School says no more; 'tough guys'; holiday cheer

My wife made arrangements with a local school a couple of weeks ago to have our daughter attend afternoon sessions only. The school is part of a farm and has some caged animals and fish ponds for the kids to see. The afternoon sessions consisted of the kids basically hanging around and since they had already seen the two caged iguanas, caged turtle, hamsters, and rabbit, not much happened after 2 p.m. Joanna, however, was fascinated by the animals, especially the fish in the ponds. Joanna, being who she is, tested the limits, trying to touch the caged animals, and grab fish. She's watched a few too many Blippi and wildlife videos on YouTube. I talked to her about the danger of handling iguanas, and she seemed to get it. But apparently, Joanna got on someone's nerves, either the teacher's or director's, and she was told not to come back to the school. The teacher and director blamed each other for the decision, and we were told there wasn't enough staff to ensure her safety. Could be the case.  Joanna is very high energy and the other kids seem a little more passive. My wife Phuong was quite surprised and a little upset at the decision, and the way it was delivered. I shrugged it off. I've worked with Joanna five days a week for the past seven weeks and I've seen her reading and comprehension dramatically improve.  Her listening skills also have improved, and she follows direction much better. I remind myself that she's had to deal with a foreign language spoken in sharp tones, and she's been taught in a system of education that seems to focus on  uniformity, conformity, discipline and repetition. Not her style. She's bright and will figure things out over time. In defense of anyone trying to supervise Joanna, however, she's remarkably strong-willed, stubborn and focused, and can be quite the handful. These days she insists on walking to Lido coffee shop. The whole trip is at least a couple of miles, and it's hot, dirty, and mildly dangerous, of course. At Lido, Joanna discovered a fern that folds up and "wilts" when you touch it -- the Mimosa pudica or touch-me-not plant or shame plant. She loves the fish they keep there, and she spotted tadpoles in a planter bowl and a grasshopper on the grass and another one in the mimosa pudica. It's a long day when we have school in the morning and walk to Lido in the afternoon. It's almost becoming a routine.
* * *
Poor Joanna can't get a break sometimes, especially with other kids. We were walking to the little market near our house when a boy about 6 or 7 years old approached her in the street and stuck his middle finger in her face. Joanna was skipping in new shoes and the boy stopped her progress with his finger. He said something to her and walked away laughing. I asked the boy to stop and tell me what's up, and he laughed at me and walked away. I grabbed his hand and asked what finger he used and he started crying. His mother, or maybe she was  someone in his tribe, came running up and pulled him away. And guess what ... she was laughing, too. Another woman in the tribe sitting in front of their house apologized, and I told her in Vietnamese that Joanna is my little girl and that's not acceptable. The finger boy has said hello to us in the past as we walked up the street, but he was getting a little chestier and sillier each time. Apparently, something like this was bound to happen. Earlier in the week, Joanna and I were crossing a small side street when a "Grab" guy (Grab is a driver service here) on a motorbike came ripping around the corner. I put up my staff and pulled Joanna aside expecting to get hit. The guy stopped in time, then did the stare and glare routine as he rode by real slow. Then he stopped about 15 feet away to look back and stare and glare some more. I asked him why he was stopping to stare and glare if he was in such a hurry in the first place. He turned his bike around like he wanted a real confrontation. The last time this happened to me, a guy threw something at me and rode away like a rocket. The second guy just eventually rode away, looking back as if to say I was lucky this time. The real deal is that most of the people here are bright, nice and gentle. But the minority of morons really stands out sometimes. Folks in the U.S. know what I'm talking about.
• • •
Christmas remains wonderfully low-keyed here. Even though COVID is almost a non-factor in Vietnam, no one discusses presents and sales and all the other things associated with the Christmas holiday season in the U.S.  Some of that comes with Tet Holiday here, but not as much as in the U.S. with any holiday, really. Chalk it up to media and capitalism, I guess. Regardless, I wanted to sincerely wish all a wonderful holiday. It's been a tough year on many levels and everybody needs a shot in the arm, so to be speak. Now is the time to look back and learn from the past, but not dwell on it. The present and future offer hope and promise. That's worth celebrating.

Crawl space; eye issues; sidewalk bump

Hours after my last post about my son's unique backwards crawling style, Elijah broke into a standard forward crawl ... and has been doing so ever since. Like his sister -- and all kids -- he crawls past his toys and goes straight for the computer wires, electrical outlets, cell phones on the couch and whatever else that is dangerous and supposedly off-limits. He's on his second go-around with teething; he's about to add two more bottom teeth. He's handling this discomfort very well, perhaps because he's been down this path before. He's a good, strong boy, but he objected to his vaccination shots. Joanna had to have two shots also and did very well. She sat on my lap and I told her to close her eyes and count to 10. The shots came at "3" and "6" and she didn't cry, but asked me to "kiss it better."  She continues to thrive since she left school here and paid me the ultimate compliment, saying "daddy's school is cool." I hope "cool" isn't kid talk for something other than what I think it is. We still have a few differences of opinion, but I pretty much give her free rein with any school stuff, meaning she reads and writes when she feels like it. She's doing well.
• • •
I had some uncomfortable aching in both eyes after a doctor at the local hospital changed my eye drops for glaucoma. My pressure dropped so low from the new drops that he took me off all drops. At least that's what I was told. To make a long and boring story short (and also boring), I went to the American Eye Center in Ho Chi Minh City. My doctor was Scottish and pointed to a wee bit of difficulty in regard to getting my old medicine in Vietnam. I went back to drops that I was on about 10 years ago in the U.S. They stopped being effective because I built up an immunity to them, according to my doctor in Ohio. Anyway, the old drops seem to be OK for now and the aching has subsided due to medicine prescribed by the new doctor. I'm getting new glasses there as well since my kids and I have scratched the daylights out of the three pairs I have now. By the way, the American Eye Center charges American prices, but I'll pay whatever for eyesight. The center is located in District 7, which is a very nice district in Ho Chi Minh City. You can smell the money and it has a nice aroma. On the way home in my taxi I saw a woman laid out on the highway from an accident. Her motorbike was obliterated; there were lots and lots of pieces of it all over the road. I went a long time without seeing any accidents, but I've seen three in the past month or so, two of them pretty serious.
• • •
A girl riding her motorbike on the sidewalk hit Joanna while while we were walking.  But the impact was light because the girl wasn't going very fast. Joanna was shocked more than anything else. I saw Joanna was fine, so I regained my composure right away and asked the girl why she was riding her bike on the sidewalk when the street is right next door. The girl launched into a barrage of "sorry's" and that was the end of it. The motorbikes and cars with their total disregard for pedestrians no matter where they are remain the biggest downer of living here. More and better shops and restaurants are opening, so the quality of life is slowly improving. If it weren't for some of the  damn drivers who think they can go anywhere at any rate of speed ....
• • •
Face masks are more in vogue here, which is kind of nice. I forget mine more than I should because instances and reports of Covid-19 are so minimal. I put up a hook on the door to hang my face mask. I still forget.  I'm writing this to help me remember to wear the mask. Hope it works. The mask also helps my skin handle the heat and dirty air better even if my scratched and battered glasses fog up.  I see what's happening in the U.S. with Covid and of course it's upsetting and disturbing, especially since we're making tentative plans to go to the U.S. for Joanna's schooling. Joanna really wants to go to Yellow Springs and attend school there. Elijah is happy no matter where he is, as long as he gets access to computer wires, electrical outlets, cell phones on the couch and whatever else that is dangerous and supposedly off-limits.
• • •
I've gone a year now without a drop of alcohol, except perhaps in some cough medicine that I'm not aware of. My mouthwash has a little alcohol in it but I don't drink it. I've read 359 days in a row, according to my Kindle. I haven't had a cigarette in more than 4 years and 8 months, according to my lungs. Yep, I'm a real live wire these days.

