Timber & Lụa, by Vi Khi Nào and Lily Hoàng, is billed as experimental narratives. Each short story is written in three versions: Vietlish, English, and Vietnamese. I read several pages of the Vietlish version and gave up before my head was about to explode. Here’s a sample excerpt:

Love, mặc dù phổ quát, is not a ngôn ngữ she is designed to speak and its performance always feels a bit lập dị and nổi bật. She wants to understand it like the way ruy băng understands its lăng kính or tù giam. She was built to be a rô bô sắc sảo, từng hàng of code is perfect. Vì vậy, what is không đúng about her now? She nhìn lên nhìn xuống with her rotating eyeballs and asks Chalk, “Is fucking like a một bữa tiệc xa hoa. Or, ngoại trừ me, is it a bathroom door everyone knows how to open?”

What the fuck did I just read? The English version flows a bit better, but the Vietnamese version reads like Google Translate. I experimented with alternating between English and Vietnamese as I turned a page and that confused me even more. Even as someone who reads and writes both English and Vietnamese, I was having a hard time grasping the narratives.

Timber & Lụa is a bold, daring experimentation, but that’s about it.

Last Saturday, my fellow snowboard instructor and I coached 2 brothers. He took the 6-year-old and I took the 8-year-old. Since they signed up for a group lesson, they both could have taken the lesson with either one of us, but we split up because they might be on different levels.

The cost for each kid was $405. Their dad also gave each of us tips at the end of the lesson. He was willing to spend around $850 for us to teach his kids even though he snowboarded himself. I didn’t know if he was wealthy or not, but that was some serious investments.

On the kids’ part, I didn’t know how the 6-year-old did, but the 8-year-old gave all he could. He fell, got up, and rode again. I took him on the chair lift, showed him how to turn. He nailed his heelside, but still had trouble with his toeside. We got back on the lift and worked on it again and again.

We took a 20-minute break half way through the lesson. We gave him chips and water. After he finished them both, he got up, threw his trash in the trash can, went to the bathroom, washed his hands, and wanted to get back on the chair lift again to work on his toeside.

He definitely made good use of his time and the money his parents spent on him. For 2 hours and 40 minutes, he did not complain at all.

Yesterday I went to Liberty for the first time this season. In the morning, I taught a friend how to ski for the first time ever. After lunch, I let him work on his turns at the learning center. I went to the back side to shred on the blue and double black terrains.

I sat on the chair lift with two ski instructors at Liberty. They were nerding out about carving then asked me about my day. I asked them about their day and if they taught a class. One of them said, “We have wonderful snow on the terrains, but no one to teach.” I joked with them, “Why don’t you guys teach me?” They asked me what I was working on. I told them, “Carving.” They started giving carving tips.

As we rode off the lift, they asked me to come along. They introduced themselves as Leo and Dave. They coached me on Dipsy Doodle. I was having a private lesson with two instructors. When we skied to the flat area, Leo gave me a “wrap-up” talk as instructors should do. I thanked them and unzipped my jacket to reveal my inner jacket. They recognized the blue uniform instantly. I confessed to them, “Yes, I am an instructor at Whitetail.” We all laughed. I went on, “I was testing you guys. Not only did you give a great lesson, but you were also willing to coach a random guest. That was very generous of you.” Leo said, “You’re the undercover boss” while Dave pulled out his phone to take a selfie of us.

Dave said, “You should join our team.” I told him that I actually applied at Liberty first, but I was rejected. I applied to Whitetail and they hired me immediately. They took me to the Ski and Ride School to introduce me to the director, but he was not there. Dave gave me his card and told me to contact him so he can put me in touch with the director to see if he could transfer me over.

I was not looking to make the transfer. Liberty is about 15 minutes closer to my house, but I am loving Whitetail, especially the Ski and Ride School. I am glad to be part of it and the extra 15-minute commute is definitely worth it.

A few months ago, I listed my Ski & Snowboard Services on Facebook’s Marketplace. A week later, Facebook removed my list for violating its policy. I was not allowed to post services. I didn’t know. Now I know.

In the last few days of 2025, I decided to put together a webpage for Donny Trương’s Ski & Snowboarding Services. It only took me a few hours, but I enjoyed designing it. I took all the photos to show my process. The site is typeset in NaN Tresor, designed by Christoph Koeberlin.

Now I just link this page to the DMV ski groups. Take a look at Donny Trương’s Ski & Snowboarding Services.

