jeudi 20 février 2014

A night to remember . 2.

I said I was going to write part 2 of the "a night to remember" post, but after I sat in front of my computer I realised that this was already part 2. or maybe even more than that. And that I should perhaps write part 1 3/4. So here it is.

~


Summer 2011 Paris.
A year before Tokyo.

-What?!
She leaned towards me offering me her ear. The music was so loud we could barely hear each other. My lips almost touching her hair I repeated myself. She smiled at me. 
-Yes absolutely!
There were so many people that it was nearly impossible to move but I managed to turn around and glanced at the crowd. Patches of light were visible on the dark sea of heads, moving in synchronisation. Despite feeling awfully tired after already one night spent outside, I could feel the energy go through my body. That was all I could feel, energy. It seemed as if I were one with the rest of the people there and while I was probably hurting, I couldn't feel anything and kept moving, occasionally screaming in my friend's ear. I was raising my arms and screaming, most likely looking slighly insane, at the best ridiculous when the lights hit him. I felt very dimly my arms fall again against my body as if only a very small part of me was still able to connect with what was happenning now. I didn't even try to take my eyes off him, there were so many people anyway, and I already felt like I was just a drop in a human sea, a drop impossible to notice.  But his eyes stopped on me, it was as if the sun decided to shine brightly on one and only wave in the vast ocean . The luckiest of all. The music became louder and in a few notes the whole crowd vanished away. The sun shined so bright the ocean had evaporated. Locked. I had never felt this way before, having one eyes locked in someone else's. I was so immersed into these grey eyes that with a bit of effort I could have seen through them. It was a strange thing. Now, of that night, I can only remember those eyes, they float on a face that I know but have no memories of. Still I saw him raise his hand towards me and smile. The body that apparently was mine started with surprise, and so did my face. I didn't feel it, it was as if I saw it through his eyes this time. My mouth and eyes opened wide. "me?" His smile grew bigger, he winked and nodded. "haha yes you". But the wave disappeared suddenly into the vast ocean, submerged, as the crowd as one and giant dancer moved and swallowed me up. When I resurfaced, the sun had already gone down. My friend nudged me with an extactic face : "Did that really just happen? !" And the girl next to me, whom I didn't really know to add :" did you know each other? He smiled at you as if you did." 

As we were walking towards the metro station exhausted and stiff I couldn't help but see his eyes and the amused spark in them, no matter how hard I tried to ignore them.
I took a deep breath of fresh air hoping this would help dissipate the visions. 
- That was crazy, she and I said in unison.
We looked at each other and started laughing. We had no idea how crazy that really was.




dimanche 16 février 2014

Project365

And here we go with week number 2 of this project. I'm really enjoying it so far! It gives me more reasons to go out and look up, or look at things differently...



10.02 I'm in love with parisian buildings. They are beautiful and on my walk to school this day the light was so pretty. Pictures don't even make it justice.


11.02 I started practising yoga. Yoga is great because it makes you love your body, listen to it and every progress is such a joy. Here's a little toestand for you.



12.02 Vegan deliciousness. nothing else to add.


13.02 Thursday was rainy, windy, cold and I barely got enough sleep. It started raining and I had no umbrella. Fortunately a lovely man working in a shop nearby lent me this umbrella. I live in a great neighbourhood.


14.02 Check out this little yellow man!


15.02 A lovely sunset after a tiring week.


16.02  A storm in preparation


17.02 I'm sorry this picture was taken with my phone, but my camera is too heavy for me to take while I'm jogging. Notre Dame was the end of a 5kms run.

x

vendredi 14 février 2014

Fukuoka family.

Before I start this post, I want to say thank you to all of who, who read or commented my last post. I was so moved by your reaction and this warmed my heart. I'll do write part 2, and maybe part 3 ... That's definitely a long story.


