Tôi có việc nên tìm vào website của trường cũ – Đại học Y Hà Nội. Thực sự chán vì cái website có giao diện xấu, màu sắc ngoa nghoét, và đơn giản hơn cả 1 trang web cá nhân. Nội dung thì không có gì. Người ta đăng lên đó bảng điểm (điều mà tôi đã nói nhiều lần là chúng ta cần cấm công khai điểm của học sinh, sinh viên ra trước bàn dân thiên hạ, điểm học là một thứ thuộc bí mật cá nhân), và thậm chí là cả mã số thuế thu nhập cá nhân của giảng viên – tôi đây bóp trán suy nghĩ mông lung mà không hiểu nổi sao người ta lại bưng cái khỉ gió này lên đây.
http://www.hmu.edu.vn/news/default.asp
Gõ vào phần tiếng Anh, tôi chỉ còn nước bó tay toàn tập vì không hiểu các bác ấy viết gì. Câu văn rất buồn cười và viết sai ngữ cảnh (out of context). Một thứ tiếng Anh vô cùng Việt Nam và vô cùng tệ. Tôi đoán chắc người ta cho ai đó biết tí tiếng Anh dịch thông tin từ Tiếng Việt ra. Đừng nên tự tin về khả năng tiếng Anh của mình như thế. 4 năm học Tiếng Anh ở một trường ngoại ngữ ở VN ra sẽ chỉ là biết rất sơ đẳng về tiếng Anh. Tiếng Anh là một thứ ngôn ngữ rất khó viết. Người dùng tiếng Anh như ngôn ngữ mẹ đẻ, vài chục năm làm giáo sư mà còn đánh vật với những bài viết của mình. Người ta còn phải sửa đi sửa lại mỗi khi có 1 bài báo, thậm chí khi viết lách cái gì cũng phải cả nhóm vài dăm người comment qua lại mới hy vọng ra một bản chấp nhận được.
Tôi gõ thêm vài trang web của các trường khác. Tình trạng không khá hơn. Giao diện của các web đều xấu, thông tin nghèo nàn, tốc độ chậm.
Mình cứ khoe cái trường Y của mình là trường ưu tú với lịch sử hàng trăm năm. Nhưng người ta chỉ cần gõ vào trang web của trường kiểm tra thì sẽ cho ngay rằng mình nói láo.
Các trường đại học của ta cứ bàn phấn đấu top khu vực với thế giới mà lại để trang web – bộ mặt của trường như thế này thì đến muôn đời cũng không ngoi ra khỏi cái biên giới Việt Nam.
Tạo một trang web tử tế phải là một mục tiêu của các trường đại học ở Việt Nam.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Congrats New Orleans Saints
I am so very happy for New Orleans and its football team Saints. I believe three quarters of the US population are happy tonight and many days to come as almost everyone was for the Saints. The Saints did not just win, they won big the Super Bowl 44th. Saints beat Colts: 31-17! Bravo everyone who had picked the Saints before the game started, including president Obama. Your prayers were heard.
I was a 5-year resident of New Orleans. I survived Hurricane Katrina with my school, my professors, my friends, and all New Orleanians. I want to see the great City of New Orleans again. The Saints' win tonight means so much to the people of New Orleans and will be the greatest inspiration for New Orleans’s recovery. Coupled with the election of the new Mayor and Council members yesterday, I believe New Orleans is back on its track.
New Orleans has great foods, great music, great architecture, great carnivals, including the Mardi Gras and the Jazz Festival, and is home of one of the nation's best schools – Tulane University. Welcome to New Orleans and the Mardi Gras, which will starts to roll next week.
Hello New Orleanians, I wish I was in New Orleans and on Burbon Street tonight. Cheers!
Louis Amstrong's song: When the Saints go marching in.
