Finding the Pearl of the Orient
Weeks of May 7 - 22
Quiz time! What country/city is known as the “Pearl of the Orient”?
Trick question – there are eight Pearls out there, which I discovered after two guides 2000 km apart proudly told me their city held the title. I don’t know who the official “Pearl Chooser” is, but they don’t seem too picky.
Before the answer, let me welcome to the newsletter! Today we’ve got some comic news, a story about a man I met in the Philippines, and a great book recommendation. And, of course, our fun fact answer!
We’ve finished up our vacation in the Philippines (the current Pearl title holder according to Google), and have come to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam (the Pearl up until the 1930s).
The rest of the Pearls: Sri Lanka (the pearliest place we’ve been), Hong Kong, Shanghai, Phnom Penh, Goa, and Penang. Fun fact delivered!
Avvai and I are officially back to work, however, going back to work while digital nomading is a unique experience. You’re returning to the usual computer grind, but you’re also in a brand new place – and Vietnam may as well be a Star Wars planet. We are staying outside of the tourist area and we know nothing. There is no English here. Crossing the road is a gauntlet of death. Even restaurants work differently; our first evening, not yet sure how to order street food (no menus), we sat down in a restaurant – after a baffling hour, a young man with limited English appeared, pointed at the mess we’d ordered and said, “Next time, you must not do that.”
“Why not?” Our massive bowl of tofu soup had proven unsatisfying, so we’d ordered a side of noodles, which had come uncooked. Naturally, we added them to our soup, waited for them to soften, and then ate our meal. “Is it not good?”
“Yes. Not good.”
Now we go to street food stands, ask for “Two”, and eat whatever they give us. It’s all been delicious, and the cook is right there to correct us when we eat things wrong (which happens a lot).
Stuff I’m Making
The CRUMBS Issue #1 comic book is done and has been sent out to the world. Wow, look at all those boxes!
Want to read it? Get your digital version here!
If you prefer a physical copy, message me here or through INSTAGRAM @crumbstheclown and we’ll try to help you out.
Making this comic through Kickstarter was an amazing experience. There are a lot very supportive people out there, and the comic community is awesome. However, we’re hoping to find more traditional methods for the rest of the comics. We’ve got big plans for this clown! So if anyone knows people at Image, please reach out :P
No other creative news. The rest of my work week has been spent reading and doing coverage for scripts. Gotta pay for all this somehow! My evenings have been spent catching up on short stories of our experiences. There have been a lot, but today I’d like to share this one:
A Dream Job
A STORY FROM THE PHILIPPINES
“What job do you do back in Canada?”
“I’m a screenwriter,” I said. “I help write for movies.”
“Movies? Wow. That’s actually my dream job.”
His name was Manuel. We’d been floating in two feet of warm ocean water and talking for thirty minutes. Despite enjoying the conversation, it had hit its natural endpoint ten minutes ago and I was worried about being sunburnt. However, Manuel wasn’t making it easy to leave, so we kept floating in that stretch of ocean usually reserved for babies and people afraid of getting their hair wet.
“Your dream job is making movies?”
So far, I’d learned that Manuel was 32 - the same age as me - he had two kids, had trained in IT at Cebu University, and he was planning on quitting his grocery store job next year because the pay was too low. He would then leave the Philippines and go to Canada. Or Saudi Arabia, or Australia, or Japan. He wasn’t picky.
“Yes, making movies.” Manuel raised his hands and made a circle in the air. “I know all about the one circle and how you need to be within the second.” He made a bigger air circle. “I think I could do that.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. “Do you mean running a projector?”
“No — it’s making the movies.” He made the two circles in the air again. “Do you think I’d be good at it?”
“I don’t know.” I honestly didn’t.
“I would.” He floated a bit closer. “Do you need an assistant?”
“Uh… no.”
“I think you do.”
I floated myself up towards the beach. “My job isn’t one that needs an assistant.”
His two kids suddenly splashed into the water next to us; both trying to coax their dad to play with them. He ignored them. “I would be a huge help.”
“Look, Manuel…” I realized there was no nice way to end this line of questioning. “No. I can’t hire you.” I tried to sound firm. “But maybe if you get some experience in the film industry here you could apply for…” As I spoke, Manuel stared at me, but I don’t think he was listening.
“It’s my dream job,” he said again when I’d finished.
I told him I needed to put on sunscreen and left. He floated in the knee-deep water and watched his dream job get up and go back to Canada, where all his dream jobs lived.
Fun Things & Recommendations
Lonely Castle In The Mirror — After their mirrors start shining, seven young people in Tokyo are taken to mysterious castle and told that they have a chance of winning a wish. This is a grounded fantasy book that focuses on the characters and their problems, while still being full of twists and mysteries. It’s about loneliness, connection, and is ultimately very heart warming.
Avvai and I are reading books to prepare for Japan and the themes of many have been loneliness. This book ends with a note about young people’s mental health in the country, which is apparently ranked 2nd to last among developed and developing nations. As someone who feels strongly about young people mental health, this book was an easy 10/10.
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Yup, we travel with our Nintendo Switch. Yes, I bought this the day it came out. I try to save it for airplane/bus days, but it is very fun. It feels like the perfect package of adventure and exploration. Could I get the same feeling by dodging giant rats and cockroaches while exploring the streets of Saigon at night? Sure, but in Zelda I get a sword; here I just scream and run away.
Hi Mom! Pics and Specks
The video is of a big street we have to cross to get to the coffeeshop. Ironically, you don’t need much coffee after the adrenaline of crossing the street.
Tạm Biệt!
That means goodbye in Vietnamese and is surprisingly fun to say. See you next time, and thank you for being here! Please, reach out if you have any thoughts.
Warmly,
Kyle
I will find you, Jabroni!
That bug is NOT the size of an iPhone! Unless the door is 20 feet tall. Nice to see you having fun. I wish I were in Vietnam.