The following is an XXL facebook comment addressed to Matt Baker, my bro and roommate from Pitt:
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There's too much going on to reflect upon at the moment. I'll need a week or so before i have it sorted out enough to describe thoughts. Here's a little but though: today (not 10 minutes ago actually) we went to the War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the American War Crimes Museum). This place portrays the USEF is the worst light with shocking photos, sensationalized stories and descriptions of artifacts. I felt really uncomfortable as an American being there, and I can't imagine how my advisor (a VN war vet) felt. It doesn't matter if half that stuff in that place is true or not, this is how the VN view their history.
However this trip hardy ever focuses on the past, or specifically the war. The museum visit was just one component.
WHEN I go camping with you guys this summer I'll have story time around the fire. Hopefully by then my observations will have yielded a conclusion. Now I'm just scrambling to make sure I remember my time here after I leave.
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Yeah so that happened today. Before that we dressed up and took our bus to the HCMC Stock Exchange. I won't say anything bad about it, however, I am a student with interests deeply seated in the sciences and engineering. Infer what you will from that statement.
I don't know what I'll do for the rest of the afternoon, probably souvenir shopping at a market. The trip really feels like it's coming to a close (which it is). There's so much more to be done here whether it's in HCMC or not. I'd enjoy a trip to Hanoi and Singapore or somewhere, but I guess I'll just have to save that for another time.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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Your reflection shows why these kinds of trips are so valuable: life-changing and humbling. Thank you for sharing your thoughts openly. You've inherited deep and soulful thinking, and I and encourage you to keep writing.... I love the way you write.
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OMG! You spent a million Dong!
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