This original recipe is a tribute to my French Canadian and Vietnamese origins. It’s a savory eclectic mix of french fries, grilled leek and gio (vietnamese pork sausage), cheddar, sweet chili and Sriracha sauce toped with fresh basil.
Author Archives: martinphamdinh
On Zen and Flow…
I practiced Zen for a short time. I now practice the art of flow. Both are about enjoying the moment, being open and present. But where zen is about stillness, flow is about movement. Where zen is about full consciousness, flow is about getting lost in the movements of life, in work, in what weContinue reading “On Zen and Flow…”
On life, death and grief
Message to a friend in grief. He lost the love of his life. Amidst the sorrows of his loss, he finds light and strength to keep going. He is rebuilding his life. “Thank you friend. Nice to hear news from you. Kids are growing. Life flows in the river of time, nothing stops it, weContinue reading “On life, death and grief”
Macbook Air M1 11-2020 review
I received the new Macbook air yesterday afternoon. Faster CPU. More disk space. Faster drive. Better keyboard. Lower price. It was an easy decision to order this, especially that I had found an adoption family for my not so old Macbook pro. So here is what i wrote yesterday evening after losing a few hoursContinue reading “Macbook Air M1 11-2020 review”
Resuscitation room at 4h00 am…
Lying on a stretcher in the resuscitation room. The emergency department is quiet. I have seen all patients. Trying to catch a few minutes of sleep before the next round. Unable to sleep. Thinking. Looking at the ceilings, monitors, defibrillators. Pondering about how it must feel to be lying here, not to sleep but toContinue reading “Resuscitation room at 4h00 am…”
On the end of life moments…
I’m a privileged witness in the last moments of many people. Medicine is sometimes great at relieving suffering but it can also be great at causing unnecessary ones. There is a time to fight but there is also a time to let go. Almost every day, i talk about death with patients. Often i offerContinue reading “On the end of life moments…”
Pure joy
Playing hide-and-seek with my son. Running behind him in the woods. Hearing his laughter. Seeing the sun shining in his hair. Catching him in my arms to kiss him. A real epiphany: these are the most beautiful moments of my life. A deep gratitude overwhelms me because it’s a privilege to have this joie deContinue reading “Pure joy”
Why do you run?
(Excerpt / inspired from a discussion with someone who loves dancing but can’t run because it is hard, painful, etc) When you dance, you just dance and enjoy the flow, the music, the movement. When you run, you think and expect something, you want result and, like most people, you are convinced that pain mustContinue reading “Why do you run?”
When caring means burning out…
A story about the sacrifice health care workers make every day. Here is a powerful excerpt. I encourage you to read the entire article. « For many health-care workers, the toll of the pandemic goes beyond physical exhaustion. COVID-19 has eaten away at the emotional core of their work. “To be a nurse, you really haveContinue reading “When caring means burning out…”
Life advice in 46 words, 252 characters
My first book… Thank you to everyone who inspired me, this has been a long process. I started dreaming of this a decade ago. I worked so hard for this. Here is my book published for free, for all to read. It’s the smallest book ever published. The title is almost as long as theContinue reading “Life advice in 46 words, 252 characters”
On flow, mastery and balance
I find it interesting that the word Zen is often used to illustrate the perfect mastery of an art and the state of consciousness and calm that entails. As in the example here in the video Miyoko Shida is a master of balance and stillness. This is truly beautiful. But calm, stillness and balance areContinue reading “On flow, mastery and balance”
On grief…
My thoughts on grief. I wrote something to a friend going through a grief. These words are my thoughts on the grieving process. If they are good for one friend, then i should share with all because everyone will face these feelings in their lifetimes. Grief is about acceptance and forgiveness. You cannot fail grief,Continue reading “On grief…”
Pickling time
On a cold november afternoon, we spend time together in the kitchen pickling food. I really do find simple happiness in my kitchen… We prepared pickled beets, carrots, red onions, pink daikon radish and sauerkraut. Here are my simple basic recipes. First, wash your hands and use very clean / oven sterilized jars. For pickling,Continue reading “Pickling time”
Trauma and recovery
“As the survivor struggles with the tasks of adult life, the legacy of her childhood becomes increasingly burdensome. Eventually, often in the fourth or fifth decade of life, the defensive structure may begin to break down. Often the precipitant is a change in the equilibrium of close relationships: The failure of a marriage, the illnessContinue reading “Trauma and recovery”
Simple truth
“A vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare. “ – Japanese proverb.
50 shades of exercises … or tips to get more enjoyment from the act of moving…
Expose yourself. Try new things Variety is good. Spice it up. Don’t be affraid to push hard. Frequency matters. Aim for 2-3 tines per week. Do it for fun. There is nothing wrong with enjoying what you do. Do it with friends, alone, in group. Find your thing and just do it. Go exercise, it’sContinue reading “50 shades of exercises … or tips to get more enjoyment from the act of moving…”
The space where our freedom is found…
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” – Victor Frankl
Ghost of Tsushima review
I am an older gamer. When I sit down with a game controller in hand in front of the TV, I feel like a kid again. I don’t have as much time to spend playing but I still enjoy it. This is by far the best game I ever played. A masterpiece of storytelling. Visually,Continue reading “Ghost of Tsushima review”
Warm autumn saturday at Luskville falls
A picture is worth a thousand words. I am grateful to be here.
Words for those who grieve..
Friends of mine lost someone, too young and too soin. I let the words flow… “A great friend who goes… like a flame that has vanished…. smoke rises to the sky as your tears fall to the ground… a deep sadness overwhelms you… welcome it, in her honor, and transform it into a light thatContinue reading “Words for those who grieve..”
HIIT to Half challenge
I just registered for the 2013 Ottawa half-marathon. The challenge is to succeed in running it under 2h without running more than 30 min 3 times per week to test the most recent high intensity interval training (HIIT) theories. In a few words, HIIT is a training hack to get the most bang for theContinue reading “HIIT to Half challenge”
About fear… of failure
(Excerpt from a discussion with a friend about a young talented kid who fears to try new challenges) Fear being mostly fear of failure. Teach him that failure is something part of the process of getting better. If you fail, it is good because you tried. You learn more from failure than you do fromContinue reading “About fear… of failure”
Heart warming comfort food for cold autumn days…
Squash potage with cheddar-olive-pepperoni home baked bread. The recipes are simple and easy. For the potage… Oven cooked squash (60-90 min at 350). Make a puree in blender, add liquid as needed, I prefer milk but water is good. Blend at high speed. Pour purée in a pan and add liquid to desired consistency. AddContinue reading “Heart warming comfort food for cold autumn days…”
On dying young…
I was at a funeral today. 36 yo mother of 2 kids, one just born a few months ago. She was a patient of mine and wife to a friend from a long time ago. I’m trying to make sense of this. Strong images haunt my mind. A little boy helping the men carry theContinue reading “On dying young…”
The night shift
The night shift in the ER is always rewarding. While some sleep and others dream, we treat the sick, the dying, the crying febrile babies, the drug addicts, the crazy, the elderly. We replace broken bones, close wounds, remove foreign bodies from unsual places. We sometimes cure but we always struggle to alleviate pain. TheContinue reading “The night shift”
Martin Pham Dinh 