Post by John NguyenPost by William JenningsDamn, I just snapped you're Vietnamese! I was in Thai Nguyen province
once in the north mountians near Ha Noi.
Man, that's a tough place to be in before '75. I'm glad you came out in
one piece. I've heard stories about those Green Berrets jumping in that
area back then when I was in service.<
We were with the Montagnards in primeval forests on the Sino-Vietnamese
border near Sapa along the Muong Hoa river.
Absolute insanity at it's best! Nothing in my entire life impacted me
more than those monks who poured gasoline over themselves and struck a
match. They sat there calmly, in the middle of a busy intersection,
without wincing or the slightest distraction....melting! It was while I
was there I decided I was going to study the guitar the rest of my life.
That culture made a profound impact on me .... beyond words!
Post by John NguyenPost by William JenningsTonight in south Texas my last vietnamese herbs will
freeze. Hombre, I had Queen of Siam basil, sawtooth and lemon grass
plants that lasted all summer.
I envy you, hombre. Here in NJ, the only thing I could grow was a lousy
bush of sky-pointing pepper in the summer. But they're real good, mind
you.<
I know.... at one time I had an apartment on the 7th. floor of a
downtown highrise. I had two potted chile plants I kept in the window
ledge. I'll bet you have access to some great Vietnamese markets that
have crates of live crabs, turtles, eels, lobsters, all kinds of fish,
fresh herbs, sugar cane, coconuts, bean sprouts, you name it on Fridays!
I grew so much sawtooth ( Culantro)
http://newcrop.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-506.html at
one time that I took it to friends that own a market in San Antonio. It
was very hard for them to stock. It grows like a weed in a little damp
shade on the coast. I love the stuff.
Post by John NguyenPost by William JenningsBtw, Vietnamese food tops Mexican and Texican, imo. There is no better
bread than those light, crispy Vietnamese baguettes. You could even
serve them with Chili!
Vietnamese baguettes are the best to go with chili! Just take a piece
of it to scoop up a junk of chili. Oh man, I'm drooling just to talk
about it! Lots of good vietnamese restaurants down in TX I heard.<
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/VV/pjv1.html
Btw, many here will not know the Vietnamese have their own "Chili" you
call it " Bo Hue". If you add the hot chili's....hey that's great chili
which does go great with a fresh, warm, Vietnamese baguette.
Yes, we do have some large Vietnamese areas in the large cities in
Texas. Houston and Dallas have huge Vietnamese shopping centers and you
can find everything you need. Houston has the little shops that will
specialize in one or two items like fresh rice noodles and all kinds of
freshly made tofu. We take ice chest to Houston so we can bring stuff
back home.
John, if your name on the NG was Bac or Dat I would have known you were
Vietnamese in an instant.... the John threw me.
We had a Dallas Cowboy player named Nguyen
http://www.texnews.com/texsports97/dat101097.html
He has a great littleVietnamese restaurant in Rockport, Texas called
"Hu-Dat's". They serve Vietnamese, Chinese and now some Cajun. Once I
get on Texas 35 ( about four mile through the live oaks and mashlands) I
turn left and drive about 35 miles ( at 80mph) bear to the left coming
in Rockport, Texas and stay on the water front road about two miles, you
turn left and park right there for great food. It's right next door to
a marine hardware store for commerical shrimp boats which are tied up
all along the water-front. Since there's very little traffic and we can
drive fast on the highway it's no different than going out in any major
city to eat. It's the sort of place you can eat in a nice suit or after
a long day in the boat fishing... nobody gives a damn and except for the
many Vietnamese kids in and out of the place it's mostly Texicans and a
few Snow Birds from artic Canada ( and Kansas).
http://jelly.com/totp/history.htm
Post by John NguyenPost by William JenningsI understand. It's hard you understand, when you're a half-Jewish, Capo
di tutti capi tropical guitarist cowboy living with a Mafioso Bitch who
really understands you in Texas.
-----------^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^-----------------
You're a blessed man!<
Yes, it's proof of living the good life! I even have a real,
full-blooded, Vietnamese nephew who recently got his master's in music!
With his Fu Manchu mustache, wierd beard, and tropical sartorial hued
clothes he even looks like what some call a savage Montagnard.
Do not be mislead by those who would put Bambi in chili to eat with
cornbread. This is the path of the wicked who hunt deer in the parks at
dawn, with cluster bombs. They are no different than those who would
hunt other Dear's at lunch time in the
library with a baseball bat.
Che' de Saint