Another book to recommend - The Devil That Danced On The Water: A Daughter’s Memoir, by Aminatta Forna. The story of a girl growing up in Sierra Leone (some of the time) after independence, of her family, and her country. There is a fine balance between the personal and the political elements of the story, both of which are worth reading independently. I guess I’m getting old – when I was on the other side of Africa in Mozambique in 1997 I remember meeting someone from Freetown, whose family was still there. Seems like very long time ago! In any case, it is an arresting book regardless of ones connections to Sierra Leone, or Africa in general.

I think it says something about me, that when I was in America last I was reading loads of books about Vietnam, of course. Now that I am back in Vietnam I am reading about America and Africa... I suppose what it says is that I am chronically unsatisfied. Or maybe I will call it perpetually curious - that has a much more positive ring! Language is not a science, obviously or I would not have a job being an editor!

There are the symmetrical days …

… then there is the rest of life!

Tết Fireworks on Hồ Hoàn Kiếm

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới

Happy Lunar New Year to everybody – today is New Year’s Eve on that calendar. So the whole country has off for a week, or two or three… I personally have off one week, which is cool.

The florid red Buddhist flag at Ngọc Sơn Temple on Hoàn Kiếm Lake, a wee bit dwarfed by the bank and insurance company building in the background.



And the red as in “The East is Red”





Random shot of Mr. Lenin, yes that Lenin, but it’s the New Wave Lenin…

Here's a link to a video of some of the Tet decorations at West Lake.

Dizzy Foreigners

This week, I finally finished my latest book. It is one of those that just took me forever to get through. In spite of that, or maybe at the root of it, I found the book truly fascinating. It is American Vertigo by Bernard-Henri Lévy, consisting of the observations of an informed, savvy and well-spoken (if somewhat long-winded) French thinker wandering around the USA, loosely following the model of Alexis de Tocqueville. Never having read more than a few excerpts of Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, thus being poorly positioned to comment on the success or failure of this book at filling the legacy it aims for, I will only say that the book is full of insights on American culture and politics that can be seen most clearly from a distance – by a traveler. Being a stranger has its advantages – obviously I would say that! Looking at the bits I found quotable, I realize they are much longer and dryer than most of you want to read and have nothing, really, to do with Vietnam, which is allegedly to topic here… But, if you are interested, click here for excerpts.