Japan was definitely the biggest trip I have done so far, the one filled with the most expectations and fears. I'd like to think of myself as a traveller who can go anywhere, who sees the world as a vast and beautiful place to explore and discover, without any limits or restrictions. But Japan ... seemed so far away in all aspects. So unreachable and foreign despite the multiple connections that I had had for years with the country.
Booking the plane tickets was so easy, that it didn't make any sense. It was just after a few days, when my bank account was lighter of 600euros that it seemed to become real.
Even now, even though I already did it once, Japan seems too far away. It feels too far away in miles, time, culture and language, in memories too. It feels too far away and I miss it a lot, every single day.

There is one thing that I miss dearly. My family all the way there in Japan, as I feel so honoured and blessed to be able to say. There are very few people in your life that you can click with instantly, and truly feel as if they were a part of your own family. Who would have thought I would find such a person more than 6000miles away?


Momoko and I met through YouTube, I'm not sure exactly how it all started. All I know is that it felt natural immediatly, and I've always felt like she was one of my best friends, and whenever I'm reminded our age difference I am surprised. I guess I shouldn't after all, she always gives me the best advice and finds the perfect wise and loving words to make me feel better. But those years and miles between us always seem absurd for I feel so close to her. 
Very naturally we decided to meet and she kindly, as always, offered Yolaine&I to stay at her place. Now, what you should know is that her family is as amazing as she is. 
Her mother has the brightest smile, and her dad is probably one of the kindest man I've ever met. I remember the first time seeing them at the train station, and I remember how nice they were to us, cooking and preparing the food for us, explaning us everything we were seeing, trying to find shows in english on tv ... Very few times in my life have I felt this much love and the feeling of being welcomed. 




Momoko and her family live in Fukuoka, in the south of Japan. I remember this day was awfully hot, it felt more like summer than spring to me. Not only because of the heat, but because of the happiness I felt. Being in Japan with lovely people, surrounded by beauty and japanese culture that I had been falling in love with even more during the trip ... It would be difficult to make better than this.









 I usually find it hard to express my love directly to people, for some unknown reason Momoko is probably the only of my friends that I feel comfortable with in this regard. I cannot count the number of packages and letters we exchanged, and ultimately the one person I am sure I would always have fun with and be happy to spend a day with, is you.
Leaving Japan was already hard enough, but to leave such amazing people made it even harder.

Travelling always reminds me how beautiful human beings can be, and how simple yet precious it is to share with people, no matter how different we may be. I sure meet and talk to many people in my daily life, without travelling, I've always been the kind to endlessly chat with strangers. 
But there is something so amazing with building a relationship with someone you would have never met if not for the internet or this plane/train ticket. 
People may just be one of my favourite thing about travelling.






mardi 11 février 2014

A night to remember.

You know how it seems that travels always involve some kind of romance? As brief as a wait on a platform, as exotic as an island or unexpected as a meeting due to chance only.
Well I have never experience any of that. I do remember this dark haired man in Postdam, or this malaysian guy studying in Bath in my youth hostel in Prague and this handsome man on a boat in Venice, but they were in no way romances, just beautiful people that sparked my interest for a few minutes, being a part of the beautiful scenery I was in.

Yet I had one experience, that involves love and travel.
It wasn't brief, for I had/ have loved this man for years, 4years as I speak today.
It was exotic, as much as Japan can be.
It wasn't unexpected, it was more like a miracle. Something you don't even dare dreaming of.

I have never shared this story online. 
For some reasons, a few details will be kept quiet, but I haven't forgotten about them at all.
This remains, even today, the most beautiful and happiest moment of my life, though it comes with a lot of sadness. Impossible loves always do.

Handsome italian stranger.

