Covid quiets Tet; a nasty fall on faux marble stairs

 Not everyone is adhering to the Covid lockdown rules here. The lure of Tet partying and coffeehouse fun attracted those who needed to get out and release whatever it is they have pent up. The coffee house with fish near our house was packed with mask-less people last Sunday; they were out looking to socialize, be seen, and do the things people do at the countless coffee shops here. I understand the need to get out, I guess, but I'm baffled by those who refuse to wear a mask. While Tet attracts gatherings -- especially family and friends gatherings -- and potential super-spreader events, it limits other gatherings because all the stores, bars and restaurants are closed during Tet ... Covid or no Covid. But coronavirus concerns have closed schools until the end of February, at least. The cupboards are bare in most of the grocery stores, a combination of Tet and Covid, I suspect. The combination has reduced traffic, and quite frankly, created a a more relaxing atmosphere in Bien Hoa. There were fewer motorbikes and cars on sidewalks and the few pedestrians we saw were friendly and pleasant. Life is slowly returning to normal because I've noticed that more bikes are returning to the sidewalks and more people are cutting in line at the few markets that are open.
• • •
I wasn't blessed with attractive feet, and a very gnarly fall on our faux marble stairs has turned the unattractive into pure ugliness. Last weekend, my daughter and her friend had been playing with the hose on the third floor, enjoying themselves no end. My wife woke me up from a wonderful nap and told me to go get my daughter, dry her off, and bring her downstairs. My daughter moves quickly, and after she dried off she was on her way. I followed and when I planted my right foot while descending the stairs, I hit a patch of water and my right leg shot out from under me ... like a rocket. Ah, the joy of faux marble. I collapsed onto my left leg and sort of bounced down one stair on the buckled leg and foot. I don't know the extent or exact nature of the injuries. I had to yank my left big toe back into place while whimpering on the stairs; and the other toes took a good jolt. All turned ungodly purple the next day and I developed a couple of ghastly fracture blisters on my left big toe and right middle toe. According to Dr. Internet, these blood-filled blisters will last at least three weeks. The joint for my left toe bent backwards in dramatic fashion and is swollen; actually, my whole left foot is swollen. My left heel was crammed against my left butt cheek, a posture I've been unable to attain since 2nd grade, meaning my left knee is injured as well. I hurt the same knee in high school. Otherwise, I'm fine and dandy. I can walk, slowly, and climb stairs for laundry and kids playing on the third floor. I walked to one of the few open coffee shops with Joanna, and I went grocery shopping. Slowly.  I drone on about this because my mom fell down the stairs (a long time ago), hit her head and died about 9 days later. Her house had hardwood stairs, which are as hard as the faux marble, but not usually as slippery.  I slipped on our faux marble flooring after trying to soak the foot in salt water, but didn't go down. My wife has cooked two out of the last three dinners to help out, but oddly the more I use the foot the better it feels. The fracture blisters balloon up, but the joints in the injured foot start to loosen up. One of life's trade-offs, I guess. My wife suggests I do a little more housework to improve the foot. I'll give that suggestion all the thought it deserves.

 • • •
My son Elijah has become enamored with my giant-sized, purple, blistered big toe, grabbing it on Saturday and smiling, while I nearly vaulted to the ceiling in pain (off my good foot). Joanna has kicked the foot a few times with her incessant dancing to StoryBots videos, the new house favorite. For the most part, Joanna has excellent taste in kid videos: Sesame Street, Peppa Pig, BBC One with David Attenborough, and lately, StoryBots. I highly recommend the StoryBots outer space and dinosaur rap -- tyrannosaurus, that's the chorus. My wife and I are both exhausted taking care of two kids and a three-storied, faux-marbled house, but no complaints except for the heat -- highs of  91 to 94 each day. But since I'm focused on the positive these days, the heat keeps my injured joints loose, the faux marble cleans up nicely, and the blisters distract from the general ugliness of my feet. (I have pictures but for personal and medical purposes only.)
• • •
I'm approaching five years without a cigarette and 15 months without a drink. I've read 441 days in a row and still battle sciatica, a testament to how sedentary and fat I've become. My wife Phuong has a video blog on YouTube, so check it out:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WFQ2YKFIZU

Search Phuong Pham Millman for more vlogs ... give it a like and subscribe if so inclined. Thanks.

