Hi there, I am Uyen, I was born and raised in a small province in the central highland of Vietnam. That is why many of my friends call me "mountain girl". ^^ Fortunately, I had the chance to visit and stay in some South East Asia countries in my gap years. I do not call myself an adventurous person, however, immersing in the local cultures of each country never fails to leave me vivid and lively memories. My most precious assets are those experiences in different regions where I had many deep connections or conversations with the people I met and stayed with. For the past two years, because of Covid-19 and also my intention to develop my career path as an English teacher, I have chosen to stay in a coastal city in Vietnam. It somehow fulfilled my need of interacting with people from different walks of life and support them in their journey to build a better relationship with language and introduce them to the marvelous outside world through the way I design curriculum. Maybe for me, having the opportunity to connect with people on a deeper level is what makes my life meaningful and vibrant. And traveling is still one of my best schools in which everyone I meet is my beloved teacher. I strongly impress with the Japanese proverb: "Ichigo Ichie" which means the practice of making the most of every encounter and understanding how important the “now” is. "As these moments may not be replicated again, the proverb represents the importance of treating each moment as a unique experience, enjoying it to the fullest before it is lost forever. In other words, ichi-go ichi-e embodies the philosophy that every moment spent in an encounter should be highly treasured because it will never occur again." I think that is an essential life philosophy of mine.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Well, I am pretty greedy haha. I love to live different lives in my limited lifetime so I chose to listen and sometimes involved in the life of people from different cultures, and different walks of life. And also I love my English vibe, whenever, I speak in English, I feel some different parts of myself that are curious, confident, and straightforward. I love to experience those parts so I just love meeting friends to share some moments and bring and spread our own unique stories. Sometimes I felt like this world has no boundaries between people from different countries, we are humans who have many interconnections and universal needs. I strongly believe that in each of us, there are always some similarities and some differences, even when we come from far away countries, I just love to explore and gain a more profound understanding of the distinctive souls that I have the chance to meet up.

Interests

• arts
• design
• dancing
• traveling
• music
• community
• sustainable living
• alternative education

Music, Movies, and Books

Eat Pray Love: the books that I kind of swallow each page. And well, it might also inspire me to have such marvelous trips to Indonesia, India, and maybe Italy in the future as well.

Kira Kira: "glittering; shining Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason and so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare, and it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow, but when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future."

Sense 8: "I will always miss all of these characters as there were so many wholesome moments in the story. It was also amazing how different cultures and genres were able to mix into one and flow so smoothly. The editing was wonderful as well since the shift between the scenes were so smooth and not clumpy at all. This show also did an amazing job of portraying sex as something loving, and intimate, rather than just a sexual act." What this and you would never regret ^^

Mr Sunshine: "Historically, it is based on an actual setting, something very few people in this country would know about Korea, Japan, and the USA. Within that framework, the clash of cultures, where values are different and honor prevails. The aesthetics of the production are something to marvel at. And then, the characters, who behave in accordance with strict rules surely strange to us behave in ways that are, ultimately, quite fascinating. The love relationship develops strangely, slowly, and far from any courtship you could ever imagine. That gets performed by the two main characters in a rather fascinating fashion as well. I do not recall seeing a picture where a still face and minimal movement could unload so much expression. Actress Tae-ri Kim packs more beauty and feeling in still silence than any actress I can recall; she deserves stardom just for such incredible skill. I have seen five episodes, and I am mesmerized."

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Live this life

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, the universe gifts me the ability to resonate and connect with people from different backgrounds. And I also have a strong belief that everyone we meet is the one we need to meet. They always teach us something that we even could not imagine. We would meet at the right time in the right place. And learn the right thing from each other.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would share my presence. My stories. And every piece of the journey that I have experienced. Other than that, I can cook, sing, listen, laugh, garden, and what's ever available, together. ^^

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Thailand, Viet Nam