Sunday 26 December 2010

2011: Creating my own rules



2010 has been an interesting year with pleasant surprises :) , less pleasant ones :( , a handful of drama (while a pinch would have been just enough), an amazing trip to India, a broken leg, financial crisis, surprising choices, deceptions, illusions, farewells, welcomes, hopes & fears, 2 kilos less and all types of thoughts.
Having come to the conclusion that I have adjusted to a lot of situations and people's expectations so far, I have decided to create my own set of rules for 2011 and live by them.These rules will involve a lot of commitment towards myself and attempts to regulate my ego but I am confident I will do pretty well.
Trying to act natural is no easy task as we always want to project our best image to others. Kers has spent the whole year repeating this to me.Well, let me be my own little self and see how it goes then.

Rules for 2011
  • Break some old rules
  • Act natural
  • Be bold and courageous
  • Take risks and be an adventurer
  • Have clarity of mind
  • Be understanding
  • Nurture relationships

2010 was far from being boring. 
2011: HERE I COME!

Monday 29 November 2010

Spirit of the 70s. Irresistibly contagious!

It is wildly believed that the 70s was a decade when time forgot good taste. yeah, kinda true. 
One thing can't be denied though, people surely knew how to have fun.
They weren't afraid to wear lampshades on their heads, customize their superman outfits and took full ownership about mismatching colors. Good old times I say, Good old times I insist!

Thursday 18 November 2010

There's something about Bollywood

We have all been playing the tune over and over in our heads for the past few months and we just could not resist queueing up to watch it on screen in that latest Bollywood 'debut', the heroine moving her hips in the most sensual manner while performing those shuffling little steps and the hero running in slow motion towards her with his perfectly combed hair - needless to mention mountaintops with snow in the background - and although all this will appear laughably ridicule to us, we will secretly enjoy every second of it. chances are we might even call for an encore.

Question: What is it that turns what seem to be normally constituted persons into Bollywood lovers? how come we never seem to get enough of the songs, drama, chaste family values, action, ridiculous comedy, love affairs, of the completely nonsensical plot et j'en passe that are totally inherent to Bollywood movies? what is it that makes all this masala the perfect ingredient in our plate?

Well, you can just pick and choose any of the following: cheerfulness, breezy entertainment, melodious hard-to-get-rid-of  tunes, sensuality, voluptuous bodies, the 3 G(glitz, glitter and glamour), the decor, backgrounds, sceneries, unforgettable lines such as "kaminey, kutte, mein tumse nahin choroonga", cheesy ones, the dhooshoob-dhooshoob and bling bling, the magic combination of stars pairing up on screen, the terrible yet touching B movies where the actors hardly know their lines, the kitsch, the colorful costumes, the dramatic scenes and last but not least...Amitabh Bachchan. Bollywood definitely has a language of its own, that of sultry emotion, nah?

Thursday 11 November 2010

Ciel! Mon ami!!!!

Certains dimanches matins je regarde le ciel se promener dans son costume de mousseline blanche. Je lui demande où il va et il me répond qu'il a rendez-vous avec la mer pour déjeuner. Au menu: pays aux parfums exotiques, secrets du terroir et iles flottantes. Je réalise alors que le ciel a souvent faim. Au lever du jour, il dévore les étoiles les unes après les autres et en avril, avec ses allures désinvoltes, il invite les hirondelles pour une soupe printanière.Tantôt arrogant en été, tantôt effacé en hiver, le ciel a ses humeurs que seule la lumière de l'automne comprend. Il nous déverse ses larmes après s'être embrasé et nous demande de l'entendre. Dès lors, il s'arc, devient essence et nous raconte son histoire orageuse et ses éclairs de génie. Il s'est souvent posé la question pourquoi les femmes hurlaient son nom lorsqu'elles tombaient sur un mari rentré plus tôt que prévu.Eh non, aussi vaste soit-il, son implication dans certaines histoires conjugales lui a souvent échappée.

Monday 8 November 2010

Epitaphe

Ci-gît ma pudeur - partie écorchée de l'âme
                              dépassée par les évènements

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Undefined relationships



The strange thing about undefined relationships is, as infuriating as they can be, you never truly want to put an end to them. They always start on a charming and light note which give way to giggles and smiles, then within months they become routinely unusual and later end up being intriguingly awkward. As soon as the first fights get in the way, the 'Beware' signboard is to be displayed. Those disagreements or disputes which are the equivalent of small emotional strains lead to confused minds and hearts and this is where the danger gets real and this is also when you need to pull the brake.