Bão tuyết ở DC
Trận tuyết 2 ngày qua đánh bại trận tuyết hồi cuối tháng 12. Trong đời, mình chưa bao giờ nhìn thấy nhiều tuyết đến vậy. Thiếu mấy inches nữa là phá vỡ record của năm 1922. Những cành cây nào mà còn lá thì thôi rồi lượm ơi, trĩu xuống một cách khổ sở. Cành cây không lá còn bị gẫy nữa mà. Bây giờ hỏi xe mình nằm ở đâu thì cũng đành bó tay. Tuyết đã hết từ đêm qua, trời đang nắng đẹp nhưng đường xá thì vẫn chưa được dọn tuyết. Chỉ có tàu điện ngầm dưới đất là hoạt động thôi.
Nhiệt độ đang đì đẹt ở mức -7 và sẽ chỉ lên đến -3 là cao nhất trong ngày hôm nay nên đống tuyết kia chắc sẽ đóng thành đá. Cần nhất bây giờ là một trận mưa và nhiệt độ tăng. Bằng không thì đi đâu cũng phải sử dụng đôi giày cao cổ.
Nhưng tuyết cũng tạo ra những cảnh tượng đẹp kinh ngạc, nhất là lúc hoàng hôn lặn. Sướng nhất là lũ chó. Người lớn, trẻ con đều tranh thủ những chỗ có thể để trượt tuyết. Thế mà sáng dậy vẫn có những người chạy thể thao giữa đường.
Video: Ném tuyết ở Dupont Circle
Ảnh (Huffpost)
Chó rất khoái nghịch tuyết (ảnh NBC Washington).
Trẻ con thích thú (Ảnh NBC)
Hoàng hôn trong tuyết (ảnh NBC)
Nhiệt độ đang đì đẹt ở mức -7 và sẽ chỉ lên đến -3 là cao nhất trong ngày hôm nay nên đống tuyết kia chắc sẽ đóng thành đá. Cần nhất bây giờ là một trận mưa và nhiệt độ tăng. Bằng không thì đi đâu cũng phải sử dụng đôi giày cao cổ.
Nhưng tuyết cũng tạo ra những cảnh tượng đẹp kinh ngạc, nhất là lúc hoàng hôn lặn. Sướng nhất là lũ chó. Người lớn, trẻ con đều tranh thủ những chỗ có thể để trượt tuyết. Thế mà sáng dậy vẫn có những người chạy thể thao giữa đường.
Video: Ném tuyết ở Dupont Circle
Ảnh (Huffpost)
Chó rất khoái nghịch tuyết (ảnh NBC Washington).
Trẻ con thích thú (Ảnh NBC)
Hoàng hôn trong tuyết (ảnh NBC)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wedding
This is inspired by the Valentine’s that is coming close.
I talked to some of my close high-school and college classmates on the New Year and many of them asked me about my love life and when I would get married with all of their interest and curiousity. Those are the first things I know I will always be asked. I told them that I was still single and a friend even reacted: “why is that?” This question could be considered rude and stupid in Western culture. I don’t consider it’s rude, but as I have said somewhere, it could make me feel uncomfortable.
My sister recently asks me this same type of question. Last time, I had to show her my discomfort by saying: “Don’t you have any other things to talk about?” She then laughed and said: “Don’t be too insane”. I am not insane so I talked her back: “Do you remember how fun it was being single? Have you ever thought about being single again and have a first date with a sexy guy? How exciting it would be to see a new guy instead of a too-frequently-seen and growing-belly guy – I meant her husband? Do you remember when you were out late with friends and even stayed over night at their places? How free were you? So stop asking me that same question as single is great and I enjoyed every minute of it. In addition, both single and relationship have the same ups and downs so don’t even think one state is superior to the other, especially when we live in the 21st century.”
That said. But I guess my all-time-sweet dream would also have to go down to a wedding. I am not the type of rebel like the kid in the book “The catcher in the rye”. So, I would like to talk about wedding. Where do I want to have my wedding? Las Vegas, or NYC? Hell, No. I hate big weddings and noisy places. In a church? That is possible. There are so many liberal and non-crazy churches that we would wed in, especially if my other half is Christian. How cool it would be to have a wedding in a nice chapel with some close fiends and family then head off with them to a dinner in a nice restaurant. I also like deserted places. Last year, Mai and Tom wedded in a mountain in Vermont with just close family and friends and I think it was a terrific idea. I like a quiet, close-to-nature, and relaxing place where we can then be naked and freely do anything we want.
