Phu Quoc, Vietnam: The road less traveled

After 25 hours of travel...

• 16 hours from LA to Hong Kong + a 3 hour layover,
• a 2 hour flight to Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City) + another 3 hour layover,
• and a short 1 hour puddle jumper from Saigon, 

we finally arrive to our first destination: Phu Quoc island, Vietnam. It was quite the journey to get here, but it was worth every second. The only other place I've been to that looks and feels like this is Hawaii. Tropical, humid weather, lush and vibrant greens. Water surrounds and dominates every aspect of life here. 70% of the island is covered in jungle.

The people of Phu Quoc have little in the way of material possessions and live simply. Many make their living from the sea and the land (Phu Quoc is the world's largest exporter of fish sauce and peppercorn). You see lots of makeshift homes, made from recycled materials and other miscellaneous materials. Despite some less than ideal conditions, you find an abundance of love and generosity. People readily welcome you in with a smile and are quick to help. I'm very grateful for the little Vietnamese I can speak, it has certainly helped us get around a bit.

While the surroundings have been breathtaking, I've been most blown away by how beautiful the people are, and especially the children. They are full of love and laughter and are happy to play in your presence - they are smart, very respectful, and clever as well. The majority of families live and work together, many times setting up shop right outside or in their home. It really is something else.

The only intention that Jeff and I set before our trip was to explore places off the beaten path, and Phu Quoc is just that.

I'll let the photos tell the story...

Love,
Hoang

Saigon from the plane out. Way bigger than I had imagined. Concrete jungle full of people.

Phu Quoc from the plane in.

Our quaint bungalow at Thanh Kieu resort.

The beach, about 30 yards from our bungalow.

Long Beach, Phu Quoc.

Fresh seafood at the night market (chợ đêm). The night market is the central hangout in Duong Dong (the largest city) in Phu Quoc, at night. Vendors lined two sides of a street and primarily sold fresh seafood that was caught earlier that day - you pick the product, they cook it to your desire and serve to you at tables in an open air setting. I could get used to this.

Sunset on the jetty, just outside the night market.

The jetty at Duong Dong.

The night market at Duong Dong.

Plate full of cockle, first course of our first meal on the island. We ate and drank like kings. Total cost was about $15USD.

Day market. Vendors selling fresh seafood and vegetables.

Another vendor selling fresh fruit.

More greens.

Banh mi - vietnamese sandwich on a french baguette. $0.50USD for the most amazing sandwich. My brother, Billy, and his wife Trisha, are so jealous.These vendors/stands are all over the island, each specializing in one or a few menu items (from sandwiches to bowls of pho to rice plates and desserts). Street food is all Jeff and I have been eating, and it's not only cheap, but some of the best Vietnamese food I've ever tasted.

Vendors selling fresh fish. The men do the fishing, the women work the markets to sell the goods.

Jeff and I rented motor bikes for $7USD per day and rode all around the island. This was the most fun I've had in a long time. Everyone is on a motor bike or bicycle in Phu Quoc (and Vietnam). It is truly unruly - you just go and use common sense. Pretty crazy but amazing fun. On our way to Ham Ninh, this spot on the side of the road called to us so we stopped - what we found was unbelievable. A beautiful hike through the jungle to a waterfall and swimming hole.

"Statues of concrete" as our friend Hao called them.

Hao and Jeff. Hao has been on the island for 7 years and never been to these falls. We happened to bump into him at the entrance and ended up spending a few hours with this gracious young man. His English was really good and he was asking for Jeff and I for pointers on certain phrases as he works in the tourism industry and wanted to improve his communication.

The falls and swimming hole. The gem of our day.

Kids swimming, playing at the falls.

One of my best friends and bad ass travel partner, Jeff Birek. This was taken at Ham Ninh, the eastern port city on Phu Quoc.

Everything in its right place

“.. almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”  - Steve Jobs

Deep breath out. Smile.

The last month and a half have been such a whirlwind for me - Burning Man, wrapping up my job at DaVita, going away party and dinners, packing up my apartment and putting everything into storage, and best man duties at my little brother's wedding. I've actually had very little time to process the fact that I'm leaving the United States for the first time tomorrow and it likely won't hit me until I land in Vietnam in a few days.