Being in an undefined relationship implies that there is a strong need for independence and freedom but at the same time still hoping to be tied to someone. "I want you as much as I want my space. Now that I have my space, I want you. Now that I have you, give me my space. I want you in my space. I want you out of my space.I want neither you nor space... Fuck! I don't know what I want anymore!". Once you are over with the 'wanting' you immediately start indulging in the 'needing'... aïe!

All that an undefined relationship can achieve can never be enough to replace all the maturity of a defined relationship. This is a fact. But then, who likes facts? I ask you. The potent magic that exists in an undefined relationship is something which goes  way beyond words. It resembles something like silent understanding, there are no expectations and no exclusivity involved,  there is no sense of direction. It's like sailing adrift in a sea without paddle.

Undefined relationships can be great only as long as they stay sane and painless.For this you need to avoid the tricks, traps and complexities of the mind and heart.

Monday 1 November 2010

Ordonnance

  1. Etre agité avant de consommer
  2. Deverser dans le gosier
  3. Consommer avec libération

Ce bon vieux tant

Comme au bon vieux
Tant de choses à raconter


Comme au bon vieux
Tant d'air à fredonner


Comme au bon vieux
Tant de temps à donner

Comme au bon vieux
Tant de becs à clouer

Comme au bon vieux
Tant d'enfants qui riaient

Comme au bon vieux
Tant d'idées éclairées
et d'amour aimé

Trespassers welcome!

After an unusual day at work, I come home half tired, half hungry but totally enthusiastic about having some free time to write tonight. The problem is, I do not feel inspired at all.Where has all the inspiration gone? Where the hell are you when I need you? grrr!!!
Have you ever felt this way? Getting excited about doing something yet not knowing  somehow where to start or how to proceed. This is exactly where I stand tonight. It's warm and the neighbour's dog won't stop barking.

FORTUNATELY, in these times of deep despair I bring on the magic hat and pull a rabbit out of it.
Tonight, the magic trick hopefully will work wonders once more. The rabbit =  John Lennon's War is over. Oh, how I love this song. I wanted to listen to John Lennon and the only title that came to my mind was this one. For any other person it would have been Imagine or Instant Karma, for a few others Jealous guy most probably but for me, yes for me, as bothered as I am by mosquitoes and the barking dog I have chosen this song. I go on you tube and allow the magic to take over.

John's simple words make me want to yell to the world that my door is wide open to the whole planet tonight. Everyone's invited and even the usual trespassers are welcome to come and share this amazing glass of chardonnay with me. Hocus pocus, abracadabra...

Sunday 31 October 2010

Action!

I have realised that the frequent shifting attitudes of people often bewilder me. My questions pertaining to the cyclic changes of situations resulting in mood swings thus remain unanswered. I, myself, am a victim of that and when it happens, people around me are the unfortunate recipients of my unpredictable comments and reactions. Where does all that spring from? Frankly, I do not know. A friend tells me that it is a result of low self esteem and a lack of fulfilment.My ego, of course, will never allow me to agree with that. Incidentally, even my common sense disagrees with that.

Fortunately new sensations, feelings and even awakenings do arise to spice up my life and luckily enough it happens more than just once in a blue moon.My co-star in the home made classic called " Flirting with life" is the one who ignites the fire in me and keeps me under the limelight all the time. Had this main character in my movie not existed I would still be muddling through, unable to explore new avenues of life. So, to my partner I say: Thank you for making life imitating art imitating life so interesting.

Coupez!

Thursday 28 October 2010

The laws of friendship




Let it be known that more than being a mere mirror, a friend is an adventure, an exploration, a quest and a discovery all at the same time and happy is the heart that shelters friendship.

Comforting and tender thoughts invest my mind tonight as I recall countless souvenirs. I once decided to set out on a  journey that undoubtedly made me venture into numerous pastures before I could eventually come up to the conclusion that my friends saved me, more than once, from hazardous situations . To sum it up, I would simply say that friendship stands for humanity in its humblest form.


Friendship involves both courage and wisdom; courage to stand up and face those you love and respect when the going gets tough and wisdom to know what are the boundaries which are not to be crossed. Even sincerity sometimes comes in second place - we are never completely sincere to ourselves, let alone to our friends...


Once you have discovered that the laws of friendship provide a richer texture to life as well as to memories your soul suddenly feels relieved, knowing it will never feel alone. It is the greatest feeling of all.


Friendship? Hmm, lemme think: Two cups of capuccino in a coffeeshop after dinner on christmas eve. discussing the next holiday trip. snatches of laughter. planning and feeling enthusiastic together. making projects. yeah, friendship...

