Even though it was just a 3-day workweek, Friday could not come quickly enough. Lately my professional responsibilities have expanded to include editing legal disclosures for one of our telecom clients. Having no legal background, it’s concerning that I’m the best person for this task. (Seriously, one of the contracts mentioned “force majeure”. Only time I’ve heard that was from Nick Nolte’s character in Cape Fear.)
I hung around after work with Nghia while he waited for Nhung to get back from church. She converted to Catholicism recently, now she goes to church all the time. I don’t think I’ve known anyone before to convert to Catholicism. When she got back at 9, they invited me to dinner, but they were going for snails so I passed. Once was enough for that.
I ate at a place in my alley, Lang Chai. I got baby corn soup, blackened kingfish, and lemon-sugar-soda for $8. The fish was oily, but adequate.
I was taking a pic of the outside for you when this group of guys having some dinner across the way wanted to me take their pic, so here they are with their peace signs (oh good):
Inside the Lang Chai, they had a good-fortune altar like the ones I saw all over Hong Kong:
I got back to my room and for a second, thought I heard a dog bark in the distance, but it wasn’t. That’s when I realized, I haven’t heard a live dog bark in months. Most places I stay in the US, I can at least hear a barker or two occasionally somewhere out in the world. Not here. Nor in Singapore. Nor Hong Kong.
Another sound I haven’t heard in a really long time: bass from a car stereo passing by. It’s been so long, I’m starting to wonder if that’s even still a thing. Seems so 90’s. Do some cars still announce themselves miles in advance with their vibrating baritone generators?
Ok, back to Walking Dead. I recently downloaded the first 2 seasons, now I’m hooked. It’s a little gross – especially the sounds – but suspenseful and well-done. Maybe I’ll write a letter to the foley and ask him to lay off the wet-sounds on the cranium shots.
O hi, Asia! 
I love the Walking Dead, I started reading it around the time I started graduate school.
The peace sign thing made me laugh.
I feel like loud car stereos were much more common in Toledo than they are in Columbus.
i got your postcard! Reached me in 3 days! haha! and I just got home from k-pop concert when i saw it! wohoo!
Oh my God, that’s too fast!! My sister hasn’t even gotten the one I mailed on the 26th! I think the post may take another week, so remember what you were going to say. (Three days, wow!)