Then I tried to sit with dad but he’s all pissy so it was unpleasant. He told Teyun that if he had to clean the litter box, he was getting rid of the cat. Where did this sudden fit stem from? One of the girls had forgotten to clean the litter box. Why? She was doing all his damn laundry. That’s great dad. Real considerate.

For dinner we sat outside. Dad got mad at Teyun because she was tired and not smiling. So for anyone who was wondering if dad was still the same old jerk, the answer is yes. He’s more misogynistic then ever. Let’s celebrate. Then he went on a whole thing about how there’s no such thing as teacher so bad you can’t learn in their class and how I don’t have enough of the killer instict, though I should have gotten it in my genes from him. Then, he split off from that to tell me that compromising who I am for the sake of fitting in is the best thing I can do if I want to make a name for myself. So, lessons to be learned from my father? Change yourself to suit the world: it’s the only way to be successful. Also: If the world does not deem you good enough, they’re probably right. And: If you’re not a killer shark, you’ll do badly in everything. One last one: Spanish and English are the only languages worth knowing and if you don’t know them, you won’t suceeed.

Now there’s some real good family lessons. Makes me feel good to know I’ve got such and asshole related to me. And yes mom, that is the only word I can use. Or at least the nicest one.

Anyway, I watched Cassanova (ok) and then I went to my room for bedtime. I am still homesick but feeling a little more poetic tonight so I’ll take a stab at a poem just to see that I’m not as dead as I feel. So be gentle, like always because I’m still in a weird jetlag thing and I’m annoyed and a million other woes besiege me. Whining is ok for that.

Pebble boys, pebble girls

There is a state
of grace that is imbued
on every tiny pebble.
Because
they suffer the footsteps of others
as if to say
“Here,
I am yours.
With your steps
leave your woes.
I will admire you
though you will
never care for me.”

In the same way
some people are given
pebble hearts
that always sing
the same song,
saying
“Here,
I am yours.
With your words
leave your woes.
I will always need
your love,
though you will
never notice me.”

Proper

This is a proper girl
Because she wears skirts
Because she smiles at parties
Because she loves her boyfriend
Because she giggles in the locker room
Because she loves chick flicks
Because she never is rough and tumble
Because she is a daddy’s girl
Because she is her expectation.

This is a proper girl
Because she looks like a boy
Because she is awkward at parties
Because she loves her girlfriend
Because she lives in the bookstore
Because she loves mafia films
Because she has more scars then she can count
Because she hates her father
Because she is more
Because she is less
Because she is different then someone else’s expectation


Lessons learned
I hate fish markets
If I eat one more egg, I’ll throw up
My camera is my refuge.
My dad still pretends to care
My books are my refuge.
I am ready to go home

June 11, 2007 → Day 7 of 16
Almost halfway through. Today was another day of nothing because, of course, Saigon is unusually hot this week. No rain, no respite. ACK! So I spent most of the day sheltered in my room with the air conditioning and the fan on, both full blast. I woke up at about 7, then went back to sleep till 8, which is unusually late for me here. So I’ll set an alarm and get up tomorrow at 7. I don’t want to adjust to Saigon time too much.

Then I ‘showered’ in the weird bathtub thing and then went downstairs for breakfast which was noodles and vegetables this morning. Actually very good. Dad and I talked for a bit, then he left and I went in search of a good book to read. He recommended Alice Monroe so I grabbed one of her books but after about five minutes, I was bored to tears so I put it back and went in search of good books. My search turned up the following books: Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 by Hunter S. Thompson, Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Spanking Watson by Kinky Friedman, and Elvis, Jesus, & Coca-Cola by Kinky Friedman.

After locating said books, I went downstairs with Spanking Watson and continued to read until lunch. That meal consisted of pumpkin soup, rice, some green vegetables which I can’t remember the name off, and fried banana. All of this was followed by two mini fresh bananas which are a little shorter then my ring finger. By the time I finished eating, I found the heat unbearable so I retired to my room. Here, I finished Spanking Watson and started Hell’s Angels, which I am now about 50 pages from the end. Both are good books, though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Kinky Friedman, the Texas Jewboy.

