BOWWBLOG #26: The River and the Nation - What Vietnam Taught Me About Healing Ourselves and Our Country
A story of personal “flowcation” and a nation’s quiet rise from the ashes
WHAT: Two Journeys, One River
Last week, a "motley crew" of seven of us embarked on our first offshore "Off-the-Grid Flowcation” (OTG) experience. I chose Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as our sanctuary. The choice was intentional. As our group began its journey down the "River of Self-Rediscovery," I found myself on a parallel, inner journey—one that constantly held my own country, the Philippines, in my heart.
The contrast was impossible to ignore.
Here was Vietnam, a nation ravaged by a brutal war only decades ago, now buzzing with quiet, determined progress. Its 2024 GDP is estimated at $476.3 billion, having confidently entered the ASEAN-4. This economic vitality is felt on the street. A nourishing, freshly made bowl of pho with a dragon fruit smoothie costs about Php 250 (USD 4.30)- a simple, healthy meal that is, heartbreakingly, often beyond the reach of a minimum wage earner in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, my own nation, once a regional leader, now grapples with a label we thought we had shed: "the sick man of Asia." Watching the humble pride and collective resilience of the Vietnamese people, I was filled with a mix of admiration and a profound, aching question: What did they find that we have lost?
SO WHAT: The Metaphor That Holds the Answer
Our Flowcation was framed around the metaphor of a river, inspired by Vietnam's mighty Mekong Delta. For five days, we moved through a curated journey:
Day 0 : Finding our footing on the river bank - settling in a new environment.
Day 1: Stepping into the River – Assessing our present moment with honesty.
Day 2: Going with the Flow – Exploring our core identity and values.
Day 3: Seeing the Ocean – Clarifying our purpose and vision.
Day 4: Carrying the Water – Integrating our insights back into daily life.
Through practices like Mindfulness Meditation, modified Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) amidst the kush gardens of our host - The Lovers of the Holy Cross in Khiet Tam- mindful eating and walking , and tools like Points of You, Hue are you, the "Ikigai Map” and Vision Board, we co-created a set of "simple rules" to guide our shared journey. Our commitments to each other were not complex theories, but elemental truths, symbolized by nature:
Water: Simply be; To flow with one and all.
Bark of a Tree: To remember our rootedness.
Budding Plant: To accept the influence of elements.
Paper: To embrace Anicca (impermanence) and be of service.
Rain: refresh and reintroduce one’s self
Flowers : childlike curiosity
This is where the answer to my painful question began to emerge. A nation's health is a reflection of its people's inner state. Vietnam's post-war transformation required a collective "going with the flow"—a pragmatic focus on rebuilding, learning, and moving forward with a clear, shared identity. Their progress suggests a societal commitment to the very principles we were practicing in our small group.
The Philippines, in contrast, often feels stuck in a reactive cycle, unable to collectively "see the ocean" we want to reach. We are a nation of incredible resilience and faith, but our potential is dammed by the "trash" in our own "Pasig River"—the corruption, the historical amnesia, the short-sightedness that prioritizes "bread and circuses" over genuine, sustainable growth.
NOW WHAT: Carrying the Water Home
The work is not to protest in the streets and then return to business as usual. The real, revolutionary work is to clean the river within each of us.
The lessons from our Flowcation and from Vietnam are not meant to breed shame, but to inspire purposeful action. We must carry the water of our insights back to our homes and daily lives.
Here is how we can begin:
1. Practice "Civic Mindfulness":
Before any act—from voting to having an online discussion—pause. Ask: "Is this thought/action contributing to the problem or the solution? Does it flow with integrity, or is it reactive and divisive?" Clean one piece of "inner trash" at a time.
2. Become a "Root Keeper":
Like the bark of the tree, remember your roots. Share the true stories of our history with the next generation. Fight historical distortion not just with anger, but with the patient, persistent retelling of truth. A nation that does not know its past cannot navigate its future.
3. Embrace "Budding Plant" Economics:
Support local, ethical businesses. Make conscious choices with your pesos. Invest in skills and education that serve the future, not just the present. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of country we want to build.
It is both funny and telling that thousands of Filipinos now work in Vietnam, many as English teachers. We have so much to offer. We are a people of profound heart, creativity, and faith. We need to turn that power inward, to heal our own national psyche.
The quiet pride of Vietnam was not built overnight. It was built by millions of individual choices to rise, to learn, and to build. We can do the same. Let's stop waiting for a leader to clean the river for us. Let's pick up the trash in our own stretch of the water.
Let's flow, together, toward the ocean we deserve.
What is one "piece of trash"—one old habit of thought or action—you can commit to removing from your personal "river" this week? Share with a friend and hold each other accountable.
🌺🌺🌺🌺
Susan
Posted on: Oct. 05, 2025
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