Gordon Goes East: Commencing/Commencement

ISP starts today, finally. And classes have ended at Skidmore, so that means a bunch of my friends are graduating. Cool/bummer. Good luck with finals/finding yourselves. May I suggest Jamie Cullum's "Twentysomething". Here's the blog post I wrote yesterday:

I am blogging now because I am feeling a lot better as of today. I’m happy that I’m feeling happier, and so it keeps building. I’ve been turned into a man of routine, which was probably startling after being on the road for a month straight. I wake up at five thirty, walk to the porch and watch the sun rise while drinking tea with Uncle Bay. Then, I eat breakfast and drink more tea. I sit in the hammock, watch the tide go out, and maybe go get coffee with Tri. I come back to eat lunch at 11:00, drink more tea, and nap until 2:00, when it is cool enough for a New Englander like me to be in the sun again. Dinner, tea, hammock, some mangos… I don’t know what I was complaining about. Perhaps it is that the ISP finally starts tomorrow and I start to ask some questions, which is why I came here. I have no idea what to expect, but I’ve also (tried to) learn(ed) to just go with the flow in Viet Nam. This will work out fine.

Also, I’m in Asia. HELLO!? I love rice. I now know why all of the overseas students in the Skidmore D-hall always ask for more rice when we have it at Global. It is the ultimate friend and food. It is plain when my belly is in revolt, it is a wonderful canvas for every flavor, it can be had in soups, as paper, fried, crispy, sticky, rolled, burnt, and more. We eat communally, with the various dishes on the floor in front of us, and get our little bowls filled with rice. You’re not judged to be full until you’ve had at least your third bowl. It requires pacing. I’m learning, and I’m excited to stage my first Vietnamese family style meal back in the US.

Just want to shout out to Grammy Nellie and Uncle Bruce: Grammy, I miss you a lot and think that you would like it here. I know that you follow my blog, which is wicked awesome! There is a nice breeze here and the couple that I’m staying with feed me great food, like you do. I’ll be down to see you soon! And Uncle Bruce, I’m on the bay getting salty, and I know how you don’t like salt. Neither do I. But I’m learning to like it. Also, fresh water is hard to fine here so I don’t have much choice. Just reaching out to a like soul. Need any help this summer? Ian and I will be home…

I’ve finally got some pictures, which are below.