By the time dinner was ready, Dad had gotten home and a whole host of people had gotten here. They’re staying till… whenever but they’re more of the family I’m staying with. There are like a billion kids here now. Anyway, they’re all fascinated by me but only one of them speaks any English at all, and, from all accounts, it’s not good. I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to her yet. So we ate dinner outside, just Dad, Teyun, and I. I don’t remember what it was but I do believe it was good. Then I agreed to have another omlete for breakfast, which, in retrospect, was a stupid thing to do but ok, too late. Dad talked about taking a cruise down the Mekong Delta and I went to my room for sleeping.

Oh, and I discovered my father really does make babies cry. One of the sisters let him hold the youngest baby (he’s like 1) and as soon as the kid realized Dad was holding him and talking to him, he started freaking out and couldn’t be consoled. The sister took him back and he was fine fairly quick. But yes. In case you wondered… My father terrifies small children.

Short story tomorrow I hope. We’ll see how my time shakes out. For now, my groovy cats, good night, Goddess bless and keep and all that jazz (on of the books is placed in the 60’s so I’m using my hippie lingo and will probably do so for the rest of the time I am here).

Lessons learned
Hell’s Angels call (or called, I don’t know that they still do) their hookers mamas
Dad makes babies cry
Still hot
No seriously, still hot
Holy Christ, it never ends
I love Rowan Atkinson (hums Blackadder theme)


June 12, 2007 → Day 8 of 16.
Halfway through today! 8 more days of hell and then sweet sweet San Francisco. THANK GOD!! Today the power went out and I thought I was going to die. I can’t even tell you how pissed I was. Now everything following today will be much more reasonable. I miss home SOO MUCH!!!

So, like I mentioned, the power went out today at around 7:30 am. I was in the shower thing and I discovered that when the power goes out here, so, apparently, does the water upstairs. Luckily, my hair was clean and I had just got all the conditioner out so I didn’t have shit in my hair or anything. Still, it was annoyed. Also, none of this was helped by the fact that it’s ALWAYS a billion degrees outside. So Dad and I decided that I would go to Underground today with Teyun. We decided to leave at 11. Until then, I sort of hung out, annoyed with life.

At 11, we did go to Underground, which is a bar and restaurant and is pretty ok. Not the best but hey, as long as there’s no meat I’m cool right now. So we ate and then finally made our way to Japas for ice cream and drinks. There was a big party of Australian women who were loud and annoying but I didn’t mind. I learned how to say the name Ngo (it sounds a little like the word no mashed with a meow. I can’t really say it. I just say no.) and taught Teyun to say perro. We then went home where I went upstairs. The power came back on and I almost threw a friggin party. But then it was out. And on again. And then off again. It blinked in and out a few times and landed on out. I sat in my room in the dark and pouted but went downstairs where, of course, all hell had broken loose.

There’s a house that is illegal being built next door to us. The police don’t notice because the people are paying them off a lot. We don’t complain because they are paying more then we are but it is a really bad house. It’s badly built and will probably fall. Anyway, they had been dumping some trash in our yard and then today, they dumped four large metal poles and a HUGE metal hollow barrel in the yard. They were big enough to kill the kids but thankfully, they were inside. So Teyun called Fung (prounced Foo-ng), our landlady and she came over with her 9 month old granddaughter. She yelled at the owner of the construction site who came over with his 4 workers. He appologised and then the guys took the metal away and Fung told him that he broke the thing we hang our laundry on (he did). He said he’d give us maybe 100 thousand D and Fung said no, maybe 500 thousand D. Then, when he left, she put 1 million D on the police letter. She will take it to the city police if she has too and then the guys will be in a LOT of trouble. While the workers were over, one of them exposed themselves to the little girl and Dad was PISSED when he found out about it. So am I. But the girl did not see the guy’s face so we can’t do anything.

After all of this, Dad came home and we went to Fung’s restaurant for dinner. It was pretty ok and then we went home and I went to my room to bed. Now my legs are incredibly covered in mosquito bites. I killed one mosquito that was on my pants and he left a slight stain that I suspect is probably from my blood that I’m sure he stole. Freaking bugs. What purpose do they serve? Oh, I finished Hell’s Angels today and started Dance Dance Dance. It’s good. I also wrote a short story that I will post in another blog. It’s about six pages long right now. Cool.

