My final blog post should give everyone a break

 This is the final post of my blog, which I've been writing more than 11 years. Enough is enough -- for me and I'm sure for anyone still reading. I'm tired, and so's my prose. At my age, I need to focus entirely on our family and staying healthy enough on the doorstep of 68 to raise two remarkable children with my wife. My daughter will be starting school soon and will need my full support. My son gets more energetic and challenging each day. Doing anything well requires time and commitment, and I have neither for writing a blog at this point. So, here are some final thoughts:
* I want to use this space to apologize to anyone and everyone I've ever offended in person or in print, or in any way, really. I'm sorry, although I realize this means little now. But since I can't turn back the clock, I'll live with my offenses and try to be a better person as I play the end game. 
* Life in Vietnam has given me a remarkable wife and two fantastic children. I know I'm very fortunate and probably don't deserve what I've got now (but I'll take it). The amount of time I've been able to spend with my children, especially my daughter Joanna, has changed my outlook, perspective and attitude. My limited vocabulary prevents me from describing how amazing and life-altering Joanna, my son Elijah and wife Phuong have been for me. (My therapist has contributed as well.)
* I'm living in the land of hurry up. I'm not sure what the hurry is here and why people feel compelled to get ahead of someone else. A handful of cars have politely stopped when they see me crossing the road with one of my children in a white-striped "zebra", but motorbikes and other cars will race around the Good Samaritan and almost hit us. This kind of stuff happens in every country, I'm sure. It happened to me in Peru when I taught there, and in the U.S. when I lived there. Traffic and line-cutting can be real downers.
* Last week I took Joanna swimming and she insisted I take her to a fish shop about a mile away. I don't know the place well but the guy working there looked rough. He banged into me carrying buckets and glared. I stayed outside while Joanna went inside to look at fish, and I hear that guy SCREAMING, and it turns out he's SCREAMING at Joanna. Some woman who also works there starts to usher Joanna out the door. I ask "why?" in Vietnamese because I obviously want to know what happened. The woman just laughs, and Joanna insists she didn't touch anything. Joanna asked me "why did that man yell at me?"  The guy then starts SCREAMING at both of us, motioning aggressively for us get out. I tell him to F-off and take Joanna away. The man starts to charge toward me and the woman gets between him and me and my daughter. This guy looks like he may have spent much of his life incarcerated and I suspect he wouldn't think twice about severely injuring or perhaps killing someone like me in a fight. If my daughter was doing something awful in the store, normal protocol would be to ask her dad to take her out of the store. That doesn't happen here. Joanna has been barked at in a bakery, supermarket, at a pool, pharmacy, coffee shop and fish shop for being overly inquisitive or touching things she probably shouldn't have been touching. Easier to yell or bark at a child, I guess, even when her dad is present. This ignorant behavior from "grown-ups" creates conflict. It's lazy and not real bright, either.
* But for every bully there are so many more people in Vietnam who are friendly, kind and giving. I recently tried to help a young man with his English for a visa interview, and his parents gave me wonderful honey with exotic tea. Other students have given lobster, clothing, coffee mugs. Folks here love to give regardless of how much or how little they have. That's what's impressive. Neighbors share with each other constantly.  My daughter often says: "Sharing is about giving, not taking." (She got that from a video.) People here share. Many people smile at me and my children whenever we're out. They compliment my daughter or son when we go walking. (Sometimes they'll ask how old my "son" is when I'm with Joanna, but no worries. They mean well and that's what counts.) Good stuff all the way around. And more positve news: litter is down considerably here with the presence of more trash cans in parks and on the streets. Better restaurants are opening, meaning more food that I'm used to is available. Damn foreigners.
* There are too many people to mention who've been helpful and important to me. Some won't even speak to me, but they've been a positive influence nonetheless. ... I finish with a little more than 80,000 all-time hits on the blog. My Kindle reading streak is at 964 days in a row. I haven't had a drink in 32 months and a cigarette in over five years. I know .... those are just numbers. But for me they're important because I've learned that the past doesn't have to control the present or future. We can take control with what we do now. Thanks for reading, everyone. See you on the other side.  L8R

Camera shy rat; purrfect 'catfish;' swim progress

 My daughter spotted a rat at one of our outdoor coffee shops while we drank bac xiu, a very mild coffee with lots of condensed milk; it's called white coffee. I let Joanna have one with me.  Coffee, not rat. I wanted to get a picture of the rat as it ran across a little bridge, but my cell phone logs me out constantly for security reasons, so I only got the tail end of rat in the photo. We got up and began a rat hunt, and my hawk-eyed daughter saw the rat under a stone step near the bridge. This rat looked like it was on its last legs. And that's usually the case when a rat exposes itself in an area with people. Joanna tried to warn the fish about the rat. So cute. Rats are excellent swimmers and can tread and go under water for extended periods of time. I got a poor quality photo of the runaway rat with my phone, and Joanna recorded the incident the next morning with help from Art for Kids Hub on YouTube. Kim Koi 2, the coffee shop near our house that had a lot of fish, closed again, meaning all the little canals are being dug out. The constant tearing down and building up of failed businesses and construction of new businesses in Bien Hoa creates so much construction dust and grit. No wonder my porous skin is a mess and I have to sweep out the kids bedrooms every day. I end the job with sizeable piles of dust and grit. My wife never wears shoes in the house, but with back, foot and leg issues, sometimes I'll keep my shoes on -- because I forget (ha ha). I never go near the kids beds with my shoes on, so the dust and grit just seem to appear.
* * *
We had a lovely meal at Hong Kong Seafood near our house. A "catfish" my daughter has been insisting on for a little while was the star of the show. The reason for the quote marks around catfish is that I'm not totally sure it was a catfish (Vietnamese name for the fish is ca lang vang.). The white meat was quite good and my daughter enjoyed every bite. So did I, for that matter. The fish was deep-fried and gently seasoned, making the crunchy exterior a savory heart attack on a plate. My daughter and I ate the whole dang fish. My son Elijah, after wandering and breaking some dishes at another table, settled down and really got into his crab and noodle dish. We've had good luck at this restaurant since my wife started coming with me and Joanna. No one speaks acceptable English there, but the service is decent in any language. Along with the Bay Leaf Indian Restaurant, our eating out needs are being met very well.
* * *
My daughter and I took a week off from swimming since I wasn't well, but when we returned my daughter decided she could put her head under water for longer periods of time. That's a big improvement from just a week ago, when a fall into the water at a coffee shop a while back made her skittish about going under ... My Kindle book Ancient Greece From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times doesn't scrimp on facts and details, but it is holding my interest at the midway point. Interesting to note the book says Aristotle stated that slavery was natural because there were people who lacked the capacity to be free agents, and that a slave was "sort of a living possession."  ... Prices are rising here, but apparently not as fast as in the U.S. 

Communication breakdown; new age for my daughter

 The complexities and subtleties of the Vietnamese language can create many misunderstandings. Even among the Vietnamese. My wife went to a pharmacy to get stomach medicine for her very ill husband (that would be me) and she took our daughter with her. My wife explained my difficulties to the pharmacist. The pharmacist seemed unsure who was getting the medicine, my daughter or me. My wife said she assured the pharmacist that her husband was the one who was ill. The pharmacist gave my wife a packet of three doses of five pills -- 15 pills in all -- for about $1 U.S. (20,000 Vietnamese dong).  Medicine is often doled out by pharmacists here in large quantities, even for kids. Apparently, the pharmacist thought the medicine was for my daughter, meaning the strength of the medicine wasn't up to snuff for my problems. My wife went to another pharmacy, where the pharmacist chuckled and told her the previous medicine was kids' stuff. I survived after three days of being pretty ill with the help of the new medicine, and I can't imagine what would have happened if I had gone to the pharmacy instead of my wife, who made multiple trips. I've had similar but less serious misunderstandings in the past: a bra instead of shoelaces; vitamins instead of band aids; I'm told no rice in a store with sacks of rice; hot drinks instead of cold drinks and vice-versa. I accept when people don't understand my Vietnamese; I don't speak it well at all and there's not a lot of effort and leeway in comprehension. It's all part of being a stranger and strange in a foreign land. I've been fortunate to find good eye and dental care here, especially the eye care.
* * *
Saturday was a wonderful day for our family because we celebrated our daughter Joanna's 6th birthday. She was excited, happy and had a great day. Joanna and I walked to Linh Da to get a cake, and we had a hot dog at the Japanese Bakery next door to Linh Da. I took my walking stick for health reasons and to ensure safe travel on the sidewalk and across the streets, and the stick worked its magic: an incident-free walk. My daughter is enjoying her extended homeschool break, and she's anxiously waiting to start class at a private school here in the middle of August. We're leveraging the new school and turning 6 to improve our daughter's behavior and listening skills. So far so good. Joanna and her brother Elijah, 2, are beginning to develop something of a bond, especially when it comes to jumping off and climbing up furniture. Like his sister, Elijah loves books, and I can read 25 stories a day to him sometimes, with some books getting multiple reads, of course. Joanna and I are reading Charlotte's Web together (again), but this time she's doing a lot of the reading. 
* * *
Currently reading Ancient Greece From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times by Thomas R. Martin. I don't read this to Joanna or Elijah, but it's pretty good stuff and I haven't even hit the juicy parts yet.  I'm at 945 days in a row of Kindle reading. Addiction can be wonderful if channeled in the proper direction. ... I'm good for maybe a few more blogs before halting these posts after 11-plus years. I need a break to focus entirely on taking care of a girl, 6, and boy, 2. 

Recalling trip to Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant

 When my wife and I visited Hong Kong seven years ago in an effort to boost her chances of getting a U.S visa, we hit all the highlights: a Disney theme park, a huge aquarium, wax museum and tons of restaurants. One of the restaurants where we dined was the iconic Jumbo Kingdom, or Jumbo Floating Restaurant. The restaurant has entertained famous people like Bruce Lee, Jimmy Carter and Tom Cruise. Last week on CNN I was shocked to see that the restaurant reportedly sank in the sea where it was towed for maintenance. The story about the sinking has become more muddled as time goes on.  I've read several online articles about the incident, one saying it's still afloat somewhere near the Paracel Islands. Conspiracy theories abound. Apparently, the owners have back-tracked on the sinking claim. One story that I can believe said that the restaurant was struggling financially since Covid, and the protests and unrest in Hong Kong. Insurance?  Unlikely, the news reports say. Anyway, I don't remember much about our meal -- it was OK I think -- but I recall all of us in the tour group getting into a little boat to get to the restaurant, which was designed like an imperial palace; our trip was whirlwind and we always seemed to be tired. No one knows or will say now exactly what, if anything, happened to the Jumbo Kingdom other than the fact a tugboat pulled it out to sea. The only thing that's certain to me is that my wife and I can say we ate there.

