i blame all the hanoian air pollution

You know that thing everyone has that makes them super self-conscious? Some people don't like their teeth, so they smile with their mouth closed. Some don't like their toes, so they never wear flip flops.

I don't like wearing glasses.

Not only do I feel like supernerd when I wear glasses, but more so it drives me absolutely crazy how my black frames constantly slip down my nose, especially in hot, sweaty weather, causing me to feel like the only way I can see the world clearly is by literally tilting my nose up in the air continuously (it's fashion over function, seriously).

Unfortunately for me, I went to the SOS clinic nearby to get my wonky left eye checked out and, turns out, I have acute conjunctivitis, which, believe me, sounds so much worse than it actually is. What it means though is that I have to put in eye drops 3 times a day for four days -- and during those four days, I cannot wear contacts.

Guess where I'm going tomorrow morning?
BANGKOK, THAILAND.

Guess who's going to be supernerd in Bangkok, Thailand?
You're looking at her.

all for one

I mentioned yesterday at work that my wallet got stolen, and since then the editor of the publishing house and the head of the English department that I work in have basically mobilized forces and gone to town with finding a solution. They called the bus station, filled out a report to give to the police station, researched banks to see where I could get money wired, bought me a calling card so that I can call my parents back home, actually took me to a bank to make sure everything would work smoothly, and Joe bought cookies. I wish now that I hadn't wasted all of Sunday not doing anything because 1) I didn't know what I should be doing, 2) I figured it was a hopeless cause, and 3) Erik (the director) didn't really do anything either.

My coworkers are amazing.

bad things always happen to me in waves

My wallet got stolen this morning during the bus ride to Just Massage. Everything is gone, even including my mailbox key, and I'm still figuring out what I'm going to do.

Today has not been my day.

beauty queen of only eighteen

[Photo credit: VN Express]

RECOGNIZE ANYONE IN THE BACKGROUND?

Probably not because it's blurred out. But that's Ha (Johnny's Vietnamese roommate), Phil, Bibi, and me.

Yesterday our group went to the Temple of Literature and, turns out, it was the same day that the Miss Universe contestants and Miss Universe 2007 were visiting the Temple as well. Ha recognized their bus as they pulled up (he's obsessed with the pageant), and him and Christopher start running after the girls, snapping photos. Christopher doesn't even like to walk!

Anyway, the contest this year is being held in Viet Nam in July, and they've been showing the preliminary rounds on TV (I learned on the busride back that apparently Miss Venezuela recently won the ao dai competition). Ha, Bibi, and I got to take a photo with Miss USA!

Or rather, Ha got to take a photo with Miss USA and Bibi and I just jumped into it last minute, so I'm still laughing in the picture.

The girls were all really pretty (though they were also all wearing layers upon layers of make-up), very poised, and insanely tall in their sky-high heels. Basically, I would like to look like them when I grow up, please.

pass the fish oil pills

A line from the book I'm currently editing:

"In 137 BC, Trieu Da fell seriously ill and then died at the age of 110, after a 60-year reign."

...110 YEARS OLD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!