Vietnamese chicken soup

Today, there have two strange things happen.

The first thing, my house has undergone a power-cut. While I was working with the computer, all of the sudden it shut down. When I tried to turn it on back, nothing responds. I was a bit worried whether it was broken but later I found out that the electric system of my house was dead. Not only my house, the whole building's electricity has gone. If you don't know I can tell you that since I have been living in Finland for more than 3 years, it is just the 3rd or 4th times I have experienced the power cut. In Vietnam, this thing happens quite often that everyone gets used to it. But here, it is strange if the electric system dies. But thanks God after 15 mins it is back.

The second thing is that it is the first time I have ever made chicken soup myself, which is one of my most favorite dishes. I do love eating chicken soup but every times I have someone cook for me, until today I decided to try making it.

Following the instructions from some websites, I found it simple to make, even for a bad cook like me. The ingredients are easily collectible, which include:

- Chicken
- Shiitake
- Eggs
- Corn
- Chicken eggs
- Auricularia polytricha
- Different flavorings

With all the materials above, I can make chicken soup with very Vietnamese style. It takes about one and a half hour to finish cooking, mainly for the time of preparing all the stuffs and hard-boiling chicken. Be sure to dip both Shiitake and Auricularia polytricha (their scientific names) into hot water to soften them, then I need to cut them into pieces. After, sauté chicken and shiitake together. Then, put some corn into the pot used to hard-boil chicken to make it ripe. Now, all you need to do is to put everything into the pot. Remember to put the melted eggs into it for extra special taste. The last work is to put flavorings into, much enough to fit your taste. Eventually the result comes:



Chicken soup

I must say the soup is very good. Since the pot is on the verge of boiling , its smell is so good that I cannot wait to taste. Wow, such an excellent kind of food which is easy to make. I always misconceive that it could be complicated to make but the truth is everything becomes simple if you concentrate on learning how to do it. Since I'm very lazy in cooking, I think I will make chicken soup more often now and then because for a big pot of chicken soup, you can eat it the whole day, ha ha.

Are you drooling? Go make yourself now!

0939 pm - 310709

Discover the "Đo Đo Quán"! Come here, mates!

Due to all respect, sir and ma'am, I myself feel a big honor to introduce a new website to you- place you might feel interested to pass by.

First of all, let me spend a little words to say about the owner of it, one who I adored since I was a child, until now when I grow up a little bit. One who I considered as a Teacher of Life even he has never directly taught me in a real classroom, but all of the lessons he gave me so far are still valuable and unchangeable; the lessons of How-to-Live and How-to-Love! It isn't overpraise to say such things since, say, he seemingly has even stronger affect in the whole progress of forming my own ego than anyone else including my parents or teachers I have ever met. Of course, just to some certain extents but it's true. He has such intensive impact in my life, both backward and onward.

He is more than a teacher. He is a writer.

And, his name is Nguyễn Nhật Ánh. And, the website of his is: http://www.quandodo.com

In case you were kind of literature-addicted style between 1980s-2000s, I'm sure you must know him. Nguyễn Nhật Ánh and his charisma began initially by a series of pupillage-based stories which were read mostly in the South of Vietnam, but no longer after became national-wise well-known. His literature was pure, simple but strong, and very touching which was based on tender sense of humour. His stories were simply nostalgia. Everlasting, tearful and gnawing nostalgia. The nostalgia of a man who always regrets about the far-gone never-return time. Just like me.

It could be me who was too naive that time to truly believe into his stories. But, if it wasn't because of those cute stories who oriented me to believe that the life was sweet, I wouldn't have become a person as I am at present. I always think that life is still great no matter how harsh you must to suffer through inevitable solitary and tristesse it brings into.

The website is named after a restaurant appeared on his story, which is entitled "Quán Gò đi lên". The story I rank myself as one of his 5 best ones. And along with passing by to discover the website, I would like to provide you a link address enables you to read the story: [link] After reading it, you could get to know the deeply meaning of the name Đo Đo. And in case you really like the story, don't forget to think of supporting the author by purchasing a real book which is prevailing available in every bookstores.

The website, with well-designed and classical ambiance, surprisingly, is not about author's literature but about unique cuisine comes from his native land. Be a eat-aholic? Why don't come to try, mates?

http://www.quandodo.com

PS: sorry my foreign friends, this website is plain Vietnamese. No English version available. But if any of you planning to visit Vietnam someday, especially Saigon city, it's just a good place to try Vietnamese traditional cuisine. Are you drooling now? :P

Written under a theme song of Cô gái đến từ hôm qua, sung by Mỹ Tâm. A song named after a story of Nguyễn Nhật Ánh.

Facilitate Vietnamese wedding

Recently, I have a whim about the Vietnamese wedding. He he, don't get me wrong! It isn't because I'm gonna get married so I think about it. Well, maybe I will get married, but no sooner than the age of 27!

I find Vietnamese traditional wedding style is too formal and too complicated. In fact, it's like a nightmare! You don't believe me? Okay, just check it out yourself about the simplified description of Vietnamese traditional wedding here: [link].Remember, it is just the simplified description! Actually a real Vietnamese traditional wedding has more steps than that, depends on each family, and cannot be fully told.

In generally speaking, wedding is a very big big deal to Vietnamese. I don't say that wedding is not a big deal itself, of course wedding is something important to each person, but most of Vietnamese people take it more seriously than it should be. You know why? Because to Vietnamese, wedding is not only a business of two people, but also involves into many other exterior people and things. It is what I call formal and complicated. From the below is my personal plan of the future wedding. Warning: read twice and think thrice about what I am going to analyze before you criticize.


The gist of wedding's magnitude

Well, if you think wedding is simple in Vietnam, rethink! The gist many Vietnamese people still overestimating wedding as a great deal is that it is supposed to happen only once in life! From the cultural point of view, divorce is one of the taboos that most Vietnamese fear to face. Consequently, people naturally (mis)conceive about marriage as an one-time game and lifetime lasts! No game over. No change. No replay. No restart. Once married, confront it the entire life. Because of so, since marriage is supposed to happen once, then wedding is, too. And because the game is to be played just once, players always try their best to be as good as possible. People always find it justifiable to celebrate as glossy as they can. Or in fact, many people even celebrate it more glossy than they could be affordable. Is it crazy?

Don't get me wrong! I support the idea that wedding really should be done once. But in reality, not many people doing good with their partners---or worse, many people, after years living with the other one, gradually realize how mistaken they were to get married with him/her. Now what? Since the affection diluted by time, why people bother living with each other for more? The answer is simply because almost Vietnamese people fear to be lonely so they CAN"T divorce! No matter how bad the argument between spouses is, they still try to keep the business going even they really hate the other one. Why the hell is that? One phrase from the novel of Anson Chi, "Yellow on the outside, Shame on the inside, Asian Culture revealed", SAVING FACE!

To save face, people would rather being lonely together than being lonely completely. Many people find it's better if they keep living with that damn person no matter how bad he/she treats them. Once they still can let people/outsiders think as if their matrimony is good, there is nothing to worry about then. They fear that the outsiders can criticize them about the marriage's break up. In my opinion, divorce is such really a normal and natural thing in life. Who can affirm that this partner is my true soul-mate? Can you 100% sure about the person you've chosen is your Mr(s). Right? By any reasons, you have unfortunately hooked on the wrong one, but only after getting married with him/her could you unravel that. What would you do? Keep living as hell with that Mr(s). Wrong the entire life or to eliminate the marriage as quick as possible?

Believe me or not, the first choice is what a lot of Vietnamese people will be willing to compromise. Why? It's the cultural issue which has been being ingrained into Vietnamese people's mind, from generation to generation. Be afraid of losing face, to fear of living alone, they eventually make up their mind that it's OK to spend the life with an unloved person. It doesn't matter, just live on your own and don't care to him/her. It is what many people think, might I ask is it happiness? Additional, the children is what baffles people from breaking up the marriage, too. To sum up, marriage is quite the most binding ado that many Vietnamese people often get stuck in, in case it doesn't go well, and so hard for them to get out of.

But thanks God, I see there has prevailing life-style that a number of people---most of those are young---dare to get out of the used-to-be husbands or wives nowadays when they know they mismatch. Just see on the divorce rate raising at present and you will understand. It is what we should and need to do: Respect yourself and your life! Don't even ruin it by any reasons which lead your life to hell.

