Today I was reminded that sometimes, it's up to you to do the things you want in life. You can't always rely upon others. And others.. shouldn't hold you back. Get out there and do whatever you need to do!
I guess I kind of listened to my advice today =P I went out there and took some photos. It was a gorgeous night in DC especially by the Tidal Basin. It was a fun relaxing stroll and I got to take some fun photos as well. Some more photos are in the gallery.
Today was the Bake Sale for Haiti. Over 23 food bloggers dedicated their time and effort to bake goods to fundraise for Doctors Without Borders. In just 2 hours of selling, they raised $950. If they were able to sell longer, I'm sure they would have been able to raise even more! Anything that wasn't sold in time was donated to another great organization, N Street Village. Congratulations to everyone for organizing a wonderful event! Enjoy the recap video and photos. DC Food Bloggers.. you can visit my photo gallery and steal whatever photos you need for your website!
Bake Sale For Haiti from Thomas Nguyen on Vimeo.
I just finished this flyer for my awesome cousin Sylvie www.thriftydccook.com
If you are in the DC area on Sunday, March 28th, please buy some AWESOME baked goods for your tummy and help benefit Doctors Without Borders. My cousin Sylvie and her friends will be making some amazing things for sure!
Eddie The Hip Hop Star! from Thomas Nguyen on Vimeo.
This past weekend I was able to test out the Canon 5D MKII some more! I took some awesome footage of my little nephew Eddie, the next hip hop star =P
Last Thursday, I was in LA for a day for some meetings and a pre-Oscar party hosted by Susan Surandon and SPiN NYC. I had a great time meeting friends and people I never ever thought I would meet. I wake up everyday amazed by my line of profession. Ping Pong. Life is good. Enjoy the video recap above and some photos below and in the gallery!
The Mondrian Hotel
Jamie Foxx at the event
Jamie in action.
DJ for the night and OK Go!'s guitarist Tim Nordwind
Minnesota Viking's running back, Adrian Peterson talking to Jamie Foxx
Justin Long, his brother and I. WooHooo Apple!
It's interesting what random meetings can happen to you. One day a couple of friends and I were heading down to the city. While we were at the metro, we ran into two girls who had some questions about which metro stop to get off of to the event they were attending. We were able to help them out and ended up chit chatting on the ride down. We kept in touch and learned that we all follow a passion to give back to our communities.
The one girl's name is Tu-Anh. She started a non profit called Fashion Fix, where they use the avenues of fashion and art events to raise funds and awareness to a local cause. The event that just happened was named Fete of Fashion. The proceeds benefited the Capital Breast Care Center, which is a DC center that helps screens women for breast cancer, no matter if they are able to pay or not. Michelle Fenty made a guest appearance that night and spoke for the CBCC. Fashion Fix was able to raise over $3,000 that night for the center. Great job Tu-Anh & the Fashion Fix Team!
As everyday passes, I just feel so grateful for everything that is going on in my life. The good and the bad. There is always something to be thankful for everyday. What can you be thankful for today?
No matter what container is presented to water, it becomes it. Learn to adapt and become! Be like water.
So I'm finally back from Germany and a week in NYC. It feels great to be back in my own home and able to relax! I wanted to share with you all a video clip I made of the 2010 European Top 12. I was fortunate to watch the event in Dusseldorf, Germany. Many out there still haven't seen high level competitive Table Tennis before. Here's your chance. Enjoy!
European Top 12 Highlights from Thomas Nguyen on Vimeo.
Day 2 started way earlier then I wanted to. I woke up at 4:30AM but just couldn't fall back asleep. My mind was up and running and couldn't stop. Luckily, Richard was up early too and we were able to hit up McDonald's. Coffee was in dire need for me!
After our meetings for the day, we were headed to Dusseldorf. However, we decided to make a couple of stops in between. The first stop was Grenzau, Germany. This is the first place I stayed when I visited a couple of years back. This is where many things started for us in the JOOLA world. During that time, we stayed in a very hotel/spa resort there which also houses a Table Tennis training center. Unusual, I know... but not for Germany! They also host a Division 1 Bundesliga (German Leagues) team there. This is where I got to see how the pro's practice and play! And they also teach table tennis and have camps for all levels of play there.
That was the first time in my life that I felt like a professional athlete. Wake up, eat breakfast, relax, go to a morning practice session, go to the gym or for a run, eat lunch, relax, go to the afternoon practice session, hit up the spa, eat dinner, relax, sleep, repeat.
After revisiting & giving a tour to Kat, we then headed to Cologne. It's such a gorgeous city that I love. One of the main reasons is to see the Cathedral in Cologne!
It's an amazing cathedral that is soooooo huge. I always feel humbled whenever I walk in there. I took time to kneel down at a pew and just give thanks for everything that is going on in life. I'm glad I was able to visit once more.
Afterwards, we walked around the city and just had some fun sight seeing.
After walking around for quite a bit we ended up at a German restaurant. I really liked the whole German Beer Hall type of feel. The stereotype of people just loud and having a good time in one of those beer halls is not a joke. I think there were tables of people wayyyy older then us that were being very jolly haha. After our meal, we finally made it to Dusseldorf. We are in the same hotel as the players and administrators of the European Top 12.
So today, we'll be watching the Top 12 and I'll be giving you guys an update tomorrow. I hope everyone is well back home and enjoying the snow! Go sledding and throw a snowball for me guys!
Signing Off,
Tom
Hi guys! I arrived in Germany safe and sound. The flight here was great since hardly anyone was on the flight. So you know what that means? A whole row to myself! However, I didn't sleep that well since I couldn't fall asleep in the beginning. And when I did fall asleep.. I woke up pretty early. I had about 3hrs of sleep. FAIL!
When we were waiting for our baggage claim, i thought this was a funny photo to decipher. I think the first poster says that.. please do not use our luggage carts as a grocery shopping cart. The second one says, Cats' needs a passport if traveling =P
My twitter name is addictedtoapple. I might have to change that to addictedtocoffee. I have been drinking tons of coffee and espresso drinks to keep me up throughout the day. It's been super tough and I'm hanging in there. Hopefully I will be able to sleep through the night now! And so.. I'm off again. Tomorrow we head to Dusseldorf. I'll keep all ya'll updated!
Tom
I have started another site, www.meetinspiration.com. It's meant to be a successful combination of two main things I enjoy out of life.
1. I really enjoy meeting and learning about new people. You never know what kind of great stories and experiences they can share with you. It's always a fun learning experience.
2. I have been fortunate to meet so many great people that are making a difference in the world. They might even be just a very positive person sharing the vibes! Luckily, I've been able to introduce and connect other like minded individuals that share the same passion or goals.
So why not combine the two? Showcase people and different organizations with their inspirational stories and allow visitors to emotionally and physically connect with the story. Maybe it is something they can relate to. Maybe it brings a smile to their face. Maybe it's something they can pass along to another friend in need. Maybe they will feel compelled to reach out and help with the spotlighted person or organization. If it can make a difference in one person's life or the masses, inspiration has been met and passed on. Hopefully one day everyone will meet inspiration.