I love Stockholm for so many reasons but above all, the people. Silvia, my lovely travel partner, was looking for a miniature of a Stockholm parliament (she has a collection of miniature buildings everywhere she goes) but it was hard to find one of the size she wanted. So we were talking about this as we were walking around and out of nowhere, a photographer came to us and showed us possible places where we could find the miniatures. We also talked a lot about Vietnam because he has traveled to Vietnam 4 times. He is retired now and just spends time taking good photos and talking to people. Silvia was skeptical because she was afraid of strangers, especially when he was extremely nice.
As I work in Tourism, I talked to quite a lot of โstrangersโ, especially seniors. I really find joy in doing that. So during the whole trip, whenever I saw someone who was confused about the train schedule, the routes,โฆI just came and asked, and showed them the way. Silvia โsufferedโ a lot whenever she saw me โhey, are you looking for this train? Yeah, weโre on the same train. I can show you the stop.โ Thanks to the photographer, Silvia found the miniature. So one of the best things in life is being open to surprises, isnโt it? This picture was taken by him. So cute.
And yes, here it is – the photo ๐
It was amazing to just lie down on the grass and appreciate this beautiful sunset along the harbor of Stockholm
October in Stockholm is a nice blend of colors – blue sky, autumn shades, antique towns. I couldnโt ask for more
I went to see Faust – a famous and tragic work by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It was the first time I saw an opera in an opera house . I was very excited because my best friend in Vietnam talked about it a while ago and then I was able to see it. Like many other โfirst-timesโ, there was a lot to learn for me. First, I had to buy a booklet – it was not complimentary but it provided information about the acts, the singers and everyone behind the work – everything was translated into different languages including English. Therefore, if you are new to opera like me, I recommend you buy it; especially, opera can be in French or Italian. Second, applaud to show your appreciation of the work; at the end of Faust, I did ten mins of rapturous applause – also my first time doing that.
It was a very good experience despite the fact that I knew nothing about opera. I later discovered a YouTube channel where we could learn how to enjoy opera for beginners. My next mission is to find Faust statue in Leipzig and touch his foot – people say it would bring luck.
In letzter Zeit habe ich viel รผber meine Fรคhigkeiten nachgedacht. Vielleicht ist es, weil ich mich in der Vergangenheit so hart bemรผht hatte, dass ich mich jetzt ein bisschen seltsam fรผhle, da ich ein Privileg habe, eine langsame Zeit zu genieรen und die Dinge zu tun, die ich schon immer tun wollte, zum Beispiel Tennis und Basketball zu lernen. Mein ganzes Leben drehte sich immer ums Arbeiten, Arbeiten und Arbeiten, bis ich in Deutschland ankam. Heutzutage habe ich stรคndig das Gefรผhl, dass ich weniger intelligent werde (hahahaha), weil ich Informationen jetzt etwas langsamer verarbeite. Der Unterschied besteht darin, dass ich mich nicht mit anderen Leuten vergleiche, sondern nur mit mir selbst – zum Beispiel war mein Teenager-lich ziemlich schlau (vielleicht?? hahaha). Aber es war langweilig, weil ich immer im Wettstreit stand, sogar gegen die beste Freundin von mir.
Es ist schon 2022. Was mache ich dieses Jahr und nรคchstes Jahr? Mache ich einen zusรคtzlichen Kurs? Wohne ich weiter in Deutschland oder gehe ich zurรผck nach Vietnam? Einen neuen Job bekommen oder meinen jetzigen weiterfรผhren? Was kann ich wirklich gut? Was mรถchte ich wirklich tun? Ich denke, ich habe die Antworten fรผr mich selbst. Die Antworten, die ich nicht wissen wollte, weil ich sie selbst zu verantworten hatte . Ich schickte einen Wunsch ins Universum, dass es eine Rettung fรผr mein 2022 geben mรถge. Wenn es immer darum geht, eine Entscheidung auf, Basis unserer Vorlieben zu treffen, wรคre das Leben so viel einfacher. Die Entscheidung beinhaltet immer verschiedene Faktoren und die endgรผltige Antwort ist nichts anderes als eine Abwรคgung der Wahrscheinlichkeiten.
