I am not a social guy, partly because I tend to say the wrong things, especially when making the first impression. In order to keep the conversation going, sometimes I just say silly things without thinking. For example, I had a brief elevator conversation with one of Duke’s friends’ mom at the daycare when I picked him up yesterday. She was a very nice, friendly lady. She introduced herself and told me her name, yet the name escaped me. I asked her to repeat her name before we left the building and I still can’t remember. I am pretty bad with names.

In any rate, she asked me where I was from while we were waiting for the elevator. I replied Vietnam and I ask her the same thing. She said, “I am from here.” Of course she’s from here. She’s Caucasian. She told me that she loves Vietnam, one of her favorite vacation spots. Here comes the trapped question, “Where in Vietnam did you go?” She began to stutter, “Well, Saigon… Ho Chi Minh City… the beach…” I quickly helped her out, “Vung Tau.” She went on, “We did the whole tour.” I was not trying to quiz her. The question just came to mind.

One time I had dinner with someone I met for the first time. We exchanged some basic questions. She pretty knew everything she needed to know about me from reading this site so she was pretty much reconfirming if Duke is my kid and all sorts of things. We did the same thing and she told me that she was Catholic. About twenty minutes later we were talking about some random politics and came the dumb question from me, “What is your position on abortion?” Then I realized didn’t she just tell me she’s Catholic?

After a few email exchanges, I talked to my client over the phone for the first time. We did the basic conversation and all. She told me that her husband has a job oversea so that’s why she is not living in the States. I asked her what company her husband work for. After she told me the name and came the idiotic remark from me, “that company still exists?” Again, I was not trying to be offensive or anything. The words just came out. I hope she understood.

Years ago when I was interviewing for a job, I was so focusing on answering the questions, that by the time it was my turn to ask, I felt like I already knew what I wanted to know. During the interview, one of the questions was, “What do you see yourself in five years?” I had to BS my way through. So when it was my turn to ask, I did the same thing, “Where do you see the direction of the web for your company in five years from now?” The four interviewers looked at each other like what in the world is this guy talking about. At least one of them being honest, “We don’t know.” If I were to give the same answer, I might have had the job.

In “How a Soccer Star Is Made,” Michael Sokolove brings up some interesting points how American soccer is differ from the rest of the world. He argues:

Americans like to put together teams, even at the Pee Wee level, that are meant to win. The best soccer-playing nations build individual players, ones with superior technical skills who later come together on teams the U.S. struggles to beat…

The American approach is the more democratic view of sport. The aspirations of each member of the team are equally valid. Elsewhere, there is more comfort with singling out players for attention and individualized instruction, even at the expense of the group…

Americans place a higher value on competition than on practice, so the balance between games and practice in the U.S. is skewed when compared with the rest of the world…

The U.S. diverges all the way to the last stages of a player’s development. In other places around the world, the late teenage years are a kind of finishing school, a period when elite players grow into their bodies, sharpen their technical ability and gain a more sophisticated understanding of game tactics…

An elite American player of that age is still likely to be playing in college, which the rest of the soccer-playing world finds bizarre…

No other nation has as comprehensive a college-sports system as exists here, and none assume that an elite athlete will seek (or benefit from) higher education…

I made through an entire week without my laptop and the Internet. All I did was relaxing with Dana, Duke and Davis. Yes, Miles Davis’s albums were the music on my iPod. Each morning Duke got up around 6:30 so I got up as well to change him, brush his teeth and feed him. Around 8am, Duke and I hit the boardwalk. Half an hour later, Duke fell asleep on the stroller thanks to the morning cool breeze from the shore. For two hours straight, I just let walked and enjoyed the coolness of Miles’s records. Now that is what a vacation is all about. All that we did was eat, sleep, and hang out by the beach with Duke’s grandparents. Duke’s aunts and uncles also joined us on the weekends.

The first weekend, I also picked up Sammy and Eric (my niece and nephew) in Lancaster to spend some time with us since I don’t get to see them often. I love the kids, but I am a little worried about Eric. He is a smart boy, but quite introvert. He is very emotional, but damn near impossible to know what’s on his mind. He just doesn’t tell you. The more you ask the more taciturn he gets. He was even more challenging than Duke. After returning him back to my sister, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I wish I could spend more time with him to win his trust so he could talk to me and to change his McDonalds’ diet as well.

