While recovering from a fever have been reflecting on my writing process during this residency so far. I have produced about five to six short stories and have started the sequel to Vixen. I’m discovering more as I go along and I realise now that my ambition to have a completed manuscript in four months [...]

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Here is the largest Buddha in Vietnam in Soc Son. Soc Son is more well known for the legend of a giant warrior whom helped the Vietnamese fight off the Chinese and his footsteps made the lakes and valleys in the mountains. Because of the largest Buddha which weighs thirty tonnes some other people want [...]

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Just gotten back from a dinner hosted by Y Ban and her sculptor husband Tran Hoang Co. Their daughter translated for me and Karen Turner whom wrote “Even the women must fight” about Vietnamese Viet Cong women fighters. The sculptures in the ground floor were amazing you can see Crocodile Dancing in the photo with [...]

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I have been reading the journals of Thich Nhat Hanh Fragrant Palm Leaves which really provides an insight into how he has had revelatory moments at different times in different places. It also makes me realise how lucky I am to be in Vietnam at a time when the sanghas following him can come out [...]

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For those of you whom are interested in Buddhism I have created another bloghttp://interbeinginvietnam.blogspot.com/for my reflections on Buddhism. I’ve decided to keep it separate from this blog so I don’t bore you silly if you’re more interested in writing and what I’ve been up to instead!

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Because I drink and eat meat. I also have not fully embraced total compassion for all beings.I cannot extend compassion to rapists - but the teachings of Thay have modified my position on the death penalty.It takes a great heart to be able to transcend and extend compassion past hatred and I’m not there [...]

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My first excursion with the sangha was to Dinh Quan Pagoda in Hanoi. It is hidden away off the main road from bus 32 or 20, and I was fortunate enough to find my way there with Hannah and Nicholas two British ex pats.The day began with a dharma teaching by a monk from Hue [...]

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This blog is about my Buddhist discoveries in Vietnam. I am an author and this is not my main blog- it is here for people whom are interested in the dharma, the sangha and matters of the spirit. First I thought I would outline my interest in Buddhism to date and then as my discoveries [...]

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Visited more temples yesterday with the Gioi publishing house and friends. The pictures are of a water puppet theatre close to the pagoda, and one of the temple altars inside a cave. One of the pagodas you had to climb 327 steps to see- pretty exhausting! I am learning more and more from the sangha [...]

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went on a tour yesterday to nim binh. Saw two ordinary looking pagodas dedicated to early kings of Vietnam- they were not fully restored and not as spectacular even compared to the Chua that I went to for mindfulness day. Then had a lovely rowboat ride through three caves past limestone mountains. it was a [...]

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