Today we’re posting a couple videos from Vietnam.  I know, I know, you think you’re over the whole Vietnam thing.  But guess what?  Vietnam’s a big country, and as much as I would like to say, “We nailed it in seven episodes and the Laurene at the Delta short,” that’s just not accurate.  The truth is that we need at least two more shorts to cover this complex society.  And we got ‘em.

These were shot in February, when principal photography had wrapped and I was able to turn my attention to some of those details that make life in Vietnam so unique.  I was always intrigued by the utilitarian aspect of Vietnamese society, by its people’s ability to make do with whatever works and not demand all the bells and whistles that mark any undertaking in the States.  The train crossing is a great example.  In America, where it’s often said that we value machines and automation at the expense of people, a human-operated train crossing would be unthinkable, or at the very least hopelessly outdated.  In Vietnam, where the biggest technological concern is air pollution from motorbikes (and lately the censorship of Facebook), it’s common-place.  So common, in fact, that there were stations just like this one only 25 yards in either direction.  Cynics might say that this is the communist influence on the country, a simple way of creating soul-sucking jobs that keep everyone busy.  Maybe there’s some truth to that, but the reason I found this station so interesting was because the workers’ spirits seemed to be as high as anyone’s.  I was able to observe them a couple times before this shoot (this crossing was near my apartment), and every time I saw these young women emerge from their small guard house and lower these barriers, they did it with enthusiasm.  Perhaps it’s that difference – that a Vietnamese person could do the same task every day and be happy – that explains why these train crossings exist.  No economic system can explain that kind of inner peace (though they’ve all certainly tried).  No, it seems to me that that the Vietnamese are able to be happy with their work thanks to the influence of Buddhism.  There’s more to that than I can pretend to know, but the more I learned about Buddhism while in Vietnam, the more I saw it reflected in daily life.  Maybe America doesn’t need hand-operated train crossings, but perhaps there’s something to be said for inner peace.
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The Jet Set Zero Italy crew is about to begin our last week of teaching (except for Lynne, our crazy little Scottish trouper, who is teaching through September).

Sarah and I have been assigned to a nunnery, where we will be teaching 25 children by ourselves with the help of the resident nuns. We may also be teaching with cameraman Bogden, who has volunteered to step in in case of emergency. Please wish us luck. We’ll keep you posted on our…progress. 3 minutes til we depart for school…! Yikes.

Sarah and I prepare for Day 1 at the nunnery with plenty of coffee and nutella. Sarah doesn't even drink coffee. The caffiene spike will add to the interest level I'm sure. If all else fails we can start adding Baileys Irish.

Some stuff you won’t see in the episodes:

Dinner with the BF's Bro

Via Piero della Francesca

The Best Terrace in Milan