I should stop starting my blog post with “It has been a while”. Just because it started to be so repetitive. Yet… This video of Ocean Vuong made my comeback.
It felt like a burden to have the potential to change someone's life in the same way that my teachers changed mine. Each year, as I assisted others in their development, I witnessed my own progress. I am grateful for the teaching experience because it allowed me to (for the first time!) envision myself in five years.
Books
Two books I have read in the past months are: Expecting Better and Cribsheet by Emily Oster. These books are quite regression while tackling parenting with empirical evidences. If you're as preoccupied with scientific reasoning as I am, you're like me. Here are your two available book recommendations.
Podcast
This might save you time if you spend a significant amount of time contemplating aging. In this episode, Dr. David Sinclair discussed techniques for delaying aging. The Wim Hof Method, frequent exercise, and intermittent fasting are options. According to Dr. Sinclair, the main takeaway from this podcast is to expose oneself to unpleasant environments (extreme heat, hunger, physical challenge, etc.)
I have been religiously listening to Midnight Talks for the last month. These discussions helped me understand our nation through the perspective of its history. If you are interested in listening to anything other than economics, I strongly suggest this podcast.
Lastly, I must highlight this episode of Have a Sip. Ms. Xuan Phuong is 90 years old. She worked many occupations throughout her lifetime, during both war and peace. I saw the flexibility her mindset. Something I usually suggest to my students. To be flexible and never adhere to predetermined orthodoxy. What stays in my memory is the reminder that we often see (nhìn) things but fail to notice (thấy). We lack attentiveness while seeing and listening.
Movies
The film In our Prime focuses on education and teaching. This film reminds me of a society that is grade-obsessed. In the classroom, it results in academic dishonesty. I vividly recall the scene where the math professor (our protagonist) used this Pi song to illustrate the beauty of mathematics. Ultimately, integrity and intrinsic motivation are what sustain and deepen true knowledge.
Songs
Simple and very catchy song from Vinh Khuat, hope you like it!