#oldstory

[humansofhanoi]

Là tôi ngoác mồm lên cãi: noi gương bố, con 40 mới phải lập gia đình. Vì sao nhở? Bố mãi 32 tuổi mới lấy vợ, mà hồi đó thanh niên 30 đã có cháu rồi... Đấy, bố tôi cưới mẹ tôi năm 32 tuổi, bằng tuổi tôi bây giờ. Bố năm nay 77, mẹ tôi vừa tròn 70. Ngót nghét đã 45 năm từ ngày nắm tay nhau về nhà. Bố mẹ tôi hồi đó đều dạy và công tác ở trường Đại học Bách Khoa, bố khoá 4, mẹ khoá 11. Đến giờ ông bà cụ vẫn chưa kể làm thế nào mà nên duyên, chắc xấu hổ. Tôi nghe kể năm 1972 cưới nhau khổ lắm, Mỹ nó ném bom miền Bắc thường xuyên. Cả nước kháng chiến chống Mỹ, đói - nghèo - khổ là bộ ba trạng thái thường trực từ Hà Nội về đến quê, chỗ nào cũng thế. Cả hai nhà nội ngoại đều xuất thân nông dân, ông nội tôi mất sớm từ năm 1945, ông bà chả có gì cho bố mẹ ngoài tình thương vô hạn. Bố mẹ lấy nhau trong khi cái nghèo đeo đuổi vì lương công chức quèn lấy đâu ra tiền tổ chức đám cưới tươm tất. Giường cưới chỉ là tấm phản cọt kẹt nằm trong góc nhà bà nội tôi ở quê, chuột thỉnh thoảng vẫn chạy qua chạy lại. Áo cưới là thứ xa xỉ sao dám mơ - mẹ bảo thế. Mà cũng đúng thật, bố mẹ bạn bè tôi trên 60 tuổi cũng không có mấy người được khoác lên mình bộ váy cưới. Mẹ tôi theo bố, ngoài tình yêu ra chẳng có gì. Thời bao cấp ai cũng nghèo toét đít, đói trường kỳ. Cuối năm 1972, khi mẹ mang bầu anh Hà, nhà tôi hồi đó ở đầu Bạch Mai bị trúng bom Mỹ, may mẹ lúc đó đi làm trên phòng thí nghiệm hoá học nên giờ tôi mới được ngồi gõ được những dòng này trên một sản phẩm của người Mỹ. Rồi đến những năm tháng bố đi nước ngoài triền miên, để lại mẹ ở nhà nuôi dậy anh tôi và về sau là tôi. Những năm 70 thông tin liên lạc khó khắn lắm, bố tôi đi nghiên cứu sinh bên Gruzia gần 5 năm mà chỉ có thể phần nào lấp đầy nỗi nhớ qua những phong thư 6 tháng mẹ mới nhận được một lần. Mẹ tần tảo nuôi anh Hà lớn lên. Rồi bố lại đi Algeria, thông qua chương trình của chính phủ Việt Nam gửi giáo sư sang đó trả dần nợ hồi chiến tranh. Bố lại đi và mẹ lại ở nhà sinh và nuôi tôi lớn. Bố mãi vất vả làm việc xứ người gửi tiền về nuôi ba mẹ con (trước nhà tôi có tivi màu đầu tiên trong xóm, cả xóm cứ tối đến quây quần bên tivi xem thời sự thích cực!) còn mẹ một mình cáng đáng việc nước việc nhà nuôi anh tôi và tôi nên người. Bức tranh cuộc đời bố mẹ giống nhau kỳ lạ, đó là luôn cách xa và luôn hy sinh vì gia đình, vì các con. Còn cái tôi? Thôi để sau. Tôi và gia đình anh trai luôn động viên bố mẹ đi chơi xa cùng nhau, vì quả thật ở độ tuổi này, bố mẹ không còn quá nhiều thời gian. Bố mẹ ở tuổi này rồi vẫn chưa thực sự quen với việc cần sống cho bản thân mình, mà vẫn lo tiết kiệm từng đồng cho con cái - dù trước tôi làm Uber, tạo tài khoản cho mẹ dùng thẻ của tôi để đi Uber, mà mẹ tiếc tiền, lúc nào có khuyến mãi mới đi, còn lại cụ bảo đi xe buýt cho “khoẻ.” Tuổi trẻ như tôi cũng không biết mình có thể làm gì cho bố mẹ vui (ngoài việc 32 tuổi vẫn ăn bám bố mẹ một ngày 3 bữa cơm đều như vắt chanh). Có mấy lần xúc động, mẹ tâm sự mẹ buồn vì chưa được khoác lên mình váy cưới bao giờ. Năm nay mẹ 70 và kỷ niệm 45 năm ngày cưới bố mẹ, tặng mẹ và bố một bất ngờ nho nhỏ - một chiếc váy cưới và một bộ ảnh cưới “muộn” cho bố mẹ tại chính nơi tình yêu bắt đầu - Đại học Bách Khoa. Mẹ đẹp và đôn hậu lắm, và lâu rồi mới thấy bố hiền và ngượng nghịu thế này. Chúc bố mẹ sức khoẻ tốt, tiếp tục tập bơi và yoga thường xuyên, sống lâu trăm tuổi cho con cháu tiếp tục hành hehe. Muộn cũng hay, vì gia đình mình càng ngày càng bành trướng, mà ông Cương bà Thoa thích điều này! — Whenever my parents urge me to get married… I answer them back: I just follow dad’s example and won’t get married until 40. Why’s that? Dad got married when he was 32, though the youth back then usually got a child when they were 30… You see, dad got married when he was my age now, which is 32. Now, my dad is 77, and my mom is 70. It’s almost 45 years since they started living under one roof. Back in the