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Silences

Il est des silences interdits
Il est des silences de vérités


Il est des silences hurlants
Parfois vacillants


Il est des silences d'espoir
Et  même de prières


Il est des silences nobles
Et d'autres d'Absolu


Passés tous ces silences de rédemption
On en arrive toujours à ce silence de quête

Sunday 17 October 2010

Stigmatizing mistakes

A friend of mine is preparing his first exhibition for next Friday. We are all thrilled and excited about what promises to be a success. So far he had done some paintings and created a few objects which he sold and now that he has decided to get to the fast lane I think he deserves to be encouraged for taking the big leap.An exhibition is an open door to part of our intimacy.There is always an element of risk trying to get people to enter our universe but once we are sure about how to do it, there can be nothing more fulfilling.

What I admire about that person is the fact that he has been able to remain an artist as he grew up. Our system of education here seldom gives us the opportunity to do so.We are usually taught to grow out of creativity, we are educated out of it. Why? because the aim of our academic system is to enable us to get a certificate or die trying to snatch a scholarship and that even if we have to give up on the potential talent which resides within us. School leavers are expected to be academically excellent so as to ensure their future.

With the academic inflation we are facing today- almost everybody holding a degree - I wonder if this is the best solution? I think we should allow more space for mistakes since childhood. If a child is not prepared to be wrong, (s)he'll never come up with something original.We should stop stigmatizing mistakes and stop educating people out of their creative capacities.

If we don't even know what the future holds in prospect for us, the future of our children will seem even more abstract to us. Teaching them values and encouraging their thinking process should be enough to kill the fear in us.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Ecology

How about human ecology?
I think we have to re-think our way of thinking.

Sunday 10 October 2010

Defining parameters

Sometimes I ask myself to what extent I should keep defining parameters about how to behave socially. Would it not be easier to simply  leave it to sheer improvisation all the time? So far, improvisation has allowed me to explore rather freely the different corners of love, sex, attachment/detachment and my fuck them all attitude has quite frankly helped in spicing up what could have easily turned out to be a monotonous existence. Okay, okay, improvisation  can, at times, be synonymous to taking risks and playing with fire and I did burn my wings often but, all in all, it was worth the ride.

On the other side, defining my social parameters, always implies ' playing it safely' and making sure that everyone is contented and happy at the end of the day. In such cases I have to constantly regulate my comfort zone and review my paradigms so as to fit in people's criteria and not be perceived as a pariah.  After all, who likes to become an outcast? These are the times when I have to shut my fuck them all attitude in the closet and learn to accept the fact that people who are not like me are neither wrong or right. It just happens that they are simply different and I have to adjust. Being accommodating, however, is not always easy as people can often be mean and talk faster than they think.

Defining parameters is one thing, abiding by them is another. I think I'd rather try being innovative. yes, innovation provides with a great feeling of freedom.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Ce besoin d'ailleurs

Plus d'une fois j'ai ressenti ce besoin d'ailleurs, de partir, de voyager afin de laisser d'autres horizons me parler. Ce besoin de fuir la réalité mondaine me prenait d'un coup et rien ne me semblait plus essentiel que de faire mes valises et de m'en aller à la recherche de cette herbe plus verte ne fût-ce que pour un court instant.

Oui, il s'agissait bien de fuite mais aussi de rêve, d'inspiration devant être renouvelée, d'air frais qui attendait d'être humé. Las de cette ile et de ses petitesses, de ses médiocrités, de son incapacité à offrir de plus vastes possibilités ou de choix. Fatigué aussi  par moments de combattre les préjugés et  à essayer de comprendre le non-sens profond des choses, il me fallait bien de temps en temps aller respirer un bol d'oxygène hors de mes frontières.

Cependant, le destin s'est vite chargé de me faire comprendre que je n'étais pas fait pour de longs exils. Tout cela n'était qu'un leurre car laisser derrière moi mes habitudes ne m'empêchait pas d'emmener dans mes valises mes angoisses et mes incertitudes. Insatisfaction et frustration, voilà deux mots qui peuvent facilement mener vers la déception au bout du voyage lorsqu'on n'est pas prêt dans son être. Se conditionner ou peut-être même se déconditionner et laisser les choses suivre leur cours, la seule antidote pour calmer un esprit anxieux.

J'ai eu suffisament de chance et de bon sens afin de pouvoir m'arrêter à temps et de me poser les bonnes questions. Une forme de poésie se trouve certes au coeur de toute quête car un voyage c'est avant tout une rencontre avec un lieu et sa réalité douce-amère. Mon récent séjour en Inde par exemple m'aura appris beaucoup plus sur moi-même que je ne l'aurais jamais imaginé.  Il n'y avait aucune démarche  spirituelle attaché à ce voyage mais au delà des paysages fascinants que j'ai découvert, c'est surtout une forme de mysticité qui m'a happée au vol.

