MAI Curiosity

Disaster Globalisation

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:12:00 -0500

I learnt about the Weekend inferno in Victoria (Aus) while watching an action film on channel 10 “more than 25 people feared of dead by fire and more…”. Everything was too fast. The death number kept doubling days by days. I read almost all of the words about the fire in Victoria with all my mind and my heart. The pictures and the moving stories of newspapers made stronger impression on me than the TV.

I know that this is a tragedy for Australia where disasters are rarely able to take many lives. But this time, too many have gone. Why hadn’t people flee the fire earlier? Why hadn’t warnings been issued? Why were many willing to sacrifice their lives to protect the house? I have asked myself so many stupid questions as I can’t believe that so many people have been killed in such pains and panics in the peaceful and beautiful country of Australia.

If you were in my country, you would be adapted with such bad news. Everyday, dozens were died or injured in traffic accidents. Every year, hundreds were killed by floods, flashfloods, landlines and storms. The death news come so regularly that it is not a surprise for most of us.

Then I remember the way Friedman explains gloablisation since 1999. Globalisation doesn’t mean only culture, economics, politics and technology. It also include environment, yes, environment globalisation so we can have disaster globalisation.

What has occurred like Tsunami, earthquakes, floods, storms and fires in every corner of the world (both developing and developed countries) is obvious reply that we are suffering from what we damage our environment. Soon one day, disasters may sweep over the world and we will become archeology.

I’m not scared of that day because we are already involved in the process. If we are not sure about the world future, just enjoy your life now with your beloved and friends. Don’t be angry, jealous, greedy, indelibrate and rude. Keep smiling, help each other, be optimistic and generous with others. On one of the hottest day in Sydney, I looked up at the sky and saw the words “Stay cool”. And now I also want you to stay cool and everyday of your life will be great days!

Tet, away from home

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:10:00 -0500

For the first time, I had a New Year Festival (Lunar New Year) away from home. 32 years you have celebrated the biggest holiday with your family and friends. Then, you are in a Western country where lunar calendars are not sold in the news agents.

The New Year of the Buffalo arrived in Sydney quietly and suddenly. It is only felt from the home websites, from my husband’s notices and a promise to join in a party at a friend’s house. At this time of last year, I hurried around the city to visit relatives, go shopping and work. But this year, I’m free and have nothing to hurry on the last day of the year 2008. I suddenly liked to escape such busy and noisy things before Tet at home.

Only when I realized that my 6-year-old daughter should know something about Tet did I ask her to clean up the house, a tradition any Vietnamese families do to welcome the New Year.

Chinese merchants open 2009 business with dragon unicorn and firecrackers

This year, I welcomed the Lunar New Year in the summer time but it’s a wonder that the weather is very cool with some drizzling rain on the New Year Eve and the first two days of the Buffalo Year. The cosy party at my friends’ house with Square cakes, pork pie and noodles finally woke up my feelings for the traditional Tet. Like any Vietnamese kids, my daughter was so excited to receive lucky money in her new dress.

I followed a local family to burn incense at a Buddhism pagoda. Then we walked along the street to enjoy dragon dance and the happy sound of firecracker. We ended up the New Year tour by visiting another family and tasted sweets and cookies. Wow, the Vietnamese people in Sydney celebrate the Lunar New Year festival almost like those back home.

On the way back home, I realized that I still love Tet. I love this special Tet away from home because it will be very soon that I can enjoy a real Tet at home with my parents and my friends. I still love to be busy for Tet because that is what I belong to. It’s wonderful to experience a different Lunar New Year in a different country, but if it is forever, it will be really really sad.

How happy my man looks when he is with the “spider” girls from China

I wish good health and good luck to my beloved ones (my grandparents, my parents, my little daughter, my husband, my sister and her partner, my relatives my friends and me) in the Year of the Buffalo and forever.

Vietnam wins over Thailand

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:07:00 -0500

2 - 1 Dream

I’m reading the victory of Vietnamese team over Thailand in the Xmas morning of Sydney and the loud music from the neighbour’s house.

My tears are out and I feel creepy while swallowing all words and photos about the great game in Thailand.

It has been a common fact that the Vietnam team has to lose to the Thai. But this time, it is unbelievable and unpredictable.