My son's 'mooncrawl'; food for thought; wonderful gift

 My son Elijah is now crawling, but he usually goes backwards. He does a unique version of Michael Jackson's moonwalk -- on all fours. Most of the time Elijah's belly is on the ground. Sometimes, he'll lift his knees, and prop himself up with his hands and feet like he's trying to stand, then he'll drop back down to all fours and crawl backwards. Actually, I saw him go forward a couple of times to crawl two "steps", but that's it. He may be crawling forward more, but I'm pretty absorbed with Joanna and her homeschooling. My son has one of those walkers with wheels, and without question, he's heck on wheels. He'll go forward, backward and deftly navigate though tight spaces. All at a high rate of speed.  The walker is tough on feet and ankles -- ours, not his -- if you're not paying attention, and he's started chasing after Joanna, who subtly reaches out and freezes the walker.  Elijah is quite large by local standards and has an amazing appetite for a 6-and-1/2-month-old.  He eats everything we eat except stuff like cheese and honey. He had three asparagus stalks the other day with some potatoes and chicken. And while he's generally easygoing, he loses his cool when the food is slow in coming. I don't want him to have weight issues like his dad, but he seems fine so far. Just big. He's a real joy with a charming smile. 
• • •
While on the topic of food, I'll note that Joanna's appetite has really improved since she left school. I handle all the cooking at home these days, and Joanna has taken a shine to my menu. It's meat, potatoes and vegetables, with the "meat" being salmon, chicken, chopped steak, sausages,  and pork. The potatoes will be microwave baked and sometimes mashed, but mashed is a workout here in the heat. Vegetables are usually zucchini, green beans or asparagus. My "school" day with Joanna always includes a long walk and park time, so her appetite has improved accordingly. As her teacher, I've learned that Joanna needs constant positive reinforcement -- she'll read extremely well and sound out difficult words if I can deliver chocolate or a trip to a nearby fish store or a video. She seems to have inherited some of my obsessiveness and all of my stubbornness, so I have to be careful about how much video time (and chocolate) she gets, and how I react when she flips out when the computer is shut down. I've gotten pretty good at redirecting her attention with other tasks and general silliness. But she'll sneak onto YouTube and watch some borderline animal videos with borderline language from time to time. However, Sesame Street remains one of her go-to favorites. She also likes Scratch Garden, which is OK. Her temper and strong will can be quite challenging, and oddly endearing. She knows what she likes and wants, and voices her views in no uncertain terms. She's becoming more proud of her dot to dot and coloring efforts on the wall of fame. She'll color "rainbow" rhinos, armadillos, whales and snails.
• • •
Our long walks have taken Joanna and me to a new coffee shop called Yorokobi. We'll still visit the Coffee House, which has the nicest staff on the planet. But Yorokobi has top-notch cheesecake and cupcakes.  The cappuccinos and staff are more than adequate, and since it's new, the clientele is low-keyed. The Coffee House attracts some customers who bring their computers to use the free internet and perhaps think they're a little high-brow, and they don't always seem enamored with Joanna's outgoing personality. I've seen enough eye rolling and cold stares at Joanna's (hyper)activity from some of the customers to know that it's time to scale back on our appearances there. Don't get me wrong. Most people are very friendly to Joanna, but change is good sometimes. Anyway, on our way back home from Yorokobi we pass a little fish store with an impressive collection of exotic fish. Joanna insists we go in and she goes absolutely bonkers if I don't stop there. I stop there. The staff has taken a shine to Joanna, who runs around the little store pointing at the fish yelling "look at that one, look at that, he's trapped, sorry eel."  She can name some, like the catfish and eels. The other day, one of the owners gave Joanna a fish -- which we later named Goldie after Elmo's goldfish on Elmo's World -- and a bowl with a cool blue light attached, as well as food for the fish. He wouldn't take any money from me. A generous, kind and wonderful gesture, indeed. Vietnam is like that ... one moment a motorbike will nearly run you down on the sidewalk, and the next moment you'll be overwhelmed by an act of kindness. 

Congrats to Joe Biden; homeschooling my daughter

 My wife was so happy when CNN called the election for Joe Biden that she left me a note on the dining room table congratulating Biden -- and me.  (The only thing I did was vote for President-elect Biden in a state that went to the loser of the election.) She was literally bouncing around the house. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I woke up at 3 a.m. and happened to see the news alert on the internet. Our family is very pleased with the result because it means we have the opportunity to come to the United States although we remain concerned about a surging pandemic that the current president has chosen to diminish and ultimately ignore. The silence of many who didn't congratulate the winner  speaks volumes about the divisions and difficulties President-elect Biden will face when he takes office. And the current president's lack of cooperation to assist President-elect Biden with the transition is consistent with the outgoing president's performance the past four years. When you consider the current secretary of state, attorney general and president, there's a real three stooges aspect to the current leadership --- sorry, no offense intended Curly, Larry and Moe, because, unlike you guys, the stooges leading the U.S. can be mean-spirited at times. While elated with the result and the fact that President-elect Biden got more than 75 million votes, I'm concerned that more than 70 million voted for the loser, who still refuses to admit he got whupped. Sometimes, losers don't like to admit they've lost. If the new vaccine is as good as advertised and President-elect Biden can get Covid under control, we're optimistic for a 2021 move to the U.S. It's essential for our daughter's education (see next item).
Oh, congratulations, President-elect Biden.
• • •
I'm homeschooling my daughter Joanna after her difficult stint at a local school. We start between 8 and 8:30 a.m. with some dancing and videos. Then we move on to dot-to-dot with numbers and letters, which she'll color with crayons. A good effort gets the picture on the wall of fame (actually, a window). There's seven pictures on the wall already -- two dinosaurs, an armadillo, a frog, turtle, whale and fire truck. We've only had eight sessions so she's doing great. She'll write letters and numbers, which isn't her favorite. Then we'll work on reading. I'll read to her and she'll read to me. She loves this and can read the basic stuff quite well. I'm so proud of how she tries to sound out words she doesn't remember. The first couple of days she'd just memorize the passage -- she's got a gift for memorizing -- but now she's actually reading the words. Her behavior and attitude have improved so much the past two weeks. I'm light on discipline and don't require her to take a nap, and she's blossomed. After lunch we'll head out, shopping for dad or going for a coffee or whatever. Along the way we snap photos of critters and I answer a constant barrage of questions from an inquisitive 4-year-old. The walk can get quite long so we're both tired at the end of the day. Our "school" day can wrap up around 2:30 or 3 p.m. or even 4, but really it's about 6 hours total including lunch and goof off time. The issue for me is that Joanna doesn't seem to need sleep, but I  do. I still prefer this to the 9 hours-plus she spent at her previous school and I know she prefers it too, and that's what's important.

• • •
My wife is focused on our 6-month-old, Elijah, who is determined to crawl perfectly.  He'll get up on all fours and gingerly bring a knee forward. Then he'll flop. He's so close to an all-out crawl. He's a huge guy, which is no shock since he loves big people food, especially salmon and potatoes.
• • •
The weather remains acceptable .... highs in the upper 80s with high humidity. Cloudy. On the minus side our air quality is unacceptable -- a rating of 4 or 5 daily with 5 being the worst ... other than red alert. The impact on my skin is noticeable, but that matters little at my age although Joanna always wants to know: What happened to daddy's face? Kids don't care too much about that stuff anyway. And that's a good thing.

Cloudy with chance of ... sidewalks, insects, ready to crawl

 We continue to get rain, although it slacked off a little in the past week. For us it means more clouds and slightly cooler weather. When there's no sun, we have no hot water since we have only solar-heated water. Showering isn't such a problem except when you don't feel well -- a hot shower is really nice when you're about to get sick. The problem is,  illnesses often occur when it rains a lot and the weather is slightly cooler. Lots of people are not well in our area at the moment, myself included, but I don't think it's Covid. Certainly hope not. There's coughing, but not dry coughing. No fevers that I know of.  Anyway, dishes are the big hot water issue at the moment for me. I'm lazy and really don't want to  boil water for dishes after cooking, but the extra effort removes the cooking oil, grease and butter from dishes, pans and metal chopsticks. (I wonder if there's a way we could inject boiling water and dish soap into our bodies to remove the unhealthy stuff that clogs our veins and arteries. We should look into that.)
 • • •
 We're doing our best to be ecologically responsible, such as using metal chopsticks and re-useable cloth grocery bags, and recycling plastic bottles, We've been recycling cardboard as well as plastic, which means giving all the items to a lady on a bicycle who comes by our house once or twice a week. I also walk everywhere, but that's more a function of safety than anything else. But it's not really that safe to walk since motorbikes and now cars ride on sidewalks, and motorbikes and cars always cut turns so they're driving into oncoming traffic. This means that when you cross the street in a striped zone and look to make sure oncoming traffic doesn't speed up to hit or threaten you, a car or bike will rip around a corner and possibly hit your blindside because it's shortcutting across the wrong lane on a turn. Happens all the time. I've been hit twice -- not hard -- in the past two months by this illegal but routine motorist technique. Then the motorists will glare at you when they're wrong because you made them either slow down or swerve to avoid having an accident, thereby damaging their bikes. The motorbike issue also exists in the park, which I thought was for pedestrians. I don't care when I'm alone because I use a walking stick due to back and safety issues, but I worry about my daughter Joanna, who wrongly assumes people will do the right thing and slow down when they see pedestrians. 
• • • 
The bikes and cars on the sidewalk were especially worrisome for me when I picked up our daughter Joanna from school  every day. She would come bounding out of school and face danger from bikes riding right up to the school stairs, and from cars riding down the sidewalk. The bikes and cars aggressively honked their horns at us (often from behind) as we walked home on the sidewalk. That particular issue is moot now. I took Joanna out of the school. I won't address the reasons. For now, I'm providing instruction. When I can get her off video, she shows real signs of being able to read. She knows lots of sight words (am, are, see, I, my, etc.). I've found some wonderful sites online where you can download books, and I resumed paying crazy prices to get books shipped here from the U.S. to Vietnam. We're taking photos of snails, red ants, stink bugs, lizards, spiders and butterflies on our walks. She's got a remarkable eye for spotting little critters.
• • •
Our son Elijah is extremely close to crawling, getting up on his haunches and rocking back and forth. He's got two bottom teeth, produced with much anguish. He's also learned to lead with his left, knocking off my glasses twice and popping out lenses both times. Fun guy!
• • •
Hope all U.S. citizens vote on Tuesday if you haven't voted already. We have CNN on every waking hour, even if we're not home or in the room ... hate waiting for the TV to "warm up." The results of this election could have a real impact on our family. 

Voting from Vietnam; ballot sent by Fed-Ex; masks and rain

 I sent in my absentee ballot Tuesday, Oct. 13,  by Fed-Ex to the Greene County Board of Elections. In other words, I voted. Some on the side I voted against might say I was playing with fire, but I didn't have a real choice in the matter. I didn't have to wait in a horrendous line to vote, but it cost me about $50 to mail in the ballot from Vietnam to Ohio, a price I'll  gladly pay to vote for a change that is so desperately needed in the United States. There were some minor issues along the way, but like I've said before, the lady I've worked with at the Greene County Board of Elections is fantastic. Hopefully, my ballot arrives and the paperwork is in order and most importantly, my vote counts.  I'm a little worried this election could drag on and end up being decided by the Supreme Court. But I have no understanding of presidential or executive law, obviously, so we'll just see what happens. Actually, I wanted to come to the U.S. to vote, renew my driver's license and get my eyes checked. But with Covid, I would have real difficulties getting back into Vietnam to be with my wife and two children. And the situation in the U.S. is far from optimal when it comes to fighting Covid. Some folks don't wear masks, like the President of the United States, for example.  Social distancing is a sometimes occurrence. I'm embarrassed to say I was almost starting to feel sorry for the president when he got coronavirus. But the man lacks any humility regarding the virus now that he has "immunity" and he most definitely shows no empathy for the more than 215,000 Americans who have died from the virus. The president was dancing to "YMCA" at one of his rallies, and CNN's Don Lemon said after airing the dancing video that the president was dancing on the graves of 215,000 dead Americans. 

