Park Lego English

Lego English was a major theme, which included McDonald's English, throughout the course of 2015 and a bit beyond that to 2017 as well. Outside of that, I spent a lot of time at the park where I would meet dozens of people each day. Park English January. Anna Barbie Dalat Tet February. Cambodia 2 March. Thuy Tran April. Facebook Jail May.

Shifting Gears

Saying No More June. Oprah Joey July. Adam Wills August. Mark Lego September. Return of the FYG October. The Death of Old Ink November. Extension Denied December.

2015 - Year in Review

Original Oatmeal.

I lived at Old Ink in District 1 of Saigon, Vietnam. I was generally spending many hours at the 23/9 Park teaching English to Vietnamese students each day, seven days a week, in 2015, for many months. I would get to the park around 02:00 PM ICT, approximately. I would stay until 11:00 PM on some nights. There were times I was out until like 01:00 AM. Sometimes, was at the park as early as 09:00 AM. Some of them would invite me to eat sometimes. I took hundreds of photos each day. We met other foreigners from around the world. I met my Lego student. He helped me buy a lot of things that year like a whiteboard. We saw Star Wars - A Force Awakens in December. I went to Cambodia in March on a visa run. The company gave me the wrong visa but told me it was fine. I didn't find out until it was late that they did things wrong. I met a lot of people in 2015. It was an adventure. I started binge watching a lot of my favorite television shows. I also made some interesting videos that year as well.

Who you gonna call?

Dark Wing Duck Face Joey!

_{2015-01-01 - Thursday - 23.9 Park - AVATAR - OLD INK TOILET MIRROR JA}

2015

_{January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December}

_{2015-02-27 - Friday - Old Ink JA Video - How Are You - Phone Not Mother}

2015

_{- Free English Club - Helicopter Parents - Japanese - Kathy - Learn Past Your Limits - Life Stages Video - Outline - Park - Purio - Scared Away - Still Steal 2 Video - Tips - Will Blocked Will: - Whiteboard}

Which of the four is Japanese?

_{2015-01-01 - Thursday - 23.9 Park - Japanese Foreigner - Vietnamese Students}

January, 2015

I rented a monthly 2,000,000 VND room at the Old Ink Tattoo Parlor from Friday, the 10th of October, 2014, until November of 2015. Kan Huynh did the tattoos for people. His mother lived in the room on the first floor, that is above the ground floor. I rented the room on the second floor. Kan had the third floor, which was the top floor which was 10x20 feet approximately. There was only one bathroom on the ground floor. The motorbikes were kept on the ground level room. There was a steep stairway. There was one balcony on the top floor. Kan drew Joker and a few other characters on the walls. I used to draw on the walls at my house as a kid. So, it was kind of like a second home for me there. The ground floor was crowded with 2 or 3 motorbikes at all times. Near the stairs was a shrine to Buddha. There were cockroaches in the bathroom.

_{2015-02-22 - Sunday - 4 Life Stages Video - Old Ink JA}

_{2015-02-19 - Thursday - Sisters Zizi & Anna - Tet Holiday}

Chronology of My Biography

_{1920's - 1930's - 1940's - 1950's - 1960's - 1980's - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990's - 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000's - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2018}
_{_{Join the Infowars Army}}

February, 2015

I spent Tet with Anna, Zizi, and their mom. It was very fun. Many adventures. I've known that Vietnamese family since like 2013. When I was NOT hanging out with them, I was at the park hanging out with the folks. Anna was generally practicing English with me for free. There was some compensation when they bought me food, etc. It is true that we are friends as well. I would tell her that I was teaching her. Sometimes, she would act offended, as if she was not benefiting from me. It is true that people can try to take advantage of you. I cannot say exactly if Anna was always guilty of that type manipulation at a conscious level or not. I would debate with them, possibly too much. I even referenced them indirectly when I wrote about things on Facebook and they got mad a few times. I told them that I didn't mention their names in what I wrote. So, I could have been talking about anybody. I was using them as examples like comedians do when they talk about their lives, their wives, but I do the same thing but for educational purposes as the one and only living Original Oatmeal.

