What have been going on

More updates if you will:

1. We finished a brand-new comic!
I may have said this before: whenever I don't have to go to school, or to go to work, I will be... extremely busy with self-appointed projects. About 4 weeks ago, I decided to join force with my best friend DO to participate in a huge Vietnamese comic competition. We worked hard on that, and the result was satisfying. The comic is in Vietnamese, regrettably, but here is the link if you want to take a look. : D As the competition is still going on, I am only allowed to post the poster (title page) of our comic here.

2. My brother has a fundraiser
My brother Holden is entering the Nashville St. Jude Country Music Marathon, and he is trying to raise some fund for his school New College Franklin in TN. Here is the page. Please take a look, vote for him or support him with donations.

3. Bluebell is back
Bluebell, once was the co-writer of this blog, is now back! Let's hope that we'll see her new posts soon. :)

4. I have finished reading the Bible!
Yes, the huge book of Holy Bible! The book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was read in an afternoon, but the Bible took me roughly a year. When I saw the last page of the book of Revelation, I was super excited. Amen! :D

That's all the updates I am sharing this time. Next week I'll post something rather new and special. : )

Another break announcement

I am taking a break. As I recently stopped working for BofA I was switched to "doing nothing" mode. The apparent freedom turns out not to be the case, as I am finding myself swimming in various self-made projects. Life is good, though, but I currently am quite busy.

So I will be back, because there still is a lot I want to share! My experience as a teller for Bank of America; maybe the 2012 Lunar New Year moments; maybe some pictures or fun stories about Vietnam; maybe a brand new music video; or maybe some more Origami!

So yeah, I will be off for a little while. You may want to check back in a month: I'll definitely be back by then.  

One Interesting Thing to Share

How popular is this blog? Shouldn’t be “very”, because I never receive more than five comments for a post, and the like/dislike button doesn’t seem to help with getting feedback from my visitors. I am not really concerned, though, it’s just that I have this interesting thing to share today. 

I didn’t find out about this myself. My cousin shared me a link one day: LINK. I clicked. It’s just a Vietnamese article about various “interesting” café places for young people. I scrolled down and I saw this: 

O... kay… so it was a picture of mine! Moreover, it’s from an Origami post in this blog! As you may guess, neither that Origami post nor myself has anything to do with the café which my picture demonstrates. And to say, if it’s not because of my cousin, I might never get to see the article. So this is what I decide to think and do:

- Hey guess what! I am on newspaper, and this blog of mine is popular!!! :''D  

 

I Watched 'I am Sam' for Christmas

I thought I should do something for Christmas. My families and friends were far away. Even the neighbor guy I hung out with was gone visiting his aunt. But I still thought I should do something. I watched a movie. I watched I am Sam.

She told me about it. She told me about someone telling someone else how he (or she) was “the color red of her life.” I wanted to watch it to know what it meant. A love movie could be nice – I supposed – each and every time I could learn something new and insightful. The movie I am Sam was insightful indeed! However, though it was full of love, humors, and excitements, it was not, by any means, what I was expecting.

I am spoiling it: the movie is about a retarded father trying to get back his daughter, and he does it splendidly. There were many things going on in my head as I was watching it, thoughts about relationships between parents and children, about the beautiful diversity of companionships, about different values in Life and how one chooses which to pursuit. I am Sam is a surprisingly meaningful movie and I can make this post a long and boring discussion about the richness of it. Or, I can talk about retarded people.

To say it simple, retarded people have problems with mental development and their intellectual level can only reach that of a young child. They are everywhere, and to tell the truth, I never feel too comfortable being around them. They tend to disturb people around at an ultra-high level, and in the worst case I have experienced, they treated my friend Renae badly while she was trying to help them. I have wondered at times why people try so hard to help them while they aren’t really that treasurable. I can live with inherent unproductiveness, but I cannot easily forgive ignorant cruelty.

The movie gives me a different experience. The miserable beings in there present us with series of touching moments. How Sam raised his daughter Lucy to become a strong and smart girl, how Sam’s handicapped friends helped him to buy Lucy her new shoes, and how he had the famous lawyer Rita Harrison to help with bringing Lucy back are most incredible among others, and watching them would easily bring one into tears. The disabled were able to perform the miracles.   

Only by following through the whole story of one retarded father may I see the unimaginable. Sam and his handicapped friends show me their genuine love for other people, their extraordinary efforts to carry on responsibilities, and their utmost appreciations toward any tiny goodness of life. 

