In Christmas spirits...

After days of personal imprisonment, I finally got a quick breath of fresh air before jumping into a car heading to the ever crowded Potomac Mills for some Christmas shopping.

As we arrived at the destination, despite my commitment to cut cost and an occasional enthusiasm with low-budget shopping, I quickly found myself sickened by the mountain of neglected last-season clothes and the flow of low-educated and badly-dressed shoppers. The Christmas spirits, instead of dorning a beaming glow on everyone, somehow managed to add a few more lines of stress across the faces already paled by the cold and the previous snow storm. People stood in lines for hours for some small little things that, to me, were often minute in value, ridiculous in design, and potentially zero in utility. They threw their new purchases into a cart and pushed it along the stream of similarly unhappy families at the mall.

Half way through the mile long mall, I decided to get some Auntie Anne sugar cinnamon sticks - an unavoidable treat for every trip to a shopping mall. Sitting at a plastic bench still haunted by the odeur of fast food (I would say Chicken McNugget, fries, and a large order of Coke!), I was suddenly intrigued by the couple next to me. As the man was looking through the shopping bags, the woman checked off a list of gift items written neatly on a pieace of pink post-it. At the end of the stock-taking exercise, she let out a tiny, albeit tiring, smile, reaffirming the man of some little girl who would be very surprised receiving these gifts.

Then, I suddenly forgot about the river of exhausted human beings flowing by me and thought of a family surrounding a Christmas tree full of presents. Despite all the pre-holiday angst and fatigue, at that very moment on Christmas Day, they would all be worth it when the receiver found some little surprise wrapped with love. And that, to me, more than these minutias, was what Christmas represented - a season of love for everyone.

A year-end contemplation...

December and the pre-holiday rituals of Christmas party madness rolled out so fast that in the blink of an eye, two-third of the month had already passed. It didn't help either that December was one of the busiest times of the year at work, as people pushed to wrap up unfinished business before their year-end vacations. In the midst of those social and professional maelstroms, a sudden snow storm temporarily brought me to a halt and contemplate the year that is about to end.

2009 was marked by 3 major achievements: my master's degree termination, my professional embarkation, and my social reconnection. In May, I graduated from one of the top school in International Affairs, and joined the most prestigious development institution as a consultant. There's still a lot of room to develop within this institution or within the sector, but given the economy's slow recovery, it was a privilege and comfort to be there. On the social front, I managed to spend a lot more time with friends, old and new, including a special trip to Vietnam for my best friend's wedding. It was a special moment, and topped with a much desired qualification for Star Alliance Gold status, which I got for the first time after 8 years flying with the Alliance. Given these achievements, 2010 looked even more exciting!

As I sat contemplating what I have achieved and looked to the future, I remembered what my friend Selina told me, "You should save something for the future, so that you have something to look forward to." Well, I believed as we achieved something, we would create new goals to reach, and that was how we should live our lives. Per suggestion of Will, I listed 5 things I would like to achieve, as of this moment.

1. Learn to ballroom dance - a passion and a dream that had been burning inside me, but due to time and financial constraints I had not got to do. I would like to learn all, and master at least the Viennese Waltz and the Argentine Tango.

2. Travel to Russia - a very special place, not only because of our Communist/Socialist connections, but also for the kind-hearted Russian men, the Red Square, the willow tree, and the burgeoning design paradise.

3. Renovate my parents' apartment in Hanoi - this 13-year-old 2-floor penthouse would be converted into a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment according to my masterplan, which should start within the next 2 - 3 years or so.

4. Take my sister on a trip to Europe - showing her the Europe that I loved, and bonding in a cafe somewhere on Champs Elysees.

5. Train to swim better - but I would be the one who set the standard to measure what "better" meant, right?

Some short-term, some medium-term, but I thought it was a good idea to at least put them down in writing and keep them on the back burner for now... So swim lesson first?

Merry Christmas and Happy 2010 everyone!

Photo Credit: Snow in DC - by Natalia Esina

Is it good to always have a plan B?

I got back to the US in one very upsetting piece.

Apart from my long layover in Singapore (half of which spent on an Asian-size stone-hard recliner at Changi Airport) and my 2 endless flights (both in economy cabin without personal video screen), my jetlagged ass arrived at work Monday morning with the possibility of losing my precious little office. Apparently soon (dunno when!) they would make consultants bring our own computer and find an undesignated space to work.

