Slippers I got these slippers today. I had wanted more chunky ones like I see some of the staff wearing at work. I got to the market though, and there wasn’t a lot of selection. I got these, but I might still try to find some chunkier slippers. Birds are nice to have around, but I don’t usually like seeing the cages. Those cages are too small. But this cafe near my house has like a whole room for their…
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…
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 saw a farmer walking his buffalo on a country road. Now I want a buffalo. If I had a buffalo, I’d ride it everywhere. I’d ride it to the cafe. It would have fun. If I had a buffalo, I’d be very good to it. I’d give it food. I’d talk to it. I want a buffalo, but I can’t really have one. Q. Do you like animals? What are you passionate about?Q. Do you like kids? Tell me…
To have a job, one must pretend a little bit. One must dress like one is normally put together like that. Like the shirt and tie aren’t a disguise. Like I am just a well-balanced person. The weather is always sunny. One must act convincingly at work. I must seem professional and easy to work with. I can play normal for a while. To have the job, you must pretend. Q. how are you today? Should you share anything with…
The word ‘blank’ comes from the old French word ‘blanc’, which means white. The following examples give a sense of how the word is used. A blank stare is a facial expression which shows no thought or emotion. “The patient does not respond to anything. He only stares blankly at the wall. His mind is somewhere else.” A blank slate is a fresh start, a new beginning. “The criminal wants to leave his past behind. He completed his prison term…
Cheese and warmth I’m happy to be in Vietnam, and I almost don’t miss anything at all about the USA. But there are just a couple things which I miss a little bit. I miss cheese. Sometimes I feel hungry but don’t want to eat rice. I just think about biting a big piece of cheese. It’s hard to feel satisfied without it. I also miss the cold, I think. Not that I like being cold, but I remember things…
Urban environments can be loud. Living in such a loud environment is challenging for many. I’ll give you a couple tips on how to cope with urban noise. First, find quiet spaces. Even though you are in the city, you can find some places which are quiet. This may be in your home, or outside at a big park or empty cafe. Second, use headphones. Headphones give you some control over what you are listening to, even while out in…
I studied agriculture in college, but I didn’t follow a career in that field. Instead I became an itinerant teacher. But I don’t think that I wasted my degree. Even if I never grow any rice or keep any bees (which I hope I do), it would still be worth it to have studied agriculture. I’m enjoying taking photos of rice paddies, probably because I know a little about plants and soil and stuff. They say ‘the more you learn,…