* * *
Vietnam is changing rapidly these days, mostly for the better. Many of the improvements are long overdue, such as public trash receptacles in parks and on the streets, or the ability to purchase with a bank card in some of the bigger retailers. The trash cans have reduced litter, which has reduced flooding since sewer drains aren't as clogged with discarded plastic. That's crucial this year since rainy season is prolific. The card purchases most likely have boosted spending by foreigners living here, especially on big-ticket items. I know I've bought more necessary items, such as hammocks and book shelves. Actually, the toaster oven I bought a while back is the most used item in the house, other than beds and bath soap. A new fridge is on the wish list and most certainly will be purchased if my wife doesn't get the waiver. There are so many more cars here now than when I first arrived, and most folks on bikes are smart enough to get out of their way. Bigger means right of way on the road. That's led to more bikes on sidewalks, probably out of necessity, which is unfortunate for me and my daughter, who are daily pedestrians, a real rarity here other than the women and few men who sell lottery tickets.  Line cutting persists, but not to the extent of even a few years back. Covid barriers helped cool off that obnoxious behavior to a small degree. The staring continues but no one has yelled f@#% you! at me for no reason in at least four months. Ah, let the changes and good times roll.
* * *
I'm wrapping up the book Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. 931 days in a row of Kindle reading. The book was better than I initially stated, but I'm a little too obtuse for some of the details provided.  ... The Jumbo Floating Restaurant news got me thinking about another site we visited which was tragically in the news: the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok was the site of a 2015 bombing that killed 20 people. ... My daughter is close to being able to swim, but progress is slow. She remains a little spooked by deep water since falling in a fish pond at a coffee shop. Understandable. ... I saw Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court and that same-sex marriage, contraception and other rulings may be in jeopardy. I'm also following the Jan. 6 hearings and war in Ukraine. No wonder I enjoy watching BabyTV so much with my 2-year-old son and daughter.

We get 4th Covid shot; I pull struggling girl out of pool

My wife and I got our fourth Covid vaccine dose. We debated if we really wanted or needed another shot, but since I'm approaching 68, have had some lung issues, and live in a city with dirty air where masks are becoming less fashionable, the debate was a short one. I didn't even feel the needle go in, but I developed some real tenderness in my shoulder that evening. It disappeared after two days. No other side-effects noted. I've said it before: I'll be a human pin cushion if it keeps me out of a hospital. My wife had the same shoulder soreness and some minor chills, but otherwise she's doing well.  Our soon-to-be 6-year-old daughter Joanna is next in line for a shot. Not sure about our 2-year-old son Elijah. I read where kids in the U.S. will be getting shots.  I would like our daughter to get jabbed before she starts school, either here or in the U.S. 
* * *
My daughter had floating devices on and was swimming widths last week in the bigger pool where we go. She swims well with floating devices because she doesn't have to keep her head under water for very long. This was the first time ever I stayed in my street clothes and didn't swim with her. So I'm squatting down next to the water talking to her, when a 12-year-old girl comes splashing toward us. Her mother stands next to me and is shouting to the girl, who starts to struggle a bit in the water. I see that the girl is in trouble about 4 or 5 feet from the side of  pool and starting to go under. Her mother is screaming at this point. I was hoping I wouldn't have to jump in the pool fully dressed with cell phone, shoes on and wallet in my pants to get the girl to safety. Nonetheless, I was certainly willing even though I'm a very mediocre swimmer. Just as I was ready to leap, the girl surfaced. I yelled for her to reach for my extended hand, which she did. I grabbed her hand and arm, and pulled her out of the pool. The girl just walked away coughing, and she seemed a little angry and perhaps embarrassed; I have no idea since the girl and her mother spoke zero English. The mom thanked me profusely in Vietnamese. A short time later, the girl played with my daughter in the kids pool, then returned to swim in the big pool's deep end. I don't know what to make of the whole deal. One of the reasons I didn't swim that day was that there were 28 kids in the pools, splashing, jumping, frolicking, and so on. Joanna wants the interaction, even if it's awkward due to language. She enjoys playing chase and race with the kids, but really hates being grabbed, and she's not afraid to make that point to any kid of any age, or adults as well. In fact, she hates being touched by anyone she doesn't know, and will let whoever touches her know she doesn't like it or want it. I encourage, love and respect my daughter's strong character.
* * *
Reading Salt by Mark Kurlansky, and it's becoming a slog. I like the substance and have mildly high blood pressure to prove it, but the book, while very interesting in parts, has a textbook flavor, so to speak. The facts and details are piled on high and are overwhelming at times. Like everything else in the world, Kindle is getting more expensive, so obviously I'll finish to keep my Kindle reading streak going (it's at 922 days in a row) and get my money's worth. ... I found a decent restaurant near our house, Hong Kong Seafood, and our whole gang walked there Thursday for dinner. We had shrimp, octopus, ribs, black eggs and tofu, and garlic with some kind of  cooked lettuce ... thanks to my wife, who did all the ordering and talking in this one-language eatery. The last time I went there with my daughter I got scallops and tofu that was put in to-go boxes, which wasn't my intention, so we ate out of the boxes at our table in the restaurant. The food was OK, but expensive, and the experience was weird. That wasn't the case with my wife there. ... I got my precocious daughter a hammock as an early birthday present and she loves it. Not even 6 years old yet and she understands chillin'.

Kid who snatched my credit card off counter tracked down

 I took my daughter on our weekly field trip to Vincom mall on Thursday and did some shopping. I purchased clothes, toys and food. My biggest load of purchases came at the bookstore, nearly 800,000 Vietnamese dong (about $40 U.S.) for some books for my son Elijah and daughter Joanna, paper, and toys. This is one of the few stores in Bien Hoa that allows me to pay with my debit card with a chip. I gave the clerk my card while another clerk and I examined a computerized sketchpad I bought to see what kind of battery it needs. While we fiddled with the sketchpad, a boy about 7 or 8 comes up and starts hugging me, acting a little strange. I sent him away and reassembled the sketchpad. While this was all happening, the clerk laid my credit card on the counter. After everything was put away and bagged, the clerk asks for my credit card again. I don't have it, I told her ... you had it. The clerk started looking, and then her search got a little more frantic. Three other clerks joined the search and the card was nowhere to be found. We emptied the five bags I had with me, looked under the counter and behind the counter. No card. I checked my wallet three times. No card. Then the manager said she would check the security camera. She came back right away and said the boy had taken it off the counter. Immediately, the security guard and three store employees fanned out through the mall. After an agonizing wait, one of the girls came back into the store and signaled they got the boy and card. I can't express my relief, since the card is my only source of cash here and it's nearly impossible to get a replacement sent into Vietnam from the U.S. Actually, the boy's father (I guess) came into the store and handed me the card, with no apology or anything, just a silly smirk on his face. And away they went. My daughter Joanna was remarkably patient through the whole ordeal. For some reason I thought about all the times people have scolded Joanna by using harsh or sharp tones for something "horrible" she had done: touching a fish on ice in a supermarket; leaving her shoes (like everyone else) in front of the shoe rack at the swimming pool; opening a glass door at a bakery to get a closer look at a fancy cake. Nobody said boo to the boy or his dad to my knowledge, and the boy took a credit card off a counter. Interesting world and times we live in ... Regardless of my percieved inequities, I want to thank the store employees for their grit and effort in getting my card back to me. Thanks, ladies, you were wonderful. Earlier, I won a stuffed pig and candy for Joanna at the video room playing one of those impossible claw machines. Turned out to be an OK day. 
* * *
It can be awkward for me when the pool we go to is crowded. A lot of kids want to practice their English, which means sometimes I'm being interviewed while I try to watch my daughter. I'm in the pool with Joanna 95 percent of the time, but the 5 percent breather or bathroom break is when the kids will usually pounce. Sometimes they try to talk when I'm in the pool, but I'll just go under water or hack around with Joanna. Often, parents will push their kids to approach me for speaking practice. I don't mind so much, but I really do need to keep an eye on my daughter, who's a bit of a risk-taker, which I don't like around water. When she wears floaties I breathe easier, but she's getting braver as she gets closer to being able to swim. One 11-year-old boy was firing a lot of questions at me and I saw that his mom was video recording the conversation. I have to wear a tiny Speedo here because it's the only suit in my size -- I've got a body like W.C. Fields these days and don't really appreciate being surreptitiously recorded. And I don't really appreciate the mirror in the bathroom when I change into the Speedo. Anyway, I put up a towel to block the video recording and the lady and her friends said sorry multiple times. It was all good-natured but I'd still like to know if someone is recording so I could say no thanks until I get in shape again.
* * *
I don't expect a ruling anytime soon on my wife's waiver application to get a visa to enter the U.S. As a result, I'm considering enrolling my daughter in an expensive private school in Bien Hoa, the only English-only school in town. We visited the campus and were impressed, and Joanna seemed to like it as well. 
* * *
I took my daughter to Ho Chi Minh City for an eye appointment, and the doctor said her vision and eyes are in tip-top shape , unlike her dad. Those were his words, not mine.