The victory is more meaningful to those who live far away from home. I’m no longer a young guy to jump up in happiness but I shout and cry.

I want to hear more about of such great news for Vietnam because I love my country and I want it to grow.

Thank you Calisto, the coach, you have suffered a lot. You are our hero.

Thank you the best guys of Xmas night 2008. Thank you the best guys of Xmas night 2008.

Sydney, you should know

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:58:23 -0500

I have been living in Sydney for only 10 months so I still have very little experience about this exciting and big city. But 10 months may be enough for a mature woman and a journalist to make comments.

I’m always a curious so I watch Sydney and its people whenever I leave home for my Uni, to go shopping, to the supermarkets and to hang out with friends. I watch Sydney when I walk, on the bus, on the train, from my friends’ car; when I talk with friends, strangers, shop assistants, police..etc… I mean, whenever I’m not in my home. I watch Sydney with the eyes and mind of an outsider from a poor country, of a journalist who travel overseas a couple of times but watch abundancy of things on TV, of an individual who is critical and demanding. The reason is that this is my first time I have ever lived in a developing country for such a long time. I have to face with daily troubles of housing, money, relationships…

I mean, what I will write about Sydney is objective and honest because my words will be about the not-good aspects of Sydney.

Sydney has many homeless people. My Australinan friends said that those homeless people are maily the mentally-ill people and the Government has closed the centers for the homeless. The old homeless in badly torn clothes and dirty hair are in many streets. Some speak to themselves, some hurry around the street without any reasons while some just sit quietly in a same place day after day.
Electricity blackout. Don’t think that electricity blackouts only happen in Vietnam. Sydney has. We went home from the Carol Domain on Sat night (Dec.20) without any electricity light in the Marrickville Road and our apartment. We had no matchbox at home and my daughter were so excited to experience the Blackout until she fell asleep (?!)
Too many women smoke. It’s great to enjoy fresh air in any buildings and offices in Sydney. But when you walk out of the building, smoking people are a lot, most of them are young beautiful girls. I should change my mind that smoking is for men. No, women and men are equal so smoking is also equal. But that equality is really bad because smoking does terribly harm to the future babies of women.
Wind, wind and wind. Sydney is very very very windy. I know I’m living in a coastal city but the wind is still too much for me. The wind is unpredictable and it occurs very oftently. It will relax you when you are hot but it will be disastrous when you where short skirt. I come from a densely populated tropical country with high humidity so the wind is only common in winter and storms. But in Sydney, it’s windy all the time, everytime and anywhere. Don’t forget to bring a jacket if you don’t like the wind.

I may add some more points to the above list till the last day in Sydney because those only things I’m sad about Sydney. The remaining, which is uncountable, is a wonderful Sydney where you should live and study.

I love Internet

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:19:47 -0500

Hura Skype!

I knew the importance of technology in this modern life. But it wasn’t until yesterday, Nov.23, 2008, did I realize that internet is an indispensible part of my life. Internet has made many things come true. Internet bridges Australia with my families in Vietnam and enables me to be with my family.

I spent 3 hours on Sunday to chat and eye my sister’s engagement meeting just through a webcam. Thanks to Skype, I could see from the first to the last moments of the event. I could see every attendant of the meeting and talk with them.

I saw my parents and my aunts walking to and fro in happiness to make preparations. Everyone dressed so well and smiled a lot. I could hear the music, laughs, congratulations and everything. The most heart-breaking moment is when I saw my younger sister in the tradition dress, I even cried. My tears are for a number of reasons: for the fact that my sister has really become a woman, no longer a little girl always with me and for the stupid pity that I hadn’t flown back home to be with her and my parents in a life-time day.

Thanks to Internet and Skype, I feel a little bit guilty about my absence. At some time, my soul was like be with my family. I also laughed and shouted as a guest.

From this time, I will totally support Internet. Whatever it does harm to you, it’s because you don’t know how to use it

Look and see how journalists do their job! Photo taken in front...

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:08:35 -0400

Look and see how journalists do their job!

Photo taken in front of Hay Market, Sydney, Sept.2008.

Hanoi autumn

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:52:00 -0400

A look at the yellow leaves in Hanoi this morning notices me that Hanoi’s already in the middle of autumn, the best time of the year.

