Author Archives: jasonh52gmailcom

 (No, not the Fall, as in autumn the season, the Fall of Democracy)  As I was walking to the office this morning, I saw the sculpture of the Indigenous Chief on 7th Ave. This is one of the very first photos I took on my very first snow day in Calgary. It’s been 10 years.Continue reading “Before the fall”

The upside of having a honeymoon three years after the wedding, and eight years after meeting a person, is that you get to discover and get to know them all over again. “I know what I signed up for.” And when we are both a lot older (but only a little bit less cute), itContinue reading “The Honeymooners – Literally every day in France: Art and Religion”

Dan’s friend once belovedly called him the “Cultural Slave Driver”. And so while we were planning for the trip, we decided that we would go to the 3 castles nearest to Paris (and by “near”, it’s like an hour train each way. and he insisted “there are 10-13 of them. these are very close).  SoContinue reading “The Honeymooners – Day 2-3: Kings and Queens”

 The Honeymooners – Day 1: Paris in the rain People romanticize Paris. They romanticize the rain. Paris in the rain is made into movies, into songs, into arts, and into memories of people. Paris is extremely romantic in the rain.  Except I am a cynic, and I hate the rain, and we were on ourContinue reading “The Honeymooners – Day 1: Paris in the rain”

This is the timeline of a love story  02/2014: They met, as friends 01/2015: They started dating 01/2016: They moved in together 05/2017: They moved to a new house 11/2018: They got engaged 08/2019: They got married They planned their honeymoon for April-May 2020 January 2020 – with the news about a new disease originatingContinue reading “The Honeymooners – Prologue: Pandemic – A love story”

We went on a 6-hour hike last Saturday. And on Sunday afternoon, we sat around on our deck in the sun and read books. We were quiet. We were not interacting with each other. And as I look at him (squinting in the sunlight with his usual frown-y eyebrows), I thought to myself “We need moreContinue reading “An (almost) ordinary life”

  Cis straight male white (CSMW) friend: Did you know, there’s “gay white male privilege” now? I didn’t know thatMe:  It’s been here forever. It’s called IntersectionalityCSMW friend: Next they will be coming for you, “gay Asian male privilege”. Me: It’s already a thing. Literally, just Google IntersectionalityCSMW friend: I’m so blessedMe: Yep, the ability toContinue reading “Pride and Prejudice”

Scene from a marriage – A poem (Backdrop: Dad works 4 days a week away from home. Mom stays home with 2 sons – a teenager and a toddler) Mom got up early to pack us breakfast Dad drives us to school. Dad sits on his chair, reading his newspaper.  Mom cleans. Mom makes lunch.Continue reading “My mother's son”

(TW: Discussion about class, race, diversity, and inclusion – not at all like the title and the thirst-trap-y hoy-boy-summer photo suggests) I could hear my mom scoff as she tells me to go put some clothes on and this whole Canadian suntanning thing is not for us Vietnamese people. Growing up, she will chase usContinue reading “Brown boy summer”

  It is apt that we spent the Summer Soltice – National Indigenous Peoples Day in the mountain, hiking, and appreciating the earth. It’s appropriate that I’m finishing “Brading Sweetgrass” (Please read t if you haven’t. It’s a series of short essays, a very easy but tremendously insightful book) When I was young, it wasContinue reading “The Honourable Harvest”