Showing posts with label Meaning of life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meaning of life. Show all posts

June 10, 2009

I sent a message to Wendy and Lisa

Yes, unfair to leave the old continent out of the loop...
I have always wanted to tell how much I love you since I bought my first "wendy and lisa" copy in summer 87. My parentsleft some money for food while they were on holidays but I spent it in Paris' shop 'Fnac' to buy Prince CDs and your first record. It was worth starving.
And after my 8th copy, I am still listening to it with pleasure and tears sometimes.

I almost travelled to LA when your concert in a jazz club was scheduled couple years ago, some time in January or February...

Please try to setup the next session at a more appropriate time for your european fans and you are also very welcome for a concert. Any chance you would visit or play a couple songs in Paris, send an email and I'll be your guide.

How can I ever thank you for all you brought to my world?

Love you both XXXXX

Philippe


Check http://www.wendyandlisa.com/news/live-here-now to know more

May 18, 2009

$700 to become a monk

A very interesting article from Courrier International had a catchy title "700 dollars to become a monk"... Australian head of a non governmental agency, Ben Bowler created www.monkforamonth.com

If I could I would go to Cambodia, Thailand or Japan and try, like my friend Antoine in Cambodia or André in Thailand or with the monks in Meiji Jingu in Harajuku, Tokyo.

FaceBook profile : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fang-Thailand/Monk-for-a-Month/35067157310
Twitter : http://twitter.com/monkforamonth

February 12, 2009

'I chose to help people'

Working for Support and Customer Satsufaction appeared to me as quite obvious for me back in 97. Today, a customer had me notice 'you chose to help people, that's obviously your calling'.

Looks like with my latests endeavours to help with humanitarian projects and microfinance, that is clearly my choice...

January 26, 2009

Anita Baker? Happy Birthday!

Anita Baker... caressing my soul with her silky voice.

When 'just because' started, the world around faded away. That was good because I needed to focus on my work again. Then, 'Body and soul' started and it took me to daydreaming too : "all of me wants all of you".

To be further continued... In the meanwhile, happy birthday and thank you for the contribution to more love in the world. This is the one resource we lack badly of.

December 31, 2008

Life is a loan... don't try to save it.

I heard this on the radio in the bus this morning. It makes sense. Life cannot be a saving : you cannot get any interest at the end.

That reminded me also of the talents in the Bible : live life so that you can enjoy it more by enhancing your knowledge.

December 30, 2008

The return of Ferris Bueller

No, don't expect "Ferris Bueller, the revenge" or any sequel. When I flipped channels yesterday before going out with PN & her sister Y, I stopped on the famous scene of Ferris singing in the streets of Chicago, during the parade.

It brought back feelings to me. And even if I still have more than 10 copies of this movie, I was truly ready to watch it again.

This movie should be watched by all students as it is more than ever up to date as this article from Le Monde explains more than 78% of French students do not know what to do with their life. The question of 'guidance on careers' is the key question.

That question, I never solved...

December 15, 2008

My first time with Microfinance & initiation of Help

Friday evening, we had a business event with a major service center. It was the first time I had ever attended after 11 years of collaboration. They invited us to a movie premiere : http://www.8themovie.com/ . Right after PN had landed in Paris after her 3 week trip, we went to the premiere and arrived 'giri giri' (Japanese for 'right on time').

I was really moved by '8' (especially by Jan Kounen's movie 'The story of Panshin Beka' shot in Peruvian Amazonia in 2006) and I thought it is time to help accordingly to the principle “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime”. Check the video tab on the website to watch the trailer!

This reminded me of CL who offered money after the Tsunami in Thailand.


Thus I wrote down on paper in the dark about the microfinance society 'Kiva' and looked for it over the web. I reached http://www.kiva.org/about and I chose to help.
I am trying to follow, in a far more limited way, the efforts of my friend LS who became a saint in India, helping children dying. I can never do what he does, he is so strong and courageous.