• • •

The virus is almost an afterthought here in Bien Hoa, -- out of sight, out of mind, I guess --  and the cases in Da Nang appear to have been contained. Nonetheless, most people still wear masks, myself included. Sometimes I'll forget, but many coffee shops and other businesses have extra masks for those in need. I will say this: If a case is diagnosed, the affected go into quarantine immediately for 14 days and the contact tracing is thorough and extensive. I grimace when I hear people in the U.S. resisting masks, social distancing, quarantines and lockdowns. I recently heard a doctor on CNN say that even in the Middle Ages people had quarantines.

• • •

We're in the midst of an intense rainy season bolstered by an ongoing series of typhoons moving west from the Pacific Ocean. Central Vietnam has been especially hit hard with flooding and dozens of deaths reported. We've had daily rain, which is a little unusual in October, but the temperatures have been down due to overcast skies, even if the humidity has been up. With all the traffic and industry here, the air seems even worse and masks may be beneficial, virus or no virus.

• • •

Digger World is in full force here, with drilling and pounding at the hotel behind us. It looks like they're gutting the building. And the guy across the street pounds metal much of the day since he had to quit working for health reasons. That's what they do in digger world. Build things up and knock 'em down, and pound metal. I'm on the go so much with our kids Joanna and Elijah that the noise isn't a huge issue. The guy across the street is a nice man, and told us he does the work because he's bored. No worries.

• • •

Joanna keeps a running tally of the snails, butterflies, bees, lizards, and centipedes that we see on the walk to school each day. The 7-minute trip to school has become a 20-minute nature walk. Love it.  Elijah rolled from belly to back for the first time on Wednesday, and he's starting to flirt with crawling, getting a knee up to test his limits. He's not left-handed like Joanna, but he delivers a mean right hand ... still. He knocked off my glasses again, popping out one of the lenses. He smiled afterwards. Even when teething, he smiles.  He's a happy guy, and that makes us happy.

No news seems like good news these days

 I met an American teacher in a coffee shop this past week, and our conversation turned to politics, coronavirus, and turmoil in the United States. We agreed the news has been a bummer lately. Everyone knows the score: a president who won't commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses; unfounded accusations of mail-in voting fraud; a Supreme Court about to become a bastion of conservatism for the next 30 years or so; the downplaying of the coronavirus despite the death of more than 200,000 Americans; the refusal of many Americans to wear a face mask despite those deaths; tensions with China; climate change rejection; blah, blah, blah.  It's outrageous and serious stuff, but one of those weird coincidences occurred when we both said almost at the same time we've taken a couple of days off from watching the news just to clear our heads. For someone like me -- with addiction issues and OCD tendencies -- it might be just what the doctor ordered, so to speak. The same day I talked to the teacher my absentee ballot arrived by email from the Greene County Board of Elections. The lady I've worked with there to get my ballot has been professional and courteous. Well, as I looked over the ballot, I felt for that moment that maybe I could have a small impact. I sure hope so because we need a change. We didn't even talk about the president's taxes, since that story broke a couple of days later.

• • •

Our son Elijah has developed a short, snapping, left hook to go with his overhand right. My glasses have been knocked off my face several times and he nearly knocked a cup of hot coffee out of my hand. He'll roll back to front but still doesn't go front to back. As noted before, he hates being on his back and we block his turnovers when he sleeps with pillows and a stuffed shark and alligator. Or maybe it's a crocodile. Regardless, he'll force the issue and work his way to his belly. Of course, we worry. We worry about everything (remember my OCD tendencies.). It's no different with Joanna. Kids give you plenty to fret about.

• • •

My luck continues with lottery tickets. I hit another ticket (for chump change) this week, ticking off my wife. But four tickets of chump change is worth about $30 U.S., which is, well ... still chump change. I believe my ship will come in one day -- the Titanic.

• • •

In "Digger World" on the clever children's cartoon Peppa Pig, there are two characters – Mr. Potato and Mr. Bull – who readily recite the mantra of the true digger: "Building things up and knocking them down ... it's all part of the fun in Digger World."  I always think of Digger World when I walk in Bien Hoa. A building goes up for a fancy restaurant, the restaurant fails and three months later, the building is completely torn down and a new building almost always goes up in its place. The noise and construction dust this cycle of construction creates is staggering. I mention this because the hotel/motel behind us is being knocked down, creating noise and dust pollution beyond our wildest nightmares, but I guess it's all part of the fun of living in Digger World. The "diggers" here are under contract so work will start 6:15 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday, whenever, and continue until dark or a little beyond.

• • •

Our son Elijah got his passport, so if we send all of our passports to the embassy we should be able to get our visas to come to the U.S. We'll wait  until after the election to decide what to do.

Missions accomplished: Hospital, embassy trips successful

We made a trip to the International Hospital in Bien Hoa last week, and the results were more than satisfactory.  I'm still a decaying old man, unfortunately, but the hospital staff took care of my needs politely, efficiently, and effectively. I got an eye exam, drops for my glaucoma and a cyst removed from my back ... all in less than three hours and for an extremely reasonable $129, including post treatment meds. I've had unusual experiences at this hospital in the past -- a staffer wondered aloud if I had cancer for what turned out to be gall stones, a doctor asked me if the nurse treating me was pretty, and my wife Phuong was incorrectly diagnosed with rubella when she was pregnant with Joanna. But all is well now after last week's visit. Health care here is dealt with on the spot, from what I can gather. If the expense is going to be significant, like with Phuong's pregnancies and C-sections, insurance is purchased before the expensive treatments begin. At least that's my interpretation of events. The Vietnamese language remains out of reach for me even after nearly eight years here, so it's difficult for me to get a thorough and accurate account of things. I do know that my hospital trip went smoothly because my wife was with me to interpret and guide me through the process. I've begun looking into purchasing U.S. health care for my wife and two children. We must be covered when we arrive in the U.S., or maybe we have a small window of time. That's why I'm looking into it.
• • •

Our trip to the embassy for our son Elijah's passport application was smooth but pretty long -- nearly three hours. The embassy employee clearly appreciated our preparation, but there's a daunting amount of paperwork. Anyway, once the little guy's passport arrives, we'll surrender all of our passports to the embassy where they will be stamped for travel to the U.S. ... and off we go. Maybe. We'll make a firm decision after the election. We don't want to enter chaos, especially with two little ones. Also, we're not sure what the school situation will be like when we arrive. Of course we'll check all this stuff out, but there's a lot to check out. I enjoy going to the embassy in Ho Chi Minh City because we stop at the Coffee Bean, which sells bagels and cream  cheese, which I haven't found in Bien Hoa. Just as well, I guess, since I'm overweight due to lack of sleep and lack of exercise ... but not a lack of eating. I do most of the cooking while Phuong takes care of Elijah and I've become enamored with butter. Buttered toast, butter on potatoes, butter instead of cooking oil and buttered popcorn. I couldn't find butter here the first three or four years, but now there's imported New Zealand butter. I'm making up for lost time. I always load up on stuff like peanut butter, cheese, butter and yogurt when we go to the big supermarket since it's a bit of a hassle to go across town in a taxi. Cheese and peanut butter are not popular here, but readily accessible, which only adds to my girth. 

• • •

I was sitting on our third floor balcony reading (281 straight days of reading, according to Kindle) when the legs of my chair "exploded" ... KABOOM!.  I was on the ground before I had any idea what had happened and my left hip and elbow were in serious pain. I know I'm a fat ass, but I've sat in this chair for years. There were no sounds of splitting or breaking, just KABOOM. I was stunned, and looked up and saw my wife and daughter Joanna. They rushed upstairs when they heard the loud KABOOM and Joanna asked: "What happened?" Good question. My theory is that the chair went inside to an air conditioned room for the first time in a long time that week, then came outside in the grueling heat, expanded and KABOOM. Like a potato in the microwave that isn't punctured. Joanna said "Poor daddy" and went back to bed. I put ice on my hip, which was previously damaged in one of my motorbike accidents. Next day: more ice and walking and it's much, much better. I won't say I was lucky ... I'll say I was fortunate. I will say I was lucky when I bought two winning lottery tickets last week -- $5 and $10 payoffs for $2 investment.

• • •

CNN remains our viewing staple and the network's perspective certainly paints a bleak picture of events in the U.S. The coronavirus pandemic is still raging, wildfires are still raging in the Western U.S., the president is  always raging, and people in the streets are raging over inequality. My wife and I discuss the day's news in bed each night between Elijah feedings. I consider these dark times but my wife always sees a silver lining. She truly is amazing. I've seen dark clouds in silver linings my entire life, and that's been a problem for me. Living with Phuong creates such a positive atmosphere. And that's what's really needed right now. 

