In February 2007 I visited Saigon, or Ho Chi Min City, in the beautiful south of Vietnam. I visited a couple of propaganda-filled museums, took a couple photos on the street, then put my camera away and enjoyed the city.

The photos I took (see the set or slideshow) aren’t the most comprehensive, but they still give a couple more glimpses into that fascinating world. Enjoy!

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[Lance vending machine, by webel]

Check out what my nieces and nephew found during their trip to Florida … I need to get me one of those!

Yeah, I know that I’ve been quiet on here lately … but it’s summer break, and I’m shaking things up a bit. One thing’s for sure … God’s been doing some really big stuff in my life lately, stuff that I could never plan or orchestrate. I’m (obviously) being really careful about what I publish … but if you know me well, feel free to ask.

Enjoy the sunshine, yo.

Q: What are the three best things about being a teacher?
A: June, July, and August!

[original photo]

“I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this directly, but I think you’re one of the most important people at our school, in terms of how you interact with the kids and do what you do. I want you to be excruciatingly happy here.”

– My boss

Seriously … can you think of something more encouraging to hear from your jefe? And I don’t think it’s just lip-service … I was just offered the opportunity to develop a program that is really in line with where my heart is here at school (with actual compensation) and given the freedom to marginalize some of the mundane things that often weigh this job down.

Haha … I waS in the MiDDLe oF tyPiNG eMAiLS last NigHt< wHeN my computer JuSt StArteD FreAKiNG ouT> AppareNtLy tHe keyBoArD tHiNks tHAt tHe shift keY is preSSeD at rANdom tiMES … so now everYTHiNG tHat I tYPe makes me looK like I’m onE oF tHoSe KiDs who”s tryING tO Be rEALLy rEALLy CooL.

Combine tHAt wItH tHe yeLLoweD and cracked case, tHe optICAl driVe tHAt doeSN’t reAD diScs and ofteN souNds “hungry”, tHe trAckpad tHat barELy wOrKS, tHe noN-functIONAL left coMmand key, and the fact tHAt tHe BluetootH module soMEtiMES rANDoMly diSappeArS … and I’d say tHAt it’s tiME to tAKe my MacbooK iN to tHe shop foR soME serViCe> GooD tHiNg I’ve got tHe tHrEe yeAR wARranty!

Well, that was fun. Thirty days, thirty “real” blog posts. It was harder than I thought … not only to come up with significant things to say, but also to simply write so consistently. I kinda cheated a little more lately, mostly because I was so busy living life that I didn’t want to stop and blog. But in the end, I think it was good … forcing us all to think a little more. I’ve still got some lingering issues that I’m sure will come up here or there … so don’t expect this website to become all sugary and fluffy anytime soon.

I’ve also come to the end of yet another school year. I’m absolutely exhausted this time … readjusting to our crazy culture and lifestyle was really difficult, and I simply ran out of steam a few weeks ago. I’ve been hanging on for dear life, trying to maintain as much focus in the classroom as possible why trying to keep my sanity in the background. I think I just fell across the finish line. And now it’s time to sleep … for a month.

Honestly, I don’t know how people work 12-month jobs. The intensity level must not be anywhere near what I experience … or they must have to find some incredible coping mechanisms. Personally, I’ll take seasons … life, death, and regrowth. I’ll take margin in my life, a time to just relax and recover. I’ll take days of sabbath-time.

And I’ll definitely take June, July, and August!

You think I’d have it down by now
Been practicin’ for thirty years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin’ here
Reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit
I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what’s a boy supposed to do?

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

I’m gonna get it right this time
I’ll be strong and I’ll make You proud
I’ve prayed that prayer a thousand times
But the rooster crows and my tears roll down (again)
Then You remind me You made me from the dust
And I can never, no never, be good enough
And that You’re not gonna let that come between us

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

From where I stand
Your holiness is up so high I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

– Chris Rice

Cincinnati has had its fair share of negative press in the last decade … and then some. Stories of racism, violent crime, corporate greed, and poverty have dotted the headlines, and even many people who live here seem to like to talk bad about the city.

But in reality, the Queen City is a fantastic and unique place to live … I’ve only been here seven years, and every day it seems that I discover something new that I like about this place. So, without further ado, here are my top ten features of Cincinnati, in no particular order:

1. Lots of world-class fine arts, including opera, ballet, orchestra, and some pretty good museums. Having UC, Xavier, NKU, and Miami nearby provides quite a few opportunities too.
2. A beautiful riverside skyline … with a new skyscraper (it’ll be the tallest) on the way. If you’ve ever driven up 71/75-N into the city, especially as the sun is low over the city, you know that it is truly one of the most gorgeous cities in America.
3. A really vibrant religious community, with lots of faiths and churches that are actively involved in real good work.
4. A unique partnership with northern Kentucky, with lots of development along the river (i.e. Newport on the Levee and the upcoming Banks project).
5. A booming economy … it’s one of the top five places to buy a home right now (according to Money Magazine) and the third most affordable place in the nation to live well (according to Forbes). The new IKEA is also a great indication of the financial stability and prime location of Porkopolis.
6. Great sports … Bengals, Reds, the Cincinnati Masters, and one of the only non-profit community-building marathons in the world (the Flying Pig).
7. Amazing local foods like Montgomery Inn, Graeter’s ice cream, LaRosa’s pizza, Skyline chili, The Maisonette, Findlay Market, and UDF.
8. Lots of sweet history … it’s the original midwestern boomtown, the home of river steamboats, the first major inland city in America, and a big player in the abolition of slavery.
9. The home of Procter & Gamble, Kroger’s, Sunny Delight, GE Aviation, Macy’s & Bloomingdale’s, Convergys, Chiquita, Great American Insurance, Western & Southern Financial Group, The E. W. Scripps Company, and Fifth Third Bank. Cincinnati is actually sixth in the country in Fortune 500 companies.
10. Some of the most amazing people on earth … there’s just something about them, and it’s one of the only places I’ve been where people seem to leave and come back, where they not only miss their hometown but choose to return and settle down.

So what do you think … did I forget anything?

[Spectacles, by webel]

Something about this photo, displayed in the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, really messes with me.

Dood … what on earth are you doing?

Peel your eyes away from your computer screen, put on some shoes (or take them off), and get your butt outside! Go to the park, call a friend up and throw a frisbee, walk the neighbor’s dog, plant some flowers, take a stroll with an ice cream cone, ride that bike you’ve been storing, climb a tree, or teepee a friend’s house.

Whatever … just stop wasting away this beautiful day!