Strolling the Streets of Hanoi

It was a fine, sunny day of December 24th 2016 when we were bound to Hanoi. I've been through a hustle and bustle that morning, because the ATM that I've been withdrawing for a long time became fully dysfunctional. Procrastination at it finest; it was my fault for not withdrawing money a day before the trip. I…

“GOAC: The Master’s Voice” Key Takeaways

God of All Creation by James Robison This book is about the life lessons learned by the author from observing pets and wildlife. Chapter 1: The Master's Voice The author owns a dachshund named "Princess" and he observed how it is prone to wander and get lost especially when it is so excited to go…

“TWM: The Syllabus” Key Takeaways

I started reading again. The book is titled Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I wanna share with you my key takeaways from The Syllabus part. We are all going to die and it's our call whether to live intentionally or exist. Imagine how the world will be if every single person lives by fact…

“Exercise!”

My two-year old nephew constantly reminds me to exercise. Every. Single. Day. Whenever he sees that I'm up, he'll go and tell me, "Tita (Aunt), exercise!" and I'll just shrug it off even though I'm aware that I badly need to exercise. Haha This morning, he just quietly stared at me. I was hoping he…

Puno

This song is called Puno by Coeli and Clara Benin. I like listening to Coeli's music because of the comfort and connection it brings. I find her songs mostly like a slice of life genre, wherein sentiments about the reality of life are being expressed. Puno (Tree in English) became my favorite in an instance.…

When in Tam Đảo

It was around October 2017 when the class of K46 went to Tam Đảo for an environmental retreat. Tam Đảo is located at Vĩnh Phúc Province in Vietnam and we travelled from Thai Nguyen City (where our uni and dorm are located) for about 6 to 8 hours. The temperature was slightly lower in Tam…

Someone’s Another

As I was blankly staring at this view I was greatly reminded of a distressing reality - the coming of one is the passing of another. That hit me real hard. Someone's last day is another's first day. Someone's last meal is another's first feast. Someone's last celebration is another's first congratulations. Someone's last gasp…

Vietnam Invaders

I welcomed my family to the humble city of Thai Nguyen where I lived for almost four years (haaay kinda miss it na like right now #3ggrd). It is located at the northern part of Vietnam, probably 1h 30 m to 2h away from Hanoi, the country's capital. Since I'm more comfortable in sharing my…

A Not-So-Unfortunate Event

Coming back to Vietnam feels like a punishment, especially for a family-oriented person like me. Now I understand why my dad (an OFW) didn't want me to go and study here. But it is still a relief that I am now a step closer to unveil what is ahead of me. I am still grateful…

When in Thanh Hóa

  On the 14th day of September 2016, Wednesday, first day of fieldwork, K46 students of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) gathered at 4:30 in the morning, and left Thai Nguyen City at 5:30 am to Hai Tien Beach, Hoang Tien Commune, Hoang Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province. We arrived at around…