Long Nguyen

Long Nguyen

Long Nguyen  //  Web Designer available for projects.
Visit my Website + Portfolio = longzero.com
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Oct 9 / 4:54am

This is how my morning started

That tweet/compliment is one of the first things I read this morning. Now, I wonder how the rest of the day will be like and how it will end.

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Sep 18 / 1:24pm

Someone among my Facebook friends passed away

I didn't know her very well. I met her at Montreal's monthly Yulblog event, we talked, we added each other on Facebook and that was it. Like I said, I didn't know her very well. Today, I learnt that she died. 

People on Facebook could remove me from their friends list anytime and I wouldn't care, but death... Let's get real, death doesn't compare. Apparently, I care if somebody dies among my Facebook friends. I seem to care enough to write about it. Maybe it's because it wasn't a naturally death. Indeed, this lovely woman was killed by some punk ass junkie who probably did it, because he couldn't get a fix. 

The death of someone you've met, even someone you don't really know, puts everything in perspective. It's not like having a fight with someone close or going through a bad break up. Death takes people away forever. You get to think about everyone alive. You get to think that you should enjoy their presence while they're still alive, even if they make your life miserable. You end up wishing that you were 10,000 kilometers away because that's where your dying grandmother is.

This sad event has reminded me of my greatest fear: the fear of loss. That's probably the main reason why I don't attach myself to people. Does that make me a coward? Possibly, without a doubt. 

Enjoy people's presence while they're alive. Enjoy it even more if they're making your life miserable. Imagine how boring your life would be if no one was there.
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Sep 7 / 6:13am

Birthday wishes on Facebook

You just wished your Facebook friend "Happy Birthday". Is it because a notice appeared on the front page or do you really care? If it's just because a notice appeared, why did you put the effort to click and type? It's meaningless.

If you really do care, again, why did you put the effort to click and type? I would think that if you really care about someone's birthday, you would put more effort into it. What's the matter? You don't have time to call? You don't have time to see them? However, you have time to put into Facebook? Ok... I've just identified you as the first one who will scream if Facebook blows up.

Just so you know, I have discovered gold mines, diamond mines and rainbows, simply by calling people to wish them happy birthday. It's easy, it's free (you already paid for it or will anyway), it's personal and it matters. 
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Jun 12 / 7:49am

La Nuit de la grenouille

La Nuit de la grenouille took place last week on June 4, 2009. The event served as a way to promote the French TV show in development, L'Année de la grenouille. 

About two or three weeks before the event, Matchstick, a word-of-mouth marketing agency, approached me and offered me free Carlsberg beer. Who am I to say no to that? That's great beer and the timing was perfect. Carlsberg's tagline is "Probably the best beer in the world". I won't argue that.

I have never been part of an event like La Nuit de la grenouille. The show mixed the screening of four trailers, a popping dance show, a fashion show and a wushu demonstration. Photography and contemporary art were also exposed. A mixture like this has never been done before. How could it all blend together and create an entire show that is unified and makes sense? That's where the TV show comes in. 

L'Année de la grenouille gathers all those type of arts through each unique character who had their own teaser and piece of the show adapted to their personality.

In the audience, there were dancers, photographers, producers, people who worked on the project as well as friends and family, and more. The room was full. The public response was insanely great. 

The most popular comment was "I want more". The most negative comment was "That's it?" Ironically, I would consider that the most positive comment as well.
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Filed under  //  Life   Montreal  

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May 21 / 6:12am

My to-do list

We all know what to-do lists look like. I was looking for an application that would synchronize on the web, on my computer and my iPhone. It turned out that stickies are what works for me. Orange is for project titles. Green is for tasks related to projects. Pink for life related insights.

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May 5 / 8:48am

You shouldn't care to call me at 3 A.M.

Some people don't call me late or early for fear that they will wake me up, but that fear is inapplicable since my sleep behavior is highly irregular. Sometimes, I sleep in the middle of the afternoon or the evening, so if you try to call then, you would be waking me up. I pretty much sleep at any hour of the day. Indeed, I usually sleep between 0:00 and 6:00, but it doesn't mean that I won't sleep again at 10:00 and again at 18:00. Irregularity keeps me functioning at any hour of the day. My sleep behavior is probably a reason why I don't get jet lagged.

The bottom line is that nobody should care about when they call me. I am more annoyed by people's hesitation than their calls.
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Apr 14 / 9:23am

I would like to lead 1000s of people

The idea of practicing tai chi was growing in my brain like a tumor for about two years until the end of last year, when I finally made a move and started studying the most misperceived martial art in the world. Yes, it is a martial art and yes, it is misperceived. 

An old master once said to his young student: "You are younger and stronger. I am old and weak. How is it possible that I still beat you everytime?"

In this world, we all grow up with the idea that we can't beat someone or something if we aren't stronger. We fight force with force. Sometimes, when we find ourselves weaker and instead of looking for a way to succeed despite our weakness, we walk away. Tai chi lets you overcome your weaknesses.

When I tell people that tai chi is a martial art, most ask how it is possible to defend yourself with slow movements. The answer is that you don't. What most people don't know is that tai chi has a fast component that many schools teach to advance students. Every slow movement can be applied in a situation of self-defense and obviously, it is accelerated.

Why slow movements? I find that question to be like the question "What is the meaning of life"; every answer is your own. Personally, those slow movements are a training for the mind. My master says that slow movements help your coordination. 

One day, I would love to be practicing tai chi in front of thousands of people and have them follow me, but I am nowhere close to that right now. In fact, even in 20 or 30 years, I still don't see myself ready for something like that. But you know what? I'll keep practicing until I reach that level and go beyond.

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Photo taken from this very interesting article: Tai Chi: the ancient art of going with the flow.

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Apr 13 / 7:28am

Fortune cookie

I just opened a fortune cookie and it had two pieces of paper. Is two better than one?

These are the message:
"Get your mind set... Confidence will lead you on."
"You are a person of culture."
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Filed under  //  Life   Philosophy  

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Apr 9 / 1:57pm

Two Types of People

Two types of people

This is the description of people who are extroverted, introverted and those who are both, with a little touch of humor. I think I am leaning more on the introverted side. What do you think? What about you? Which one are you?

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Apr 7 / 6:00pm

Longzero.com is my portfolio

And maybe this will be my blog. Until now, my blog has always been located at http://longzero.com/blog/ and very customized, but I am thinking of using a more generic version like the default design of posterous which is a great service.

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Filed under  //  Design   Life   Technology  

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