Journey of the mind

  Hanoi, October 08, 2026

A quick coffee date unexpectedly turned into an evening of acoustic music at the café. The musician kindly chose me from the audience and asked what song I would like to hear. Without thinking twice, I said, "Nếu em được chọn lựa"/" If I Were Given the Choice" The young vocalists initially refused to sing it, but luckily, the guitarist knew the song, so he sang it himself. This is a beautiful Vietnamese song that I listened to many times when I was at university. It was also quite popular among young people at the time, and many of us loved listening to it and singing along. P.S. This song is best known for Lệ Quyên's version. Hanoi, September 27, 2026

I have had the opportunity to work with different professors, and each of them has given me a different perspective on research, academia, and everything in between. Of course, there were both good experiences and difficult ones, but I learned something from each of them. One professor, in particular, made me realize, through his personality and the way he worked with students, how strongly he believed in his students and in the future of science.  For example, he often gave students opportunities to take on new work or he would think about brighter possibilities and better outcomes as he wrapped up meetings . Does he know that sometimes students themselves are uncertain about their abilities or even about what their future research will look like? LOL. I think this is a really valuable quality in a professor. When students feel that someone believes in them, they can become more confident, motivated, and willing to challenge themselves. At the same time, I also have strong faith i...

I really love this song. Its romantic message is so beautiful.   Zhengzhou memories 关于郑州的记忆 *English translation Speaking of Zhengzhou, I don't know the city all that well. I once went there for love. How many times did I take the train through this city, quietly missing her all by myself? She once said she loved the winter sunshine of Zhengzhou, the smell of coal stoves filling the alleyways, the mist brushing against the neck of a young girl. Even now, it has never truly faded. Speaking of Zhengzhou, all I remember is you. Again and again, what comes back to me is regret, and all the things I could never say. Speaking of Zhengzhou, all I ever loved was you. Again and again, I loved, yet I never quite understood what love truly meant. Speaking of Zhengzhou, sometimes I remember. Her scent now exists only in memory. Whenever my friends and I talk about the places we have traveled to, I never dare to tell them that I have been there. Speaking of Zhengzhou, all I remember is you. Whe...

I have finally determined my research direction for my PhD:  bio-integrated electronics . Looking back, I realize that almost all of my research experiences have been connected in ways that I did not fully recognize at the time. Each experience has gradually helped me to become clearer about what I want to pursue during my PhD and, more importantly, what I want to devote myself to in the long term. My journey has taken me from microfluidics as a research assistant during my Master’s program, to biosensors and biotechnology after graduation, and then to semiconductor devices and cleanroom-based fabrication , which is what I am currently working on. These may have seemed like different directions but now, I can finally see the connection between them. And this story actually began much earlier with my very first job as a Technical Support Engineer at  MED-EL Hearlife Hearing Aid Center , where I worked with cochlear implants. This is the paragraph I prepared for my PhD applica...

#116 Tangsuyuk After several attempts at making Tangsuyuk (Korean sweet and sour pork) , I'd say this one was a sort of success, good enough to accept for now 😂 There are still a few things I need to keep in mind for next time, but at least it finally turned out pretty well. This is one of my favorite Korean dishes from when I lived in Korea. It's really delicious, and the way it's made is quite unique. When I was in Korea, we would usually order one plate and share it with everyone, rather than getting individual portions. Partly because it was quite expensive, and partly because one portion was usually pretty big. Whenever I was craving it, I would either try making it myself (and fail 😂) or buy the frozen version and heat it up. There was only one time when I decided to splurge and order a large portion just for myself during a trip to Busan, determined to enjoy it as much as possible. Well, I couldn't finish it, so I ended up taking the leftovers home and eating t...