Coastal Connection, fresh from their gig at Thao Dien Soma, join me for the third installment of ‘Cold Ones With Conor’, and delighted to have the quartet back, (Holland missed #2), and drummer Jordan’s final gig before moving onto pastures new.

We discuss the band’s gig, future, overall thoughts, and dive into topics such as Will Smith vs Chris Rock, our worst ever school pranks and Vietnam experiences, understanding American slang, the significance of dreams, and more.

Thanks so much, gents - all the very best to Jordan on his new chapter, and looking forward to the next era of Coastal Connection and their future collaborations with ComebaCK.

Disclaimer: The constant noise is the salt water taffy from New England in the USA being devoured, which Holland kindly provided, and the usual selection of cracking open the cold ones.

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Thanh (TRIXTHEFITFRIENDS) joins me to discuss her health and fitness and personal training journey - however this conversation transcends health and fitness. It includes purpose, connection, communication, creativity, self expression, human relationships, humility, and constantly learning.

She discusses the passion and energy she has for helping her clients transform their mind and body, referencing her work with over 100 people in her two years to date, how her experiences have evolved from different exercise routines and avenues, and how she gets the best results possible for her clients.

Thank you Thanh for giving such an empowering and wide ranging conversation!

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Thao Ly, from Coffee Talk English in Saigon (Bin Thanh and District 5), joins me to discuss moving from her small Vietnamese hometown to the big city of Saigon, her journey of learning and connecting with numerous others through the pursuit of learning English, and how beneficial it can be to learn the language.

As a native speaker and English teacher in Vietnam, it’s amazing to use this platform to highlight it’s importance, especially for the Vietnamese community. Ly discusses more how it’s benefited her social life, international friendship circle, career development opportunities, and the origins of Coffee Talk English - a small organization with regular classes across the city, which aims to help locals learn, practice and develop their skills in an informal and casual environment, with emphasis on conversation that will transfer into the real world.

You can volunteer as a native speaker or a foreigner here;

https://m.facebook.com/coffeetalk.english.hcm/

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Disclaimer: We at ComebaCK apologize for the technical issues that were experienced throughout this episode - consequences of remote recording!

Dustin Kemp is an SEO writer, travel writer, focusing on tourism and expat and local life in Vietnam, having heavily immersed himself in the culture over his extended period here. Throughout this conversation, we discuss the evolution of his work, why he decided to mix typical expat living with huge immersion in local Vietnamese communities with hidden gems, why Dustin fell in love with the city of Saigon, and the tourism bounce back that is going to take place in 2022.

We also discuss Dustin’s work as a travel writer - the importance of persistence and authenticity, how to distinguish between reputable sources, the joys and challenges of the job, and more. Really enjoyed!

Despite the aforementioned audio and technical issues, it takes nothing away from the knowledge, experience, enthusiasm, professionalism and passion that Dustin brings to the podcast - it was a pleasure to chat!

You can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Ian from the Rabbit Hole Irish Sports Bar, based in both Phu Quoc and Saigon, joins me to discuss the origins of the bar and business, and setting up their Irish bar abroad.

Ian discusses his background in hospitality and business, entrepreneurship and how he’s spent his ten years in Vietnam, beginning his journey and developing the Rabbit Hole over time, both in Phu Quoc, and now here in Saigon.

We discuss the challenges faced in setting up the bar, especially during the pandemic and dealing with location issues, developing rapport over time with customers and staff alike, why the bar is so iconic and special here in Vietnam, and perhaps future plans for expansion. Watch this space!

This is a great insight into an iconic part of the party island and the Irish scene in Saigon, and also how to set up business abroad, particularly in hospitality.

You can find out more about the Rabbit Hole here; https://www.therabbitholeirishbar.com/

https://instagram.com/rabbit_hole_irish_sports_bars?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.facebook.com/RabbitHoleIrishSportsBars/

And more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Episode 340 of ComebaCK is when I hopped onto the ‘Winging It Travel Podcast’, with James Hammond in January to discuss my experiences in Vietnam, and future plans for traveling around Asia, perhaps moving to Australia and perhaps experiencing Europe. You can find out more about the Winging It Travel Podcast here; https://open.spotify.com/show/6ruzP0SCwPEOIchzbl10P8?si=dYeE5HdFQImCjS1AF1D6Cw

Disclaimer: This is a must listen. Profound, impactful, beautiful.

Welcoming my third German guest, Lu joins me for a powerful and profound conversation about moving abroad, self discovery, healing from past traumas, working on the inner child, taking complete responsibility, and a unique take on energy healing.

Lu discusses her travel experiences and plans in living abroad and exploring the world, and deeper reasons why - her jet setting has brought her to Australia, Cambodia and currently Vietnam over an eight year period.

We explore the concept of “home” and “who are we” and what these deeper questions really mean. Lu also opens up on reprogramming unhelpful subconscious beliefs and her inner healing journey, whilst also how she benefits from her energy healing practice.

This is extremely powerful and I hope you enjoy. Lu - thank you!

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Adam Schofield is a DJ, teacher, writer, poet, ‘Ninjam’, expat out here in Vietnam from Manchester, and joins me to discuss khemitology, the resurfacing of Ancient Wisdom, an alternative approach to life, what the pyramids actually are and how they reflect our understanding about life, good and bad, positive and negative, and karma.

We discuss Adam’s 25 year quest on this subject, his experiences through Egypt which furthered his discovery, his extensive reading lists, why it’s so fulfilling and fascinating, and where he would like to go on his journey. Adam also discusses some of his couch surfing experiences and how he’s making his own comeback after some difficult moments. Thank you for sharing with the podcast, Adam - much appreciated!

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

JK Hobson is a recurring guest on the podcast, and previously appeared on Episode 71 to discuss his life to date, primarily his music, comedy and life in America and Vietnam. However, he’s also a devout Buddhist, and joins ComebaCK to discuss his practice in more detail.

We eluded to his Buddhist chanting practice in the past episode, but here we go in more detail about the exact nature of the practice, the key benefits as a result, the blessings he’s received since beginning around 14 years ago, debunking misconceptions about the Buddha, and giving more insight into the Buddha himself, from hundreds of years ago. We also talk more about spirituality on a wider perspective and how it can apply to modern life, especially with relationships, before diving into the concepts of karma, enlightenment, and universal order.

Thanks so much for another appearance, JK!

If you enjoyed, you can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.

Yanet Treto is a Cuban dancer, model and aspiring yoga teacher who has spent seven years in Vietnam. We discuss her background, where incredibly, she was begged to pursue dancing at a young age, and now dances professionally.

We discuss the lifestyle of living abroad, championing the occasionally maligned expat neighborhood of Thao Dien, the mixture of roles and traits required to dance and model, the ultimate benefits of movement for wellbeing and developing the flow state, varied events that Yanet performs at, overcoming challenges due to the pandemic and early years shyness, and her future desires to settle and teach in the Philippines. Thanks very much, Yanet!

You can find out more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram.