I am the type of person who has never or will never have a lot of friends. That's OK because I'm shy. But so far, I don't understand why I probably am the only person who has that many friendships fall apart. Am I annoying? It hurts really bad, especially today.
- Take Hannah. She was very very nice to me when we took JOU 308 together. We went out to meals, practicing driving, drinking. I love talking to her about journalism. She just got into it. So I thought she loved talking about it too. I was jealous that she got the internship in Washington, D.C., but that was it. We met again in Burlington and I thought everything was cool. I was alone in Burlington so having a friend over was what I really loved. She left Burlington and we promised to see each other again in D.C. Four months without hearing from her. And then an reply e-mail came in September, saying that I was the most annoying friend she had and she had no intention of having me as a friend. And that she was sick of me complaining. Why didn't tell me in Burlington? Why later? Why ignoring my phone calls?
- Then Nam, whom I thought was a very close high school friend. Last semester, we hit it off perfectly well. We were even planning for a get together in Florida during Christmas. Now, he did not return my call nor my email even though I am moving to Austin.
- Then Lingbing. Though we are not friend, she was the first person I knew in Morgantown. At least, we had 1 day driving around Morgantown when I first came here to do paperwork. After asking her to help me with my photo assignment, and she refused, I apologized, and now she ignored seeing me at one of the j-school events tonight.
- Then Jenna. my roommate, whom I thought we hit well for the first 6 months. Suddenly, saying Hi is awkward and ignoring my presence is what she does.
My big question to me is WHY PEOPLE HATE ME THIS MUCH?
Monday, March 05, 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Feeling the music - the best story I've written
By Huong Le
Staff Writer of The Daily Athenaeum
MORGANTOWN – Sitting inside one of the tuning rooms at the Creative Arts Center, pianist Yew Choong Cheong started his normal daily routine.
He pressed one high-pitched note hard and said: “Do you hear the wavelength? I just listen for the vibration of the note.”
He then turned his attention to the graph shown on his laptop, which was placed on the piano’s right side. Computer software draws the graph, which then tells him if the string needs to be loosened or tightened.
That’s how the 28-year-old doctorate piano student has been tuning pianos for the past three years despite losing much of his hearing.
Cheong can’t hear extreme high notes.
When he plays complicated pieces, especially those of master composers like Tchaikovsky or Liszt, these high notes fall apart.
In three weeks, the West Virginia University student will have the honor of playing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As one of the four award recipients from around the world, Cheong will also receive a $5,000 scholarship from VSA arts. The organization was formed in 1974 to promote the learning and performing of arts among people with disabilities.
“I’m very surprised. I’m honored. It’s the biggest achievement in my life,” Cheong said with a smile.
Classical piano has never come easy for Cheong, who now has only about 30 percent of his hearing.
When he was nine years old, Cheong did not respond normally when his mother or sister called. The family took him to the hospital in his hometown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and found out that a viral infection had damaged his left ear.
He has been wearing a hearing aid ever since. That little piece of equipment attached to the left ear used to make the young Cheong feel embarrassed in front of other children.
“I used to be very quiet and shy. When I was a child, everyone said ‘what’s that?’ It made me feel like I was an alien. Now, I’m already ‘immune’ to people’s curiosity about my hearing aid, let alone my hearing problem,” he said.
Five years ago, through acupuncture therapy, Cheong thought he had recovered from hearing loss.
But things became worse.
“I don’t know how it happened. One day, when I woke up, the sound just got softer, softer and softer,” he said. “By the afternoon, everything was off.”
The doctors said it was a nerve condition. They discouraged him from pursuing a music career.
“Why I don’t change to other majors? Music is too deep in my blood. I simply cannot imagine living without playing music,” Cheong said.
In 2003, Cheong was selected to perform in WVU’s annual Young Artists Auditions, and played Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto No. 1” with the WVU Symphony Orchestra.
Over the years, the young pianist has collected more than 2,500 music recordings, because he wants to improve by listening to other pianists.
With the hearing aid, Cheong can still hear most of what he plays.
Cheong’s music professor, Peter Amstutz, said all musicians struggle to find the balance between the inner sound – what the artist wants to hear – and the outer sound – what actually comes out of the instrument.
“We strive constantly to adjust the way we produce the outer sound so that it is ‘in tune with’ the ideal imagine of our inner sound,” Amstutz said. “Yew Choong has learned to do that very sensitively in the ranges of instrument that he can hear physically. And he is able to apply those feelings and the physical techniques to all registers of the piano.”