As I said, the gist of wedding's magnitude is because it's supposed to be held just once, but it's the misconception of people. We never can anticipate whether we will be OK with the partners or not, so take it easy! Let yourself have another chance when the previous one is bad! Don't even think of wedding as an one-time game anymore!


When wedding is not as simple as a groom marries his bride

Does it sound faddish? But in reality, it's true. In Vietnam, wedding is not just the affair of two people but the affairs of many others, too. Like who? Well, groom's parents, groom's parents' parents, the groom's friends, the groom's relatives and so on. It's the same with the bride. Why do they concern here?

Come to the spouses' parents, they play a main roles in the wedding. Who decides the date of the wedding? Them. Who decides who will be invited in the wedding? Them, partly join. Who celebrates the wedding? Them, partly join, again.

Vietnamese parents wish to control the wedding of their children no matter how the children think. They ween as if they have the rights to decide the date of the wedding as well as the rights to invite guests to the wedding without bothering noticing how their children think. As a consequence, in almost Vietnamese weddings, you will see myriads of people coming. The number of guests are uncountable! There is no difference between the rich and the poor when it comes to the wedding: always has uncountable people invited with loads of aliment and beverage served. I could be fussing but I must say half of the guests---or even second-third or more---are unbeknownst to the groom and bride. Why? Because most of the guests are parents' friends---or worse, grandparents' friends---so the couple have no clue about them, of course. For the rest of the guests, some of them are relatives of the family but many of them are far in pedigree so the couple apparently have no clue about them, either. In conclusion, in a wedding, the guests are almost who the couples don't know. Is it funny?

Moreover, the pure dignity of the wedding in Vietnam has been considered the wrong way for long. Wedding is not just a wedding. It's a mess. It's where people conspire to make money, just like a stock market! Wedding is considered to be lucrative. People always be aware that once they celebrate a wedding, it could be a huge loss of money so they try, by any means, to take something back. From who? You know what I mean, the guests! So yeah, now the guests turn out to be suckers! It is ridiculous but it is what a wedding truly is meant in Vietnam. I'm serious.

Preposterously, because people are not willing to invest such a huge amount of buck in such a wedding, they must try to let others give the bucks back. And thanks God it is Vietnamese custom that whenever you are invited to a wedding---and obsequies---you are expected to give money to the celebrators. They call it is as SEND LOVE. That money is considered LUCKY MONEY to the new spouses. And in a wedding---and obsequies---there is always an obligatory donation box for the guests to put money in. And amazing that people do this wittingly. Seemingly that no one dares not follow this custom. You know why? Because in the bridal night, the first thing that spouses do---not to do you-know-what---but to check the box and write down the names of the guests and the amounts of buck they give. For what? Well, to repay the same amount when another wedding of any guests to be held, and the spouses are invited. It's exactly like putting the money on the left pocket to the right pocket. I don't even understand why people think it will be beneficial while the money they received will be repaid later on. What a custom!

Furthermore, when a family makes a wedding, it's pride if they can make it luxurious. People avid for flaunt so they think wedding is a great chance for the show-off. The more luxurious the wedding is, the better reputation the family gets. Again, with the (mis)conception that wedding is held just once, they even wish to make it bigger and bigger. Opportunity for making money just comes once, why not snatching it? Because of so, the family always tries to invite as many guests as they can remember---even the ones they just meet once or twice in life---in order to have a big wedding, for showing off, and to get money.

As a consequence, Vietnamese wedding normally is very big in size, where gathers myriads of people with loads of aliment and beverage served. In fact, the money the guests brings cannot as much as the money the family invest, but no one cares about it. On the other hand, the reason why the family must invite many people is that once they invite the person A, they think they must invite the person B, too, since A knows B. And because B knows C and the family knows C, too, so C is warmly welcome! Now, D and C is mutual friends of the family, so they are impossible not to invite D! After all, that explains the way many people are invited. People will not feel good if not being invited. Vietnamese people always fear of breaking the relationships! So that, if you invite this one, you MUST invite that one, too. It's such a win-win. Or is it? It really doesn't matter because they feel good when seeing myriads of people surrounding at a wedding and it's all.


Wedding-caused adversities

I see Vietnamese traditional wedding style has many potential disadvantages.

Firstly, with the uncountable guests coming, the interaction between the guests and the groom and the bride is inevitable loose. There are only two protagonists in the party but they must go talk to myriads of people. How come they do that? Of course that will lead to the situation that someone would never be approached by the couples---or some of the guests appear to non-existent. That's just bad. Why they bother coming to the wedding without having a chance to say hi to the new spouses? What the hell they do there then? I answer, eating. Yeah, the guests try hard to eat as full as they are during the wedding rather than go talk to the spouses---because they have donated the money, so they must eat the stuffs served, in return. It's fair enough huh? Still, because many of the guests appears to unbeknownst to the spouses, so why they bother talking to each other? What an etiquette!

More seriously, you might follow the news and people are warning that more and more crimes stem from wedding. Stuffs like: people killed in wedding, scuffles happen in wedding, or even worse---groom or bride killed in weddings. Why? Simply because since the guests are coming from different places, and they don't know each other, thus, it's easy for them to have conflicts during the wedding---especially when they are drunk. Many people---most of those are male---consider wedding as an orgy! They come to the wedding, eat and drink like fishes and cannot control their behaviors, that leads to the negative deeds later on. In fact, I attended a few wedding and most of those look like a mess, or chaos. Think about it!

Secondly, I find the money each family needs to invest is quite much, and quite lavish. In fact, it is a waste of money! You may not know but many young Vietnamese people try to work hard for a few years just to accumulate money for celebrating a wedding! It means the investment is as high as a few years income of a normal employee. It's stupid I must say. If you spend all your savings in a wedding, so how could you survive after that? To restart the accumulation? C'mon, why the hell you must be that miserable?

Thirdly, since a wedding's meaning is transforming into another purpose, wedding---which is meant to be a symbol of happiness of human being---becomes formal and cliché. It's real that many guests feel like hell when being invited to a wedding because they know they are FORCED to donate the lucky money whereas they don't wish to do. But the guests still push themselves to come just because they, as I said, fear of breaking the relationships. Hence, the attitude of the guests toward a wedding is really faked, or perfunctory. Is it what people call happiness? Why the hell we must torture each other like that?

Last but not least, the pretentiousness of Vietnamese people expressed in the way they celebrate a wedding is plain superficial. If I have to spend the money, I prefer spending in more relevant purposes.


Facilitate Vietnamese wedding

With all the negativeness I pointed out above, I find it's urgent and necessary to re-design a new model of the Vietnamese wedding. The whim will be illustrated below.

Empower the groom and bride completely

Since the wedding belongs to a groom and a bride, they have right to celebrate it the way they wish. I know many young Vietnamese people don't want to have a huge wedding---because of their poverty---but they still are forced to make it big. They defer to their parents' wish. It's ridiculous and paradoxical! Why outsiders take advantage of their wedding without their unanimity? Seriously, let the protagonists do their own business! They need to choose themselves which day they wish to celebrate the wedding as well as who they are going to invite to the party. Neither their parents nor anyone else.

Wedding limited in range and size

A wedding limited in range and size means that it will limit the number of guests to be invited as well as the duration. I plan to have the exact number ranges from fifty to one hundred. These people are who really close to me. They must be someone I really need in my life. They should be my mates, my people who really wish to share the big day with me, without any reasons or purposes. Besides friends, I will leave some voids for my relatives to fill in---who I know very well, too. For my parents, they will have less seats for their friends---only ones I like are allowed.

For the duration of the wedding; in case you might not know I would like to reveal that it's normal for a Vietnamese wedding to last for a few days, or even a week---maybe longer. If the groom and the bride are not from the same city, so their parents wish to have wedding in each place---their own hometowns. Means they can have two or more weddings to be held separately in different places. Hell, it spends time very much and since I am kind of person who consider the value of time, I am not willing to spend that much time just for the same thing. Wedding should be held in the place in which the groom and the bride decide to live onward!


Pros and Cons

I know what you're thinking about. In case I let the idea come true, I must encounter many obstacles. I emphasize that I am aware of them! Let's analyze.

