It’s July 6th, around 2:00 PM here in Hoi An, An Bang Beach. I’ve now been in Vietnam for almost three weeks, and I still have one more week before returning to France.

During this stay, I’ve met an incredible number of people—especially Australians, but also travelers and locals from many different backgrounds. I decided to return to the same area I visited last year because it immediately felt familiar and welcoming.

In my previous update, I explained that I had started my journey in Hanoi. I originally considered traveling all the way to the south of Vietnam, but in the end I chose to slow down instead. Looking back, I think it was the right decision.

Today is actually the first day I’ve truly dedicated to working on my music. I’ve been sorting through poems and texts that I’ve written both during this trip and over the past few years. At first, I thought about translating everything into Vietnamese, but I eventually realized that I wanted to focus on French and English versions instead.

At the moment, I’m working on fourteen new pieces. The concept remains the same: combining guitar with post-production and modular synthesis. I’ve already recorded several guitar parts on my iPhone, and I’ve also been creating melodies and new ideas in Ableton Live. Most of these compositions are taking shape while sitting in the garden of the place where I’m staying, which has become a very inspiring environment.

Tomorrow I’ll move to another accommodation, although I’ll remain in the same neighborhood.

A couple of days ago I had a minor stomach issue, nothing serious at all. The local pharmacy immediately had everything I needed, and I’m already feeling much better. The only downside is that I’ve had to take a short break from enjoying a few evening beers while socializing. In the end, it simply encouraged me to slow down for a couple of days and spend more time writing and composing.

One of the greatest aspects of this trip has been the people I’ve met. Many conversations have been deeply inspiring, and I’ve crossed paths with individuals I probably would never have met back home. Naturally, traveling also makes you think about future possibilities, but I’ve learned that it’s better to move forward one step at a time rather than trying to plan everything at once.

I’m still studying the Buddhist sutra that was kindly offered to me at the temple, while continuing to practice Italian and learning more Vietnamese every day. I really enjoy switching between languages. Being able to communicate in French, English, Spanish, Italian, and now having the beginnings of conversational Vietnamese makes every day a little richer.

Something else I’ve really come to appreciate here is how relaxed human relationships feel. People often meet again naturally without needing to exchange WhatsApp numbers. Life seems to create its own opportunities. Of course, I’ve exchanged contact information with a few people, but I’ve also realized that not every meaningful encounter needs to continue online. Sometimes simply sharing the moment is enough.

The weather has become slightly cooler, around 30°C, with a pleasant breeze, making everyday life even more enjoyable.

I’m also fortunate to be able to travel without worrying too much about my budget. Even so, I still prefer eating at small family-owned restaurants rather than places designed mainly for tourists. The food is excellent, it’s incredibly affordable, and supporting local families feels much more meaningful.

I’ll continue working on my new compositions over the next few days before returning to Hanoi on Thursday, where I have a few people to meet.

One particularly exciting piece of news arrived today. I recently discovered that « Uza, » a track from my album Senmurw, released under my original artist name Kentin Jivek, was selected by the German dance company Tanzflanke for their stage production « Alice in Wonderland – Act II. » After contacting them through Instagram, they sent me an incredibly warm message explaining how much the piece had inspired their choreography. They also confirmed that the performance was properly registered with GEMA and kindly offered to send me a video of the performance. Receiving that message meant a great deal to me, and I’m sincerely grateful for their respect toward my work.

Overall, everything is going very well. These quieter days have reminded me how valuable it is to embrace a slower rhythm. This morning, for example, I started the day with exercise on the beach at 8:00 AM. Small changes like this completely transform the way a day unfolds.

I still don’t know exactly where life will take me next. For now, I’m simply continuing to create, to learn, to meet people, and to let things develop naturally. One step at a time.

See you in the next update.

Zi