#hung tran

“Antelope Canyon”

Upper Antelope Canyon

By Hung Tran

Hope vs Nope: The impact of faith and non-faith on body and mind

Guest article by Doctor, Acupuncturist, and Kadampa Buddhist, Hung Tran 4.5 mins read. Precisely what faith is and exactly how it works are tricky enough questions for experienced meditators to answer. But accounting for the role of faith in spontaneous remissions is even more challenging. As a Western-trained doctor, master practitioner of Classical Chinese Medicine, and Kadampa Buddhist, I’ve…

I woke up and it was 6, so I went back to sleep and woke at 7, and went back to sleep, and it was 8:16, and I went back to sleep to finally wake at 9ish and texted both Emily and Hung to say I would show up to the general meeting instead; while there are no new events from the community.

I showed up to the general meeting and really, there was not much for my responsibilities. We were planning the beach bonfire, which is July 9th I believe, and banquet is June 24th or 25th. Our senior ceremony is within the next two Sundays. So far, that’s about it. So I went to use the computer instead and started on my personal e-invite for the last high school drama play I’ll be in. I’m hoping to sell a lot of tickets and beat many others :P

This is my last performance, and knowing JV will be there, I will give it my all as I strive to move the audience with my special performance :)

Well afterwards, I drove home and Wil and Kieu came to pick me up. We went ahead to hike for Turtle Rock. Wil found the perfect making out place :P

Kieu and I had our scandalous “les” pictures. Then we moved on to Laguna beach area to hike for Top of the World. Which was nothing much, really, except more scenery that I wish to share with Mister JV. I was hungry, since all day I only had a banana and trail mix bar. So we went on to eat KBBQ at Neul Bom. Kieu and Wil ate so little compared to me, so I ate whatever was left and stopped eating :(

By that time, I drank water and was full. But then we moved on to Paris Baguette where we chilled there drinking our Ice Cafe Latte for four hours, talking about various topics. I mostly spoke of JV of course, and Kieu and Wil described things to be like a K-Drama.

It was funny because we were looking outside and checking out the people. One of them turned out to be a high school crush of Wil that he did not notice or realize until she walked in to ask him if he remembers and gave him her name. Another girl we saw outside of the place was a lesbian, which Kieu thought was cute :P

We went on to Walmart where I saw lots of interesting things. I wish I had cleavage so I can wear a bikini and show off like other girls >=T

Wil and Kieu says I have an ass so I can wear anything, and I should be showing off my fine legs wearing shorts =_=

I saw the things you can totally purchase to use at camp! I wish I had the money, and if I ever get a new car, I would totally purchase stuff for it as well, such as the car wash and wax as well as the scratch repair materials!

After Walmart, I went home. It feels weird to be home before 10pm. I’m so used to running around for meetings and events. All day long, it was just one meeting. So weird…I wonder what I’d do once college starts :(

And yeah, all night long I was facebooking, chatting, singing, watching music videos, and so on. The normal minute wasting activities that any normal teen would do nowadays. Finally, normal teen activities.

Just now, it is 1:46am and Diana has not been able to sleep…she just left the room, I think because of my music…I feel like locking the door :P

But then again, maybe she’s just getting water, since I hear her footsteps coming back towards our bedroom….

NOW I REMEMBER!

I was sorry I did not have the time to have a phone conversation with Nick; I really miss the guy since he’s not in driving distance no more :(

I miss Bao because he was always there for me…I remember prom and winter formal…

Eddy stopped texting, I think I was too mean :O

THEN….

yesterday finally spending time with Jesse and William after so long really brought me back to life! Having talks with the guys totally healed my heart! I was also playing Call of Duty! Killing William and Jesse every now and then…

TODAY is just as nice! Wish I was able to see Anthony but the jerk slept in and woke up for his class time but didn’t meet up with me! By the time he was ready to see me, I had to get in my van >=T

But now I also remember who I really miss hanging with! Hung and Jimmy! Missing Minh, but these guys really care for me <3

And I’m really sorry towards Darius, cannot visit tonight as I am going to be reading nonstop for Thursday and Friday…not sleeping TT_TT BUT…..

—

I can’t stop but to keep thinking about sharing a home with Hung and Minh! I wouldn’t be lonely whenever Vid is not there and there are people to eat with and talk with, and we can do so much more as friends!

I’m so blessed to have Minh and Hung in my life…they’re always inviting me to places and keeping me company. Watching over me like a sister <3

BITE Magazine Issue 08 | SYNERGY

SYNERGY: DESIRE, NECESSITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

There is no point in making a commitment to ethical sourcing if nobody wants to buy the clothes. You could do all the good in the world, fill the racks with good intentions, but if there are no sales then there is no future. Julie Gilhart, formerly fashion director at Barneys New York, and an early supporter of sustainable fashion, states: “Consumers respond to good design. Design and desirability must come first.” Good intentions must be met with good product.

The fashion industry needs to discuss the synergy between supply and demand, how sustainability can lead to prosperity, and that even the smallest business decisions can have a huge ripple effect. Perhaps what’s most important is figuring out what we are trying to sustain: technique, resource, product, or profit? Perhaps it’s all of the above. This conversation is urgent because retreating into our bubble of denial is clearly not working.

And then there’s the little steps that you and I can make to be more conscientious consumers. It doesn’t make sense to stop buying cheap clothes completely as that would sever garment workers’ only source of income. On the other hand, when we buy cheap clothing at such an alarming rate we only increase the demand, leading to over-exhausted garment workers, over-crowded factories, and, in the most desperate cases, another building collapse.

Buy local. Buy less. Buy slower. The next time you’re shopping for a shirt or a dress think about why you’re making that purchase: is it because you want it, or do you truly need it? Is there something already hanging in your closet that never sees the light of day? Why not wear that instead?

Text: Hung Tran

READ THE ISSUE IN FULL ON ISSUU OR IN FULL SCREEN.

PFW REVIEW | ALEXIS MABILLE S/S 14

Frankly, I’m sick and tired of seeing Western influences on the runway. It rarely looks authentic enough to stir excitement or intrigue, especially when it comes from a designer in a city as unashamedly bourgeois as Paris. With that being said, the eroticism that Alexis Mabille used to underscore the rise of woman in a male-centric culture still looked damn good. The opening look—a silk khaki jumpsuit, black lacy bra, and fringed cowboy boots—said everything we needed to know. It was sexy in a calendar pin-up model sense.

Consider a blue sleeveless shirt worn with a rainbow miniskirt, a combination that sounds so wrong but looked so right. There was a gorgeous trench coat that glided over the body and flourished in ruffles at the hem, an elegant proposal to counter the grittiness of the Western theme. The most striking look, however, departed from that theme entirely: a crisp white shirt flared at the hips, worn with voluminous blue parachute pants. The contrast between structure and slouch, or inhibition and freedom, did not go unnoticed. Perhaps it served as the perfect metaphor for his woman this season.

Indeed, the strongest looks were the most simple, but where Mabille struggled most was when his ideas were obscured by clichés. The Western blouses were not reinvented in any way, and you’re sure to find a much more affordable version at your local Salvation Army. One green ruffled skirt, which was not only unlined but seemed to be made of coarse plastic, was truly frightening. And someone please explain to me why we keep seeing hoodies on the Paris runways. It’s jarring and lacks the technical finesse we should be seeing from Alexis Mabille, who last year became one of the Chambre Syndicale’s youngest members.   

Text: Hung Tran