There are moments of overwhelming frustration for Cheong: not being able to call someone on the phone; not hearing music clearly in concerts; not being able to follow other students in group discussions or being lost in music lectures.
For daily conversation, he tries hard to listen to others by reading their lips -- a technique Cheong considers to be “self-taught.” Still, distinguishing between “c,” “s” and “z” sounds remain difficult. “When you have a disability, you just have to work around it,” he said.
Back at the Creative Arts Center, Cheong is now practicing between two and three hours a day for his upcoming performance in Washington, D.C., where he will perform “Piano Variations” by Aaron Copland and “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6” by Franz Liszt.
“When I play in the concert, I simply think of no words, as taught by my professor, but just music,” he said. “I always ‘hear’ music in my mind ‘in advance’ before I play the notes.”
Staff Writer of The Daily Athenaeum
MORGANTOWN – Sitting inside one of the tuning rooms at the Creative Arts Center, pianist Yew Choong Cheong started his normal daily routine.
He pressed one high-pitched note hard and said: “Do you hear the wavelength? I just listen for the vibration of the note.”
He then turned his attention to the graph shown on his laptop, which was placed on the piano’s right side. Computer software draws the graph, which then tells him if the string needs to be loosened or tightened.
That’s how the 28-year-old doctorate piano student has been tuning pianos for the past three years despite losing much of his hearing.
Cheong can’t hear extreme high notes.
When he plays complicated pieces, especially those of master composers like Tchaikovsky or Liszt, these high notes fall apart.
In three weeks, the West Virginia University student will have the honor of playing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As one of the four award recipients from around the world, Cheong will also receive a $5,000 scholarship from VSA arts. The organization was formed in 1974 to promote the learning and performing of arts among people with disabilities.
“I’m very surprised. I’m honored. It’s the biggest achievement in my life,” Cheong said with a smile.
Classical piano has never come easy for Cheong, who now has only about 30 percent of his hearing.
When he was nine years old, Cheong did not respond normally when his mother or sister called. The family took him to the hospital in his hometown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and found out that a viral infection had damaged his left ear.
He has been wearing a hearing aid ever since. That little piece of equipment attached to the left ear used to make the young Cheong feel embarrassed in front of other children.
“I used to be very quiet and shy. When I was a child, everyone said ‘what’s that?’ It made me feel like I was an alien. Now, I’m already ‘immune’ to people’s curiosity about my hearing aid, let alone my hearing problem,” he said.
Five years ago, through acupuncture therapy, Cheong thought he had recovered from hearing loss.
But things became worse.
“I don’t know how it happened. One day, when I woke up, the sound just got softer, softer and softer,” he said. “By the afternoon, everything was off.”
The doctors said it was a nerve condition. They discouraged him from pursuing a music career.
“Why I don’t change to other majors? Music is too deep in my blood. I simply cannot imagine living without playing music,” Cheong said.
In 2003, Cheong was selected to perform in WVU’s annual Young Artists Auditions, and played Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto No. 1” with the WVU Symphony Orchestra.
Over the years, the young pianist has collected more than 2,500 music recordings, because he wants to improve by listening to other pianists.
With the hearing aid, Cheong can still hear most of what he plays.
Cheong’s music professor, Peter Amstutz, said all musicians struggle to find the balance between the inner sound – what the artist wants to hear – and the outer sound – what actually comes out of the instrument.
“We strive constantly to adjust the way we produce the outer sound so that it is ‘in tune with’ the ideal imagine of our inner sound,” Amstutz said. “Yew Choong has learned to do that very sensitively in the ranges of instrument that he can hear physically. And he is able to apply those feelings and the physical techniques to all registers of the piano.”
There are moments of overwhelming frustration for Cheong: not being able to call someone on the phone; not hearing music clearly in concerts; not being able to follow other students in group discussions or being lost in music lectures.
For daily conversation, he tries hard to listen to others by reading their lips -- a technique Cheong considers to be “self-taught.” Still, distinguishing between “c,” “s” and “z” sounds remain difficult. “When you have a disability, you just have to work around it,” he said.
Back at the Creative Arts Center, Cheong is now practicing between two and three hours a day for his upcoming performance in Washington, D.C., where he will perform “Piano Variations” by Aaron Copland and “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6” by Franz Liszt.