Key rollover; Delaware ties; progress; aging wastes time

I was fortunate enough last week to be lying next to my son Elijah when he rolled from his back to his belly for the first time. He was 3 and a half months old. He elevated his left arm and twisted his hips simultaneously to make the maneuver happen. He rolled from his belly to back a while ago after I placed him on his belly, but maybe that was just luck. He's only done it a few times since. Maybe he doesn't need to -- he prefers being on his stomach and would sleep that way if we let him. We don't. My wife took him to a baby spa this week, and he spent time in a jacuzzi, was stretched, and got an oil rubdown from a young staffer. Our neighbor jokingly tried to persuade me to get the same treatment, but I correctly pointed out that my weight was too much for the massage table.
• • •
With coronavirus, stifling heat and monsoon season strongly influencing our lives here, watching U.S. politics and news on TV has become our No. 1 prime-time and morning activity. I'm a lifelong Democrat born into a family of Democrats in Wilmington, Delaware. It so happens that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is a Delaware guy. In fact, he was my cousin's teammate on Archmere Academy's undefeated high school football team. Archmere is in Claymont, Delaware. My cousin was quite a player. Anyway, what's happening in the U.S. is upsetting me and my wife as we consider moving to Yellow Springs, Ohio, next year with two young children. Coronavirus and racial injustice shake our confidence. So does the current leadership.  I will get my ballot for the November election around Sept. 18, and I'll Fed-ex my vote the next day. My daughter Joanna wants to go to Yellow Springs -- she's heard me talk about it and knows I have a house there. Phuong has taken many virtual walks around town using Google maps and giggles at my tiny house. Joanna also mentions going to Africa since we watch a lot of nature shows on TV and video. That could happen if the election goes the wrong way for me.
• • •
Despite language issues, teachers remain patient and committed to making Joanna's school experience positive and enjoyable. I know Joanna can be supremely stubborn, she'll test the limits every chance she gets, and following direction isn't her strong suit. (These are just some of the reasons I love her so much.) But teachers have adapted somewhat to her style and the results are very noticeable, especially at home. Her interactions are more sophisticated, her wit is sharper, and she's more responsive to my requests. She loves dancing, and that's being encouraged at school -- clap clap ... cha cha cha ... shake your booty. She'll dance to YouTube alphabet videos and the ubiquitous Baby Shark videos. And it's not just silly jumping around. This girl takes her dancing seriously. Most important, she's a wonderful and respectful big sister to Elijah.
• • •
One of the inconveniences of aging is the amount of time spent on body maintenance and repair work just to live at a reasonable level. Back stretching is needed to cope with sciatica; constant cleaning is necessary so keys and wallet aren't misplaced; lots of short walks enable arthritic ankles and a balky left knee to function at a ... well ... functional level. There's also nightly eye drops to stave off glaucoma and a conservative diet and no booze to help deal with no gall bladder (and other issues). As my aunt who lived to be 96 once said, constantly seeing a doctor and taking medicine isn't great, but it beats the alternative. Regardless of health issues, two small children leave little time to whine except in a blog.
• • •
Good streaks: I have read (almost exclusively Jack Vance books) the past 266 days in a row; I haven't had a drink of alcohol for 9 months; and I haven't had a cigarette for a little more than four-and-a-half years.

Coronavirus comeback; laid back; voting for hope, change

We're dealing with a coronavirus resurgence in Vietnam that has put us back on limited lockdown with masks required. There are also limits on the number of customers in the few coffee shops that are open. Many "nonessential" businesses, such as nail salons and barber shops, have been re-shuttered. Some folks work around the restrictions because they need money for groceries.
We have a couple of active cases in Bien Hoa -- a doctor and his wife who went to Da Nang. Road blocks are set up to detour traffic around their neighborhood, which happens to be across the street from the supermarket where I shop. The detour added to my taxi fare on Saturday, but no big deal. Safety first.
  Joanna's school closed last week for two days -- Monday and Tuesday -- and we kept her out the rest of the week. She returned to school this week, but I limited her to half-days. Nine and a half hours a day for a 4-year-old seems a little extreme to me. During time away from school, I work with Joanna on bike riding (with training wheels), and provide academic instruction in the afternoons -- I continue to read to her and I have her write letters and words using dot to dot. We draw cartoons on our whiteboard that are based on the animated BabyTV show "Beep Beep," which is about the misadventures of two trucks and a "road," who are friends. Joanna loves the "Beep Beep" work, but she won't do something unless she is comfortable and confident in what she's doing. She slyly watches and listens. She's more capable than she lets on, and sometimes thinks it's funny to goof up, especially on the bike. With the language barrier at school, even though it's "bilingual,"  English-speaking Joanna can run into difficulties. She seems very bright to me, but she doesn't like taking any orders from anybody, and a language issue only adds to her frustration. Anyway, not all of the students have returned to class yet, so things are low-keyed. And that seems better suited for Joanna. Her clever sense of humor remains intact throughout all this; she recites the planets quite often and always points to my stomach and laughs when she says "Jupiter."
* * *
Low-keyed is perhaps the best way to describe our son Elijah. He's a little older than 3 months and doesn't complain about much of anything except when mom's milk isn't at the ready.  He loves company, and when's he's whining ever so slightly he'll stop whining instantly when I lay down next to him and baby babble. I read that if you copy the sounds a baby makes, the baby will make more sounds. This technique has worked like a charm for Elijah. He constantly baby babbles whenever he sees dad, which is all the time. We have funny little conversations about who knows what, but we both enjoy it. He'll roll from stomach to back -- but not vice versa -- especially when he's angry. Otherwise, this laid-back boy will chill on his back or stomach, examining his right fist. My wife Phuong is mostly recovered from the effects of giving birth, but she battles fatigue a little. So do I, but no doubt age, lack of exercise, and helping my wife deal with two very young children are big factors. I can't really exercise because of back issues. I know I'm old because I count my 7-minute walk to school with Joanna as a "workout." Sometimes that walk will take 20 minutes -- I'm not sure Joanna is 100 percent committed to school, and she loves spotting birds, butterflies, bees and snails on the way to school. She's got a decent eye and showed me the butterfly and snail pictured on the right.
* * *
We're working toward getting our son a passport, which would put us closer to coming to the U.S. Coronavirus has added hurdles to our immigration efforts, but no worries. no hurries. Still, we'd like to see changes in our country that would make the situation safer for my children and more welcoming for my Vietnamese wife. I like Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's VP pick. She's well-spoken and tells it like it is. Honesty and a straightforward approach to governing are necessary steps toward making America respected for its leadership and righteousness -- again. With so many negatives facing the U.S. -- the lack of any decisive action during the pandemic; racism; birther BS; lack of concern about climate change; mail-in voting misinformation -- voting this November is a must, not an option. I'll mail-in my vote from Bien Hoa. That's my right.

Wife aces interview; controlling COVID; termites; big boy

My wife Phuong had her interview for a U.S. immigration visa at the embassy in Ho Chi Minh City last week. She did a fantastic job, readily admitting she had been rejected four times attempting to get a visa to the U.S, and refusing to discuss her first marriage, saying how happy she is now. Her honesty and straightforward approach clearly impressed the immigration officer. He seemed baffled about my wife's previous difficulties at the embassy, including an absurd lifetime ban she received about five years ago trying to obtain a tourist visa to the U.S. to accompany me to an eye doctor's appointment. No matter. My wife will obtain the visa to the U.S. when our son Elijah, who's almost three months old, gets his passport, allowing all of us to come to the U.S. together. We're not in a huge hurry because COVID-19 is surging in the U.S. and we want to see what happens in the presidential election in November. If it takes place -- ha ha. I'll probably have to let my driver's license expire and use the eye drops that the doctors here prescribe for my glaucoma. I'm not thrilled with either prospect, but if I leave the country in November like I planned, I won't be able to get back in, or at the very least I'd have to spend 14 days in quarantine. That's a fact, and probably one of the reasons there's been so few COVID-19 cases here -- 509 as of Friday, Aug. 31.  So right now, I'd rather be here than there, if you know what I mean. And obviously, I won't live apart from Phuong, Joanna and Elijah.
* * *
Even with the relatively small number of cases here, about 100 new cases of COVID-19 were reported this week in Da Nang, which is on the central coast. The government immediately sent out a series of emails, asking everyone to wear masks again, and evacuated 80,000 local tourists to cities throughout Vietnam. There's talk bars and cinemas will shut down, and fear that schools may close again. Joanna's school requires masks now, but not everyone complies. Anyway, the government in Vietnam clearly takes this virus very seriously, and any cluster of cases is a big deal. And that's how it should be. Looking at the U.S., that's how it shouldn't be. Here's the conundrum: In an open society like the U.S., people can express themselves freely and demand to make individual choices, like not wearing a mask or choosing to go to a bar during a pandemic. There's a price to pay for this freedom and the COVID-19 numbers in the U.S. don't lie. Vietnam, on the other hand, is a communist country and information is controlled and monitored; people aren't openly critical of the government here like in the U.S. Yet, most of the people here -- but of course not all -- appear ready to make personal sacrifices for the greater good. And the COVID-19 numbers don't lie.  I don't like the mask, but I'm wearing it. Besides, the worst thing that happens is that my glasses get steamed up.
NOTE: I had to update this blog when I learned about the uptick of cases in Da Nang on Friday.
* * *
We've had all of the wood cabinets removed from our house. The heat and humidity make this place a hotbed for termites. The wood dust was unsettling, so my wife took action. Also, I had to get both of my computers repaired. My PC got hacked and that resulted in Facebook terminating my account for a few days for violating community standards. At first, I didn't know if I was terminated because of an accident picture I posted, or a photo of my (removed) gall stones I posted a few years back, or just my general, aging appearance. My access returned without explanation a couple of days later. I have no issues with Facebook and Social Network is a good movie in my opinion. My PC Windows were a mess after the hack and had to be reinstalled. My Mac got dropped, resulting in the finger pad becoming uncooperative. Now both laptops are back to some semblance of normal, more or less.
* * *
Our baby Elijah is clearly going to be a big boy. He's does a lot of eating, smiling, jiggling and talking these days. Not a lot of sleeping, however. He's active and loves swinging his right arm. In fact, he delivered a nasty overhand right yesterday that knocked the glasses off my face. Joanna remains a handful for teachers and staff at her school. That's OK with me because she's a handful at home, too. Plus, she's sharp as a tack. Her English speaking and comprehension are top-notch in my opinion. But I'm her dad so of course I feel that way.