Lessons learned
I hate mosquitoes
Beach Boys ROCK!
Don’t trust people from Hanoi (according to Teyun, even though Fung is a Hanoi girl)
My legs itch
Ow
Vietnam needs rain

June 13, 2007 → Day 9 of 16
Today I learned that my dad could probably called verbally abusive. That’s great. It’s always nice to learn things like that. Really helps your faith in the human race, eh? Anyway, I’m not that shocked. But I am pretty disgusted. Like always. He made Teyun cry because she couldn’t understand him because he was speaking too quickly. He was mad about the number of fans in the house. So he yelled at Teyun and made a huge deal out of it when it was nothing and told her she was being too upsetable. That man is a jerk and I want nothing to do with him. Am I like him?

Anyway, I spent most of today reading, again. I finished Dance Dance Dance and started Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72. I ate lunch with dad, tried to get online on his pc and discovered the internet is sporatic at best and now will not turn on. And I need to get an email to Sho and an email to mom and I have no way of doing it. Great.

Teyun cried to me for a bit, which I didn’t mind and I comforted her to the best of my abilities. I’m sure it must suck to live with that man. I know I’d never be able to do it. Other then that, I did nothing today. I’m living for home. I think Shelby is coming to stay with me when Chris and Krissy are going to be at the house, which is cool. My place will be the place to be. Woo.

5 people are leaving the house tonight. Thai’s two older sons (both about 10 or 12), Teyun’s dead brother’s son, one of the sisters, and the mother. They are going back to the country, I don’t know why. I think the younges kid, Mr. Hue (pronounced like sway but with an h instead of an s) is staying, which is cool cause he cracks me up. When I can, I will load a picture of him online. He’s just the funniest kid I’ve ever seen.

That’s it for today. 7 more days.

Lessons learned
My dad is probably abusive
Shelby might be joining the party for pride weekend
Internet in Vietnam is miserably bad
Mr. Hue is the funniest kid EVER!

June 14, 2007 → Day 10 of 16
FINALLY!!! The rains came today. Not a lot but it was plenty to cool down the outsides. We’ll see how the weather is tomorrow. Dad might be staying home because he talked about taking me out on his motorbike and then told me not to tell mom. Too bad, he shouldn’t expect me to agree to that. I just told him I didn’t want to get on the motorbike and he told me he’d be back later. Both Dad and Teyun are out so I’ve been using lots of pointing to communicate with the people here. The other English speakers are on the property but I think they are in the other house. So that was fun, trying to communicate that I needed a spoon for my soup. Finally, I brought them to my soup and pointed and one of them got it. Fun.

So today’s rising time was about 8, the latest this entire trip. I credit it to the fact that I was up till like 10:45, finishing Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72. Anyway, I started reading Brave New World while waiting for the bathtub to fill up because I refuse to sit in an empty tub unless I’m fully dressed and on the phone with Sam. I know, it doesn’t make much sense but mom’s bathtub is a great place to conduct phone calls from. Don’t ask me why. Must be magic or whatever.

So after my shower/bath I ate breakfast. I don’t actually remember what I ate… I think it was corn. When I get home, I need to ingest a serious amount of soy stuff. I’ve been craving it and it’s driving me nuts. While I ate, I worried about the lack of protein in my diet which seems like a random thing to worry about and ended up being irrelevant for today anyway. So after breakfast, I went to my room and read the first hundred pages of Brave New World before going to the computer room to try and get online. I fiddled with some of the cords and voila, the computer worked! So I sent some emails, got on myspace, facebook and xanga. I felt much better. I will try to get on again tomorrow but, seeing how weird things are, I make no promises.

None of this will probably be up til the 20th because, of course, I can’t get my laptop online. It is very inconvenient. Bah. Anyway, so after I finished with the computer, I went and ate lunch (soup and sautéed tofu) and hid out in my room again and read some more. I know I’m being anti-social but there’s really nothing to do but sit somewhere cool and read. So I finished Brave New World and it started raining which was super awesome because it means the outside will cool down. Then I started Elvis, Jesus, & Coca-Cola. Good book. Very funny. Dame Margot Margot-Howard of the Mary Queen of Scots Preservation Society is great.