day, they were lecturers at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Dad was 4 classes ahead of mom. Until now they haven’t let me know how they fell in love with one another. I guess it might make them embarrassed. I heard that they had to suffer a lot when getting married in 1972. Back then, the US bombarded the North of Vietnam all the time. During the nationwide Resistance War Against America, famine - poverty - misery are the never-ending situation that can be found in every part, from Hanoi to the countryside. My parents were both born into farmer’s families. My father’s father died in 1945. And grandparents had nothing other than their love to give my parents. My parents got married while they were living in poverty, as the salary of civil servants didn’t allow them to afford a decent wedding. The wedding bed was just a creaky wooden board in the corner of my grandma’s room in the countryside, with rats running around all the time. A wedding dress was a luxury beyond my mom’s reach. That’s true! Not many of my friend’s parents who are above 60 got a wedding dress. My mom just followed my dad home, with nothing but her love. It was Vietnam’s subsidy period, everyone was hard up and starving. At the end of 1972, when my mom was expecting my brother named Ha, my house, on Bach Mai Street, was attacked by a bomb from the US. Luckily, she was at the lab back then, so I get a chance to be here right now to type these lines with an American device. When dad went abroad again and again, my mom stayed at home to brought up my brother, and then me. In the 1970s, communications were quite a challenge. My dad spent 5 years in Gruzia on his post-graduate program, and all my mom received during the whole time was the hand-written letters that came once every six months. Mom devoted her life to raising my brother. Then my dad went to Algeria, in a program that Vietnamese professors were sent abroad to pay the war debt, leaving my mom at home giving birth to me and bringing me up. My dad toiled away overseas and sent money to Vietnam to raise the family. (Back then, my family was the first one to have a colored TV in the village. In the evening, the whole village gathered at my house to watch the news. It was great fun!) My mom was responsible for both the office work and housework, including raising my brother and me. My dad's and mom's way of life are alike in many ways. They both experienced separations and sacrificed their own lives for the family and their children. What about their egos? Just leave them there. My brother's family and I often encourage my parents to travel together. At this age, they don't have too much time left. They still haven't got used to living for themselves. They save up every penny for their children. When I worked for Uber, I created a Uber account using my credit card for my mom. But she didn't use it unless there was a promotion. My parents even said going by bus would do them good. A young guy like me doesn’t know how to delight my parents (except for the fact that I’m a freeloader who has 3 meals a day with my parents). Once in a while, mom is deeply moved, saying that she is sad because she hasn’t ever put on a wedding dress. This year, when mom is 70, is my parents’ 45th wedding anniversary. On this occasion, I gave them a small surprise - a dressing dress and a “belated” wedding photoshoot at the place where they struck up their love - Hanoi University of Science and Technology. My mom was really beautiful and graceful. And it is a long time since I last saw my dad was that gentle and embarrassed. I wish mom and dad good health. I hope they will keep practice swimming and yoga regularly, and live to 100 so that we can keep “teasing” them. *hehe* Having a belated photoshoot has its perks too, because my family is getting bigger and bigger, and my parents - Mr. Cuong and Mrs. Thoa like this!