I'm fortunate that I got to spend quality time with my beautiful family at my brother's wedding. It's always so much fun when we get everyone together and I am constantly reminded that I am surrounded by love. Eternally grateful, they have taught me so many lessons, primarily the importance of family.

Billy with his new wife, Trisha, and our extended family.

So the trip to Southeast Asia is really centered around the yoga teacher training program, which takes place from November 5th through December 3rd on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. The training is Ashtanga based and is led by Paul Dallaghan, one of the last few to be certified by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois prior to his death. Needless to say, I'm so excited and cannot wait to immerse myself in yoga and a healthy lifestyle for an entire month. Lets push the boundary, see what I'm really made of.

I have 3 weeks of travel prior to getting to Thailand -- 2 weeks in Vietnam (~10 days with one of my best friends, Jeff) and about a week in Cambodia. After yoga teacher training, I have two weeks to travel across Thailand and will be joined by Cloud, another great friend. 

For me, Vietnam is significant because at the end of the day, this is who I am in this lifetime, Vietnamese. Much of who I am today has been molded by my family, our culture. I'm blessed, but those who came before me led much tougher lives - I've never had to worry about when or where my next meal would come from. I'm sure Asia will be a pretty eye opening experience. Looking forward to seeing where my family came from, and eating some really good food along the way.

Old school. Grandma and grandpa with 4 of their children. My mother is third from the left - I see a lot of myself in her.

I'll try to update this blog as much as possible, my goal is at least once a week, with pictures and stories from the road. I'm finding that writing is very therapeutic for me, and helps me reflect, process, and learn.

Before I sign off, I just wanted to say thank you to all my family and friends that are making this trip possible (you know who you are). So grateful.

Life on the OJ Jorral (A Burning Man '11 inspired mix)

A new mix I made, inspired by the sounds heard at Black Rock City (Burning Man 2011), and dedicated to my wonderful camp mates at the O.K. Korral.  Hope you enjoy!

Hoang Luu - Life on the OJ Jorral (a Burning Man '11 mix) by The Blend 303

Burning Man 2011 - Rites of Passage

O.K. Korral camp minus our British crew, Steve S. and Dave M.

Photo credit: Kelly Shroads

My Rite of Passage

For me, Burning Man 2011, was significant on many levels.  First, it was the precursor to my journey to Southeast Asia, where I will travel for 3 months as well as study to obtain my yoga teacher certification in Koh Samui, Thailand.  It was very fitting then, that this year's theme was "Rites of Passage".  I turned 30 this year, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I am truly living -- comfortable in my own skin and not afraid to strive to live life of my dreams.  

"A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another.  Rites of passage are often ceremonies surrounding events such as other milestones within puberty, coming of age, marriage and death. Initiation ceremonies such as baptism, confirmation and Bar or Bat Mitzvah are considered important rites of passage for people of their respective religions." - Wikipedia

For the most part, this is what Burning Man was for me.  It re-affirmed, in a huge way, many things that were already set in motion early this year and my decision to leave the corporate world (for now).  

Life is a precious gift, and I am grateful for all the opportunities that have been given to me and are in front of me everyday.  My mother and grandmother both made personal sacrifices so that I could live this life.  It would be a waste if I didn't live my life in a way that honored the sacrifice and struggle of those who came before me.

So, how was it?  As others have stated to me, it is tough to capture the experience in words or pictures as it is unlike anything else on this planet.  The magnitude of Burning Man is hard to grasp until you are there.  The planning, preparation, and everything leading up to getting through the gates was in itself a huge mountain to climb, and certainly a big part of the overall "experience".  With a camp of 28, 18 of which were virgins, we had major planning to do.  Truly amazing that I will spend only a fraction of the time (excluding my yoga practice and study) planning and preparing for my 3 month trip to SE Asia vs. my 1-week trek to the desert.

So before I left, my good friend Tara told me "be prepared to get your mind blown, over and over again..."

