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Lost on You
He called me while driving through the countryside. On that Saturday evening, my spirits were low; we had been fighting. When his phone number flashed across my screen, I quickly answered, ready to apologize. There was a long silence. The quiet on his part was so...
How you’ve made me
The doctor informed me that I had a few days before she would pass away, due to the irreversible damage from the stroke. He urged me to make arrangements for her dignified death and take as long as I needed to mourn and spend time with her. Once she was a...
What is love?
I just received the call on the secure phone line from the CIA. They warned me about Tokyo's fast reactions; following the escalation of conflicts between the United States and Japan an hour ago. "Your facial expression displays shocks and concerns after the call,"...
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Lost on You
He called me while driving through the countryside. On that Saturday evening, my spirits were low; we had been fighting. When his phone number flashed across my screen, I quickly answered, ready to apologize. There was a long silence. The quiet on his part was so...
How you’ve made me
The doctor informed me that I had a few days before she would pass away, due to the irreversible damage from the stroke. He urged me to make arrangements for her dignified death and take as long as I needed to mourn and spend time with her. Once she was a...
What is love?
I just received the call on the secure phone line from the CIA. They warned me about Tokyo's fast reactions; following the escalation of conflicts between the United States and Japan an hour ago. "Your facial expression displays shocks and concerns after the call,"...
Strangers Again
Strangers. Friends. Lovers. Strangers again. It was one of those unremarkable business trips on a Friday, outbound from London to Vienna. The morning rain dazzled outside as I dragged my tired self to the Business Class lane. Throwing the Financial Times copy on the...
Selfishness
He could not remember how long it might have been since she was gone. The thoughts of her came in waves of varying intensity, often happened once every few weeks. This time, his stream of thoughts were overwhelming, leaving him defenceless like a bird without feathers...
Optimising Love
"Have you ever thought about optimising love?", she asked, after a few drinks. We were in a quiet Victorian bar with a high ceiling, wooden and leathery decor. "I don't think this is a rather appropriate topic." hesitantly, I replied. "Setting morality asides, there...
The beauty of a human-level machine
I have always been fascinated by human psychology and how our thoughts differ. To me, exploring how different our minds work is not only joyful but also a journey that requires a lot of patience and sympathy. I grow to hate the coined terms of psychological...
My social network dream, five years later
Very few people know about this story of mine. These narratives are indeed the stories less told, just because, who’d like to publicise their failures, right? It was my first shot at entrepreneurship when I was still a final year student at LSE. I remembered a...
Citizen of Everywhere
I have been travelling recently and lost my identification documents. It was a surprising event because I, being the proud experienced traveller, have undertaken hundreds of trips and been to dozens of countries. I even had Bluetooth location trackers (i.e. this one)...
11 cold hard truths about helping others
Some brief thoughts came to my mind over the last few months about helping others that I jotted down in my journal. I thought it might be worth sharing. Before you are quick to impose a judgement of my cynicality; or write to me in horror "Who damaged you?!", let it...
My Personal Finance System – Part 2
Last month, I pondered over the idea of writing about the various systems I have in place in my life to automate and reduce its mundanity as much as possible; since some readers seem to be interested in the practical steps of how I manage different compartments of my...
Earn vs. Make
The vivid memories come back to me of a winter night in the Alps when I was skiing with a group of friends in finance and banking a few years ago. At that time, I wanted to apply for a Master in Computer Science but could not afford the international tuition fees. I...
Follow The Money
The below is a guest article for the LSE blog. ***** I had a call today with someone who's in her final year at university, coming to doing an internship with GS this summer, but also working on her start-up venture. She was offered £50,000 for 20% of her company...
10 Ultimate Lessons I Have Learnt in 2017
Every year-end, I write a post about the 10 ultimate lessons I have learnt throughout the year. This is the fifth sequel to the 10 lessons I have learnt in 2016, in 2015, in 2014 and in 2013. 1. The law of nature is always to optimise for the whole and support natural...
$100,000 and the price of freedom
A long while ago, when I was on the first date with the Señor, I was admittedly quite tipsy because I had been in my boss' BBQ gathering for the whole day earlier. His wife was an excellent and charming host who kept pouring us more and more wine throughout the day....
