Trouble hassles

After two days of enjoying the moment with family on Hon Son Island (Kien Giang), we chose to return
to the mainland. Everything was beautiful at first until the clouds darkened the entire sky and the rain
became stronger after 30 minutes in the sea.

The wind blew so hard that it shook the boat, I had never seen anything so terrifying like this. Even on
the boat, the water was rough, causing everyone to move downstairs, and the space grew even more
packed as a result. The captain and mate were all focused on steering the boat out of the storm. Almost
everyone was anxious and afraid, and the toilets were overflowing with passengers who were all
seasick. To get over it, I just put it out of my mind, I also risked myself with asleep.

After having a long snooze, it was good to get back on terra firm again (The boat battled with the winds
and waves to come back to the land). I'm not sure what happened after that, but thankfully everyone
was fine. It was also perhaps the most unforgettable and terrifying experience of my life.

Benefit of laughter
Have you heard the old saying that laughter is the best medicine?
As we know, laughter is a physical expression of pleasant emotions among human beings, which is
preceded by what one sees, hears, or feels. In an attempt to express friendly inner feelings, a person
eventually turns into laughter. Here are some benefits of laughter you can get from it.

First and foremost, reduces stress or stress hormone levels. You're simultaneously cutting the anxiety
and stress that impacts your body or your health by reducing it. Additionally, the reduction of stress
hormones may result in higher immune system performance like it can help you stay safe from viruses
by releasing anti-infection antibodies.

Besides that, laughter is a great cardio workout, especially for those who are incapable of doing other
physical activity due to injury or illness. It gets your heart pumping and burns a similar number of
calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace.

Even a simple smile has benefits. It can uplift you. It makes breathing easier – try it and see. It can also
create warm fuzzies between lovers and even strangers. So, consider this.

Superstition in Viet Nam

Superstitions exist everywhere on this planet. However, it can be different between countries. I think
that Vietnam and Asia alike can be more superstitious than other continents. Here are some
superstitions in Viet Nam that I can talk with you about.

First and foremost, many people give ‘Ghost money’ to ancestors. Ghost money refers to imitation bills
that are symbolic offerings to deceased ancestors. Ghost money is printed on bamboo paper and can be
made to resemble Vietnamese dong, Thai baht, or even U.S. dollars that are burnt and dedicated to the
family’s ancestors. Some believe the ancestors can deposit this money in an afterlife bank, while others
view ghost money as payment for the ancestors granting the living family’s wishes.

The following superstition is quite popular with students in Vietnam, not eating eggs before exams. A lot
of students avoid having eggs in their diet in the days leading up to a big exam. Reasons? Quite silly.
Eggs look like the number 0, implying that they’d get a bad score. Instead, they prefer eating beans,
especially red beans, as red is the color of good luck, and beans in Vietnamese are called “đậu” or “đỗ”,
which are homophones for the word for “passing an exam”. Of course, this is often taken lightheartedly
as a simple little act to hope for good luck on the big day.

Dream job
It’s my honor to share with you about my dream job
It is the job of a computer programmer who works as a freelancer. It means I can travel anywhere and
work anywhen I want as long as I have a laptop and internet connection.
This job involves writing software for other companies who need the software to solve some problems
in daily life or the company’s operation. In fact, my actual job is to make life and the operation process
easier with my computer program. 
To be suitable for this job, first of all, I need to have teamwork skills because when a program is written,
it has to be tested by other programmers to assure the result. Therefore, communication is one of
the crucial criteria. More than that, since computer science changes rapidly every year, self-study is
especially needed to keep up with these changes. Lastly, creativity is taken into consideration as it
decides if my software is competitive or not. 
I think this job is perfect for me because I can help make the lives of my customers easier. Plus, thanks
to this job, I can practice my soft skills like communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. And
the last reason, which I think is the most appealing one, is that this job nowadays is really well paid. I
have never met any computer programmers who have a low income, for sure. 
So that’s all I would like to say about my dream job. Thank you for your listening.

