After spending so much time in SE Asia, the word “expat” started to take on a fairly creepy meaning. If you’ve been to Vietnam (or any other Asian or developing country), you’ve seen them. White men. Somewhere between the ages of 50 to 65 years old. Big bellied. Almost always smokers and readily spotted atRead more
I am pretty sure I was a kung fu fighter in a past life. This revelation occurred to me in Hue, Vietnam during a city bus tour from hell. It wasn’t my first time in Hue. I was here three years ago when I first toured the country and I hated it. Really, really hatedRead more
“I’ve never met another half before,” I said to him. “You have, I am sure. But they just didn’t tell you.” “Why?” I asked. “Shame.” Like me, he can pass as full-blooded. But look carefully and you can see the face of his father. A sharper nose, eyes the same color as mine: soft brown,Read more
I’ve now spent enough time in South-East Asia to not be constantly amazed, startled or confused by the life that passes around me. In some ways, it’s a pity. How incredible was that feeling I had in that first taxi ride from the airport in Saigon, the gateway to my first South-East Asian experience? What wildRead more
The moon is hanging big and low in the sky over the Auckland horizon as I fly into the city. A reddish gold color I often think of when picturing the night sky in the East. Fitting, I think with a smile. Maybe a good sign, too. I try to keep my eyes on itRead more
There’s something about returning to a place you’ve already traveled to that gives it more weight. We don’t go back to places that bore us, places that don’t excite us in some way. We go back because we are looking for more. With this often comes great expectations. With less than two days left beforeRead more
My father immigrated to the United States in or around 1980. The Vietnam War was over and he found himself on the losing side of long, bitter and terrible fight. After spending time in a Malaysian refugee camp, he found asylum first in France, then in Sacramento, California and finally in Reno, Nevada. I wasRead more