Autumn has many relations with me. I was born in autumn (this month). My daughter was born in autumn. I like the cool dry days of autumn when I can have my best clothes on and feel free to go out in the street.

If you want to travel to Vietnam, especially Hanoi capital, you should choose autumn. Then you will avoid the chilly winter and the burning summer. You can walk, oh no, you should drive a motorbike (I know it’s dangerous for foreigners but you will be fine) and you will enjoy feeling the autumn with the falling leaves, mild wind and fresh air. Or, you can sit in a street cafe subbing special milk coffee with ice and enjoy.

Photo by Hoang Ha

The falling leaves in autumn, you can find everywhere around the world but I still love those in Hanoi. Whenever I’m among the falling leaves, I have the very subtle feeling of sadness and missing. I miss my childhood, my birthplace, my parents. I miss the day when I had only me to care for and to worry.

I have a stupid belief that if a leave accidentally falls on me, that’s the god’s gift saying that I will be lucky that day. The belief was told by one of my friends and it has followed me since I was 19.

This autumn, I’m very far away from Hanoi. No leaves fall on me for a long time and I’m plesed with the current life. But I still love receiving the falling leaves as a good memory of my 20s.

Stop?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:07:00 -0400

I’ll keep writing

It’s been 10 weeks since I created this blog, my first ever blog, as an assignment.

10 weeks ago, I started it with no idea in mind. How could I have two entries a week? How could I exist in the cyber world which I had only toured around for reading news or searching things?

I come from a developing country where IT application is popular but only a small group of people can master it. In my country, we contact by face-to-face talks, by phones, by fax, by papers, and recently by email and by blog (only Yahoo360). I should remind you that internet was first introduced in Vietnam probably in 1997.

I belong to the 1760s generation who saw the first TV in our life when we were in the 6th grade. We learnt how to use computer at university. We love the internet and use it every day but we don’t have the habit of putting everything in blog. We are only the visitor of Internet, not the citizen.

It’s still clear in my mind that in the first lesson of UTS online journalism, I could understand nothing. I had no idea of “tumblr, twitter, blog awards, HTML…”.

I kept asking and asking so many things. I asked my lecturer, classmates, younger friends…everyone, who was good at using internet. Sometimes, I did feel that people stared at me as if I fell from another planet (yes, I come from a quite different world). I spent much time figuring out what is with HTML, making links or connecting my blog with other sites.

I was encouraged by my teacher, by the study pressure and by the must to get over this big challenge so as to catch up with the world development. I wrote about many things: my daughter, my thoughts, my country, Sydney…The more I write, the more I feel confident to write and the more I need to write about. I then realize that I get used to a new habit of writing something in my blog whenever it is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Now, I can write directly in my blog instead of cutting and pasting from Word document:”>

I used to be haunted by many unhappy ending when you show up too much on the internet. But after I become a member of citizen journalism, I find out the interesting sides of a new world where you can reach as far as you want and you never have enough time to finish anything. In this world, I built my new house called Blog in tumblr. This is the place I can express myself or and exchange things. It’s a very good way to train my writing skills, to share and to receive.

Yesterday, I happily informed my husband that I have registered in Twitter; I have posted my photos on Flickr; I could create a project on savefile.com. That might be simple for you but means much for me. I’m proud of what I have created.

I’m like a tortoise, slowly but patiently heading to my finish.

My assignment has been done but I’ll keep visiting my blog regularly. It may be my online diary I write for myself and for my children.

I don’t have a lot of friends in my blog because it is written in English (while my English is not good), not in my language.

But I may be the 1st Vietnamese guy having a blog in tumblr. Do you believe that?

Canberra

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:10:00 -0400

The quiet capital

I had a one-day trip to Canberra yesterday. Half of my 12-hour trip was on the bus with other 55 Chinese tourists. Everything of the tour is made of China: the delayed starting time, the bus, the food, the music and the tourist guide. The language is Chinese so we could understand nothing though the tourist guide kept speaking from the beginning to the end of the tour. We had no way but kept ignoring what the guide said and enjoying Canberra ourselves.

I’m not writing about those Chinese things but Canberra!