[itsmeviya]

I'm miserable person right now, I'm in my phase again in which I question my self-worth and lost the reason why I need to keep on going.

[-likeastorm]

It’s the same old story

[ilya-bazhan]

Apartment building. Five-storey khrushchevka in the South-West of Saransk (Russia, Republic of Mordovia). Opposite this house to this day is a public transport stop. In the summer of 1991, near this stop a passenger car knocked down a boy of 12-13 years old. An hour after this incident, a white bone was found on the road. She was transferred to the doctors in intensive care, where the boy was. Doctors said that this bone flew out of the boy's leg during the stroke. For several days the boy was in intensive care in a serious condition and soon went on the mend. After several months of treatment, this boy not only recovered, but was able to walk. The doctors said that he was able to walk due to the fact that this bone was found. The man who discovered and handed over this bone to the doctors was my father.

August 6, 2017

Original photo size:

3263 by 2165 pixels

Original horizontal and vertical resolution:

72 dpi

The original, printed photo, has the size:

45 by 30 inches

115 by 76 cm

[whitewatchingowl-blog]

I Just remembered that there is a japanese Legend that says that you are the person you most loved in your past life. So Imagine if your soulmate looks like you looked in your past life and basically the Two of you always end up toghether or, at least, fall in love

[bubblefarts99]

growing up in a small town

    Crowd is cheering, stands are full, concession stand line is backed up, bright lights light the field, the cheering continues yet its’s getting louder, the announcer comes over the intercom, drums beating a chant, popcorn is thrown up in the air, balloons released, smiles and laughter spreads the stands, horns blaring, our team just got a touchdown. The amount of excitement from that one touchdown will last the whole game. In fact it’ll be the talk of the school the following Monday. Nothing beats a small town football game. There’s so much adrenaline, as the ban marches during halftime, the color-guard girls twirl their flags in the air, then a spirit walk way for the football boys, and the roar of the students and kids cheering on their team to win. Sunflower seed shells spread across the dirt and track, free shirts launched in the stands, everyone’s singing the school’s fight song, with those little boys in the top right of the stands pretending they’re the boys out playing on the field. Football games bring small town communities together, everyone wants that feeling of intense adrenaline where you can hear your own heartbeat and feel like you belong. 

     The morning after a late night of football is usually filled with a rush of excitement, as you remember the big win the night before. Some might not remember the night before and some might not remember the game at all, usually due to illegal activities. There’s really no safe place for teens to hang out after a big game or a late night. Almost anywhere you go with friends will most likely be a party or an act of illegal activities. It’s considered the “cool” thing to do. If you’re not participating the peer pressure will start, and it will usually not end till you finally start participating. Cliques will start talking about you and starting rumors, just so you’ll feel bad and want to do what they do. Reputation is a lie. Some are smart and avoid those people all together and never have to deal with rumors floating around town about themselves. Some hang with bad influences once and get a bad reputation for the rest of high school. Sometimes news floating around town is good, in times of need, when the community needs to come together. If there is a car crash and someone dies, or an accident leaving someone in critical condition, a house fire, or anything that impacts the entire town. Food is made and delivered to specific families in need, clothes and blankets are brought to their needs, money is sent to the family for help with medical bills. But most importantly prayers are always sent. 