This was pretty much the case for me.  My first awe moment was Monday.  We had finished setting up the dome, which was the most labor intensive part of our camp setup and I decided to go on a solo mission to explore.  I love riding my bike, and Burning Man is probably the best place in the world to go exploring on your bike.  Again, it's tough to grasp the size of Burning Man until you are there, riding around in it, to understand how massive this place is.  Biking around, I couldn't help but to keep thinking "where the f*!k am I?"  Burning Man really feels like a place from the distant past or future, it's as if you warp to another planet or time once you drive through those gates.  From the attire, to the amazing, mind blowing art (particularly the art cars, WOW!), to how people act and treat each other, it is a complete departure from the norm.  The level of human compassion, sharing, and creativity that I witnessed at Burning Man continues to inspire me today.

On Monday evening, my friend Sami and I had the great pleasure of closing out The Music Savage's party.  They had an awesome theme camp this year right down the street from us with amazing line ups every night.  In my opinion, it's an honor to play at Burning Man parties, and to get asked to play my first year was really special (thank you Cameron and Matt - I love you guys).  Needless to say, it was a blast and I can't wait to do it again.

It was great being there for the entire week and I don't think I would ever do it differently.  Burning Man is a major shock to the senses, so having a few days in the beginning of the week to settle in really helps.  In the first 3 days, I did a lot of exploring, attended a few yoga classes, checked out the art, and just took it all in.  It was awesome having 18 other virgins to relate this experience with.  So many times, we would just look at each other in amazement about what was before our eyes - "are you kidding me?  is this for real?" were common phrases throughout the week followed by huge smiles, and warm, heart felt hugs.  What I saw and felt is really indescribable - everyone there is pushing the limits of their own creativity and boundaries of what is acceptable - it takes a city of everyone doing that to create this unbelievable phenomenon.  It is at times utterly ridiculous, and you just have to laugh and smile.

Playa art: "LOVE"

Photo credit: Tara Eisler

So, Burning Man isn't just one thing -- a huge party, art, music, lots of dust... there are thousands of sides to it, and my friend Lopa summed it up nicely: "it's such a beautiful blank canvas environment".  So true.  There really are no rules, except be respectful of your fellow humans -- treat them with compassion, love, and respect.  You can go and meditate all week or can party non-stop.  Take in all the art possible, or just hang out at camp.  Whatever floats your boat.

The Temple of Transition

Photo credit: Mario Covic (www.mariocovic.com)

I did notice a fair number of seekers at Burning Man. It was awesome to be at the Temple or center camp and just watch people practicing yoga or meditating.  There is a beautiful spiritual side to Burning Man and the playa itself has this mystical, radiant energy to it .  The sunrise and sunsets were spectacular and my favorite parts of the day.  One of my favorite moments in the week was practicing yoga in front of the Temple for sunrise on Sunday morning (after the burn).

So why did I fall in love with Burning Man?  There are many, many reasons, but if I can sum it up, it's the only place on Earth where I can wake up, practice yoga, go take a meditation workshop, get spanked on my way to getting a cup of coffee, get lost and feel completely comfortable walking up and hanging out with strangers, attend a no-pants party, and listen to my favorite DJ on the world's most ridiculous sound/art car (Robot Heart).  Oh, and I can wear a tutu and paint my fingers purple and that's completely acceptable, even encouraged.  Burning Man challenges your notion of what is acceptable vs. not.  As a result, I've come back much more open, and less quick to judge.

The crew at Robot Heart, Lee Burridge sunrise set.

Photo credit: Andrew Xydeas

So the highlight of my week, and many others, was Lee Burridge @ Robot Heart.  Lee has been my favorite for years now, and I've seen him in various cities and settings.  He plays my kind of music - the kind that evokes a wide range of emotion, mixed and programmed flawlessly.  He is also an amazing person to boot and genuinely connects with the crowd.  I'm not sure what happens out there, but Lee @ Robot Heart on the playa is something straight out of a comic book.  This experience will certainly be etched in my memory for a lifetime and I'm so grateful to have shared it with some amazing friends, old and new.

So much more I would love to convey and write, yet so little time.  Gears now switch to finishing up my duties at work, attending my brother's wedding (I'm the best man!), planning and preparing for my upcoming journey through SE Asia and practicing and studying as much yoga as possible in the next 3 weeks.

I'm full of gratitude...I left Burning Man much more determined and hungry, excited to pursue my life's dream and passion.  I also left with some amazing new friendships, many of them across the pond (beware, I am coming to visit you all), and many from the place I now call home, Denver.

