la vie est magnifique a Hanoi

As the plane landed on the runway of Noi Bai airport, I was searching for the butterflies' feelings I had known so well - but in vain. There wasn't a tiny bit of excitement inside of me, maybe because I knew I would be here for quite a long time.

This move back to Hanoi had certainly come as a surprise to many because after nine years being overseas, I have grown away from the lifestyle, the thinking, and many other things Hanoian. Yet, when an opportunity presented itself and everything else made sense, it was just a matter of time before I came to term with saying yes. In this big move, the hardest thing for me was not the uncertainty of the new place. But since I already know Hanoi rather well, I had to wrestle quite hard with the idea of leaving my established network of friends in D.C. Time after time, they were there for me in good times and bad times, supporting me in the decisions I had chosen – be it professional or personal. Flying away from that comfortable nest was just as hard for me as a young bird taking his first fly from his parents. And life in Hanoi, although not unfamiliar, suddenly seemed daunting and dark.

Yet looking out the window of my office one morning as I was on the phone with a friend from DC, I realized there were so much life out there - here in Hanoi – and just as magnifique. The sound, the view, the smell – they suddenly evoked in me a desire to rediscover them all. Maybe I had known them so well, but this time, I would rediscover them with a very different perspective.

And just like that, I smiled. Welcome to La Vie est Magnifique à Hanoi!

Photo Credit: View from my office next to the Opera House.

la vie a la plage

As I dried my hair with a towel and lied down on the cool morning sand, something caught my eyes. Near the shore, my boyfriend was teaching my friends to play with the surfing board. Some succeeded; some did not. But all I heard was laughters echoing across the waves that were tapping on the shore of Virginia Beach.

And I had a very strange feeling - which was hard to describe.

It was like the abundant sunshines that reflected off the smiling faces, crammed in a small car as stories were told about the old times.

It was like the golden sand that covered our sunkissed skins after hours lying on the beach living the moment of togetherness.

It was like the breeze that blew our hair as we sat down for dinner, talking plans for the future.

I think I knew now ...

It was like happiness.

Photo Credit: Fun at the Beach, by pukka-amaru

Extreme Home MakeOver - Edition Magnifique

While I occasionally cringe at the idea of building a home for one, I also believe things happen for a reason. So when I was presented with the opportunity to take over and Linh up this studio in Logan Circle, I couldn't say no.

So I closed my eyes and signed the lease.

The studio was located on a quiet tree-lined street of DC, in a building dated back to the 19th century when heat came through the hot-water system and cool air didn't exist unless improvised through a window-unit AC. Against that historical background, I wanted to mix the old and the new in a classic contemporary look: clean lines, simple furnitures, but strong color blocks and personalized accents to create a warm and cozy home for myself.
With that in mind, I painted the living room in a light grey tone to differentiate it from the kitchen and to allow indirect lighting to create a warm cozy feeling for the apartment. With the space neither too small nor too large, I used a half-level bookshelf to separate the living and sleeping spaces without blocking too much and cramping the apartment.

The white furniture also pop on the grey background, keeping a clean, classic, but still contemporary look. The orange couch was borrowed from a dear friend of mine as an accent piece to the apartment. While the orange color is extremely retro-chic, it is so beautiful simple that it fits perfectly in the modern setting. On a separate wall, a slim working table also elevated a small lamp that illuminated on a collaged wall of different framed arts.

The kitchen and bathroom were painted in a breezy blue to complement the white cabinets. Iconic art pieces accentuated the walls, giving them a personal touch: Tintin frames, propaganda posters, and beautiful fashion shoots from FT How to spend it.

I lucked out with a walk-in closet, which was quite rare in this area, big enough to hold all my stuff. It was a bit cramped, but with a little organization, I managed to keep the same tidiness that I had always been known for.

With a beautiful apartment, I was now ready to explore a whole new lifestyle that was undoubtedly denied from me for the past 3 years.

Photo Credit: Will Thomas