http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/ Wandering through 18 months in Saigon... Copyright 2009 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:23:31 +0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype//?v=1.03 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss ...Well, I suppose that "paradise" is a judgment call, but the place that has been called "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature" certainly charmed me. The surf definitely had something to do with it. Nothing... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/10/paradise_found.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/10/paradise_found.php Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:23:31 +0700 The other day, I put fish sauce on my breakfast porridge. I must be acquiring a Vietnamese palate - plain oatmeal was just too...Plain... For those of you craving some fermented sea flavor to complement your dining fare, here is... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/09/how_to_nuoc_mam.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/09/how_to_nuoc_mam.php Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:08:29 +0700 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China has good Feng Shui. The city is just about as packed with people in high rise office and apartments as it could be. However, it is easy to... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/08/i_love_hk.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/08/i_love_hk.php Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:38:01 +0700 Thở bằng mũi - Breathe through your nose The air in the streets of Saigon is suffocating - filled with exhaust from old two stroke motorbikes, soot from diesel container trucks, and construction dust. Driving home from work is the... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/08/th_bng_mui_brea.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/08/th_bng_mui_brea.php Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:13:56 +0700 Ok, Ok...I know that it is unfair and probably offensive to characterize an entire country by one of its dishes. My patriotic pride would be undermined if someone asked if someone asked whether I was from the United States... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/guacamoleland.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/guacamoleland.php Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:41:48 +0700 I have to start this entry with a shout out to my boss - thanks for proposing that we stop in LA on our way to Mexico for work! Thirty-six hours in the shadow of the Hollywood sign gave me... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/back_to_cali_1.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/back_to_cali_1.php Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:20:21 +0700 I bought this shirt because the Vietnamese words written in Chinese-style calligraphy looked cool... It turns out that the words constitute a Chinese proverb that made its way to Vietnam over 2,000 years ago (according to my Vietnamese teacher). As... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/thanh_ng_vit_na.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/thanh_ng_vit_na.php Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:24:36 +0700 One year ago this week, I arrived for the first time at the unexpectedly modern Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I remember feeling a mix of excitement, anticipation, and fear at finally meeting the city... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/anniversary_one.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/07/anniversary_one.php Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:01:37 +0700 Vietnam's capital city captured my interest in this country when I visited as a tourist three years ago. The historic pagoda on the lake took me back in time, while Lexuses cruising down the street and a burgeoning bohemian café... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/06/charmed_by_hano.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/06/charmed_by_hano.php Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:27:13 +0700 "Do you miss home?" is a common response / question when I tell people that I have been living in Vietnam for the past year. I am honest with them when I answer, "Not really - I just miss my... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/06/surfing_daydrea.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/06/surfing_daydrea.php Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:17:08 +0700 I can not remember my skin ever being as pale as it is now. My dermatologist back in California would be pleased at this solar sabbatical - especially given that I spent my first quarter century soaking up UV rays... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/06/shady_saigon.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/06/shady_saigon.php Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:08:53 +0700 Vietnam is a photographer's dream, and vignettes of the people going about their daily lives are some of the most interesting images to me. However, during my year in Vietnam, I have been largely unsuccessful in capturing the quotidian because... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/camera_shy.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/camera_shy.php Sun, 31 May 2009 03:35:11 +0700 I am happy that I have taken the time to learn to speak Vietnamese - it has allowed me to connect with this country and its people in a deeper and more authentic way than I could as an English... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/come_on_marry_a.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/come_on_marry_a.php Sat, 30 May 2009 00:28:26 +0700 On a Sunday morning bike ride from downtown Saigon to Phu My Hung, I stopped for a coffee break along the way at Highlands Coffee. This sign on the bathroom door gave me a good laugh: Despite the suggestions of... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/doubletake.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/doubletake.php Sat, 16 May 2009 21:17:34 +0700 Soda chanh - soda water over ice and fresh lime juice - is my favorite drink here in Vietnam. Its refreshing qualities are unparalleled on a muggy dry season afternoon in Saigon. Thankfully, I always rest assured that the used... http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/the_recyclers.php http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/mrobinson/2009/05/the_recyclers.php Sat, 09 May 2009 06:58:09 +0700