I am back in DC now and still have another week off. I did get to go to the Newseum the previous Friday before with Duke before we headed off to the shore. Duke loved the Metro ride and he was very good at the Newseum even though he still doesn’t have the patience for it. The Newseum was quite inspiring, especially for a designer like me. Lots of gorgeous newspaper designs with great use of typography. I will definitely come back again in the near future for longer observations. Tomorrow I have to organize the house so I am not sure if I can get to other attractions in DC.

According to Argentina’s Dr. Donato Vallani: “The players can have sex with their wives and girlfriends during the World Cup.” Not just wives or girlfriends but both. No wonder Argentina is always at the top of his game.

Starting tomorrow I will be on vacation until the World Cup begin. We will be spending a week chilling at the shore in Wildwood, New Jersey with the in-laws and burning some cash (without a lighter) in Atlantic City.

The following week Dana will head back to work so I’ll just hang out in DC. I’ve been living in the Metro area for two years, yet I haven’t been taken advantage of the local attractions. I will try to hit at least one art museum a day with Cu Dao. He’ll get to experience the Metro ride for the first time as well.

This is a take-it-or-lose-it vacation since June 30th is the end of the fiscal year. I also need to relax and refresh myself before the the launching of the unified web project, which is also on June 30th. Two weeks before that will be crazy, but it gets even crazier after that since I have to migrate all of the School of Business web pages to the new template. So this is a very good time for a break.

Not because Simon Cowell is leaving, but because Lee DeWyze won over Crystal Bowersox. I have nothing against Lee, but Crystal blew him away in all three songs yesterday. Crystal is clearly a stronger singer, but then again I was wrong last season as well when Adam Lambert lost to Kris Allen.

Accompanied and composed by the classical guitarist Walther Giger, Camille Huyen gives a fascinating musical recitation of Han Ma Tu’s “Anh Dien – Em Dien.” Love the way Mr. Giger glides and crushes the notes. Mr. Giger is no doubt a classical virtuoso, but what makes this piece stands out is the Eastern aesthetics he brings to the song. As for Ms. Huyen, I am so glad that she takes on a path of her own. “Ruot Trang” is another sensational interpretation of HMT’s poem.

I got home from work around 6:15pm, but Dana and Duke weren’t home. After taking a shower, I could hear them in the living room. Dana handed Duke over to me to give him a bath so she could cook some dinner. I fed him a bowl full of porridge and hang out with him while Dana was still cooking. I peeped into the kitchen and there were Vietnamese salad, mussels and lobster tails. I asked her what is the special occasion? She replied, “It’s our anniversary.” Holy crap, I totally forgot about it. I popped open a bottle of white wine, the one that I brought to her place the first time she invited me over for dinner. I was so nervous that I dropped the bottle on the floor and we had to clean it up.

Anyway dinner was delicious. We had to rush a bit because Cu Dao was sleepy and fussy. Dana put him to bed so I just kick back and watched some American Idol. Crystal Bowersox dominated the show and she’ll win for sure. Then Glee came on. I was expecting more of Lady Gaga covers, but it was not the case. The show was still enjoyable though.

After the show, I clean up the table and put the dishes into the machine. Dana came down and now we’re sharing a chocolate mousse and a cup of tea while I quickly put this post together before the night end.

Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” was chosen as the official anthem of the 2010 World Cup and she is encouraging fans around the world to upload clips of themselves on YouTube dancing to the tune.

When I read a piece in Dep magazine slaughtering Quang Dung, I thought he overreacted for suing them. I just read another article in the same publication titled “Quang Dũng chứ không phải Mr. Đàm,” I could see why Quang Dung got offended. Comparing to Dam Vinh Hung sure is a blow in the face and the writer is completely goofed up on this one. True, DHV also covered standards like Quang Dung, but there is a different between reinventing old songs and fucking them up. DVH has done the latter. His Trinh Cong Son album is a sacrilege. His other covered albums are horrendous from the mechanical productions to belt-out vocals. The writer simply doesn’t understand the art of reinterpretation. To him, singing louder and fucking up every note is better. To me, that is disrespectful. Although Quang Dung hasn’t been creative, at least he has been respectful to the timeless ballads and I am glad that he is not Mr. Damn.