Delays in visa bid; fewer masks; distressing times

The date for a decision on my wife's waiver request for a U.S. visa  keeps getting moved back. We hoped to find out as soon as possible after the USCIS acknowledged receiving the waiver request Oct. 28, 2021. At one point, the USCIS web site indicated a decision was possible in late June. Then the date changed to late July; now it's late September. This means our daughter may have to start first grade in Vietnam. The only all-English school in town carries a hefty price tag approaching $20,000 U.S. dollar a year. I've been homeschooling, but I've seen the importance of peers for my daughter's development. She was doing fine with swimming lessons I provided at the pool but was reluctant to put her head under water. I didn't push it. Maybe she was shook up by her fall into a fish pond at a local coffee shop. But when she saw other kids at the pool swimming under water, she lost that reluctance and went under a bunch of times. I believe a little positive peer influence and competition would be invaluable for her.
* * *
Masks seem to be becoming a little irrelevant here, with more people exposing their faces. Perhaps the importance of selfies is playing a role in this. My daughter and I continue to wear masks whenever we go out, which is every day for several hours. We'll walk close to 3 miles round trip for swimming or fish watching at Lido or wherever. Vietnam recorded just over 1,000 Covid cases and no deaths on Sunday. By comparison, North Korea had 100,000 new 'fever' cases but only one death, which is amazing if true. I'm hoping to get a fourth Covid vaccine shot just to be safe.
* * *
I've backed away from watching the news, which is so distressing lately. The Texas shooting upset us greatly; we have a little girl of school age. I was a substitute teacher for a day in a predominately Hispanic class of second graders in California a long time ago, and I remember how sweet the kids were; there was very little English spoken in the class. The war in Ukraine continues with death, destruction and atrocities. There's no end in sight and the repercussions can be felt throughout the world. At least Covid seems less intense except in North Korea, which keeps lobbing missiles into the sea .... Changing to a lighter topic, we've had serious rain daily for over a week. This, I assume, is what a real rainy season is like. .... I got a chilly (that's the spelling on the menu) chicken roll at Bay Leaf Restaurant on Vo Thi Sau and it was outstanding. Every dish I've ordered there has been excellent. .... My Kindle reading streak passed 900 days in a row. I'm at 905. If I get to 1,000 I may miss a day on purpose to keep things at a nice even number.
* * *
I was hit twice in the past week by motorbikes while crossing the street with my daughter. No injuries for me and Joanna or the perpetrators either time. The first bump occured in the rain near The Coffee House. The rider must have really cut his left turn short as he came onto our street because he was in the wrong lane when he bopped me. Since we were past the center line holding umbrellas, I was looking the other way to make sure oncoming traffic didn't hit us, so I didn't see him coming. The impact was minor. I didn't get an apology. The second bump upset me a little more because the traffic light signaled for pedestrians to cross -- the little person lit up green which meant we should cross. I held up my left hand, which was holding a Bluetooth speaker I had just purchased (my right hand held my daughter's hand), just to be safe. Didn't matter because a cyclist banged into the hand and speaker as we legally and properly crossed the street in the zebra (white stripes). This impact shocked me a bit. The cyclist wouldn't make eye contact as I yelled at him about being blind and/or disrespectful, and he took off without looking back. A security guard sitting at a chicken joint on the corner thought the collision was hilarious. I'm not really sure what to do about these types of incidents. Hey, we're like the chicken and sometimes we have to get to the other side. I seemed to have fewer encounters with traffic when I carried my walking stick, but it's difficult to carry bread, pastries, fruit,  AND hold the stick AND my daughter's hand AND chew gum all at the same time. Since my back and foot are now functional, I can go without the stick. Besides, the walking stick makes me look like a fat, beardless Moses.

Rain won't go away, so we improvise to have fun

There are no free outdoor playgrounds near our house in Bien Hoa that I know of, so we have to improvise to provide fun and entertainment for our two young children. My wife is good at this, probably because she grew up in this environment. She supervises our 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son as they play in heavy rain -- and there has been a lot of heavy rain lately; it rains every day, sometimes for stretches of three and four hours.  The kids splash, puddle jump and run back and forth in the flooded streets. They love it. Our kids are unique playing in the rain because most adults here seem to fear the rain and keep their kids and themselves indoors even when it's cloudy. We have taken our kids to a place called tiNiWorld at the mall to play. Obviously, tiNiWorld has lots of options but it can be extremely crowded, which makes it much less enjoyable, and the coughing, sneezing crowds probably make it just as unhealthy as playing in the rain. A nearby coffee shop, Nup, had a slide and swings, but it closed down recently. The fish coffee shop, Kim Koi, has put in a few items for kids -- a small slide and springy toys -- but three kids make it crowded. It's better than nothing, but water for the koi creates a safety hazard in my view. My daughter fell into the water at Gosanke coffee shop, and my son's 3-year-old buddy fell into the water at Kim Koi. With no railing, this kind of stuff happens. Kids play soccer in the streets, but motorbikes and cars don't slow, swerving around the kids and blaring their horns. No matter.  Joanna isn't interested in sports and Elijah is too young. The park we go to has exercise equipment  primarily for adults. So for now, we go on long walks, go to the swimming pool and play in the rain.
* * *
I missed the flower moon this year due to cloudy skies and rain. I did see a nice moon the next night, although it was a day late and sliver short. My cell phone doesn't quite capture the beauty of a nearly full moon in the night sky, so I'll spare you the poor visual. Venus is usually visible in the night sky, but that's about it.
* * *
 The Internet has done wonders for my foot, pained by a tailor's bunion. I wear Softstar shoes around the house, apply ice when necessary and use a toe spacer; the combination has made my daily walks with my daughter enjoyable again, except for the heat and humidity.  I sent a note to Softstar complimenting them on their shoes, and "Elf " Tiffanie responded, thanking me for the note and saying that she was happy to hear about my pain-free walking. I guess the employees are elves -- so cute. My right foot, which was banged up and bruised when I fell down some stairs, improved on its own. I didn't even look online.
* * *
Our son Elijah has become a big fan of CNN. Not sure why. He cries in frustration when BabyTV is on, and relaxes and races to "his spot" on the couch when I change the channel to CNN. Those are the only two channels we watch. I try to be careful with what he sees, switching off if the details are too much on the mass shooting in Buffalo or war in Ukraine. The same goes for Joanna, who will repeat snippets from the news sometimes. But at least Joanna will still watch BabyTV; she enjoys the songs and a couple of the shows. So do I, for that matter. Admittedly, the kids probably watch more TV than they should, but with the rain alternating with 96-degree heat, options can be limited.
* * *
Joanna was drawing near the front door when the girl next door, who's 6 or 7, came up and gave Joanna the middle finger. She did it a second time and my wife saw and the girl ran away. This isn't a huge deal.  A boy down the street did this to Joanna as we took our walk, but the boy came up and stuck his finger in her face. I'll guess both kids probably saw this at school. A few years back a boy about 8 or 9 yelled $%&@ you! at my wife, me and Joanna as we walked up the street, and another young kid spewed about five or six choice words at me when I came home from the market. This stuff used to really honk me off, but these days I roll with it a lot better. If the remarks upset my wife or kids, maybe I'll get riled up, but usually my glaring stare will calm things down.
* * *
After finishing the 818 pages of Hamilton by Ron Chernow I've moved on to Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. So far, lots of facts, almost all very interesting. My Kindle streak continues at 893 days in a row of reading. My kids aren't the only ones with limited recreational opportunities. ... I'll give Joanna a long summer break from formal homeschooling, since she's had enough for the time being. I'll do an evaluation to see where she stands as far as entering first grade goes. I suspect patience and behavior will be more of a challenge for her than the academics. She'll thrive with the right teachers in the right environment. Probably true for all of us.

Fall from grace; late nights; Lenin statue in Hanoi

   In yet another sign that the end game can be rough sport, I fell while coming downstairs from the third floor of our house where I had gone to do a little exercise while my daughter colored animal pictures and my son resisted sleep. It was just a bit past 9 p.m.. Things like this happen quickly when you're older and slower. I wasn't drunk, since I don't drink these days. My left leg either buckled or missed a step, I grabbed the railing and it creaked a little. If I go through it's either death or close enough to death since there's no real barrier from the third to the first floor. That design has been a nightmare with our two children. It's cheaper to build up than out. No horrible damage as I write this the morning-after ... other than a sore right foot, tender left arm, sore neck and tweaked back. My daughter heard the commotion of me rolling down some steps and yelling out, and ran out of her bedroom asking "Are you OK, dad?"  What a sweetheart! Elijah came out smiling -- another reason to stay up late. My wife, who was exhausted from dealing with Elijah, dinner and tons of laundry, which requires multiple trips up and down our vertical living space, saw I was sitting up and seemed relieved. My wife has fallen on these unforgiving faux marble stairs a couple of times, once twisting an ankle. I've had a few crashes. Anyway, I was able to walk Joanna to the pool and swim with her on Friday. The entire trip is more than 2 miles, so that's a good sign.
* * *
I mentioned sleep resistance above because both of my kids don't like to go bed early, meaning before 9 p.m. I'll defend them a bit here. This is the tropics, or torrid zone (my daughter just learned this in her science book). It's either brutally hot or raining in the late morning and afternoon, so the optimal time for our kids to be active is very late afternoon and evening. Elijah takes a decent nap in the day and Joanna just doesn't enjoy sleeping like the rest of us,  although I've noticed she 'll read in bed in the mornings. Anyway, after dinner, which seems to stimulate our children, they're not in the mood for sleep. Joanna likes to draw in her room at night and will stay up way too late. Elijah bounces around a little but he's out like a light when he decides to sleep, usually around 9:15 to 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m. when dad falls down the stairs. Our kids' sometimes erratic sleep patterns contribute to my fatigue.
* * *
I was reading about Vietnam's neutrality in the Ukrainian conflict, which makes sense given its past relationship with Russia. What I didn't know was that the friendship was cemented when Russia gave Vietnam a statue of Lenin in 1982, which sits in a Hanoi park. The park is a haven for skateboarders, who probably don't give the statue much thought, but the gift from Russia seems to show a real bond between the countries. I rode past the statue and park on a bus tour of Hanoi with a friend, uh comrade, who visited a few years back.
* * *
The rain has stranded me and my daughter on our walks a few times in the past two weeks. A big storm the other night had us sitting in a milk-tea joint fairly close to our house. We waited through thunder and lightning, and Joanna finally got impatient and was willing to make a dash in the rain. We ran and the rain seemed to a let up a little. Our big adventure ended happily. I've heard thunder a few times while we're at the pool, and we get out of the water. No one else does, and people just swim while it's raining. I haven't actually seen lightning while at the 7th floor, outdoor pool, but hearing the clap and rumble of thunder is enough.
* * *
Spoiler alert: Alexander Hamilton gets killed in a duel with Aaron Burr in the book Hamilton. The West Indies immigrant who was George Washington's confidante and helped create our financial system and wrote much of the Federalist Papers, led a tragic, controversial and remarkable life. This wonderful book has pushed my Kindle reading streak to 887 days in a row. Just finished on Friday and I may let the streak end here. ... I tried to buy a fish tank for my daughter but it never got delivered. Oh well. ... My son Elijah looks up to his big sister so much that's he's started showing off for her at night, bouncing off the bed onto the faux marble floor. Ouch. Easy fella. You can get hurt in this house.

