In a small and cosy accommodation (EcoLodge Hue), 8kms away from the beautiful city of Hue and in the middle of Vietnam’s splendid green nature, our team and The Ball took a short break for 2 days after a hectic few days exploring Hanoi.
On the first evening, as we explored the area by bike, we heard Vietnamese pop music reverberating through the neighbourhood. The vibe infected us and we followed the music. We ended up at a small family karaoke party. A microphone was immediately put in our hands and we began to sing and dance together. Before we knew it, the 90-year-old grandfather had gotten out of bed and wanted to sing and dance with us – he was fascinated and happiness shone in his eyes. At that moment, I (Sophia) understood the charisma of the journey we are on and in particular The Ball. We didn’t know each other, we didn’t speak the same language and yet we managed to convey the energy of love in a shared world. The Ball was the highlight of the party and was celebrated with headers and signatures from all family members and selfie mayhem.
With pulsating energy, we mounted our bikes again and headed off towards our accommodation. All of a sudden, behind a wall, there was a small, nondescript Buddhist temple – a place radiating tranquillity and in complete contrast to what we had experienced just five minutes earlier. We stopped and went inside. A female buddhist monk greeted us with her daughter and shyly invited us into the temple. We sat on the floor and listened to the sounds of the monk playing music and chanting. It was an energy cleansing practice that we gave complete attention to for almost an hour. The Ball was viewed by the monk and her daughter with wide and joyful eyes – a soft and calm header and a signature gave The Ball refreshing and new energy for our upcoming workshops with Football For All in Hue.