“When I play in the concert, I simply think of no words, as taught by my professor, but just music,” he said. “I always ‘hear’ music in my mind ‘in advance’ before I play the notes.”
Friday, February 16, 2007
Ok, then things aren't too bad
OK, I admit: things aren't going too bad. It could be better but it is not too bad. Next week, I am terribly busy with about 7 scheduled stories for the DA, and applications to be sent out, with papers to write,...typical college stuff.
The Tet Party was really nice today. Sadly, that was the largest number of people that I have talked to since I reached Morgantown. But they were all very very nice. And the driving situation might work out. If it does, then I will feel very very accomplished. With a nice apartment in Austin, and an internship in a metro paper, and a salary, a car, what else can you ask for?
I'm debating whether I should go to the classical concert by myself. It's sad that I have to go by myself. But oh well, it doesn't hurt. Since I really really want to see it.
Dr. Esper was very strict in editing my stories. Some of his editing was very good. But I disagreed with some. He's getting very very old, and he should be really resting.
I don't know why I use a lot of really in this post. Anyway, I have to keep a cool head with a high motivation to work and study.... Any day should be a productive day...
Peace...Drink hot chocolate now...
Huong
The Tet Party was really nice today. Sadly, that was the largest number of people that I have talked to since I reached Morgantown. But they were all very very nice. And the driving situation might work out. If it does, then I will feel very very accomplished. With a nice apartment in Austin, and an internship in a metro paper, and a salary, a car, what else can you ask for?
I'm debating whether I should go to the classical concert by myself. It's sad that I have to go by myself. But oh well, it doesn't hurt. Since I really really want to see it.
Dr. Esper was very strict in editing my stories. Some of his editing was very good. But I disagreed with some. He's getting very very old, and he should be really resting.
I don't know why I use a lot of really in this post. Anyway, I have to keep a cool head with a high motivation to work and study.... Any day should be a productive day...
Peace...Drink hot chocolate now...
Huong
Saturday, February 10, 2007
When I love working
Sometimes things don't turn out the way you plan, I understand. Living in this apartment is getting suckier and suckier each day. I love my entire working week, and hate only the part of getting up early in the morning and waiting for the bus in the frigid temperature. But other than that, working at Eliza's is great. Making cappuchinno and latte and trying to smile to people and wish that they would give me tips. It's warm and cozy in Eliza's and free latte, what else can you ask for?
And at the DA, I feel comfortable. My student editors are all nice. I can basically choose to write whatever I want or care. Now, 6 or 7 hours at the DA a day isn't too long. I have great respect for Christine Simmons, the editor-in-chief. She's a great student editor, who makes sure everything is as accurate as possible. She spends about 6 or 7 hours at the paper every single day. And stays up late until 4:30am every day.
I really don't need to talk to people who are not nice to me. Keep my head up and stay focused.
A cold day in Morgantown
And at the DA, I feel comfortable. My student editors are all nice. I can basically choose to write whatever I want or care. Now, 6 or 7 hours at the DA a day isn't too long. I have great respect for Christine Simmons, the editor-in-chief. She's a great student editor, who makes sure everything is as accurate as possible. She spends about 6 or 7 hours at the paper every single day. And stays up late until 4:30am every day.
I really don't need to talk to people who are not nice to me. Keep my head up and stay focused.
A cold day in Morgantown
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Washington D.C., here I come
The ASNE has recently posted a tentative schedule of the March conference. Ohmigod, all the big names in politics and journalism will be there. Tons of people from the Washington Post, New York Times, AP, Wall Street Journal, plus former CIA Director George Tenet and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Ahhhhh....I can't believe I can actually hear these people talk.....
The money situation is getting really sucky now. Maybe by May, I will die from hunger.....This time, it's not kidding
The money situation is getting really sucky now. Maybe by May, I will die from hunger.....This time, it's not kidding
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Freezing
I thought I could escape the snow in Plattsburgh, but West Virginia is just as cold as New York. I had to walk 35 minutes from downtown Morgantown to this hotel for this stupid assignment I volunteer.
