It Takes A Big Man To Play Basketball And Checkers

(PICTURE: Some random dude who looks like Chris Place. I forgot my camera --aka didn't want to ride my motorbike with it-- so I stole this picture from this guy's blog. That's John McCain's flight suit in the glass case behind him)  

Yesterday I went to the "Ha Noi Hilton"--the place where John McCain spent 7 years during the Vietnam war-- and it turns out that it was called the Hilton not as a joke, but because these guys were kept in plush luxury. According to the photos at the museum -- and the Vietnamese Government would never slant anything -- these "prisoners" got to play basketball in the courtyard, checkers in their room, snack on almonds by the stockades and overall just get to chill out. Even solitary confinement was a breeze here since two people would get to share "the hole." Frankly, I'm decent at basketball (I can rebound), not too shabby at checkers, I love almonds, and hey, put me in the hole with a buddy of mine for a few days and we'll share laughs and stories without a problem.  What I'm trying to say is, I'd really appreciate it if everyone could start referring to me as an, "American Hero."

Yes, I'm bitter that my guts telling me that somehow the Republicans are going to win in '08. 

In other exciting news, I finally have mastered how to say, "I'm an English Teacher here in Vietnam and those two are tourists. They buy. I don't." This comes in handy whenever Ryan, Steve and I are approached by annoying, haggling street vendors.