December 13, 2008

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  Thanks so much for your encouragement.  Xanga community is so much kinder than people I have contacted with in person.  You probably can’t imagine my frustration every time I start to write and can’t find a proper word or I am not sure what proper tense to use or what preposition to go with certain nounces or certain verbs, or when I can use at or in or on or upon.  But you show your support and  kindness so here I am writing English again, with scars, warts and all.  Perhaps I should remind myself I write because I am learning to write and because If I do not write I will never write better.

   

  For a few days I did not have internet connection.  Understandably, I was irritable  Listening to a song and wondering who is its author I want to google and realize that I can’t do that.  You can imagine my frustration.  Without the internet, I find that I am limited so much.  I can write a little something but when I am in doubt I cannot research to verify.  But thanks goodness, someone reset and I have internet connection again.  Anyone who is able to help me with computer I think is a genius. 

   

  I finish Lesson in Disaster: the Path to War in Vietnam of McGeorge Bundy, word for word.  There are certain pages and paragraphs I reread.  I will wait for the book is on sale and will buy it to keep.  I like to write a review about the book.  I need to have it so I can make notes when I reread.  I find it is hard to read without writing notes on the book.  Someone will not like to see people deface a book, like Oscar Wao, but I always write on “my” books, my thoughts, feeling, judgments, meaning, or just a reminder that I need to read something else to clarify what I had read.  I read most of the books I borrowed from my library two weeks ago, except The Audacity of Hope.  I did not find that it engaged my thought.  I was captured by the Precident-elect’s victory speech and an excerpt of The dreams from my father but the Audacity of Hope seems to speak to different school of thoughts.  Perhaps it is more interesting to people who is interested in politics than I.  I did not finish Breakfast at Tiffany or The Painted Veil, perhaps because I already watched the movies I lost curiosity to find how the events unfolded.

   

  I often avoid politics and history eventhough I know that will make me look dull and simple minded.  I avoid reading anything involved Vietnam War or even watch movies that are remotely related to the War.  Simply because it hurts.  But recently, I am able taking small steps toward learning the subject.  The Lesson in Disaster is the first book about the War that I am able to read, and I read from end to end.  It is a great book.  The author, Goldstein, is writing in clear and simple language, and a very objective tone.  It answers a few questions of mine such as: Why did Americans involve in this War?  To stop the expansion of communism.  Did Americans lose the War as Vietnamse claimed?  To American government, if they could not stop the insurgency that was a loss.  Did they fake the proof that Vietnamese started the fight? Yes, they did.  Although everyone pointed fingers toward the late Mr. Bundy who admitted that he was making mistakes in judgment and execution, the book also pointed out that the Joint of Chiefs, the Defense Department also had a share. 

   

   

  • 2:41 pm
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