I can’t stop watching my three-year-old son, Vương, trying to climb up the curved ramp at the skatepark. When he grows up, I will show him this video when he would get discouraged. He can do anything if he puts his mind to it. Giving up is way harder than trying.
Tuy không được nét riêng lắm nhưng chất giọng của Thương Bùi ấm và nam tính. Tình như khói mây được mở đầu với “Giã từ đêm mưa” của nhạc sĩ Văn Phụng qua giai điệu cha cha cha Latin dễ thương. Album cũng tạm ổn và không ngoài dự đoán nếu không có hai bài song ca “Tình” (Văn Phụng) và “Tình phụ” (Đỗ Lễ). Với “Tình”, Thương Bùi được giọng cao vời vợi của Phương Phương Thảo cứu vớt. Với “Tình phụ”, Thương Bùi được giọng cao vút của Hà Linh lôi kéo theo và phần hòa âm của bài này quá tái tê với sự kết hợp giữa tiếng cello, violin, guitar, và piano. Phần piano jazz solo quá tuyệt. Với “Sao đành xa em”, riêng ca nhân người nhận xét này thì không nên chuyển “em” thành “anh” mà phải giữ đúng như lời của nhạc sĩ Nguyệt Ánh cho dù nam anh nữ hát. Tuy nhiên không chỉ Thương Bùi đổi giới trong ca khúc này.
Two weeks ago Đán asked me to take him to Popeyes before his piano lesson, but I said, “No.” He replied, “OK, then I will fail my assignment.” He explained that he had an assignment on persuasive review and he had chosen Popeyes. I was not sure if he just wanted me to take him there or he was being serious. I took him and Xuân to Popeyes and ordered a family meal for us to share. I told him he better get a good grade or else I would ban him from playing video games.
Last week, his teacher sent me the following message: “Dan did a really nice job with his recent writing. It was a persuasive review and I am proud of how hard he worked!” She went on, “Have him share the assignment with you – it is on his computer!”
Yesterday, I asked him to share it with me. His teacher was right. His review was quite impressive and persuasive. I asked him to post it on his blog. Have a read.
I offered him a deal. If he would like to write any restaurant review, I would take him. He told me has five drafts already and Bonchon Chicken is on the list. Oops! I should have said one restaurant a month.
I have been pouring my heart and soul out on this blog for almost two decades. My dream has always been to turn this little blog into a full-time gig. Then again, a dream is just a dream and it is still a long shot, but I haven’t given up because I still love blogging.
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I didn’t know you well. In fact, we only had one interaction, but your big smile and exuberant personality left a long-lasting impression on me. You cracked a joke and I didn’t realize that you knew me more than I knew you.
At the time we met, which was at Chiến’s wedding, you were still dating Sandy. When I said “hi” to her, she introduced me to you. Of course I knew a bit about you even though I didn’t recall if we actually talked in the past. I thought you and Sandy made a great couple; therefore, I was glad that she had found love in you. I didn’t know if you knew, but I dated Sandy briefly before her ex-boyfriend who was also someone I knew cajoled her back. Things didn’t work out between me and Sandy, but I wish she didn’t go back to him. He was a jackass and I knew he would break her heart again. And I was right. They broke up after having two kids together.
When you entered the picture, I was happy for her. I still cared about her. You seemed to be a loving partner and doting parent. Unfortunately, your relationship with her didn’t last either. Then I found out from your brother and sister that you have left this world. I didn’t know that you had some serious health issues. Now you are in a better place without pain and suffering. Rest In Peace, Robbs.
Hà Lan Phương có giọng chất lượng: khỏe mạnh và trầm ấm. Phải chi cô nén xuống được chất vibrato sẽ chọn vẹn hơn. Chẳng hạn như bài “Mười năm tình cũ” (Trần Quảng Nam) được hòa âm với giai điệu blues rất da diết là cô hát rất nhiều cảm xúc nhưng đoạn cuối cô lên cao lại run quá nên hơi bị chói tai. Tác phẩm đạt nhất của album là “Tạ tình” (Hoàng Thi Thơ). Cô hát với tất cả tâm hồn và cô ngắt đi chữ “nhớ” rất đúng. Phải chi cô dùng cách đó với “ơn anh” luôn và dùng vibrato ít lại. Dù sao gì thì đây cũng là album đáng được thưởng thức.
We arrived at Mount Snow around 10 am and the lines for the lifts were already long. My sons and I took the express lift to the top of the mountains. We started off the green trail so Vương could come along. Then Đạo, Đán, and Xuân went ahead without us. I had Vương on the harness and I skied behind him to keep his speed under control. Skiing with a toddler was harder than I had expected. It took us at least half an hour to complete the green trail, which was long.
By the time we made it back to the main entrance, it was already noon time. After lunch, I hit the black slopes with Đạo, Đán, and Xuân. Once we made it past the main lifts, the lifts to black and blue slopes had no line. The conditions were great. The terrains were somewhat steep. We made several runs. Time went by fast when you were having fun. It was almost 4 pm and we had to go.
The kids and I liked both Okemo and Mount Snow. The former was smoother than the latter. Both of these resorts definitely were worthwhile for the eight hours of driving. We’ll definitely come back next year if we have the opportunity.
As the weather in Virginia and Pennsylvania gets warmer, I feel a yearning for snow. I don’t want the skiing season to be over yet. When my wife suggested that we should head to Vermont because it snowed, I took her up on it. Since the boys had off school on Friday, we could make a short getaway. She booked a small house on Wednesday and we hit the road on Thursday. The drive took eight hours.
Friday morning, we headed to Okemo. The weather was beautiful and the conditions were fabulous. I took Vương on the magic carpet on the bunny slope then the “magic seat” for the green. He enjoyed the runs and wanted to do the green again. This time the operator didn’t let us take the lift. Vương required the lift ticket even though he was free. I had to go to the frontdesk to get one for him. By that time, he no longer wanted to ski anymore.
I joined Đạo, Đán, and Xuân on the expert slopes. The trails at Okemo were wide and long. The black slopes connected to blue slopes; therefore, we could ski for a long time before reaching the lift again. I loved the long runs. They were great exercises.
Xuân had caught up with us. He switched to parallel and felt comfortable on the black slopes. It was nice to be able to ski together with my boys. Okemo had so many trails that we had to follow Đạo. He led us to where we wanted to go. I told him I wanted to check out the double black diamonds. He pulled out the maps and showed us the way.
We had a great time and we definitely will return to Okemo in the future. Tomorrow we’ll check out Mount Snow.
On Monday I took Đán and Xuân to private piano lessons and bought along a music sheet I found only for Kanye’s “All of the Lights” (Interlude). I asked their instructor to show them how to play the tune. Without even listening to the tune, he played the interlude so beautifully and he let me filmed it. Take a listen.
If you live in Northern Virginia and would like to take piano lessons, I recommend checking out the NOVA Piano Studio.
In his riveting book, Brain Deer, a multi-award-winning investigative reporter, digs deep into three decades of Andrew Wakefield’s misinformation war on vaccines. Deer exposes Wakefield’s professional misconduct, dishonesty, and fraud. Wakefield claimed that the MMR vaccine caused inflammatory bowel disease. He argued that autistic enterocolitis was related to bowel disease and regression and that opioid peptides impact the brain. He conducted studies of twelve kids that had autism caused by vaccines. Unfortunately, these kids already developed autistic behaviors before they were vaccinated. It took me almost a month to read this book and I am glad that I took the time to learn about the doctor with no patients who fooled the world. Deer’s work is a master of investigative journalism.