2nd conceptual design for Ca Mau administrative centre

This is something I did at SIUP in 2011-2012: an urban design  for Ca Mau administrative centre. We corporated with a Japanese firm and the final outcome was something combined from the two firms' proposal (which I don't think is a good one but a compromise).

Utzon Lecture Series 2012

A pride to be a student of the Faculty of Built Environment in UNSW is attending this series of provocative lectures. The opening lecture, Paul Reid lecture, is often strongly related to the theme of MUDD program every year.

This is the lecture of Prof. Micheal Neuman in 2012 when the theme was "Sustainable development":

I like his idea "Form follows Flows" as Chi in Chinese culture. I've had quite a similar thinking before and thought it's related to Feng Shui (that's why I disagree if anyone says Feng Shui is superstitious). Also like the fact he shows with data that "the more things seem to change the more they stay the same". We're still very UN-sustainable!

NYE

We came quite late at 9 p.m and had no hope to get through the gates to come closer to the water-front. This view was our last hope. 

We stood there for 3 hours to wait for the midnight fireworks. As time got closer to midnight, the crowd started to get chaotic. Some aggressive men tried to push the gate. The situation looked no different from political strikes. 

Not all people accepted the situation.

Finally there came the rock show.

People began to leave Circular Quay, but the whole CBD was still packed 

Fireworks came all around us, both the harbour and the high-rise buildings

Me and Eva, the new housemate

The party in front of Custom House

Gangnam-style at a large corner in CBD

stylish urbanizens heading to clubs and pubs

Queuing in lines for another hour to catch the rite bus to get home. 

At this time of the year, there are so many travellers staying Eastern suburbs of Sydney. That's why the lines  for bus 392, 394 and 396 were the longest.

Goodbye London - British must be proud of their Olympics

A photo collection from Sydner Morning Herald:

http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/olympics/news-london-2012/goodbye-london--olympics-closing-ceremony-20120813-2436z.html

I rarely pay attention to Olympics because it has not been the age of Vietnam's Sport yet, I think. We mostly care about Seagames where at least we're one the strongest teams in football. I can see here people in OZ asking each other about Olympics. My classmate Tun from Thailand posts the Olympics logo to his Facebook cover photo. My landlord's husband visits us and sit in the couch sharing his interest in badminton while talking how many medals Oz and Malaysians got (he's from Malaysia). And my professor talks something about a competition in Olympics that I does not hear clearly.

I bought a 20-pass to the swimming pool of UNSW's Fitness and Aquatic Center.
Kind of a stress-releasing and massaging past-time.

the Pride comes to town

Quite surprising. I think it would not come until 2015 or later.
More surprising: it starts in Ha Noi, not Sai Gon where gay culture is more open.
Well, it's good and it's 2012 already.
This country needs to open more.

My suggestion:
People who tend to join the parade should look better, especially in physical
Beautiful people undoubtedly are more sympathized.
I think it's only "pride" when these people are good in many ways: successful, nice-looking, and truely happy.
I don't think it's pride when a group of minority who look un-attractive noisily yell out how they are proud of themselves.

or, if they don't agree with me, this song is my second suggestion:

:))

Vietpride
on Tuoitre News: click here
"With the slogan "Difference, but no discrimination," many young people are excited about participating in the activities of Viet Pride 2012"

photos: Tuoitre

school gate (2) - Mother's day

This is an MV with the soundtrack re-written from the popular children's song "Ngay dau tien di hoc" (The first day going to school) in a new title "Ngay nop don xin hoc" (The day of school application), depicting a mother has to overcome many obstacles to apply a seat in school for her's child. The MV using footage captured parents waiting, elbowing, attacking, running,... during application time at an elementary school, which was said to be where Professor Ngo Bao Chau - the recent idol of Vietnam's Mathematics - used to go to school.

I just have three questions:

1- Does Hanoi, the capital, really lack of good school ?
2- Does studying in the same school with a well-known genius makes a child a genius?
3- Is that a proper behavior of a capital's citizen?

sigh ...

Saigon 220412

My lastest urbanscape photos, published in the new page XNM-scapes of my photography blog.

The shot was taken at Cau Mong (Mong Bridge), one of the bridge connecting District 1 and District 4, at around 5:30 to 7:00 P.M when people come to the bridge to enjoy cool breeze, relaxing or doing some exercises. Cau Mong is also one of the oldest bridge in the city center, built by Levallois Perret (French).

Từ Saigon 220412

Từ Saigon 220412

view more at XNM-scapes

100 things to watch in 2012

I found this on Slideshare.net, a report by JWT about trends of 2012.
http://www.slideshare.net/jwtintelligence/jwt-100-things-to-watch-in-2011-10669904

I think we could agree now that some of those have obviously emerged and are catching a lot of our attention.
My favorites are:

No. 1 - Acess everywhere

Stormy Holiday

It's been raining for 36 hours til now
Electricity got cut for several hours
Tree branches broke and fell down here and there in the city
Some wedding parties got deserted
TV warned people not to go out if unnecessary

On the third day, the rain receded. There sky created a strange ambient of light. Everything look both devastated and fresh. Never before had I seen as many fallen trees in this city.

Nam Ky Khoi Nghia str. - in front of Le Qui Don highschool

"30 April" park - in front of Independence Palace

At the corner of Ly Tu Trong str. and Dong Khoi str. - in front of Vincom Center