Microfinance (also check http://www.mixmarket.org/)can truly make the difference in helping the world that suffers in silence and you can start with $25 (less than €20). Wanna start changing the world now?

December 8, 2008

HELP kids in Thailand (Help_080101)

Today, I helped Orphelinat de Pattaya taking care of Thai kids in the city of Pattaya. The site is the French page for this foundation http://www.fr-ray.org/index.php

If you'd like to contribute, you can also reach http://www.pattayaorphanage.org.uk/

Good feeling to think a little money can help these kids.

It reminds me of a conversation I had in a pub near Bastille with Hiroshi this summer : we said that if we succeed in business, we'll help people and create a foundation... Let's do it!

October 7, 2008

Hagakure

Hagakure is the honor code of Samurai.

Where can you find the Hagakure? Read it from this pdf.

September 16, 2008

The end of future

Ever heard about "the end of the future" from Francis Fukuyama? Tonight I killed my future with my own will. I will not be "the last man" though... Don't try to understand.

I remember walking and looking at the moon. I stopped and wondered what future would look like.

Prince's "sexual suicide" was playing in my head.

September 3, 2008

Daily frustrations...

Some people call it SSDD... "Daily frustration happen all the time". French people even created a site about this : http://www.viedemerde.fr/ (can be translated as Shitty Life dot FR)

August 29, 2008

Akire to Kame

http://sotinel.blog.lemonde.fr/2008/08/28/kitano-sous-son-beret-dartiste-maudit/

Interesting concept : you can miss your life pursuing the wrong goal.

What are we made for? What is the meaning of life?

Back to these questions. Any clue?

August 25, 2008

Trip around the world in video

This is the kind of experience I'd like tot take if I were free... http://2008.muvmedia.tv/

August 14, 2008

Restaurant life

Long ago I worked couple times in restaurants. I also participated to restaurant projects...
As for any other business the HR* factor plays a major role : from cooking to serving and presenting the food.

When I read this article from Time magazine, I really enjoyed the reading.

The two blogs quoted are very humorous as well : waiter's blog and dishwasher's daily life...

Can I still complain about my work after reading this?

* Human Resources

July 28, 2008

Wendy and Lisa... Yatta

As you grow older you learn that you wishes will probably never get granted. Yet you leave a little piece of blue sky open to surprises and serendipities.

Here's one : Wendy and Lisa will soon release a new record. Last time I heard that was with their collaboration to "Heroes". I so loved their first album Wendy and Lisa with the magnificient songs that were enlightened wth the color of sadness (1987) ; I remember buying this CD from Fanc Les Halles and listening to it over and over with tears in my eyes. And 11 years after, Girl Bros with some wonderful songs (e.g. Reaching one, I've got a big bowl of cherries, ...).

I found the news from MySpace.

You can download for free and legally one track of their forthcoming album : Balloon.

Look at their website also!

I wish I could have attended their concert early January in 200x? in L.A.

Wendy and Lisa have alwyas been in my life and they will stay forever...

June 7, 2008

Prince is... 50 Y.O.

There is no way! I can't believe it. It's impossible!!!

How come Christopher Tracy is 50?

May 20, 2008

Ferris Bueller by John Hugues

What a foundation movie in the teenage genre!If not one of the best, as it goes deeper than what you see. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (FBDO) all about this rite of passage from teenager to adulthood.

Dodging the authority is like a secret backdoor to escape from your cyclic life (it goes like 'metro, boulot, dodo' in French ; 'Metro, work and sleep'.) and walk away from the standard path of school for a while. The sudden happiness that results from unexpected short time freedom is like a shot of fresh air.

A clever analysis is available from that blog and additional elements are available here.

Check details at IMDB... and wikipedia and that site and some kind of vault here.

Since the first draft (07/11/08@2:43PM) I found Ferris on myspace...

That movie will remain as a contribution and a testimonial of the 80's... Breakfast Club too in a more dramatic approach.

Get pictures from http://images.google.com/images?q=ferris%20bueller and http://www.matthewbroderick.net/gallery/movie/ferris.html

Remember these? :
  • The question isn't "what are we going to do," the question is "what aren't we going to do?"

  • Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
No need to further comment the latter...

Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. (1986 was... 22 years ago)

January 20, 2008

Beauty : body, mind, spirit!

Audrey Hepburn had it all. IMDB will tell you about her career, Wikipedia will tell you some stories about her.

She was and still is an inspirational icon and a very touching actress.
She died 15 years ago.

Breakfast at Tiffany's : check here and here!

December 20, 2007

Chinsagu No Hana ["I'd like to be involved"]

Sakamoto Ryuichi's most beautiful song with Okinawa inspired music had me cry a couple times simply because it spoke to me long before I would actually find its title and meaning (it just happened a couple minutes ago and lead me to write this quick post).

This is the feeling I have when I am among foreigner people who 'do not seem to care' about me.
Have you ever experienced that feeling : you can't speak a language that you love and the people around you are talking so much. You feel like you do not belong to the party and nobody cares about you. Of course they do care but they enjoy their culture. Yet you feel lonely like the guy outside the restaurant looking at the people enjoying ; he feels more hungry for company than for the food itself.

Next time it happens to you, focus on the beauty of the language and try to decode some expressions on the faces and in the eyes.

Listen to this beautiful song and raise volume at 2:00 to get the emotional musical background melody. The women's voices give humanity to the song too.

Sadness and yet hope are in this song. I can almost picture a movie scene with a daunted human being who finds the courage to stand up and look at the rising sun with a slow moving smile on their tear covered face.

Chinsagu No Hana, Beauty, Sakamoto Ryuichi

And on YouTube!

Chinsagu No Hana

Chisagu nu hanaya, chimisashi ni sumiti.

Uya nu yushigutu ya, chimu ni simiri.

Yuyu harasu funi ya, ni nu fa fushi mi-ati.

Wan nacheru uya ya, wan du mi ati.


Tun nu buri-bushi ya, yumiba yumariyun.

Uya nu yushigutu ya, yumin naranu.

Takara tama yatin, migikaniba sabisu.

Asayu chimu migachi, uchiyu watara.

Agari akagariba, shimi nare ga ichun.

Kashira yuti tabori, wa uya-ganashi.

Chinsagu nu hana ya, chimisachi ni sumiti.

Uya nu yushigutu ya. Chimu ni siniri.



The Flower of Balsam, one dyes on one's fingernails.

The words of one's parents, one must dye in one's heart.

Ships sailing the night seas take their bearing by the pole star.

The parents who gave me birth take their bearings by me.


One has to study and to master the name of constellations.

But the lessons taught by one's parents are no mastered by study alone.

Even gems and treasures will rust unless polished.

Polishing my spirit night and days, I traverse this transient world.

When the sun rises, I shall go off to study.

Please plait my hair, my dear mother.

The Flower of Balsam, one dyes on one's fingernails.

The words of one's parents, one must dye in one's heart.


Thanks to Xtopher for sending the link of the original movie : a Japanese story. I missed the movie which I only noticed on walls ; I'll catch up with the DVD some day...

November 29, 2007

Tenohira no shosetsu, Kawabata Yasunari

About to leave for Münich this monday, I left the keys on the door as I got more subject to anxiety before flying. When back to my second home, I looked for substitution books to the one I left at my usual home. I could not find what I wanted of course.

So I digged and found the Kawabata book I bought around 2000 : Tenohira no shosetsu [Palm of the Hand stories]. Unread so far... I'll tell you why one day, should I dare.

I did not read it on the plane as I was busy reading the daily press and saving interisting articles. And reading finance magazines (the stock market is the one with turbulences at this time).

But I started reading it yesterday and I took a break from the corportae life and enjoyed the two first stories today. A dark tone writing with explicit or soft tone allusions to death...
I have to read the whole book and then start the book compliling some of his novels and short stories before I can start writing about his approach to litterature. Not that I am entitled to judging, just because I find it enjoyable to share my experiences and understandings in litterature. By the way, how many people do read this blog?