My Facebook friends probably saw pictures from my cute little office – my own little space where I could close the door and shut down noises and bureaucracy from outside. So you could imagine how I felt about the threat of losing it. In that context, it’s no surprised that my over-thinking mind has been overworking to figure out actions to maintain my fortress. But as I frantically called up compassionate colleagues to vent and seek advice, my ACS shook my shoulder and told me to take a chill pill. “Let it happen first,” he said, “then worry later!”

Let it happen first? Wow, I thought this guy didn’t know me at all. Growing up with extremely careful parents, I learned to have plan B (and C and D and so on) for everything. Every action, in my mind, came in the format of “If…, then…” clauses. Naturally I would like to be as prepared as possible when something happened. Examples of unpreparedness, such as my Thai friend who stood at the crossroad of separation worried about a divorce with his partner, reinforced my propensity to over-think even more.

Then I remembered about my meeting with a friend before her wedding and she mentioned having thought about the worst case scenarios when her relationship would not work out. “Then,” she said, “I would just fly away and recreate my life somewhere else, away from this country.” At first I thought that was such a great thing – her coming into this all thought out and prepared! And then, it struck me that the action that she was about to take was not just an impulse purchase or a detour on her way home; it was a life-changing step that should have been culminated from a solid love between her and her partner. Coming into that with a worst-case scenario mentality is not the type of preparation you want at all.

Suddenly, it seemed quite ok to let things happen first before you start worrying about them…and with that, I felt that I should enjoy my office, at least when I still had it for myself.


Photo credit: Mexico - by Hang Do

Bravery

What I really enjoy from my trips to places is not the stamps I get in my passport, or the surprise purchases I find, but the friends I get to catch up with.

This time in Hanoi, I had dinner with my dear angel N before her upcoming marriage in December. Part of our little Charlie & Angels group, she was the first to get hitched and even in a very prompt manner. But leaving behind a Sex & the City life with adventures, she felt a bit cowardish to choose such a family life. I kinda laughed at the idea - as I found her so brave to make such a decision while I couldn't even get myself in a relationship. Men after men, I shook my head and escaped as soon as I found a tiny reason to do so, therefore avoiding the tiniest possibility of failure. There she was, braving herself through a marriage with optimism - I considered her very strong and admired her so very much.

The following day I took a flight to Bangkok. Sitting in the evening traffic jam, I cringed at the thought of living here and suffering this jam everyday. The noise, the dirt, the bottleneck frustration represent the general feeling I get from Hanoi's political and social atmosphere. I can't wait till the first chance to get out.

As I yearned for the moment I would sit comfortably on the plane, I was a tiny bit troubled by such demonstration of my very own cowardice. Here milions of people braved though that chaotic madness to live by - people like my family who escaped the frustration outside to find even more sadness at home. My brother in law just declined a scholarship to Japan to stay and help out with the family. When facing options, not everyone rush for the first exit. And that's what I would call bravery.

If they can deal with that, why can't I brave through the tiny bits of bureaucratic hurdles at work to enjoy and make the most our of life?

An apartment built for one....

In the blink of an eye, the year-end holidays are already around the corner. As David Archuleta's new Christmas album suddenly seems so fitting with popperies and bubbling hot cinnamon apple cider - a night at home or indoor is never better justified.

Speaking of home - I ended up not having to move any time soon until possibly next June when my contract is up for renewal. This continuation calls for some shake up in the interior decor, as the fickle me cannot stand living in the same "condition" for so long. There is no better time for such a make-over project, especially with the current of interior hunting among my dear DC friends, who have bookmarked websites such as Craigslist and made more trips to Marshalls, Tjmaxx, Homewood, and the like than grocery stores.

So as part of my interior design adventures, yesterday I passed through West Elm with Alan for, partially, him to check out furniture for his up-coming home office. Somewhere halfway through our shopping adventure, I had a distinctive unease - something half sadness, half anger, and topped by a grin of exhaustion. I couldn't name it or understand where it had come from, but it was lingering somewhere in the back of my mind.

Later, I went to Tim & Huong's for dinner and to check out their new pad. As I was listening to my friends' grand ideas and like-steal purchases, I got to pause for a few seconds to think about "home-making." More than putting pieces of furniture together according to some model home from Elle Decor or Architectural Digest, my friends are building a home for themselves, be it a cozy loveshack of Huong & Tim, a 2+ cohabitation of No&Toan, or an indoor-playground-included family of Diep&Phi. There's something there that fits them, that sparks love, that nurtures their relationship through fun, fights, and fears.