Traffic warnings; kids' stuff; visa interview

Reminders aren't necessary about how dangerous traffic is here for motorists and pedestrians. But I got a few on Monday -- whether I wanted them or not, and I didn't want them -- during and after  walking Joanna to school.  The first came when we were crossing a small street near the school. Joanna was on my shoulders as usual. I stood on a corner about to cross the street and I saw a woman on a motorbike with two kids on the back parked with her back to us on the opposite corner. By the time Joanna and I were 90 percent across that street, the woman had U-turned her bike and raced to cut in front of us, taking her bike on the curb in the process. It scared the Pho out of me.  I yelled "Why?" at her, which she most likely didn't understand. But that didn't stop her and her two kids from glaring back at me. I know how to ask 'why' in Vietnamese, but didn't think of it at the time. Not a huge deal, but I was a little surprised at her behavior since there was 4-year-old girl on my shoulders. I dropped Joanna off at school and proceeded on the sidewalk down busy Vo Thi Sau street to the Coffee House for my morning cappuccino.  As I crossed the street to the Coffee House a car was slowly coming through the intersection. The car inched through the intersection and flashed its lights, signalling me and another pedestrian to cross while warning cyclists and other cars of its approach. We crossed and then I heard that horrible sound of crunching metal and breaking glass. I instantly looked back and saw that a motorbike had plowed into the side of the car. The cyclist was bleeding from his head and was taken away. His bike was left in the street. The lady driving appeared to be fine -- the cyclist slammed into the passenger side.  No one else was in the car. I heard no sound of braking or tire screeching from the motorbike, and judging by the sound of the impact the cyclist drove full blast into the car. All the witnesses said the cyclist was speeding. It's too bad for the driver. She did everything right and  went out of her way to be nice to pedestrians and other motorists. Her reward was a huge scare, a big dent in her car and a lousy morning. Of course, I hope the cyclist is OK. Anyway, after my cappuccino, I stood outside on the sidewalk in front of the Coffee House talking to the wonderful manager about the accident when he suddenly pulled me toward him. A motorbike cut behind me on the sidewalk and missed hitting me by inches. I walked home without further incident.
* * *
Our daughter Joanna continues to make progress in school, especially on the behavior front.  Thank you teachers and thank you wife Phuong. Joanna prefers solo work to group work, but she's not aggressive with other kids. I still contend that Vietnamese is a little bit of a stumbling block and frustrates her, but she's slowly catching on with the help of music and songs. She's very affectionate with her brother Elijah, who's quite big for 9 weeks old. He "swims" in a little pool Phuong bought and likes to be rolled on the bed. He's mellow for a baby and we consider ourselves very fortunate to have healthy children.
* * *
Phuong has her immigrant visa interview tomorrow (Friday) in Ho Chi Minh City. It's unlikely there will be a decision right away, but since we have two wonderful children together, rejection based on relationship fraud (again) would seem unlikely. Who knows, however, given the tone set by the current leadership in the U.S. and the competency of people investigating our "case."  If approved, we would still have to get a passport for Elijah, a lengthy and somewhat complicated process. Plus, we would have to weigh the wisdom of going through airports and on airplanes to go to a country where Covid-19 cases are surging wildly. It's a lot to think about, and I don't like thinking a lot these days.

Contrast in Covid-19 clusters; rainy season and adaptation

We had a mini-cluster of coronavirus cases in Vietnam -- 14 in one day. I know that's nothing compared to the United States or Brazil or dozens of other countries, But there's been only 369 cases overall here, so 14 in one day is substantial. Those with the virus apparently caught it in other countries and were repatriated back to Vietnam.  I cringe when I see the U.S. Covid-19 numbers, and I cringe when I hear things like increased testing is the cause for the increased cases in the U.S., and the U.S. heritage and monuments are being destroyed by left-wing radicals and thugs and looters. Strange days indeed. My barber actually rushed to grab a newspaper and show me a chart of the top countries with Covid-19 cases and deaths. He pointed to the U.S., which of course is No. 1 in cases and deaths. He waited for a response. Not much I could say about it in Vietnamese. In English, I'll say it's a tragic and unnecessary situation, and that numbers don't lie. My wife has her U.S. visa interview in a couple of weeks. I wonder if Covid-19 will be mentioned at all.
• • •
The monsoon season seems more typical this year, often bringing late afternoon rain on a daily basis. The rain usually lasts no more than an hour, but on very rare occasions it will last several hours and into the night. I used to not like rainy season so much, but I've finally realized the temperature comes down a little before, during, and after the rain. Yes, the humidity goes up, but it's humid pretty much all the time here anyway. The heat can be overbearing with the equatorial sun beating down along with humidity.  That's why I appreciate rainy season.
• • •
 A new deodorant is on sale here -- Nivea "African" formula. It works. I'm dripping sweat everywhere but under my arms. Now, my chest stinks, not my underarms. Really, it works. However, I'm not sure what it does to your body to make you stop sweating where it's applied. I wash with Lactacyd, a gentle soap that comes in a baby formula. It helps eliminate my heat rash. I use it in tandem with HIDEM cream, which stops the itching and gets rid of the gnarly red spots.  I always wondered why my face was so itchy all the time, then deduced that my face was on the verge of heat rash; Lactacyd and HIDEM have taken care of the problem. The reason for these boring and seemingly unnecessary details is to bring home the point that we can adapt to almost any conditions. I'm not small, and I've always sweat heavily. But I'm doing what I can to make my life more comfortable in the tropics. We wake up very early when the weather is at its coolest. Sometimes we'll nap in the heat of the day, but too often life gets in the way. Bottled water is essential and I make sure my daughter Joanna and I stay hydrated. She sweats like her dad.  My wife Phuong can take of herself here since she's a local, and our son guzzles breast milk day and night. We've air-conditioned much of the house and our electric bill is impressive. But heat really affects me in a negative way, so the AC is essential. I should stop coffee if I really want to cool down, but coffee makes me feel good.  I don't smoke (more than four years without a cigarette) or drink alcohol (more than seven months), and that contributed to my sweating and feeling grimy. In a lot of ways, I'm living a local lifestyle, but I simply can't eat hot soup for breakfast and wear long pants and a jacket to block the sun.
• • •
Our daughter Joanna is very slowly adapting to school as she approaches her fourth birthday. It appears unlikely she'll be a conformist or wallflower. Her "extracurricular activity" will be dance. She loves to dance and sing, and belts out an inspired version of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game," which she stumbled across surfing YouTube. She's meticulous about her clothing, which may explain her aversion to the school uniform. Her intellect and temper appear to be above average. That's why she's in school. And I want to praise her teachers (again). They have shown great skill and patience handling our daughter.
• • •
Our son Elijah is two months old and loves to eat and sleep. He's only fussy when he's hungry, which can be quite often, but he's not over the top when he complains. Actually, he remains easygoing, is starting to smile a little, rolls over from belly to back and loves to look at the blue rectangles on our ceiling, just like his sister.

A foreigner's perspective of U.S. politicians; baby talk

I am fascinated by how people from other countries view the United States and what's going on there. I met a restaurant owner in Bien Hoa who is from New Zealand. A real gentleman. We got to talking U.S. politics -- oh, dear -- and he found Donald Trump to be amusing. The gentleman noted that Trump will say whatever comes to mind, and that he doesn't worry about the consequences. His view of Trump wasn't entirely unfavorable. I accepted his point and admitted that Trump shoots from the lip, but I added he also dribbles and drools all over himself, even more than my 6-week-old son Elijah. The gentleman liked Obama and admired the way he addressed the public, but said that Democrat Joe Biden, Trump's 2020 presidential opponent, talks like he's senile. I pointed out that I believe Biden had a stuttering issue as a child, which may help explain why his speaking style seems disjointed at times. But he is 77 years old. Our conversation ended on that note because our hamburgers were ready. I enjoyed talking with the gentleman and hope we can chat again.
 • • •
Our son Elijah rolled over from his stomach to his back by himself. I don't know if it counts as an official rollover since I placed him on his stomach. He did this when he was five weeks old. I helped him once and then he did it by himself a few minutes later. I put him on his stomach for short periods a few times every day to help strengthen his neck. He seems to be doing fine and since there are no well visits for babies here that I know of, I check the internet and make sure his development is on schedule. Unlike his sister, he'll go in the crib and sleep without a fuss. Joanna wailed whenever she got near the crib and would hold on to my shirt or whatever with the iron fist grip, perhaps indicating a hint of separation anxiety. If that's the case, it might explain some of her acting out and behavior at school. But, she's only 3 years old (she'll be 4 soon) for goodness sakes, and school is from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I'm suffering from some separation anxiety because I miss Joanna. She's been doing much better lately and I'm very proud of her regardless. There's an English class at the school, but all other lessons are in Vietnamese, and that may add to Joanna's stress. She understands a little but doesn't speak any significant amounts of Vietnamese.
• • •
Carrying Joanna to school at 6:45 a.m. and back (4:30 p.m.) on my shoulders has clearly been beneficial for my sciatica. I can walk in the mornings now, which is a must since I take Joanna to school and pick her up. Many sidewalks here are in disrepair or filled with trash or parked cars or people sitting on plastic chairs drinking coffee. But we take our time and are very careful when we walk, especially when we have to walk in the streets. Some cars and bikes don't seem overly concerned about pedestrians, even 3-year-old girls, but I knew this going in and try to teach Joanna to be careful.
• • •
The coronavirus is rarely mentioned in Bien Hoa these days; I really haven't heard it mentioned in casual conversation.  It's on TV news, of course. I still see a handful of cases in Vietnam listed on worldometers.info -- the site shows about four or five new cases a week. The total here is 349 with no deaths. Our daughter has her temperature taken every day just before she enters school, and she must wash her hands with hand sanitizer. Again, so far so good. My recent illness went away with the help of hot tea and honey and some herbal Chinese medicine my wife's mother buys somewhere near Bien Hoa market. It's effective for colds and such. Pretty sure it wouldn't help with coronavirus.
• • •
I'm teaching English to two private students. Both are extremely bright and making steady progress. One of the students is a retired teacher; the other is a doctor. I only work six hours a week -- two 90-minute classes a week for each student. Since I'm "retired," I'm not interested in working a lot of hours. I always considered work one of the necessary evils of life. And it's a four-letter word.

