In Da Nang staying at a five star resort for free (long story...).  Typhoon coming, maybe.  Big rain here, certainly.   Free food, absolutely.  Unreliable wifi, sadly. Overworked me, definitely.

Life can be luxurious and hard at the same time.  How weird is that?

Only indirectly linked to Asia but...

... I've been reading this guy recently and he just kills me.  Apparently, 'minimalism' is a trend sweeping the recession-hit USA at the mo'.  People are desperately trying to convince themselves they should adopt a minimalist lifestyle to change / save the planet.  Nothing to do with the fact they're having to downsize to get themselves out of debt then? 

He has a blog post where he lists the '57 things' he needs to lead a fulfilled life.  Out of interest I turned our apartment upside down yesterday and counted all the clothes / possessions / random trinkets I owned in my little world..  48.  Yup. 48 'things'.  And I can carry all of them quite comfortably in a rucksack on my back.  So I think I win.

I don't think minimalism is a lifestyle you can teach, promote or produce e-books about.  It's just the way you live, a response to the manner in which you choose to interact with the world.  Trying to use it as a mental crutch to wean yourself off rampant consumerism is never going to work; you'll always long for the BMW and the Aga cooking range.  You simply try to convince yourself you don't.

I suspect that around 80% of the population of Viet Nam currently practices minimalism.   Though it's not because it's a lifestyle choice, it's because when you don't have much to begin with you're already a de facto minimalist.  How cool is that?

Back to the future

 The difficult side of Asia.  Faces of the dead; S21 in Phnom Penh.

After a thirteen month hiatus - thanks in part to the demands of moving to Vientiane then relocating back to Sai Gon - I return to your screens.

Trying to retain consistency in writing when your life is inconsistent is virtually impossible, so I really don't know what form 'Ro Hunter' will take this time. We'll see. I don't want it to be too personal, 'cos my life is no more or less interesting than your own.

I tend to read articles which describe aspects of worlds I'll never experience, simply because there isn't time in one life to do everything I'd like to do. Perhaps I'll try to achieve that; to show those of you who'll never have the time to spend in South East Asia what you're missing (or, in many cases, what you're not missing...).

I'll have archives this time. I don't like to, but I can't stand the moaning and bitching from you any longer. Archives will be provided. I promise. No comments though. I don't care to hear your opinions on my life. Those of you I do care about already have my gmail address.

So that's it. Welcome back. Or welcome for the first time.