Recorded pre-quarantine, pre-lockdown this episode was intended to be the first of Season 3, recorded at Waves studio.

As you may well know, season 3 became the Quarantine Season and I haven't been able to record any more episodes yet for season 4.

So to celebrate one year of Seven Million Bikes I dusted down the file off the shelf and am releasing it for your listening pleasure as a bonus episode to start Season 4.

Look out for new episodes as soon as I am able to!

Frances is a travel blogger with the well-know blog So The Adventure Begins. She is also well-known for her pink Honda cub she is often seen driving around Saigon. She has been living in Saigon now for three years and is the first Scottish guest to join me on the show. Don't worry, you can understand us!

We talk about her not being an influencer, why she started a blog, breaking up and dating in Saigon, out homeland and of course Scottish accents.

There is the unplanned ubiquitous shout out as always for Matt Ryan! And his deep-fried Mars Bars.

-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

Try Descript for free here!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

The boys who help run everything in our quarantine facility hang out in the evenings on the floor below us. We often see them play games, play music, play drums and guitars and sing together. 

Tonight we were lucky enough to hear, what sounded like every one of the quarantine staff in our block, singing together outside on the floor below us. I was able to record their rousing singing to share with you. Thank you to them all! If you know the song then please share it with me.

We can't thank them enough for everything they have done for us and for Vietnam. It is amazing to hear that despite the work they are doing they seem to be able to enjoy themselves together. 

If you know anyone who has volunteered at The National University Dormitory then please put them in touch with me at [email protected].

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

This was recorded via Skype from quarantine, you may have to turn the volume up.

For no other real reason than I haven't spoken to Jay in nearly a month and is one of my favourite people to talk to, I call up JK Hobson to have a chat about the state of the world today, life on the outside and how he is coping with quarantine. 

-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

Try Descript for free here!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

A Saigon resident, Lawrence Young has worked in the finance industry worldwide for 30 years, currently with Holborn Assets and created the non-troll Facebook group Ho Chi Minh Expat Group Saigon. Now at nearly 10,500 members in just 14 months.

He has seen the market go up and down over the years and is confident we will come out of the current crisis stronger but different.

We talk about what life has been like in Saigon and what it's like today after the latest guidance, starting April 1st, from the Prime Minister - 2 metre distancing, only leave for your home for essentials, groups of no more than two people outside and only essential services open. He also gives us his take on the state of the financial market, why we shouldn't panic and why it matters to everyone. Whether you own stocks or not.

If you would like to reach out to Lawrence for advice you can email him at [email protected] or message him on LinkedIn.

-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

Try Descript for free here!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

After realising we were in the same quarantine facility online Mizuka reached out and connected with our WhatsApp group and Adrie on Instagram where they were following each others Stories from opposite buildings. 

After chatting for several days online Niall and Adrie finally met Mizuka in person, at a distance, on one of our walks.

Born and raised in Saigon, with her parents still living here, Mizuka made the difficult decision to return to Vietnam from her final year of studies in the U.S. to be with her parents before she was locked out of Vietnam. Or her parents were locked out of the U.S.

Her story is one of many similar yet unique stories around the world about how the rapid escalation of Covid-19 affected people. 

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

Try Descript for free here!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

Adrie, and roommate Anastasia, discuss what life in quarantine is like with host and fellow quarantee Niall.

Anastasia, originally from the Ukraine, has lived in Saigon for 5 years working in sales for a major hotel chain.

Her company sent her on an ill-fated dream trip to Australia for work on March 15th, 3 days after the pandemic was declared. As a result most of her business meetings went online and were then cancelled leaving her no reason to be in Australia and as borders closed every reason to get back to Vietnam as soon as possible. 

Flying on the same flight from Sydney as Niall and Adrie she found herself on the same problem at the Vietnamese border of being moment away from being sent back to Australia, a country she has no ties to. Before luckily being allowed in at midnight and sent to quarantine with a group of foreigners who'd never met before. There she paired up with Niall and Adrie, wanting to be with the only other female in the group.

Listen to more details about her story and what life has been like in quarantine for the three new friends. 

-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

Try Descript for free here!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

This is a special episode, maybe mini-season, of Seven Million Bikes direct from quarantine in Saigon. This was recorded on a phone recorder and I don't have a laptop for edits so it's a live interview with my wife, Adrie Mackay.

Adrie and I left Vietnam on March 9th for what was meant to be three weddings in three weeks on three continents; going to New Zealand, then the USA then back to Vietnam for the final wedding. 

Weighing up the risks of the coronavirus we decided to start out trip, but almost immediately those plans changed as things developed rapidly in the world. And continued to change daily, then hourly, then almost by the minute as we tried to get back to Vietnam as soon as we could before the borders closed and we were stranded in New Zealand. In hindsight we should have listened to those red flags and stayed in Vietnam.

Adrie tells the story of how we got back into Vietnam, barely, and why we are in quarantine after the most anxiety inducing and stressful period of our lives together. 

We feel ridiculously lucky that we made it into Vietnam at literally the 11th hour before the border effectively shut at midnight to foreigners.

******
Adrie and the presenter of Seven Million Bikes, Niall have been married for nearly 7 years, living in Vietnam for 4 of those, calling this country home. They have a beautiful French Bulldog called Biscuit who is waiting for them to get out of quarantine at her best friends house. 
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

Try Descript for free here!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

In the break between season 2 and 3 here are the answers each guest gave to my questions at the end of each episode.

Thanks for listening!
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

In the break between season 2 and 3 here are the answers each guest gave to my questions at the end of each episode.

Thanks for listening!
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!

In the break between season 2 and 3 here are the answers each guest gave to my questions at the end of each episode.

Thanks for listening!
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Make the best podcast possible! Listen to Smarter Podcasting today!

The full list of winners is here. 

Support the show

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

👉 I use Descript to create my content—try it for FREE here:

🔒 Protect Your Privacy with NordVPN!

👉 Get 70% OFF their 2-year plan and enjoy a secure, ad-free internet!

These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

✅ Subscribe for More!

If you enjoy content about life in Vietnam, food adventures, and great conversations, hit that subscribe button.

📸 Follow Me on Instagram 🌐 Visit My Website 🎉 Join Our Community!