Saturday, October 11, 2014

An unexpectedly free dinner



Yes, it is. Totally free. I'm not kidding. Totally surprising!

I was waiting for the call from the organization I had applied for an intern position, a call came. But it wasn’t the number of that place. I just picked it up and someone at the other end said I got picked for a free dinner at a newly opened restaurant. "What???? Wait a moment! What have I done? How come I have got it?". I asked myself. It turned out I had registered for a free meal test at a newly opened restaurant in the town via a food website on the Internet, and luckily I got selected. I could eat as much as I want for free but I had to write a review with at least 200 words about that restaurant in exchange according to the organizer. A piece of cake! So let's go. 

The restaurant was small but lovely, located in the city center. Its name is Notre Dame, deriving from the name of the well-known church in Paris since the owner spent more than 10 years living in France. We, me and some other people, ate a lot. But I didn't eat meat that day so I ended up eating all vegetarian food. How grateful I was to the owner as his restaurant doesn't serve vegetarian or vegan food but he still made some due to my "special but weird" order. 

And here are what I ate 



From the top left: grilled veggie burger (the strangest vegan burger I have tried but it tasted good, the veggie were so yum), fried spring rolls (I ate some of them as they were vegetarian), black grape smoothie (too creamy for me), mushroom pancake (sadly it was plain), pineapple fried rice and uncaptured tropical fruit salad.

We didn't have chance to taste dessert since we were all full. Our dinner was ended with picture of all of us, including the owner. The food were all good but they weren't very special. The owner should invest more ideas to upgrade the flavor and quality of foods, focus on some foods that make brand for his restaurant if he wants to succeed in the culinary path. Anyway thanks the food website and the restaurant owner for organizing this small but fun event! And all the best to the owner and his restaurant!


Saturday, October 4, 2014

Feeling blue - How to reduce stress {WIAW}

What will you do when everything around you doesn't happen in the way you expected?
What will you do when everything seems to be against you
When everyone doesn't understand you...
When what you are about to say all turns in stones and just drops in the thin air...
What will you do?

....

There was a feeling that was soft, intangible and unnamable. She didn't know what it exactly was but it had stayed inside her and become a stone. She just called it "a block of feeling". It had been around since she reached home after 1 year studying abroad. 1 year living on her own, doing everything on her own, she did miss her parents and other beloved ones but she never felt lonely. Coming back home with the ones she didn't see in the past one year, she did feel happy but at the same time, she felt lost. It seemed she didn't belong to this world. She couldn't get anyone around her and neither did them. More sadly, she couldn't put her feelings in words to speak them out as words would turn in stones which makes her and the surrounding people hurt. Finally, she chose writing as a way to express what she felt. When she couldn't talk to anyone, she wrote. Gradually, her blog became her friend, the one couldn't speak but knew how to listen well.

....

That girl is me and that is what I felt several days ago when I got stressed. Sometimes in life I miscommunicate with the world. I don't know how to talk to other people sometimes since I don't feel any connection between us. So I end up writing all of thoughts down even if I know they are stupid, but more importantly, I need to live, to continue my life. Writing is a way to talk to myself, listen to the person inside me, to understand myself better and feel the inner peace.

....

Dating with some friends could help to forget stress if I'm not really in a bad mood. Seeing my close friend, spending time with her doing whatever always lightens me. A broken relationship I have had before has taught me how hard to strike up a relationship is, but to work at it is much harder.  I do love spending time alone but also enjoy my bestie's company.

Also , I started doing yoga. Light - but - powerful moves, plus some breathing ways and even meditation have really slowed me down,  found serenity and reduced stress.


.....

Life is not simply and easy to live. It leaves us high and dry sometimes and we feel so blue. And we have rights to do that. It's just don't live with that feeling forever. The better is finding out what can heal your soul. When the outer peace meets your inner peace, you will see sustainability. 

...

I was in a mood called "Japan sick" as I miss that country and my time there so much. Can you guess what I craved all the time was? It was SUSHIIIIII.  I couldn't stand that craving so me and my friend went to eat sushi together at a small but lovely restaurant in the Old Quarter. My friend ordered a combo while I chose oshizushi. They looked so gorgeous and tasted as good as they looked. Then we were off to a cafe nearby called Cộng Cafe. I have to say I fell in love with this cafe at the first sight. It resembles Hanoi of years ago, which brings an antique and peaceful atmosphere to customers. Time, space, sorrow, everything seemed to stop, just my friend and me together. And I felt peace!

Oshizushi with daikon, carrot and seaweed. Looks beautiful, doesn't it?

Cộng Cafe - my new favorite place, where I found peace!

Coconut coffee - tasted strangely delicious

with my bestie - my everything. How lucky I am to be her companion