The lesson and message that I carry with me:

Life is a precious gift, take time to laugh, play, create, and share.  Never stop dreaming and chasing exactly what you want in this life.  


Alone we can accomplish many great things, together we can accomplish anything - we live in a limitless universe with no boundary, full of unconditional love.


-Hoang

The Temple Burn. 

Photo credit: Tara Eisler

The various styles of “yoga”

One of my YTT assignments was to attend one class in three different styles and write a mini-report on each.  Below is my summary of each of the classes I attended.

CorePower Yoga 1.5

This was a free class that is taught every Thursday at one of the local CorePower studios in downtown Denver.  CorePower is a popular studio in Colorado, with 19 studios across the state.  I have taken this class before, mainly because a lot of my friends take it and I sometimes like to practice with them.  The studio itself has a very corporate feel to it: modern building, clean facilities, yoga shop in the lobby area, and a large bathroom/changing area.  The style of yoga taught at CorePower is a form of power/vinyasa in a heated room.  I think most, if not all, their classes are heated.  With the success of CorePower and similar studios (YogaWorks in CA), I imagine that this style of yoga is becoming very popular and predominant in the US and I believe it is for these primary reasons: (1) people sweat due to the heat and difficult sequences and feel like they get a great work out, (2) the accessibility of such studios (seems like there is one on every corner in Denver).  

When I first started practicing over 3 yrs ago, I practiced a lot of power yoga (Bryan Kest) and I loved it for the same reasons noted above: I sweated profusely, burned off calories, released toxins, and felt amazing by the end of class.  I also enjoyed the energy I got from a full, packed class room.  As I grew in my practice, I began to gravitate towards other styles that provided me with a deeper experience.  Today, I really enjoy practicing on my own, something I would have never done 1-2 years ago.

In this form of yoga, a lot of the traditions have been lost, and the focus is primarily on the asana.  There was no chanting in this particular class, and from what I’ve observed, any classes at CorePower.  Some of the beginning, warm-up sequencing is similar to ashtanga (Surya A/B).  The teacher stopped class and broke down 3 poses during the 1 hour class: chaturanga dandasana, triangle pose, and parsva bakasana.  I did enjoy his style - very playful and he took time to break down the alignment and nuance of three varying level poses.  

For reasons noted above, I enjoy other studios and teachers to CorePower (power yoga) but I do see why the masses are attracted to this style.

Jivamukti

This was my first Jivamukti class.  Jivamukti is a style of yoga developed by David Life and Sharon Gannon - both of which studied with Pattabhi Jois, so there are some distinct similarities with Ashtanga: chanting before starting the asana practice, similar sequencing / variations on Surya A and B to start class.  Jivamukti means “liberation from separation.”

There is certainly a distinct contrast in this studio (Amala) vs. CorePower.  It is a small room, located on the 2nd floor of an older building.  Nothing fancy at all, just a quiet room with a hard wood floor to practice yoga in.  Another observation is the type of student that attends - Amala seems to attract an older demographic, whereas CorePower is much younger.

When speaking with the instructor after class, she noted that there were a couple of things that define Jivamukti yoga.  The first is chanting, which happens before and at the end of the asana practice, and even sometimes during.  The second is a focus or theme, which changes monthly and is provided by David and Shannon via the Jivamukti website.  The chants and asana themes during each class revolve around this monthly focus.  So all the classes say in August, will revolve around this month’s theme, which is “Living Wild”.  Each teacher is open to interpret the theme into their style.

In my opinion, Jivamukti is certainly a more developed style (relative to CorePower) that incorporates teachings from various philosophies (ashtanga, pranayama, chanting, scripture readings).  There was certainly more of a focus on the breath, and using the breath to get deeper into each of the poses.  In addition, the instructor would speak and share about how to apply the yoga and learnings from the theme off the mat, connecting the theme of the class to not only the asanas but to the real world.  It was the asana practice that drew me in, but as I grow in my practice, I find myself drawn to the other arms of yoga.  

I very much enjoyed this class and will certainly be back.

