Which is one of the best things about coming home, the availability of food. As someone who lives by himself, one of New York’s many lonely, I just don’t have the same availability of food at home as I do when I’m in my parent’s house. It’s amazing to have 24 hour takeout, but sometimes, it’s just amazingly nice to have momma’s cooking right there, in the fridge, outside your bedroom door.

Yes. I will admit it, I am becoming gloriously fat. Food, how I love thee.

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I figure I might as well ask all of you this because I seem to be asking everyone around me: what should my next haircut be?

I’ve done bald, crew, mohawk, fauxhawk, reversehawk, weird shit shaved into my head. I’m thinking of maybe doing a mullet or a horse mane, or even hipster hair and just let it grow out.

Suggest what you will, with these caveats…

no really long hair. i just can’t do it. it takes too long and in the process it just annoys me. i would end up shaving my head before i could get something like a ponytail or a top knot together.

no weird colors. i like my black hair.

no braids. my hair is hellllla soft. i don’t think it would braid, and even then… i don’t wanta have to grow out my hair as long as i would need to.

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congratulations to all my roninathletics brothers who’ve received their promotions. hellllla more color on the mats. all the promotions, overdue and well deserved.

i recently went back to boston for the holiday and when i was there, i got to train with my black belt, Dave Ginsberg. after my usual arsekicking, i was surprised with a promotion. i am now a one stripe blue belt. dope.

i am forever talking about jiu jitsu, i know. but i really do you think that all of you should try it at some point. the kinesthetic meditation allows for is just one of the many benefits that makes you understand why so many of us put so much time and effort into playing this sport.

it takes a long time to get your blue belt, your first belt in jiu jitsu. it takes a lot of grueling work just to slowly advance to the point where you have any idea of what you’re doing, much less to get your blue. i’ve played jiu jitsu for two years now, just about, and i can honestly say, without jiu jitsu, i wouldn’t be the person i am. i think i’m a stronger, smarter, calmer and healthier person because of this sport become passion.

now… if only i had more time to play. but such is the life of a student in nyc. but it makes you think, what is dope about jits that it makes, hella busy, want to spend all my freetime playing it.

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Last minute edit,

I’m thinking of putting together a chapbook, both as merch and as a way of physically having a chronicle of my journey as a poet.

How many of you folks would buy it if i priced it at ten? at five?

how many poems do you want in it?

finally… are they any poems that you especially wanta see in the chapbook?

and for that i’m sorry. things have been hectic and i’ve been running around like a chicken-clown, juggling a hundred balls with me head chopped off. if that’s not one hell of a mixed metaphor i don’t know what is.

but i will do better. i have the ability in me to do better and so i shall.

but to make up for being slow with posting… i’ll post a completely draft poem, so that you can watch the editing process over time. aren’t you special? front seat to the creative process.

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let’s walk the slope
of crashing line graphs

find each other
at the ends of loss projections

dance and swagger
on trading floors
awash with stolen dreams
the effluence of stymied greed
coked and caffeinated fear.

we’ll laugh
when others would cry

build bonfires
with stock receipts
and whiskey drenched bar stools

our rage, righteous
partially at our own impotence
fuel for our lovemaking.

we’ll bring new meaning
to the tears already wept.

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i have a few shows that i’m negotiating now, so i might be coming to a school near you soon. but if you’re connected to your school’s asian am clubs or spoken word clubs or any other organization, throw me an email, bring me out. it’ll be beautiful to come and see ya’ll, party it up and build together. building together should probably be ahead of partying shouldn’t it? then again, i /am/ a vietnamese boy from boston.

but for all of you that are reading, thanks for reading. yall are beautiful. i don’t deserve you. but damn will i ever try to deserve you.

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so i didn’t compete. had a school thing come up last second. which is awful considering i dropped the weight. but such is life.

i just wanted to shout out my team though, as we have multiple new blues, a new purple and have had a bloody bunch of visitors. my black belt, dave ginsberg, came out from boston, ran an amazing seminar at NYU. Christian Graugart from Denmark came through. I’ll be posting the videos of me getting me arse whooped so that you can enjoy. Ronin Athletics, my gym has been doing amazingly well in competition. if you’re in NYC and looking for a jits/mma school, you should definitely check us out. any questions, you can ask me or ask Christian Montes, our instructor, who’s hella open, hella inviting and a goddamn good teacher.

Ronin Athletics

Christian Graugart’s dope jits/mma blog

now… videos of me getting whooped and being demonstrated upon…

at the beginning.

vinh as a dummy

peace and love for now.

hit you up soon with more updates.

happy turkey day. eat well. drink merry.