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Good Porning, Vietnam
First thing we noticed upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh City: No one calls it Ho Chi Minh City. It’s Saigon, no matter what the commies tried to change it to in 1976. (So there. The war wasn’t pointless after all.) The people in the city, many of whom fled the country during the communist takeover—then returned—refuse to give Uncle Ho the credit for...
Ten Things You Probably Didn't Know About Cambodia
1. An alarming number of Cambodian babies are born with scars that look like bullet holes. It’s generally accepted that these babies are reincarnated victims of the Khmer Rouge.
2. Angelina Jolie is a goddess in Cambodia. They let her film Tomb Raider in the holiest temples of Siem Reap, and gave her Cambodian citizenship in 2005...
Soiled and Spoiled
I’m sure Cambodia’s got fascinating history and stunning sites and lovely people, but man, we have a shitload of laundry to contend with. And though I love my daughter fiercely, she has pooped on 90 percent of the stuff we brought with us and we got to get the stank out. Sorry, poo trumps history...
Don’t Fear the Siem Reaper
As one last insult, Thailand charges you 500 baht ($14.64) to leave the country. I liked Thailand a lot—fascinating country—but frankly, I was ready to pay their strangely reasonable blackmail fee and go. Sarah and Hannah, on the other hand, were ready to apply for citizenship, living out a life of passive-aggressive Buddhas and chilies, and let me travel on to Cambodia alone. Luckily, I’ve got the Passports.
Enlightenment! And Caves.
Some guy standing next to the River Kwai started cooing at Hannah and convinced us to get into his long-tailed boat and go for a ride. At the time, it seemed perfectly reasonable, and off we floated. In typical Thai fashion, he never made our destination clear, or if we even had one. We didn’t ask. Half a mile down the riverbank, we came...
Read more »Whistling Past the Graveyard
We’re now in Kanchanaburi, a mellow riverside town in western Thailand that backpackers love for a reason that may or may not have something to do with pot. It is also, as you surely know, the birthplace of the Buddhist monk Phrabhavanaviriyakhun. (Luang Phaw Dattajeevo, for short.) But Kanchanaburi is perhaps best known for...
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Bitten!: Chicago-area vampire enthusiastsThe second Twilight movie comes out November 20th, andTV series such as True Blood continue to suck in new vampire fans. But for two longtime local enthusiasts, vampire stories are more than a fad |
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America's Game: On James McManus' new book, Cowboys Full: The Story of PokerFrom living rooms to casinos to the White House—poker pulses in the veins of the American character. Or so says James McManus in his new book, written while he gambled online |
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Schindler’s List: Tom Dart Rescues Lawyers |
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Prince of the City: The mysterious mob hit on 1920s Tribune reporter Jake LingleHe spent lavishly and hung out with the city's elite, including Al Capone. His murder in a passageway under Michigan Avenue outraged the city, until the truth emerged—that he was corrupt to his... |
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Playing Keepaway: Why D.C. Democrats are so unsure about Alexi Giannoulias |
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Trashed: The death of Michael York and how heroin has invaded the Chicago suburbsNearly two years ago, the body of Michael York turned up in an alley on the West Side. The high-school student had died of an apparent overdose after a weekend bacchanal at a St. Charles mansion,... |
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The Lab MystiqueA place where every five-year-old intimidates me |
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