The national capital of Australia is much quieter and larger than what I imagine. This time is spring but winter still hesitates to leave the capital so trees look dry and yellow-green. The capital city doesn’t have the noise of cars, motorbikes, music or human voices. During 4 hours, I just saw only 2 green buses and several people walking on the streets.

Canberra is the opposite of Sydney, which is always busy and hurried. I can’t imagine that this is the heart of Australia. And behind those white buildings are the Government, Parliament House, High court and many other departments, agencies and corporations.

I love to drive the car in Yarralumla which is home to many embassies. See the flags and you can tell the name of the country. What impressed me much is the US embassy which is the only one with cold-faced guards and the Chinese embassy which looks romantic like the palace in the 15th century.

Canberra doesn’t look green like Sydney. Maybe, all of its flowers are in the Floriade. Wow, the Floriade draws colourful pictures of red, white, pink, black and yellow tulips, poppy flowers..etc…Despite of the dry and sunny weather of the ‘“bush capital”, the flowers are bright and happy. The flowers wiped out my tiredness and thirst of a hot day. Flowers made me feel relaxed.

It’s a pity that I didn’t have time to visit the National Gallery, National Museum and Australian War Memorial.

I will return to Canberra to discover those cultural destination and find out what can be the noisiest parts of this capital. Certainly, my future trip will be without Chinese things because I want to understand everything in English.

Friends

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:39:00 -0400

Reasons I watch it

I’m one of many many fans of Friends. I can watch the comedy all the day, again and again and remember many details. Sometimes, I think of the characters’ jokes and laugh myself like a crazy person in the street.

I’m not surprised if you complain that the guys in Friends have too much time for coffee, hanging out together and joking. But they are very good at representing us, both the good and bad things in our daily life and at the same time making us laugh to forget worries, sadness and anger.

6 actors in the cast are best in their own role but I like David Schimmer because he has a special voice and very natural acting of comedy.

I respect the actors for the committment withe sitcome during 10 seasons but I give higher appreciation to David Crane and his writers of the comedy. If you understand a little bit of TV and sitcom, you should look at the people who work behind the screen. They create the jokes, the situation, make them like life and nurture the series. Those guys have a big sense of humour, rich living experience and perfect creativity.

When can Vietnam have such talented film makers? If you ever watch a sitcom made by Vietnamese film makers, you will understand the primitive stage of film making. You will find so many mistakes of the actors, film products and scripts. What really annoys me is the conversations of the actors. They are very different from human conversations: simple, boring and meaningless.

This explains why I can watch Hollywood films only though I was recommended to give support to the development of local movie. I can’t. Film is entertainment. I watch films because I want to enjoy other parts of the social life.

That’s why I love Friends. It makes me smile all the time.

If you never watch Friends, try this. Hahaha!

Fear

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:03:00 -0400

Have you ever feared for anything or anybody?

You may say I’m a stupid when asking this question because nobody in this world is free from fears.

Both men and animals know well how to fear and keep away from the people and things which threaten us. It’s a basic instinct. Fear is the combination of worries, anxiety, obsession and even stress. Fear is varied among individuals and at different stages of age in terms of its level and nature.

My mon says that I feared nothing when I was a child. I could go out with any strangers, wandered at night or coped with a much taller rival. When I grew up, fear was still a vague concept to me. I could watch people digging tomb at night or hanged out with friends to any risky places. I made fun of anyone who was worried about death.

But it doesn’t mean that I didn’t fear. The fear began to grow in me when I saw my grandparents get older and older; when my mom had a surgery and when my Dad was diagnosed to get Hepatitis B.

The fear crushes my heart when my daughter got a high fever. When I saw her, so tiny lying on the bed at the paediatrics, I could feel how big the fear was. It shadows any joys and any ambition. All I want is her recovery so that she can smile and talk all the day.

Now, I understand why people always fear death. We need to live not only for us but for our beloved people. We live to take care of our parents, to enjoy love with our partners and to follow the growth of our children.

When you understand the fear, I think, you are truly mature.

Chat with Ludovic

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:28:00 -0400

I had an online interview with Ludovic while he is hurrying for the deadline of his book.

1/How is the site important for you, especially during the world trip?