Race is a touchy subject, and I've made my mistakes

I don't like to admit it, but I know I've said things and engaged in conduct that I now consider racist. The killing of George Floyd has brought the world's attention to the issues and problems that people of color must face. These are problems I've never had to deal with. I don't consider myself racist. Nobody does. But when I reflect on what I've said, especially my ill-advised and lame attempts at "racial" humor, and how I view the world through white lenses, it's clear to me I've made mistakes and that I have a problem. I need to consider the impact of my words and actions on those around me, white and non-white. Here's an easy contrast: Comedian Dave Chappelle has the genius to deliver a serious message within edgy racial humor. I just have a big white mouth. I grew up in a family that considered black people almost alien beings. They didn't use the N-word, but they had a whole slew of other derogatory terms beyond "colored" or "black."  Sure, I would chastise my parents for this. But looking back, my confrontations were due in part to the contentious relationship I had with my parents on every issue. I will give my dad some credit; at age 94 he became an ardent supporter of Barrack Obama. The fact my dad was a hard-core Democrat contributed to his late awakening, but I detected a sincere admiration of Obama. I shared that admiration of Obama and still admire him. Actually, I really miss his leadership, especially with the leadership we have today. Race is a difficult and touchy subject to discuss. But the only way to deal with difficult and touchy issues is to get them out in the open, discuss them, and ultimately take positive action. What action? Hopefully, that will come out of the discussions among people of all races.
• • •
There are a couple of personal streaks that I'll note: I've read 185 straight days and I haven't had a drink of alcohol for more than six months.  I used to drink beer or whatever every night before bed and other times of day. That's been replaced with reading. I've read more than 25 books by Jack Vance, mostly science fiction and a few mysteries. His sci-fi books are, well, out of this world.
• • •
Joanna is enrolled in pre-school and, quite honestly, it's been rough going. She doesn't like wearing a uniform or taking instruction of any kind. Thankfully, the administration, teachers and teachers' aides have shown amazing patience with Joanna. She comes by her difficulties in school quite honestly. I was a lousy student, a discipline issue and a knucklehead in general in school.  She can do the work and she has the intellect, but she gets bored really fast and goes way off-task. I remember those days. I can't thank the school enough for their work and patience with Joanna. I want to address these issues now rather than when she's 7 or 8 years old ... or older.
• • •
I'm fighting some kind of illness -- no fever or dry cough, but my sinuses are a mess. It's an annual event for me, the ex-smoker, but with coronavirus in the air, I'm a bit cautious and mildly concerned. We take our temperatures all the time and I inhale vitamin C.  I walk Joanna to school every morning and afternoon and pick her up as well. Schools are breeding grounds for viruses and facilitate their spread, which, of course, is why they've been closed so long and so often during the coronavirus pandemic. Since my energy level isn't any lower than usual, I'll keep my fingers crossed and my mask on.

Same normal here; child care; remembering mom

The new normal in Vietnam is starting to feel a lot like the old normal. Motorbike traffic is reckless and ruthless again. Big cars are racing up and down small streets. At the popular coffee shops you see lots of mask-less young people not overly concerned about social distancing. The coronavirus never really got a foothold here, so maybe locals aren't quite as concerned as the rest of the world. The government closed the borders as soon as news broke about the virus in Wuhan, China. Then Vietnam focused on contact tracing to control the spread. A few towns in northern Vietnam near the border with China were quarantined shortly after the virus began to spread. There have been no reported deaths here and the overall number of cases is 334 as of May 25. We are not completely opened up here with some limits on restaurants, and a few more people wear masks in supermarkets, but it's not a dramatic change by any means.
The first thing I do in the morning is check virus numbers for the United States. My wife does the same. We're horrified, of course, since the U.S. is at 100,000 deaths under the leadership of President Donald Trump. Brazil, under the leadership of President Jair Bolsonaro, sometimes called the Trump of the Tropics, has been climbing rapidly and now is No. 2 in cases with 394,507, including 24,593 deaths.

* * *

My wife Phuong is steadily and slowly recovering from her c-section and the birth of Elijah. My back and knee won't heal, but I'll never have to go through nine months of a difficult pregnancy followed by hours of intense labor, a c-section and lots of bleeding. Luckily, Phuong can handle all things Elijah while I take care of all things Joanna. I do what I've always done with Joanna: read, go to coffee shops, draw a little on the white board, go shopping, and write letters of the alphabet. We have picnic lunches together, which means I have to sit on our very hard floor. Joanna loves shopping and finally she's responding to my request not to take off running and disappear in a big supermarket or store.  But she insists I carry her on my shoulders when we walk to the market or coffee shop. Oddly, this weighted walk has helped my back somewhat. It makes no difference on the knee, which has developed a mind of its own, buckling when I least expect it and staying stable when I expect a collapse. Joanna also loves videos, and has figured out to start a computer, track down YouTube videos and stay entertained for hours. She enjoys phonics videos now (Peppa Pig is yesterday's news) and understands the concept of sounding out letters and words. That should be a handy skill when she starts pre-school / kindergarten next week. Joanna is sweet to her brother, but I sense she's ready to branch out.

* * * 

My mom died 14 years ago on May 25; she was generous, hardworking and remarkably under-appreciated. She cared more for others than herself, and I think this ultimately led to her demise.
Gertrude Millman was a fighter with a heart of gold. And as my mom would say: That's no BS. I wish I had paid more attention to the example she set with her work ethic and self-sacrifice. I found out after she died following a too long struggle with Alzheimer's that her given name was Joanna, but somehow that got changed to Gertrude on her birth certificate. Her Ukrainian parents didn't protest and Gertrude it was. My 3-year-old daughter Joanna is named for my mom. Joanna sometimes has a fierce temper, but overall she's sweet and caring. I know my mom would have adored her as well as Joanna's 3-week-old brother Elijah, named after my great-grandfather on my dad's side of the family. I don't know much about him other than the fact he was a farmer, had 11 kids, supposedly could open a clam with his bare hands and spelled his name with one 'l' -- Milman. Elijah Milman makes for a good story and wonderful name to give to my child.

Baby boy brings us joy; taxis reject me so I take long walk

My wife Phuong endured a short but painful labor that ended in a c-section and the birth of a healthy boy -- Elijah Pham Millman -- on May 6 at 3:45 a.m. Mom and baby are doing great now. There was some concern about blood loss by Phuong, but all turned out well. We're both happy beyond belief. I wasn't at the hospital -- Phuong's mom went with her. I stayed at home with Joanna, cooking, cleaning and trying to handle a little girl whose become quite a handful, especially with mom having a difficult pregnancy and then disappearing one night. We explained the situation to Joanna, and I think she got most of it. Anyway, only one person was allowed to accompany the moms-to-be in the hospital due to coronavirus fears. Phuong went to the hospital late on Tuesday night, gave birth Wednesday, and returned home Saturday afternoon. Not bad for a woman who had a c-section. She's tough.

* * *

I fell down our stairs carrying laundry and bent my left knee well beyond its normal limits. The good news is that knee pain took my mind off my sciatica.  I had to man-up the next day when I took Joanna shopping at Vincom. After buying clothes and groceries for the family, I stood outside the mall and tried to hail a taxi. Three taxi drivers about 20 feet away laughed at me and Joanna, and refused to give us a ride. I'm not sure why. Maybe we weren't going far enough. (Joanna used up my cell phone's battery watching videos in the mall, so we were sort of stuck.) One of the drivers walked up to me basically to start a confrontation, I guess, laughing and waving his hand at me. This is the third time I've been refused a ride by taxis outside Vincom. Here's where I manned up. I ignored the driver, of course, then covered Joanna's head with a t-shirt I had just bought, put her on my shoulders, and walked 1.6 miles home in 99-degree heat along a dirty, dusty and dangerous road (Vo Thi Sau) that was having construction work done on the gutters and shoulders. I didn't even think about my knee during the walk. I was worried about the drivers and if the heat would bother Joanna, but we stopped for water and I dumped cold water over her head twice. She had fun, pointing out the "diggers and excavators" along the way. I don't care when taxi drivers act like this to me, but I was flabbergasted they would do this to a 3-year-old girl. As long as the knee holds up, I'll walk.

* * *

I've enrolled Joanna in a pre-school here since Phuong's U.S. visa interview has been indefinitely postponed due to coronavirus. School is from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a break roughly from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and nap. We'll see how it goes. Lockdown ended here late April and early May, but Joanna has been bored. The heat doesn't help -- it was 93 at 8 a.m. this week. Classes are taught in Vietnamese with an hour or so of English every day. Joanna only speaks English but can understand a little Vietnamese when pushed. Being bilingual can only help her.

