(...continued from The Trưng Sisters (Part 3)) The Beauty During the three-year reign of Trắc and Nhị Trưng, people saw them everywhere. They never stayed in one place for long---always on their elephants and always on the road. Their swords were never sheathed, they were constantly keeping the troops trained and motivated, maintaining connections with … Continue reading The Trưng Sisters (Part 4)
Tag: history
The Temple of an Immortal
(...continued from The Trauma of Being Different) Back in 2007, I went back to Việt Nam to visit the northern areas and to see the sights. During my three-week sojourn, I wandered through more temples and ancient structures and caves than I can remember off the top of my head, but I do remember wandering through … Continue reading The Temple of an Immortal
The Trauma of Being Different
(...continued from Damn Stubborn Water Buffalo) This is my firm conviction. We Vietnamese should not claim folks as our people if they refuse the claim, meaning if they insist that they are not Vietnamese, we should not place that honorific on them...even if it's true. I remember when I was younger, much younger, I dyed … Continue reading The Trauma of Being Different
Enigma of Lao Tzu
I feel like a child who has inadvertently wandered into an old dilapidated castle where nothing but shadows of ghosts still haunt. The glorious grandeur of the place is still evident---the large halls and high ceilings adorned still, with the remains of what must have been magnificent furnishings and fixtures, their colors faded and aged … Continue reading Enigma of Lao Tzu
The Trưng Sisters (Part 3)
(...continued fromThe Trưng Sisters Part 2) And so it was, hidden in the mists of the jungles, within the dark dank caves of the mountainous region of Mê Linh that Trưng Trắc and her sister, Trưng Nhị, along with an entire regiment of rebels began their year-long preparation to go up against General Tô Định. To understand the scope of … Continue reading The Trưng Sisters (Part 3)
Nôm Na Là Cha Mách Qué
Hey you! Nôm na là cha mách qué! Say what??? Whatever dude. Your Momma too. Dumb ass. I would have this attitude because this sooo sounds like such an insult. This sentence cannot be said without it sounding like an insult. Nobody knows why. At least, nobody in the modern world knows why. Well, … Continue reading Nôm Na Là Cha Mách Qué
The Trưng Sisters (Part 2)
(...continued from Part 1) His name was Dương Thi. He was barely 20 years old when he married the headstrong, talented, intelligent, and beautiful Trưng Trắc, princess of the Mê Linh region, a province north of present-day Hà Nội. His father, Dương Thái Bình, who was the king's physician and also part of the royal family, ascended to the throne after … Continue reading The Trưng Sisters (Part 2)
The Trưng Sisters (Part 1)
Girls born into this century are so lucky. Not only are we able to go to school, we are also able to lead in many things, including business, politics, sports and the sciences. Even so, we still have quite a ways to go before we can be seen as equal to the guys---equal enough in … Continue reading The Trưng Sisters (Part 1)
I Ching: Made in Vietnam (Part 4)
The weather has certainly been frigid here for the last few days. It is to be expected. We're only one week into the first week of January. I am sitting here drinking hot tea to stay warm and wishing spring would get here already. It's too damn cold! Spring brings with her not just gorgeous … Continue reading I Ching: Made in Vietnam (Part 4)
I Ching: Made in Vietnam (Part 3)
It may seem as if there is no point to many of my posts, as they diverge in very different areas. What I am attempting to do is to try to connect some far-flung dots by setting everything down in a concrete fashion that I can then use as anchor points with which to start … Continue reading I Ching: Made in Vietnam (Part 3)