The web site was a wonderful way to share my journey and what my trip has taught me along the way. Without internet, my tour of the world wouldn’t have been the same.

2/Who made the site for you and are there anyone assisting you in maintaining the site during your trip?

A friend of mine helped me to build the structure, I was the one keeping it up to date. First in Internet cafés, then with my laptop that I bought in the US.

3/What do you like the best of your site, and what do you dislike?

I like that I can write articles with photos. I dislike all the technical problems I had and still have. I like that it is well done, I mean beautiful.

4/After returning to France, what are you doing now?

Writing my book, having a hard time writing it well…much harder than hitchhiking around the world… 5/Have you gained weight again? Yep, I don’t move much in front of my compu.

6/Have you had your girlfriend now?(sorry but many people want to know this)?

Yes, a girl I met in Panama 3 yrs ago, we kept in touch, she’s now studying here, we are together, all well.

6/Will you continue developing the website?

I will change it, update it…and I want to start another web site I’ll explain later…

7/Tell me everything if you want to share with the Australian guys!

Just that it’s a shame people are so afraid to pick up hitchhikers because of this guy who killed many people 7 yrs ago or more. Picking up hitchhikers is a great way to meet new people. Except that, cheers mate, have a good beer for me.

Thank you Ludovic for still remembering me.

A big guy

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:47:00 -0400

Ludovic Hubler

From dreams to reality, that’s only a step…but how big it is for most of us ! Some envision the way they want their lives to be, me, I’ve decided to fulfill my dream by touring the world primarily by hitch-hiking via car and boat.

These are the words on the front page of a French guy, Ludovic Hubler. At the age of 25, Ludovic began his tour around the world only by putting thumb up on Jan.1, 2003. He successfully completed the global tour on Jan.1, 2008 and is called the world’s craziest hitchhiker.

The site is written in 3 languages, French, English and Spanish. No one but Ludovic is the writer and editor for the site because he can speak those languages and German. He updated the site whenever he found an internet cafe with wireless during the 5-year tour.

Just by clicking in the British flag, you have the site in English.

Ludovic shares everything with the world: his desires, his family, childhood, education and work experience (except for his girlfriend but I know). He has the necessities for a global travel: sponsors, visa, insurance, medicine or things to bring along illustrated by photos and various links to significant websites for a hitchhiker.

The website has many sections for you to log on but trust me if you want to get the best parts in the short time.

Follow me

Here, you can read many news letters when Ludovic ended a trip to a country. Hitchhiking enables Ludovic meets with various sorts of people and witnessed what tourists on an airplane can never see. Therefore, Ludovic’s writing about the developing countries like India and China is vivid and unexpected. You can understand what’s going on in North Korea or Tibet, where very few Western people can enter. Or you can encounter Daila Latma in Ludovic’s extraordinary encounter. The best newsletter, I think, is the “Never again” last letter wrapping up his tour. His words touch my heart and impact in my mind when thinking about this world and human being.

Photo gallery

This part includes 89 photos of Ludovic depicting how he tried to hitch-hike cars, boats, donkeys, horses…over 59 countries, across the ocean and desert. The photos with detailed explanations paint an overall picture of how hard the guy overcame challenges to get his adventure done. Imagine if you can travel on a budget of 10 dollars a day? Can you hitchhike to Antartica or hitchhike through Colombia or Afghanistan safely? Can you wait for 28 hours along the side of a road to get a ride? No, sorry. But Ludovic could.

Mission

Ludovic didn’t only travel for himself but on behalf the dream of young people around the world. He has the mission of traveling For a better world so he talked with kids and teenagers about environment, peace and dreams. He is also the “big brother” of children from the Strasbourg - Hautepierre Hospital in France. Kids can log into this part to colour the pictures of Ludovic’s tour and eye his interesting logo.

I must say that though I’m a regular visitor of Ludovic’s site, I still dislike it in some ways. To tell the truth, the site is not well designed. It looks boring. The site has a big technical problem when it doesn’t work in different computers. It works on Internet Explorers but is limited in Mac. It’s not easy to send comments to the Golden Book. Ludovic has many useful websites for hitchhiker but he forgets links in his newsletters. Also, I hate the too fast appearance of advertising site when clicking in a part. Maybe, Ludovic has very quick sponsor. There’s no “return to home page” so it takes me some time to find way back to the home page.

