I like seeing the red and yellow flags around Hanoi. They give a nice pop of color. I got to go out shooting by myself not too long ago, a rarity for an at-home dad of two. So here’s a few street scenes, with flags.

My first meme…

Suffused with yellow and nostalgia by day, magical by lantern-light at night, Hoi An’s old town pulls the visitor in and makes you want to bike its quiet streets again. Oh, and shop. Here’s a closer look at the town.

Sunset smear a smoggy peach.
Bats bite les moustiques.
Flame trees flowered months ago.
Lakeside lovers flirt.
Hanoi’s skyline lights.
Mid-autumn moon a lotus center.
Lotus leaves dry-curled, a memory of flowers.
Bikers on low plastic stools sip sidewalk tea.
Dogs pant and take their shit.
Suspect Adidas for sale on a blanket.
Whole ducks on spits with sparking coals.
Muffled drums rumble.
Green dragons brood.
Butterflied shrimp fritters in greasy piles.
White-bottomed palms frond themselves.
Green coconuts seek a machete cut, a straw.
Red-robed beards sell offerings.
The dead fish and dog poop day is done;
dusk is queen.

I’m starting off my blog from Hanoi with a bugs-eye view of my (relatively) new city: posters, patterns, graffiti, building materials, and party snacks. Check back for more words and images from my experiences in Vietnam and other parts of the world.

As an adult, I’ve lived in six countries on three continents. But my childhood home of Kenilworth in Washington DC is central to my writing, creativity, and understanding of cross cultural life.

In the 2000s I published a history of the Kenilworth area, which includes the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Download a free pdf of this grant-supported booklet:
Kenilworth: A DC Neighborhood by the Anacostia River

My white, rural parents started an Amish-Mennonite church in Black, largely low-income Kenilworth in the mid-sixties. Sound like a story? A memoir about my family’s experience is in the works.

For more Kenilworth-inspired creativity or to check out my globe-trotting adventures, scroll the blog below or click around my website. Thanks for visiting!