Es ist wahr. Wenn man etwas Schรถnes erlebt, vergeht die Zeit sehr schnell, ohne dass man es merkt. Meine Zeit in Deutschland habet mich genau gespรผrt. Es ist schรถn gewesen. Natรผrlich habe ich hier auch viel geweint, noch mehr als in Vietnam (hahaha). Ich hatte mir so oft vorgestellt, wie mein Leben wรคhrend meines Auslandsstudiums aussehen wรผrde und wie es aussehen wรผrde, durch Europa zu reisen. Manchmal habe ich davon getrรคumt. Manchmal habe ich blind studiert, um Zertifikate zu erwerben, um meinen Traum zu verwirklichen. Ich las Nachrichten, sah Fotos, sah Videos von Leuten, die im Ausland studierten, bis zu einem Punkt, dass ich dachte, ich hรคtte dieses Leben gelebt, noch bevor ich hier ankam. Aber es war nicht wahr. Als ich Vietnam verlieร, war ich so traurig und weinte den ganzen Tag. Ich habe mich sogar gefragt, ob ich wirklich gehen mรถchte. Dann kam ich in Leipzig an und, es war so beschรคftigt mit dem Lernen und Eingewรถhnen an mein neues Zuhause fรผr die nรคchsten zwei Jahre, dass ich keine Zeit hatte, traurig oder nachdenklich zu sein. Dann habe ich neue Freunden/-innen kennengelernt. Und jetzt ist ein Jahr vorbei.
Es ging so schnell. Wir haben vielleicht ein Gefรผhl dafรผr, wie etwas ist, aber bis wir es selbst durchgemacht haben, wissen wir es nicht wirklich. Das Einzige, worรผber ich im Moment sicher sein kann ist, dass ich wirklich das Niveau C1 in Deutsch erreichen mรถchte und Schritt fรผr Schritt meinen Traum vom Weltbรผrger wahr werden lassen will. Das wรคre so schรถn.
Making decision has never been easy. When you look back, there will be tons of thing to regret and you’d think you made it all wrong. No, that’s not right. Whatever you choose, it’s the only thing you have to do. It’s you who live your life and decide what is right. So what to regret?
Someone told me living was to look forward and I struggled a lot since I was a looking-backward-person. He’s true. I never accept the fact that I do regret in life. I always have a “if only…” sentence “trekking” in my mind and I try to keep this as a secret for myself. From now on, I should move on happily. That’s what life’s for yeah? Whatever happens, you have to move on.
This week I felt really really paralyzed that I went to a Tarot coffee in the hope that after getting advice from Tarot reader, I could cease my worry. It’s how easy looking at a loss as to what is best to do, especially when I am stressed, tired of dealing with questions of my own rationale, trapped in the thought that my final decision may not be wise and the dilemma of my heart says YES but my head says NO.
Anyway I made it as I still have my goals to complete. Hey is it too much for a 25 to make so many decisions? Sometimes I just wanna give up everything, go to the beach, sunbathe on the warm sand with no clothes and give a ******* care to people around. Haha life please don’t make me look older than my old, you have done it enough for 25 years.
Something once was you dream will one day be your dilemma.
June 17, 2016
Stay.
It was a day I gave up an opportunity to work in a much bigger company and more important was having the chance to work and be guided by my idol. Making such decision was tough!
“I heard a lot about a river cruise that everyone should experience at least once in their life. I was curious about the feeling of just relaxing on the deck with sunglasses, picking up a book from time-to-time, chatting to โstrangersโ and sipping a cocktail as the sun dropping behind the trees and rice fields. It must be beautiful and peaceful.” <= wrote this months ago and now just feel it as I am right here on a river cruise. I stayed 2 days on Bassac Cruise. The landscape was nice and the experience was enjoyable.
Mekong is my favourite destination in Vietnam. The first reason is that I was born here, but it doesn’t affect much on the way I have some special love for this region. I have been to almost every province here from Tien Giang, Cai Lay, My Tho, Vinh Long, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Chau Doc,… But if I haveย name a place which impresses me the most, I would choose Ben Tre. Some may say it’s touristy, just because they do not understand it much. I know a small and tranquil pagoda right in the city centre which gives an immediate feeling of calm and relaxation. I remember there is a green range of bamboo and everytime I visit this pagoda, I always do some blessing “procedure” (so sorry I don’t know how to express it! haha) and come back with peace in mind.
Don’t miss biking! It will be fun. Trust me, I bike everywhere here ๐ ๐ I hate the tourist trails, just love some off the beaten track lanes even though it’s quite hard to seek for new route here, it doesn’t mean impossible. I once bike along a small village in Can Tho – a quite modern city in Mekong Delta region. I was surprised when seeing the farmer who worked so hard the whole day and could only earn pennies. If I remember it right, she only got 2 dollars per day. Her job is to make banana leaf molds which will later be filled with ash. Vegetables seeds will be put in that mold. It takes a lot of time to make them but the income is really low. You know what I was thinking then? I realized I was so lucky compared to others. I love travelling as it helps me to understand more about myself and appreciate things! Stop complaining as life is short!
Me on Bassac Cruise watching the sunset while trying to act “deep” ahahaha