Do you speak Vietnamese? Of course we don't. Robert thinks both of us are constitutionally incapable or learning a second language. After the years of high school and college French, Latin and ancient Greek in college, Spanish courses in grad school, a year living in Japan (including lessons), numerous fits with Pimsleur and Berlitz, buying enough reference books to fund another year abroad (we even have one on Egyptian hieroglyphics), scribbling on a mountain of flashcards and endless mortification in front of [View Full Entry]

---

---

Welcome to our travel blog. We're going to try and keep friends and family updated while we're in Vietnam. Now that we're past Christmas, and Ilene's sabbatical has begun, we start planning in earnest. Ilene leaves on January 16 for about 5 weeks. Robert leaves on January 31 for 2 weeks. The "to do" list includes things like: -Second course of Hep B shot (Robert) -Get the laptop and camera rigged for travel. -Finish reading our guidebooks. -Keep listening to language tapes. -Buy those little travel size toiletries. -Sweet talk the house sitter. (You know who you a [View Full Entry]

---

---

So, to anyone reading this, this is my first entry and Im really just trying to get video up so that I can do it when Im actually in Europe. Here goes... [View Full Entry]

---

---

The final baseball practice/rehearsal before the week of filming for The Bronx is Burning was to begin, all of the baseball players/actors were given a shpeel (I use this word all the time but have never tried to spell it) about what the days on the movie set would be like. The gist of it was that filming a movie is boring and tedious, and that most of the time would be spent sitting around doing nothing. Cal (baseball casting director) and Mike (technical director of baseball) could not have been more correct, in fact thus far it has exceeded my [View Full Entry]

---

---

CASINO NIGHT at FOXWOODS off exit 92 on I-95 So I drove into the Casino Parking garage and went into the building. Didn't get carded. Must be getting old! Met up with Noelle, my second-cousin and her friend Rachel and we proceeded to the Bingo Hall with 10 dollars and some hopes of good luck. Purchased a booklet of bigno cards and went inside. There must have been 973 people in there. This room was about .25 miles long and half as wide. HUGE flippin' place. Starting a new section of seats, we got our blot markers and were explained the [View Full Entry]

---

---

So, I went through a lot of my life occasionally bumping into relatives, usually the old scary type at weddings. They were almost always on my dad's side of the family, at that. This last minute family reunion, meloncholy as it was being my Great Aunt Mary's funeral, brought me back to my mom's side of the family. I almost wasn't going to go. I did it as a favor to my mom who really needed me to go with her and drive her up to Madison, Connecticut. Arriving, we entered into Great Aunt Mary's house and all of the son's [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hi everyone, Things I forgot to mention about Canada: Restrooms are called washrooms There are LOTS of golf courses Most gas stations are Esso stations They make something called ‘Icewine’……the grapes are left to freeze naturally on the vine…they are harvested in Dec & Jan. and immediately pressed to make ‘Icewine’ (apparently, letting the grapes freeze on the vine concentrates the flavor). The dollar coin is called a ‘Looney’ (yes there is a ‘Tooney’ $2.00 coin) M [View Full Entry]

---

---

Middletown, CT I am writing from Wesleyan University, here for a few days because they don’t need me on the film shoot today or for the next few days. On Friday I found out who I will be playing in the film; I am Larry Gura, a left-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals and ex-Yankee. I will only be in the film briefly, I think, there is a scene where I am pitching and the Yankees head coach Billy Martin (played by John Turtorro) begins heckling me on the mound. The premise for the scene is that there is bad [View Full Entry]

---

---

This morning I headed down into Middletown to buy chapstick, soap, and a coffee. I was waiting at a crosswalk, waiting for the walk light to change. It was early morning in Middletown, and the streets were not very busy. I checked the traffic lights to see if the light was red, and then began to cross. Behind me came a voice saying “you gotta wait for the walk signal.” I turned around and saw a man standing on the curb. His comment took me by surprise; I don’t know when was the last time someone told me not to cross [View Full Entry]

---

---

o.k. now the time is here.. no not christmas time.. the TIME TO SAY GOODBYE to my beloved hostfamily and the wonderful fall-colored Connecticut! On Saturday I have my flight to California.. I suppose I will be offline for at least a week - until I am all settled in and comfortable with my new surroundings. Yeah I had an awesome last week and an even better weekend! Lets start with: " I didn't sleep much the last 10 days" Beginning last monday I was determined to do something with my last 2 weeks..then again thinking of my UNDER AGED existence [View Full Entry]

---

---