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.

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  • joy of giving

    I saw Clinton’s book on Giving at Goodwill store. The irony did not escape me: its donor must have thought he/she should act upon the idea right away. Christmas might be the season of giving, but not when we are at a stop light, ambushed by the man with the “Help me out” sign. Our…

  • Crash, chaos and control

    Ship sinking and plane crashing. Lives in chaos and lessons in control. We keep trying. To make sense of our lives. To derive meaning from it. Try always to be the Captain of our own destiny. Sweat not the small stuffs. Focus on the big picture: the 3 E’s i.e. economy, environment and education. Ask…

  • Rain and rhythm

    Chewing gum jingle, and it seems to work:  “looking for a brand new start”. Each day, we woke up to a start. Just like that first day out of our mother’s womb. Not knowing what to expect. Not knowing who to trust. Not knowing the future. Will it rain today? Or same ole sticky heat? Rain and tears…

  • Empty space

    Void. Vacuum. Unfilled and unoccupied space. Plenty of them, within and without. So we fear its vastness. We try to fill it up with stuff. In the process, making ourselves mini-gods. Co-creators of space-filling. Bed, bath and beyond. Then give them away to Goodwill to make room for more empty space. Everyone got problems with fitting…

  • Deadly respectful!

    On the way to the gym, I saw a casket being carried out of an alley (with funeral band playing “Soi Da cung can co nhau” – pebble and stone still need each other). Then to my amazement, the pall-bearers swung the casket around 180 degrees, dipped it three times without spilling the whiskey glasses on top then, another…

  • Brain Fiber

    My cholesterol test result was just in. The coast is clear! Two eggs please. I have eaten oatmeal for five years. Fiber here, fiber there. Can’t go near real food, like Soul Food (fried chicken and french fries). Here at UVT, culinary students serve their practiced meals: ordering, preparing, serving and collecting the cash. Long way from…

  • Then came the rain

    It rained on the book fair here in Saigon. Word and water don’t mix. But I must admit seeing young readers eager to browse anything and everything, even kissing the note books we handed out, warms my heart. I can relate to why the Happiness Index listed top countries such as Costa Rica and Vietnam. Money might…

  • Illusions

    Sinatra was famous for his signature song: My Way. We carry the illusion of control, of doing it our way. Is it really so? Do have a choice about our appearance? Our height, our hair? Personalities and purse strings. If only could we nailed down the bad guy, then things would be OK. Will it? People who have…

  • Man who reads

    Joan Didion‘s latest book about the death of her child has landed in the top ten of TIME magazine. Her earlier book, “the Year of Magical Thinking” recalls the death of her husband. By penning these experiences, she invited us, readers into her private chamber of grief  (saving his shoes, wishing he would come back).…