Gertrude Stein's Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas

Binh recalls his departure from Saigon, introducing Bao, a shipmate.

Bao recounts experiences with Serena, an adult entertainer.

They share a common background and language, different from others aboard.

Stein is the prominent figure, while Toklas assists her, taking over tasks to prevent Stein's intimate relationships.

Binh is called "Thin Bin" by Stein and Toklas.

Stein's French is limited and uses body language while communicating.

Stein is described as a woman with a captivating charm, with particular facial features.

Stein asks Binh about his ideas of love, Binh interprets it as a ploy of deeper interest.

Binh's father has suffered a stroke and is dying.

Binh's mother has passed away.

Binh is worried about being caught for stealing a notebook.

Binh discovers Lattimore had left Paris.

Binh finds a photo in his photo shoot and recognizes the man in it as a renowned retoucher.

The photo retoucher was known as Nguyen Ai Quoc, which means 'patriot'.

Bao stole a red packet containing gold leaf.

Binh had written his brother's name down for Bao to help him track down his brother in Saigon.

Binh imagined that his father had less love and redemption than anyone he knew.

His mother's unending affection.

His father threw him out, leaving him with nowhere else to go.

Binh dreamed of the trip, anticipating the luxury.

Stein was not fond of oysters and honeydew, but the foods permitted her to eat without chewing, simplifying her life on the trip, per Binh's observation.

Binh spent three years on ships, with only 40 nights on land, with jobs in between.

Binh decided to stay in Paris because a man on the bridge there was a memory, a story, and a gift to him. He believed he could see him again only there, in Paris.

Binh decided he wouldn't go to America with Stein and Toklas, but rather wished to just accompany them to the ship.

Baldwin explores how American students in Paris often experience a cycle of initially rejecting their country, only to later romanticize it.

Baldwin argues that American students in Paris, in their attempt to embrace French culture, sometimes lose their own identities and respect for others' cultures.

Baldwin suggests that Paris can be a critical space for self-discovery, enabling Americans to reconnect with their American identities.

Even Americans who assimilate into French culture might still hold limited and stereotypical views of France, as presented by the text.

A sense of disconnection from one's own identity or values.

The process of learning and understanding oneself is frequently connected to an experience or place. Paris, according to Baldwin, can be such a place for Americans.

People's reasons for going to Paris, and more broadly, their motivations and goals, frequently remain unclear to the observers themselves.

Baldwin explains that simply adopting French customs doesn't eliminate pre-existing stereotypes, hindering a full comprehension of a culture.

Baldwin, while in Paris, was arrested for receiving stolen goods, stemming from a conflict with an American acquaintance.

The American who implicated Baldwin in the theft had been previously encountered by Baldwin in New York.

Baldwin's Parisian life was initially marked by poverty and a lack of knowledge of the local culture and language.

The American who accused Baldwin complained about the quality of his hotel, and Baldwin agreed to help find him another room.

Baldwin viewed French institutions as outdated, frustrating, impersonal, and sometimes cruel.

The American, in an act of spite, stole sheets from the previous hotel, and Baldwin borrowed some due to the state of his own.

French police, mistaking Baldwin for a 'gangster', arrested him based on the stolen sheets and a misunderstanding of the situation.

Baldwin initially sought self-discovery and a cultural understanding in Paris, but faced personal challenges, leading to his arrest.

Baldwin describes attending mass in prison on Christmas, noting a perceived lack of genuine Christ-like love in France, potentially suggesting a critique of French society's treatment of its people.

Baldwin questions his perceived lack of advantage in the French jail system, contrasting it with the unequal treatment he's accustomed to in America, highlighting the irony in the situation.

The French policeman viewed Baldwin as an "American" rather than a black man, which Baldwin felt disadvantaged him and contrasted with how he might have been treated in America.

Ian Frazier's book "Paradise Bronx" chronicles the history of the Bronx, focusing on its past, including its role in the American Revolution, post-WWII development, and birth of hip-hop.

Baldwin was tried and acquitted on December 27th.

The laughter in the courtroom, regarding Baldwin's case, was unsettling to him because it suggested a detachment from problems of the world.

The term 'drive-through borough' in Frazier's book implies that the Bronx's history has faded from certain social consciousness and the borough is neglected.

The Bronx, after WWII, suffered from 'planned destruction,' indicating deliberate neglect or harm to the local infrastructure, potentially due to urban development policies.