We're in the middle of a relentless heat wave here where I sweat even in air-conditioned rooms. Really. Then again, I've been in the middle of a relentless heat wave here for the past six years. No shock since I live in the tropics, where paper cuts take a month to heal and skin rashes are displayed like tattoos. Our refrigerator struggles to keep leftovers and milk cold. Our freezer needs five hours in the day to make ice; it works better at night. We don't have air conditioning in our kitchen (too expensive and the house is too big) so lunch and dinner are served in 86 to 88-degree coziness. It's 99, sunny, and humid daily with no real significant cool-down at night. I take a minimum of three showers a day. March and April have traditionally been nasty hot months here. Things may cool down to 95 or so in May or June with the approach of the rainy season, but hot is hot, folks. And the humidity is a constant. We're at 10.95 degrees latitude here so the swelter is to be expected. In other words, I only have myself to blame. However, we have a wonderful life and routine going even with the heat, motorbikes and cutting in line. Phuong's daycare business is crazy busy, relentless and wildly entertaining. Phuong is a natural with kids and with the parents. She's a -- oh God, dare I say it --- people person. Her confidence and calm demeanor seem to assure her success in whatever she pursues. (Except tennis, ha ha.) Joanna is the joy of our life. She makes jokes, speaks two languages, and confronts us at every turn. I love her temper and moxie. Also, I enjoy my English students and classes. Teaching students who want to learn -- or at least don't scowl at me for an hour -- is a real joy. I've become a prolific reader, sitting in coffee shops at least an hour a day with Jack Vance books. Now I'm reading "Little Women". Tennis with Phuong is great fun. In addition, the new Craft Beer bar around the corner serves a wonderful pale ale and tasty mango beer on tap, and also sells Westmalle Tripel and Estrella Damm in bottles. And Joanna can sit at the bar and eat snacks with us served by a cute barmaid. So, the heat and other unsavory obstacles be damned. We're doing our best to make the best of a situation that isn't optimal, but at least it has some potential. Even injuries from motorbike accidents and tennis have forced me to focus on tai chi and fitness, so it's possible to live well in a challenging environment. If not for Phuong and Joanna, I'd probably be walking the earth barefoot carrying a little pouch ... like Kwai Chang Caine.
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We're still in the process of getting Phuong an interview at the U.S. Embassy to obtain a spousal visa to enter the U.S. Like I've said, Phuong and I could live anywhere, but our goal is to get Joanna to the U.S. where I believe she'll have excellent educational and social opportunities. Like her dad, she's an American citizen. Phuong's visa status is the main stumbling block, which is why we have a lawyer. We're hopeful but certainly not in a panic mode. I expect my country will do the right thing and allow my wife to enter the U.S. with her American daughter and American husband. If not, I would like to teach in Peru again, or buy a $1 house in Italy that I read about on the CNN website.
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I saw online where a young man in Yellow Springs, Ohio, was apparently the victim of a homicide. His body was found in Glen Helen. I have a house in Yellow Springs, and this is where me, my wife and daughter will probably live if Phuong gets a visa. My condolences to the young man's friends and family, and to the friends and family of all other serious crime victims in Yellow Springs. It's a small, somewhat close-knit and fairly comfortable community, so it's difficult to imagine things like this happening there.
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