Listening late last night to my podcast of Peter Kreeft, I am struck by his definition of a good society - "A good society" he says, "is one which makes it easy to be good in. "
Simple and nice.
Vietnam - Saigon and Hoi An
Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City
Arriving tired from his Dubai adventures, our hero catches a taxi to the Pham Ngo Lau area. His taxi driver has taken him for a ride, charging him 20 us dollars, when half that would have done nicely. Never mind hero.
He crosses the road slowly as instructed, with eyes closed, as seems right. It is so busy he will either die, or a miracle will occur. He makes it. Miracles 1, Mr Death 0. He has booked his hotel before arriving, so is quickly settled. His room noisy, right next to reception. Neuman! he exclaims.
He goes to sleep early and wakes up at 2am and finds the tv fairly boresome till noon.Wandering around, he locates a coffee shop, meets up with and AFL stars sister and is generally scared. He finds a few bars and susses them out. They are OK. He buys a photocopied book for too much money. He drinks Saigon beer at Go2 Cafe, and Allez boo and Le Bar.
The next day, being perhaps a Thursday, he plans to tour the mekong delta at 8am catching a bus. He sleeps till 2pm and misses the bus, losing his 10 USD. Coffee and a german girl complain will shortly ensue.
He discovers Notre Dame Cathedral and goes to mass there, in Vietnamese. He goes to confession with a priest that can barely speak english. He gives himself 1 decade of the rosary as penance as the priest seems to have forgotten that. This is OK, as he likes to assign to himself more than the customary 1 hail mary.
He is still tired from his Dubai experience of chasing the girl and not feeling at home.
He spends a restless night watching tv and plans to travel to An Hoi, as he has heard good things about their tailoring. His flight leaves at 3pm. He travels there and is greeted at the airport by his hotel taxi driver.
His room is not ready. They give him another, with 3 beds and fantastic finishings. He likes.
He sleeps at 2am. He likes An Hoi, it is quieter than Saigon.
He meets a friend and has beers for 12p each. He likes this place. He seems some temple ruins without much explanation. His tour guide is called Spider man.
He eats again, and says goodbye to his friend Emily he has seen here. He feels human for 10 minutes today and nearly has optimism.
Will he go to Thailand or fly home straight from Singapore? He will sleep on it. He is reading Ian Rankin's last Detective Rebus novel and wants to buy his first.
Arriving tired from his Dubai adventures, our hero catches a taxi to the Pham Ngo Lau area. His taxi driver has taken him for a ride, charging him 20 us dollars, when half that would have done nicely. Never mind hero.
He crosses the road slowly as instructed, with eyes closed, as seems right. It is so busy he will either die, or a miracle will occur. He makes it. Miracles 1, Mr Death 0. He has booked his hotel before arriving, so is quickly settled. His room noisy, right next to reception. Neuman! he exclaims.
He goes to sleep early and wakes up at 2am and finds the tv fairly boresome till noon.Wandering around, he locates a coffee shop, meets up with and AFL stars sister and is generally scared. He finds a few bars and susses them out. They are OK. He buys a photocopied book for too much money. He drinks Saigon beer at Go2 Cafe, and Allez boo and Le Bar.
The next day, being perhaps a Thursday, he plans to tour the mekong delta at 8am catching a bus. He sleeps till 2pm and misses the bus, losing his 10 USD. Coffee and a german girl complain will shortly ensue.
He discovers Notre Dame Cathedral and goes to mass there, in Vietnamese. He goes to confession with a priest that can barely speak english. He gives himself 1 decade of the rosary as penance as the priest seems to have forgotten that. This is OK, as he likes to assign to himself more than the customary 1 hail mary.
He is still tired from his Dubai experience of chasing the girl and not feeling at home.
He spends a restless night watching tv and plans to travel to An Hoi, as he has heard good things about their tailoring. His flight leaves at 3pm. He travels there and is greeted at the airport by his hotel taxi driver.
His room is not ready. They give him another, with 3 beds and fantastic finishings. He likes.
He sleeps at 2am. He likes An Hoi, it is quieter than Saigon.
He meets a friend and has beers for 12p each. He likes this place. He seems some temple ruins without much explanation. His tour guide is called Spider man.
He eats again, and says goodbye to his friend Emily he has seen here. He feels human for 10 minutes today and nearly has optimism.