And then at that very moment, I realized what had struck me earlier that day - I was home-shopping with a man I was not building a home with - and the result not necessary a home, but a well-decorated space - for one. As Huong's earlier observation - "I think you always look for a big love!" - rang in my head, I shrugged at the long yearning for a home-building partner, with an air of exhaustion blanketing my mind.

I am never pessimistic - but there are just moments like this, when I look back, look again, and then just have to shake myself hard to regain the optimism to look ahead.

Photo credit: Fashionation - by Elle

In conversations...

Autumn is supposed to highlight beautiful foliages adorned by glittery coats of soft sunshine and giggling in mildly chilly breezes - but this Fall, it has been pretty much just cold rains or cloudy sky in Washington.

In that weather, it is not unusual that I am spending more and more time indoors, even though I have been trying to diversify that with different ambiances and venues - from cozy cafes to fun fiestas - to improve the moodiness that the outdoors inflicted upon me. As a result, I ended up in a number of interesting conversations, among which, one particularly got stuck in my head was the one I had yesterday with my friend Linh.

As we exchanged stories about our childhood and youth insecurity, Linh mentioned the blatantly obvious preferential treatment for better looking individuals. These pretty ones - athletes, beauty queens, models - could sometimes have it so easy for them that they would not need to work as hard. I recalled a basket ball player in college who, despite his mediocre academic and sport record, became the posterboy of the economics department and went on getting some offer from an accounting firm. Again, big generalization here, as many so-considered "pretty ones" worked just as hard, and some less good-looking ones did get lucky at times - and for a self-claimed social scientist, I valued some hard evidence with rigorous evaluation before jumping into conclusion.

Yet, as I was left getting ready for a birthday party after Linh had left, I couldn't help wondering to what extent look could influence the success of our lives. This puzzle became even more intriguing as I observed some interesting phenomenon at the party I went. Two slightly older Asian gentlemen - one average looking, the other outstandingly tall, dark, and somewhat handsome. As the night progressed, it seemed obvious that a crowd gradually gravitated toward the latter, while the former struggled to fit in - even though I would concede that they were roughly equal in conversational quality (ok - very bad comparison here, but you get the point!). This difference left me thinking, if look could help one be social without being considered slutty, flirty but not aggressive, forward but not creepy, then one is guaranteed an entry-point comfortable and confident enough to show his true beautiful self. In social settings, that's halfway to success already.

If professional success is partially driven by interpersonal relations, then how much can look leverage personal success? Obviously this varies in different settings - and no study, no matter how rigorous, can specify the magnitude look influence professional success. But I think it is safe to say, if one is good looking, then the good hard-earned results can be enhanced exponentially.

Too bad I will never get to that point - so right now, just have to continue the hard-working life of a consultant. Enough for the weekend, xoxo.


Photo credit: Autumn by Slime.

On ICT - again...

So I finally got my driver license last Friday!

I put off driving lessons for a long while - thinking I will either become rich enough to have a chauffer or never become rich enough to have a car. Well, Zipcar changed that concept drastically and I finally said to myself that I needed to learn - and so I did. In 6 weeks, thanks to my friend Toan, I went from never touching the wheel to passing the Virginia road skills test and possessing my very own driving license. It was a big deal, yeah, so within seconds I managed to post an exclamatory remark on Facebook, via my Iphone. Ten minutes after that, I already got several replies from all over the world, before I even touched the temporary driving permit.

Facebook and IT have majorly changed our mode of interactions - I don't need to say much about this obvious fact but would only like to zero in the significant speed by which we are updated about our friends' lives. Even during an important meeting, I did no fail to update on my friend's break-down and efficiently sent a consoling little card. Even in between deadlines, I never forgot to timely wish a friend a happy birthday. Facebook saved me the hassle of searching for information, as they are all readily available, just seconds after the events themselves.

Yet as my friend Will contemplated keeping his blog - a mechanism to let his friends worldwide know about his adventures and daily minutias - I realized that Facebook, like any other utilility-generating mechanism in this world - was also driven by the law of diminishing marginal returns. The more information we get, the less utility we gain from each information. This is a big generalization I know, but I think it does take away a little bit of excitement to learn about a friend's new dog, new job, or new man (or men, to be precise).

So, what do we do? Should we change our mode of access to information? I personally think that the changes in IT is inevitable - and what we should do is to change our own attitude of embracing it. Go for specialization - a blog is for something more special, more personal, as opposed to daily updates to be posted on Facebook. But that in itself is a challenge, because not every blog can paint the best picture of the owner's life and thoughts.

But we live for challenges, don't we?

Photo credit: Spoongraphics.