Africa baby!

It's June - and Washington is just tortured with hauntingly humid and hot weather, not to mention insecure personalities suffering from boiling tempers. In such cruel atmosphere, I was more than happy to snap an unexpected opportunity to visit Nairobi, Kenya by way of Zurich, Switzerland, leaving behind the heat and the ordinaries. The next few blog entries, if I manage to do so, will detail this great adventure.

After a delayed flight on UA, Zurich greeted me with a tropical rain and a long queue at security screening. This condition didn't help improve my preestablished image of Switzerland - which I think is incredibly boring! This might have something to do with being turned away twice at Geneva train station to go back to France or feeling so dull in that city once I got in, or stuck at Zurich airport for 2 days before turning around back to Vietnam due to passport problems. Yet, stepping into the Swiss International AirLines B767, I have finally found something to like about this country - the LX Business Class cabin.

Designed in a 2-2-1 configuration, the LX Business Class Cabin is airy and open with seats that can transform into a 180-degree flat bed in a sort of beige/blue color template and punctuated with dark brown leather and light-color wood. The result is a zen-like suite that portrays luxury and comfort - enhanced by absolutely intriguing details such as remote-controlled entertainment system, mood-lighting, coat hooks at the seat, and USB/electricity outlets. The 2-layer blanket, one of which being this soft cotton material, adds warmth, comfort, and of course luxury to the overall atmosphere - completed by a beautifully designed bathroom filled with Valmont handcream, lotions, and lip repairs tubes. The service is exceptional for a Western airline, and the food was actually delicious - while helping open a window to Swiss regional cooking to global passengers.

Despite a short interception of the ever dusty and dangerous road from Jomo Kenyatta Airport to the hotel, I was quickly relieved by a hospitable reception of the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club - where rooms in savoy style remind occupants of the old colonial time. Surrounded by comfort and a high-60's temperature, it is no wonder that the DC annoyances seem like a distant past...

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Photo Credit: Inkart.com and swiss.com

Savoring Stockholm

Somewhere between the crazy workload and the whirlwind emotional rollercoasters, I found myself unwind in Stockholm - capital of the Scandinavia as it is advertised - in a weekend of pure calmness and serenity - courtesy of some of my very dear friends.

Stockholm is beautiful - there's no doubt about it. The natural scenery is breathtaking with islands of palaces tucked among perfectly cultivated parks, connected with each other by all these bridges large and small. The design scene was absolutely revelating, showcased in different stores from casual to high-end. And the people - oh my! - are just text-book beautiful! You cannot help feeling like you are part of a photoshoot for some fashion catalogue with groups of models in absolutely chic styles passing by left and right. I thought that at any given moment, you can just snap a photo and it would be a perfect, from the light to the background to the models and their clothes. Everything was just gorgeous!

Yet, Stockholm didn't give me a feeling of New York, Paris, or London. Instead, it was perfectly calm and serene. It might have been the city design with low buildings and opening seaport or environmentally friendly technologies that somehow filter out all the noise pollution. Taking a walk down the port, one can easily find peace of mind, even among the crowd. As if it was not enough, a short boat ride to one of the archipelago would take you to an even slower pace of life, where fishing villagers live happily in red-painted wooden houses and spend their day at the local store or an icecream parlor next to the beach.

Now that's a good life!

Photo credit - XL. I found this waiter during his shiftbreak behind TGI Friday. He exemplified, to me, the perfect sense of Stockholm: beautiful and calm.

Good Judgment

I often think I make good judgments, especially when it comes to taste. I often pick out great clothing items, great restaurants, and great friends as well - so it is never a favorite thing when I am proved otherwise.

That explains why I felt almost sick walking out of Wolfgang Puck's The Source after a birthday dinner Monday night. The restaurant received great reviews. I made sure I asked the waiter for recommendations. I considered all options --- and yet, I chose the worst dish they could have made: a deep-fried herb-stuffed sea bass paired with Thai chili sauce that was too dry and too insipid for its price.

Not as quickly as I put down the cutlery, the taste (or the lack thereof) of the fish lingered and turned into a sour-bitter feeling too hard to swallow. Worse, it provoked unwanted thoughts of some other bad choices and questioned some other decisions I was going to make these days, among which the potential dates with this one particular guy.

We met a while ago, and working around the same area sort of prevented us from doing anything - or at least that was what I hoped. I secretly adored him for his creative mind, his positive outlook, his exciting life, and his gorgeous visage. Anyway, after sometime, we finally went on this date - which felt instantly so comfortable from start to the very end... As I went back to my daily life, I couldn't stop thinking about him, his tender touch, his naughty wink, his passionate kisses, and his beautiful smile. Sitting at my desk, I was toying with the idea of going on the next dates....

Yet as that sour-bitter taste of the deep fried seabass lingered in my palate, I began to wonder if he was the right guy at the right time or not - and if he was, whether it would be the right move to show him how much I liked him and how much I was looking forward to our next date. And after all that, I couldn't help asking - why would I let one bad dish ruin the prospect of my dating life, or worse, doubt my taste?

In the end though, I felt that those choices are made for a reason, if not for satisfaction then at least for a lesson that we would remember for a long time. I will surely avoid Puck, or at least the fish, at all cost. Maybe I will decide to let down my guard and let my heart take me to wherever it's meant to be, and if I get hurt, oh well, then I can start wondering all over again.



Photo: by Steve Gosling

Ola' Lisboa!

Portugal is not a common destination for travelers. Let's face it: It's small. It's out of the way. It's not much characteristically different from the rest of Europe - so given a choice for vacation, Lisa, as it is known, would not stand out as a clear choice, which was why I decided to go against all common sense and take a vacation there.

