Welcome to the 2025 rendition of Visualgui. The change is in the typography. Back in February, I set the blog in AT Lang, designed by Stephen Nixon, and AT Lang Gothic, but the Gothic sibling did not support Vietnamese at that time.

I typically don’t set my body text in a sans serif typeface; therefore, I wanted to change it up. AT Lang Gothic is the main text face complemented by AT Lang for headers and Recursive, also designed by Nixon, for dates and codes.

This redesign has lots of white space, especially on the right of the screen, which is similar to the thumb space in a book. I want this blog to have a book feel to it, but a modern book, instead of traditional long books that are set in a serif text face. I hope you will enjoy reading the new version.

As I am sitting on the coach listening to my second and third sons taking their piano private lessons, I hear no progress. The instructor is doing his best, but he can’t help them if they don’t put their effort into their playing.

They spend hours after hours on their digital devices each day. I hardly hear them practice playing piano. Their hearts aren’t in it, why are they still taking lessons? These private lessons aren’t cheap. My wife and I discussed and argued over this issue. She wanted them to continue. I caved in. I don’t want it to be the reason to break us.

My wife and I are moving further and further away from where we want to raise our kids. For example, I want to limit their use of screen time by shutting down the internet at a certain time. She wants it on all the time and they sit in front of their screens until she screams at them to get off. I don’t mind paying for private piano lessons, skiing, snowboarding, or any activities if they put their efforts into them. If they don’t appreciate what we provide for them, why should we waste our money?

If one of us lost our job one day, we would be screwed. The thought of losing an income worries me, particularly if I would be the one. It stresses me out everyday. I explained to the kids many times about taking these privileges for granted, but they just don’t get it. I don’t want to repeat it anymore.

Yesterday, we went to Roundtop. My wife and I let Xuân and Vương played hooky. My wife also invited four of her friends to come.

I spent about 2 hours introducing three of them to skiing. They were able to plow down the hill in the carpet area. One of them started to turn. They just needed a bit more practice.

My wife and Vương were easing back into skiing. My goal this season is to transition Vương from plow to parallel.

Xuân picked up snowboarding. He did really well on the green trails. If he sticks with it this season, we will be proficient in snowboarding.

After skiing for a few hours, I switched to snowboarding. I didn’t feel any discomfort when I bent my knees and ankles. I am going to stick with teaching snowboarding this season. I’ll teach skiing next season.

I’ll have trainings on Saturday and Sunday before I could start teaching.

Reading about the deadly crash that killed two adults, one 17-year-old kid, and injured 4 little kids devastated me. I didn’t know the parents personally, but I know someone who knew them. If you can help the surviving kids, please donate.

Driving has been really stressful for me. On my recent trip to Stowe, I drove 12 hours each way, even though Google estimated 8.5 hours. Last year, I drove our family to Mount Snow and we got hit with a snowstorm in late March. Our 2018 Toyota Sienna SE skidded. We couldn’t get up the hill. Luckily a local man helped us out and showed us the bigger road. It was a relief that we made it to the rental house.

I had always worried about driving the entire family. I have 6 lives under my watch. As a result, I had always been extra careful and over stressed. Even a small nail could derail our trip. Now I have an air pump and repair kit in the car just in case.

I bear the responsibility for their safety. I need to be extra careful and extra alert.

Wynton Marsalis chastised Miles Davis for taking jazz beyond its tradition. In The Shanghai Suite, Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra take jazz to China. No crime in that. The results are quite fascinating. In “Hot Pot!,” Marsalis plays his unmistakable intro solo before the big band joins in swimming. “Li Bai’s Blues” fuses western and eastern instruments together to create a mournful emotion. From the western blues to the easter winds, I enjoyed the entire suite.

I didn’t go to mountains yesterday because of the rain. I also needed a day off to recuperate. I ended up staying in the motel room watched 2 films, read, and listened to music.

I felt recharged this morning and ready to snowboard. I did 3 runs on the Spruce Peak side on the easy terrains and yet my feet and legs were burning. I even tried out a new pair of boots I bought for Đán. I took a break and headed over Mansfield. I took the long green trail and yet I had to stop every few minutes to rest because my feet felt uncomfortable.

I took a lunch break and decided to give it another shot. I didn’t even try to carve. I was just riding and turning. Yet, I still had to stop to rest my legs. I didn’t know if the equipment caused the discomfortness or my riding had issues. Perhaps, I might not snowboard correctly.

Around 1:00 pm, I decided to switch to skiing. My feet weren’t comfortable at first, but they were fine after the second run. I was able to keep my legs close in parallel and shift my weight to my outside ski. I also tried to turn my knees so my skis could be on an edge. Carving this way begins to few a bit more natural. The speed was a bit too fast for my comfort level, but I finally got it.

I did 3 or 4 runs on blues and green trails. Around 3:00 pm the lift went down. I also called it the day. I went back to the motel to pack up. I will be leaving early tomorrow around 3 am. I hope to get back home before 3:00 pm. I miss my family too much.

Here’s a Christmas album from one of my favorite jazz pianists. Mr. Peterson swings on the classics such as “Let It Snow,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town.” Yet the slow tempos, including “What Child Is This?,” “White Christmas,” and the orchestra-backed “Silent Night,” are relaxing. Just lay back and enjoy the holiday spirit.

Anthony Minghell’s The Talented Mr. Ripley is just breathtaking. Matt Damon gives a mesmerizing performance. In fact the entire cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, are exceptional. Thanked to the rainy day, I got to watch a suspenseful thriller.

It had been raining all day in Stowe. I decided to stay at the motel to recuperate. I read and listened to music then watched Louis Malle’s Damage on DVD. It had a destructive story that involved family and sex. I enjoy this type of dark, twisted film.

No doubt I love skiing and snowboarding and of course I miss my children, but traveling solo gives me the space to reflect on my role as a father. Unlike the everyday chaos at home, I am sitting alone in a motel room while the snow is falling outside the window. The quietness and emptiness aren’t what I have gotten used to.

Time seems to slow down when I am alone. My mind is cleared and all I can think of is my children. Their voices, their cries, their laughters, their words replay in my mind. Even though they have changed in their own way with time, those special moments will forever remain in my memory.

Being alone at the moment gives me the space I needed to appreciate their companion. When I am always with them, I take their presence for granted. When I am away, I feel there’s something missing in my heart. My kids complete my life.

All fathers love their kids. That’s just human nature. At times though, I am not sure if I know how to love them. I struggle with this everyday. How can I provide them a happy life? How do I guide them in the right direction? How do I know what they want instead of what I want for them? If they fail or if they succeed, does it matter?

I kept telling myself, “Don’t worry. They will turn out fine.” And yet, I have not laid my worries to rest.