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.

Settle in, have a look around. There’s blog posts below, from Hanoi and elsewhere. Some photos and art and such to gawk at. And of course a bit of my writing, especially old stuff about my neighborhood of Kenilworth in Washington, DC, where I go often in my mind though I haven’t lived there for over a decade. Enjoy…