Once the groom and bride are empowered to decide everything in relation to their wedding, they will be independent to make it as they dream. For example the date of the wedding, I would love to choose it myself rather than asking my parents for help. When I say I choose the date myself, I mean it will be randomly any days I like, not the day which the prognosticator suggests. I do know that it's Vietnamese custom to ask the fortune-teller to analyze and to choose a lucky day for a wedding. Methinks, it's mere superstitious! I'm atheistic and I don't believe that there is a day luckier than another day in a year. Why people bother believing in such a prognosticator to decide the day they celebrate their weddings? Why the hell they can know which day is good, which day is bad? I don't believe in those baseless anticipation. Those prognosticators are just lairs, and too bad many Vietnamese people---especially someone who has high education---still be brainwashed about this. I don't aim to blame them, I just don't understand. Of course the problem belongs to culture, but I don't see anything believable in this custom. I'm serious!

When I say this to my mom, she says it's the psychical belief---means the idealistic thinking---so it has nothing to do with the bad or luck of the day, but everything to do with the precarious imagination of people. To me, it's just because many people are not decisive enough---or they are too choosy---to be able to choose themselves a certain day. That's why they must search for help from outsiders. Shame on them.

On the other hand, people obsess with the lucky day to be chosen because they believe if the date of the wedding is not good, then the spouses will have conflicts, sooner or later, and eventually their marriage might have bad endings. This idea appears to make sense. But how come a day affects a relationship? If the spouses don't live well together, it's their own false, not the date of the wedding. Vietnamese people would love to blame anything for their mistakes, even for their marriage. It is you who control your matrimony, not any others!

Still, when the couple are independent to choose the guests, the wedding will be guaranteed to be warm. I will just invite my real close friends and so will my bride---notice, I don't have many close friends. Quite a few, in deed! But because people surrounding me are all I love, so I can have big fun with them. They are few, so I'm able to take care of a single person as they deserve. With the limited number of guests, the interaction between the family and them are quite intimate, and no one is left behind, or to be forgotten. The ambiance of the wedding could be truly cosy, and I with my lady would converse snugly altogether with beloved people of ours. Isn't it great?

In accordance with the limited invitation, it will solve the big deal, aka money, as well. Since the scale of the wedding is narrow, it costs just a little, and I could be affordable. At least, the spending for a wedding should not cost me as a few years total income. Don't get me wrong! You might think of me as such a miserly asshole when I consider the money too much. Sorry mates, you are wrong. In fact, I am cognizant of wedding as a milestone in life and I really appreciate it. It would be good if I can have a big day well-arranged with many beloved people around to share my highest happiness. It always is what I dream to do. But it doesn't mean I will lavish extravagantly on it! The wedding could be small in size, but the quality will be still ensured. It will be good in the inside, not the outside. Since I'm a future businessman, I always appreciate the value of money. If it is spent, it should be spent in the right place and for the right person! I am thinking of an alfresco buffet and activities for the guests in stead of indoor meals as the traditional way. My beloved people---again, quite a few---will surely have a memorable time with the best services.

Talking about the financial matter, since the wedding is within my affordability, so that the guests are sincerely welcome WITHOUT being expected to donate the money! Now, who thinks of me as a miserly asshole? To think objectively, even it is because of the culture but I still don't understand why people must donate the money? Wedding is the own affair of a groom and a bride, so once they celebrate it, they SHOULD defray all the expenses themselves. What if they don't have a strong financial potentiality? Easy, just make it small enough to be affordable. Just like me!

When the guests are expected not to donate the lucky money, I suppose all of them will feel really good! So that, since money is not a big deal any more, the guests could come to the party with the highest attitude. I really don't want anyone to come to my wedding with the anxiety of the money to be donated that makes them hesitate so that it would be better to forget about it. Take it easy! Just come to me, mates, it is your visiting that I am grateful, not your money. Isn't it a real win-win for everyone? I have a cut on the finance needs to invest, and the guests don't bother about how much should they donate. After all, such an ideal wedding!


FAQs

Q: Why you have the idea of your wedding?
A: The roots come from my personality. I wanna be responsible for my things and I want to do my own things rather than let outsiders do for me. I want to be able to decide the life I'm living. And I conceive that if you cannot be able to decide for your own things, e.g. wedding, then you I am never independent.

Q: I see your idea interesting, but what if your future wife doesn't want to do that? She is kinda classical.
A: Well, you are right. My not-known-yet wife is a very big deal. If she refuses my plan, I will convince her about all the pros and cons of it. I don't see my plan unpractical. In fact, it is really feasible. If she cannot understand, why I bother marring her? Ha ha, I am just kidding, but it is all what I expect from my future wife: be civilized enough to fathom me, her husband.

Behind the scenes: yesterday, after writing this entry, I confided my idea in my current girlfriend. Surprisingly, she intensively asked me, "are you distracted? Wedding celebration is not your rights. It's parents' decision". I convinced her for a while but was unsuccessful. She insisted that to celebrate wedding is what parents must do, and I would have less power on it. Hell, you see, even my close person thinks like that. As I said, it is the cultural issue which has been being ingrained into Vietnamese people's mind, from generation to generation. People really need to civilize their minds!

Q: What if your wife wants to follow the plan, but she cannot because her parents find it crazy?
A: Well, the person I marry is my wife, not her parents, or her relatives or friends. In fact, I don't really care what others think of my plan, except my wife. So that, to me, the outsiders are not allowed to have any decision. And in reality, I am right. No one can have decision for my life, except me! If her parents intensively refuses me, then I quit. Let them continue raising their child, ha ha.

Q: How about your parents?
A: My parents are open-minded and sympathetic enough to understand what I am yearning for. Actually I did tell my beloved mom about the plan and she partly agrees. She has joint enough weddings to know how bad the situation could be, and how tired the people are.

Q: Even your parents and your wife's parents are OK with that, but they fear of losing face with their relatives and friends in case they cannot invite so much people to the wedding? The same to your friends, what would they think of you?
A: To the relatives of the oldies, I don't think it would be a big deal. Vietnamese people should learn that a personal business needs to be appreciated. And wedding is a wedding, not a showcase, or a mess. And again, since the parents don't play the main role in my wedding---I and my lady do---their relatives and friends don't concern here, either. If the oldies want to have a chance to meet each other, they can hold a party themselves anytime.

Still, since the parents' relatives and friends are almost who I don't even know, why I bother considering them? We won't meet those people many times, so that it's meaningless to care about them. It's my right to invite who I want. In case the uninviteds feel not good about that and have negative attitudes toward our parents, then I kick their asses.

For the friends of mine, I think I have myriads of them, but I won't invite all. In fact, I CANNOT I will choose just the most important ones. You will say it isn't good if I distinguish friends but I cannot help but to do it. It is real that I have some certain friends who are closer than others. Some of the one I call friend simply mean I know a little, such loosing relationship. And in my big day, there is no place for such loosing relationships! If they are mature, they should understand this. On the other hand, when a person who knows me, but is uninvited, I would love to have them know that he/she and I have are not close enough to be with me. If someone feel disappointed or angry to me for that, I am sorry but there is nothing I can do. If I lose any relationships for this, I think it deserves. In fact, I don't need ones who don't understand me.

On the other hand, ones invited to my wedding really should know that they are my true beloved! It is all I can do to express my affection for them.

All of the above to say that I never fear of losing face! Phrase from Anson Chi again, "People don't define who you are, you define who you are". I live my own life and be responsible for it, and once I don't do anything wrong, I never regret.

Q: Do you think you are an egoist?
A: No! Or at least I'm an egoist to an extend, but I'm still a kind-hearted human. If being yourself is a sign of egoism, so I wonder how many people are hypocrites out there?

Q: Do you think you are destroying the traditional custom?
A: Well, you don't need to fuss like that, do you? I don't kill the custom at all. I just facilitate, or simplify, it. You can say I'm kind of rebellious, but once I still retain the custom, I feel nothing to worry about.
In fact, if you might not know I would love to announce that Vietnamese government has already encouraged the people to facilitate the wedding style. No wonder why they do that, it must have a reason. Think about it!

