Many sides of hat: non la

I've written and spoken, too often perhaps, about the complexity of living as a hybridized HAT. Nhung khong phai moi su nhac den la dung, va kho hon nua la, chang co viec gi trang den. There is a particular hat for each occasion. Or, there may be multiple hats needed at the same time. Depending on the time and place, only certain hats will do. Red hat, yellow hat, pointed rat, bowler hat, rounded hat, rimmed hats, tied hats, floral hats, plain hats, tall hats, dirty hats, new hats, even borrowed hats. Sometimes, an unfitting hat.

Some folks understand the mistakes of donning certain hats in public that are commonly displayed only in private sittings. Hyacinth "Bouquet" would never allow an inappropriate hat to be worn in public. Unfortunately for many of us, there are too many days and nights when it's impossible to tell whether a hat is exactly right for public or private viewing. Who determines whether the hat is appropriate or not?

For this month, the very first of the new year, I've chosen the conical hat. It is three dimensional; it has contours and lines; it holds shadows and throws off light; it has a single point from which all else radiates; it is marred in certain places, and it can hold writen poetry between its leafy layers; it is round and is endless with no beginning or end; it scoops up depth and creates currents of air; it spins in circles and topples in angles. It is a hat of many uses and even more symbolism. It is more than just an object. It is a distinctly Viet image, iconic in proportions, but widely mis-represented and even more often mis-used.

The hat I cannot describe.