However, I still like reading Ludovic’s site. It is the site of practical experience and knowledge which I can trust without any hesitation. I respect the man who is very determined, strong willed, brave and intelligent. He dares to do what he wants. He never surrenders but tries endlesly to find the way out of all problems. Ludovic is a big guy.

At the moment (Sept, 2008), Ludovic is writing a book about his hitchhiking tour. He has gained weight. He has a girlfriend. And he is involved in various activities for the people in the developing countries. A happy ending. Congratulations to a guy who has done a lot at the age of 20s!

Thien Nhan is excellent in US

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:28:00 -0400

Good news about the trip of little boy Thien Nhan for surgeries in the US.

Thien Nhan has had his new leg in the US. Nhan is now able to control his pee after two years suffering severe pain and fear whenever he wants to pee.

More importantly, Nhan is getting happier and opener with the people around him. He smiles and talks a lot with the people in US. Nhan and his parents received warm-hearted welcome and tremendous support of the Vietnamese community and American friends.

Nhan now has friends everywhere as his name has spread around the world, on media and on blogs. People call him The Miracle Boy or Kung Fu Thien Nhan.

You can see Nhan playing after a successful surgery in the video.

I also found Nhan’s blog where you can make friend with him or show your support.

Congratulations to my boy! You are so good! Keep going, boy!

Mid-autumn festival

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:10:00 -0400

The festival of Asian children

If you come from China, Hongkong, Singapore or Vietnam , you must know mid-autumn festival.

The festival of Chinese origin is attached with the childhood of all Asian children. The festival falls on every 15th of August, lunar calendar. It is believed that this is the special date of autumn when the moon is the fullest and brightest of the year. Aldults enjoy admiring the moon while children play with lanterns and enjoy fruits. Unicorn dance is an indispensible part of the festival.

If you want to know more about full moon festival, check this website or just read my writing.

Mid-autumn festival has another name, mooncake festival because we eat moon cakes this time. The cakes are so delicious and I always wait for eating the cakes whenever the autumn comes.

Moon cakes, yummy!

If you log in the googles of Vietnam or China these days, you will see the the goole logos dedicated for this grand holiday of Asia people. Here in Sydney, you don’t have the Full-moon goolge logo but you can go to Chinese garden or any Asian communities in Bankstown or Cabramatta to see how the festival is celebrated.

When I took my daughter to the Chinese garden last Saturday, she was amazing to look at the unicorn dancing in the bustling sound of drums.

Mid-autumn festival in Sydney brings me back to my childhood in my home country. I really miss my grand parents, my parents and my friends their. I miss the busy streets in Hanoi which are filled with lanters, moon cakes and mid-autumn presents for kids.

I wish I could be in Vietnam at this moment, with my parents!

Selling lanterns for mid-autumn festival in Vietnam

May Lane, the graffiti lane

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:46:00 -0400

If you go to St Peters, remember to visit May Lane, you will enjoy an open-aired exhibition of graffiti paintings.

The small quiet lane has few houses and companies. But the people don’t come here to look for houses, they look at the beautiful pieces on all walls and gates of May lane. I’m one of May Lane graffiti’s fans. I like the vivid colours, the idea of the artists and the smooth lines of the paintings.

Tugi Balog initiated the idea of persuading residents and employers to allow graffiti artists creating in May Lane. The businessmen of Croatian origin spent his efforts, money and time to develop the idea into a project, May Lane Project.

Graffiti artists in Sydney and from Indonesia, the US, Europe have been in May Lane to tell their story.

This piece by Chor Boogie is my favourite.

You can see how Chor created his piece in May Lane here.

Tugi has made May Lane well known in Sydney as a destination for graffiti fans and tourists. For the local people, he made May Lane a beautiful and safe place.

Tugi has a well-designed website where you can tour around for just looking or registering in his short list of artists.

You can even meet him in his monthly outdoor exhibition when he displays his graffiti collection which may number to a hundred.

Tugi says he loves all of the pieces in the collection. He wants to bring the graffiti art to everyone and he hopes that May Lane will be put on the tourist map of Sydney in the near future.