Fast-moving bread; birthday boy and a scary dip

 They zip down our street twice a day nearly every day with the signature, recorded chant of banh mi nong day, banh mi nong gion day (hot bread here, hot, crispy bread here) blaring over a loudspeaker. The men and women who race down our street on their motorbikes are carrying baskets filled with rolls and they seem as interested in covering a lot of ground as they are in selling the bread. Some people on our street join me in chuckling about the speed at which the bread sellers travel. If you're not outside, it's difficult to get these doughboys and doughgirls to stop and sell you bread. I've yelled from inside the house and they'll glance and keep moving. I've gotten them  to stop maybe once or twice with a yell from inside the house. Standing outside and waving a hand is your best bet. The reward is an OK roll that is best eaten right out of the basket. In a hour the crust can get absurdly flakey and the dough expands and gets chewy. But the bread, which doesn't cost a lot of dough, so to speak, at 5,000 dong (25 cents U.S.) per roll, is adequate in a pinch, even if you never know exactly when these bread bikes will come around. Sometimes I hear the familiar and not always comforting chant of  banh mi nong day, banh mi nong gion day at 6 a.m., and the chant continues (loudly) while the cyclist stops to make a sale outside our bedroom. The few times we've really wanted to buy a roll or two, they'll pass by after dinner or not at all. But all the sellers are pleasant, friendly and willing to change large bills. The seller I have a photo of picked up our daughter's shoes from the street and put them on our front steps when it started to rain; we were trying to dry them out after our daughter went puddle-jumping. The drive-bys are welcome since they bring some life to streets recently quieted by Covid. It's a sign that life is returning to normal. There is plenty of commercial traffic now on our street from motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians; these folks sell ice cream, mops and brooms, food and lottery tickets. And if you don't blink, you might see people riding on motorbikes selling bread.
* * *
Our son Elijah turned 2 on Friday, which seems incredible. Even more unbelievable, Joanna will turn 6 in July. I'm not sure Elijah understood the whole birthday party process, but he smiled every time I sang Happy Birthday. We had a little unwanted excitement before the birthday dinner when Joanna fell into the water at Gosanke, slipping off a wet rock while trying to touch some fish. My wife pulled her out of the water and things could have been horrible if no adult was around. The water was fairly deep -- over her head and she can't quite swim yet. I was chasing Elijah around the coffee shop's parking lot and didn't see any of the mishap. Elijah and I went back into Gosanke and a soaking wet Joanna was walking toward us with her mom. I took her home, had her shower, and we went back to Gosanke. Hopefully, Joanna learned a lesson. She seemed a little shook up by the incident, aplogizing to us, to the fish, to everyone. But she got right back on the rocks to feed the fish after she cleaned up and dried off. Maybe that's OK, as long she avoids the wet rocks and watches her step. And keeps close to me or  mom!
* * *
Rainy season is off to a roaring start here, with big storms coming four out of the last five nights. No water in the house yet, except from plumbing issues, so all is well. I've always enjoyed thunderstorms, and that's usually what we get here. ... My ailing foot has responded well to treatment and I'm able to walk where I need to go with Joanna, places like the pool and Japanese Bakery. I don't want pain to intrude on our trips, or prevent them from taking place. ...  The remarkably detailed book Hamilton by Ron Chernow is riveting, depressing, upsetting and inspirational. It has given me a whole new perspective of our founding fathers in the U.S. Hamilton has helped push my Kindle reading streak to 881 days in a row. It's a long book and totally absorbing so I expect the streak will grow. And speaking of streaks, I haven't drunk any booze of any kind for 29 months. Too busy reading and chasing my kids, I guess.  

Healthcare options; art, lessons and life combine

There seems to be a real split here on how to handle illness. There's the home, holistic, organic treatment crowd, of which my wife is a member and I'm on the fringe. These folks don't go to doctors or clinics much, except in an emergency, and prefer homemade remedies consisting of teas, roots, flowers and such. They'll go to the internet on occasion, but tend to stay within their own culture and associates, often on Zalo or Facebook. I'll use any online advice I deem appropriate and end up applying ice to 75 percent of my ailments. Unlike Peru, where the pharmacists would provide decent suggestions or advice, the pharmacists here haven't been particularly helpful to me, often giving hand waves and suggesting medicine not relating to my problem. When I try to speak Vietnamese, it only makes matters worse. No doubt a language thing. My Spanish seemed to be understood at times. The clinic/hospital advocates here understandably consist of many elderly people, but not exclusively. I mentioned my son's coughing and upset stomach to a young woman who suggested I take him to the hospital for chest X-rays. I appreciate her concern but thought X-rays weren't necessry at this point. Besides, hospitals are full of sick people. I guess you could have a family doctor, but I've never heard of anyone having one. Still, most medicines are considerably cheaper here than in the U.S.  My glaucoma eye drops cost about 75 percent less here than in the U.S. For now, I'll stick with the Internet and cheap meds.
* * *
 Homeschooling is going surprisingly well with my daughter, who remains focused on drawing and coloring animals, especially Komodo dragons and iguanas. But she has also combined art ideas with our lessons on landforms and illnesses due to poor nutrition, telling me "I have to draw a Komodo on a plateau with goiter." She never did draw the elevated, iodine-deficient Komodo dragon, but she drew more than 20 miniature  book covers on one sheet of paper; each one focuses on different aspects of her life, art and school the past few weeks. If you look close enough you can see a shark and whale breaching, a reading tiger, king Komodo and frog, the Lorax, and even Horton holding a clover with the Who on board. Joanna is approaching 6 years old -- hard to believe -- and she's really changed for the better but remains as quirky as ever. No real peers or organized outdoor activites may contribute to a little frustration at times.
* * *
  Speaking of frustration, I let my emotions get the better of me for the first time in a long while. A car came off the street onto the sidewalk where Joanna and I were walking to get a birthday gift for my wife.  The car started backing up toward us, so I held up the umbrella I was carrying and yelled as politely as you can yell, "Careful, there's two people here." At that, the car accelerated a little so Joanna and I moved to the side and I asked the guy "what's up, man?" He gave a mean-looking stare like I was in the wrong. That's when I lost it and shouted profanity-laced invectives at him and stared that loser down. And loser is the right word for someone who drives on a sidewalk, accelerates toward a father and his 5-year-old daughter after the father shouts "careful" and then tries to give the father the awkward eye. My daughter laughed hysterically at my vulgar behavior and language. That helped calm me down and we continued our walk to get Phuong's gifts. I'm sure Joanna will remember every inappropriate word I used, including the mother of all curse words. My $#@^%* bad.
* * *
Our son Elijah has been pretty sick this past week with a horrible cough, runny nose and vomiting for a few days. He really hasn't eaten much, and when he does he spits up pretty quickly. He still causes mischief around the house, but without the usual elan he exhibits. Too bad there isn't a magic wand or way to make a sick child instantly better. It's so tough to watch.
* * *
 We had the mother of all birthday parties this past week for the mother of Joanna and Elijah. It's been a tough week for Phuong with Elijah being sick and not sleeping much. Good thing she's still a young woman -- she needs the energy to handle Elijah. I got her some headphones, fancy bath soaps and sponge, and a computer table so she can lie in bed and use her laptop. I cooked -- nothing new there -- and Phuong's aunt made a fabulous cake -- nothing new there, either.. It was a wonderful little gathering; I wish Elijah felt better. Anyway, hope you had the happiest of happy birthdays Phuong, and many, many more.

Adapting to rainy season; feet don't fail me now

The early arrival of the rainy season has forced a few minor lifestyle adjustments. Sometimes I'll take an umbrella on afternoon walks with the kids, or only one of our two children will accompany me. I've been fortunate because I haven't been caught out in the rain with both children. Joanna and I have been stranded a couple of times already, and once we had to walk home from the swimming  pool -- about 1.5 kilometers  -- in a steady rain.  Yeah, we were already wet from swimming .... and there was no thunder or lightning so it wasn't scary.  But for whatever reason, whenever we're out in the rain we invariably get sniffles and sneezes the next day.  Since Covid still lurks here, that's a mild concern.  But with three shots and a couple of mysterious illnesses to my credit, I don't worry too much. I have enough other health issues to keep me occupied.  And Joanna seems to have an iron constitution. Just to be safe, we wear masks everywhere and keep plenty of orange juice in the fridge, which we guzzle after long walks. There's always a warm bath or shower to finish things up.
* * *
The shoes I ordered from Softstar Shoes in Oregon that are supposed to relieve tailor's bunion discomfort finally arrived via DHL They were stuck in Ho Chi Minh City customs for a while, so I called DHL customer service and the shoes arrived the next day. And the DHL driver's assistant or whatever he was gave me three DHL pens, which thrilled my ever-drawing daughter to the max. Good job by DHL. Anyway, I look like I have duck feet now -- hence, the Oregon ducks -- but so what; I walk pain-free on our hardest of hard floors. Walking barefoot or with so-called sports sandals in our house gave me nothing but pain. The duck shoes were pricey, and so were the customs fees, but worth it in the end. The internet suggested the shoes, ice soaks and pain relievers; all have helped. Walking is essential here, and I prefer to do it without pain.
* * *
My wife brought home some sesame flower buds from the park and she says they have medicinal value, claiming that they help with skin issues. She put quite a few of them in Joanna's bath and the skin issues our daughter had after swimming in a pool -- I suspected chlorine as the cause -- have disappeared. The flower buds are all over the street and park. I'm a believer and will try them on the scars on my nose left by heat rash and infection.
* * *
Joanna loves checking out the fish tanks at Mega Mart, especially the ones with sturgeon and lobster. A dad came up to the tanks with his son, reached in and pulled out a sturgeon and tried to hand it to my daughter. She squealed in delight, but didn't touch the fish.  That struck me as funny since she touches fish whenever she can at coffee shops like Kim Koi or Gosanke. The guy also pulled out a lobster to more squeals of delight.

* * *
I bought science text books at the local book store to assist with my homeschooling. The books aren't too corny and include stickers, which all kids like.  We've had lessons on obesity and nutrition, diseases, planets and seasons.  They're OK lessons. Joanna likes the books because they're her books, not random papers from the printer. They give her a sense of ownership and independence. We had a major breakthrough this week. I left the room and Joanna continued her work -- identifying singular and plural nouns, and verbs, in sentences -- by herself. That type of independent work was a first. She'll draw and color by herself all the time, but she's never done stuff like English and math without prodding and supervision ... until now.

