Happy New Year everyone! We're back in Dongguan and getting ready to get back into the swing of things.
Hoi An turned out to be a wonderful place to unwind. After second (and third) fittings for our clothes, we were able to concentrate on some serious cafe hopping. We'd wake up when we wanted, wander around the old town, stop for coffee, snacks, drinks, more snacks, and usually end up having a great meal somewhere.
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| Dinner on the sidewalk |
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| They spent years making these candles... |
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| This is a $13 cup of coffee... Not sure it was worth it; all the coffee was pretty good. |
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| Some day, they're going to figure out this fire thing... |
We also took a cooking class, which was mostly us chopping vegetables and mixing ingredients, then watching the teacher actually cook. But we made some great food, including stuffed squid, mango salad, and spring rolls.
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| Phap, our chef instructor, showing us some noodles in the market. The yellow ones are made with special water from Hoi An, which only a select few have access to. |
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| Squid stuffed with pork and shrimp |
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Spring rolls and mango salad with prawns
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All in all, this vacation turned out to be exactly what I needed. I was able to get away from work, both physically and mentally, and just enjoy some time in a nice place with Rani.
Now I'm back in Dongguan, settling in to the routine, writing semester report cards, and planning for our next getaway for Chinese New Year (Myanmar!).
PS: On week 3 of the Wim Hof method, and this weekend I held my breath for over 2 minutes!
Hi, Jon! I am just now reading your post. What a wonderful set of photos! It sounds like a lovely place, and I'm glad you had a good rest there. How I'd love to stroll around with you and Rani and have a $13 cup of coffee with you! Also just looked up Wim Hof method -- very interesting and sounds like it can be very helpful for general good health even if you don't plan to sit on an ice berg anytime soon. I'm reading a fascinating book called The Goddess Pose -- The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West, by Michelle Goldberg. It gives lots of information about the history of different yoga practices, the connection between Indian yoga and the Theosophist movement in the late 20th century, which morphed into New Age, etc. Also is the story of a remarkable Russian woman who wound her way through many of the groups and movements of that era and became a great guru -- lived to be 103. I fear I'm fighting the urge to hibernate here, so am inspired by both you and Indra Devi to work harder at breathing, stretching and walking. Love you, dear! So excited to be getting ready for the July Event. Mom
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