10 Ultimate Lessons I Have Learnt in 2016
Every year-end, I write a post about the 10 ultimate lessons I have learnt throughout the year. This is the forth sequel to the 10 lessons I have learnt in 2015, in 2014 and in 2013. 1. Everything I do in life represent an opportunity to earn various forms of assets,...
One hour at a time
“I don’t have enough time”, said I to the Señor when he asked why I didn’t exercise daily. “Everyday I work until really late, average out 12-14 hours a day. Subtracting sleep time, I only have about 3 hours for myself every day”. I continued. “There are many things I...
Yes and No
Growing up, I said "Yes" to everything that comes my way. Every opportunity, every offer, every introduction, every meeting, every invitation, every event, every employment, every phone call, every book, every school of thoughts, every request. This approach has taken...
Know what I don’t know
Over two years ago, I said farewell to LSE and embarked on the journey of a working adult. Immersing myself in excitement and the partial relief that my formal education was finally over, I looked forward to a life engineered under my total control. "Here comes my...
“This, too, shall pass” – A Brexit story
It was 4:32 am on Friday 24-June-2016 when Southampton has just declared for Leave. Although there were a few more counties to go, the result had now been apparent. The Prime Minister looked out through the bright glass window from his office, only to find the street...
23 things I learnt by 23
The following list is in no particular order: Everyone’s deepest desire is to be loved. Give it to them. Regardless of how I treat my family, they are always the kindest, most honest and most available to me in a time of need. I must not forget to treat them well....
About Broken Heart
"Why did you choose what you do?" asked the Monsieur. I was surfing on my computer while he was folding his work shirts and cleaned his wardrobe. I looked at him. "You meant why I chose which job to apply for when I had no clue?" "Yeah. It's not like you want to be a...
Power is like a lady
Last month, I purchased a Netflix subscription. I then certainly did what everyone else presumably did when they first had their Netflix account: Starting to watch “House of Cards”. In compensations for my late-night hours finishing all 5 seasons in one week, the show...
I made associate
It was in the middle of a busy afternoon last November when I had back-to-back calls on a live transaction. After I just hung up on a colleague, my dealer board rung of an internal number from Paris. “It’s Mai speaking. May I ask who’s calling?” I picked up the call...
Alone together
On love, power, sex, self-esteem and independence. As some of you may know, I am born on May 31st. Coincidentally and interestingly, May in French is also Mai. My parents had no idea of such coincidence when they named me. “May special” is a series in May every year...
What would I do if I weren’t afraid?
I remembered the years of the 1990s when I grew up in a small village in Vietnam. In those years, one of our childhood’s trophies were Coca-cola - the soft drink. The soft drink was considered a “treat” to kids, reserved only for special occasions such as weddings,...
100 Bullet Points For An Analyst
Recently, I have been asked for advice by a few people with regards to their incoming IBD analyst positions. For their benefit, I tried to find this helpful-but-lesser-known list. 1. First impressions last a long time 2. Never be late 3. Know your place 4. Believe...
True Love
At 00:24, I finished watching The Danish Girl. My brother and The Monsieur refused to watch it with me so I watched it on my own. Admittedly, I have cried. Since I last watched Les Miserable the musical for the fourth time last year, no other performance has made me...
10 Ultimate Lessons I Have Learnt in 2015
Every year-end, I write a post about the 10 ultimate lessons I have learnt throughout the year. This is the third sequel to the 10 lessons I have learnt in 2014 and in 2013. Shout-out : Some lessons here may have already been obvious to you. That probably means you...
Be kind sometimes
One late afternoon over the weekend, I was sitting on a crowded underground train on the Piccadilly line heading home. There were six more stations until my destination. As the train door opened, countless people rushed in to fit into the already-crammed space. A...
I am not …. enough
Five years ago, as a high school senior, I applied to study Economics at universities in the UK. Despite having predicted grades of A* A* A* A* A in Further Maths, Maths, Chemistry, Economics, and Physics, a senior leadership position in the school Student Union, an...