Today was our last day in Vermont. Our family, along with my wife’s sister’s and her brother’s family, gathered for a week skiing and snowboarding at Mount Snow. With 8 boys between the age of 7 and 16, there was never a quiet moment. We couldn’t get out of the rental house earlier than noon to head to the terrains. With the holiday crowds, we could only get a few runs in a day.

We arrived in Vermont on Friday around noon and headed straight to Mount Snow resort. We went to the slopes again on Saturday around noon. On Sunday, I taught my friend’s kid how to ski. On Monday, we stayed at the rental house all day due to freezing rain. On Tuesday, the winds were too strong. I was the only one who went to the resort. I spent 6 days on the terrains.

I was planning to teach Đạo and his cousin snowboarding, but they seemed to be wanting to stick with skiing. Nothing wrong with that. They are very good skiers. I was happy to see Vương getting back on his skis. I worried that his fracture would get worse; therefore, I gave him four rules. First, he couldn’t use poles, which kids seemed to prefer anyway. Second, he could only stay on green terrains. Third, he couldn’t do any jumps. Fourth, he couldn’t go into the trees. He complied with the first two rules. The third and fourth, not so much. He was doing fine and had a great time with his brothers and cousins.

The rental house was about 20 minutes away from the resort. Yet, we couldn’t get our minivan out of the driveway because of the freezing rain. Luckily, my wife’s sister had a Revian with winter tires. Or else we would have been stuck in the rental house for a week.

This trip gives me a few things to think about. If we are going to take winter trips to go skiing, we will need to get a car with all-wheel drive and winter tires. Last November, my wife and I started to look for a new car. We decided on a 2026 Toyota Sienna Woodland, but the final price made me back out. Now, we need to reconsider. Our 2011 Sienna is almost 220,000 miles. Our 2018 Sienna is almost 100,000 miles. If we want to continue to travel Vermont every winter, we need to get a new car.

Happy New Year! Let’s kick off 2026 with some strength.

In 2011, I had the opportunity to work with Activist and Author Jennifer Karin on her websites and print materials. In late December of 2011, Ms. Karin sent me her “Strength” card to redesign. I loved her prose; therefore, I asked her if I could put together a digital version that could be hosted on my site. She generously granted me permission.

In the last few days of 2025, I decided to revive the “Strength” page. In addition, I would like to translate Ms. Karin’s words into Vietnamese. I redesigned the page and typeset in Lang and Lang Gothic, designed by Stephen Nixon. Take a look at “Strength: Nghị lực”

I read 42 books this year, which is 20 less than last year.

A couple of months ago, I had some distractions in my personal life, which prevented me from reading. I took 40 days to read a 300-page novel, Kristin Bair’s Clementine Crane Prefers Not To. I read less poetry books this year, but I did read the 960-page A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker 1925 – 2025. I read less Vietnamese book, but I read an 800-page fiction, Hân Như’s Điều Bí Mật.

In this digital age, it is hard to compete for your attention against your smartphones and tablets. My oldest son used to read lots of books. Now he’s constantly glued to his phone. My three other children are not fond of reading either. I understand the distraction of digital devices; therefore, I still prefer to read paper books, unless the books I want to read are only available in digital formats.

Back in September of this year, I subscribed to The New Yorker. Reading articles takes away my book reading time, but I am OK with that. I need to keep up with the latest cultural news and events, but I have completely refused to read anything related to politics. I even turned to Spotify for new music instead of listening to the latest podcasts I subscribed to, which were mostly about politics.

In 2026, I will be picking up more books again after the skiing and snowboarding season. I enjoyed reading thick books; therefore, I will try to continue in that direction. In contrast, I might pick up books of poetry again.

James Edmondson’s excellent The Ohno Book is a perfect book to wrap up my 2025 reading. He’s not only a talented type designer, but also an engaging writer. In this book, he shares what he has learned from making outstanding typefaces and running a successful type business. I enjoyed reading the process that went into his typefaces. If you’re an aspiring type designer, definitely read this book. If you work with types, you will also find useful information from this book.

Sending another letter to Toyota:

Last evening, December 26, 2025, the cable in the driver-side power sliding door on our 2018 Toyota Sienna SE broke off. We were able to close the door manually, but now it can’t be opened. We are on our ski trip to Vermont, which is about 500 miles away from home. We are deeply concerned with our family safety. We are a family of 6: my wife and I with 4 small children.

