Sunday, July 26, 2009

Xương ống hầm rau củ - A Vietnamese cuisine









You know I'm not good at cooking but I do try sometimes when I have a chance. Also, I love shootingVietnamese food in order to introduce it to the ones who are interested in our cuisine.

I still remember : In someday, when I lived in Vietnam- my hometown…for 3 years ago….


My Mummy is enjoying weekend retreat with her friends in Ho Chi Minh city now. She left home yesterday morning while I was sleeping. Now that the best cook of my life has been away from home, I have to cook my own meals. Yesterday, I fed myself boiled squid, veggies soup with shrimp and a duck egg. Today, I decided to cook my favorite dish – xương ống hầm rau củ. I went go the market quite early to get some fresh veggies and ...pork bone (of course with some meat on it.) Sóc accompanied me to the market as he often does to my mom. I felt strange but I could stop him - my naughty four-leg brother.If you'd love to try cooking this, all you need is: a carrot, two potatoes, two sweet potatoes, two dozen lotus seeds, one gram of mushrooms, spring onions and pork bone. Stew the pork bone for ... well... I don't quite remember exactly but maybe it takes about 15 minutes. While stewing the bone, peal and chop the carrot, potatoes, sweet potatoes into cubes. Wait until the meat on the bone is really well done then put chopped veggies in. After 2 minutes or so, add lotus seeds and mushrooms in. Next, add some salt and pepper in. No need to add MSG as the pork bone makes the soup tasty enough. Serve this in a small bowl, and don’t forget to scatter some chopped spring onions.


Xương ống hầm rau củ is not only a tasty and nutritious soup but it’s also very colorful and eye-catching.


Hope you will enjoy it too!



Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The Phantom of the Opera

I have read the Phantom of the Opera – the original novel by Gaston Leroux , but I prefer the movie. There are many differences between them.
This is my favourite version. No doubt of it.
This song is absolutely amazing. Very powerful and breathtaking. I get goosebumps every time I listen to it. I love the movie to. In my opinion this is the second best song. I think 'The mirror' is the best.
Sarah Is a great singer,and Sarah's voice is really good, but the guy playing the phantom (Steve Harley) isn't the best singer ever. I really don't get that mask either.........he look so weird, especially at
1:54 and 2:12.
And the end of the movie isn't bad. You just have to understand the meaning of all movie. Then you see why she stayed with Raoul.
When I was younger, I was terrified... Not only are the vocals horrible, to me at least to me,(I don't mean to offend, too much anyway) but the video itself was poorly done. I didn't like this at all
If it weren't for the fact that I find Sarah so ridiculously gorgeous, I would be vomiting along a level unprecedented in human history right now.
This is terrible! maybe, it was good for the 80's.It’s my favorite song from the play and movie but the play version is better I still love it.
In my opinion, you should hear it when Sarah Brightman sings it she was the original Christine and Webber had her in mind when writing the part Of Christine.
Midway City, CA 92655
Thu Nhat Anh Nguyen

J’espère ... ( I hope)







French :

J’espère ...
Je fais des e-mails à tout allure
Tu me réponds “à toute à l’heure”
Tu mets du rouge sur ta figure
Je mets du baume sur mon cœur
J’espère, j’espère, j’espère oh oui, j’espère
C’est mon caractère mmmmm
J’espère.
Comme disait
Yoko OnoJe vais essayer de retrouver ce mot
D’elle la seule chose qu’on partage en frères, en frères,
J’espère, j’espère, j’espère oh oui, j’espère
C’est mon caractère mmmmm
J’espère.
On a envie de faire l’amour
Mais les amours sont diluviennes
Parsemées par le temps qui court
Il n’y a pas d’amours qui tiennent
J’espère, j’espère, j’espère oh oui, j’espère
C’est mon caractère mmmmm
J’espère.
Comme disait
Yoko OnoJe vais essayer de retrouver ce mot
They are the only things we share, en frère,
J’espère, j’espère, j’espère oh oui, j’espère
C’est mon caractère mmmmm
J’espère.Les étoiles qui fuient font la mesure
Des espèces qui disparaissent
Jespère, j’espère, j’espère oh oui, j’espère
C’est mon caractère mmmmmJ’espère.

