You know, the worst thing about being in Viet Nam by yourself is that there's nobody to quote Apocalypse Now to. So I've saved them all up for you, dear reader (s). I'll open with my favorite:

"Who's in charge here?"
"Ain't you?"

And then there's:

"Yo, Clean, you need a flare?"
"I'm good."

I feel better now, though I'mina cafe where the space bar does not work, and where the same three verses of "Hotel California" areplaying on endless repeat. Not even the whole damn song. Justthe three verses. So this will be a short post.

Arrived today in Hoi An, about 12 Km south of Danang and a few more fromthe DMZ. Hue is closer tothat, where I was yesterday. Today is Viet Nam's independence day, and they seem to celebrate by riding around endlessly on scooters. Lessee. Yeah, Train from Hanoi to Hue last night, and then a short visit in the rain via pedicab to the ancient Forbidden Purple City there, and then a bus to Hoi An.

Hoi An is a small little town frozen in time by UNESCO, but not yet as touristy as Lijiang. Lots of little cafes and pubs,markets of all kinds, and tailors, for Hoi An is known forit's cloth and clothing. I think I will have a suit made for me tomorrow. About $50 I think for wool, and they keep your measurements on file, so you can have another made in the future.

My trip has a definite end date now,as I have purchased my homecoming tickets. 14th of this month. I go first to LAX,after a day's layover in BKK. I'll visit mon pere for a bit, and then journey East. My plans after that are hazy, but they involve the following things: Dogs, family, friends, Erin, pizza, beer, and eventually, job. I also would like to learn to ride a motorcycle and to surf. Then marriage, family,and eventually death. So you see I have it all figured out. After the death thing I don't know exactly.

Here'ssome things that I'vebeen writing inmy journal. I will submit them toyou unedited:

The other: We define, make signs/symbols of people and or groups of people and assign them values opposite of our own, regardless of what they're actual values may be. Thus we don't just hate "terrorists" (whatever that word may mean (Nelson Mandela? J. Q. Adams?) but we hate everything they stand for. Why? And what about on a personal level? Do we need an opponent? What if we have none? How do we define one?

Asian communities are biological, cellular. Repetative clumpswith differing functions. Small scale organization. Order?In chaos. General flow as opposed to rigid imposed order.

Italians asked me about quality of life in Reno and thinking about it, I decided I had to answer that it was pretty good, except general lack of culture. So then is the challenge to find culture or to make it? Can it be made in thatenvironment? Can it (clients?) be brought? If not, what is most important?

OK folks. Tomorrow, lookaround the place, then My Son or...