Anyway, it was Saturday night. So no one would want to cover this because they all went out. Which left only me. I don't mind. It's what I love doing. While walking downtown, I saw American, skinny, gorgeous girls walking in high heels, in summer skirt? How the hell could they do it? WVU is a huge campus and going out has become not what you want to do, but what you have to do in order to survive, be cool. Going out is supposed to mean you want to have a good time with your good friends. Here, it has become like something you have to do because you fee so insecure, and the people you go out with aren't necessary your friends. How ironic.
Anyway, it was Saturday night. So no one would want to cover this because they all went out. Which left only me. I don't mind. It's what I love doing. While walking downtown, I saw American, skinny, gorgeous girls walking in high heels, in summer skirt? How the hell could they do it? WVU is a huge campus and going out has become not what you want to do, but what you have to do in order to survive, be cool. Going out is supposed to mean you want to have a good time with your good friends. Here, it has become like something you have to do because you fee so insecure, and the people you go out with aren't necessary your friends. How ironic.
A switch in attitude
First of all, I love that column. It speaks for me, and it shows how my attitude about life in Morgantown has changed significantly. Last semester, it was all about feeling depressed, dissapointed, lonely and regretting the fact that I studied at WVU for my senior year.
Like what the author of that column wrote, why complaining while I'm 22 years old, also attending a big public American university, getting paid for 3 jobs that I love, having a really really cozy apartment, studying very interesting subjects with very talented professor, and will be attending a conference with most talented editors and reporters in the business?
Though however, I'm scared about going to Austin. And I don't even know if I could go. I'm scared about graduating. Graduation, then what will happen next? A big question mark.
"I like what I do, and mixing shots of espresso when the shop is busy and sipping tea with the regulars is a pretty decent job. So I smile and prescribe a caramel latte to the crabby customer, who's maybe less fortunate than me, who may be down on his luck. He might smile back and toss a tiny donation into my tip jar if I play my cards right."
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
When money matters really bad
I have gone through nearly 15 hours with just a piece of bread and a hot chocolate. When my parents sent me enough money to live by 5 months, I didn't appreciate it at all, flushing it away with shoes, shirts and bags. Now, even can't spend $5 on a dinner.
Life is like that. You gotta be responsible for your own action. I'm ashamed of myself
In the office and starving
Life is like that. You gotta be responsible for your own action. I'm ashamed of myself
In the office and starving
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Roommates are back
My 19- and 20-year-old something roommates are back. Things are still weird around here and I can't wait to be absorbed into my regular schedule this coming semester. Also, I can't wait to move on to the next chapter, whether that would be Austin or not, I don't really know.
The book "The Devil Wears Prada" really got into me. How can I look at things in such a funny and witty eyes like the character named Andy?
The book "The Devil Wears Prada" really got into me. How can I look at things in such a funny and witty eyes like the character named Andy?
Friday, January 05, 2007
Back in Morgantown
Back in Morgantown. For the past three days and three nights, I haven't got any good sleep. And for the past three days, I'm still missing the laugh and the fun we had in Syracuse. Katie has been a really really good friend for the past four years. It has been a long time, since last September, that I had felt that comfortable and felt like I was at home, waking up to coffee, at my house in Hanoi, Vietnam.
I really hope she would apply and get accepted to the AP workshop. She deserved to be there, just need to be a little more aggressive. She deserves to be learning from the best in the industry.
But now I'm back in Morgantown, and I really shouldn't be whining at all. And that this coming semester should be great and I should be busy as hell: 12 hours copy-editing, 4 stories a week, and another hour and a half working at the coffee shop. And sign up for the copy-editing class.
Ohmigod, this damn keyboard doesn't work. Write more then.
In Morgantown, listening to "Can't help falling in love with you." Who's the you? The hot, smart AP writer like Cain Burdeau, then hell yeah.
Huong
I really hope she would apply and get accepted to the AP workshop. She deserved to be there, just need to be a little more aggressive. She deserves to be learning from the best in the industry.
But now I'm back in Morgantown, and I really shouldn't be whining at all. And that this coming semester should be great and I should be busy as hell: 12 hours copy-editing, 4 stories a week, and another hour and a half working at the coffee shop. And sign up for the copy-editing class.
Ohmigod, this damn keyboard doesn't work. Write more then.
In Morgantown, listening to "Can't help falling in love with you." Who's the you? The hot, smart AP writer like Cain Burdeau, then hell yeah.
Huong
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Just some random thoughts
It's Christmas Eve, and I'm by myself again. It's not that I'm complaning again at all, in fact, it could be worse if I hadn't known Katie. I could be dying from loneliness in Morgantown, by myself looking at the wall. How come my whole life that I have always been searching for something? Oh, damn it, hopefully this blog is private.