Our room was ridiculously small. And humid. The bathroom was even smaller and even more humid. While sitting on the toilets my knees would touch the sink and I could turn on the bathtub tap by just stretching my arm. It was my first day in Japan, Tokyo and despite the joy and amazment of finally being here I couldn't really cope with the humidity. My hair, naturally curly wouldn't obey to anything, and my straightening iron had decided to not function, despite the adaptor.
We had spent the day walking around, had had a picnic in Ueno park and had been to Takeshita street, my head was full of images and colored lights, my legs slightly painful. We hadn't yet realized how big Tokyo was, and in good parisians people, just wanted to walk as much as possible.
I was about to sit on the bed when my phone beeped.
As I read the text that had just come my heart suddenly started beating beyond fast and my legs already weak, almost gave out.
-Yolaine?
My friend was sitting on the bed, checking twitter on her phone or maybe her pictures, this I cannot remember properly. Words were easy to find, but I found them incredibly difficult to say, they just didn't seem to make any sense. She glanced at me, probably alarmed by the strange tone of my voice.
- What's wrong?
I looked at her, my mouth so dry that I couldn't speak anymore and handed the phone over to her. As she read the text a surprised and incredulous look came on her face.
" you're in tokyo right now? if you want we can meet up tonight. why not?"
Never such simple words had sounded this mysterious and difficult to comprehend. 
- What am I supposed to answer?
I wasn't prepared for this. Yes, we had been talking for over a year now, almost two. Yes I couldn't hope for more. Yes I did love him, and yes I was going to go. But I couldn't believe this was happening. All in me was screaming and being open mouthed at the same time. 
A solid determination seemed to take control on me, silently, as the anxiety became loud and noisy. I remember saying absurd things, cracking my knuckles, forcing myself to breathe deeply, asking more useless questions since I already knew, that yes, I wanted to go. I was dying to go. My split being suddenly became one again , only to realise that I wasn't ready for a date at all. 
I was 20 and had never been on a date, but I quickly drew the conclusion that crazy hair and a tired face were not date appropriate. My determined self in charge of most things from this moment on, I found the strengh to type a positive answer, and was told to be at 10pm at the rendezvous spot. While freaking out self kept blabbering non sense, determined self headed to Akihabara, Yolaine following me as incredulous as ever, to buy a new straightening iron. I was almost running in the streets. Once back into the humid room, I tried to shut down my brain and attempted, more or less successfully to get ready. To this day I can even recall which underwears I was wearing. 
Finally it was time to leave. 
Sitting in the metro, I stared at people wondering where they were going. They looked normal, it was a casual, ordinary night and it seemed crazy to be sitting in this banal wagon heading to this extraordinary destination. Breathing into my scarf I tried to resist the tears and mixed feelings that were building up inside of me. Soon I was at the final destination. Or so I thought. 
As I walked out of the metro I got another text, telling me to get to S. slightly outside of Tokyo. Like a robot, I went back and asked for directions to two young men, who told me to follow them. It was already late, I was going alone to the suburbs of Tokyo, but not once did the thought scare me. All I could think of was him. I inserted the yens in the machine and waited in vain for a ticket to come out until the man working there told me I didn't need any, I just had to pay. I hopped into a yellow train and 10 minutes later, I was finally there.
By that time it was really dark outside and the place was empty of people. I had no idea where I was, nor how I could get back to my hostel. I didn't know where to go else, nor what to expect. I started thinking of my parents, how they would get mad if they knew what I was up to ; Are you insane? You're going to meet someone you've never met before who is twice as old as you? And you're alone? And you don't even know where you are? Did you tell anyone where you were going? Do you ... 
but my phone beeped.
" turn on your left, there is a road, go straight and then left."
" there will be a police office, just wait there, a white car will pick you up."
I thought that a gaijin( foreigner), alone, at this hour in this place probably looked a bit suspect or unusual and hoped for the police men to just ignore me. They kept looking at me and I started to get a bit uncomfortable, when the car eventually arrived. A driver got out, opened the door for me and I sat cautiously in a dark, huge car, that smelled just like him. I kept my eyes on the big screen in front of me, and tried to calm down. As I was trying to slow down the flow of thoughts in my head the car stopped. Shouldn't it stop horizontally if we're still in the street?
The door opened and I understood that the car wasn't parked horizontally but inclined because we weren't outside. We were at his place.
As I went out of the car with tinted windows, I turned my head to the left and my eyes landed on him, sitting on a sofa, all dressed in gray. The lights were almost off, apart from blue dots on the floor and once I opened the glass door to come in I heard the sound of waves and could smell his scent, even stronger than in the car. I couldn't feel anything anymore, nor the ground beneath my feet, nor my heart beating, the anxiety was all gone, and I made my way to him almost floating. I sat next to him on the sofa, smiled and when he did too, I felt a wave of love and peace overcoming me.
- It's nice to finally meet you.
His voice, only aiming at me this time, felt like the softest touch ever.
And never such common words had ever been so true.


