Thang Nguyen 555

Cultures on Collision Course

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With some short-term relief work in Asia/Africa and long stint in Telecom, Thang also earned a B.A. at Pennsylvania State University. M.A. in Communication at Wheaton Graduate School, M.A. in Cross-Cultural Communication at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Boston. In addition, he earned a CELTA – classes taken in Hanoi for cultural re-immersion.

Tag: New York Times

  • Trash or Treasure

    With 50% youth unemployment in Spain, front-page news showed dumpster diving photos. It shouldn’t be. But it is. Life is difficult, says Scott Peck. And since when was it easy? For years, I put myself in a selfless orbit which , at times, has done much damage to myself (self-sabotage). My appetite for risks and…

  • Male vulnerability

    Behind the tatoo, the tobacco and the toughness, lies male vulnerability. I read about how the Watergate break-in was just one among a list of outrageous proposals such as kidnapping, wiretapping and high-priced hookers blackmail etc… You can’t find tougher looking bunch than those “plumbers” and their Archille’s heels. Yes, there is also female vulnerability.…

  • Unbundled incense

    In his year-end Opinion, David Brooks of the NYTimes recited a story about people in Louisiana who had lighted a candle for neighbor’s graves. This year-end here in Vietnam, I saw just that and more…incense, flowers and fruit. People are either already home or on the way. They cook, clean and cater to many needs,…

  • Micro Resolution

    When you were young and with others, you wanted to start a revolution. But if you were young, but alone, you might want New Year Resolution e.g. diet, “biggest loser”, learning Spanish, pick up a new skill set. Then when you have been around the block a few times, you still think of New Year…

  • In defense of one’s time

    After all, it’s your time, your narrative and your unrealized dreams. You and I must take ownership of this. And not hesitate to come to its defense. Whether it’s hard rock or soft rock (Seger finally went digital), hardback or paperback, boom box or boomers, software or soft drinks. We had no other choice (from my…

  • Stay hungry, stay curious

    The first advice was from Jobs, a college drop-out, in his commencement speech. The second, recently, was the gist of a NYT op-ed by Brooks. Those are mantels of would-be entrepreneurs. Where else can you find people who are willing to sleep (if at all) in sleeping bags and code for days on end, with no prospect of a pay…

  • Losing one’s self

    In a recent NYT op-ed, David Brooks summed up prevailing graduation themes: find yourself, live to the fullest, be passion-focused etc.. instead of losing yourself in solving others’ problem. Even my kid knows that time passes more quickly when you are absorbed in a task. When you lose yourself, you end up finding it. Before graduating, I…

  • Calling on Leaders

    Mongolian Khan, upon his first day out of jail, jumped on the horse to lead his nation to new height. Lennon and Yoko still purchased full-page ad in the NYT to run the same poster as they did 40 years ago “WAR IS OVER, if you want it”. With the new digital order, thought-leaders emerged…

  • Media shock

    When I was working weekends at the School of Journalism at Penn State, journalist-wannabes would check out Advertising Age, Christian Science Monitor, and of course, the New York Times. And everyone read the campus paper. They even showed Deep Throat on campus (organized by the Student Association). Such was the time. We all lined up…

  • Both sides now

    ABC News last broadcast of 2009 featured some celebrities we have lost, among them, one of its own: Peter Jennings. Peter’s most memorable quote:: “when I look at a coin, instinctively, I want to flip it to see the other side”. He used to take a bunch of books to read on plane rides, according…