Guided Ashtanga & Mysore

I decided to write about Ashtanga as my third style as I don’t have a ton of experience with it and it’s only natural since the training I will be receiving in Thailand is strongly rooted in Ashtanga.  The majority of my Ashtanga practice, up until now, was done alone, via a Richard Freeman CD at home.  This last week, I ventured out and found a great local Ashtanga teacher, Joan Isbell.  Joan is authorized by Sharath Jois to teach ashtanga .  I took her guided class last Sunday and did a Mysore practice this morning.  My plan is to do the guided class on Sunday, and at least two Mysore classes during the week.

This class was also located in the small, quaint room at Amala (studio noted above).  It’s interesting that when you look up yoga classes in Denver, you get hundreds of listings for CorePower, vinyasa, Anusara, and other styles that are essentially children of ashtanga, but you only find one studio that has guided ashtanga and mysore classes.  I know Richard Freeman has a popular studio in Boulder, but it’s a drive for me.

So I will start with the guided class— as always we start the Ashtanga chant, paying tribute to those teachers that have come before us before working into the primary series sequence.  What strikes me about Ashtanga is a complete focus on aligning breath with movement.  To do the series correctly, there is a right way of breathing to move from one position to the next.  I will admit, it’s challenging but I enjoy it.  I realized two things: I need to practice more, and I need to practice with an Ashtanga teacher.  I realize that by practicing, and through repetition, the sequencing will become familiar and second nature to me.  

During class Joan gave adjustments to ensure everyone was doing the sequence correctly and was properly aligned in each pose.  For example, in Surya A Ekam, I was not gazing in the correct position (at my thumbs).  During the 1.5 hours, we worked through the entire ashtanga primary series with Joan’s instruction.  At the end of class Joan chanted for us during savasana.

I left class feeling that ashtanga is really, really hard, and I may not be cut out for this.  Lots of self doubt arose from that class and I was being really hard on myself.  But after reflection, I realize that it is hard for a reason.  Through the most difficult challenges comes the most growth.  I am certainly up for the challenge.

The mysore class today was also great eye opener, as it made me realize that even though I have a long road ahead of me, I have help and support.  Joan again was the teacher, and in the Mysore setting she is basically there for support, guidance, and adjustments - in her own words, “I’m here to help when you get stuck” and will provide specific areas to focus on.  Everyone is working through whatever series they are on, at their own pace.  For me, I have Surya A and B down pretty good, and am now working on the standing sequence.  Joan had me work solely on Surya A, B, and the standing sequence, and says we can add to it once I master those three.  

What I really enjoy about Mysore is how personal it is.  What initially turned me away from ashtanga was that I felt it was too cold, too impersonal.  As I’m learning quickly, this methodology is probably the MOST personal, especially in the mysore setting.

In the moment

So a few years ago, I made some goals for myself - all of them career and finance related.  I was convinced that if I had a specific title at work, or made a certain salary, that I would be happier.  Well, in November of last year (2010), I had reached many of the goals I had set out for myself - great job, amazing pay, even the title to boot.  What I began to realize though, was that I wasn’t any happier.  In fact, I was miserable.  I felt like I had signed away my life and was spending less time doing the things I actually love (practicing yoga, hanging with my puppy, being creative).  We’re all built differently, some people enjoy working 80 hours a week, enjoy climbing the corporate ladder, not me.  A few things became clear to me:

1) My job does not define me

2) I was not happy and was certainly not putting forth my best effort at work.  I don’t feel good about not putting my best effort forward into everything I do, so as you can imagine, this became a vicious cycle

3) I am blessed and have the ability to do or become anything I want to in this life

I believe #3 was the most important.  While I was unhappy, I managed to remain in gratitude for the situation I was in.  See, I come from humble beginnings.  I realized, that even though I was unhappy, my situation was better than most.  I have everything I need.  Heck, I have everything I want (materially at least).  So, a clear cross roads presented itself:  I could stay in my current situation and continue to be unhappy or I could make a change.  As you can probably guess, I decided to do exactly what my heart was telling me to do; quit your job, pursue your dreams.

So essentially, this blog is dedicated to my journey.  On August 27th, I kick off a 4 month journey that will take me to the following destinations: Burning Man, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.  I will also be working towards my yoga teacher certification (that process started in May), which takes place in Koh Samui, Thailand.

This blog is mostly for me, but it is also a place for me to share my journey and experience with my loved ones.

Namaste!

-Hoang