     Religion makes up a small town. You’re either Catholic, Christian, Methodist, or Lutheran. There are some other churches in town to give a variety, but you won’t find those parking lots filled on a Sunday morning. Maybe Easter or Christmas services, but rarely every week. Sunday’s are the quietest days of the whole week. You could hear a pen drop on the sidewalk and not stir a single soul. Almost everyone is in church and the streets are dead silent, only the birds are out, and an occasionally a dog barking. The town starts to be more alive shortly after noon. Churches are getting out, some people are just getting up for the day, activities are starting, and there are more vehicles out on the roads. Growing up in a small town you see that almost every house has a truck along the street or driveway. It might be a beat up truck or a brand new truck, as long as you can go mudding and star gaze in the back tailgate your good. The older generation loves to show off their cars form when they were teens. They’ll drive them around town on a bright sunny day, smiling and waving like a king and a queen. The amount of respect the teens/children have for the elder generation is so powerful and huge. You were raised right if you respect and appreciate your elders. It’s not a hard thing to do, and they won’t be around forever. There’s always someone in a small town correcting your manners or making you apologize. Even if it’s not your kid people will correct you and you go with it. It’s because the community cares about you, they want to see you healthy, well mannered, a civilized human being, and making the town proud. Unfortunately there are some not raised right, who are usually outcast/invisible at school or in public, sadly. But people will still wave at you no matter what. 

     A typical driving position is with one hand on the wheel and other on your knee or lower part of the wheel, just hovering. Country music blasting in your speakers, or rap, mostly country, and sunflower seeds and gum in the middle console. Even if you don’t smoke, you could probably find a lighter in almost every vehicle. The wave... one finger or tow, just lifting to the car or person, the whole hand, a hat tip, or a arm out the window wave. Just acknowledging the other person out of respect. It comes almost naturally and once you go to the bigger cities/towns where it’s not so common to wave at every vehicle passing it comes as a shock at first. You suppress the statement “how rude” when it’s not a big deal at all. 

   Rain is a good thing. The whole town is surrounded by wheat fields, soybeans, corn, cattle, horses, milo, or anything farming wise. Sunsets can be seen from every direction in town, you only have to drive about three minutes to get to the country, where the best views are. Just go to snapchat for a look at the sunset when you can’t see it, it’ll be all over snapchat stories. When there’s a full moon it lights the whole town, owls and bats rule the night sky, and every so often a vehicle drives by with blasting music, breaking the silence. It’s impossible to get lost, it’s more fun to take the back roads all the way to the next town, you know every back road from cruising late at night to the early mornings. You’re friends with all the cops in town, they’ve pulled everyone over at some point and you usually see each other in church. Those trucks that speed down the main roads late at night, drag racing for bragging rights, showing off their trucks who are their pride and joy, trying to get a hot date for a movie the coming weekend. Staying out late on a school night, waking up early and rushing to the nearest gas station for coffee. All four gas stations are full, being late to class because the parking lot ran out of spots, so you made a new spot. 

   Growing up anywhere makes you the person you are today, but a small town is something special. You will always remember and cherish memories in that town, you’ll always remember, eventually making your way back to raise your kids there. Small towns can drive you insane bur it’s filled with the most loving and caring people. People who are driven to make your future the best it can be, people who want you to chase your dreams, that small town teaches you life. 

[vinotm]

Kalau diingat-ingat lagi, gue sebenarnya udah pernah mengkhitbah seseorang sekitar 3 tahun lalu. Jadi ceritanya, ada dua orang (cowok dan cewek) lagi berkelakar. Someone else: "Why are you so cold to me? What if someday I marry you, will you still be cold?" Her: "So, do you wanna marry me?" Tiba-tiba gue nyosor. Me: "Yes, I wanna marry you!" Dia tertawa mendengar itu. Her: "Aw, that's very sweet of you. But I simply can't." Lamaran pertama ditolak. Tapi gue pantang menyerah. Besoknya melamar lagi, ditolak lagi. Lusanya melamar lagi, ditolak lagi. Oke, fine, cukup. Saat itu hanya terasa seperti bercanda dan tidak sedang mengkhitbah. Beberapa bulan setelah itu, barulah gue menyadari kalau yang telah gue lakukan itu sebenarnya khitbah, yang ditolak ._. Semoga nantinya pada khitbah yang sebenarnya, tidak ditemui penolakan ya~

[sosteorso]

Panem et circences... #oldstory #oldschool #ettoutlemondesenfout #city #citylife #streetview #toulon #urban #urbanart #capture #outofbrussels #outfit #urbanwalls #conquer #create #addicted #artofvisuals #architecture #visualsoflife #vintage #lastnight #library #explore #panemetcircenses (à Toulon, France)