Sunday Sum - 18th Feb 2024

Hey , welcome back to

The Sunday Summary

, a collection of insights and my behind the scenes from the past week.

🇻🇳 Travel Update:I survived the Ha Giang Loop! 🏍️ Arguably the best £100 I’ve ever spent in my life! (3 days accommodation, motorbike, petrol, food and the most envious roads in the world). Travelled back to Hanoi briefly before getting a bus to the wonderful island of Cat Ba 🌴. Spending a few days here exploring the island as well as visiting Ha Long Bay (you might remember this from the Top Gear Vietnam special where they convert their bikes into rafts in search of a floating bar).

I’m currently sat back in Hanoi, one last day of exploring here (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, B52 Lake, and the Hanoi Hilton) before heading south to Da Nang.  Hopefully for some warmer weather! 

🌴 Moments of thought and reflection:Where are you holding your breath in life?🤿 In diving, I learnt that the most important rule was to never hold your breath! (Excess air held in your body will expand as you rise to the surface which is of course bad news!).

It then made me think about all of the activities in life that we do, and how effectively breathing is the key to being efficient in all of these.  It’s not about large gulps of air and holding, it’s constant calm rhythmic breathing.   Could be running, weightlifting, swimming etc.I thought about this applied to creative or spiritual pursuits.  Are there areas in life where I’m holding my breath?  Am I just hanging in there, a long week or work just so I can breath on the weekend?  Or am I being intentional and adding in natural gaps/pauses to allow for a better experience?On this trip, and once I'm back in London.  Both in the actual sense and the metaphorical one!

☕️

An awesome coffee experience:🍳 Egg coffee and Salt coffee

I'm pleased to confirm, that Vietnamese coffee trumps that of Thailand and Laos, in just about every domain. Availability, choice of coffee, quality of espresso, menu options.

One of the staples here is egg coffee. The history is that during the French war in 1946 there was shortages of milk, so Nguyen Van Giang had the idea of whisking eggs as a substitute for milk.

Salt coffee feels like a more hardcore version of this. Slightly less egg but a nice hit of the salt, pairs really well with the espresso!  I highly recommend.

🎧

On heavy rotation:Astro - Major Axis

Similar atmospheric drum and bass vibes to last week!

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Please feel free to reach out to me with your; comments, concerns or just general conversation.  

I'd love to know what you're up to or what you might be working on!

 📝😁

Have a great week everyone!

Tom

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