Personality characteristic
It’s kind of tough to talk about someone’s characteristics and I believe, the way we judge ourselves
differs from the perspective other people judge us. Nonetheless, we all have our idea about our
characteristics, and I would like to talk about that I am quite ambitious. I'm not sure whether this
personality is good for me or not, but I always strive to give it my all in order to succeed. I can sit in front
of the computer for 6-8 hours straight and not take a break or eat until I complete a job or reach a
specific stage.
Besides that, I guess the most important or the most obvious thing about me is I’m a bit of an introvert.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t like being around people. I actually love it. I thrive on deep conversations
where I feel a strong connection with someone. And I’d like to think I’m a good listener and a
good conversationalist. Maybe it’s because I don’t like to talk about myself, so I always ask others
questions about themselves.
Best friend
Well, when it comes to my closest friend, off the top of my head, I would say it’s Linh. In fact, we have
been friends since my first year at secondary school. To this day, I still remember the first time I met her
in class. At first, I thought she was a talkative and graceless girl. However, as I got to know her more, I
realized that Linh was a very loveable person and in fact, we shared a lot in common.

When it comes to personality, I and Linh are complete opposites. While she is very approachable and
patient, I am rather bad-tempered and reserved. To me, one of Linh’s most admirable personality traits
is that she has good communication skills. I mean, she can easily strike up a conversation with anyone
that she’s just met.

Back in the days when we were still in high school, we hung out with other friends every week, mostly at
the coffee or the food stalls near our school. Now both of us are always occupied with studying at
different universities. I only see her once every other month, so we always have a lot of catching up to
do.

I consider Linh my best friend for a couple of reasons. Firstly, she really respects me and loves me for
who I am. Secondly, despite having a hectic schedule, she’s always willing to lend a sympathetic
ear whenever I have problems or feel demotivated.

Genius

People often throw the word genius at those who accomplish something world-class like a person who
displays exceptional intellectual ability, creative productivity, and universality in genres. But to me, the
genius that I really know the most is my mom.

Her abilities: in terms of EQ (emotional quotient).

 Always be patient with my fault, forgive all the mistakes, and send help whenever I need
her.
 Answer all the stupid questions
 Although she is busy with the housework, she is always willing to lend me a sympathetic
ear whatever I have a problem or feel demotivated.
Where is his/her intelligence coming from? The environment or his/her genes
 Comes from her unconditional love + responsibility when being a mother.
Why he/she is called a “genius”
 She can stay humorous and warm-hearted all the time
 Be thoughtful and give a good model for me to follow, even if she is in a really bad
period of life.
New technologies

Technology is rapidly improving, offering new innovations and revolutionary projects every year. At any
given moment, scientists, and engineers are out there creating the next piece of future technology that
will change our lives. Prominent among them is Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology is an emerging science that is expected to have rapid and strong future developments.
It is predicted to contribute significantly to economic growth and job creation in the coming decades.
It might be used to fight against climate change because we need new ways to generate and use
electricity, and nanotechnology is already playing a role. It has helped create batteries that can store
more energy for electric cars and has enabled solar panels to convert more sunlight into electricity.

Nanomedicine researchers are looking at ways that nanotechnology can improve vaccines, including
vaccine delivery without the use of needles. Researchers also are working to create a universal vaccine
scaffold for the annual flu vaccine that would cover more strains and require fewer resources to develop
each year.

Although there are many debates surrounding the practical use of nanotechnology in life, I am
convinced that it will transform the world for the better.

Difficult period

I hear some really right quotes, one of them is:” You cannot create an experience, you must undergo it.”
Experiences, from my viewpoint, are the best way to learn and grow up. I have been observing different
situations from three years of high school, but the most difficult period of my life is right now, the first
year at university.

I say that because, this is the time when I had to do everything, without the assistance of my parents or
loved ones, I had to take care of myself and do things on my own that I had never done before or only
did on occasion. It's lonely not having someone by my side to help me, but it appears to be maturing me
day by day, and I'm beginning to love myself and others around me. As a result, I've learned a valuable
lesson about becoming more self-sufficient and less totally dependent on others.

It's difficult and demanding, but I believe it's worthwhile to go through and learn.

Culture shock

They say moving is one of the most stressful things you can do, so it’s no surprise that people struggle
when they move to a new city. And I am one of them. Perhaps, I've spent my whole life in the
countryside since I was born, so seeing the city is a unique experience for me. Everything is really
stranger and new. I feel like the fish out of water. It overwhelms me with high-rise structures and
numerous vehicles on the street. (driver’s license)
I appreciate how people here are always active with their job and very noisy. In the countryside,
sometimes it's just the laughter of housewives when they go to the market or the sound of tractors
plowing in the early morning. And this is also the time when I had to do everything, without the
assistance of my parents.
And I need to get used to the lifestyle, people, bustle, and hustle here. I have to become more
independent when I started studying at university. It’s so difficult and demanding, however, I believe it's
worthwhile to go through and learn.