But I think the detail of the wedding is not important. It’s all about love. It’s all about the other half of mine. And it’s about our commitment and how we can keep our commitment survived once we made it to the public. A big question is: ARE WE ABLE TO COMMIT TO EACH OTHER?
Well, I have been worried too far ahead of time. The reality is that I firstly need to find my true love (though I am not sure about the concept of “true love”). Should I say I love you on this Valentine’s? Aging (hic, I am an old, fat and bald guy) and experience have made me so reluctant to say: “I love you”. I’d rather continue saying: “I like you” or don’t say anything. It might take me at least 6 months or so to say the big words. And I don’t believe in someone who said to me: “I love you” after a short period of time knowing each other.
My friends, I would like to hear about the kinds of wedding you do want or you did have.
I talked to some of my close high-school and college classmates on the New Year and many of them asked me about my love life and when I would get married with all of their interest and curiousity. Those are the first things I know I will always be asked. I told them that I was still single and a friend even reacted: “why is that?” This question could be considered rude and stupid in Western culture. I don’t consider it’s rude, but as I have said somewhere, it could make me feel uncomfortable.
My sister recently asks me this same type of question. Last time, I had to show her my discomfort by saying: “Don’t you have any other things to talk about?” She then laughed and said: “Don’t be too insane”. I am not insane so I talked her back: “Do you remember how fun it was being single? Have you ever thought about being single again and have a first date with a sexy guy? How exciting it would be to see a new guy instead of a too-frequently-seen and growing-belly guy – I meant her husband? Do you remember when you were out late with friends and even stayed over night at their places? How free were you? So stop asking me that same question as single is great and I enjoyed every minute of it. In addition, both single and relationship have the same ups and downs so don’t even think one state is superior to the other, especially when we live in the 21st century.”
That said. But I guess my all-time-sweet dream would also have to go down to a wedding. I am not the type of rebel like the kid in the book “The catcher in the rye”. So, I would like to talk about wedding. Where do I want to have my wedding? Las Vegas, or NYC? Hell, No. I hate big weddings and noisy places. In a church? That is possible. There are so many liberal and non-crazy churches that we would wed in, especially if my other half is Christian. How cool it would be to have a wedding in a nice chapel with some close fiends and family then head off with them to a dinner in a nice restaurant. I also like deserted places. Last year, Mai and Tom wedded in a mountain in Vermont with just close family and friends and I think it was a terrific idea. I like a quiet, close-to-nature, and relaxing place where we can then be naked and freely do anything we want.
But I think the detail of the wedding is not important. It’s all about love. It’s all about the other half of mine. And it’s about our commitment and how we can keep our commitment survived once we made it to the public. A big question is: ARE WE ABLE TO COMMIT TO EACH OTHER?
Well, I have been worried too far ahead of time. The reality is that I firstly need to find my true love (though I am not sure about the concept of “true love”). Should I say I love you on this Valentine’s? Aging (hic, I am an old, fat and bald guy) and experience have made me so reluctant to say: “I love you”. I’d rather continue saying: “I like you” or don’t say anything. It might take me at least 6 months or so to say the big words. And I don’t believe in someone who said to me: “I love you” after a short period of time knowing each other.
My friends, I would like to hear about the kinds of wedding you do want or you did have.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The mixed feeling on Friday
Today is Friday – the last day of a week at work. I have a terribly busy week. I supposed to have a day off right after my travels but too much work prevented me from doing so. It has, however, been a productive week, as my past 4 months have also been productive. This is nice as being effective makes me feel self-appreciated, self-motivated, and happier.
Working in poor settings grants me a better sense of where I want to be and what I want to do next. Do I want to work in academics i.e. being a professor, or do I want to work in a combined research and intervention program like what I am doing right now? Each has pros and cons. Professor seems a nice and stable job but its academic research is, sometime, so removed from reality that might not really benefit people. Professors usually have to produce at least a few research papers each year, but many of these papers might never have a chance to impact people’s life. I, of course, also understand that knowledge is indefinite, and thus we need to add more understanding to a growing body of literature of all fields.