_{2015-03-22 - Sunday - Still Steal 2 Video - Old Ink JA}

March, 2015

I made another video on Still and Steal for pronunciation practice for English students. I once made that famous Still Steal song in Thu Duc back in like 2014 with a student there. So, I was at the park a lot in March. I was talking to people. I was making videos.

_{2015-04-15 - Wednesday - Blog - Facebook - Kathy Bike Classes Mother Payment Options Communication Conversation}

April, 2015

I had a conversation with Kathy on Facebook about the bike I said she stole from me. I used to say that on Facebook and everywhere. So, people like made jokes about that. Some people probably hated the fact that I talked about it. I used to email Kathy about it many times, as well. I first met Kathy in 2013. I rented a room from her. She was my motorbike taxi driver. She volunteered to help me. She was pretty aggressive at first. She pushed me to tell everybody that she was my GF. She pushed me to buy a motorbike. I did so as she was my ride to work as I taught English to children at schools in many districts all over Saigon. She sold or donated my bike to her friends without my consent. She pushed me to take Vietnamese classes. But then she said that her mother would pay. And then I asked for the money for my bike. And then she said that money was used for the classes. So, long story short, I can't say if all of that was done on purpose or by accident. But for years, I've made videos about that. I've written so much about that situation. I wanted people to understand the moral of the story, which would be transparency. The moral of the story behind the Joey Pagoda Story, Circle K, Dai Trinh, Remi, Anna, New Star Bac Ninh, Hanoi Girl, etc, is and are the same, transparency. I would love for the Pagoda to tell me that they changed their mind. I would love for Kathy and her mom to say that they changed their mind. Instead, I would get denial. I talk about these things because we can all learn from these things. There are a bunch of things you can take from these types of stories. The biggest thing I have learned is to maybe not trust people too much. I trusted them too much, possibly.

May, 2015

_{2015-05-26 - Tuesday - Old Ink English - Whiteboard Avatar - JA}

_{2015-06-12 - Friday - 23.9 Park - The Anh}

June, 2015

2015-06-15 - Monday - Lawyer Student Phuong Nguyen sent me a Facebook Message. I met her before that through my other student that I met at the Drink & Talk English Club back in 2013. I probably met her in 2015. We had a few classes for like a few months and then again in December. And then on 2016-02-25 - Thursday - she wanted to meet again. She texted me. I responded on Saturday, "Meet me at McDonald's, Dien Bien Phu. She answered, "Why do you answer me so late?" Because I was stuck at Anna's at that time. She asked if we could meet on Sunday. I didn't respond. And then 18 months later, on 2017-08-29, Wednesday, she messaged me on Facebook, "Do you remember?" Yes. I said I was sorry for not responding, for not meeting her, in 2016. And then, on 2017-09-02 - Saturday: we met at the Opera Tea Club coffee shop at 39 Ly Tu Trong / Hai Ba Trung: Quán Cafe Ngủ Thoải Mái 24h. She brought me some cake from Tous Les Jours. She was very nice. She was beautiful and very smart.

July, 2015

_{Debate On Helicopter Parents, Independence, Choices, Excuses, etc...}

_{2015-07-30 - Thursday - Facebook - Barbie Anna}

_{2015-08-01 - Saturday - 10:04 AM ICT - Blog - 23.9 Park - Potential Students - Guy Scared Them Away}

August, 2015

2015-08-22 - Saturday - Will Blocked Will: I wrote in my blog that Adam Duane Wills blocked me on Facebook. I met Adam at my first college, the New York Word Of Life Bible Institute (WOLBI), back in 2004. We talked Oatmeal and about L4OJ. But eleven years later, Adam blocked me. Why? Was I too active on Facebook? Was I adding too many people to Facebook groups, pages, profiles, accounts, events, videos, pictures, posts, comments, etc? Was I too loud? Was I too demanding? Yes, probably, according to many people, subjectively speaking, that was always the perception, it would seem. That was generally the reputation, the first impression, the cover to my social book. Emotionally, I was sad. I understand why people blocked me. The moral of the story is perspective. If you want to do what I did, then first consider the consequences. I've made justifications for my actions. I've always felt too busy and too late. I was always feeling like it was now or never. I had all of the projects, videos, books, memes, conversations, activism, and many different things, that I wanted to start, that I wanted to continue promoting. I was like Robin Williams with all of his jokes, all of the thinking, with being all over the place. Except with me, I'm not as funny as Robin. And Robin got a lot of things done. With me, during my life, I appeared foolish because it was like I was not committed to anything. I'm still trying to learn how to choose my battles. It can be tough because I want to do everything. But I can come across as a clown, a chicken with no head, as Burnt Oatmeal, as the Ugly Monkey.

