Sunset from the rooftop of my house.
You can know a lot of things in this world, but most often you can achieve more through WHO you know, and getting the Internet put back on at my house was no exception. My neighbour happened to know the right technician and with a wink, a nod and a crisp 100,000 VND bill Internet […]
For my friends who have just visited or are about to visit Iceland, some quotes from the Norse Edda. “Who travels widely needs his wits about him. The stupid should stay at home.” “A man knows less the more he drinks. Becomes a muddled fool.” “It is best for man to be middle-wise, Not over […]
Comment of the month must go to the staff member of the furniture company in Sai Gon who rang and asked why I had insisted on returning a new lounge suite that is riddled with borers, “But its only a few tiny holes, what is the problem, you can hardly see them”. Meanwhile, the sawdust […]
We are all so crazy about desire, we want to fulfill ourselves through desire. But we do not see what havoc it creates in the world?the desire for individual security, for individual attainment, success, power, prestige. We do not feel that we are totally responsible for everything we do. If one understands desire, the nature […]
oh.. it is me, I know that, I’ve known that for the longest time, but what can I do?
Sometimes the traffic in Sai Gon can be, what would you call it, congested? Getting caught in a traffic jam here can be something like being on a motorbike for the start of a cross country enduro race, with everyone jostling for a place and fighting to get into the narrow end of the funnel […]
Yesterday I did nothing. Well, that’s not entirely correct, of course I did some things, but I didn’t do the things that I have been doing on a daily basis like working on my thesis and re-developing the royby.com back end. What I did instead was very simple and immensely satisfying. Thursdays I usually go […]
This site had already had over 10 million hits as at February this year, so maybe you have already seen it. Even if you have it’s worth another look. So pay a visit, turn the sound up and enjoy the 120 images in 3 minutes that encapsulate a slice of our recent history.
It’s ten after midnight here and it’s a touch over 3 hours since Viet Nam drew 1-1 with Thailand and thus won the 2008 Suzuki Cup (also known as the ASEAN Football Championship). Viet Nam leveled the match in almost unbelievable fashion when Le Cong Vinh headed a goal in the final seconds of injury […]
CNET editor Dong Ngo is spending some time at home in Viet Nam and writes this article about the proliferation of pirated software available for purchase here. He makes a good point about the affordability of expensive software in low-income countries like Viet Nam and comments that it would be better for software vendors to […]
colleges being nothing but grooming schools for the middle class non-identity which usually finds its perfect expression on the outskirts of the campus in rows of well-to-do houses with lawns and television sets in each living room with everybody looking at the same thing and thinking the same thing at the same time while the […]
Well, it’s nice to know that some things are consistent. Upon arrival back in Sai Gon last night I was pushed out of the way by the baggage handlers at the carousel, queue jumped at the luggage x-ray, fought to get a taxi at the now badly disorganised taxi rank, had an argument with the […]
Now I know why so much has been written about New York City. This place pulses with so much energy and life it’s staggering. Images to come when I have time, meanwhile it’s time for a Greek breakfast in Queens then back onto the subway and downtown.
On the flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco on Saturday I was seated next to a guy from Austin in Texas who was friendly and interested to know where I came from and what I was going to do in the States. He gave me plenty of helpful advice advice about things I could […]
‘I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their […]