The non-academic global health track gives me the chance to see different places, different life, and all kinds of struggles that people are facing. It gives me the sense of compassion for human beings. There are no simple answers for the causes of poverty and diseases. We should not be here to blame for the poor in Africa for not knowing how many children they should have, how to practice safer sex, how to have healthy behaviors, or how to raise farm animals; or be here to blame for what we have seen in Haiti. If there was a choice, I believe none of those people would have ever wanted to be born in Africa or Hattie; or as many of us would have never wanted to be born in Vietnam. Instead, here we should live an out-loud life though it has been so often shaped by undesired forces and out of our expectations; and we are here to fix the world, which was unfortunately created unequal before we were even born.
But traveling to and living in different places are tough. I would like to spend a few years in one African country but there might be issues related to relationship and family. In addition, I also need to pursue the American citizenship before I should live in a third country. The citizenship would be helpful for my travels and for securing funding for my projects.
*****
It’s snowing heavily outside my office. It is predicted to have 10-12 inches of snow by 3 AM tomorrow. DC 's snow emergency policy allows workers to have their liberal leaves. But I live just a 10-minute walking distance from my office so I don’t mind to stay. I love seeing snow falling outside the window, or walking down the roads letting snow covering my head. I thought, snow is the incredible creation of nature.
The Vietnamese New Year (Tet) is coming close. The past 5 years have driven me so far from Tet. It is family time so I feel a little bit guilty for not being able to be part of it. My guilt also comes from the fact that my family will always expect me to be home during Tet, but it might no longer necessarily be my need, and that I am losing my desire for Tet. I, however, have a little “lucky money” for all of my nephews and nieces and I do hope it adds a little more to their excitement, and that they would understand that I will always be there for them. I promise to myself, I will make it home next Tet.
Working in poor settings grants me a better sense of where I want to be and what I want to do next. Do I want to work in academics i.e. being a professor, or do I want to work in a combined research and intervention program like what I am doing right now? Each has pros and cons. Professor seems a nice and stable job but its academic research is, sometime, so removed from reality that might not really benefit people. Professors usually have to produce at least a few research papers each year, but many of these papers might never have a chance to impact people’s life. I, of course, also understand that knowledge is indefinite, and thus we need to add more understanding to a growing body of literature of all fields.
The non-academic global health track gives me the chance to see different places, different life, and all kinds of struggles that people are facing. It gives me the sense of compassion for human beings. There are no simple answers for the causes of poverty and diseases. We should not be here to blame for the poor in Africa for not knowing how many children they should have, how to practice safer sex, how to have healthy behaviors, or how to raise farm animals; or be here to blame for what we have seen in Haiti. If there was a choice, I believe none of those people would have ever wanted to be born in Africa or Hattie; or as many of us would have never wanted to be born in Vietnam. Instead, here we should live an out-loud life though it has been so often shaped by undesired forces and out of our expectations; and we are here to fix the world, which was unfortunately created unequal before we were even born.
But traveling to and living in different places are tough. I would like to spend a few years in one African country but there might be issues related to relationship and family. In addition, I also need to pursue the American citizenship before I should live in a third country. The citizenship would be helpful for my travels and for securing funding for my projects.
*****
It’s snowing heavily outside my office. It is predicted to have 10-12 inches of snow by 3 AM tomorrow. DC 's snow emergency policy allows workers to have their liberal leaves. But I live just a 10-minute walking distance from my office so I don’t mind to stay. I love seeing snow falling outside the window, or walking down the roads letting snow covering my head. I thought, snow is the incredible creation of nature.
The Vietnamese New Year (Tet) is coming close. The past 5 years have driven me so far from Tet. It is family time so I feel a little bit guilty for not being able to be part of it. My guilt also comes from the fact that my family will always expect me to be home during Tet, but it might no longer necessarily be my need, and that I am losing my desire for Tet. I, however, have a little “lucky money” for all of my nephews and nieces and I do hope it adds a little more to their excitement, and that they would understand that I will always be there for them. I promise to myself, I will make it home next Tet.
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