We also own a 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE. One cable broke off last year and another cable broke off about six months ago. Both of our sliding doors broke, but they can still be used manually.

The cost for replacing the cable is around $2,500. For 3 doors, that will cost us $7,500. Once the passenger door on our 2018 Toyota Sienna SE snaps off as well, that will cost us $10,000. But the more pressing issue is that we cannot open the driver-side sliding door on our 2018 Toyota Sienna SE.

We are in the process of looking for a new minivan. We almost went with the 2026 Toyota Sienna Woodland, but the sliding door issues have made us change our mind. We loved Toyota and had been loyal customers. Is there anything you can do for us?

Thanks,
Donny Truong

On December 29, 2025, two days after I sent a letter to Toyota Brand Engagement Center, they responded:

Dear Donny Truong,

Thank you for contacting us at Toyota. We are sorry to hear you are experiencing inoperative sliding doors on your 2018 Sienna. We appreciate the description you provided regarding the door and cable assembly. Based on your description it is possible you are experiencing an issue that might be covered under a Customer Support Program.

We have researched your [2018 Sienna SE] and have determined your vehicle is involved in Customer Support Program ZKD provides an extension of warranty for Certain 2011 – 2018 Model Year Sienna Vehicles Coverage for the Power Sliding Door Cable Sub-Assembly. We would recommend contacting your local Toyota dealer for an inspection of your vehicle to determine if your vehicle qualifies under the customer support program based on an inspection. If you are currently on a trip, it may be best to schedule an inspection with a dealer near your residence.

Each Toyota dealer has a Customer Relations Manager who oversees operations and addresses customers’ concerns. We’d like to refer you to the Customer Relations Manager, at Priority Toyota Springfield, so they can address your sliding door concern.

If you’d like us to contact Priority Toyota Springfield on your behalf and have a member of the dealer’s management team follow up with you directly, please reply to this comment.

Please know, we have documented your experience here at Toyota National Headquarters under reference #***********. If you have any other questions, please contact us.

Sincerely,
Matt
Toyota Brand Engagement Center

On Monday, after we came back from our ski trip in Vermont, I took our Sienna 2018 SE to Ourisman Toyota, which is closer to our home than Priority Toyota Springfield. With the authorization from Toyota National Headquarters, the dealer went ahead and fixed the sliding door on the driver side with no additional charge.

After our Sienna 2018 SE, I brought in our 2011 Sienna XLE to see if they would fix both sliding doors since they were broken. Ourisman Toyota informed me that they can’t replace them because the Customer Support Program ZKD had expired on my vehicle. Once again, I wrote to Toyota Brand Engagement Center on January 7, 2026:

Dear Brand Management Advocate,

Several years ago, both of the cable sliding doors on our 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE broke off. We only recently learned about the Customer Support Program ZKD provides an extension of warranty for Certain 2011 – 2018 Model Year Sienna Vehicles Coverage for the Power Sliding Door Cable Sub-Assembly.

We took our minivan to Ourisman Toyota to replace them, but they declined because the warranty had expired. We took our minivan to Ourisman for oil change every 10,000 miles for many years and they never told us about the cable recall. Furthermore, we never received any notice about the recall from Toyota Corporation. We found out about the recall because our 2018 Toyota Sienna SE had the same issue and had been replaced.

Is there anything you can do to help us resolve this issue? We have been loyal customers of Toyota for many years. We own two Siennas and in the process of buying a 2026 Sienna Woodland edition.

Again, we would appreciate your help. Here’s the dealership contact info:

Ourisman Fairfax Toyota
(703) 359-1010
10441 Fairfax Blvd.
Fairfax, VA 22030

Sincerely yours,
Donny Truong

On January 8, 2026 at 1:48 pm, I received a respond from a Brand Management Advocate:

Thank you for contacting the Toyota Brand Engagement Center.

We are sorry to learn your 2011 Toyota Sienna is experiencing concerns with the sliding doors.

Toyota strives to produce long-lasting, trouble-free vehicles and parts, and while we can’t predict an average life expectancy for any specific part or component, we do provide our Toyota limited factory warranty, which reflects our confidence in the products we offer.

According to your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), ************, the warranty for the sliding doors is 3 years, or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first starting from the vehicle’s in-service date: 12/13/2010. In addition, Toyota initiated a Customer Support Program for the sliding doors cables for your VIN. This was not a recall and was dependent on a Toyota dealer inspection during the warranty period. This program expired: 12/13/20. We have confirmed there are no current recalls or customer support programs related to your sliding door cable concerns. Once a vehicle is outside of the manufacturer’s warranty, repairs become the owner’s responsibility.