As awesome as Sam is, we can’t deny the fact that he and his friends keep acting weird and screwing things up. Someone who only glimpses at I am Sam for 10 seconds can really say, “Oh my, these guys are nothing but nuts!” But then again, is this “clumsiness” really such a bad thing? We all know someone who tries too hard and messes things up – we do too! Maybe that’s why retarded people mess up all the time: they always try their absolute best to make things work, consistently, persistently. To learn to love them patiently and courageously helps us to love better our children, our elderly loved ones, and ourselves.

To tell, retarded people are quite lovable – to the point that they may as well be listed among God’s favorites. They never twist any comprehensible truth. They try to do the right things and to enjoy their lives – and they try real hard. Don’t they have some of the best virtues that God has ever created? Isn’t there always something in them that we can observe and wholeheartedly admire? Aren’t they simply some other people that are different? We are all different. And from now on, I will restrain myself from using the word “retarded” inappropriately.     

So on one night I watched I am Sam. What a wonderful movie! It was a good time. It was a good cry. It was a good Christmas cry.

How to Prepare an Awesome Meal Within Five Minutes

I mentioned this before in a Vietnamese post: I hate cooking, and my cooking knowledge is painfully inadequate. However, as a guy who has to live by himself for quite a long time, I have to constantly come up with new stuffs to eat. What I am sharing is one of my favorites: it’s simple, fast, tasty, and… healthy (kind of!). Prepare to meet DK’s CRAZILY AWESOME SANDWICH!!!

Ingredients: 

- 1 loaf of mid-size French bread (I just love French bread!)

- 3 slices of turkey breast (choose the ones that aren’t too thin so they won’t fall apart later on)

- 1 egg

- 2 teaspoons of cooking oil

- Some hungry attitude

- An apple

Step 1: 

- Heat the oil on a frying pan, then fry the turkey slices in 30 seconds. Gotta fry them quick because they are sensitive beings. As you can see in the picture, they are a bit burned because I was… busy taking pictures.

- Take the turkey out and put them on a plate.

Step 2:

- Crack the egg and toss it in with love. The heat and the oil which are already there will cook the egg in a couple minutes. Too long? It’s because I like it well-cooked.

- Put the egg on the same plate as the turkey so that they can tell each other “whatssup?!”

Step 3:

- Split the bread and toast them with the remaining oil. The bread will soon get warmer and have some slightly crispy feature.

Step 4:

- Put the goodness together in a gentle manner.

Step 5:

- Add an apple on the side. Congratulations! You now can enjoy the meal of a champion!!! : )

Giấc Mơ Turquoise Của Tôi

Mỗi giấc mơ là một cuộc hành trình mà sẽ rơi vào quên lãng. Hằng đêm ta mơ, ta cảm nhận điều gì, ta đang tìm kiếm điều gì? 

Hành trình mà chúng tôi đã trải qua cũng thế, ngắn ngủi, phức tạp, mà chóng vánh. Đó là một cuộc phiêu lưu mà ta dễ dàng tìm thấy trong những câu chuyện cổ tích, những bộ phim, hay trong những game fantasy lấp lánh. Đó là cuộc phiêu lưu trẻ con và vơ vẩn, nhưng không kém phần quan trọng và thiêng liêng, như cách một đứa trẻ trông về một tương lai hoa lệ, hay một người lớn tìm về một tuổi thơ diệu kì. Trong một cuộc hành trình như thế, thì chuyện chúng tôi đã trải qua những gì, đi đến những đâu, khi nào, đã không cần được nhắc đến. Mọi thứ đều đã rất hoàn hảo, tuyệt vời và vì thế cũng đã trôi qua đi. Vì dù sao đây cũng chỉ là một giấc mơ, mà giấc mơ thì rồi cũng sẽ rơi váo quên lãng.   

Có ít nhất ba thành viên trong nhóm của chúng tôi. Ngoài tôi ra tôi chỉ còn nhớ mang máng một thằng con trai nào đó, và em. Em là tất cả những gì khả ái, trong sáng, và ngọt ngào mà người ta có thể cảm nhận được. Sự hiện diện của em làm cho cái thế giới mờ ảo đáng nghi ngờ này trở nên thật rực rỡ, và một giấc mơ ngơ ngẩn nhạt toẹt trở thành một cuộc phiêu lưu đáng nhớ.