Teyun left around this point in time, after inviting me to join her. I didn’t feel like it and said so. Then Dad got home and I went downstairs for dinner. He asked if I wanted to join him because he was going out for drinks with someone but I said no and he left. Dinner was another kind of soup and more sautéed tofu as well as spinach with garlic. Good. Then I returned upstairs. Woo. How exciting, I know. Something interesting? For anyone who’s ever been to my house and heard the kissing noise my bird Cyrin makes, that’s exactly the same noise the lizards here make. Interesting.

Lessons learned
My birds sound like lizards
Kinky Friedman is both an awesome writer and an awesome Jew
I want to be the next Kinky Friedman. Well, a more serious version. Something like Kinky Friedman meets Haruki Murakami
iTunes is a godsend
SAM, I MISS YOU!!!

June 15, 2007 → Day 11 of 16
Today I woke up at about 7 and then laid around till 7:45, when I got out of bed and took a bath/shower. Then I went downstairs and ate breakfast with Dad. This morning’s meal consisted of cornflakes and reconstituted milk (according to dad, they don’t get milk like we do. They get milk powder milk. It’s hard to explain.). After eating, I went to the computer and got online for a bit to check my email, get on myspace, facebook, ect. Of course, right in the middle of all of this, the power goes out and I decide to head downstairs.

Dad goes to work and I talk with Teyun. I finally grab my laptop and start loading music on it. I must have added at least 20 cds, though I suspect it was more. The power came back on and I plugged in and continued loading music. I have a lot more to go though. Dad’s got a crap load of music. One of the girls, Tuee, wanted to do my nails, so I took a break from the computer and sat outside with everyone. The youngest kid, who’s name I think is Mr. Heean, is less terrified of me now. He actually blows kisses to me and waves and sort of says my name. He can’t really get the Sar part down but he’s defiantly got the rah part down pat. It’s pretty cute. I took some good pictures of him and he got his nails painted. Adorable, I know.

I returned to my computer and continued loading music. The power went out and I stayed inside. It rained really hard for a little bit and then Dad got home and it rained some more. I started reading Underground by Murakami, which is a pretty decent book. He’s a pretty decent author. Then Teyun, Tuyet, Dad and I went to dinner at a really good Italian place. As soon as we got home, I pretty much headed straight up to bed.

Tommorow I’m going shopping for gifts. So that should be fun. I have four or five days to get all that shopping done. People better like what I get them (I’m shaking my fist… Think Homer Simpson). Um, I got an email today from Sho which has given me the feeling that everything between us is good. So that’s a good sign. Pretty much, that’s it. I’m going to bed. Goodnight moon!

Lessons learned
Dad really wants me to ride his motorcycle
I love my camera
I’m going to try and find a place to submit my photos for reward
I must go gift buying
Only five days…
My dad actually likes The Ring

June 16, 2007 → Day 12 of 16
I actually did something today. Horray! This morning I woke up at 8 after a long night of no sleep. I just tossed and turned all night long. That sucked. Anyway, I got up and had noodles for breakfast and skipped the shower. Dad hung out for a bit and then rode his motorcycle to work. Shortly after, Teyun and I decided to leave to go shopping in Chaolon market. First we had to take Mr. Lan to go see Dad’s motorbike because, of course, something was wrong with it. Dad yelled a bit and in the end, we left and dropped off Mr. Lan before going to the Market. We walked around a bit and bought some random stuff. Then we went to lunch at an Italian place somewhere near Dad’s office and Dad joined us.

We all went home and hung around the house and I loaded more music on my computer. Finally, we went out to go look at the communist store and then go to dinner. I bought 4 posters and I’ll probably go back for more. Two people got gifts from that store. I also bought myself a new tripod at the front of the store. It’s not exactly what I want (it’s too short) but it’ll do for now anyway. And it’s light and comes in a bag so I can carry when I have to go somewhere with it. Then we walked to underground for dinner, which was pretty good. Dad knows the chief, a French guy that looks a little like Allen Cumming. After dinner, we walked to the corner but on the way, ran into a cute little shop. So we stopped inside and I bought a bunch more stuff. At least 5 people got their gifts there, though I need to check. Then we came home and watched 2 hours of Interview With A Vampire. Is that what it’s called? You know, the Anne Rice book, yeah? Also, I watched a little bit of Star Wars.

