Derek Riley

Me (as Side 2 ends): I'm on the fence... Is this Elvis Costello album worth keeping? Debi: I liked it better than Krokus.

Love that 1990's section of the @SCPhil Chamber Concert Series is warranting Shazam sleuthing. – at South Carolina, USA

Didn't realize quite how many records I have, pre and post Ike-split, including an all-Country one. Always loved her in-studio laundering. #RIPTinaTurner – at South Carolina, USA

Exhibit designer for the Met: "In museums, the best crime deterrent is wide-open, highly visible spaces." Tom Savory: "And in libraries." Doug Quackenbush: "And schools." . . Me: "And roads." – at Manhattan, NY

Four weeks away but the newspapers don't stop. Glad for online Washington Post & Economist subscriptions, otherwise my vacations would require a bigger coffee table. – at South Carolina, USA

Our hotel is next door to a great tennis complex with a retractable roof, apparently subsidized with restaurant funding. Don't play on an empty stomach! – at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Noise artist Loïc Guénin shows up to accompany this live dance troupe. Worlds colliding! – at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Excited to see National Public Radio back on Twitter with one final update... encouraging everyone to follow them elsewhere. – at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Turns out fine Japanese knives are wasted on Vietnamese cooking, which warrants lots of brute force bone hacking. But we learned how to sharpen the fine blades, regardless. – at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Since COVID, most all apartments have a dedicated outdoor (white) string-line to collect deliveries without face-to-face interactions. Or taking the stairs. – at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Last minute re-schedule puts us on the high-demand noon Hanoi-to-Saigon flight... a 787 Dreamliner (along with 272 other passengers). Thanks, @Boeing Charleston! – at Hanoi, Vietnam

Loving the private rooms we're always given at the Japanese restaurants. But I can't shake the suspicion it's to keep the middle-aged tourists hidden from the walk-ups. – at Hanoi, Vietnam

I didn't count but this 6-foot tall Buddha supposedly contains 1,000 hands and 1,000 eyes. – at Hanoi, Vietnam

Electricity and Internet cables coordination is strangely similar in Cambodia and Vietnam. – at Hanoi, Vietnam

Guide: Do you want a pho or bun cha restaurant? Us: We've never had bun cha. Let's try that. . . Us: This is great. Guide: Yes. By the way, you're sitting next to everything President Obama touched when he ate here in 2016. – at Hanoi, Vietnam

Afternoon reverse commute heading into Hanoi on the no-cars Eiffel Tower Bridge (Debi on the yellow-trunk bike). – at Hanoi, Vietnam

Day #16: trip is over halfway done and Debi has had more massages than showers. – at Hanoi, Vietnam

White Lotus/ Triangle of Sadness boat portion of our trip, shared with only four other couples. Debi with the upper deck to herself (right next to the hot tub). – at Hai Phong, Vietnam

"I'd like the banana dessert special: ice cream, bread, steamed, & fried." Waiter: "Excellent choice. But it will require about 15 minutes so I'll be back with some tea and cookies while you wait." . . [Aside to Debi]: "Do they have to go kill the banana?"

Us: "Could you find us something a little more local, less geared toward western tourists?" Guide's solution: an event rental facility, empty at peak lunchtime. – at Vietnam