We aren’t able to offer any assistance in this instance due to the age of your vehicle. If we were to initiate any type of Safety Recall Campaign in the future relating to your vehicle, we will notify you directly via first class mail.

We truly appreciate your feedback. Through communication like yours, we learn about our guests’ dealership interactions as well as guest’s expectations to help improve the customer service experience.

Please know, we have documented your experience here at Toyota National Headquarters. If you have any other questions, please contact us.

Sincerely,
Michael M.
Toyota Brand Engagement Center

On January 10, 2026, I responded to Michael M.:

Dear Michael M.,

Thank you for your prompt response. In your reply, you wrote, “Toyota initiated a Customer Support Program for the sliding doors cables for your VIN.” And yet, neither Toyota Corporate or Toyota Dealers notified about the Customer Support Program. I even raised this question with the Parts & Service Director at Ourisman Toyota and he informed me that neither Toyota Corporate nor Toyota Dealers notified any of the customers about the program. I was shocked to hear that.

Toyota only provided free replacement in response to a class action settlement and only if customers approached them about the issues. I wouldn’t have known about the Customer Support Program if I didn’t reach out to the Toyota Brand Engagement Center about the sliding door issue with my 2018 Sienna SE. Again, I take our car to Ourisman Toyota every 10,000 miles for oil change and multi-point inspection, but they never informed me about the sliding door issues with my 2011 Sienna XLE.

I am disappointed with Toyota’s shady business practice on this issue as well as the lack of transparency on customer support. Toyota has been our family’s trusted brand for over 20 years. Please do better.

Regards,
Donny Truong

An hour before I received the respond from Toyota Brand Engagement Center, Parts & Service Director at Ourisman Toyota called me to let me know that Toyota won’t cover the sliding doors. Again, the reason was that the Customer Support Program ZKD had expired. I argued it was expired because I didn’t know about it. I took my car in for oil change every 10,000 miles since I purchased our car in 2011. The technicians always gave me a list of issues that would cost thousands and thousands of dollars to fix, but they never mentioned about Customer Support Program ZKD for the sliding doors. The only way I found out about it was because I contacted the Toyota Brand Engagement Center. He informed me that Ourisman Toyota as well as Toyota Corporation didn’t tell any customers about the issue unless customers come to them, like I did, to tell them about the issue.

I was horrified to hear about their shady business practice. Toyota Sienna is a family car and they are willing to put our family members at risk. When the cable on our 2018 Sienna SE sliding door snapped, the sliding door was completely shut. If we were in an accident and the car were caught on fire, the kids wouldn’t be able to escape. Both of the sliding doors in our 2011 Sienna XLE are now being used manually. If we park the car on the hill the doors would slide really fast because they don’t have the cables to hold them. I have to make sure that my kids’ arms and fingers were all clear from the sliding doors so no body parts get jammed for cut off.

We had always loved Toyota, especially the Sienna model for our family, but I am disappointed with their shady business practice—with safety issue in particular. They need to do better.

If you own a Toyota Sienna from 2016 to now and your sliding door cable snapped, bring your car to the dealer to get them fixed with no charge.

On Tuesday, I took the jacket test to be able to teach skiing for Vail Resorts. I went through the entire level-one lesson according to the course progression I had learned. I passed the test.

I am now among a few instructors who can teach both skiing and snowboarding. Teaching skiing is easier than teaching snowboarding. Learning skiing is also more pleasurable than learning snowboarding.

If you are going to spend three days or less on the slopes, learn skiing. If you can spend over seven days, learn snowboarding. If you return to the slopes season after season, learn both. I am definitely glad that I did both. The Epic Pass had allowed me the time and the affordability to learn.

On Monday, I taught three teenagers snowboarding. While we were on the chair lift together, they informed me that they wished they had learned snowboarding when they were younger. I assured them it was never too late to learn. I only learned to snowboard three years ago at the age of 44. I learned to ski, figure skate, and rollerblade when I turned 40. In recent months, I dabbled in skateboarding too.

Even though these sports have some similarities—they required balance—each one needs tremendous amount of time to advance. As a result, I only carved out what I wanted to learn. Yes, my goal is to carve and to enjoy my time during the winter season.