Vietnamese

Tôi hy vọng

Tôi gửi thật nhanh những bức email
Em trả lời tôi “hẹn anh chút nữa”
Mặt em ửng hồng
Tim tôi chan chứa
Tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, vâng, tôi hy vọng
Đó là tính cách của tôi mmmmm
Tôi hy vọng.
Như Yoko Ono đã nói
Tôi sẽ cố gắng tìm lại từ này
Từ cô ấy, điều duy nhất mà người ta chia sẻ cùng nhau, cùng nhau,
Tôi hy vọng
Tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, vâng, tôi hy vọng
Đó là tính cách của tôi mmmmm
Tôi hy vọng.
Người ta muốn ái ân
Nhưng những mối tình trào dâng
Vương vãi theo thời gian
Không có mối tình nào bền vững
Tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, vâng, tôi hy vọng
Đó là tính cách của tôi mmmmm
Tôi hy vọng.
Như Yoko Ono đã nói
Tôi sẽ cố gắng tìm lại từ này
They are the only things we share, cùng nhau,
Tôi hy vọng
Tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, vâng, tôi hy vọng
Đó là tính cách của tôi mmmmm
Tôi hy vọng
Những tinh cầu vụt biến
Nhiều chủng loài diệt vong
Tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, tôi hy vọng, vâng, tôi hy vọng
Đó là tính cách của tôi mmmmm
Tôi hy vọng.
English
I HOPE
I write emails real fast.
You reply me so soon.
Your face turns red.
My heart goes wild.
I hope
I hope I hope Oh yes I hope.
It's my nature umm I hope.
Like Yoko Ono said and I tried to find the words:
The air is the only thing we share, my fellows.
I hope
I hope I hope Oh yes I hope.
It's my nature umm I hope.
I live for love, but love is like scattered showers.
There is no lasting love.

This is so a pretty French song it brings people together. And I have just known the word they keep repeating “ J'espere’” means “ I hope”.It is really beautiful song.
Marc Lavoine has a beautiful voice. So does Quynh Anh. She has gorgeous sad eyes. ]
Quynh Anh was born in Norway.And I don't know any Norwegian, so I can't tell how hard it is for foreigners in Norway. But I think it’s very difficult for her to learn Vietnamese and to speak Vietnamese fluently.
I still remember in Ho Chi Minh City Television Station’s interview , Quynh Anh said that in school she learns English, French, and Dutch. That's amazing. I guess the fact that she can't speak Vietnamese is because it's a difficult language.
I'm Vietnamese and I have been studying in the US for 4 months, and I realize that I gradually have to trade some complicated words with simpler ones or Vietnamese words to have a smooth conversation with other Vietnamese American people. My language is never easy even for a native American. However, when I realize the language is not easy for myself, my judgement goes away. Don't stress out! If you don't like Vietnamese, then don't study it.
In the US, Vietnamese middle-aged or older people tend to have difficult time learning English even though English has simple grammatical structure. I think the problem is only vocabulary and pronunciation.
Midway City, CA 92655
Thu Nhat Anh Nguyen

Saturday, July 11, 2009

For the wind to blow it away ( A Vietnamese song )




English

FOR THE WIND TO BLOW IT AWAY

In this life, we should live with heart and soul
It is for what, do you know?
For the wind to blow
Blow it away...

The wind blows
For the clouds to pass the rivers
Day has just risen or dark night comes
Oh, see the heart that's flying with time
Acting as a ghost that cries out lies.

When the evening comes we need a laughter
Just to fly away silently with the leaves
And then the water sweeps it away
Sweeps it away...

Let's take a look through a love story
Just look in silence, no words spoken
To feel your heart's acute pain
The heart's acute pain...

