It's been a while

Monday, February 05, 2018
Hội An, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam
I haven't written anything for quite a while but today I was inspired by something that took me back 60 years to thoughts of my mother. It was Thams birthday today so I took her and Nhi and Na to the movies in Da Nang, I had to go to the hopital first where the doctor said my elbow was much better and precribed more Augmentin. I'm still not convinced but I will persevere with my almost alcohol free diet for another week and see how it goes. After the doctor we went to Vincom centre, a huge shopping mall with theatres, and saw the latest Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson movie called Rampage. I won't go into details but will add a spoiler, The Rock keeps his shirt on for the full movie. Anyone into biceps and six packs don't bother.
After the movie we were standing outside waiting for a car and I was chatting to Na about the movie. While we were talking two guys sidled up to Na and darting suspicious glances at me started talking to her,  After they left I asked her what they said and she told me they were warning her about talking to strange men.   To me they looked a lot more shifty than anyone in the vicinity. Anyway I asked Na what they were getting at, and she told me men talk to girls and then subtly inject them with narcotics of some sort and kidnap them and before they know it they are in China married to some old guy. Which brings me back to my mum who told me the same story 60 years ago  Her story involved a woman window shopping in the city when she was injected and spirited away.  Urban myths are very strong but it was a surprise hearing it in this far away place.
One picture I have included of the Grand Tourane is out of leftfield. Tourane was the French name for Da Nang and The Grand was a hotel a friend stayed at when she worked here during the War. I was talking to Nhi a few days ago and she was asking me what I worked at and in the course of the conversation she told me she worked in Da Nang for two years. So I told her I had a friend who worked in Da Nang during the War. Nhi said War? What War? The American War Nhi, you know 1963-1975, that War.  How quickly things are forgotten, Nhi of course was born well after the War in about 1990. 
The picture in the car is typical, the girls wear their face masks everywhere.
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