Worrisome future for kids; bad reaction; go-to doctor

I wonder and worry about what kind of world my children will be growing up in  ,... actually, not just my children but everyone's children, and grandchildren as well. I chatted briefly with a friend about this. We're seeing a war of horrible atrocities in Ukraine that threatens to expand, a bitter political divide in the U.S., a virus that hasn't gone away yet, climate issues, and tensions between the U.S. and China. Who knows what's on the horizon. Adding to my gloom is being unable to get my wife a visa and take our two children to the United States. We can't even get a rejection on the waiver for a visa, which God knows we don't want.  A decision may not come for another five months at least. Covid and now refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine are possibly contributing to the delay in a decision on my wife's waiver. Those folks are obviously in a worse situation than we are, so there's no complaint on our part about refugees being a priority. We just want our children educated in the U.S., especially our daughter, who speaks, reads, and writes splendidly in English, but not so much in Vietnamese; I'm not sure why, but that's the reality. The one school here that conducts classes solely in  English costs about $20,000 USD a year; I'm not sure why, but that's also the reality. My concerns are more selfish than survival, but my children will need every advantage to face and overcome the challenges of a world in flux.
* * *
My daughter had a reaction to the chlorine in the swimming pool we go to -- at least I believe it was the chlorine -- with red bumps pretty much all over her body. There was no itching or pain, and the bumps are subsiding. But still. I wasn't affected, but Joanna spent a little more time in the water. Next time, we'll try bathing with a special soap immediately after she's out of the pool. Applying vaseline petroleum jelly beforehand is recommended, but vaseline is difficult to get here. I really want her to play in the pool because it helps a very energetic child burn off energy, and most importantly, she enjoys it. We'll try again once the bumps go away.
* * *
The Internet really has become my go-to "doctor" here. I try to use my experience and logic as well, with less success. Dr. Internet (I call her Dr. I for short) believes the nasty pain on the outside of  my left foot near my little toe is a tailor's bunion. It comes from walking way too much in inappropriate shoes, and genetics. My Ukrainian mom had foot issues. Anyway, Dr. I recommends 10 minutes of ice application to my sore foot three times a day and she also says to take anti-inflammatories and get more comfortable shoes. Being a good patient, I've been icing and drugging, and my shoes hopefully will arrive in a week or two. I can walk with a little less pain now, so I think Dr. I is on to something.
* * *
Delivery service here is very iffy for items coming from out of the country. Services like DHL and FedEx now want passport number, bank account statements and proof of purchase to get items out of Vietnamese customs. The eight books I ordered for my kids arrived this week; bunion-friendly shoes should be coming in the next couple of weeks. I ordered four books three months ago that never came -- lost $85 on that deal. I don't care about the money because I really wanted the kids to get those books. .... My Kindle streak is at 851 days in a row. Alexander Hamilton has reeled me in. .... My son Elijah loves all music. His favorite is Vivaldi's Spring. Excellent taste. He loves dancing, too, but to his credit he doesn't dance to Vivaldi; he just listens.

Covid still lurks; sketchbook helps conserve paper

My wife Phuong got her Covid booster shot with minimal side-effects. Good for her. I've read where a fourth shot or second booster might be beneficial to someone over 60, which means I'll be a human pin cushion if that's what is necessary to eliminate or minimize the impact of Covid. The virus still has life here, with close to 70,000 new cases a day. The total number of cases is now at 9.7 million. Schools go on and off quite frequently due to the virus. Masks remain in vogue for most of the general public. Businesses are very slowly returning to something resembling normal, but people must still be a little jumpy about Covid because our park remains relatively quiet and the swimming pool we go to has only a handful of people. But the coffee and milk tea shops here, which are something of an economic barometer, are drawing more and more customers.
* * *
My daughter Joanna's love of drawing, coloring and painting led to a minor dispute. Being a temperamental artist, she won't use two sides of a paper. I complained about waste. She can be overly fastidious at times, so I suspect that if the paper isn't absolutely, perfectly clean, she simply refuses to draw on both sides. She'll snatch clean sheets off the printer and she refuses to conserve despite talks about trees, waste and expense. At the mall bookstore I bought a good-sized sketchbook with about 15 pages. After two days, she's done elaborate drawings and colorings using only two pages. In the past, she would use between 15 to 20  pages over two days -- at least.  Maybe the larger size of paper and finite aspect of the sketch book has forced a change of attitude. The drawings are little stories and describe much of what we've learned in class. I say 'we' because so much of what 'we' study is as new to me as Joanna. Anyway, so far so good with the sketch book.
* * *
My daughter saw her first motorbike accident here ... and I hope it'll be her last but I won't hold my breath. A guy came off the sidewalk and merged into a guy coming down the street at a good clip right next to us. The guy on the street stopped his bike but the guy who merged into him didn't look at him and rode away, which probably means he was in the wrong. I thought he was. Joanna just watched the proceedings and didn't say anything.
* * *
Joanna and I returned to swimming this past week because Joanna is antsy and bored. Also, dancing at homeschool doesn't spin her beanie so much and there's no real playground in our area where kids gather. So we walk to Pegasus, a residential high-rise with a pool on the seventh floor. After some bouncing around the pool we go to the overpriced Japanese bakery across the street and Joanna eats a hot dog and pastry. I'm hoping the swimming helps my foot, which still hasn't recovered a from a marathon walk with Joanna last week to Lido and beyond. Ah, the Golden Years.

Big rainstorm drives our bees away; imitation isn't flattery

 We had tremendous rain all day Wednesday with high winds. It was kind of odd for this time of year, but when it finally stopped raining around dinnertime, the air was much cleaner and there were more stars visible in the night sky than I've ever seen here before. The rain did result in an unwanted change for me: all the bees departed the hive on our third floor balcony. I immediately saw the change when I went up to read that night -- there was an empty hive with a little honey visible, but no bees. I hope the bees moved on to a safe and drier location. I went downstairs and got my wife and we went up and cut the hive away from the branches it was built on and put it in our fridge. There was a tiny bit of honey remaining, and we squeezed it out and gave it to the kids the next day. I had a small taste and it was quite good, although perhaps a bit thin from the rain. Reading upstairs hasn't been the same since the bees left. I would accidentally bump a branch with my water bottle and the bees would get agitated and crawl all over each other, presumably to protect the queen. And once I got stung when I bumped a branch, and it took over a week before I could get the stinger out. Ah, those were the days. I'll miss seeing those bees when I read. The swarm turned hive was on our balcony for just shy of a month.
* * *
Joanna, Elijah and I went to Gosanke Koi Coffee and I pointed out a spider spinning a web near the water to my daughter. Joanna stayed to watch while I chased Elijah and prevented him from jumping into the water to play with the fish. Joanna yelled for me to come back and see something, so I returned to see a dragonfly caught in the web. I didn't even think to take a picture -- brilliant, huh? We didn't stay to watch the spider enjoy dinner.
* * *
One of the down sides of being a white monkey here is that I receive a lot of unwanted attention. And I do mean unwanted. My daughter was having a public meltdown -- it happens on very rare occasions -- and I also had Elijah with me. I really couldn't focus on my daughter to calm her down because Elijah would run away or also melt down if tried to hold him while dealing with my daughter -- the dreaded double meltdown. So Elijah and I headed toward the park while Joanna shrieked. Some shirtless adult male stood in his doorway mockingly imitating Joanna's screaming. I called the clown on his behavior, and signaled for him to come over and calm her down. He lost a staring contest to me and went inside his house. On the plus side, a woman watching us picked up the stuffed animal that Joanna threw into the  busy street in anger and gave it to us. A sobbing Joanna still had the wherewithal to say thank you. Earlier in the week in the smaller of the two parks, Elijah and I were playing soccer -- kicking and chasing the ball around, actually. When Elijah would kick the ball off the pavement and into the bushes or onto the grass, I would say, "Oh no!", get the ball Elijah. Two guys were attempting to smooth some concrete, and one of them mockingly copied me three or four times saying "Oh no!" to the great amusement of his buddy. Since they were imitating, I yelled to Elijah: "Matriculate the ball down the field!" about three or four times. The imitation stopped at "Oh no!" Sometimes, I'm just not in the mood for what passes as humor to some folks, especially when it's 97 degrees and I'm taking care of an energetic 22-month-old boy.
* * *
Joanna insisted we get a live sturgeon at Mega Mart and have it filleted. She watched the whole process and wanted the guys killing and cutting the sturgeon to say sorry to the fish. Didn't happen. My wife did a nice job cooking the nearly five pounds of sturgeon and it was dinner for two nights with some donated to Phuong's family. ... I damaged my left foot pretty good on a monster walk. It may be an inflamed tailor's bunion, according to Dr. Internet, so we'll see if the pain subsides. At least it takes my mind off my back.

Wild trio find fish in nicer setting; field trips continue

Since I was asked to leave Kim Koi 2 -- with my two young children in tow -- for not ordering from the concession stand fast enough, our wild trio has gone to another fish/coffee place near our house. It's tucked away on a side street, and the clientele isn't as sketchy as Kim Koi 2, which is located across the street from the park. We've been here before. The coffee shop, Gosanke Koi Coffee,  has waiters and waitresses and a lot more natural setting than Kim Koi with several interconnected ponds, a bridge over the largest pond, rocks and plants, and even a faux waterfall. Kim Koi 2 has narrow walkways over the water, which doesn't work for my 22-month-old son Elijah. But he requires constant monitoring no matter where we go. Both of my kids like to live on the edge, so to speak, when we go out, whether it's near water or electric or trash. Joanna was feeding the fish and touching them, and naturally her brother wanted to copy. He was fascinated by the fish but I could easily see him falling into the water, which would be nothing but bad news. Anyway, the drinks are pretty much the same at Gosanke as everywhere else in town -- milk teas and a preference for ice in the coffees. They make a nice strawberry smoothie. Prices are standard. We went to this place before, but Joanna kept getting on the edge of the rocks so we moved on.  Now we're back ... with Elijah.
***
My daughter Joanna can be up and down with school -- she was way up a couple of weeks ago, but lately she's not interested at all, except a little in math word problems, of all things. Well, she still loves drawing and a little painting, but academics not so much. I think she's bored and could use more social interaction. She seems to really enjoy outdoor time, which isn't easy for me since it's 97 degrees every day. But I suck it up and drink lots of water and we go on decent walks daily. Last week, we wandered all the way to Lido, which has been closed for the longest time due to Covid. The metal doors were still closed, but a man happened to be opening them and he invited Joanna and I inside. We went in, ignored the barking dogs, and had all of Lido to ourselves. The manager or owner or whatever the man is, brought me a hot coffee with condensed milk -- delicious -- and encouraged Joanna to look at the fish and river and anything else at Lido. We had a wonderful time so ... "thank you, Mr. Lido." The only bummer was the long, long walk home in the heat and a shoe that hurt my left foot.

