Dear Friends,
A couple of weeks back, we had yet another very confusing charades conversation! This time, we couldn't make head-nor-tail of the various gestures, and google translate resulted in a very weird nonsensical message, so we later received a visit from the daughters of our lovely gardener/security man/landlord of the spa, Anh!
They asked if they could use the spa for a family meeting as the younger daughter was celebrating her engagement and it was time for her family to meet the in-laws to be. On Friday, we were invited to said family meeting, to take place between 10.30 and 11am on Sunday!
When we arrived, the entire family from both sides were earnestly talking whilst sharing tea and roasted water-melon seeds (which are delicious, but embarrassingly difficult to eat!).
After a long exchange (during which both bride-and-groom-to-be visibly relaxed!), we all migrated to the sala, which had been set up with an incredible spread of Vietnamese delicacies, including one of our favourites (an unexpectedly scrummy Cam Nam delicacy of clams cooked with chilli, onion, peanuts and a whole host of herbs), squid, chicken and buffalo meat!
As often happens with these family gatherings, the beer flowed, and gestured conversations often ended in laughter and hilarity - Poppet and Bobo were spoilt rotten with chicken bones and tit-bits of meat fed to them under the table (not just by us!!).
We were truly honoured to be a part of such a special celebration, and feel that the sala has been wonderfully blessed with the beautiful energy of friendship, community and familial love! We wish Thanh and Vu a short and wonderful engagement as they prepare for their wedding in February!
Hub Hoi An Coworking Space Talk!
In other community news, we were grateful and privileged to be invited to the Hub Hoi An co-working space talk last Wednesday! Female entrepreneurs, Ava of boutique and ethical fashion brand @avanavietnam, and yoga, mindfulness and Reiki practitioner, Victoria Nhan, took to the stage to share their journeys of setting up a business in Hoi An. Passion, perseverance, gratitude and risk-taking were common threads in all of our talks, and it was inspiring to hear their stories!
Thanks and gratitude to both Sarah and Melissa of the Hub Hoi An for hosting such a lovely evening! It was good to step out of the Cam Nam Island bubble to share the story of Gratitude Vietnam, and we fully appreciate your support, kind words, and empathy in running a legitimate business here, with all that entails!
Gratitude Launch - Local News!
The next few days are set to be busy and exciting as we're hosting a yoga, meditation and mindful workshop festival - our formal launch event for Gratitude Vietnam within the community! Victoria Nhan (the inspiring entrepreneur!), who is collaborating with us on some of our upcoming retreats, will be leading morning and evening yoga sessions over the next three days, alongside workshops exploring different forms of meditation, gratitude as a practice and manifesting in multicolour!
3 days of Yoga with Victoria Nhan and Workshops with Naomi Rowan
First session free, 150,000 per session thereafter*, or 600,000 for a three day pass.
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*Spaces limited to 20 per session, priority given to 3-day pass holders. Book now to reserve your spot!
On Sunday, we'll be re-engaging our teacher brains in a family morning of parent and child yoga, sensory play, mindful colour (which will be VERY messy and fun!), and music / movement and meditation! We now only have a few spots left for the workshops, and lunch is fully booked, so contact us to check availability!
With so many upcoming community-focused events, we now have a page devoted to Events in Hoi An, with workshop-only rates for 'Everyday Radiance' and 'Modern Devotion' with Jeremy de Tolly, and Singing Bowl Level 1 and 2 trainings with RJ Noble. We'll be updating it regularly, so if you're local, keep it bookmarked!
We look forward to sharing many photographs next week and also welcoming Jeremy to Gratitude Vietnam! To find out more about how Jeremy combines the two contrasting facets of his life - rock star and healer, join us at K'Noy Bar on Tuesday 13th or Soul Kitchen on Thursday 14th for evenings of storytelling, music, micro-meditations and a taster of the workshops to come!
With gratitude and love,
"In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it." – Marianne Williamson
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