* * *

We've had 318 total cases of coronavirus in Vietnam. The U.S. currently has more than 90,000 deaths from the virus, so I'm going to say we're fortunate to be where we are. That's one of the reasons we enrolled Joanna in school. Along with everyone else, we have no idea what the future holds.

Vietnam may lift lockdown; U.S. immigration ban impact

Vietnamese officials are meeting today (Wednesday, April 22) to decide when and how to reopen the economy. It appears the lockdown extension could be lifted  a week early -- sometime next week. Vietnam will have gone more than three weeks with everything but supermarkets shut down. There have been only 268 cases reported here, with no fatalities. A former student of mine noted that Vietnam is a young country -- 60 percent of its 97 million citizens are 30 years old or younger. Coronovirus hits everyone, of course, but seems especially devastating to people 65 and older. Police are reportedly tracking down every suspected case and those with symptoms are immediately taken to a hospital for evaluation. I have no idea how officials conduct testing for the virus, but I'm pleased to say the situation appears under control at the moment. It's a good thing. It's very unlikely hospitals here could handle a huge influx of coronavirus patients. None of the countries with extremely large outbreaks are able to cope, and these are countries with considerably more resources and wealth than Vietnam ... for example, the United States. Schools will re-open here sometime early May, likely May 4, which means students will have had an unexpected three months off due to the pandemic. Vietnamese officials, unlike some world leaders, took the coronavirus outbreak seriously from the start, closing borders and schools, closely monitoring airport traffic, and investigating all suspected cases. Perhaps the hot weather has been helpful, although Singapore is currently struggling with an influx and it's closer to the equator than Vietnam. We're located 12 degrees N latitude while Singapore is practically on the equator.

• • •

U.S. President Trump's decision to halt all immigration to the U.S., the country which has by far the most coronavirus cases (819,175) and Covid-19-related deaths (45,343) in the world, will at best slow any hopes my family had of coming to the U.S. and at worst end those hopes altogether. Closing the borders to immigrants now seems unnecessarily reactive. That train left the station but President Trump has blamed the WHO, U.S. governors, overly cautious doctors, U.S. states, China, Obama, social distancing and stay at home guidelines and now immigrants for the United States' problems. Don't forget that immigrants are on the front lines in the battle with coronavirus, accounting for 17% of healthcare workers and 24% of direct care workers in the U.S., an official with the National Immigration Forum told the Guardian newspaper. It also looks like I won't get any stimulus money since I'm married to a Vietnamese citizen, although I'm not 100 percent sure about that. I am 100 percent sure I haven't gotten any stimulus money yet, but it would take more than $1,000 or so to stimulate my 65-year-old economy. Xenophobia is a powerful force in the world today, and tragically seems to be gaining momentum. Maybe I'm watching too much CNN. Or not enough.

• • •

My mornings now include the grim routine of checking the website worldometers.info to see how many people have contracted and succumbed to coronavirus. We live in times that I thought only possible in the science fiction books I read. On a positive note along that vein: I've read 136 days in a row according to the Kindle downloaded on my iPhone; I haven't smoked in four years and one month; and haven't had a drink in four months and three weeks. Even an addictive, narcissistic and obsessive-compulsive personality can produce a few positive results if channeled in a proper direction.

• • •

Medical care is a little bit of a concern for me since I can't really travel to the U.S. even though I have Medicare. I absolutely must have a specific type of prescription eye drops, so I'm on a mission to find them here. We've got a couple of leads; I'm cautiously optimistic. I refuse to go to a doctor here for my sciatica or back pain, so I'm playing holistic roulette on the internet hoping for results. I made progress with acupuncture but coronavirus halted that option. Now I'm soaking in warm salt water and doing yoga before bedtime, and the results have been promising. I can walk in the mornings and the pain is minimal. In light of coronavirus, I really shouldn't be overly concerned with these types of issues, but I want to continue to be an active part of my family's life.

Lockdown extended; 'mini-gym' entertains our daughter

Vietnam is taking strong steps to control the coronavirus, extending a two-week lockdown that started March 29 until the end of April. As of Sunday, April 12, Vietnam had reported 259 cases nationwide, an incredibly low number if the figures are accurate. My wife went to the supermarket Sunday and had to have her temperature taken to get in, and when it registered a little high, she had to wait for a re-test. She told security her temperature was high because of the weather -- it's been 98 or 99 (degrees Fahrenheit) every day and very humid. And my wife is very pregnant and covered in clothing to protect herself from the sun. After a short wait, her temperature dropped, she passed the re-test and got my yogurt. If her temperature had stayed high, I assume the police would have been called and an ambulance would have taken her to the hospital for further  evaluation. Of course, she had her face mask on, which is a requirement here.

• • •

Admittedly, keeping an active, nearly 4-year-old girl entertained during a lockdown and stifling heatwave presents a serious challenge. But my perceptive wife bought a small, multipurpose mini-gym apparatus for our daughter Joanna that includes a swing, two 'rings' and a wooden ladder on a rope. My daughter loves to climb and creates a lot of anxiety in our house by scaling the banister on our stairs. No more. I praise Phuong every day for this purchase. Joanna has lost interest in coloring and doesn't feel particularly challenged by letter tracing, so the mini-gym has been a God-send. As noted, she's active and needs physical activity, which is difficult under the present circumstances. But the mini-gym has taken a little pressure off mom and dad.

• • •

Joanna and I always wear masks when we take a daily walk at 4 p.m., and the heat makes it uncomfortable. When we get to the park I let her take the mask off and I'll remove mine as well. We'll put them back on when we see people approaching. Most kids don't wear masks and cluster to play football and hang out. I haven't seen police break that up, but police came and told my sister-in-law to remove chairs and tables from her little restaurant and serve takeout only. She had already made the change to takeout only but was lazy about bringing the chairs inside.

• • •

Last week our 77-year-old neighbor died -- a very nice man but a hardcore cigarette smoker -- and the three-day funeral was not very strong on social distancing. Some folks clustered around tables playing cards,and drinking and about 20 percent of those who attended didn't wear masks. Few women smoke in this country but obviously it's difficult for the many men who smoke to puff with a mask on.

• • •

My wife finally got an appointment for her U.S. visa interview, but it was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus. I'm not sure what our plans are. Not important at this point.

• • •

 A friend of mine made what I think is an astute observation about the coronavirus, saying as horrible as it is, it gives us a chance to hit the reset button. With lockdowns in place around the world, pollution levels have dropped dramatically. People are spending more time at home, and in some cases that means more time with family. The negative has been overwhelming, but we're nothing without hope. People have a way of finding hope.

Locked down, trying to stay busy in distressing times

Our real coronavirus lockdown began this week as the number of confirmed cases topped 1 million worldwide. Everything but supermarkets shut their doors in Bien Hoa. A couple of odd businesses -- a sports clothing shop and a Korean beauty salon -- stayed open after the lockdown was ordered on Monday. The government sent out a no-nonsense message on Tuesday this week via internet telling residents to mind their social distancing, stay indoors, and forget about shopping (except for necessities) for 14 days. The two businesses closed. On the website worldometers.info, which updates throughout the day, Vietnam has reported 233 cases of the virus overall as of Friday, April 3. The total has been rising about 10 cases a day the past 10 days, so I think the government is trying to snuff out the spread of the virus before it gets a real foothold here and picks up momentum. I have no complaints about how the government here is responding to the crisis.

 • • •

Joanna and I sometimes take a 30-minute walk with our masks on and marvel at the lack of traffic. Kids still play soccer in the street and there are a few badminton players in the park.  Almost all of them are not wearing masks. Joanna is aware that things are abnormal because the coffee shops we frequent together are closed. She doesn't even ask for videos when we watch CNN or France24.
I fill my time with assorted house chores like laundry, dishes, and cleaning. I've been reading everything Jack Vance has written that I can buy on Kindle, but that's been going on for the past 120 days in a row.  Of course there's lots of Joanna care, including two hours of kiddie pool time. I read to Joanna in the morning, and we watch two hours of Peppa Pig videos each day. I know that's a lot, but we are locked down and Peppa Pig is quite entertaining, even for adults. I also listen to a slew of Brian Jonestown Massacre music I purchased on iTunes and Amazon.  I got on board after watching the documentary Dig! on YouTube. I stopped teaching.  I'll resume when the 14-day isolation period ends. My pregnant wife is enduring, but it's not easy. At least her back pain subsided.

• • •

Rainy season is approaching and more folks tend to get sick in Vietnam this time of year, but I have no idea how rainy season will affect the spread of the coronavirus. This virus seems resilient regardless of weather conditions since it has spread to more than 200 countries in both hemispheres.
My heart goes out to anyone suffering from this virus, but I feel especially distressed for the U.S., Italy and Spain.  If blogspot stats are to be believed, I have more readers from Italy and the U.S. than any other countries the past two years. Be careful and follow the guidelines, folks.

• • •

I have read about and I have watched officials on TV who were dismissive about the virus when it was initially identified and started to spread. Some are even dismissive now, especially about the guidelines and tactics recommended by scientists to combat the virus. I don't think a comment about these people is particularly necessary from someone like me. The soaring death count, especially in the three countries I mentioned, speaks volumes about their comments, actions and attitudes.

