Our neighborhood has been a little gritty lately. I woke up the other morning and Phuong's mom had poured sand across the sidewalk and street in front of our house. Apparently, there was a "domestic dispute" that got physical, with blood spilled in the street and on our sidewalk. Mom wanted to cover the blood. Why the combatants, rumored to be husband and wife, decided to bleed near our house is a mystery to me. Again, I don't understand. Honestly, I have no other details and don't really care. The White Monkey has his own problems. Later in the week, a guy on a motorbike ran into a 3-year-old girl on the street near our house, causing scrapes and scratches but no major damage. I was told the driver wasn't going very fast, and the little girl was running free in the street, until she got clocked. All is OK. A couple of days later, a guy who was rumored to have been consuming alcohol ran into a telephone-type pole in our 'hood. I was told he went to the hospital here, which I don't recommend unless you're unconscious. I've been there -- unconscious in Bien Hoa and in the hospital. Unconscious is OK but the hospital is iffy. Things have been quiet the past few days, so I'll hope for the best and expect the worst.
I have a suggestion for Vietnam in general and Bien Hoa in particular: Don't use so much plastic. All the little shops put everything in plastic bags. A pack of cigarettes. A box of cookies. Chips. Soda. Everything goes in a plastic bag. When Phuong and I take our nightly walk when I'm not teaching a late class, we see a lot of plastic bags and trash in the street. It seems unnecessary. Another suggestion: Don't let people burn their trash, especially old tires. There's nothing like riding the bike to work and going through a cloud of smoke created by burning rubber. The air in Bien Hoa is nothing to breathe heavily about even without the burning trash -- it's only slightly better than the air in Bakersfield. Recycling is slowly catching on here, but there's still a lot of work and educating to do. And the trash problem isn't just in Vietnam, by the way. It's everywhere I've been. Disappointing.
It's been nasty hot lately, which means temperatures here have been seasonal. It's in the mid-90s every day with humidity about 65 to 75 percent. I think that's why my cuts take so long to heal. I know that's why I have my souvenir (heat rash). I'm very grateful to Dr. Hyde in Yellow Springs for the prescription cream I have for the heat rash. All clear.
Phuong and I are really looking forward to our trip to Hong Kong in a few weeks. It should be fascinating and fun, and it means another stamp in Phuong's passport. Hopefully, that will make a difference when she applies again for a visa to the U.S. I have to go back home for eye work soon, and she really wants to be with me -- and meet my family and friends, see my house, and check out the vibe in Yellow Springs. We're very hopeful she gets approved this time.
When I check the numbers on my blog, I can see what countries my readers are from. I don't have a lot of readers, but the mix of countries is interesting. I was a little surprised to see readers from Kenya, Lebanon, Ukraine, Russia, Cyprus and Egypt. One week I had readers from six of the seven continents. No one in Antarctica reads my blog. I guess the folks there aren't bored enough. I get a few hits from Peru, which I still miss.
Nothing else exciting to report. Actually, none of this crap was exciting, but it's the best I could come up with. Classes are OK and Phuong and I are very, very happy with our life together. She beat me 6-3 in tennis last week and we tied 5-5 a couple of times. And I still love her.
