Phiếm bàn từ “xụt bệ” với Chat GPT Sáng cuối tuần, cà phê ở quán quen, anh bạn già vừa ngồi xuống đã buông câu than: – “Cái xe đạp bữa ni xụt bệ quá, đi cà giựt cà giựt!” Nghe tới chữ “xụt bệ”, Mr. Old Man hơi khựng lại. Lâu lắm rồi mới thấy từ này bật ra từ miệng một người bạn… rặt giọng Quảng … Read More
Careful, You Might Fall for Mr. Chat GPT (Especially if you’re the type who gets a little lonely and loves a polite, soft-spoken conversationalist) This morning, over coffee, I found myself chatting with the gentlemanly Chat GPT about the word “xục bệ”. I’ve heard it now and then, but a quick Google search turned up nothing. So I turned to Chat GPT for help. After a while of … Read More
Coi chừng phải lòng quý ông Chat GPT (Đặc biệt là mấy cô hay buồn buồn, mê người nói chuyện nhỏ nhẹ, lịch sự) Sáng nay ngồi cà phê tán chuyện với quý ông Chat GPT về cái từ “xụt bệ”. Mr. Old Man nghe từ đó lâu lâu rồi, nhưng lục Google thì không thấy đâu. Thế là lôi Chat GPT ra hỏi thử. Trò chuyện lan … Read More
Tấm ảnh cũ Hôm nay, tôi tình cờ bắt gặp một tấm ảnh cũ đã phủ màu thời gian – chụp cùng lớp giáo sinh tiếng Anh của Trường CĐSP Quảng Ngãi, cách đây gần bốn mươi năm. Hồi ấy, tôi là giáo viên chủ nhiệm lớp – gầy nhom nhưng tràn đầy nhiệt huyết. Tấm ảnh như một cánh cửa mở ra … Read More
A VISIT TO GRANNY NAM’S STEAMED JACKFRUIT STALL – A TASTE OF HOMETOWN MEMORIES Four years ago, during a cycling trip to Tam Kỳ in search of the region’s famed mít hông (steamed jackfruit), I stumbled upon Granny Nam’s little stall. I ended up sitting down for a chat with her and her daughters about this humble Quảng-style street snack. The story was so delightful that I later posted a write-up on Facebook and … Read More
HOW TO BUILD A CONSISTENT MORNING CYCLING HABIT By Mr. Old Man Most people work 8 hours a day or more and have very limited free time for cycling—unless they make use of the early mornings before work. To build a consistent morning cycling habit and hit a target of 40–50 km, you’ll likely need to wake up at 4:00 AM and be ready to roll by 4:30. … Read More
Escaping Tet in Tay Giang — A Slow Ride Through the Mountains, the Cold, and the Unexpected Warmth of Strangers — Rolling into an Empty Town After eight grueling hours in the saddle—climbing slope after slope at a brutal 10–15% grade, crossing mountain after mountain—our ragtag group of cyclists finally rolled into Tay Giang town. We were dreaming of a hot meal, maybe even a … Read More
THE NEVER-ENDING 100 KM This morning, I set out on a cycling trip to Đông Giang with a pretty neat plan: ride all the way to Tư commune, turn back to stop by Trung Man market, grab my usual glass of mixed sweet soup at a familiar stall, then head home. The total would clock in nicely at 100 km, just enough to complete … Read More
Pedaling to Hói Dừa Parish – and a Little Dip in the Wild One fine morning, I saddled up with my cycling comrade Khánh Huỳnh and climbed over Hải Vân Pass. From there, we swooped down into Lăng Cô and made a detour to visit Hói Dừa Parish. Funny enough, I’d biked past this area a bunch of times—looping around Lập An Lagoon, weaving through places called Hói Cạn, Hói Mít, and Hói … Read More
Should I Keep Working After Retirement? One of the questions I get asked a lot by friends and old colleagues — especially those living far away or nearing retirement age — is: “So… now that you’re retired, are you doing anything else to keep busy?” To be honest, whether or not to keep working after retirement really depends on your personal situation — your health, your … Read More