* * *
We've seen disappointing news online regarding my wife's waiver application to get a visa to enter the U.S.  The response time has been extended, meaning we have no real idea when we'll get the ruling. It looked like we'd hear something by July, but now August or September or beyond seems possible. Wait times were 7.5 months maximum when we began this process; now they're 10.5 months. I'm not sure if the horror in Ukraine has any impact on the USCIS waiver process. Or Afghanistan,, which has become an afterthought in the wake of Vladimir Putin's Russian invasion of Ukraine. I know that USCIS delays were being attributed to Covid a while back. Speaking of which, Vietnam is now 13th highest in the world in total Covid cases with nearly 8 million and has been posting 150,000 to 190,000 new cases a day for the past week.
* * *
A Thai kickboxing studio opened where the old Dacne (sic) Studio used to be. Joanna loves watching the instructors kick and punch the punching bags, and threatens to take lessons. The instructors smile and bow. ... I'm beating my way through Alexander Hamilton, which is over 800 pages. Nasty politics is nasty politics, whether it's 2022 or 1787. My Kindle streak is at 834 days in a row, but afternoon walks with Joanna and Elijah are taking their toll and I know I'll eventually sleep through one of  my nightly reading sessions. ... The Bay Leaf Indian restaurant continues to produce amazing dishes -- I like spicey and they got it. Tikka masala and korma were outstanding last week. (I prefer chicken but my wife likes the mutton).

A week of sickness but Covid test negative

The past week has been a rough one health-wise for our family, but the bottom line is a negative Covid test for me after some scary symptoms: sweats, chills, nasal congestion, headache, sore throat, chest pain, coughing and wheezing. I thought I was a lock for Covid since the people across the street had it. But most of my symptoms were short-lived, however, and took place over the course of five days. The coughing and wheezing continue to nag me, but I attribute that to being an ex-smoker. Speaking of smoking, my six-year anniversary of stopping cigarettes will be March 22. Anyway, since Vietnam gave up on the 0 Covid policy, which seemed impossible with all the variants, the number of new cases has risen dramatically. I remember when 15,000 new cases daily upset people. Now the daily case count is more than 10 times that number -- it's been close to 200,000 new cases a day for the past few days --  and the overall total is approaching 6 million.. Most of the country is vaccinated -- I've had three shots -- but it seems people are still getting sick. There are a lot of viruses out there, no doubt, so perhaps our family picked up one that isn't Covid-related. We're all almost 100 percent healthy. That hasn't been the case for a while.
* * *
Vincom, the big mall in town, is showing the effects of the recent  Covid surge in Vietnam.. It has very few customers -- obviously bad for business but great for me and Joanna on our weekly field trips. We practically have the whole mall to ourselves, which is especially fun for Joanna, who loves to run the aisles and handle every item in the stores. The employees usually are on their cell phones and don't  bother us unless we ask for help. Joanna and I still walk daily to a coffee shop or a specialty grocery store in the heat of the afternoon, then we'll come home around 4 p.m. and I'll take Elijah to the park, and also for a walk  around town. He loves the electronic ticker tape above a jewelry store on Vo Thi Sau and we stop while he watches the letters and numbers go round and round. If he enjoys an activity, it's difficult to pull him away; we've stood on the corner watching the ticker tape longer than I care to mention. We're spending more time at a smaller park across the canal from the main park so Elijah can kick his ball and run free. Joanna joins us most of the time, and she'll look at little creatures and critters and toss sticks and such into the canal while Elijah runs around and tries to remove his face shield.  Joanna is wonderful about wearing her mask but Elijah won't wear a mask and he resists but usually relents with the face shield. If my wife ever gets a visa, and if we ever get to the U.S., we'll probably still wear a mask even if it's not mandated.  We're just used to it now, except for Elijah.
***
Like staring at a horrible car accident, I turn on the TV each day to watch events in the Ukraine for 10 minutes or so. I hope for a glimmer of good news or any sign of peace, but the situation is deteriorating rapidly and the news is always grim. ... Motorbikes still race up and down our street at high speeds. There's not quite as many since I wave my arms like a scarecrow and urge people to slow down whenever I'm outside. Most folks are OK with it and slow a little, but some tough guys will glare and speed up just to show me, well, how tough they are. ... My Kindle book, Alexander Hamilton, is a little like a textbook at times but fascinating nonetheless. Since it focuses in part on the formation of the U.S. system of government, the details can be a touch mind-numbing. Still, it's excellent overall. ... It looks like the swarm of bees on our third floor balcony is now a hive, and my wife talks of getting honey from it. She can get it ... I'll sit inside the house and watch, with the windows closed.

Our family gets sick after neighbor contracts Covid

 Both of our children were sick this past week with low-grade fevers, crankiness and clinginess. They had runny noses and some sneezing, and a little bit of coughing. My son could have been fighting teething issues, but I think something else was going on, especially since he has a cough. My daughter seemed to have the worst of it, staying up most of  the night on Sunday, acting a little delirious and taking extremely rare afternoon naps on Monday and Tuesday. Everybody was getting closer to being 100 percent as the week went on. I mention this because the guy across the street was diagnosed with Covid this week and he was showing our daughter his caged hamster last Saturday. He wasn't wearing a mask; he's one of several people I see on our street roaming around outside without a mask. New cases are topping 100,000 a day in Vietnam, although they're reportedly low in our province. I don't want to sound too cynical, but there's probably more since not everyone is testing all the time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added Vietnam to the Level 4 "high risk" travel destination category this week due to Covid.  My wife and I now feel ill, with runny noses, sore throats and other unmentionable issues. We'll be fine. Most of the schools in our area have returned to online learning after a short stint of in-person classes. Some of the students were diagnosed with Covid. My daughter had a tiny bit of homeschooling this week, but I let her cruise. She's more than earned it with some excellent work of late. Being sick when it's 96 degrees with a real feel of 104 due to humidity can be confusing -- is it fever or just the nasty heat? Thermometers and chills determine real-deal sickness. No chills yet and, as noted, fevers were low grade. Ironically, after watching cases soar in the U.S. when cases here were relatively low, the situation has been reversed now.
* * *
I play classical musical as background for homeschooling for Joanna, and it stays on much of the day until my daughter hijacks the laptop to watch an ever-changing variety of videos, from kids songs, to Octonauts, to David Attenborough. It's so cute because she'll be coloring and humming Beethoven, or Vivaldi, or Mozart. My son, who's going to be 22 months old soon, likes Vivaldi, mainly because of the cartoon of birds, leaves, snow, and rain that accompanies Vivaldi's "four seasons." It's must-watch video before bedtime for Elijah, meaning he'll fuss unless it's played. It almost always gets played.
* * *
It's getting more difficult to watch coverage and read about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The bombing of residential areas and subsequent civilian casualties are becoming more prevalent. U.S. President Joe Biden warned that some grim days were coming for Ukrainians in his State of the Union address. True enough. And bombing that resulted in a fire at a Ukrainian nuclear plant shows just how ruthless and reckless this attack has been.
***
There are fewer crazy speeders on our street, but still enough to cause concern and lead me to signal the drivers to slow down. ... We're probably looking at waiting at least another five months before we get a decision on my wife's visa request ... Alexander Hamilton bio-book is interesting and entertaining, and part of it takes place near where I grew up and even includes events involving the Brandywine River, where I did a little swimming as a teen.

Ukrainian roots add to my concern about invasion

My mom was Ukrainian, so I'm intensely following Russia's current invasion of the Ukraine.  I'd follow it regardless, of course. I make no pretense of fully understanding the methods or motives of Russian President Vladimir Putin. I know what I read, and I read that bombs are falling and people are dying. And that much of the world is united in opposition to Putin's invasion. Add my name to what I would assume and hope is a long and growing list. My mom's family came from the Ukraine -- she and my grandfather spoke Ukrainian in the house --  and it's possible we still  have some relatives in or around Kyiv. No one in my family has the time or inclination to find out for certain let alone try to make contact. Regardless, if my mom's life and behavior are any indication, Ukrainians are generous, hard-working and decent people. Perhaps they're ill-fated, but that's yet to be determined. I can only hope at this point that there's a peaceful resolution, quickly, and no more lives are lost because of politics, power or whatever else that is driving this senseless and cruel invasion.
* * *
Coronavirus remains very active in Vietnam, with nearly 78,000 new cases reported yesterday along with 88 deaths. I'm not sure which variant is responsible for the uptick, but I would guess Omicron, which apparently is extremely contagious but not as severe as other variants. I've had family members get sick with Omicron and fortunately all have fully recovered. In-person school started here last week and some cases were reported, which prompted  more testing. I'm not sure how extensive the outbreak was or what the next step will be.
* * *
One of the big supermarkets in town, Mega Market, is undergoing another remodel. It seems like this place remodels every three or four months, making finding groceries something of an epic journey. The place is huge, and sells just about everything, but the problem is ... everything could be anywhere, including inside boxes ready to be hidden away in some far corner of the store. My daughter and I went this week and fortunately the fish in the tanks were in the same place so my daughter could look at the sturgeon and goby. I got discombobulated with the remodel and forgot some key items, but no big deal. I asked where the ostrich is and an employee told me they no longer have it. I walked around and found it close to where it used to be. I asked a girl where the cereal was relocated to, and she sent me down an aisle with no cereal. Probably a language thing. Never did find cereal -- the shelves were bare at the old location. None of this really matters. The whole point is to get my daughter out the house, where we hunker down due to the wicked sun and 98-degree heat each day. We have walked at 3:30 p.m. or so quite a bit, but the heat wears us down.
* * *
I took my children Joanna and Elijah to Kim Koi 2 last week to see the fish. I sat in my usual seat with Elijah, and Joanna ran off to look at fish. Then some woman I've never seen there before comes up to me and points to the concession area. I say thanks and that I'll order in a little bit, and continue showing my son the fish.  The woman persists with talking I didn't understand and pointing. I guess she's an employee -- I'd never seen her before and we've gone to this place about 10 times since it reopened a few weeks ago, buying 4 boxes of pretzels and a peach tea each time (and I always leave a tip). Well, the woman didn't leave, and then she lost an icy staring contest with me, got agitated and called for security, and the security woman comes over -- with a badge on her shirt, no less -- and points to the concession area with a scowl on her face. Sorry, folks, but I like to order at my own pace at a place like this, which doesn't seem to have waiters or waitresses since it reopened. I didn't make a fuss. I just got up and told Joanna we're leaving, and away we went. I'm sure the two women could care less about my style of ordering or my son and daughter's happiness, or the lost business, for that matter. Besides, this place smells like, well, fish.
* * *
I mentioned the heat earlier -- upper 90s daily -- and lately there have been showers most days at around 4 p.m., which gives the humidity a little boost. ... Currently reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Good stuff. My Kindle streak is at 813 days in a row, owing to the heat and limited entertainment here. ... The bee swarm remains on our third floor balcony. ... Poetry has been added to my homeschool curriculum with Joanna, and it's a big hit, especially the rhyming. So, later gator.