Tiếc rằng em chẳng phải là của tôi. Em và gã trai kia là những nhân vật chính của câu chuyện, quan trọng và đáng chú ý. Còn tôi chỉ là một thành viên trong đoàn, lầm lũi bước cùng những thành viên khác. Chẳng biết vai trò của tôi là gì, hay thậm chí tôi đã làm gì. Chỉ biết là tôi bỗng kiếm được một chiếc vòng và đeo nó lên tay tôi. Chiếc vòng mỏng manh và rườm rà như món quà dành cho con gái. Có ba viên đá màu xanh ngọc được nối vào như một sự tình cờ, chẳng để làm sao, hay vì lý do gì.

Có một điều mà mọi người trong đoàn đều biết, rằng đến một lúc nào đó em sẽ phải ra đi. Chẳng ai có thể nói gì, làm gì về điều đó, mà chúng tôi phải chấp nhận nó như một sự thật đáng buồn và không thể tránh. Mọi người buồn vì ai cũng sẽ nhớ ánh mắt và nụ cười tươi tắn của em. Thế giới này buồn vì vắng em mọi thứ sẽ trở nên ảm đạm và vô tình hơn. Tôi buồn vì tôi yêu em, thầm lặng, nhưng vô cùng.

Em đến bên tôi và khẽ nói, anh biết là em sẽ phải ra đi mà! Tôi biết. Ánh mắt em chợt hướng về chiếc vòng trên tay tôi. Cho em xem nào. Chiếc vòng này màu xanh, đẹp quá. Có vẻ như từ khi đeo nó, nó đã hút dần năng lượng và thể chất trong anh, và giờ đây khi rời khỏi nó, sự diện diện của anh trở thành một điều gì đó thiếu sót, không hoàn thiện.

Nhìn những đường vân của chiếc vòng vẫn còn hằn rõ trên cổ tay, tôi nói, em nói nói đúng. Và rồi tôi chợt nhận ra một điều quá đỗi hiển nhiên: màu xanh thấp thoáng của những viên ngọc trên chiếc vòng, chẳng khác nào màu sắc trên trang phục của em, cả trên lớp sơn móng tay nhỏ bé của em. Rằng khi em sẽ rời khỏi nơi đây, tôi sẽ nhìn vào chiếc vòng ấy và không khỏi nhớ về em.

Em nắm chặt chiếc vòng và nhìn tôi thổn thức. Hãy cho em mang chiếc vòng này theo nhé? Để em có thể thực sự rời khỏi nơi này. Để anh sẽ không phải vì em mà tổn thương mãi. Bởi vì, em yêu anh!

Tôi ngỡ ngàng ngước lên nhìn em. Không thể nào!... Tôi vừa thốt lên thì hình bóng em đã vội phai mờ. Tôi còn chưa kịp đưa tay ra để nắm giữ một điều chi nhỏ bé, để thấy những ký ức, những tình cảm về em đang dần bôi xóa đi, nhanh chóng, phũ phàng.

Tôi tỉnh giấc và vội nhìn vào cổ tay tôi giờ đã không còn tí vết hằn nào. Hoàn toàn không thể nhớ được dáng dấp và khuôn mặt em, cả sự dịu dàng trong sáng đã làm tôi đau lòng. Giọt nước mắt tôi tuôn rơi, khóc cho em, cho một thế giới đã tan biến vì em, và cho một phần trong tôi đã mãi ra đi không cách chi quay lại.

Triviality, My Triviality

 

The time of the year when my birthday comes by visit is drawing near. People make wishes on their birthdays, and it’s a beautiful thing. Though this year there is no cake, no card, no friend, can I sing myself Happy Birthday and make some wishes too? 

I wish to be around my beloved friends and stop being just “some guy who would occasionally show up”. I wish to no longer be missed out, misunderstood, or mistakenly opinioned.

I wish to be around families, to be welcomed and to be spoiled, to be actually considered as important and irreplaceable, not alienated. I wish to be home.

I wish to be loved, cared, comforted, and respected.

Too much of wishful thinking, isn’t it? How can I be around my friends, if they are all scattered in Vietnam, Montana, Missouri, and California since I am freaking nomadic? Will I ever be able to get myself a “home”? And will I ever be a good man?  

Ok, that’s it for unhappy thoughts. I should never self-ask too much: there ain’t a “someone” to answer the questions for me. Besides, everything in this world is into place and there eternally is a plan. I am to leave my trivial thoughts behind and move forward.

It’s ok. Everything will be just fine. And someday, I will be alone no longer : )

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Related Posts:

I Thought I Had Gone a Long Way 

Tôi 20 (Vietnamese)

...And then, I changed