Tran slated
I wanted to write a post that if my friend Tran were to read this weblog, which mericifully she doesen't, she might care about. One way to do that is to write about Vietnam issues. Certainly Vietnam has been in the U S press a number of times since the begining of the year. Just recently Secratary of Defense Rumsfeld visited
An Upbeat Rumsfeld and Vietnam Agree to Broaden Ties - New York Times heralding closer military and security cooperation between the two nations, this was presaged by earlier meetings in Feburary
Military ties warm between US, Vietnam | csmonitor.com . Bill Gates was in Vietnam back in April presumbly to check out the level of sophistication and support of this emerging global technology center
Vietnam's Tech Sector Hails Gates' Visit. Intel Corp. had been through a few months earlier to settle plans to build a chip assembly plant
Intel to Build Vietnam Chip Assembly Plant. Shortly after this in mid-May there was news of a trade treaty with the U S
Vietnam reaches trade deal with US: state media | Reuters.comand an agreement to allow Vietnam entry into the WTO
US agrees to deal for Vietnam to join WTO | Reuters.com . There were also stories, I wrote a post on earlier, about Vietnam's softening intransigence toward Christianity
In Vietnam, Christianity gains quietly | csmonitor.com; though I recall what happened when I ran that by Tran - she wasn't buying it. [I doubt these months-old urls are going to link to full text articles anymore, they are essentially here just to decorate this post]
During the month of the World cup Championship series I came to discover that Tran is a keen and passionate soccer fan! Are there any famous Vietnamese Soccer players I wondered? Just considering Vietnamese-Americans, yes. "And if you need Vietnamese intrigue to get you into the sport, in 2010 mid-fielder Lee Nguyen should be on the U.S. team. He was the Gatorade High School Soccer Player of the Year and now plays professionally in the Netherlands"
NGUOI VIET Online. I find myself possessed of Vietnamese intrigue. I also came across this odd article in the official Chinese press on how Vietnam is reacting to the world cup. I'll give you a taste:
a restaurant in southern Ho Chi Minh City hangs a plate which says "A place of refuge during World Cup." The Faifo Hoai Pho restaurant in the city-based Huynh Tinh Cua Road with the odd plate has attracted more and more customers, especially wives since the world's biggest soccer event started early June. The customers want to run away from the sight of their husbands gluing eyes to TV screens and crying all night. Ironically, owner of the restaurant without TV sets, a poet named Huy Tuong, is a crazy soccer fan
People's Daily Online -- Amusing World Cup-relating facts in Vietnam. In the wake of the France | Italy game. A lovely game even if I loathe penalty kick finishes. I wanted to close this post by defending Zidane
SI.com - 2006 World Cup - Bruce Crumley: France swallows defeat -- but not hero's finale - Monday July 10, 2006 11:41AM. My first thought after seeing the head butt and realizing this was going to get him tossed out. Why this, an unforgivable unsportsmanlike offense in soccer, is the very heart of Americam football. I can recall our high school football coach, Tommy Cato, being distraught that one of our players was just too nice a guy to lower his head and "stick 'im", he would never make a "good" football player. I would horrify all civilization and modern Europe (certainly France) by proposing Zidane be considered an honorary American (or an honorary rugby player, if he prefers). This is because some have speculated he was provoked and had endured numerous uncalled fouls against himself
There Are No Words for Zidane's Head Butt - Los Angeles Times . While most times valor consists of biting your lip, being professional, not reacting; always there is also deciding to pay the price. Sacrificing perhaps the greatest game in his career. The very moment being his permanent separation from the game. His career reputation for asterisked. Something never un-doable. Like Samson, pulling the roof down on your opponent and yourself. Like Heracles
Heracles - Wikipedia asking the fire be set, that will burn away the mortifying flesh, and the mortal part. Sometimes you have to decide that enough is enough; you've bourne enough slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. And to take up arms, or in Zidane's case, heads, (new rules sucker!) and by opposing end them.
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