Refusing to accept speeding drivers on our street

 I've adjusted as well as can be expected to the weather here. The heat and humidity are excruciating, but I'm coping by getting up early in the morning when it's coolest, staying inside and occasionally napping during the heat of the day (10:30 to 3 p.m.), and spending time outside before dinner, and sometimes after dinner.
   There are some interesting meals in Vietnam, and generally the food is OK; there are more choices now than when I first moved here, even if fresh fruit like blueberries can cost $5 for a small plastic tub and strawberries can fetch a whopping $12 for 12 berries in the specialty stores.
    I've even accepted line cutting to small degree if I'm buying a ton of stuff and the cutter has one or two items. Generally, I'll be proactive in those instances and invite the would-be cutter to go ahead of me.
   So while we wait for a final ruling from the USCIS on our efforts to get a visa for my wife to enter the U.S. and get our daughter into a decent school there, I consider all contingencies. If we get rejected, could I play out the end game in Vietnam? Well, if we could find an acceptable school for our children, perhaps. I guess I'm trying to point out that even with the many differences between life in Vietnam and life in the United States, I've adapted to most aspects of life here (gradually). There are so many wonderful people in Vietnam.
   But there's one aspect of life here that I refuse to accept and never will: when people ride their motorbikes or cars at high rates of speed down our narrow street, often in excess of 100 kmh, and neighbors and pedestrians look away and pretend it's not happening. When I yell at the speeders to slow down -- and I have to yell because they're going too fast and their bikes are too noisy for the folks to absorb a polite "excuse me" -- the stoics/neighbors will look at me like I'm crazy or out of line, either rolling their eyes or trying to give me the ice stare. One guy asked me sarcastically: "You police the street?" I answered yes because I have two young children who don't understand that many vehicles won't stop or slow down for them when they walk or run in the street. The drivers will use horns constantly but won't slow down.
   The sidewalks have plants, chairs, motorbikes, and assorted junk on them, so the streets are the only option when we walk to the little market around the corner, or anywhere else for that matter. Lots of folks drive big SUVs here, and they can fill up the street. Bikes will race around them if the SUVs aren't speeding, and they can unexpectedly appear around a vehicle in our walking path. They won't stop or slow down but swerve and skim past us. That's why I've been hit about six or seven times -- four on the sidewalk -- and my daughter has had way too many close calls, and she's been hit twice on the sidewalk. I use a walking stick to alleviate back pain, and also to keep vehicles at bay. When people cross busy streets here they hold up their hands so they're seen. I've held up my walking stick in the white-striped pedestrian zone while holding my daughter's hand and some riders have refused to slow down or stop and they've come so close to me they've hit their heads on the stick. It happened twice last week, and a delivery bike driver hit my stick, which was in a vertical position at my side. All three "victims" glared and stared and shouted something or other at me, but, of course, they didn't slow down and continued on their way.
  Admittedly, I've made a lifetime of stupid decisions and choices that have cost me dearly. But being proactive to try to slow down speeding, reckless and arrogant drivers for the sake and safety of my kids and other pedestrians, isn't one of them. I don't want a confrontation, but I expect human decency and civility. And on a happy note, lots of teens and other regulars on our street have slowed down. Like I said earlier, there are so many wonderful people in Vietnam.

Molar drops out of my mouth; bees on balcony DO sting

While eating cheese and crackers last week -- a taste of home -- one of my molars broke in half and fell out of my mouth. Obviously, it was that tooth's time to go since cheese and crackers delivered the knockout blow. I called Nha Khoa Sai gon - Viet My (I call it Saigon Dental Clinic) in Bien Hoa, the same folks who took care of my daughter's cavity a few months ago, and they told me to come in the next day. I had X-rays on the first visit, a temporary crown put in on the second visit, and I'm due back next week, presumably for the permanent crown. I might have one more visit for a final check. My out of pocket expense for the entire treatment is about $213 U.S. dollars, or 4,850 Vietnamese dong. Best of all, these guys seem very competent. Other than some minor language issues with the receptionists, I trust the process, so to speak. Another molar that fell out maybe six months ago -- I don't remember and don't feel like researching -- was treated by a "family" dentist and still bothers me sometimes. That dentist had trouble getting the new crown in place and used a little hammer to whack-a-mole it. The hammering took place next to a gold tooth I have that one of my former students wants when I check out. The gold tooth can also be sensitive sometimes, but I'll deal with both of the crowns since they do what's necessary.

* * *
The bee swarm remains on our balcony, Even though I've been told otherwise by family members, I know from first-hand experience that these bees do sting. A bee landed on my thumb while I was reading Friday night and it stung me pretty good. Not sure I got all of the stinger out because the thumb is red and has a tiny bit of swelling. No big deal but to all the naysayers, these bees do sting. I might have bumped a lower branch, so I probably had this one coming. These bees aren't aggressive and there are no hard feelings and the swarm, or maybe it's a hive now, remains. Joanna and I enjoy it either way since it brings some nature right on top of our house. 
* * *
I'm about to hit 800 days in a row of Kindle reading. I'm currently absorbed in The Last Days of the Incas,  a book about Francisco Pizzaro and the conquest of Peru. I wish I had read this book before I spent time in Peru. I find myself rooting for the Incas and native people, and hoping the Spanish invaders get theirs, but I'm rooting for a cause that's already been lost. ... The flowers remain at the base of the trees in our neighborhood park, meaning our son Elijah has no place to play soccer. Balls are still prohibited from the park -- some people ignore the restriction -- and motorbikes and cars won't slow down if we play on the street in front of our house. I've mentioned that Elijah will bang a ball around the house, but that's starting to lose its thrill -- there's not enough room to roam. Also, children are now prohibited from grass areas in the park enclosed by low hedges, which our daughter used to hurdle while running the length of the park. That activity has been halted so Joanna doesn't run much ... Despite the reduction of physical activity outside, our daily homeschool lessons start with dancing and stretching to YouTube videos. The warmup, the introduction of hangman into our lessons and frequent breaks for snacks  have made homeschooling much more productive. ...  I bought Joanna some rollerblades, and even though the early going has been a little touch and go, she loves them and is working hard with her mom to stay upright. ...   Elijah is struggling with teething, and perhaps an early case of the terrible 2's, and hasn't been a happy camper lately, which is unusual for this usually cheerful fellow. We're encouraging more toys, block play and reading to fill in the gaps, so to speak. He's also getting lots of ice chips. ...  Hot weather is starting to really pick up, with late morning temperatures hitting the low 90s and afternoons in the mid- to upper-90s. February, March and April are particularly brutal for some reason. Maybe there's slight relief when the rainy season approaches. It's all hot to me -- wet or dry. ... In-person schooling should start next week after a long online stretch due to Covid. I guess students must take a Covid test before returning. I don't know if masks are required. Our family, and most people, wear masks outside the home. That's a good thing on many levels.

Sick feeling after booster; no balls in park; hot water

 After receiving my Covid booster last weekend, I felt absolutely awful. For two days, I had a thumping headache, dizziness that kept me off my feet, chills and body aches, pain at the injection site, and even more fatigue than usual. I'm such a wimp. I can't thank my wife enough for putting up with my whining, and providing care for me and our two children. My son Elijah has been under the weather a little with a runny nose and cough, and I picked up some of that to go with my vaccine reaction. The side effects gave me a little feel of what having Covid would be like. It would suck, and my heart truly goes out to folks who have had to deal with any form of the coronavirus. My booster was from Pfizer, and my first two shots were AstraZeneca. I had no serious reaction to the first two shots, but the third shot was another story. Nonetheless, I'll gladly put up with side effects for a couple of days if it means avoiding full-blown Covid and staying off a ventilator. I've had pneumonia in the past five years, so there's no telling how my 67-year-old flabby body would handle the real deal. I'd be remiss in my blogging if I didn't acknowledge the Vietnamese government and health officials for providing testing and vaccines to me free of charge. Wonderful. And thanks to my father-in-law for giving me a ride to get my booster and guiding me through the paperwork, raucous line and aggressive line-cutters to ultimately get my jab. Great job. And thanks to whoever donated the vaccines. Everybody contributed.
* * *
Security guards at our neighborhood park said that due to concern for the new flower pots around the trees, balls of any kind are prohibited at the park, meaning Elijah does a lot more kicking at home these days. The park is extremely peaceful now with fewer visitors, no soccer and only a few joggers and cyclists. However, part of the slowdown is probably due to Tet, when families gather at home. It's kind of like Thanksgiving in the U.S.  Covid seems to have had a little impact, but folks here are determined to celebrate the lunar new year regardless. Cheers!
* * *
While the East Coast of the United States, where I grew up, has been dealing with snow and frigid temperatures, we're cooking here in Bien Hoa, with temps in the 90s daily -- it reached 97 Wednesday -- and of course nasty humidity. I don't even bother to look up how humid it actually is. I just feel it. The ""real feel" temperature is usually in the upper 90s or triple digits. I knew I was having a bad reaction to the shot when I had chills, a first for me here. Really. Our water is solar heated; the equatorial sun can be intense and so can our hot water. You have to be careful in the shower because a nudge of the faucet handle can turn warm water into dangerously scalding hot water. On the plus side, dishes get really clean when the water is super-heated by the sun. But if you don't know the water has been hot, you can actually burn yourself by turning the tap on and washing your hands. The only time the water is really cool is rainy season when there's no sun and you could really use a hot shower sometimes.
* * *
The bee swarm on our third floor balcony looks like it's sticking around for a while. It's been there a week and just gets bigger. The heart-shaped swarm is very still at night but there's some movement in and around the swarm during the day. My daughter is fascinated by the swarm and the bees, and so am I. We'll go out and take a look in the day, but she has to hold my hand and she's not allowed on the balcony by herself now. A few bees fly in and out of the swarm during the day. I still read next to the flowers and swarm at night and feel safe. Like I said, there's no movement at night. ... I just finished reading  Over the Edge of the World, the story of Magellan, and it was fascinating. These could be cruel times, of course, but that cruelty could be evident on the ships as well as the lands discovered by the sailors. Mutinies apparently were rather common, and if unsuccessful, mutineers were not kindly dealt with. Torture was a tool of the times. This was a pretty long book which I finished fairly quickly given my lifestyle. Same with the Columbus book I read. Now I'm reading The Last Days of the Incas. This should wrap up my Age of Exploration (also called Age of Discovery) unit.