Tuesday, 28th July 2009
02:59 Kauhava
06:59 Hanoi

All about Love. 1st Love. Part I

All about Love. Prologue. Crushes

The gist that I procrastinate to write the continuing parts of the "All about Love" blog entry is because I suddenly lose aspiration when talking about Love. I'm not so successful in love and love brings me more sadness than happiness so to tell about it is a little painful. Well, but if I don't initiatively recite it once I still remember the details, I think I can't tell very much in the next few years. Time kills human's mind very brutally even for the one who has biggest brain. So that, let's retrospect now.

First Love comes to me naturally and slowly when I was in 11st grade---means 17 years old, if I don't remember wrong---and she is, again, the cutie sits right next to me. We share the same bench. You remember that I'm seemingly into whoever sits right next to me in class? So, in case you wanna be my next target, easy, just sit next to me, ha ha.

In fact, we didn't sit in the same bench firstly. It was because I was like an idiot on studying so our former teacher decided to change my position. And because Ex (now I will call her "Ex") was such an intelligent and outstanding pupil in class, the teacher thought it would be good for me if I could have that girl to be my tutor. Or would it be? Oh really! More than good, ha ha.

I must reveal that I was too too bad at studying that time, because I didn't feel any aspiration for studying, or I was just too lazy. But truthfully I hated studying, and you know Vietnamese education sucks! Okay, let's not talk about it. Because I was like the worst pupil---loser, I mean---in class so a personal tutor was something necessary. But at first I felt really anxious to change the old position into her bench because she was prominent for her stern and glacial and gelid and cold appearance and manifestation! In fact, I seldom saw her smiles or laughs or expresses any graceful emotion in front of others. She was really cold, like an ice-cube! She was smart at study, but everyone in the class admitted that she was kinda eccentric. She has a very long silky hairstyle floating naturally along her body, and always be tied trimly. I love that hairstyle! Girl in long hair is beautiful, no matter who she is. She wears nearsighted glasses, too, which even makes her look colder and sterner. The fact that many boys in my class are afraid of her 'cos she has a very strong personality. She is not only cold but also stroppy, or even a little rebellious and impulsive. She is very straightforward and to be the one who is willing to explicitly plead against the teachers once she weens as if she is right in any cases. Who dares plead against teachers? Not many pupils could be that explicit, you agree? Well, it's the way my ex is, a strong girl.

To be ironically contrary to her, I was like an effete boy that time. To be a humble pupil, and had nothing for anyone to remember. My personality wasn't impressing, either, so that I though I didn't make sense to her. Perhaps she even didn't know I existed! And more important, I don't like cold girl! I find cold girls or girls who try to manifest coldly just boring. I love girls who are lively and debonair with the smiles all the time bloom on their lips. But for Ex, my very first impression to her was really negative. Damn, why the hell the teacher forced me to sit next to an ice-cube? I couldn't help but hesitantly went into new position. When I sat down, all of the sudden, surprisingly and astonishingly---I guess it is the most amazing time in my entire life---that ice-cube smiles to me and said, "hey, will us be friends now and then?". At the same time, she raised her hand in front of me and waited for a hand-shaking.

Swear to God, I was shocked! An intensively tremendous shock ever! Just like an electric shock. "Oh God, the ice-cube just smiles to me", said myself. "Am I day-dreaming?". "Oh God, the ice-cube just smiles and wants to shake hand with me".

And look, she has such a very cute smile. You see? A lively lips with white teeth in a very good shape! Her smile... her smile... I am just speechless. She is so cute, her smile is so cute, too, and she is so cute, after all. She is the cutest I have ever seen---I mean, realized. Hell, I can't believe and can't accept that I don't know she is that cute even I have studied with her for almost 2 years. How come? It is more than consternating to realize how her appearance can transform within just a smile! Like an ice-cube magically converts into a sun! Compared to any crushes I used to have, she is such a goddess! In fact, nothing can compare to her. She is so outstanding. She is so cute. Oh damn, she's smiling to me, is it real? Look again, white teeth in a very good shape. Nice lips. Suave eyes looking directly at me. Small and pretty nose. Seductive face. What else? She's such a work of art! A real work of art! Her smile is like a volcano. When a volcano wakes up, everything ends. And now, I seems to end my life. She is like a luminous sunlight happens to shine in the night and lights up every creatures and species in this space! She is like a breezing wind gently makes you forget about the hot. She is like... anyway, I don't aim to write such romantic novel here. So I should stop or else I would write 1000 pages more just to praise her.

All of the above were my though that moment, I was inextricably in trance for a while because of the electric shock (by her). But once I noticed that she was waiting for me, I woke myself up and stuttered agitatedly; "ah... ah... well, ok... ok". Then I put my right hand forth to catch hers. My God, her hand is so soft, maybe the softest thing I have ever touched! Her hand is as cute as a baby's and small enough to lie thoroughgoing in mine. Wow, once I touch her hand, a very warm feeling spreads into my inside and I immerse myself into that pleasant transient moment right away. She puts her hand back! No more dream!

From that moment, I am beaten.
From that moment, I simply know I just love her. Coup de foudre!

(to be continued)

Pass the Impasse

Some of you are expecting to see the next chapters of my "About Love" novel—joking, I mean the previous blog entry—but too bad I disappoint you. I'm losing the necessary aspiration to write such thing like love, since I'm stuck in it. Complicated to explain, anyway I will continue it ASAP.

Well, I am in impasse for another story, my visa is gonna expire soon in August and I must renew it as hasty as I could. Normally last year and last two years, I did this job in Vietnam so I had nothing to worry about, but this year—because I don't return Vietnam anymore—I must do this here. The big deal is that you only are considered to be qualified to get your visa renewed once you have something to prove to the local police and other departments that you have legal purpose to stay here. To me, is to study. You will ask me why I don't ask our school for help? Well, I did ask but still get no response yet.

Okay, I will explain. In case I want to renew the visa, I must have the study certificate. In order to get the study certificate, I must show the working certificate—means my practical training certificate—and it isn't bad enough. In order to get all the stuffs, I must contact shool officers who are responsible for this case, but too bad it's summer time so everyone are on their vacations now. I don't know how to get them and when they're back. They will kick my ass if they don't return as quick as august comes.

Yesterday, after a very long time, I wrote reports again. I mean academic report. Damn, because after I'm done with the practical training thus I—and other students as well—am forced to write such boring reports to the teachers and it is really a hard work. So paradoxical that not the language ability that matters but the formality kills my writing style. I was just more than astonied to realize that just a report could trouble me that much. I totally forgot the form of layout and text should be displayed in such academic documents. They must be all in order! Something like the line spacing, the size of text, the distance of paragraph etc. Just piss me off! I hate formality!

More than too bad, I realize that everything in relation to academic matters are all really boring to read and write. If I write a blog entry, I can write just naturally and smoothly and tidy with load of precise and flexible vocabulary. But for such an academic report, I must write as simple as possible, with the stereotyped words and phrases, under strict rules of writing. You know it really bores me 'cos I don't like something appears again and again. For example, it's the report for my whole period of practical training so they expect me to express the working experience, or the goal I achieve after being a trainee. Okay, they have some suggesting questions like "how could apply your study in work", "how you overcome the difficulty", "what you expect to gain", stuffs like that. And you know, these are all stupid questions, or say, formal questions, cliché questions. To evaluate the job, I must repeat during the report that it is very "interesting" and "interesting" and "interesting". Why interesting? Because "interesting" is such a popular and accepted word, or some say it's just polite and general to comment about things. True! The fact that it's too general so that it cannot express anything at all.

How could I say that the work is just boring, but the salary is damn amazing on the report? It's colloquial but believe me or not, that way of speech is graceful makes sense, ha ha. It makes more sense than just to say "interesting" or something similar. But of course, it's the formality in the academic environment.

Because of so, when I write a report, I feel myself as a charlatan, or a lair. I cannot even tell the truth but just something equitable even it's not what I think. I can't say I didn't apply any knowledge I gained from study into work at all but my personal living experiences. But thing is I still have to say such untrue things into reports. Okay, I'm a lair. But whatever. And who cares?

I think I'm saying like an idiot now, so I will shut up. Just a crazy though about crazy thing. In fact I'm anxious about my visa now...

All about Love

I once weened myself as a love-savvy but seemingly the truth turns out to be not that positive. Okay, it doesn't mean I have no clue about the so-called Love, I'm not that naive, of course. Basically you can say love is just love, it's something like a two-people-story---when a boy falls into a girl, then love appears. True! But it's just the simplified description, or say, it's just the outset of a love road.

