The sun has gone down. The moon hides behind the clouds. The forest is quiet. Fireflies create a surreal atmosphere. A silent light quietly travels the forest. I recently fell in love with night riding. Alone with my bike, pedalling the night away, inspiring music in my ears, this solitude is comfortable. I am aContinue reading “The nigh rider…”
Author Archives: martinphamdinh
About job crafting and emotional intelligence
Govan Brown is an example of emotional intelligence and job crafting we should admire and strive to emulate. He was a bus driver. He loved his job, and the people he drove loved him so much for simple reasons. He was kind, considerate and he cared about people. Any job can be crafted to beContinue reading “About job crafting and emotional intelligence”
On self-care… again.
A great question that every middle-age man or woman should ask and find his or her own answer. When we spend our lives caring about other people, is it unreasonable to reserve a few hours every week to allow ourselves to… just have fun? Wandering in the forest of our area on my bike onContinue reading “On self-care… again.”
Train like a champion… take it easy and enjoy!
There is an epidemic of overtraining out there, it is pushed by the popular idea “no pain, no gain”. The reality is that champions train at lower intensity 8 out of 10 times. Watch this very TED talk.
Peter Attia on Covid vaccine…
I love this guy. He’s intelligent, rational and he explains well. If you want the short version, skip to 43:20 where he explains that if we vaccinate 1,000,000 people with the AstraZeneca vaccine, 1 person will die from the vaccine whereas 2000 people will avoid death from Covid. Impressive results. Listen on Spotify here
Men will always be boys…
It reassures me that even in the rain, mud or water, I am still a kid. You don’t stop playing because you’re old, you become old when you stop playing.
On real vs perceived danger…
Most of my family and friends have or will soon receive their Covid-19 vaccine. Most of them got a shot of Astra Zeneca’s vaccine. Everyone is well and healthy. I am relieved. Rationally, this image explains well the odds and helps us make a decision. Unfortunately, this image does not speak to our emotions, toContinue reading “On real vs perceived danger…”
His father’s son…
Yesterday, I told my son: tell me what you would like to cook with me tomorrow night and we’ll prepare it together. His answer surprised me…. Dad, I’d like to eat Gordon Ramsay’s Wellington beef! Oh my god! What have I done… I’m not even sure what Wellington beef looks like. I could’ve told Liam:Continue reading “His father’s son…”
Carbon neutral since 2012
Every year, I pay a small amount to compensate for my carbon emissions. It is important to recycle, reuse and reduce but that’s probably not enough long term. I eat meat (and wine, chocolate, etc) I put gas in my car even though it’s a plugin electric. I live in a house that is probablyContinue reading “Carbon neutral since 2012”
Ultimate expression of human resilience…
I would give him a place in the Guinness book of world record.
Super easy Teriyaki sauce recipe
The longest part is to find mirin and sake. Be careful though, soy and mirin sauces are not equivalent. To get a result that suits our taste, we added 50% more mirin to adjust the sweet-salty balance and 50% more sake to get that aroma. Thanks to Nicolas Pham-Dinh for the reference.
Chelsea-Wakefield Train Trail…
Superb bike ride of about 50 km. The snack in the sun reminds us how much the context influences the taste. The little cheddar cheese tastes so good in the sun on the river bank!
The False Electric-Assist Bike Debate….
There is an intense and emotional debate raging on bike forums around the world… It concerns electrical-assist bicycles. On one side, we have people who claim that electric-assist bikes are driven by bad guys who destroy the environment. On the other, we have users who, seduced by the technology, defend their freedom of expression. AtContinue reading “The False Electric-Assist Bike Debate….”
Ubuntu
Ubuntu meaning… I love this African word. It means « I am because we are ». It’s about « humanity towards others». In this modern age of everyone looking at themselves through the lenses of Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook, this is an important reminder that I would be nothing without you therefore I shouldContinue reading “Ubuntu”
You want an E-bike?
Here are 5 relevant questions you should ask yourself: 1- What is my budget? Yes, E-bikes are expensive but wait and think for one minute. Entry cost to cycling might be high but remind yourselves that there are almost no recurring cost, the bike season last 365 days and if you spread the cost ofContinue reading “You want an E-bike?”
About wealth
The wealthiest of men is the one who truly understands that … He has enough to be happy, He can stop running the modern rat race, So he can enjoy what’s truly important, Life, family, friends, And so he can love and cherish what’s truly important… Life, family, friends. Thank you. Martin Pham Dinh
The depth of children’s voices…
Edith Vaillancourt sent me this song this morning… I listened to it many times. I could not stop. It touched me deeply. I cried and I did not understand why. I am not a religious man and yet, this music touched my soul. I followed the feeling and I kept listening because I wanted toContinue reading “The depth of children’s voices…”
Late night kitchen experiment…
I had a craving for sweetness tonight after biking for 90 minutes and to manage the day’s emotions… yeah yeah, I sometime indulge in eating sweets as a way to smile again. I cancelled Easter’s ski weekend. I am preparing for being isolated again for at least a few weeks. So what if, after exercising,Continue reading “Late night kitchen experiment…”
A gratitude letter…
I have received many positive comments on my last post « My shawarma guy » and i feel the need to explain something. If you liked this text, if it made you smile and feel something positive, I encourage you to try it. This is called « a gratitude letter ». Find someone you wantContinue reading “A gratitude letter…”
My shawarma guy…
I’ve enjoyed eating shawarma once a week for as long as I can remember. For me, good shawarma is more than food, it’s happiness. A well-made shawarma is quick, flavorful, healthy and nourishing. A few years ago, I started going regularly to Shawarma Style at 207 Boulevard du Mont-Bleu in Gatineau. Gradually, I started aContinue reading “My shawarma guy…”
On raising a teenager…
“Raising Teenagers is a Tug-of-War That Ultimately You Must Lose” – Ric Elias I love this quote that I heard in a discussion between Peter Attia and Ric Elias. These few words illustrate so well our challenge, as parents, when we interact with our grown children. They resist and fight for their freedom. As muchContinue reading “On raising a teenager…”
Perfect kombucha…
For me, it looks like that. The bottle is free of debris with a nice color (raspberries). For me, it taste like that. Just a little sweetness. I found the right balance of sugar and fermentation time. There is a natural effervescence that is noticeable but not too strong. Fine raspberry aromas. I achieve thisContinue reading “Perfect kombucha…”
E-Bike for everyone… from beginners to experts
If you have followed me long enough, you know I am passionate about everything related to mountain bikes… I’ve been waiting a long time to write about ebikes, I wanted to be ready… but today, as I came home after another epic ride in the woods, I realized that, in 4 weeks, I rode moreContinue reading “E-Bike for everyone… from beginners to experts”
Fettucini alfredo with grilled shrimps…
Yesterday, I prepared a quick meal with my 12 year old son. I want him to learn basic cooking skills and I find that white creamy sauce is one of them. I love this simple bechamel recipe that takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. https://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_bechamel-rapide-et-facile_14764.aspx Bechamel is a base white creamy sauce made ofContinue reading “Fettucini alfredo with grilled shrimps…”
At the end of a long journey…
We left home early, to arrive early on the ski hills. We wanted to enjoy what could be the last day of the season… The weather was nice. The snow was good. When skiing, my son is happy. When outside, i am happy. We get to enjoy the ultimate unexpected luxury this winter… to eatContinue reading “At the end of a long journey…”
Martin Pham Dinh 