Will he go to Thailand or fly home straight from Singapore? He will sleep on it. He is reading Ian Rankin's last Detective Rebus novel and wants to buy his first.
Dubai and everything after.
Dubai...
Thurs 6th November... - Arrive at airpot with friend. Taxi to Dubai Marina, Radisson SAS. Check in as Laura's cousin. Spent day indoors as too scared to go out. Read note from Laura to say hi. Out with Laura and work colleagues at night. Someone from KPMG picks up bill. Meet Paul and Dan and James and Jorden. Drinks at Barastis after, John is over and Laura is chatting to him. Drinks back at James' apartment till about 6am.
Friday - Day off for Laura and Gang. Beach perhaps. Night time, catch up with Dan's friends Ben and someone in the Greens for a bbq/pizza. Lovely people. Perhaps drinks back at chez Laura.
Saturday. Day 2 for weekend. Not sure what we did today.
Sunday - ATK sleeps in for ages and thinks that he will not be able to wake up to go to mass at 5pm. But he does, at St Francis, Jebel Ali. Trying to get home from the church, there is no taxi. He hails a passing lady. A lovely irish lass - Evelyn. Not really how you spell her name, it has more a's and bh's in it. ATK goes to Madinat Jumeraih with Laura. Dinner outside, Arabic style. Early night as both quite tired.
Monday - ATK gets the big red bus tour round Dubai. Meets Lahn from Aus. Goes for dinner tonight with Evelyn. At Madinat Jumeriah. Lovely.
Tues - ATK goes to Water world on the Palm with Lanh and friend, great day. Tries to fly out. He does not have visa for vietnam, they won't let him.
Wed - ATK drives around Dubai in taxi trying to find visa place. He fails.
Thur - ATK goes to Abu Dhabi, capital of UAE to get visa. He does. He is happy. ATK goes to horse racing with Evelyn. Gets home 3am Laura and Jorden still up.
Friday - Weekend 2 in Dubai. Quiet day. Fast food tonight. Watch 2 Weeks notice.
Sat - Palm Jumeraih apartment and beach with Dominic and Laura and Dan and Ballerina. Lovely place. Sandstorm.
Sunday - Movie, James Bond with the Dubai bods.
Monday - Quiet day as i fly out from Dubai to Vietnam, second time Lucky!
Thurs 6th November... - Arrive at airpot with friend. Taxi to Dubai Marina, Radisson SAS. Check in as Laura's cousin. Spent day indoors as too scared to go out. Read note from Laura to say hi. Out with Laura and work colleagues at night. Someone from KPMG picks up bill. Meet Paul and Dan and James and Jorden. Drinks at Barastis after, John is over and Laura is chatting to him. Drinks back at James' apartment till about 6am.
Friday - Day off for Laura and Gang. Beach perhaps. Night time, catch up with Dan's friends Ben and someone in the Greens for a bbq/pizza. Lovely people. Perhaps drinks back at chez Laura.
Saturday. Day 2 for weekend. Not sure what we did today.
Sunday - ATK sleeps in for ages and thinks that he will not be able to wake up to go to mass at 5pm. But he does, at St Francis, Jebel Ali. Trying to get home from the church, there is no taxi. He hails a passing lady. A lovely irish lass - Evelyn. Not really how you spell her name, it has more a's and bh's in it. ATK goes to Madinat Jumeraih with Laura. Dinner outside, Arabic style. Early night as both quite tired.
Monday - ATK gets the big red bus tour round Dubai. Meets Lahn from Aus. Goes for dinner tonight with Evelyn. At Madinat Jumeriah. Lovely.
Tues - ATK goes to Water world on the Palm with Lanh and friend, great day. Tries to fly out. He does not have visa for vietnam, they won't let him.
Wed - ATK drives around Dubai in taxi trying to find visa place. He fails.
Thur - ATK goes to Abu Dhabi, capital of UAE to get visa. He does. He is happy. ATK goes to horse racing with Evelyn. Gets home 3am Laura and Jorden still up.
Friday - Weekend 2 in Dubai. Quiet day. Fast food tonight. Watch 2 Weeks notice.
Sat - Palm Jumeraih apartment and beach with Dominic and Laura and Dan and Ballerina. Lovely place. Sandstorm.
Sunday - Movie, James Bond with the Dubai bods.
Monday - Quiet day as i fly out from Dubai to Vietnam, second time Lucky!
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