I had the real love since I was 17---now I'm 22---when I was still in pupil-age. I call it real love, or "official" love 'cos I had uncountable crushes before, and I don't count crushes onto my love list. Crush means unrequited love, or fugitive affection---or more romantic, coup de foudre (love at first sign) as the French says---that I can't take it seriously. But after all, crush is such an enchanted feeling that could make you tipsy. It's weird and tempting. Well, the very first crush---I mean it's the earliest one I could reminisce---naturally came to me when I was in the 2nd grade---means 7 years old. Wait, am I detouring now? I think I aimed to recite about my 1st real love, don't I? Hmm... anyway, let's finish my crush stories first 'cos crush is in relation to love.

Crushes

She was the monitress of the class whilst I was her sub---means I was just under her but above everyone else in the class---and we were targets for bullying from our classmates. Since I was too cool that time--or at least I though I was cool--and she was cool, too; we quickly became the hot couple of the whole school---confessedly, I think we were hot just within our class, but whatever--and every other naughty mates always tried to make fun of us; they called us spouses or something that really annoyed to both of us!

Of course I was so shy being teased like that but I spontaneously felt really into her. She was really cute! She had short hairstyle floating over her shoulders, a babyish face and an angelic smile, that broke me into pieces whenever I contemplated her. Well, I remember one time while I was in my class, and my angel was standing up reading something from the textbook as assigned from our teacher. I couldn't help but just keep staring at her without noticing about anything else surrounding me. I must have forgotten that I was in the class---actually any boy loses his mind whenever he thinks of his girl, not only me---then when she was done reading, the teacher requested me to comment about her reading skill. What the hell?!! You could guess that I couldn't say a word! The teacher knew I was absent-minded in class because of busy spectating my girl---well, I wish she actually were mine---and it was bad as hell that she recklessly decried me in front of the whole class. She said to all that I busied watching my girl so that I was impossible to follow the lesson. Consequently everyone just laughed their asses off! You see, they couldn't lose any chance to make fun of me, it's what children meant for---making fun of friends. And my teacher was just unsubtle, wasn't she?

Well, it was notorious that I fancied that pretty girl, but it was even more notorious that she fancied me, in return. I knew that even she has never ever confirmed, or confided. But when I saw her in her eyes, they told me that---hell, sounds like I'm day-dreaming---she fancied me. You see? The imagination of such 7-year-old-boy is quite imaginative huh? I have never ever told to her that I like her, either. Well, when I recall that sweet time I think I should bravely ask her out then end up dating her. But swear to God, I couldn't have a single chance to confess with her since our naughty, inquisitive mockers were ever-present somewhere waiting to make fun of us. And truthfully I didn't even know that there was something called "date" existed! Anyway, she and I had a very nice memorable friendship, even it was transient. I was with her just for 2 years. My mom took me to another primary school 'cos the education quality was better there, which was equivalent that the fragile, innocent, childish love of ours to be mercilessly killed---if it has ever existed. It is surprised to me now that when I changed my school, I even didn't say a word to my girl, or didn't bother thinking of her. Well, it's the way a child is---forget things naturally and easily. Such a funny memory to retrospect.

You know what? Sometimes I wonder how could that damsel be when she grows up? Still she retains that cutie? Where the hell she is now? And most important, still she likes me---hell, perhaps I'm still deeply in dream---I mean still she remembers me? It's appr. 15 years I haven't had a news from her, and she must have changed a lot as the time flies. I really wish to catch her again sometimes somewhere 'cos I like to be with old buddies in order to converse about the past and to retrospect altogether. Well, if this thing coincidentally happens, I will ask her out then end up dating her! Ha ha, I'm kidding, of course!

Then it's all about my first crush. Right after I changed the school, I had some other crushes with someone else---well, it is the way boys are. And the more I grew up during the pupil-age, the more crushes came, but they are all just short-term fugacious affections, most of those were girls who sat right next to me in the class, mean we shared the same benches. The next girl I had a crush on was a very intelligent and diligent pupil, she was quite good at studying. The feeling I had on her is more apparent than it was on the first one, it might because I grew up a little more, I felt like her suaveness and intelligence a lot. But I was quite shy to confide in her so we stayed as friends all the time since my primary school time ended, 2 years. Again, I had to change to another school 'cos we all upgraded into next educational level, the secondary school. Thanks God this time we all were old enough to ask others' telephones or addresses to keep track! Still, we were able to meet again the following years and we ended up being good friends until now. Actually, I had a very nice impression of her for all that time. She is still a nice, intelligent girl at present.

In the secondary school I still had deep crushes---why the hell I'm always stuck in crushes?--but things still didn't come to a happy ending. After all, some of the girls I used to have crushes on end up being my good friends now, or else the rest of them disappear on my life. I can't count how many girls I really fell into, 'cos you know when girls reach the age of secondary school---12 to 15 years old---they're growing up. They transform magically from babies to real girls, and I must say it's the time girls are so attractive or more than just attractive. That's why I had so many crushes this period 'cos I had so many attractive buds surrounding me. Among of those, there were 3 girls I fell deeper then others and they were my salient memories. One of them, was such a wunderkind. She was the best girl I have ever met in my entire life, until now. I am saying about her intelligence on studying. She was just a genius, to be terrific on every subjects at school and to be the outstanding pupil among others. I think she was one of the top pupils on my class, or my school as well. She had several same hobbies with me like reading same books from same authors or else. Now you can see how deeper the crush was when I was in secondary school---we did talk, we did come close to each other and we did share something personal like hobbies---things have never happened when I was smaller, in primary school.

Since boys and girls are in secondary school, they now naturally have tendency to communicate or to get in touch or to inquire the other sex. In primary school, boys are in boys' world and girls are in girls' world, like two discrete worlds. It's funny that when boy or girl is smaller, like in the kindergarten age, the sex difference doesn't matter much. Little boys can play well with little girls without hesitation. I guess at that time children don't even have the perception about sex difference. Anyway, in primary school boys really hesitate to play with girls 'cos they have certain perception that they differ from each other---that impedes them from coming close to each other, too. I guess it was why I couldn't get close to my little girl. Poor her---I mean, me.

Okay, let's go back to my crush. Well, that girl to whom I'm talking above had a very ugly personality, more like a boy than a girl I suppose. She had strong personality, in deed. She was easy-going, too, that made us converse snugly together. In fact, we had very much childish conflicts but those crap didn't baffle our friendship much, even sometimes I just wanted to kick her ass (ha ha) for her stubbornness and conceit.

It is funny that I didn't know there was something called "crush" existed. Of course a small child can't know that complicated concept, can he? Only after I'm mature could I be cognizant of what crush is. So yeah, during that fargone time, the naive child like me always insisted that whenever I fell into a girl, it was---ridiculously---a true love. Because of that, believe it or not, I myself felt like being heart-broken many times whenever I fancied a girl but she even didn't pay attention to me. Then the fragile heart of such a naive inconsolably broke into pieces like hell. Hilarious! Anyway, I deem that she fancied me, just like I pretty fancied her. We kept the trend go well until the end of 2nd-ary school but nothing more special came, we still were not mature enough to deal with such a big deal like love.

Hilariously, during the time I was into that girl, I had paid attention to two other attractive girls, ha ha. One was close friend of the girl I mentioned already, and the third one is our monitress. Oh yeah, seemed like I had special interest in monitresses huh? To easily tell, I will name them as respectively as following: A,B and C. I fell into A for her personality, but she was a complicated girl, too. Sometimes I really didn't understand her. B was a little cutie, and C was just my idol. I didn't know why but B was the first girl I have ever confessed my affection. Unfortunately I was rejected. Hell, I felt really like her, and I decided to ask her out. I bought her a nice gift for her birthday---now what, you see? A boy starts to cajole a girl by giving her something tangible in stead of just speech and action---but she even didn't give a glance on my gift. She restored it to me right after I gave it to her, couldn't remember whether she said anything else but it was terrible enough. So cool! C'mon lady, you don't need to overreact like that do you? I was just too frustrated so that it seemed to be the last time I talked to her ever, it lasted for years. It was the first time I experienced something call lovelornness. And it bled the hell out of me! I was heavily grievous and started to flee from her even we were in the same class! I blamed her for everything, she was too cold, she was heartless and insensitive. Why the hell did I have a crush on her? Ha ha, believe me or not, when we all grow up, we're now close friends of each other. Such silly memory! She's now a very charming girl, wish she be lucky on life, hon.