My Three Principles
Toan, the founder of "How I Got My Job in the US", reached out to me after discovering my website. I've been immensely impressed by the inspirational stories showcased on his platform. To further ignite the passion of dream-chasers worldwide, here's my story. This...
Can the excitement in love last forever?
On this unique occasion, I've chosen to write about romance, a topic change that's somewhat perilous due to its highly subjective nature. Nevertheless, I'm addressing it now because I've recently found a meaningful answer to a question that has long troubled me. Can...
Not getting that job offer after the internship
The title, though painful, is clear. HR has either called or emailed you with kind words, wishing you the best, because you didn't receive the job offer you so ardently hoped for after your internship. The moment you heard the phrase "Unfortunately...", your future...
Want to be stronger? Introspection and Repeating Fears
People don't mature simply with the passage of time. They mature through experiences, particularly by managing those experiences. In this article, I'll share insights on strengthening oneself and deepening self-understanding. Our ability to handle life's adversities...
Why you’re the smartest when being alone
You've probably encountered this quote or many of its paraphrased versions: “You're the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” - Jim Rohn, Businessman, Motivational Speaker I have long agreed with this sentiment, but I previously underestimated...
On Life Options And Three Steps To Become The Best
Many people aspire to become millionaires, dedicating a significant portion of their lives to pursuing various routes to achieve this goal. When we admire millionaires, we often hear captivating tales about their journeys to success. However, there's a distinction...
If Someone Had Told Me These Things About Working Life…
I graduated and embarked on my work life almost a year ago. The transition from being a student to a full-time employee wasn't as smooth as I had imagined. In my third year at LSE, I was eager to start working and had several fantasies about being a working adult. I...
“Being Important”… And The 10 Commandments Of Goldman Sachs
*All of my articles express my individual opinions and are not representative of any institution’s views. In 2013, during my tenure as an IBD intern, we had the privilege of hearing Lloyd Blankfein share several pieces of advice for summer interns (YouTube Link) He...
How Can You Have A Lot Of Time And Money At The Same Time?
I have been traveling a lot lately. One observation I've made, especially true for long-haul and international flights, is that many elderly people travel. In fact, on most long-haul flights, you'll often find more elderly individuals (50 years old and beyond) than...
(The Improved) “Student Seeking Advice”
The post below was originally written and published in April. I have since made editorial improvements and obtained the consent of those mentioned. I hope you enjoy this revised version. Having shared my email address online and actively cultivated an online presence,...
Ambition, Discipline, Purpose
Written at Zurich airport I remember the day I left Vietnam for the UK 5 years ago: 8 September 2009. I was 16 and had never been on a plane before in my life. Although I had lived by myself for 7 years prior, since second grade, it was still somewhat frightening to...
10 Ultimate Lessons I Have Learnt In 2014
The lessons below are those I learned in my personal life in 2014. For lessons related to my job, I have penned a separate blog, which you can find here. On Identity: One's job and background form a part of their identity, not the entirety of it. We often hastily...
How Do You Know What You Want In Life?
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from readers of the blog is, “How do I know what I want? How do I know who I need to become?” Recently, I received a letter from a confused gentleman in his mid-twenties, expressing that he feels lost. I dedicate...
3 Months In The Job And This Is What I Learnt
Below are actual lessons I learned from the mistakes I made in the past 3 months as an investment banking analyst: Read or listen to the instructions carefully. When listening, note down word for word; when reading, read word for word. This prevents you from either...
What Being Wealthy Actually Means
Wealth is one of the most prominent desires humans spend their lives pursuing. It is often paid for with blood, tears, anger, effort, personal happiness, and sometimes even one’s life. However, little has been discussed about why we sacrifice so much in this pursuit...
5 ‘smart’ Tips For Spring And Summer Interns
During my three years at LSE, I completed numerous internships and work experiences. So many, in fact, that I've removed several from my LinkedIn profile because it was becoming too lengthy. The workplace turned into a genuine obsession for me. Consequently, some...
10 Ultimate Lessons I Have Learnt In 2013
Here's a corrected version of your text: Think First: No matter the song on the guitar, no matter its difficulty, you can always find an easy tab to work with. The same goes for most things in life. If you pause and reflect for a moment, there's usually a simpler way...
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