In case you had questions about the title, I'm actually not going to quote Yoda.  I've kind of moved past "blah" and am now somewhat "meh."  Not for anything related to the season, and not even because of work or busyness.  If anything, it's finally that time where there's both not a lot of work AND not a huge rush to do what needs to be done.  Yes, it's basically vacation-time for me. 

Do I feel BAD, per se?  No.  I ultimately realize this is the familiar sense of "I'm not doing anything.  SURELY I'm supposed to be doing . . . something . . ."  Guess I should do what I have felt so lacking over the past few months:  rest.  About time, eh? 

*****  I am in the process of developing another blog in light of  transitions that will take place in the coming months.  I will eventually stop using this website, but will let everyone know when that occurs.  If you're curious about the blog's look and nature, it's here.  It's not so much a focus on geographical locations as it is life.

Fellow graduate school student, Jen, e-mailed me this.  What's the world coming to when the South's favorite confection becomes a weapon of miniscule destruction?   

Link to Homeless man allegedly attacks man with Moon Pies - Boston.com

I realize I've been pretty away for at least ten days now, so I probably should post something.  I was out of town from April 30 to May 4, and have been really busy this week wrapping up an assignment for graduate school I'll turn in Saturday.  On top of that, I have to make up a class Thursday morning at 7:30.  All that to say, there's been much going on, but little time to share.  However, I wanted to post some pictures from my trip to a students home town from last week.  After this week, life will hopefully be more relaxed, and I'll be able to feel more "a part" of ordinary life experiences. 

And no, that doesn't mean I'm finally getting over some Mexican food.  I've just felt a little ragged lately, being fairly tired and even a little out-of-sorts.  I have an utterly-full week of class next week, and then almost a week without classes the following week (there's rarely been any vacations mid-semester here) . . . but that is a way away's.  So, I'm feeling a need . . . for nothing.  Yes, sounds nice, but not yet. 

Until then, I'm hearing some guy from what the people here call "a concert" at the athletic field, doing something which in some places might resemble singing, but, to me, sounds like he's dry-heaving and/or struggling with constipation.  I think I've established in my heart that any concerts without an accompanying band, or even the least little bit of musicians, is merely glorified karaoke. 

Now that my first week of graduate school classes and there's a brief bit of respite, there's been some times to reflect on things since I've been in Chiang Mai.  Probably the most full-fledged of an experience is readjusting to open-ended, understood communication without much control of what of the the direction the conversation takes.  The first couple of days back were literally me fumbling through a few conversations points, like I actually needed to warm up some unseen conversational muscles.  I still had conversations with others in Viet Nam, but it seemed predominantly in a controlled environment.  Some of that was due to language proficiency, others just the state I was in.  Here, being readily around people where the conversation could go wherever, I revisit what I've forgotten of hearing something new. 

I think sometimes the environment I'm in gets a little predictable when I treat people on en par with how much I can communicate with them, not how people are unpredictable.  We live and interact according to patterns then.  At least, I'd found that to be something that has gotten in the way of how I could see interact.  Does life get a little formulaic?  Yeah, it can.  Do some relationships take on a particular expression?  Yeah, not all relationships are the same.  I guess the challenge arises to continue to uphold the dignity of "the other," and remaining open to those unpredictable people in my life that can be used to challenge a life into fullness. 

It's curious the kind of things you can fall out of custom with doing. 

I just barely skimmed through my recent entries and realize that, definitely before then, my up-beat, jovial, good-natured anecdotal writing thingamajiggies have been a bit scarce.  I've been a little too much in my own head lately.  Sorry about that!  Such is something I finally realized, and don't want life here to always feel so heady. 

I've been getting strangely nostalgic recently.  Not for anything major, but I've actually been remembering the rock concert I'd gone to on July 18th in Charlotte to see the band Rush.  It was in a context of my friends in the Charlotte area being very patient with me, knowing that was an event that also brought me to the area (as well as visiting them), and was an event I never got to look back.  Since I've been back in Ha Noi and have listened to a website by the band with a radio feature, I've gotten to look back on that concert and think, "Wow, that was actually a really good concert.  They played a lot of really good songs."  And it was. 

Okay, thanks for letting a guy get nostalgic! 