Anyway, I love that movie "The Devil Wears Prada" for a lot of reason, it's upbeat, gorgeous and it's sort of the life that I want. An apartment in a big city, a boyfriend, friends and a newspaper-related job. Since when do I become girly like this? It's killing my purse with new clothes and shoes, damn it.
I always find that the lonely guy is someone who's attractive. Like Anderson Cooper. Somebody who is addicted to work. This sounds so stupid. But I wish someday I would like somebody from the newsroom. And we would work until 2 a.m. in the morning to meet deadline, and then we would come back and talk until the morning about how we love being journalists.
Another year is going to end soon. 2006 isn't a perfect year for me. But I have grown as a person and as a reporter, if I can call myself that. Another year is heading toward us. My family and friends, stay healthy and happy. For 2007, I want a job, an awesome internship in Austin, go back to Vietnam after 4 years, graduation, sister's wedding...A lot....waiting ahead....
Let's be happy for once,
Huong
Syracuse, NY
Anyway, I love that movie "The Devil Wears Prada" for a lot of reason, it's upbeat, gorgeous and it's sort of the life that I want. An apartment in a big city, a boyfriend, friends and a newspaper-related job. Since when do I become girly like this? It's killing my purse with new clothes and shoes, damn it.
I always find that the lonely guy is someone who's attractive. Like Anderson Cooper. Somebody who is addicted to work. This sounds so stupid. But I wish someday I would like somebody from the newsroom. And we would work until 2 a.m. in the morning to meet deadline, and then we would come back and talk until the morning about how we love being journalists.
Another year is going to end soon. 2006 isn't a perfect year for me. But I have grown as a person and as a reporter, if I can call myself that. Another year is heading toward us. My family and friends, stay healthy and happy. For 2007, I want a job, an awesome internship in Austin, go back to Vietnam after 4 years, graduation, sister's wedding...A lot....waiting ahead....
Let's be happy for once,
Huong
Syracuse, NY
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Lovely Burlington
Nothing more to say. This scene is close to where I lived from June 1- July 31 in Burlington, VT
World Cup 2006
Finally, Italy wins this summer in Germany. Too bad I had to enjoy World Cup 2006 by myself. At least our favorite team wins. Soccer is amazing. It makes you laugh, scream, cry, all at once....When will Vietnam play in a World Cup? Probably in the next 30 years. We hope !
Associated Press Diverse Voices workshop
I was inside a jail in Ohio. This was part of the Associated Press Diverse Voices workshop held in Cleveland --- for student journalists. We did a story on Midge --- the new police dog brought on board by a sherif. Midge was tiny but sniffed out drugs and marijuana quickly !!!The AP experiences were amazing --- where I learnt from an AP photographer (Indianapolis) how to think visually, where I learnt that in journalism -- every rule can be broken, where I met AP journalists who are dedicated and who have been recording people's lives in words and pictures.
Princeton University
This picture was taken at the campus of Princeton University -- where I attended a conference hosted by the Institute of Humane Studies. The conference --- "Exploring Liberty"--- gathered students across the country to explore the concept of libertianism. All professors who presented at the conference were basically argue toward the idea of limited government. I didn't wholly agree.
It was fun to meet the talented kids from Harvard, George Mason, U of Illinois and realize I need to read and learn a lot more !!
Burlington Free Press
This is outside the Burlington Free Press -- where I was a metro desk intern during summer 2006. Ironically, the Free Press has been criticized for its conservative stand and has been very unpopular among Burlington residents. Like many other newspapers across the U.S., its circulation has been declined from more than 100,000 to now 48,000. However, it was still a newsroom where I learnt how to cover something on deadline, work with editors, interview sources and pitch story ideas. The nicest editor was Jessica Hyman - the town editor. Stories I did include: the closing of Burlington's last hostel, the expansion of Lund Family Center, the new proposal of an artistic bike rack and endless community stories.....
My nephew - the next generation of Vietnam
Ha, this is my 7-month-old nephew, so cute : ) He was born on Christmas Day of 2005. The next generation of Vietnam, hopefully, will do something good for the country. Chep' -- that's what his parents called --- a type of fish that his father caught for my sister during her pregnancy. Hoho, Chep'
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