It's Been a While

Today, Ngoc reminded me that it's been a while since I wrote a decent-sized entry, dating back all the way to the days of LiveJournal. Truthfully, when I look back at some of the posts I put together while I was still using that site, it makes me wonder how I had so much time - and how I was able to make the most mundane subjects and experiences seem interesting. It's been a rough few days - turning down invites to "di choi" (go out and tear down Sai Gon) gets old really quickly, and let's be honest: writing about Chile when you're in Viet Nam ain't the fun-est of activities. Nevertheless, I have an obligation to Ben and to myself to finish this case study, and dog gone it, that's what I'm gonna do. Once I'm finished, I promise to not only put together the greatest entry of all time, but to post pictures in the accompanying margins. Pictures of me, because I know that's what you all want to see - no more Cadillacs, no more John Rockefellers... maybe a few more Rhiannas.

Quick anecdote before I go: this afternoon, Thanh sent me a text message inviting me to see "Die Hard 4.0", a film that was shot in America, with American English, with American actors, and about American politics - but I don't think it premiered in America. Either way, I sent him back a text saying that I couldn't because I had to keep working on my research. His response:

"come on, mr NERD. leave time for enjoy. It takes only 2hrs. By the way. it is 'nghien cuu', not 'dien cu' my friend."

At this point, it's worth explaining why that statement was so hilarious. Keep in mind that "research" is "nghien cuu" in Vietnamese - I mistakenly referred to it as "dien cu", which actually might have some sexual overtones. Anyway, I taught Thanh the word "nerd" about a week ago, and this is the first time that he's used it! I explained how it evolved many years ago, and has since morphed from an insult into a gentle chide - in other words, his usage was perfect!

So, with that in mind, I decided to take 2hrs off "nghien cuu" and watch Bruce Willis blow stuff up in the millionth installment of a series about blowing stuff up. We took Thanh's motorbike over to the cinema, dropped 2 dimes on parking, and hit up the concession stand. Since he insisted on buying our tickets, I felt compelled to reciprocate with a couple of snacks. Vietnamese films are unique from American ones in that they start on time - even a little early! We walked in around 12:25 for the 12:30 showing and found the pictures already moving! Remarkable! Anyway, an usher showed us to our seats, and we settled down for a couple hours of high-intensity, action-packed melodrama, starring Bruce Willis, the only man to have made such movies during every major era of American cinema. His were probably a lot better before they figured out how to add sound... or color... but I'm a huge fan of Planet Hollywood, so Bruce Willis is a-okay in the Matt Schwarz book. I was actually thinking about that during the movie - not my book; Planet Hollywood. Arnold, Sly, and Bruce - ten thousand doses of ephedra between them, but only about 50 I.Q. points. Speaking of Sly Stallone, who's seen Rocky V? For some reason, I can't stop thinking about it - "power of attorney! power of attorney!" Get Talia Shire's voice out of my head! Rhianna's bad enough - now I've gotta deal with Adrien?!

If you haven't seen Die Hard 4.0, what are you doing reading this blog? Get out there and catch it while theatres are still dumb enough to carry it! Nah, nah - all kidding aside, Thanh and I enjoyed the hell out of that freakin' movie (as you can see, it has a way of raising one's testosterone levels - Thanh's pumping 300 lbs of iron as we speak. What up, Thanh?). Ironically enough, it dealt with an issue I discussed at length in my final paper for National Security Issues - network-centric warfare. Pretty scary stuff when you actually see it in action, but fun to contemplate nonetheless. Bruce Willis has a way of stimulating my intellectual side.

Now it's back to the trenches for another couple of hours of JSTOR, Muse, the World Bank, and pseudo-intellectual misery. If anyone has any idea why Pinochet did the things he did while he controlled Chile, please drop me a line. Otherwise, feel free to send an inspiring email telling me that what I'm doing is noble and worthwhile, and that I should resist the urge to stare at a month's worth of work, scream "F@#k you!" and di choi voi cac ban. Because right now, I'm starting to feel like that's my best bet. All commiserating aside, I appreciate my readers' loyalty and once again hereby swear to come up with an exciting entry next time.