Antidote to Burnout

Richard Meier in China

For my architect friends...... Coming out of the Shenzhen airport a few days ago, I couldn't help but notice a huge (and I mean really huge) billboard featuring architect Richard Meier's portrait and what appeared to be an announcement for... Read more →

Itinerary update.....

We are having too much fun in one of the most beautiful parts of the world -- Guilin and Yangshuo China. This area is nestled among the limestone "karsts" or upright mountains that line the Li River valley. The scenes... Read more →

Local snacks....

The location of the photos in this posting don't line up correctly with the text and I couldn't figure out how to adjust it while in the internet cafe with limited time, so this will be a test of your... Read more →

I love Hong Kong and Kowloon

Entry to condo in HK Originally uploaded by layered. Our first stop on the way to Vietnam for this trip was Hong Kong, where I had never been before. Click on the photo to see several photos in this set... Read more →

A nation of eaters....

I may be prone to some over-generalizations sometimes, so please bear with me. For example, in my visits to Japan, I am convinced that they are a nation of drinkers (and I fit right in). The Chinese, on the other... Read more →

Catching up to Chinese technology

Every computer I have seen in China, whether in an internet cafe or in the homes of my hosts, has been on a fast broad-band connection and has had a web-camera for use in video chatting. Everyone here video chats... Read more →

In a Chinese factory town

We will head for Guilin on Saturday evening. In the meantime, we are in a factory town north of Shenzhen -- somewhere in the Donguan region -- a town called Tangxian, I believe. My wife is famous among her friends... Read more →

Chinese song plagiarism

At breakfast this morning in a little noodle shop at a factory town north of Shenzhen, the background music included a Chinese tune sung to a jazzed up melody of "God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen". Strange at this time of... Read more →

Enduring the heat....

Most of my friends thought I would have trouble tolerating the heat and humidity in Asia given my old age and conditioning in San Francisco. It was dang cold (55F) in San Francisco the day we left. After three months... Read more →

In transit

We have been having too much fun to find an internet cafe and check in, so this is the first contact back with old friends. We had a great time in Hong Kong and are now in Shenzhen visiting family.... Read more →

Current itinerary

Mel and Hien will be leaving San Francisco on Thursday 15 September for Hong Kong, and will spend a week there acclimating to the Asia timezones and climate. Mel (layered) has never been to Hong Kong, so there is alot... Read more →

What is an AROICC?

From October 1971 to October 1972, I served as a Assistant Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (AROICC) for Vietnamese contractors in Vietnam under the Officer in Charge of Construction - Republic of Vietnam (OICC-RVN). Another young ensign managed Vietnamese... Read more →

Acknowledging My Inspirations

I have added a list of "Influential Blogs" to the left on this website acknowledging the blogs that I read regularly and that I looked to as examples for design, writing style, photography, and content. I have a long way... Read more →

Vietnamese Construction People in 1972

Construction Inspectors.jpg Originally uploaded by layered. Please click on the photo for access to 12 other photos of Vietnamese construction people in this set. I had the very good fortune to be assigned to administer construction contracts to Vietnamese construction... Read more →

Saigon in 1972

Majestic Hotel, Saigon in 1972 Originally uploaded by layered. Click on the photo to see other photos on my Flickr site of Saigon in 1972. Although beset by smog caused by a million or so motorbikes and trucks, Saigon (now... Read more →

How did I wind up in Vietnam in 1971-1972?

After graduating from Montana State University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, I faced the draft into the Army directly (I had a low draft lottery number) by enlisting in the Navy as a naval officer instead. While... Read more →

Why Relocate to Vietnam?

The prime reason for this blog is to inform friends and family about our decision to relocate to Vietnam for a couple of years and to show them the wonderful cultural experiences we know we will have there. How do... Read more →

Structure

This blog is written for three constituencies and organized as such. Rather than write a hundred e-mails every month to family, friends, and co-workers, this blog allows an opportunity for anyone to catch up on Mel and Hien’s activities in... Read more →