The C girl was quite an solemn person to me, I idolized her, I mean it was something greater than just adoration or admiration. She was cute, statuesque, long hair, piquant, nubile, amiable, intelligent, sensitive, suave, caring... Hell, I think I should shut up now or else I would lengthen this blog entry to 100 pages more just to praise her. General speaking, she was just perfect to me! The crush was too deep that I couldn't let her know my true feeling, 'cos I simply couldn't. Hell, I still have no idea why I could idolize her intensively like that, but she was just totally the number one girl I have ever thought of. Maybe I was too naive and too stupid that time, but that crush lasts very long! Until I have a true first love or even later, I think. But now, game is over. She is just a girl, maybe she has certain good sides but she has bad sides, too. It's just me who extravagantly exalt her much more than she is herself. One exactly phrase for this case: beauty lies in the beholder's eyes! Or simply my personal paranoia...

C girl now almost disappears in my life, and since we got out of the 2nd-ary school to continue stepping into the more important educational level---high school---I seldom had chance to see her again. We end up being nothing to each other, or just normal old classmates. Anyway.

So from now and then, welcome to my high-school time, to meet others my crushes. :P

Like usual, I had several crushes in highschool---why the hell I was always stuck in crushes?---but all of those were quite vague. In fact, I had no crush as vehement as it was in 2nd-ary school, so they don't deserve telling here. But I, naturally and surprisingly, faced one of most impeccable event eventually happened in my life--thing that made me stop immersing myself in crushes. Yes, I'm talking about the so-called Love.

It is sufficient for the first part of this writing. I will reveal more in the next part which will be written later. Soon. So, stay tuned!

0654 am

0254 pm

Kauhava, 170709

Last working day

After more than 5 months, it finally comes to the last day I work. Well, yesterday I had a very nice farewell with my boss, I gave him a birthday gift from my Mom, a 100% silk cravat, she had prepared it before visiting Finland 'cos she knew my boss is a very nice person and actually he is so kind to me. He, in return, gave me a cute b-day postcard came along with the working certificate. It was a little pride to read such those praises written on the papers they indicated me, and yeah I felt really content for what I had done, I guess I did a good job.

My boss, courteously, held the bag carrying all the stuffs by both his hands and gave it to me solemnly, he said, "I do as the Vietnamese culture". I was just pathetic, he was a, as I said, very nice courteous gentleman. From the following days then, I wouldn't see him as daily as usual so I was a little sad about it. He was so kind to me as a supervisor and a teacher, means I got valuable lessons from him, both of how to deal with work and language matters. I like him very much, you know, his age is almost the same as my parent's so I treat him as respectful as I do to my parent. He is one of the kindest Finn I have ever met so far. And since he is a good English teacher, and our university has the relationship with Hanoi university of technology, so he has chance to visit Vietnam for working as an exchange teacher in the future. If that thing happens, I feel really lucky to his future Vietnamese students, because he is a very good teacher! Vietnamese students can advance their language abilities so much when he teaches them. Okay, after all, thank you so much for everything, Mr Tapio.

C'mon, I've just overcome a probation, the next step is the graduation thesis as you might know, before I really graduate. Things seem to go well, and I really feel good about it. I will have relaxing days until the end of July, then to wake myself up again for other important things need to be done. Phew, life is just a long way and each time you pass by a landmark you will feel a little funny, and happy. Thing is to keep going as far as you can!

The only matter that bothers me is that yesterday I received an email from the working place reported my last salary for this month, and because I didn't work the whole month, just for the first 10 days, so I expected the money shouldn't be so high. But more than my expectation, it was just... how could I say, just unbelievable! I did work these days but they paid me something like few hours wage. "WTF?!!", talked to myself, I even couldn't believe it. Was there any mistake here?!! The money is not what I really care about because the opportunity to work is more important since the practical training period is mandatory in my to-do list, but the salary shouldn't be that ridiculous! Anyway, I had written an email to my boss to ask about it, and still waiting for a positive response... God blesses me!

This morning, I come to the office, maybe the last time, to clean it up and throw away some personal documents, and to erase everything in the computer. This office is really cosy, I remember the time I was here alone and felt really enjoyable with it, I could work in peace, or even listen to music in low volume in search for working aspiration. I just wish I could work in an office like that in the future, small but cosy, rather than a big room with full of people and computers. Because you work, so the working place really should be quiet and peaceful, which is perfect for the concentration of the work-er. Some of you might wish to see as many colleagues as possible staying right beside you, for a little fun you guys could have during the working time. I mean the gossip or discussion or whatever any colleagues could share together, and you might call it something like funny-working-place. Okay, it's just what you wish, but if I can choose, I will choose to work in a discrete ambiance. Maybe it's because of my introvert but it's what I really hope for the future job.

After all, now I will enjoy myself for days without work. I printed out some novels and documents waiting to be read, and I planned to do something else, too. Life is Good!

Farewell, job!

0909 am
01:09 pm
100709

Plans

Eventually my practical training is going to end soon, this Friday. And before I take another job in August (if I could), I will have at least about 20 days kinda free. I'm thinking of the stuffs I'm gonna do during that time.

Well, I dont' wanna be a vidiot anymore. You know one of my desire is games so I spend such too much time gaming these days. And it's just bad. I'm thinking of spending time reading books, like what I used to do years ago. Yesterday I downloaded from the Internet an ebook entitled Understanding Stock (forget the author's name) and it was really interesting. Honestly I don't understand what Stock really is, while many people are all becoming crazy about it. It's time to keep me up-to-date with the world, I guess, especially I plan to embark upon life right after the student time ends.

At the same time, I have a decision towards the way I will step into when I finish university. I will come back Vietnam for work! Before, I wondered whether I should keep living overseas or return home country. If I live in Finland for more, I would like to work rather than continue studying a Master degree. But eventually I choose to come back Vietnam. Even many advisers tell me that it's quite hard to live in Vietnam as well as to get a good job there, I believe myself that I will be OK living there again.

Reason? Well, for the life, I am Vietnamese so I have no prob living in my country at all. And for career? I know that in Vietnam now there have many foreign firms operating their businesses and it is not a big deal to apply in one of those if I'm good enough. Optimistically, I have some certain target firms already, and it's just the matter of time when I can achieve the plan. Personally, I aim to work in Vietnam for a few years, and when I am affordable I will pause (or stop) the work to go overseas to study again, of course, for a Master degree. It is because I feel like bored if I keep living in the same place for long, and 4 years is quite enough for Finland. I will live in Vietnam for some years, and when I feel like tedious about life and work, I will come back to the student time, as a way to chill out.

Some people, like my mates, are trying hard to gain a Master diploma as quick as they could now. They try to study for a Master course right after getting a Bachelor certificate. I have no idea about it. You know, each person has his/her own strategy of life and I myself think it isn't necessary for a Master degree now. In Finland, mostly Master courses are designed for ones who have worked already, not for a freshman who just gets out of the school. I mean, one of the compulsory requirements for the candidates to apply into a Master course is the working experience, normally 3 years or ranges differently due to the subjects they are going to take. There must have a reason for that. I guess it's because any Master course is meant for the senior not the junior. You wanna study deeply about one field, you must have practical experience about it, here is the field of business, and it's even more practical.

I admit that if it's possible, I just wanna be a quick runner like many of my friends, who are taking a Master course. It is the finance that matters! The fee for a Master course is always extravagant expensive, and since I don't want my parent to lavish anymore on me, I decide to earn bucks myself to afford the study. If thing goes that way, it will be my long-term plan to achieve.

Since August comes, I will start writing my graduation thesis. I have illustrated the initial structure for it in my mind, and the crucial probation now is whether I could collect sufficient necessary reference documents or not. Anyway, take it easy and everything will be okay.

22th

The entry dedicated to Dad, for his loss of b-day, as a birthday gift from me. And of course, it's dedicated to Mom, too, the person who co-operates to create me.

22th here means my Twenty-twoth Birthday! Okay, finally another b-day comes to me. Warning: stop confusing or correcting me that it should be the 23th in stead of 22th b-day of mine according to the Chinese lunar calendar's way of calculating age or Vietnamese "pre-born age" (tuổi mụ). I'm 22 years old now, no matter what.