Prettier park draws less people; awesome Indian restaurant

 The park near our house has been decorated with countless potted plants with flowers in preparation for Tet. It looks nice. The security guards have waved off soccer players so the plants don't get destroyed. The little grass areas are off-limits to anyone older than about 6 years old, so soccer has been essentially banned from the park during Tet. It's a welcome prohibition for me since soccer balls have hit me in the back while chasing my kids around, and one whizzed past my wife's head the other day. The kids playing laughed at the close call. Older kids and adults don't relax their intensity even if younger children like Elijah or Joanna wander into their playing area. Serious soccer, or even just kicking the ball back and forth with velocity, reduces the amount of park for people who want to walk or jog or ride a bike, and increases the odds for injury. I'm not a huge supporter of bike riders unless they're children, and even then I have my doubts because kids like to zoom and show off.  And many older riders (and joggers, come to think of it)  don't yield to anyone, sort of like soccer players, expecting others to humbly scurry out of their way. Because of the numerous potted plants, not many people have been coming to the park -- a couple of cyclists and joggers, and a few families with young children. Even the litter is reduced. I wouldn't mind if the flowers became a permanent addition. It's so pleasant now going to the park every afternoon with our kids.
* * *
The Bay Leaf restaurant on Vau Thi Sau serves outstanding Indian food, as good as any I've had, and it's within easy walking distance of our house. I usually get some type of spicy chicken dish and my wife gets mutton tikka masala. We always get saffron rice and naan -- cheese and garlic. Covid  hasn't helped business, but the owner, a really good guy, stays the course. I want this place to thrive because the food is top-notch. I highly recommend the Bay Leaf. Don't fear the spice. They'll work with you and adjust dishes at your request. We go once a week, every week. 
* * *
Covid remains very much on people's minds here, even with a reported 79 million people vaccinated in Vietnam; the country's population is about 97 million. I got my booster shot Friday morning with much pushing, shoving, shouting and line cutting taking place. The numbers say Vietnam is adding around 15,000 new cases a day; schools remain closed, which for the time being makes my daughter's situation moot. Homeschooling rolls along and we just finished shark week, and my daughter was intrigued with this ancient fish. She read quite a bit of factual material about sharks with no protest and she enjoyed a true story about a New Zealand surfer who survived an attack. Her math is up and down but clearly improving and her reading excels and is even becoming expressive.
* * *
I'm not sure what the issue is, but our children won't go to sleep before 9 p.m. no matter what we try. Joanna has never, ever napped and sometimes sleeps late (9 a.m. wakeup on occasion), but she usually wakes up before 8 a.m. and often goes to bed around 10 p.m. or later. Elijah has started staying up past 9 p.m. and gets up around 7 a.m.  He'll nap, but his naps are getting shorter, about an hour or so. I think the brutal heat creates long periods of inactivity for our kids, so when the air conditioners go on at night, the kids get more active and sleep becomes an intrusion on their frolic time. I've talked to other parents here who have told me their children stay up later than what many parenting websites recommend. But maybe that's the new normal. For me, no nap means more coffee and sugar, and longer walks with Joanna. Pretty good alternatives, really.  

Ride baby ride; mudfish; what's in a number?

The scooter my wife got for our son has led to our daughter's favorite in-house activity. Joanna zooms around the house on the scooter, which is more solid and balanced than the one we got her a year or so ago. The zooming can be a little bothersome; she's slammed into our feet a couple of times and skirmished with her brother over scooter possession. Elijah loves scootering in the house as well. To remedy the scooter controversy, we began encouraging Joanna to ride her bicycle without training wheels. She's always been lukewarm about riding her bike, even when it had training wheels. Without training wheels, she was downright reluctant to ride. But my wife persevered,  God bless her, and insisted she try, guiding 2-wheeled practice with her hand on Joanna's back and sometimes the seat. I also provided training; my back did not enjoy the half-bent posture required to hold the back of the seat  of Joanna's bike for support, but I endured. This past weekend, I guided her to the park from our house on the bike, and then we make a big loop around the park.  The more we practiced, the less she needed my assistance. She was breaking away, so to speak. When my wife relieved me, Joanna wanted no help at all.  She was riding on her own -- banging into pedestrians, other cyclists and joggers, but riding on her own nonetheless. (I don't worry about collisions too much since people make very little effort to get out of each other's way here. She fits right in.) Her new ability has done nothing to reduce her in-house scooter patrol, but I'm pleased and proud she can ride a two-wheeler on her own. 
* * *
At a coffee shop very near the Dong Nai River, my daughter said she saw a mud skipper, a fish that can live and walk out of water for extended periods of time; she saw a video on YouTube about it. Since she also claims to see dinosaurs and snakes (really, trucks and trains), I dismissed the mud skipper claim. But when she became animated about it, I took a look in the little stone canal she was pointing to and sure enough, sitting on a rock was a chubby, eel-like creature. It didn't move for a while, then slithered into the water, and away it went. I'm not exaggerating when I say Joanna has an incredibly sharp eye for spotting critters and creatures. I believe what she saw was a mudfish, which can survive out of water for a while, slowing its metabolism and taking in oxygen through its smooth (not scaly) skin. Some species of the fish are endangered in New Zealand and Australia; it's found in swampy, lowland areas, which helps explain why Joanna saw one near the Dong Nai River in Vietnam. People do eat them, but they can be boney, so be careful. The one we saw wouldn't amount to finger food.
* * *
The guy across the street is removing the pile of wood that's been in front of his house for years -- probably as long as I've lived here (9 years). Not sure if it's connected to Covid that the family had, or the government finally leaning on him, or just his desire to clean up.  I'll admit there have been virtually no rats coming out of the pile since lots of feral cats showed up on the woodpile about a year ago. It's probably better to be inundated with cats instead of rats, but I'm no expert on the matter.
* * *
 I made a friend with a city worker at our park by simply thanking her for picking up the loads of trash discarded  under nearly every recently installed bench. She seemed so pleased that I appreciated her work and criticized those who would litter where they were sitting. There are two trash cans in the park and cans and receptacles on the streets adjoining the park. The workers I see at the park know us now and are very friendly. I won't ever forget that one of them warned me that my son had slipped away and was climbing the railing of the bridge over the stinky canal.
* * *
My blog passed 77,777 hits, but I missed seeing the number. Maybe I was too busy reading -- my Kindle streak will hit 777 days in a row this weekend. I'm really not much for lucky, unlucky numbers, and omens and such these days. I believe and truly understand now that actions and decisions determine our fate, but I'm also not the type who will look a gift horse in the mouth, whatever the hell that means. If good fortune comes my way, I'll take it. ... My brother and his wife are both recovering from a bout with the Omicron variant, and apparently they had somewhat different symptoms that dragged on for a little while. I didn't press for details. They're going to Florida to rest, relax and continue their recovery. I'm very pleased they're OK now.

Nobody home; kicks; dangerous traffic; Covid's impact

Some odds and ends from the past week as I'm hoping to wind down the blog.

During our creature search, my daughter Joanna found an empty snail shell and yelled into it: "Is anybody home?" Since no one answered, we couldn't cross it off our list of creatures to find. ... My son Elijah loves kicking so much that he'll put his foot to anything that isn't nailed down. In the park, an empty coconut kept him occupied for 10-15 minutes. In the house he'll kick a regulation leather ball barefooted, and when he gets his hips positioned, he'll deliver the ball with real velocity. ... Elijah is a sneaky son of a gun, especially when it comes to running away from mom and dad to go into the street. Since I'm not confident everyone here would slow down their bike or car for my boy in the street, his getaways spark a frantic chase with shouting, "FREEZE!, FREEZE!, FREEZE!" Of course, he ignores us and runs into the street. It's bad enough that a Grab driver raced his bike up on the sidewalk and roared right past my son; in the street, Elijah is most likely considered fair game. This week, I was talking with a couple and their son in the park for a brief moment and a city worker tapped my shoulder and pointed to the street where my son was climbing the railing for the bridge over the mucky canal. I ran and safely hauled him down. Well, at least he stayed out of the street, which is crazy busy with very fast moving vehicles. ... It seems like it's trash burning season. Tet is approaching, and even with Covid hanging over the holiday, people still perform their annual rituals such as cleaning like crazy, and perhaps burning is considered a form of cleansing. Maybe it clears ground debris but it certainly doesn't purify the air. ... An older man two houses down from us is recovering from Covid and says he hasn't been the same since he's been sick. He exercises a little in the park, but says he lacks stamina. The neighbors across the street seem a little more subdued since they got Covid. I've had a sore throat for a while now, which I blame on air conditioning at night but I worry nonetheless. However, I don't have a fever, cough and can taste all the food I shovel down very well, thank you. My appetite is fine. We don't want to get mixed up with Covid for two reasons: 1) We don't want Covid; and 2) we're due for the booster in a few weeks and having the virus would delay that for who knows how long. ... A woman I met at the Coffee House was on the verge of getting her visa to join her husband in the United States. She said it's on hold now because of the Omicron variant. That doesn't bode particularly well for me and my wife's effort to get approval to enter the U.S. The USCIS web site suggests we might not get a response until June at the earliest, but we don't know anything for sure. Bummer. ... Speaking of the Coffee House, their cakes and snacks have returned, and so have the crowds of youngsters. ... One of my friends in the U.S. is fighting painful back issues. I wish him nothing but the best and a speedy recovery. ... My wife put her backpack on the park bench along with Elijah's face shield and bouncy ball two days ago. Elijah decided to make a run for the street so my wife chased him down and they hung out a little bit. When they returned to the bench, the face shield and ball were gone, having been thrown into the canal. And so it goes.  My wife retrieved the face shield but was unable to get the ball. We have persons of interest. ... The guy across the street is again loudly sawing metal bars in front of his house for all to hear. And so it goes. ... A week later, the trash  thrown against the tree by the Grab delivery guy is still there.