Obviously, this doesn't stop here. But this post is already long enough and I'm not sure whether you guys are interested in reading the rest of the story or not. If yes, let me know. It does feel strange sharing that like that here.  But it is such a big and beautiful part of my life, I wanted to write it down. And share it with you. 'Cause that's what this blog is about right?
x



dimanche 9 février 2014

Project 365.

 I follow this lovely lady, Kaylah, whose blog I love and she inspired me to start this project365.
Now you don't need to be good at maths to figure out that this isn't going to be a real "365", since I started doing it more than a month late.. Still, I think this is a great way to appreciate everyday a little bit more, by searching for the little things that are worth being remembered, and then look back on a year that is made of common, exciting, unexpected, little, big, beautiful and funny things that sometimes we forget...
So here's my first week of this project365, feel free to start this project as well and if you decide to do it let me know! I'd love to see your pictures!


2.02 - Celebrating the Chandeleur with my sister by eating vegan crêpes.

3.02 - Old books by Notre Dame, on a little(5kms)walk with my best friend.

4.02 - Teenager revival with this plaid shirt. And yes I don't wear matching socks.

5.02 - Last dinner before my best friend's departure for Bucharest for 6months. And the start of a vegetarian lifestyle for him!
6.02 - My sister got me this lovely bracelet, that goes perfectly with my "oui" tattoo.

7.02 - I'll never get sick of that sight.


8.02 - Visiting the Gustave Moreau Museum with the lovely Shannon.


9.02 - Sunday is marketday and what's better than beautiful fresh fruits and veggies?!

dimanche 2 février 2014

Raw Sweetness.





No this blog isn't turning into a foodblog, but but...  I love food. I probably spend half of my time thinking of food, therefore it seems a bit umbelievable that food was completely left out from this blog. Especially because food to me, is obviously pleasure, love and sharing good times with lovely people, but also health, ethics and spirituality.
Now now, where do I find spirituality in fruits pies you'll ask?

Well those are fresh, colorful, cruelty free and alive! Those fruits and nuts are beautiful sources of energy that directly go into your body! You nourish both your body and soul, I believe, when eating healthy and beautiful foods!

I am not found of nuts. In fact, I only peanuts and cashews. Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts ... any other kind of nuts, no thanks. However the crust of those pies is made of nuts. And dates. And guess what? I don't like dates either. I did like those pies though. I guess the flavor of the cashew filling and the fruits balance everything out, even for those who don't like nuts that much like me.








In order to make the crust all you need are nuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds and dates! In the original recipe, that you can find here : thisrawsomeveganlife , both almonds and walnuts are used for the crust, however because I really do not like walnuts, I used solely almond. And the best part of that is definitely the cashew cream which is ... delicious. Delicious. And I am french. I know about pastry, and eventhough this definitely doesn't taste like my regular tarte aux fruits, it is very very good! And honestly knowing that those are all good fats, cruelty free and easy on your diggestion make them even tastier!






It was my first time making a raw dessert, and I can already see how I could improve this recipe to fit better my own tastes, which is what cooking is all about in my opinion! Taking something and making it your own to then share it with your beloved ones and share the love! 
I'll do those little pies again for sure and I strongly suggest you trying them out! They're good, healthy, pretty and would surprise most guests!

xx