You will ask me what does my 22th b-day mean to me? Okay, it simply means that I used to be 18 four years ago, or I used to be 16 six years ago! As an ultra nostalgic style, I'm negatively obsessed by the grown-up. Thus, all the upcoming b-days always tragically remind me of the fact that I'm in the progress to get older, or say, the distance between past and present is more and more lengthening. Past is apparently unapproachable. Of course it's just my personal point of view, you can find it preposterous, but if it wasn't because of my too sweet childhood, I wouldn't cherish the past that much cordial and regretful. Life is becoming less happy than it used to be as the time passes by, so I find it a little unpleasant to accept my growth. When I was a child, the thing I most yearned was to be mature, and now, ironically, to stay young is the most longing wish ever. Human is just vagarious! So am I.

It's, if I am right, 3 or 4 years since I realized that b-day is not that important!I t's just a day, as others. I didn't have funny b-days, but grey ones these years so that I felt really tedious about them. And this year, 2009, is the first time I have my b-day in a foreign country. Right before my b-day just several days was my Dad's "formal" birthday. I call it formal b-day because he even doesn't have a real date of birth himself! It was because of the fucking stupid war that some Vietnamese people were impossible to remember their dates of birth; they lost their birth papers from the war. Fuck it! Fuck the war. Why it does exist? You see? Even someones (e.g. my Dad) don't have an exact date of birth themselves, then what it really means? Just plain meaningless!

My Dad never asks anyone else to congratulate him in his b-day. And unfortunately our family members always forget his day when it comes, we just rarely remember for some years. I guess with him, b-day is just something humble (because it isn't his real day!). It's just one year since I was aware of that, and I felt just hellacious, for his loss. Oh, damnit, I used to have very happy b-days celebrated by my parents and friends but he, as long as I can remember, never have someone do the same thing. Holyshit, I'm just embarrassed myself that I am very much more lucky than him and I realized how I neglected him...

Moreover, I don't know why but the more I become mature, the more trivial I consider b-days. I love my past time, it was just memorable with lot of funny time. I used to be very naive to enjoy the life, and it was just the purest aspiration I could have. I saw the life just wonderful. Now, it's harsh as I more and more involve into, and I'm tired sometimes. The aspiration for the b-day as a child yearns for new gifts given has saluted by time to me. And as said, b-day is a sign of time's passing by, so I don't really fancy the event that much. I'm now 22, I even can't believe it. The 18-year-old-boy seems just standing in front of my eyes, and I can't stop recalling that time---the time when I lived lively, carelessly and full of energy, full of curiousness to the big world; everything has just over. Maybe I am under sting of memories too much, but my heart wrings whenever I look back the road I have passed through.

Being 22 is a little funny. Generally when you pace into it, it's time when you are nearly done with the study process, and getting start to embark upon the real life. All I care now is how my future will be? I'm in the last year of my student time, and I'm gonna graduate soon. After that, I will stand in the conflux of life; many ways opening to me, and whichever I choose, will lead my life into a different direction. Thing is that I should choose the good one, not the misleading way. Now, it's time for me to hustle myself, to push myself to go. I must keep going! I must have a good knowledge foundation for the awaiting life ahead. I must equip myself with necessary stuffs like perception, experience or abilities. I just wanna swallow everything! Damn, so much to do. But I will manage all well!

Okay, even b-day doesn't seem to be very special to me, and I don't feel really happy those days, but I'm very grateful to everyone who show your kind hearts by giving me such nice wishes. So yeah, you know you revitalize me a lot, don't you? If there is something I wanna confide, I just wanna tell to you all that please enjoy the life as much as you could! Time passes really quick even you don't realize that. The moment you're living in will never return, so cherish it well. Live positively in order for you not to regret about time, about deeds you made. You will never have a chance to re-live the time you want, chance comes just once, so you'd better live happy! I have suffered from enough tristesses, okay no pain no gain, I know. Thus, I just wanna live happily now and then. In order to achieve that, I should let myself get out of dumb things and learn to think less complicated. I wish I could. I have learnt to accept the fact that the memories are just memories, just keep them along with you as personal keepsakes, make them the dynamic of life for you to keep living, and try to enjoy the current life! So yeah, the birthday wish is just simply a happy life ahead. No more, no less.

Happy life. Happy life. Happy life.

Again, be thankful to all the wishes. And thanks to my lady for staying beside me, one I know always wants to make my b-day memorable. She's sweet.

I miss Hanoi very much.

22th Birthday, 060709
03:34 am, Hanoi
11:34 pm, Seinajoki

Summer trip 2009

Sweden. Ancient beauty

Here is the description of the trip which I have spent this summer. Wow, it just lasts for 3 transient days but it brought me a plenty of sweet memories. Retelling it to you is something funny.

Disclaimers

- The entry comes with both texts and photos. And I apologize for the bad quality of some photos. I even didn't have time to take such good photos (hmm, yes I mean something photography, something artistic) because I went with my companies and people didn't wanna wait me for just standing behind taking pictures so long.
- Some of the photos look a little over-exposed, you can say so, but believe me it's the over-hot weather and too much sunny light that kill the photos. I did my best with my camera Canon 350D, it wasn't capable of solving the bad weather.
- There are so much things happend and amazed me during the trip but of course I couldn't tell all. I hope you will have a good illustration of what I'm gonna tell about. For more photos of the whole trip, I would like to invite you to my facebook's photo album: [link]


Preface

Okay, as you may know (or not), my mom came over here to visit me a couple of week ago, and we have just been back from the trip. We've been to Sweden, and it was really a cordial time! During the time my mom stayed here, I just took her around the two cities I was living in and it was not something special 'cos two that places are kinda boring and small with few places of interest for tourism. The most memorable time was when we took the trip to Sweden. I will tell about it later. First, I must say it's so good to reunite my mom after a long time.


Mom, on the main deck of the boat

Due to her retirement this year, she's now having plenty of time to do what she could not do from the past. She has devoted almost her life for working to guarantee her beloved children (my older sis and me) would get a good life, and it's fair for her now to chill out after all. To be honest, if it's possible I wish she could get out of the goddam job she had worked before as sooner as possible because she worked for the administrative office the whole life! And you know, the Vietnamese administrative offices are all shitty! Holyshit, employers all the time work as hard as they could while being underpaid, and it's just disgustful. I will never work for a national office no matter how it is! But thanks God she eventually retired. My mom and I don't seem to fit each other so well, and we have family conflicts so often but honestly she's the one I pay my most reverence. I just adore her and I love her even my manifestation always seems to be cold to her. I was so worried when she took the flight to Finland because I was afraid of the plane crash but she had a safe flight after all, thanks God! To see her here is more than wonderful, all I can say is that.

Let's start the trip.


Helsinki port


The portable city?

I spent the trip with my mom and my girlfriend, and other mom's friends.

We went to Sweden by boat and it was where we predominantly spent the time, yes on-boat. And holyshit the boat is just incredible! It's huge, as huge as you could imaginate. It's something like a portable city, of course if it's huge enough to carry a built-in airport so I can call it a real city, ha ha. But it's just huge. Its name is Silja Symphony and to be one of the biggest boats in Finland which has the main route is from Helsinki to Stockholm and vice versa. It's capable of carrying as much as 2800+ passengers and 500 cars, you believe it? 500 cars. OMG, I'm just... speechless.


Silja Symphony

The Smokestack

Inside the boat there have several restaurants, bars, solarium, sauna, cinema, gaming room and some other special services. Consisting of more than 13 decks, there are such nice places for the passengers to view the beautiful sea and enjoy the time in the top floor- where I spent most time vegging alfresco.


Inside the boat, the main lobby




Main deck

Services on the boat are all well-arranged and professional. Food is excellent, goods for sale are a not so expensive under tax-free prices but we didn't lavish that much on stuffs there excepts the purchase of drinks or some sweets or cakes. Buffet on the boat isn't really Finnish style as a company of mine said since it had many different styles of food offered for different people's tastes, they were all yummy and tasty and yes the quality was just scrumptious. Price? Not so extravagant, still be acceptable and affordable I think. And yes, since all the stuffs from a piece of salad to seafood or ice-cream for the dessert are worth eating and being praised, I have no complaint at all. Kudos, for the services!


