More About
Duong
Xin chào! 欢迎！ようこそ! Welcome!
If you have clicked into this page, I assume that means you want to get to know about me a little more ;) Thank you! I am very grateful for your interest, and I am more than happy to give you some sketches about who I am, those that are more personal (maybe, less mundane...) than "PhD Candidate in Political Science".
Even if it was just a technical glitch and you do not know why you ended up here, that is okay too. Feel free to stay for a bit as this is that "fun" part you do not always find on resume websites. I will tell you about my personal interests/hobbies/favorites, my life stories, my struggles, and so much more.
So, Duong? Yes, Duong.
On the left is a photo of me taken at Now Coffee and Bistro, in Đà Lạt, my hometown. On the right, a photo of me and Monday, my little cousin whom I grew up with. Yes, we lived in the same house throughout our childhood. Now, my question for you: who am I in the photo? The little cute baby or the cranky girl with the pigtails? Go on, I will give you the answer at the end of this page ;)
Alright, below, I give you four "fun" facts about me.
I don't know why "four". Just because four is convenient for my design of that web section, I think...
4 Things About Duong
Hopefully the facts are fun...
01
Food
I have a very Asian-Vietnamese palate. My favorite is phở, and my comfort dish is a hot bowl of nui sườn, made by mom or myself, with the help of Quỳnh. I am a heavy coffee addict. Vietnamese Cà Phê Sữa Đá is the best. In the photo, I hold two cups. Guess which one is mine? Easy right? Also, the photo was taken by Quỳnh at The Crazy House or Biệt Thự Hằng Nga in Đà Lạt, my hometown. Later on, I will tell you some cool stories about that House. Stay if you are curious!
03
Music & Instrument
I love music! My day cannot goes by without me listening to music and singing along. Mostly, I follow VPOP, CPOP, JPOP and KPOP. Recently, I am into YOASOBI's songs. Fun story: my Chinese is not so good, but my singing Chinese is good, approved by many Chinese friends.
I play the piano, though not so excellently. I fell in love with piano by listening to Yiruma's, and covers of pop songs. I really do not like classical music.
02
Books
My favorite book of all time is Liu Cixin's "The Three Body Problem". I don't even read sci-fi that much. It is just that the book is really good.
I also consider myself a Haruki Murakami's fan. I love the magical realism in this book, the meticulous description of places and people, and the existentialism embedded in his plots. Now here comes the shock: I don't like "Kafka On The Shore". My favorite is "Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World".
04
Sports
I play table tennis for years, but since moving to the U.S., I had to quỉt, simply because only three types of people play table tennis here: (1) real athletes (2) old Asian people and (3) those who think "ping pong" is not a real sport; and I cannot find myself in any of these groups. Instead, I have recently been into rope jumping and running!
Food I make, from left to right: my signature Nui Sườn, my Cơm Thịt Nướng Rau Củ, and Canh Chua Cá, all made when I live with Quỳnh in the U.S.
Left: A photo of me playing River Flows In you by Yiruma in a hotel in Sichuan. I was on a field trip with fellow Yenching Scholars.
Right: A feast we had in Sichuan, in the same field trip. Yes, you have figured out. I am that type of person who cannot start a meal without snapping a photo.
Left: A photo of me playing LOVE PNOI by Yiruma in a music center in Beijing. Because of COVID-19, I had to leave Beijing earlier than expected, and I never used up my membership at that music center.
Middle: Talking about Beijing, I really loved this type of cup noodle when I was there. I would always leave the library at around 9PM for a near-by on-campus market, wrap one cup and a stick of sausage, head back to my room and enjoy my supper. Somehow, I did not gain weight.
Right: A late night in my dorm room at Peking University, with a book, latte, and Yiruma.
4 Places Duong Have Been To
Đi một ngày đàng học một sàng khôn. Đúng là thế. Nhưng sống trên đời này, việc đi đây đi đó không phải là sự lựa chọn cá nhân muốn làm là làm được. Đó là một đặc quyền, mà tôi chỉ là một kẻ may mắn sao được hưởng cái đặc quyền đấy. Vì thế, tôi rất biết ơn. Cũng vì thế, tôi chẳng bao giờ dám trịch thượng cho rằng việc tôi được đi đây đi kia làm tôi trở nên hơn người. Tôi chỉ muốn chia sẻ vài ba câu chuyện tôi cóp nhặt suốt cả quãng đường, xem như để ôn lại kỉ niệm, cũng như để mọi người góp ý cho tôi. (to be continued)