Deep within the heart
An injured bird lies in silence
Spends a long sleep, carrying the bad wound
One morning, the bird shall fly away for good
And her singing fades away when the afternoon wind arrives

Love, love the coming days even though you feel exhausted from this life
Life is still there, be happy
Even though someone is missing
Even though someone is missing...
Vietnamese

ĐỂ GIÓ CUỐN ĐI


Sống trên đời sống cần có một tấm lòng
Để làm gì, em biết không?
Để gió cuốn đi
Để gió cuốn đi

Gió cuốn đi
Cho mây qua dòng sông
Ngày vừa lên hay đêm xuống mênh mông
Ôi trái tim đang bay theo thời gian
Làm chiếc bóng đi rao lời dối gian
Những khi chiều tới cần có một tiếng cười
Để ngậm ngùi theo gió bay
Rồi nước cuốn trôi
Rồi nước cuốn trôi

Hãy nghiêng đời xuống nhìn suốt một mối tình
Chỉ lặng nhìn không nói năng
Để buốt trái tim
Để buốt trái tim

Trong trái tim
Con chim đau ngủ im
Ngủ dài lâu mang theo vết thương sầu
Một sớm mai chim bay đi triền miên
Và tiếng hót tan trong chiều gió lên

Hãy yêu ngày tới dù quá mệt kiếp người
Còn cuộc đời ta cứ vui
Dù vắng bóng ai
Dù vắng bóng ai….
After reading "Fifth season" by my best friend. She has reminded me of something I've almost forgotten. Getting myself drown in my sorrows recently, I've almost forgotten something that once used to be my theory of life. I guess I'll remember it from now on.
Trinh Cong Son was one of the greatest musicians of Vietnam. His works consist of more than 500 songs, most of which have become classics in Vietnamese music. He once said "In this life, we should live with heart and soul. Even though it is for nothing. Even though it is just for the wind to blow it away"
(Sống trên đời sống cần phải có một tấm lòng.Dù không để làm gì cả.Dù chỉ để gió cuốn đi).
He wrote a song called “For the wind to blow it away” in which he explained what he said. I was hurt real bad when I realized that I had given away so much love and I didn't get that much in return. But somehow, now I think, I was wrong. Listening to the song again, I've felt better. If I keep on thinking that life is unfair for me, and that no one except for my family can give me as much love as I have given to them, I will just hurt myself. I've written down the song's lyric after few times listening to it. And then, I felt an inspiration to translate it into English...
"Life goes on, as it never ends", I'll be fine. I'll keep on going, keep on being myself. Life is beautiful, human beings are beautiful. This world is beautiful with various artworks, artworks of God. My parents, my sister, my best friend. They're all gifts of life and artworks of God that I've been given. I am grateful to each and everyone I have met in my life, thanks for the lesson they've taught, the love they've given, the pain they've caused.
For each I'm getting stronger, for each I'm growing up some more...
Thank you so much…
Midway City, CA 92655
Thu Nhat Anh Nguyen

Sunday, July 5, 2009

If tomorrow never comes ( A Novel - Marlo Schalesky)

“IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES” began with a single image that popped powerfully into the author’s mind – an old man, walking along a foggy beach at dawn, bending to pick up an old locket from the sand. The rest of the story grew from there.

There are many choices : Choosing to love, choosing to do right despite pain, disappointment, and sorrow, allows tomorrow to come.
But choices made out of desperation, fear, and clinging to our own desires can cut off the future God wants for us. We don't know, we can't see, what tomorrow holds. So all we can do is do what's right now, love now, trust now.

The heart of If Tomorrow Never Comes . . .the choice to love, the choice to believe, the choice to let go of our dreams in order to embrace His. To do it today, for the sake of all our tomorrows.


For anyone who has experienced the heartbreak of infertility or has grown cold toward their spouse or slipped away from their faith because God was not answering their prayers, this book will encourage and give hope.

For anyone looking for an exciting story with many surprises, IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES will provide a good read. Marlo Schalesky has the gift of writing straight from her heart to ours.

I have just finished reading the novel “IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES”, and I'm glad I did. Marlo Schalesky is a fine writer who tells a good story.

I hope I can introduce to all you the whole content of “If tomorrow never comes “ on our last day’s class

I also loved Marlo's novel BEYOND THE NIGHT. If you like well-written, emotionally gripping fiction, read both of these books!

Midway, CA 92655

Thu Nhat Anh Nguyen