My companies


Main deck

The bars of the boat were where people mostly gathered, of course. There are two discrete bars, one for classical people and one for the youth. I more fancied the first one because they played consonant music there, while the other one they played really annoying music. Cocktails there were exquisite, and the bartenders really knew how to make a good cocktail. I drank a so-called Summer Kiss with ingredient of soft wine, strawberry and other juice mixed. It was sweet, cold and cool and really something just for summer time! And wow, when I ordered that cocktail I saw a man having been given a Mojito, that made me think of my best friend 'cos he fancies Mojito the most! The hilarious thing was that ridiculous mexican-look alike guy saw me and said something like "Nihao"?!! Wtf, man, I was so surprised that I repeated as what he said, "Nihao", and he laughed out loud. "Hey shit, man, I am not Chinese". But he left and I guess he didn't even hear me when he looked kinda drunk. So funny ha ha.




Helsinki port. The church

In the main bar, a band played music all the night, and there had circus performance for the kids. Ha ha the performance was just funny, and it was years for me to re-see the clowns. Just enjoyable!

The room where passengers stayed was not so roomy but it's well-equiped, it's valid indeed. 4 flexible beds, one table, one toilet, a small cabinet and a beautiful view to the sea. How could you request more? I love that small room even more than my room at home, because the ambience it brought was really cosy and pleasant. It was more than a joy when you could watch the sea from the window, felt the tenderly slow move of the boat and the peace of the blue sky just in front of your eyes. It's something I call the enjoyment of loneliness ('cos sometimes I was at the room alone).


The lobby of the passenger's private rooms
(sorry for the under-exposed pic, it was quite dark there and my camera's flash light is limited in range)


The passenger room


Tax-free supermarket inside the boat

I and my lady once spent time on the spa service located in the nearly top-deck of the boat, which consisted of both sauna and solarium. It was good even the area for spa wasn't quite big, there only had 3 or 4 small pools for passengers to join, and they seemed to be quite narrow when a lot of people jumped into simultaneously. But in general, the spa was good, especially when you could enjoyed the spa above the ocean and watched it while dipping yourself into hot water!


Helsinki port

The cinema, in one deck higher than the spa area, was not really a cinema, there had no big screen at all but only the projector! The movie was watched by a projector thus I though the quality of the film displayed wouldn't be good enough, that I gave it up. Next to the cinema room was a gaming room for the kids, there were severals PlayStation3 engine there, and I really wanted to play some games but when I came inside the room, all the kids were there so that I gave it up, too, ha ha.

Sleeping in the boat was not so pleasant, not because of the shaking of the boat while moving, it didn't shake at all, but when I woke up everytime my body shook for a while. OMG, my body did shake and my fingers quaked. I had no idea why my body shook, maybe it was becaused of the effect of the boat's moving but it moved really smoothly. I still don't know why. Those phenomenons stopped after I walked for a while. So strange, but it didn't matter much.


Somewhere in the sea between Sweden and Finland

Deck of the boat

The eventide in the sea was something special I have fortunately experienced. In Finland summer time, the sun never sets before 1000 pm, so the crepuscular time is later than usual. The sun was bloody red, and it looked like a fireball hung afloat on the sky and sparkled its shadow over the sea. A majestic landscape ever! And hey, notice it, could you believe this photo was taken sometime around 1045 pm?


Crepuscular illumination over the boat.
The lady, wow, she's just charming...

Sweden- unexpected allure

This is the very first impression of mine towards Sweden:


Sweden

I was just wow, and I said to myself "look, the architecture here is nice". And the deeper I came into the center of the city, the more wow I was.



Sweden

OMG, I was shocked! I never though Sweden would be that magnificent! The architecture here, from just a tiny house to a huge building or palace, was just a work of art! They were ancient. They were antique. And they were just eye-catching. The city itself had a power of seducing the visitors from the first glance. I couldn't help myself stop watching around those beautiful roads, the pretty boulevards and the narrow alleys. "My God", told to myself, "I love this place. It glamourizes me already".


The narrow typical alley

Those narrow alleys like this reminded me of my hometown, Vietnam, very much. The Swedish roads were not very big, and in walking roads there had full of alleys in two sides, which were what I really was interested in. Inside the roads, hundreds of house in ancient-designed shapes were just beautiful which had detailed vignettes carved delicately onto the walls.



As a suggestion from my Finnish company, we all together visited the street market in the center of the city, which displayed hundreds of juice store offered to the customers. "The sellers almost are non-Swedish-citizen but the foreigners, it is different from Finland 'cos in Finnish street market, mostly the sellers are local ones", said my company.


The Swedish strawberry

My mom bought a bag full of cherry and they were very fresh, at least they alleviated me from the damn hot weather. Got out of the street market, we came straightaway to the big square, methinks, located somewhere in the center of the city, and now I faced the modernized side of the ancient city! There were a lot of modern buildings in cutting-edge architecture, mostly glassy houses. Now I must explain to you that in countries like Sweden or Finland, you will never see skyscrapers like in US or HongKong or else, just middle-sized buildings. Because of this, you will not be staggering seeing hundreds of tower houses, this characteristic makes Sweden look very harmonious in architecture among areas.


Big square


My mom and lady stood in the middle of the big square


Crossing by this long road (shopping center), we saw thousands of multicultural, multinational restaurants and shops

Yes, the photo above represents the view of a shopping center. You are shopping-aholic searching for with-it stuffs? Just come here then you can find almost everything! From Nike to DG, from Christian Dior to McDonald, from Thai buffet to Mexican, Italian cuisines... I felt like the world gathers here!


Modern building

I'm sure many of you have been aware of this statue:



I have seen it in the Internet but never think of it seriously, just be aware of it as something funny. But some local people told me the meaning of it as a symbol of peace. Well, when a gun is twisted over, it's no longer hurtful. Oh yeah, it's just fab, isn't it? And surprisingly this fab comes from Sweden.


The big square




Above photo is the underground of the square, where locates fast-food restaurants and small supermarkets. I even met a commemorate from a Michael Jackson fan, someone put flowers, candles, letters and pictures of M.J there. So sad to hear about him...

We chilled out for a while there, then continued into a magnificent area where had many many beautiful houses, churches and museums, even the King Palace.







Here is where I felt amazed. The huge stone gates leaded into the square where antique architecture's tremendousness could wring your heart and captivated you.



Standing in front of such giant monuments made me feel the human was so small. If it wasn't because of the overheated weather that prevented me from capturing the landscape, I would have taken as much photos I could. But you can see the photo and feel the sun, it was too hot!




The entrance







Look! Just a play of colors. I wished there were a blue house, then it was a perfect of color mix. :P



Almost photos I took, you could ask me how I did with those? Did I adjust the tone into blue like that? I must explain that I did nothing in enhancing the tone except making some under-exposed or over-exposed photos into acceptable conditions. The blue sky is natural! And isn't it beautiful?



I wonder who is this guy? What is he thinking?





And this lady...?

We decided to wait in front of the King Palace to see the Sentinel's changing. I didn't feel interested in it, but my mom and other companies did so I just followed them. We had to wait under hot weather in the middle of the day, and I was so tired! Surrounding us there had thousands of people waiting to see the thing like us, too. The show did very slow with complicated performance from the royal bands and sentinent's action. It's the national ceremonial of the Swedish and they do it everyday.

To my Vietnamese mates, ha ha it's just something the same to the sentry of Ho Chi Minh museum, they change the turn daily. :P








We ended up the walk and continued the trip by car to the tower of the city, which was as high as 30 floors. On the top floor, you can view the whole city, just fabulous! I love the restaurant there, very homely.





After that we returned to the boat and enjoyed all the rest of the time there, I came again to the bar at night, watched the show and slept late. The following day, we were en route to home.

In conclusion, this trip is my best one ever! Wow, living for a few days on-boar was something amazing and awesome. I had a very nice time with my beloved people, thanks to my Mom, if she didn't come to Finland I think I wouldn't have had a chance to travel like that, because I was still busy with many other things.

I think I will be back Sweden someday, it's so great! 1 day is a very short time to discover such a mysterious country. Hopefully that I will have opportunity to travel more in the future. :)

And hey, where did you spend your summer time this year?

Finland, 0344 pm, 020709