Semi-lockdown limits gatherings, slows pace of life

 Our semi-lockdown continues in Vietnam where we've had a very slight increase in the number of coronavirus cases. We're getting about 10 new cases a day and we have about 135 total. I say "about" because the situation is obviously fluid and changing by the minute. The government appears to be doing a good job dealing with outbreak here. I call this a semi-lockdown because restaurants are open but they can not have more than 30 patrons inside at the same time. I believe the same restrictions apply to coffee shops. People seem to adhere to these policies. You're supposed to wear a mask in public, but a lot of folks ignore this mandate. A lot of people don't wear helmets when riding their motorbikes, either. I wear the mask, but I don't like it because it's hot and steams up my glasses. My daughter Joanna wears it but complains a little. My wife Phuong has always worn one. Our family wears helmets as well. My wife and I were discussing how sad it is that the pace of life here is slower, calmer, and somewhat more pleasant because of the coronavirus. Actually, these were my observations and my wife was nice enough to listen. Anyway, the restrictions and shutdowns of massage parlors and little shops have created a seemingly more caring and careful approach to life. Even among strangers. Traffic is reduced and fewer people are driving recklessly and selfishly. There appears to be a sense of concern for others that wasn't as obvious before the virus. The human toll is tragic and overwhelming, especially in China, Europe, and now the U.S. Maybe we'll learn from the adversity we are facing as we move forward. Hopefully, we can move forward at the appropriate time, and we always appreciate what we have. These are remarkably challenging times, but people find a way to meet these challenges.

 • • •

I'm not a real political person. For example, I'm not interested in trolling for or against President Trump. But I have to say I was perplexed by Trump's tirade at reporter Peter Alexander. The two engaged in a back-and-forth over the merits of a malaria drug for the treatment of coronavirus. The exchange was a little testy, but I thought Trump did pretty well explaining his stance on the drug until Alexander asked the president what he would say to nervous and frightened Americans to reassure them in light of the number of infections and deaths. Trump snapped at Alexander and responded in a way that was terrible ... I thought it was a nasty response, very nasty, given that he was being relatively reasonable up to that point during the questioning.Whatever.

• • •

I've gone four years without a cigarette (March 23) and nearly four months without a drink. I haven't cursed in four hours, but at least that slippage wasn't in front of my daughter, and raw language is a rarity in our house. I'm trying to play a solid end game.

• • •

Maybe a lockdown, even a partial one, isn't such a trauma here because it's 97-98 degrees F every day with serious humidity. People go out early morning and early evening for a spell -- the same as in Peru -- for walks and such. Before coronavirus, motorbike traffic was relentless throughout the day. Now it's turned into a rush hour thing as folks hunker down during the heat of the day.

Coronavirus may have entered our neighborhood

I woke up to a new world on Tuesday. And the coronavirus seems to be threatening our neighborhood as well. Police came to a neighbor's house -- he lives five houses down from us in our cluster of row homes -- and told him he has to stay in his house for two weeks. The man recently returned from a business trip to Switzerland. His wife chose to stay in quarantine with him, but his kids were sent to a relative's house; the mom now regrets the decision because she won't see her children for two weeks. A similar situation occurred on the street behind us. A couple from Japan is now under quarantine due to recent travels. In yet another nearby incident, an ambulance came to a house about a half-mile from our house and took two people away, most likely for testing. Those folks live two houses down from a daycare center. If they test positive, I was told the street goes on lockdown. The number of cases in Vietnam has gone from 18 to 61 in a little more than a week, according to reports from the government.

• • •

The government sent out online notices over the weekend requesting that everyone wear masks when they go outside starting Monday, March 16. Most businesses have come to a standstill here. Only a couple of coffee shops have customers, and there's countless coffee shops. The big mall in town is eerily quiet. Most of the people in Bien Hoa -- and Vietnam -- are good about following rules. They are now more focused on hygiene ... and it's about time. But there will always be those who flaunt their civil disobedience by not following new rules and regulations they deem intrusive or insufficient. And some people are too poor and/or ignorant to worry or care about healthcare, hygiene and a pandemic like coronavirus.

• • •

My daughter, who is a little more than 3 1/2 years old (44 months), doesn't understand the gravity of the situation and gets upset when we don't take her to the local market as much as we used to. We go out for necessities, like coffee and groceries. Rarely are the trips only for fun and entertainment. The heat contributes a little to this since the temperature is the mid-90s. But the coronavirus is the overwhelming factor, deterrent and topic in town ... and everywhere else, for that matter.

• • •

I sent in my overseas absentee ballot on Monday via Federal Express because I wanted my vote to count in Tuesday's Democratic primaries in Ohio. It was a bit of a scramble. Then I saw Tuesday morning (Vietnam time) that voting may be postponed in the Ohio primaries until June.

• • • 

Since I'm Joanna's primary caregiver most of the day, I've bought puzzles, downloaded "educational videos", alphabet pages and coloring pages, and increased the amount of reading we do every day. Joanna has begun speaking in a British accent because she watches a lot of Peppa Pig, which even I find entertaining. She has become rather tall lately, and the growth spurt may have contributed to her moodiness. Or maybe that's just her age, or the fact she's stuck inside so much with her dad and misses her mom time. Or maybe it's her personality. Regardless, I'm humbled and inspired by the leeway Phuong has given me as I take care of Joanna. Phuong is rather limited in her activities due to her difficult pregnancy and to make matters worse, she's had relentless back pain the past few weeks. Nonetheless, we plod along in disturbing and frightening  times.

Effects of coronavirus are being strongly felt here

I’ve been dealing with personal issues so I put my blog on hold. Because the issues are personal, I'll say no more. You could ask my therapist, but he won't say anything, either. I'm trying to be a better person as I begin the end game at age 65. No alcohol since Dec. 1, no more plastic bags (a difficult task here) and no more cursing (a difficult task anywhere). My daughter Joanna copies everything I say and do. I’ve been taking care of Joanna nearly around the clock -- except when I teach English -- because my wife Phuong is expecting our second child and she's having a very difficult pregnancy. I'm doing my best to step up. All that said, I’ll get back to writing my blog, which I’ve been told can be therapeutic. It's the process of writing that can be therapeutic, not my blog per se.
• • •
The impact of cornonavirus is quite profound in Vietnam. There are only 17 reported cases here even though Vietnam is one of China’s southern neighbors. Schools have been closed more than three weeks to be cleaned and disinfected, and presumably to keep large groups from congregating. Three villages in northern Vietnam consisting of 10,000 people were under quarantine, meaning people must lay low for two weeks. At least two cases of the virus reportedly were diagnosed in Bien Hoa,  both relatively close to our house. But that's hearsay, meaning that's just what I hear people say. Masks are strongly encouraged and the streets, businesses and coffee shops are considerably quieter now than they were before Tet holiday and the coronavirus outbreak. Joanna did have a persistent fever a few weeks ago, one of the signs of coronavirus, but she seems fine now, insisting on Peppa Pig and dinosaur videos. She writes the dot-to-dot alphabet and politely listens to me read My First Little House Books to her so she can earn Peppa Pig and dinosaur video time. When we go out, I’m militant about people not touching Joanna. Strangers, who are trying to be nice, attempt to stroke Joanna’s face. Hygiene and personal space can be issues here. I have a hands-off policy. I usually just pull Joanna away from any contact with strangers; I had to “jokingly” use my walking stick as a barrier on three occasions. We’re especially concerned and careful because of Phuong’s pregnancy. When schools get back in full swing, we're planning on enrolling Joanna in preschool. 
• • •
Air travel has changed in terms of cost and availability because of the coronavirus — of course, we know it hasn’t been convenient for a long time. I don’t want to jinx my air travel in any way, but my ANA flights to the U.S. and back have been splendid. No waiting, nice seats with adequate room, nice enough seat mates (no guarantees there), and an adequate movie selection. I absolutely enjoyed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood even though I’m sometimes lukewarm on Quentin Tarantino. I was totally absorbed in The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, a documentary chronicling the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos, which made a bogus health screening device that was supposed to require only one drop of blood. Flight attendants are friendly enough and the flights are smooth. I’m considering a trip to the U.S. real soon … again, for personal reasons. I’ll be happy to have my temperature taken, but I don’t want to be quarantined in Dubai or Tokyo for 14 days, which is the supposed incubation period for coronavirus. I will say the cost of a round-trip ticket is quite reasonable, which is understandable given the world’s circumstances.
• • •
Since getting books shipped to Vietnam is prohibitively expensive, I’ve downloaded Kindle on my iPhone. It’s not like holding a book, but I’ve downloaded a bunch of Jack Vance books to my iPhone, and I enjoy them almost as much as I enjoy paper versions; buying and shipping two Jack Vance books to Vietnam would possibly cost me $50. I’ve downloaded 10 books or so for a cost of about $50. I don’t even want to think how much it would cost to have 10 Jack Vance books shipped to Vietnam.
• • •
A very belated thanks to my wonderful hosts and hostesses during my last visit in the U.S.: Robyn, who always provides perfect gifts for my daughter Joanna; Ron, a great friend who happens to be a great salmon and turkey chef as well; Andy and Jane with their warm welcome, wonderful house and even more wonderful generosity and kindness; John, who treated me to an awesome concert/show by Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band with guests J.D. Wilkes and Dom Flemons, and a very comfortable futon; and my brother and his wife, who opened their house to me. My brother was a great listener, and helped me find gifts for my wife and books for my daughter. Thanks to all. I’ll forever be indebted.
• • •   
Phuong and I took Joanna to a public pool and a boy about 7 or 8 years old -- much older than 3-year-old Joanna -- tried to kick her. Not sure why. Then he sort of grabbed her, and Joanna gave the kid a left hand to the face in retaliation. After all, she’s a lefty and has displayed a fierce temper of late. Then, she bounced away as the boy tried to splash her. This occurred at Buu Long Tourist Park, where we had a wonderful time even though Joanna had to “stick and move.”
• • •
I do yoga stretches now since my back rejects tai chi. I’ve abandoned acupuncture after coronavirus  — hygiene is a big concern for me and my family, and there was a very communal atmosphere where I was getting treatments. I don’t want to put anyone at risk.