Anyway, tommorow we’re going to Ben Thane market for more gifts. Ooo, special. :-D So goodnight comrades, I need my beauty sleep

Lessons Learned
My dad believes in people only doing things his way
Ice water is a truly great thing
I love that my dad has so much music
Dad fears ambient
Stuff is cheap here.
Vietnam has massive bugs that land on me.. EWWW!

June 17, 2007 → Day 13 of 16
Today was another day of doing stuff. And actually useful stuff, not just wandering around and getting mismatched teasets. Anyway, I have some interesting stuff to talk about. Even stuff that technically happened yesterday but after my daily journal entry was written.

So last night, I went to bed at ten. I tried to sleep but I couldn’t. I tossed and turned and got up to look out the window but when I pulled back the curtain to look, the curtain pole fell out of its holder and on my head. Then I sat down again and was so lonely and homesick that I started crying. I heard something moving in the hall and I got up to look out. Dad was in the hall and he asked if I was alright and right away, I started crying. He came and sat in my room and we talked for a bit. He brought me some books and then told me that he’d let me sleep in. I read a bit of The Windup Bird Chronicles and then went to sleep finally.

I woke up at 10ish and rolled out of bed and went downstairs for a quick breakfast and then Dad and Teyun and I went to Ben Thane for a bit. We bought some gifts and then went to Underground for a drink. We went shopping for a bit longer and then returned home and had a late lunch and I burned more cds. Dad and I watched a few movies and We ate dinner. Teyun’s brother arrived, I said hi and then more movies. Now I’m going to bed.

Goodnight

Lessons learned
I have problems sleeping.
June 18, 2007 → Day 14 of 16
So today’s blog is being written a day late and for good reason. We didn’t get back to the house until like ten and I was really tired. Anyway, so I have a few interesting stories to tell so just bear with me. I’m still dead on my feet. It’s like a delayed jetlag. Odd, though kind of handy if you think about it. I’ll be all ready to go home.

So yesterday morning, I got up lateish, laid around and then went downstairs for breakkie. If memory serves, I did a whole lot of nothing all day long. At around four or so, I grabbed the cat and we took a nap together. The cat lay on my stomach and I snoozed. It was nice, though it made me miss my cats. Teyun called a taxi around dinner time and we went to Underground to meet Dad. He wasn’t there so we just stood outside and waited for him. Finally, he and his friend Iko got there. Iko is a tall Dutch guy. Nice guy. He went and sat at the bar and we got dinner. At the end of dinner, Iko joined us and asked where we were headed next. They decided they wanted to show me the backpacker part of town. So Teyun, Dad, Iko, and I went to the cheap part of town to a bar that dad likes called the K Bar.

It sucked. It was small, no air con and full of drunk French guys. I was uncomfortable, annoyed and tired. I finally got dad to let us leave and we walked down the street to a dvd store. I bought a crap load of dvds and then went home and I passed out upstairs. The end.

Lessons learned
Bars suck
Drunk French guys are not my idea of interesting.

June 19, 2007 → Day 15 of 16
This is also being written a day late. I was packing last night. It’s also short, I don’t have so much time here. I lay around all day, took some photos, finished copying the music and then packed when dad got home

The end.

I’m tired

Lessons learned
You can fit a surprising amount of stuff in my suitcase


Quote of the day
But Nebraska was not always a bed of roses. When the first settlers arrived, they found a harsh, unforgiving place, a vast treeless expanse of barren, drought-parched soil. And so, summoning up the dynamic pioneer spirit of hope and steely determination, they left. But a few of them remained and built sod houses, which are actually made of dirt. Think about that. You can't clean a sod house, because it would be gone. The early settlers had a hell of a time getting this through to their children. "You kids stop tracking dirt out of the house!" they'd yell.- Dave Barry