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James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

6K followers 2K following 5.5K posts

Geography/GIS educator FRCGS FRGS. Climate SLR. #Dal #SMU #QE2PlatMedal. Semple GeogEd Award. Apoplectic-adorable. Shot 67. Book addict (socialtechfuture) CBCIdeas. Sci-fi. Old movies. WHU COYI. Parkinsons sucks | michaeljfox.org | Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia)

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James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

They were all so young, they always are. Lest We Forget. William is the farthest right in the third row. I have his pictures and medals next to my dad's in my place. They are always remembered. #lestweforget

Great Uncle William as youngster outside family public house, Wisborough Green, England.

William is third row far left with machine gun regiment training

One poppy from one family member. Before I move on, this is the one place I must visit.

November 11, 2025 at 1:49 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

#Lestweforget. I will never forget my Captain.

November 11, 2025 at 1:31 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

Sweet Side story. One of our "students" Nguyen Quang Tuan fell in love with GIS, went on to do his PhD, is now prof in Hue geography dept carrying on work of Dr. Phap. Here he is on the steps of the Imperial Palace (with Charlie overheating) & at the far right in other pic. All's well too.

November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

It's never easy seeing suffering or destruction. when it's a place & peoples I know that pop-up on tv or bsky feeds, then it's a whole other matter. I think of moments like this picture, a little girl being given medicine on her family's sampan while her dad steers with his foot. My fav pic ever.

November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

24hrs after leaving Halifax, we're in Hue. 10pm. We would be teaching in 14hrs. What do geographers say to each other at times like these? "Another round please"
Dr. Phap (background) was dept chair (see alt for story). Yes, lots of beer there. It was hot. Water not safe. Beer 2% so.....see alt desc

Never have I had so much beer over two weeks. It was safer than water. It was cold. We were sweating so much, it never hit us. Even lunch had beer. Our Canadian metabolism was trained on 4-5% beer. Our hosts tried to be polite and keep pace. That didn't work out too well for them. Dr. Phap and I became great friends because we were both into climate and oceans, and we were there to help them with GIS.

We went to Phap's family farm for dinner. His grad students were doing the cooking - so much and so good! The whole department was there, and I got to sit next to Phap's mother, all 92 years of laughter and stories. SHe'd tell jokes and the translations meant delayed laughter, but she was so damn funny. I tried to return the favour but damned if I could think of any, but as a group we came up with some oldies (dad jokes didn't seem to translate). She asked if I was ok as the chair didn't match my size (and I just had my hip replaced, so sitting for hours on planes and now tiny seats didn't work so good. She said "you're really big, giant." 6'2" and 250...that says it all.

But here's the bit that got me. After dinner I went outside to look at the stars. Hardly any lights from farms so the stars were amazing. Phap he just came outside. I told him this was the most beautiful serene place. He simply said "you have some questions." What? About the war. You want to know about the war. "well, i do know the basics, but being here is different. I saw the American equipment and choppers around the palace grounds. And I know Hue was the most fought over cities during Tet, nasty and bombed part of the country. But it's weird to be walking the streets that in our history books." He told me many things but one stood out: The didn't bomb the city, but we were far outside so they bombed us and our neighbours and farms all over." He pointed to a pond "See that, it isn't a pond. It's a crater we didn't fill in so we'd have a source of water." "smart" "when the bombing started, we divided the family into three groups and spilt into three hand made bunkers. The bombs may get one or two, but odds of all three were low and some family would survive." I said, "I really have no words. My grandparents told me about London and WW2, but this was different. I thank him for sharing something deeply personal. And yes, it makes me think differently whenever something of that time comes up.

November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

So check the alt descriptions to hear about each pic.

You know those long tubes of sugar candy? Well, for a little brother they make great tools to bug your sister. All they did was laugh. They didn't have much to be sure, but those smiles and laughs said they were happy nonetheless. This was a little tourist market outside one of the many temples we visited along the banks of the river.

Thiên mụ is a temple with a seven story pagoda that's over 400 years old. The boys in the picture a novice monks at the Monastery. They were running around and doing back flips off rocks and statues. They were also playing by using martial arts to hit each other. The expressions were hilarious. They'd get hit in the head, or in the ...well...the soft bits. No matter what, they'd laugh it off. Watching them spin around two or three times in the air was amazing acrobatics.

This boy was with his mother and sister on the street with barely any shade in the boiling mid-day sun outside the walls of the Imperial Palace and fort. He came over to our three wheeled "cyclos" and the drivers told him top leave and told us he was begging and not to give him anything. He kept point at us and we wondered what he wanted. The driver asked him and he said he said he wanted our water. This family was thirsty, that's all. We take things so for granted. Two of us ducked into the store just behind the boy and bought a flat of water bottles. We plunked it down on the blanket where his mom and sister were. She was so thankful. She took out a half dozen bottles and put them under the blanket, then she starter to say "water, water for sale"
The drivers weren't impressed. They had water, and now they'd have some money for the necessities.

November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

While in the jungle forest, came across these hut-like structures. The second slide I would show my 1st year geography class and ask them to figure out what they are. No one ever got it without a dozen hints. So.....

November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

approaching split of Perfume into Sông Hữu Trạch on the right and Sông Ta Trạch on the left with Duệ Sơn mountain in background. Off to explore some jungle!

November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

Grandmother doing laundry in the morning. Everything has a purpose, even discarded truck tires.

November 8, 2025 at 4:33 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

This is how close people live to water level. Small family plots dot the landscape. Also shows how close livestock are to the water, which makes the name Perfume River an interesting translation. Most beautiful place, but it doesn't smell like Chanel No.5 (but i'd return in heartbeat)

November 8, 2025 at 4:31 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

These are my grandmother's diaries from 1917 to 1987.
Everything that happened is in them, from the wars declared and won, to JFK and MLK assassinated, to landing on the moon and everything in-between - plus every birth of from from 1925 to 1987 (even me). When times are tough, like now, I go and

November 5, 2025 at 11:21 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

Halifax. No. I say no. Earliest should be after Remembrance Day.
Hell, it's almost two months. Geezus.

November 5, 2025 at 10:34 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

I'm thinking I'll be long gone when we finally get it.

tombston: JamesGIS 19xx-2050 I see Halifax has fixed transit and bike lanes

November 4, 2025 at 9:55 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

I have entered the Twilight Zone. Im on the number one bus, but the number one is right there in front of me. What quantum magic is this Halifax Metro transit? And why does it happen daily with so many routes. The record is three # 1 in a row outside Park Lane. Good work!

November 4, 2025 at 3:52 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

My niece (forever my "girlie") sent me a pic. I could not and cannot believe it's 20 years. Always the most beautiful and caring niece, a daughter I never had. I'm luckier than anyone
( and she has not aged like her Uncle Jamie :-) )

November 3, 2025 at 11:14 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

How. How. How to can one store want $18 for this while across the street it's $7? A dollar or two maybe, but $11?

Whoever said the retail food industry is rational or playing by valid economics is a right arsehole.

November 2, 2025 at 7:28 PM

James Boxall

@jamesgis.bsky.social

The only possible way I'd get one would be if ICE nabbed me, took me to a black-ops site and used this as torture.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go puke.