"I love you as much as the water in the toilet, mom!"

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:18:00 -0400

“I love you as much as the water in the toilet, mom!”

- My daughter

To have babies, prepare!

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:09:00 -0400

One of my friend in Australia phoned yesterday to tell the surprising information: she’s pregnant again, the 3rd time with a twin.

A twin, that means she will have 4 children at the age of 29. It’s a record for me.

I said: Congratulations! You are so lucky to have a big family with a twin. Stop working hard to prepare and welcome the kids!

She said: No, I’m very worried. This is far far beyond my expectation to have 4 children. How will I care them? Where is the money? Will I have to stay at home for years with the kids?

She’s quite right. Unless you have a baby, you will never understand the most challenging part of life. Babies are not only like angles on commercial programs who always drink milk, play with toys and smile. Babies are with sickness, worries, sleeplessness, efforts and finance.

I have experienced one-month mom stress several years ago. It is like depression and shockness at a big turn of life when you are not warned after spending 27 years in freedom and without much worries. It’s not easy for me to overcome the stress but it did gradually whenever I saw my daughter smiled, jumped and talked with me.

5 years have gone after that sad period. I have learnt the way to control mysefl with changes. My daughter is an indispensible part of my life. I begin to share the stres experience with other mothers. Then we laugh at it.

It’s hard to raise a child but mothers never remember the hardship because they’ve got the sweetest thing, their babies.

Sexy leaders

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:56:00 -0400

Putin, the sexy man

This year, former Russian President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is not the sexiest leader of Russia(surprised!). He is second to a younger and more handsome opposite leader, Boris Nemtsov.

Don’t think that I’m a Putins fan. I’m a journalist, who is curious about all leaders in the world. And I’m lucky to have a chance seeing Putin outside top-secret meetings of leaders.

I will never forget the experience of reporting the farewell ceremony of APEC leaders in 2006. I was crammed among dozens of journalists trying to film last images and ask questions before the leaders flew away. I could see all 21 APEC leaders, one by one, very closely.

I was strongly impressed by 2 leaders, Philippines President G.Arroyo (she was small but beautiful and very confident) and Russian President V.Putin. With so much good news about Putin, I have a mixed feeling about him.

He has the skin of a physically strong man. He is not tall and a little bit large in built. Of course, he doesn’t have much hair. But he is always smiling, even his eyes. He looks at all the journalists and keeps smiling. Putin’s eyes are unforgettable. They are with around dark ring and not as big as those of European men. But, Putin’s eyes are bright, determined and friendly.

Putin is not an ordinary leader. He has plenty of talents and confidence to directly contact with the surrounding people. Whenever he appears ahead or after a summit, he is cheered by young volunteers. Putin doesn’t hurry but welcomes the admiration in a very polite and manly way. The last day in Hanoi, he blows a kiss to the shouting fans.

I’m not lured by names in the “sexy rating” list, Putin’s fishing photo or his skiing talent. I saw Putin and I judge him with the sense of a journalist and of a woman; Putin is not handsome but he is truly the man for women to adore!

Happy to my Chip!

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:49:00 -0400

You are 6 years old now, my little girl. This birthday will be a sweet memory for you and very special for me.

It’s still vivid in my mind when you shouted and jumped at me to see the big cake. You had a great days with your little friends at Blackfriars and a long night with your neighbour friends on Aug 29.

6 years old. You say Sorry and Thank you more oftenly. You can dress yourself and do things in bathroom everymorning. You can stay at home alone.

6 years old. You begin speak English. You have more arguments with parents. You always stick to your choice and deliver comments on friends and adults. You re curious at the kiss of adults. You ask me to have 2 more sisters. You want to become a Mum. You choose the most handsome boy in your class to be your future husband.

But you are still my little daughter. You are sad when I shout at you. You love to stay in my arms and listen to night stories. Just few days before your Birthday, you made me so worried when you were sick for 2 days. You were in the bed without any food and smiles. Those 2 days are longer than any days. You looked so small. Thanks God, those two days are far now.

6 years ago. You are eager waiting for the 1st school day to become an adult girl (as you say). You will, very soon, Chip. But you will always be my little daughter, the best of my life.

Happy birth day, Chip! I love you!