NOT KEEPING SCORE

I have Dengue Fever.
Meanwhile, look at pictures.

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Bắc woke me up at 6am to go to Metro, a Costco-like Vietnamese supermarket.
We “stocked-up” on a few items for her house, but buying in bulk takes on a new dimension of difficulty when you have to transport everything on a motorscooter. (Travel Tip: don’t buy pomelos — large oversized grapefruit — when riding […]

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Let there be white!
My powercord, which was so inconventiently ‘misplaced’ during my Israeli security stint has finally been replaced! All it took was five broken English phone calls, two cyclo rides, a taxi ride, and $110USD to get my beautiful white MacBook’s battery charged. We’re back in business!
This also means I can now upload all […]

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Mysterious red bumps have formed along the length of each thigh, like red stiches. This part of my body, a softest skin, has never been exposed to open air, outside of a mosquito net. I consulted a resident Hanoian.
They are classic bed bug bites. Sleep tight!
* * […]

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Dinner at Hà’s
If, by chance, you find yourself invited to dinner at a traditional Vietnamese home where a “Western” dinner has been prepared in your honor, it is highly advisable that you do not correct the cook that spagetti is typically served in America without fish sauce.
If, by chance, you also happen to be vegetarian, […]

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Tay Ho District & West Lake
These past couple of days I’ve felt a bit like a child, a ‘kept’ woman, or a pet.
Every morning, my generous friend and host, Bắc, goes to work, and every day I find myself behind the locked gates of her property. Yes, I have a key… but, frankly, I’m a […]

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How I thought I could go to Vietnam and write, I know not. There is an unfathomable energy, and noises to rattle the calmest nerves.
There is an ever-present hum of traffic punctuated by the piercing blare of vehicle horns and sounds all through the night of creatures — cats in heat, dog-barking, pig squeals, and something […]

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Typing furiously, with pearls of sweat upon her brow, Ms. deJong — a non-caffeine-drinker — remarks, “I’ve had one dainty cup of Turkish coffee and am atlamak-ing off the walls!
She and her mother finally set off for Faralye, the original desination of their Turkish adventure, for a week of twice-a-day yoga, blue waters and homemade […]

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The next morning I had early morning coffee with Özcan. He showed me his “treasures” — ancient Roman / Constantine artifacts he found while digging near his hometown. Interested in archeology, he tells me that ancient artifacts are property of the Turkish government, but for the most part they don’t take much interest in creating […]

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Our second-to-last night in Olüdeniz my mom and I ate dinner at a table decorated with fresh rose petals. Nehire, who does reception at Mellis Hill, entertained us with belly dancing and…. tried… to teach us a few moves.
Things were going great until I tried to show off that, yes — I, too, can […]

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