Crunch Time

I've been in Mui Ne for the past few days, sitting by the beach and writing this paper. I'm done with everything except the introduction, formatting and the presentation, so I'm feeling pretty good, but it's like shoveling the last bit of mulch in the pile: it is incredibly difficult to want to finish. Plus, the 7,000 words or so that I've got built up for the introduction is too much to wade through, and not much of it applies anymore. Why is that?

I might as well give you the big finding from my research: farmers are not trying to intensify production. So there goes that hypothesis. I'm not at all bitter. This is research and it isn't like the hypothesis is supposed to be supported all the time. It also means that farms here are in better shape that I expected. Right?

Wrong. They say they are semi-intensive farms but they don't act like it. It's like if that Czech bodybuilder from dinner a few nights ago told me that he was a ballet dancer - not a chance, buddy. They are borrowing techniques from the intensive farmers but don't have the proper framework, nor the training, to make those techniques truly effective.

That's enough spoiler (i.e. that's enough academics for this travel blog...)

Back to the carrot smoothie and fresh Word document. I will be glad when this is all over Tuesday night and I can get back to being wowed by everyday life.

Sai Gon tomorrow for a change of pace and the ability to walk places (Mui Ne is a quiet beach strip and you need wheels to get anywhere worth getting to).

I'm still digesting the Phat Phatarella burger from this cool Australian burger joint (sirloin beef, mozz, cashew pesto, lettuce tomato and FRIES). That was something killer.