year of the cat

Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" (1976) - In this episode, we explore the story behind Al Stewart's hit song "Year of the Cat." Despite its title, the song has little to do with Vietnamese astrology. Instead, it's teeming with references to one of the great moments in cinema history: the film Casablanca. Join us as we delve into the creative process that went into crafting this timeless classic, from the songwriting to the recording techniques. We also uncover the fascinating anecdotes and inspirations that shaped this iconic pop rock hit. Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity to go behind the scenes and discover the story behind "Year of the Cat."

Happy New Year (though this is posted a couple of weeks late)! It's the Year of the Cat for Vietnamese people, instead of the rabbit. We go into that with this episode of a new podcast, "Why an S and not a V?", which is going to look into Vietnamese culture, history and food from the perspective of a Vietnamese person born outside of Vietnam. The PCP / Your Internet Uncle podcast will run until the end of 2023, with Why an S running alongside it concurrently.

The original PCP/YIU podcasts were meant to be memory placeholders for myself, so I was surprised to have a loyal listener from Frankfurt. Danke. Things should definitely improve and get more interesting as I delve and find out the weird bits and bobs from my people's culture and history. Unlike the North American perspective focused on the American portion of the IndoChina wars (yes, there were more than one), there's over4,000 years of recorded Vietnamese history and archaeological evidence that stretches back 1,000s of years farther back. 

We'll be looking at Vietnam's history of rebels (mostly tragic), wars (there were lots), folk lore (these will be new for me too), and food. So much food. At this time, I've compiled a list of over 500 uniquely Vietnamese foods, drinks and accoutrements. We'll try to get through them all.  I hope you'll find this journey entertaining and enlightening!