Hoi An 2

For the celebrations of the Vietnamese New Year, I decided to return to the homestay of Nga and Jonathan. This time, the homestay was much better attended, and I met other guests, especially spending a lot of time with David from Spain and Pratik from India. 

During the Tet days, Nga invited us to dinner every evening; we became very close in such a short time, and I am very grateful for this experience! 

When I arrived, I went with Nga to the local market and helped her prepare flowers for her altar for Tet. She told me about her beliefs and spirituality, and I was very moved listening to her. I also felt very connected and welcomed Nga into my heart. 

We had wonderful dinners and spent long hours sitting together and talking. At midnight, Nga and many others in the street lit fire pits for worship and prepared a small place of worship where we prayed. You could see fireworks in all directions; private fireworks have apparently only been allowed for a short time. 

After we talked for a long time with a few people, I went to the pagoda the next day, where Nga and Jonathan got married. Since the pagoda was not full of tourists, and was very beautiful, bright, and friendly, it had a strong atmospheric effect on me. This place felt truly spiritual, which I found very beautiful and exciting. I had a similar feeling during my first visit to Hoi An, when I was at a place where I only saw a few monks and no one else. There, I only saw an older nun who tried to talk to me, took my hand, and then we just looked at each other for a long time. She said something, and I responded, until I eventually left. 

In those moments, these places radiate a strong energy. 

The next few days were quite relaxed, filled with conversations, walks, and beach time. I finally rolled out my yoga mat and practiced a bit of yoga without instruction; I was very satisfied and proud of this step. A crowning moment was the karaoke afternoon at Nga's relatives, where we got beers, had snacks, and sang a lot of karaoke; it was immensely fun and cool. Some of them could really sing well, and in the end, I sang Vietnamese songs with a few ladies together, probably pronouncing them perfectly ;) 

Shortly before my departure, I met Omar, an American math teacher who plans to work in Tasmania in the future. I think it would be nice to make a trip there sometime!