Boys, was I pleased with my decision!

It would be hard to detail all the fun I had there - but I will give you 5 reasons why Lisbon was the perfect vacation spot.

1. It's an extremely relaxed city - I felt it the moment I arrived at the airport: no hassle, no forms to fill, no hoo-haa - just simply an enjoyably chill atmosphere. The weather helps, too. Against the gloomy weather forecast, my days in Lisbon were either filled with sunshine or a bright crisp air, not cold enough to make you chill, but refreshing enough to keep you intact. You see people stroll on the street with such a carpe diem attitude, enjoying the rays of sun tingling on their shoulders. You see people gathering for an expresso or some pastries, on any given day, and hey, given the economic downturn they are facing, it's a hell of an attitude!

2. It's full of simply good culinary adventures! From the Pasteis de Belem (a small tart with flaky crust and creamy fillings) to the spit-roasted chicken restaurants to even the fancier Olivier restaurants, I absolutely enjoyed the genuinely good food - no fancy deco, no formality, just simply very good food.

3. Come evening, Lisa is a party heaven! Strolling the alleys in Bairro Alto with a drink in hand, feel free to stop by any bar for refill or any dance floor to crash the party. In some way, Bairro Alto is like a big college party, except no one is worried about underage drinking, just focused on having a really good time.

4. Lisboners are super friendly! From old men on the trams to young ladies on the street, the people here just make you feel welcomed, even when you don't speak Portuguese.

5. And yes, the boys are dreamy! Portuguese boys are inspirations for hundreds of ad campaigns for A/X, Guess, and so on - but they also put those ads to shame! Walking on the street, you have the feeling that anyone of them can be a model. With their dark features, chiseled faces, luscious lips, and well-coiffed messy hair - these boys can make you feel weak at the knees.

Just like that, one week in Lisbon was a good amount of time to experience the beauty of Lisa in her very own ways. I arrived excited, was pleased, and left with a piece of my heart in Lisbon! Amo-te, Lisa!


Photo: Lisbon bridge - www2.kenes.com

Unexpected anger....

I never thought I would be angry watching American Idols.

I never thought I would have much emotion watching it, if at all. But last night - I really did.

Aside from very talented and worthy artists, the top 12 fell short of greatness, kicking out extremely strong contestants such as Lily Scott and Alex Lambert in favor of the pretty boy Tim Urban and a forgettable Katie Steven. As Lily exclaimed, "I don't know what America wants to hear" - the popular voting system certainly managed to sideline some of the most unique talents who are not of mainstreamed look, style, or vocal. It was certainly not fair!

But life is never fair! This week, as my office space continued to shrink from a glass-wall single room to a pathetic little table in some hallway, I found out that bitter truth the very hard way! While some fresh college graduate temp enjoys an actual office, I am thrown out there in the hall way with absolutely zero privacy! I was angry at that unfair treatment - I really was! It didn't make sense when people told you you were doing a good job and then put you in such a situation when you feel least appreciated. Life is certainly not fair!

Yet, as I looked at the top 12 American Idols - there was also a sense of accomplishment that softened me to tears - a sense of joy when you have done something so great after working so hard. Some of them had been through hard times when things had certainly NOT been fair, and the reward of sitting on one of those uncomfortable stools was worth all that hardness. And I thought to myself, this is just a rough pad - and I have just the right strength to overcome it. If I am put on such a display in that hallway, I will make it a great show!

At the end, it will be worth it!


Credit: Presidential Candidate JFK - Hank Walker

What becomes of the broken-hearted?

At some point, it will probably feel absolutely normal when someone tell me "I am falling in love with you" or "You broke my heart!".

And I wouldn't even blink.

However, at this moment, I am not that jaded yet - and so when I got a text message from this guy with the latter content, I was shaken for a few seconds. The first reaction was to sit down and take a deep breath. In some way, it felt very similar to being pointed out, mistakenly, as a thieve in a public place - or at least, that's what I usually imagine it to feel like, not that I've ever been in that situation.

Anyway, this friend of mine - whom I like dearly, even now - and I have been hanging out for a month or so. We liked each other very much, and loved spending time together doing more than just physical activities. The reason for it being relatively casual was that he would move away very soon for work - and obviously I've got my own career to pursue as well, so there's no reason to go too deep into anything that we couldn't commit ourselves too. That made sense - well, at least until he allegedly developed unexpected affections for me and expected me to feel the same way - and ultimately sent the accusatory SMS above.

After recovered from the unexpected accusation, I was confused, and then very upset. I felt like people, in this and a few other similar incidences, had victimized themselves and then tried to put me to blame. It was ME who behave like myself, ME who made them fall in love, and ME who broke their heart. All of this, I had almost no control - but when it came to blaming someone, I was the one, despite having been straightforward and honest, who misled them to misery.

In the end, after all that anger, I just felt sad for failing to make someone happy.

And that's the biggest disappointment of all.


Credit: Broken Heart - by Deak04

Before the storm hits....

In between days of climatic cruelty, I woke up to a morning of beautiful sunshine and a clear blue sky. The tensely dry cold air somehow managed to wind down, settling the sand from construction sites on the ground, next to a few dunes of not-yet-melted snow.

I didn’t know if it was because of the calm weather or the breathing techniques I picked up from my conference a few weeks ago but somehow my emotions have managed to settle as well. It's like I have made peace with them – even though I knew they were still lingering around deep in my heart. Yet, just like the storm that would come soon– I knew those feelings would eventually rise up to disturbances…

But for this moment, it was easy to just let go and enjoy the sunshine.

Photo credit: Calm Before the Storm (2007) by Steen Doessing