Pages

2014 Highlights

I'm making annual habits here with the 2nd yearly recap blog (view the 1st one HERE!) to pin-up some of the most wonderful highlights of 2014 - the year of the horse a.k.a my year!

Ok, with a sip of hot tea under the cold cold air-conditioned office, you know, to make it feel more like my favourite festive season, I'm ready to refresh my mind, looking back in every sources to remember what I did on the first day of 2014. . .

I started 2014 by celebrating HH's mum birthday (a very special date, January the 1st) when she's back to Vietnam for holiday and quickly fly back to Prague, Czech Republic. New Year is usually not a big-deal celebration in many Asia countries and Vietnam is one of them, we would wait patiently for the celebration of Lunar New Year.


The well-execute medium rare beef steak in EON51 restaurant
Starting my new job at a publishing company where I got my hands on designing layouts for magazines. The funny thing was that on the interview day, I found out the Art Director is also graduated from University of The Arts London and we shared the same tutor, which was quite a bizarre coincidence! Time flies and I'm about to reach the 1-year milestone with the company, pretty much going through thicks and thins together with my lovely colleagues!

First day at work

The first RR baby!

Office moved to new location, new working environment!

Late night working but who cares! As long as the event paid off
The Wedding & Gift Lounge at Park Hyatt

Cover shooting at Mercedes house


Barcode Sales Event Saigon - Hanoi
Over the year, we have many catch-up with friends from over the globe who finally made the right decision - to travel to Vietnam! Yes! I'm talking to you little cheeky faces who now have jumped over to your bed and hide behind the pillow because they have not made it to see their beloved Simon yet! I see you! Haha!

Dine out, rooftop style with Cath, my very first university former tutor
Hanging out with Nicole & Toby when they were in town for holiday 
Me and Hoa left the country too young to have a motor-bike driving licence. So 5 years back, we took a "class" and did the test with a bunch of 5-year-younger-than-us. But hey, we did good! haha


Me doing the driving test


Having a make-over: dye my hair - John Newman style :))

 

Making huge effort to add in THE GYM to make my life healthier. . . and BOUGHT a fixie bike that I drove A COUPLE TIMES (and its a lot already!), you know, self-applauded for the effort that nobody will understand to appreciate #lol




One vital element that makes 2014 special, I'm officially an uncle of the most beautiful baby girl in the world - little An Ha! Looks how cute are those puffy little cherry cheeks! Can't wait to meet her this Tet's holiday!







The first trip of 2014 was to travel to Phu Quoc, an amazing island located in the North of Vietnam where you will have the most romantic runaway weekend - chilling by the beach, looking at the sunset, amazing (and CHEAP) seafood. Just lureeeley you know!

Goofing around sunset by the beach
The Phuquocnes monster :))

Since we are in the travelling topic, here are some other cool places that me and HH got a chance to visit over the year:

Bangkok was pretty special, for a first-timer like me! Finally tick Bangkok off the must-travel list.
Tuk tuk was pretty scary to be in it, so I drove it instead *lol*

Its great being a tourist!

Although you look at all sort of maps, you still get lost. . .

But its the beauty of traveling! Lets tuk tuk away your worries


Roadtrip to Danang & Ancient Hoi An town with my gangs





Europe trip in August to visit my lovely sister's family!

Excitedly travelling back to Europe

Hello hello gorgeous sunlight that don't burn

Went on a cruise for a very first time to Copenhagen

Meet up with Bi & Linh as a surprise! 

How I miss arty window displays! 
Du hí cùng em bé sành điệu

Chia tay em bé An Hạ buồn thúi guộc. . . mong đến Tết em về quá xá!

Come back to Singapore after 7 years = brand new travel experience! It was Halloween, so off we went to the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studio Singapore :))
Ultra fun walking with zombies but minus fun for 2-hour queuing for ghost houses and 1-hour queuing for taxi to get back to your hotel.


This is 1/5 of the queuing line. Have fun :))
Revisiting Danang - Hoi An again with a bigger gangs! :))
 
Hanoi for a friend's wedding and also for 2015 New Year countdown! Such fun!



Got myself 2 more tattoo babies this year, 1 from Oslo and 1 from Singapore - which has somehow forms a personal tattoo theory of mine: what can be more perfect than to get yourself a new tattoo whenever you travel to a new country? Check my 2 tattoo babies out




Entered Vietnam Young Spikes, teamed up with Khoi, the most-annoying-ass-on-earth-and-I-know-you-are-reading-this-and-laughing-your-ass-off, we called Mosquito and we got ourself into final round to do a 48-hour creative challenge. We didn't not win but it was one hell of an experience! And congrats to Tan, my good friend, her team got Bronze medal! Woooo!

Look at his smiley ass face :)))))
The Awards Ceremony happened on my birthday :))
Ms Tan Tan Peanut =))
Joined two 5km run events this year - Color Me Run & Prisma Night Run
Hơi mệt. . .

Nhưng mà lên là lên! :))

Quite an active 2014! I think that's a wrap for the year of Horse. Let's welcome many many new opportunities for the upcoming 2015!

All the best,
Simon


Simon Phan

Cung Sư Tử | Thiết Kế Dạo | Thích Du Lịch | Email: simondphan@gmail.com Còn trẻ, khoẻ, vui vẻ và hạnh phúc. Sinh sống và làm việc ở Sài Gòn, người ta nói đã từng là hòn ngọc viễn đông nhưng tự nghĩ chắc vẫn ngấm ngầm toả sáng chứ đâu phải 'đã từng'. Ở hiện tại, nghĩ về tương lai và ít khi nào tiếc nối quá khứ.