Sunday morning’s simple joy is… Roasting coffee. I love experimenting in the kitchen. Two years ago, i roasted coffee in the oven to make christmas gifts but managing the smoke turned out to be a challenge. This spring, i looked into buying a roasting machine but before spending $$$ i thought i would try simplerContinue reading “On roasting coffee at home”
Author Archives: martinphamdinh
Following the herd…
“There are people out there living desperate lives working long hours at jobs they hate to buy stuff they do not need to impress people they don’t like.” -Nigel Marsh If I want to be happy and well, I need to find my own path to calmness and how to live simply at a slowerContinue reading “Following the herd…”
Preparing goi cuon dinner
Fresh vietnamese rolls will be made with beef and shrimps cooked in a broth fondue. I get this love of food from both my parents who are masters in the art of creating happiness in the kitchen and around the table. Thank you Marthe Roy and Chi Pham-Dinh for this precious gift.
To sample or to specialize….
Science shows that it is useless to push our children and pre-teens into sports.They won’t go any further because they started playing sports at the age of 3 and competing at the age of 9.
On the inevitable suffering life brings and how to build resilience…
Buddhism teaches us that life will bring suffering to everyone, we need to accept this as inevitable. I’m not buddhist or religious but i recognize a truth when i encounter one. Birth, old-age, sickness and death are life’s rites of passage. Whatever your place in society, nothing will protect you from these inevitable challenges. AsContinue reading “On the inevitable suffering life brings and how to build resilience…”
When do you know you’re old enough to die?
An interesting article that i still found difficult to read because it touches on a subject most people avoid and it gives an answer most people do not want to hear. Still, part of her message is like an ode to the joy and pleasures of life. « I’m sorry, I’m not going out ofContinue reading “When do you know you’re old enough to die?”
The wisdom of the ancients…
When i read Seneca’s words this morning, i realize that the world does not need more writers or more knowledge. Everything we need to live a good life, every wisdom is out there, written clearly by the thousands philosophers who lived before us. I must admit i am profoundly humbled by the writings ofContinue reading “The wisdom of the ancients…”
Ikigai
Keep it alive, stay alive, live longer.
Enough…
Since i have quit my job as an emergency physician last week, i am taking the time to look back at these years of hard work and committment. I realize that i may have lived in a bubble, a kind of closed world where everything happens at dizzying speed. I have thrived in this environmentContinue reading “Enough…”
Finding health…
I believe that health is simple to find. Move. Sleep. Engage. Eat well. Health is not sold or found in a bottle, powder or pill. Some part of the health equation is resolved in the kitchen. Here is my grocery for the week. There is a lot if stuff and yet it is less thanContinue reading “Finding health…”
Sohwakhaeng
Sharing a coffee with a friend before heading out for a fatbike ride in the Gatineau park is… sohwakhaeng… This Korean words means “smalll but certain happiness”
Food for skiers…
When i look back at over 35 winters well spent in ski centers, the joy of the sport and the pleasure of carving make it all worth my while. But my memories are not just about the snow and the slopes, i also remember vividly the time spent around a table with friends, eating foodsContinue reading “Food for skiers…”
The centers of my life…
My son is the center of my life. I dedicate a part of my existence to make sure he grows into a responsible man. I study the art of parenthood. I must say that i have been humbled by my initial experiences as a father. I made many mistakes. I asked for helped and iContinue reading “The centers of my life…”
Work-life balance…
If your work-life balance feels like a high altitude slackline…change your life! Get your feet on the ground. Make the difficult choices in front of you. Do less. Be more. Breathe. You can’t buy back even one second in your life. Time is the ultimate luxury. Original post Facebook, March 2018
A good night sleep…
I just spend 12h in my bed and probably slept over 10. I am a different man this morning. The sun seems to shine brighter. Life seems better. The world has not changed, i am just well rested. When we think of health, food and exercise are our first priority but let’s not forget theContinue reading “A good night sleep…”
Scratches… or what we can learn from the little things in life…
My 8 year old son Liam plays hockey in the basement with his friends. They are having fun. He makes a slap shot but hits the wall. He comes to me and tells me: Dad, I am sorry, i made a big scratch on the wall while playing hockey. I go down to the basementContinue reading “Scratches… or what we can learn from the little things in life…”
What should we give up to get what we want?
Slow down, work less, live more… This is so easy to say… We all want this. The big question is not how much i would love this way of life, how much happiness i could get from it. The big question is: What am i willing to sacrifice in order to get what i want?Continue reading “What should we give up to get what we want?”
Emergency room stories of life and death…
Working in the emergency room is sometimes like dancing with life on the edge of a precipice. Our work is hard. We deal with the suffering, the pain, the cries and the tears every day. But this work is also full of rewards. It gives us an uncommon resilience and an understanding of life. IContinue reading “Emergency room stories of life and death…”
Another emergency room story…
It’s a quiet friday night and i am covering the resuscitation room. We get a paramedic pre-alert advising us that they are en route with a 38 year old man in acute respiratory distress. When we hear his vital signs, i tell the nurse to get ready, call the inhalotherapist and prepare the intubation drugs.Continue reading “Another emergency room story…”
A message of hope for everyone.
We all go through some form of trauma in our lives. Pain is inevitable in this life. It comes with the simple act of existing, it is a price to pay to be born, to live, to love, to smile, to laugh. There’s a great message from one of my favorite author, Mark Manson. Continue reading “A message of hope for everyone.”
A decade of brazilian jiu jitsu…
The first time i put a gi on was october 31st 2007. It was in small gym on 4265 Papineau street in Montreal. My first coach was Nobuya Shimamoto, a brown belt instructor. I had done karate for 5 years in my teenage years. Putting a gi on again at 32 years old was likeContinue reading “A decade of brazilian jiu jitsu…”
A message to a recently seperated man…
My friend, I am thinking that exactly 2 years ago, i was in your situation, waiting for my wife to leave our house… our separation came as an unexpected shock and i felt that my world was falling apart. I also remember that a good friend was there for me. He had gone through aContinue reading “A message to a recently seperated man…”
How fragile life is…
Yesterday was a though shift in the emergency room. Although it is part of the job, seeing a young man die is never easy. Being with the family, supporting them through an unexpected loss is a privilege. I am reasonably comfortable with death and dying. It does not mean that it’s easy. It just meansContinue reading “How fragile life is…”
Easy recipe for fresh pesto…
Fresh basil, a handful.Parmesan cheese, a handful.Garlic, one handful.Olive oil.Traditionally, we can put pine nuts but we can also do without… and it is appreciated by our friends who have nut allergies.Go hop in the blender. There you go.Don’t worry if you don’t have exactly the right quantities, it will be good as well.Mix itContinue reading “Easy recipe for fresh pesto…”
Le grand ménage…
In the last month, i have undertaken the grand ménage of my house. I went through every room. I have looked in every drawer. I have opened every closet And i have looked under every bed. I have decided to keep only the things that are useful in my life. Everything else, i really meanContinue reading “Le grand ménage…”
Martin Pham Dinh 