Back on the map

Greetings from Mark! We're back in Cantho where it is blissfully cloudy, though still unremittingly hot. For the past nine days, we were in Saigon, Danang, and Hoi An, for a combination of work and pleasure.

Here's a picture of Hudson and Lily in our room at the Crystal Hotel, where we spent the night in Saigon. For the "breakfast buffet" they put a big pile of baguettes, a plate of some foamy white fruit, and some runny eggs on the table and then literally beat a retreat out of the dining room never to be seen again. Do the kids look any older than when you saw them last?

The main reason for our trip was a conference in Danang for all of the American Studies programs in Vietnam. I presented at one of the sessions, but not the one seen on the slide. Still, we figure this will give you a sense of how the conference was run. There were no concurrent sessions, just a series of presentations and discussions attended by all of the participants. I found it to be pretty interesting, and it gave me some good ideas for my work in Cantho.


One of the mornings in Danang, Anne and I hiked up this jutting hill called Marble Mountain that was about one-half mile from the resort where we stayed. Aside from the amazing views that this picture suggests, the mountain is full of tunnels and caves with carvings and Buddhist statues dating back hundreds of years. After Danang, we traveled down the coast about 20 miles to Hoi An, which is noted for its silk and tailoring. Anne had a dress, two shirts, and a skirt made, and bought more silk for pajamas and a robe. I had a dark velvet/corduroy suit jacket, and another, more retro corduroy jacket made, and bought some silk for pajamas.
Hoi An is also known for its historic architecture and it is a beautiful town to wander in, with lots of colors working together on the streetscape.
On our last day in Hoi An it rained really hard in the morning. I took this photo right outside the door of our resort.

Finally, here's Anne and the kids eating our fourth lunch at this small beach side restaurant in Hoi An. The kids ate banana pancakes and pineapple pancakes everyday there, and Anne and I rotated through their charcoal grilled beef, pork, chicken, and fish dishes served with rice and a small salad of lettuce, tomato, and onion with a lime dressing. It was so good and so cheap that we couldn't bear the thought of eating anywhere else!
Well, that's it. The next three weeks will see me very busy with teaching, workshops, etc., and then we'll head to Singapore for a few days vacation. Hope everyone is well!