Getting Out Of Woods?

If I were to go back in time, I would try to reduce my Facebook Activities. I would try to explain what I was doing more and publish finished products as opposed to pre-releasing rough drafts. On one hand, I'm sad when Adam and others block me or whatever that they may do or not do. On the other hand, I'm also sad with myself. So, I do try to change how I do things. I'm still all over the place in 2018. I'm still pretty crazy, but I do try to minimize it. I try to pick my battles more. I try to consolidate and organize my projects more now. Adam posted about the caravan. He said that if you complain about it, then don't celebrate Thanksgiving. So, Adam might be an NPC. Because the UN, Soros, and others has been funding caravans all over Europe for decades and now in America. They've been invading, divide and conquer. That is part of the reason to how the Roman Empire fell according to @Stefan.Molyneux who recently did a documentary that was published on YouTube today about the 100 year anniversary of Poland from the USSR which was not Russia. I repeat, the USSR is not the same or should not be the same as Russia. I love nationalism. I love borders. If we want to have compassion, then why not be it with the people already in your local communities, in your own country? Why let people in that burn our flags, that chant death to America, that refuse help from Mexico and other countries whom offered to help the migrants?

September, 2015

_{2015-09-26 - Saturday - Sunflower Cafe 23.9 Park - Old Ink Edited}

October, 2015

_{2015-10-24 - Saturday - Blog - Learn English - Ten Tips}

Lego Mark Chau

I was teaching Lego Mark Chau a lot in October, like each day. We had great conversations. We should have recorded them. He said he didn't want to be in videos. But we both learned from each other similar to my other student, Chinh Pham.

_{2015-11-11 - Wednesday - Blog - Learn Past Your Limits - JA}

November, 2015

I was told to move out my Old Ink Apartment. They said they were moving. So, I moved back to the Balo Hostel where I've stayed at times since Monday, the 8th of April, 2013. So, I stayed there for a few weeks until I was told to leave. In November, I went back to teaching for Fellowship Youth Group (FYG) at a new place in District 1 until like February or March of 2016. Luc Dinh of FYG encouraged me to sleep at Anh Coffee in November. So, I would stay there at night while trying to find a new apartment. I spent a lot of time trying to find a new room in November.

_{2015-12-31 - Thursday - Purio Girl Coffee - JA}

December, 2015

Lego Mark Chau took me to see Star Wars - The Force Awakens in a cinema. I already saw it on my laptop but then we saw it as he has not seen it before. That was the first movie I ever saw in a theater in Vietnam. I spent most of December trying to extend my visa. I have been extending my visa many times in Vietnam, already. I've written about this before. I went to Cambodia the first time to make a new Vietnam visa in 2013 and again in 2015. But long story short, the travel agency gave me the wrong type of visa, probably, I'm guessing now, looking back at it. But at the time, many people gave me conflicting opinions of the details on what happened or did not happened. Anna and her family were trying to help me with it as well. Some travel agencies said that I might be on a black list or something. They did not say that I was but they hinted at that possibility. To this day in 2018, even as I'm back in America, I still don't know what happened. But it was probably that I had the wrong visa. But I was sad that people could not simply say that. Like the Pagoda and Kathy stories, all I want is some transparency, honesty, confession. If they gave me the wrong visa, then why not just tell me that? Instead, people would not talk about that. They would try to turn it all against me or whatever. Like Taylor Woods, I was not out of the woods yet. I started teaching at Purio Coffee for the staff there. If you ever want coffee, get some from Purio. The owner of Purio is awesome.

_{2015-12-29 - Tuesday - Purio Lunch At Restaurant JA & Staff}