At least they’re honest about it
“$nob Coffee”
Vietnam
This is messed up
I was out and about this afternoon, looking for a place to eat lunch, and saw an interesting propaganda banner. I stopped and took a photo. However, I captured more than I expected, more than I wanted, and much more than I can understand.
Here’s the original photo:
And here’s the banner. It reads: “Live and work according to the constitution and the law.” Pretty standard, run-of-the-mill communist propaganda.
But here’s the messed up thing. Look closer at the original photo. These two guys were standing under the banner.
I seem to have captured a moment of some kind. Just what the hell is going on here, I have no idea. Your thoughts?
I know it’s probably two different things, but…
I kinda want to see what a “motorbike laundry” would be. Especially the automatic kind.
I went to necktie paradise
We spend the holiday weekend in the city of Hoi An (Há»™i An). It’s a very charming old town with amazing old architecture, and a very nice beach.
The town has a tradition of making clothes. There are a lot of tailor shops, where you can get anything made from just a photograph. My wife had a beautiful formal dress made for her. I didn’t think I needed anything, so I just watched.
Later, we were walking in the old town, when we came across a small shop that sells neckties. The person working in the shop said that it’s a family business.
I picked out five ties, including a bow tie to match my wife’s new dress, and we practiced our Vietnamese with the people in the shop. After I chose the five ties that I wanted, the shopkeepers chose a sixth one for me, asked if I liked it, and said that it was a gift for me, because I spoke Vietnamese.
So I walked out of the store with six new neckties, for a total price of US$22.
I wholeheartedly recommend this shop to everyone. I asked them for a name card, so I could spread the word, but they said they don’t have one. The store doesn’t even have a name, it’s just the front room in their house. But if you want to find it, here’s the address:
DÆ°á»ng Trần Phú 146
Tỉnh Quảng Nam
Há»™i An
Is it art?
Is it like a Jackson Pollock painting?
Or is it just part of an old and decrepit wall?
Does the truth about the nature of something negate its potential to be art?
I am an historian
The site of the current U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City was the site of the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam from 1968-1975. As a result, the site is of considerable historical significance.
I won’t go into the details, but if you’re interested, Wikipedia’s article has a pretty good summary of the events that happened on the compound.
Many of the officers that are posted here have an interest in history, so a “consulate historian” group has formed. When high-level visitors (government officials) come on an official visit, they often want a tour of the grounds, to understand how the events that happened here played out. An officer will lead a tour and explain what happened. It’s sort of like being a docent in a museum.
Shortly before coming to post, I joined the historian team. I’ve given a couple of tours so far. The group has a collection of documents and photos that we can use as visual aids when we give talks, but we also tailor our talks to the particular interests of the visitors.
Last week I gave a tour to a cabinet secretary who was visiting Vietnam on an official visit. Because the Secretary was born in Michigan, then later represented Georgia in Congress, I took the time to find both Michigan and Georgia connections to the events at the Embassy. I managed to find people from those respective states who played significant roles in the events at the Embassy.
At first, I thought I would be giving a tour to only the Secretary and his wife, but it turned out that a large group of his staff and other departmental personnel tagged along as well. There were about 20 people in the group. The Ambassador was also there, and provided some additional details as I gave my talk (he has extensive knowledge about the recent history of the Consulate, because he was here when the U.S. was re-establishing diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the late 1990s).
When I joined the Foreign Service, I didn’t picture myself giving historical tours, but it certainly fits in with our job description. Talking about the history of a U.S. Embassy is definitely one of the roles of a diplomat.
Only Chinese speakers will get this joke
Is this taxi company run by a woman?
Any port in a storm
I wish I could do this
Light Trails
I’m not a very good photographer, but I really love my iPhone camera. It’s easy to use and very forgiving of amateurs like me. With a few specialty apps, you can take some amazing photos.
Last night I went out and experimented with taking photos with light trails. These are just my first attempts. I still have to tinker with the settings, so I can get the exact effect that I want. Even though these aren’t perfect, they’re still interesting and fun.
