Fresh spring rolls, tomato tofu, three fresh coconuts, poked with paper straws I’ve got a full house, tens over fives. It’s just the three of us right now, the Rhino, the Elephant, and I. And for this trip, we’re already into our second time wandering over to Phuong‘s. She’s set us up with yet another …
Author Archives: Radutti
Lava
Hey papa do you wanna play The Water is Lava Can do OK, you gotta go in towards the water as far as you can and then when the waves come out, you can’t let them touch your feet. It’s one of those moments in parenting when I’m kind of humoring him. Sure, why not …
Tingly
Tingly is how I’d best describe it The awkwardness comes later Post sento, the sauna and cold plunge have put me into the zone. It’s a few days before Tet, and things are picking up. The Lunar New Year brings with it traditions around eating, cleaning, gathering, and giving. Dehydrated and all atingle, I detour …
Concrete Pictorial Abstract
The air is crisp But what’s striking is the silence The platform, mostly faded, darkened concrete, slowly decaying and deserted. It calls for bustle, yet is met by none. A flock of whirling visitors alight briefly atop the rain cover and dance together through the air. Darting, flitting guests who make this concrete, metal latticework …
Hack saw
Cough Hack Cough Cough, cough Cough I’m somehow on a sandy golf course. Hit a couple nice shots, but the next hole is a short pitch, seemingly not even 10 meters. Some sort of Funhouse golf course (Maxi Golf?), sandy gravel all around and a sheer cliff behind me. I peer over and feel a …
Three Men
What are we entitled to? There’s more than three people here tonight. But these ones stand out. The Butcher is contemplative, his body coated in white bubbles, the plastic stool and wash basin to him part of the most sacred ritual. He’s done this before. The Baker kneads his towel, methodically, ridding it of the …
Tadaima
Hustle up, let’s make the light! We scurry across, between shade and patches of sun. It’s just Rhino and I, as Mama and Elephant skirted ahead to avoid the wait. Transitions can be challenging For me For us. Still. An ongoing frustruation of not leaving enough time, or deliberating on the balance of what items …
Orange Tree
I first noticed the group of monks because of their robes They stand out. And today, these outstanding gentlemen have some work to do. One of them is in charge of the saw And today is a climbing day. Two of them balance precariously on top of the fence surrounding their temple. They perch to …
Sweeps
The birds are the most active I think, on first impression. That is, until I wander by the monastery and see it’s time for the morning sweeps. The two young men seem to be attempting to outdo one another. Both arrayed in their orange robes, one shoulder with cover and the other without. Singular in …
Haze
Oranges come to mind When you live in Southeast Asia, AQI is just a thing And the air is thick today. We take for granted, that, yes, it might be a day for a mask, and we might not be able to see across the river, or across the lake. We manage expectations, live inside …
Get Up Eight 