When facing your time in the land of Limbo, a veritable Purgatory for those waiting for something constructive and fulfilling to do while awaiting employment, your evening in Viet Nam might revolve around these events: 

• Sit in a room and sweat
• Get up and turn on the A/C or fan or continue to sweat
• Read a book under the lamp light
• Set down your book as the power goes out and you have no light
• Stare into the night waiting for the power to come back on
• Get a song like "She's Like the Wind" stuck in your head and bemoan Dirty Dancing
• Rejoice once the power comes back on
• Pout when it goes back off
• Get up to grab a candle, but then the light comes back on
• Consider doing graduate school work
• Sit down and write a blog entry called "The Art of Thumb Twiddlry" instead

Now, to be true, those events haven't happened yet, but, hey, this is Viet Nam:  the night's still young. 

I don't really intend to go anywhere with this, but when did it happen that most "successful" Hollywood movies could only cost between $100-200 million, if not over that?  I realize a willing population to go see those type of films is definitely a factor, but . . . it doesn't make much sense to me.  Largely the reason why I removed the Pirates 4 thing (unless it mysteriously reappears against my will).  I know it's CGI and sets and all, but . . . the stories?  I'm not really looking for a list, but am just surprised by how things progress with Hollywood. 

24 cannons belonging to kings in the Nguyen dynasty were found in Gia Huynh stream, Duc Linh district, in the southern province of Binh Thuan, by crap-iron men, said Nguyen Thanh Hung, chairman of People’s Committee of Duc Linh district.

Now, the mystery to me is translation-wise.  I'm willing to submit five plausible explanations to this because my attempts at finding clarification are fuzzy at best from available Vietnamese sources.  The first is most plausible, while the rest are simply hypotheses:

1. The men are actually scavengers of unwanted, refuse, unused, "crap" iron. 
   
2. The journalist is sympathizing with the men because the men are anemic, so their iron is, well, crap. 
   
3. The men themselves are composed of crap-iron ore, on their way to becoming like the following possibility. 
   
4. It is a translation issue because it was actually the superhero Iron Man, Colossus when he used his steel-armor superpower, the Silver Surfer in promotion of the new Fantastic Four movie, or the journalist couldn't remember Superman's name, so tried getting away with his other title of "The Man of Steel."  Either way, one of them was returning it to the Vietnamese people out of an interest in preserving Vietnamese heritage. 
   
5. The men have an unfortunate--not to mention uncomfortable--digestive condition in which everything they eat comes out as, well, you know. 
   

• "Red" means "go." 
• "Yellow means "go." 
• "Green" means "yield." 
• Straight has right-of-way. 
• Right-turn has right-of-way.
• Left-turn has right-of-way. 
• Buses always have right-of-way. 
• Pedestrians have right-of-way when they show you their palm. 
• Signs are optional. 
• Traffic lines are optional. 
• Driver's licenses are optional. 
• Wearing safety helmets are optional (except on the highway . . . *cough*). 
• Turning signals are optional. 
• Breaks are optional. 
• Turning your head is optional. 
• Using your horn is required. 
• The sidewalk is an extension of the road. 
• The parking lot is also known as "the sidewalk." 
• Fruit sellers are not supposed to work on the sidewalk. 
• Fruit sellers sell their fruit along the curb. 
• The curb is not known as "the sidewalk." 
• Cars are actually big motorbikes. 
• Trucks are actually big motorbikes. 
• Buses are actually big motorbikes. 
• Wearing a cloth mask around your mouth protects you. 

• "Caution:  Known to result in a poor spirit." 
• "When you feel sad, let our chocolate comfort you." 
• "One of our chocolates will make you perfectly content." 
• "You'll be so satisfied with our chocolates you won't hunger or thirst for anything else--guaranteed!" 
• "If you do hunger or thirst for something else, you shall receive mercy, and your money back."  [I wonder if this promise won't result in corporate bankruptcy.]
• "So good for the heart that you'll see heaven."  [With the primary ingredients being sugar and fat, I wouldn't be surprised by this.]
• "At odds with your boss?  Difficult relationship with your spouse?  Kids not listening to a word you say?  Be a peacemaker--buy them Beatitude chocolate." 
• "We're so convinced we're right that you'll like our chocolates that, if you don't, we'll send you to heaven for free." 
• "Even if no one speaks well of you, there's still Beatitude chocolates." 

What I find interesting is what's on the back:  "Best before end" and "Keep cool and dry."  Good things to keep in mind before the Armageddon, I'm sure. 

I have some Tet pictures up in the file area.  If possible, let me know your thoughts.  Also, at the top, if you want to receive e-mail updates, you can do that.  All you need is a Hotmail account, and I believe you should be able to work it out to have it sent to that or a different e-mail address.