Back to Reality

The new semester officially started two weeks ago. But the summer only ended yesterday with Huy's parents boarding the plane bound for Hanoi. Though the time we spent together wasn't plenty (only 30 days out of a lifetime), the warmth of family love and care was more than enough to warrant a feeling of emptiness and nostalgia.

During their month-long visit, we exposed them to a breadth of exhilarating outdoor and indoor activities, from hiking up the lush mountains of Hawaii, treading the crystal-clear aqua blue sea water, watching the spectacular "luau" (Hawaiian feast) to strolling down the world-famous Vegas strip, witnessing the cacophony of sights and sounds and pulling those infamous slot machines. They not only got to embrace the unique island experience, but also the fascinating anomalies of Vegas, a place like no other. We have our reasons to pick these two places to show our parents. We feel that the remarkable architecture and human creativity of Vegas wonderfully complements the breathtaking natural beauty of Hawaii. This is probably the best combination that America can offer.

Vacation was a reinvigorating time. It was the time to forget daily worries and indulge in good food, good books and good sleep. There were no alarm clocks, no wake-up calls, no homeworks, no appointments. Days blended seamlessly into nights.

Which is precisely the point.

Only now I'm swamped with the amount of catching up I need to tackle (from completing schoolwork, looking around for job opportunities, to connecting with old friends..)

It's gonna be a busy school year.

Yet, in the midst of all this madness, some music by Ha Tran can brighten my day. Ha Tran has for long been one of my favorite Vietnamese singers. I love her tenuous and playful voice and her versatile singing techniques, which together make soulful music products.

The following song called "Nhang Nho" is from her most recent album titled "Tran Tien". It truly is an excellent piece.