Vietnam acts swiftly to deal with new Covid outbreak

Vietnam took decisive action when 90 cases of coronavirus were reported earlier this week. The country essentially shut down -- I don't know how long this will last. Schools were closed and limits were placed on the number of customers allowed to occupy a business. Masks have been required all the time regardless of cases reported, but the requirement will likely be enforced now. Vietnam has a population of about 90 million, so 90 cases isn't much. But a big outbreak, like what the U.S. has experienced for the past year, would be especially devastating here. I hear no mention of a vaccine in Vietnam, which instead focuses on contact tracing, isolating potential cases, and masks. I realize a homogeneous society like the one in Vietnam will unite and get on board with policies aimed at thwarting the virus. People act as one. In the United States, with its diversity and focus on individuality and personal freedom, a united front for anything -- other than an alien invasion from outer space -- seems unlikely, or at least incredibly difficult at this point. The United States has 27 million coronavirus cases (81,000 per 1 million people) so far and 458,000 deaths. Vietnam has 1,800 cases to date and 35 deaths. I pulled the numbers from worldometers.net. Even Tet could be a coronavirus casualty this year, which shows just how serious folks are about an outbreak and making sure it's contained.

• • •

While Joanna and I were walking home from the bread store on Tuesday, a car came up behind us on the sidewalk. I didn't turn to see the car but my "Spidey" senses started tingling and when I turned around the car was literally inches from us and still moving forward. I threatened to smash the car's headlights with my invaluable walking stick and the guy finally stops with the fender actually touching my leg. He gets halfway out of his car to point to his blinking turn signal as if to say what he was doing was completely acceptable. I didn't accept it since I don't have eyes in the back of my head, and I started screaming bad words at the guy and walking toward the driver side. I backed off and apologized to my daughter for getting so upset. But I actually got some support from a couple of ladies running a fruit stand near the incident. Usually, locals defend each other, regardless of who's wrong, as I found out when I got broadsided going through an intersection on my motorbike -- "You may have been going kind of slow," one witness said. But these ladies signaled that the guy was crazy. Remember, I'm walking in the middle of a sidewalk holding hands (for safety as much as affection) with my 4-year-old daughter. Anyway, about one minute later a girl on a motorbike comes ripping toward us on the sidewalk and doesn't veer; it's as if she expects us to move. I just pulled Joanna behind me and held up my invaluable stick. She started yelling something at me and veered away with a good three feet to spare. And to think I gave up the motorbike and started walking for safety concerns.

• • •

Imitation isn't necessarily flattery. Lots of adolescents and sadly, many adults, like to mimic me in a mocking fashion ... for fun, I guess. I'll say "hi, how are you? to people, and some choose to reply  Hellllooo ..... how are yooooouuuu? in affected voices. I just smile since I'm used to this kind of stuff, but a week ago Joanna asked some employees who were cleaning fish at Mega Mart, "What are you doing?" and they laughed, waved their hands in the air and copied what Joanna said in a silly fashion. Joanna was confused by the response and asked again very slowly What ... are .... you .... doing? She got the same laughing response and she seemed genuinely upset and walked away. I don't think they were really making fun of her, but their reaction was immature at best. The kids who mimic me are trying to get me ticked off and for a short while it worked. Couldn't care less these days. Some of this mocking has been directed lately at Joanna, who despite being half Vietnamese doesn't look it. So she's getting the What's your name? Where you from? treatment. I say treatment because the kids repeat the questions over and over to her even after she answers. It's an effort to confuse or upset her. Comes with the territory of being unique in a homogeneous society. She stays much calmer in the face of this kind of stuff than I do because, of course, I don't want my 4-year-old being taunted for no reason. 

• • •

I write about a lot of negative stuff because we don't go out super much, but when we do, stuff seems to happen more than it should. Also, my therapist told me my brain is probably wired this way through genetics, and I need to work on an attitude adjustment. I mention the bad stuff with vehicles because of the danger involved. Nothing like a little danger, eh? And the kids yelling F$%K at me is just silly and not really worth mentioning. But there's so much positive that happens here. Joanna fell on her bike and two guys jumped out of their chairs at a coffee shop to check on her and help her up. Another stranger offered a typical Vietnamese peanut snack to Joanna when she walked past him at his outside table. People smile and acknowledge Joanna all the time, especially in The Coffee House. The manager at The Coffee House, Tau, always gives her cookies. The older folks are always nice, waving and smiling at us on our afternoon walk (as we dodge cars and bikes ... oops, there I go again). But while traffic and weather are big challenges here, most of the people I've encountered are a real plus.  It's a good thing because I've been here almost eight years.