Somewhere in Elsewhere, Evening of Aug 25 2019, Pt I

I got Robert Wyatt’s Comicopera album playing in the background as I write this.

My friend Chi N showed up at my door today, she of Clark University, like so many here in Hanoi. She seemed to wish even less to go venturing out in the heat than I did, which made me feel good about myself. So, we stayed in, cooked, talked, and had the tea I proudly purchased at the local supermarket not long ago. With enthusiasm I let N talk about her life – where it intersected with mine and where it diverged by time zones. It was so nice to let this familiar friendly voice drench me and soak through after so long. Tails of artist’s artisms, LGBT+ authors, painters and actors, sex positivity, old friends and old friendly times. Mutual admiration of my cozy, delightful, and welcoming apartment in this rather international part of the city.

We looked at the fantastical monsters with English names her niece and nephew drew under her menacing didactic influence. I couldn’t really see the photos on her phone lamentably, nor could I find my sketch book, which I thought I packed.

‘It would be delightful to see those two kids once more ‘I thought to myself as I listened to Chi N’s niece and nephew go, in a video, back and forth aggressively over the correct pronunciation of the word “make”.

My friend played the children recordings of this particular crucial word in both an American accent and an Oxford English one.

“Make!…” … “Make!...” … “Make!...” … “Make!...” …

I was also surmising with all my academic might that this is why the U.S. is no longer a part of the British Empire. Chi N and I did study within Clark U’s International Development Department Afterall, so at least assume I know whether I’m joking or not.

          Thank you, my friend, for the cooking and dish washing, for the sharing of food and the tea I so boldly purchased, and for the delightful company and convo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXVi3iFiU8U