My walkaholic habit has continued despite the heat, but the intense sun evaporates much of the enjoyment. I still managed to suffer through an 8K solo hike yesterday, but I was whacked when I finished.
But you just gotta keep pushin’ on.
The day’s big event was the rooftop gathering of Swan’s friends and family to commemorate the first anniversary of Alan’s passing, the man Swan spent seventeen years loving. I wasn’t sure what to expect, although I assumed some of Alan’s friends (he was a Brit) would be there. Nope. Almost all Filipinas and a handful of Filipinos. Until my next-door neighbor Jeff showed up, I was the only Caucasian in attendance. That was kinda weird. People appeared to be having fun and I was impressed with the amount of beer and wine that was being consumed, especially by the gals. And, of course, it wasn’t long before the karaoke broke out. I was a little taken aback that I didn’t hear one word about Alan, who I thought was the reason we were there. Again, I have no experience with events of this nature, and I just went with the flow. Well, towards the end of the evening I did sing the Alan Parsons song I posted yesterday in Alan’s honor.
Goodbye my love
Maybe for forever
Goodbye my love
The tide waits for me
Who knows when we shall meet again
If ever
But time
Keeps flowing like a river (on and on)
To the sea
To the sea
Till it's gone forever
Gone forever
Gone forevermore
Anyway, it may have made Swan a little sad, but the party continued in full swing. In fact, we ran out of beer around nine o’clock, and I said my goodnights, but the remaining guests partied on. I woke up a couple of hours later and could still hear singing on the roof.
And so ended another day in paradise.
Facebook reminded me of how I was doing eleven years ago:
Quora Q&A time:
Q: Americans who travelled to Vietnam, how was your experience and how did people treat you?
A: I was treated well on my visit to Saigon/HCMC last year. I did take a tour of the Cu Chi tunnels, and the tour guide seemed to gloat about all the creative booby traps the Viet Cong used to kill Americans. I, of course, bit my tongue and ignored the one-sided history (there was also a South Vietnamese military we were there to support being killed as well). Anyway, to the victors go the spoils, including framing the narrative in a manner of their own choosing.
Overall, I never felt any other animosity or hostility from the locals I interacted with. I asked an American expat living there if he had ever felt unwelcome because of the war. He told me he had asked an elderly Vietnamese man if he ever felt bad thoughts towards Americans. His response: “Why would I? We won.” That seems to be the prevailing attitude. Vietnam is moving forward, and its citizens are proud of all that has been accomplished.
I hope to revisit Vietnam someday and see more of the country.
Some lame attempts at humor:
So, I’m going to do the SOB thing tonight. It’s been a few weeks, so it might seem fresh again. The venue is the Green Room so I’ll need to get there early to get a good seat. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.
