Today I’m two hours north of Ho Chi Minh in Bình Dương province. This is the hometown of my host family, and we’re celebrating their grandma’s birthday! If you’re wondering what a 68 year old birthday party entails in the countryside of Vietnam it’s a family affair with lots of food, karaoke, balloons, photo ops,…

Yes, you had good intentions. But how were they perceived? And did you read the vibe of the room and carry forward in a way that adapted to those threads or ignored them?

My voice has been replaced with a croak. I wake up with five little ducks playing in my head. The teaching trinity: stickers, fly swatters, microphone. Teaching is the perfect outlet for someone who compulsively buys snacks; there are always new friends to share with. As the teacher, do everything in your power to make…

For Hiền, who is strong. You’re so strong, they say. But did she ask to be this strong? Did she ask to be presented with the option of becoming strong or being trampled? Would she rather be weaker, yet blissfully unable to recognize the faces of exclusion and betrayal?

I sat on a yellow plastic stool at an intersection. Traffic buzzed, beeped and blared around me. I’m a block and a half into a journey to discover new street food. In front of me I had two bbq pork kebabs and my tried and true deep fried banana snack (Chuoi Chien). I was the…