The place where I live The ants are there. You don’t always see them, but they’re there. They know it the moment there is food. They form a long line to my door. Welcome, please come inside. The place where I live is a beautiful place. The building is old and weathered-looking. Centipedes sleep on the wall. The tree drops its pink flowers on the ground. Q. Are you comfortable where you live? What is it like living there?Q. Tell…
There are many movies about time-travel. I’ll talk a little bit about that. You’re probably familiar with the idea of it. Usually someone invents a machine that can take them back in time. Maybe they want to go back and change something. I like thinking about the ancient world. I like thinking about what I would do with a time machine. I’d probably go back 1000 years ago to Vietnam. I haven’t seen any time-travel movies about someone just going…
Community notice board I found something interesting. It is a chalkboard on the wall in the neighborhood. It has information for the community. It says “Summer activity schedule”, and has information for weekly events held in that community. Residents can stay informed about the events and activities in their community. I think a community notice board is a simple but great idea. Not only as a way to inform residents, but to engage them with the community. When we do…
This is how you really enjoy a rainy morning. First, go to eat xôi outside on the street. Get wet sitting on the stool in the rain and talking to the uncles sitting there. Second, take the long way home. Đi xe đạp through neighborhood alleyways and through rain puddles. If you see the sister selling trà chanh, stop for some trà chanh. When you get home, turn off the light and take a long nap. Q. How is the…
Uh oh. You’ve been doing too much, and now it’s time to take a break. Take a break from coffee. Having coffee everyday will leave you exhausted and nervous. So drink tea, or better yet water for a few days, and catch up on sleep. You’ll feel better. Take a break from social media. It is a lot of information for our brains to process when we are scrolling through social media. It can become noisy in our heads. So…
Moving into a new apartment is a special and important occasion which should be celebrated. This is how you can celebrate it. Play a video on the new Wi-Fi. The first video you watch in the apartment should be something positive and beneficial. I played an educational video about something I hope to learn during my time here. Go have coffee at the nearby cafe. This is where you will be spending time in the future, so get acquainted with…
I’m on my phone too much, and right now I have a headache from that. I don’t know why I spend so much time looking at my phone when there is so much to look at all around me. This morning I ate “bun rieu”. It looked really healthy. I took a picture — look how colorful it is. It’s like an amazing work of art — I want to look and look. I went out riding my bike. I…
I like to sit and do nothing. I look for good places to do this. These are some things that I look for when I want to find a good place to sit. I like to have a beautiful view. There is a small lake where there are also trees, and on the fence is a good place to sit. The view relaxes me. I like a place that is entertaining. A plastic stool near the market is a good…
Adding your own decorations can help make a room feel nice. Here are two decorations you can use. First, flowers. Flowers can be placed in a vase on a desk or hung out to dry. They have natural beauty, which adds color and life to the room. Second, string lights. String lights can be hung around an entrance or wrapped around a post. They give the room a secluded, cozy feeling. These decorations make a room feel nice. Q. Tell…
You should see this place in the evening. The evening is a special time in the neighborhood. In the evening, everyone is coming home. Parents are coming home from work. Children are coming home from school. Everyone is happy to be coming home. In the evening, everyone is getting together in the neighborhood. Neighborhood moms and dads are playing pickleball or talking together outside. The kids are riding their bicycles. The evening is a good time for walking in the…