Oui, les voyages sont bien féconds. On en revient avec des souvenirs pleins la tête, pas forcément parce qu'on a trouvé ce qu'on cherchait mais précisément parce qu'on en revient surpris.Les impressions se bousculent toujours dans ma chair et certains soirs des senteurs découverts au détour d'une ruelle à Darjeeling reviennent titiller mes narines. Il s'agit d'odeurs réconfortants, tout aussi inconnus que familiers. Toute la compléxité de l'Inde dans un effluve. Il me reste alors ma mémoire pour me rappeler les bons et les mauvais moments. Chaque souvenir contient son charme unique.

Finalement, n'est-ce pas le second voyage qui compte le plus? Celui que l'on se refait dans sa tête une fois à l'abri chez soi, celui que l'on se fait à partir des bribes du premier, seul dans son lit le soir, content d'être de retour parmi les siens. Le trésor est là dans ses souvenirs mais aussi et surtout dans son coeur. Il reste caché à vie afin d'être enjolivé à chaque fois qu'on y repense. Il y a ceux qui oublient leurs souvenirs et il y a ceux qui s'acharnent à les faire revivre encore plus intensément au quotidien en se rappelant de petits détails de rien du tout. J’ai choisi mon camp il y a fort longtemps.

Mes voyages, mes besoins d'ailleurs se font à l'extérieur aussi bien qu'à l'intérieur de moi même.

Vivement le prochain départ.

Sunday 3 October 2010

Cynically yours

Many of  the single persons I have met lately tend to hide their loneliness behind a mask of laughter in order not to become bitter. It turns out that the more time passes, the more they view their lives from an ironical angle and they eventually indulge into cynicism. Cynicism becomes a sort of barrier which protects them from the outside world; that of the happily married couples and of relationships which do work.

What many of those single persons do not know, however, is that very often those who seem to be happy inside a relationship are also those who can be the most cynical persons on earth. Why? Because they do not  feel totally fulfilled. Thus, be it in or out of a relationship we all tend to be cynical at one point of time giving way to the following question: To what extent can we go?

We are evolving in a generation where AIDS, money and finding a job are predominant. No job = no self worth, no job = no respect, no job = no money, no job = no sentimental relationship. Yes, we are in a generation where we have a price to pay even for a display of emotions. You love me? Okay, how much are you ready to invest in this relationship in terms of time (and money)?  and the funny thing is that you better be pretty confident about your reply. How more cynical can that be?

We have set the standards so high that we have completely forgotten about the basics, i.e to allow love to breathe.Giving it some space and allowing it to move freely without asking whether it can be dangerous or not is no easy task.People are afraid of love because of all the consequences that might derive from it (heartbreak, attachment, responsibilities, separation). They prefer to take the risk of being cynical rather than surrendering to the only thing that really makes sense.

Whether you're single or not, the best relationship you can have is the one you have with yourself. Self love is the answer, that's no secret. As long as you're aware of that, bye bye cynicism and welcome lightheartedness.

The Beatles were right: All you need is (self)love.

Thursday 30 September 2010

To wit or not to wit? A haiku experience

Di pain frire
Sorti dans karaye
Satini cotomili dans bol

La plie tombé
Toit  tôle fer tapaz

Zenfants galoupe piéni
Kassiette enba laboutique

Mama attane kot la porte

Wednesday 29 September 2010

Daily checklist


Daily Checklist
Status
Remarks
Wake up with a smile

Open the curtain, look at the sky, wink at it

Blue, grey, dark, it doesn’t matter.
Dress nicely
Try to

Work devotedly
No matter how big the workload
Have a good laugh
√√
Very important
Nurture Relationships
(or kick some asses)
Enjoy a nice meal
√√
Healthy or unhealthy
Think about loved ones
√√√
Essential
Be open minded and kind
Try, try, try
Be a lil’ crazy
√√√
Primordial
Avoid having bad conscience
Try to
No success guaranteed
Go to bed tired
If not, grab a boring book or read this blog

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Tools, instruments and means

I sometimes walk through life claiming that it is unfair but then Paulo Coelho comes to my mind and I cannot help but think about all that he had to go through before eventually becoming a writer. His parents had him sent for therapy in a mental institution because of his love for writing. This  must have taken place in the early sixties and I cannot believe people could still act like this with their own child, especially past world war II. Coelho however used all the tools, instruments and means that life would offer him to finally have it his way.

We are surely all in possession of treasures such as consciousness, wisdom and freedom of thinking which we can use as a platform for enabling us to reach out for our dreams. These are powerful tools that can change our destiny but they are also those which we simply choose not to use because it is so much easier to whine, complain and indulge into self destruction. Everyday I follow an evolutionary path trying to become better, yet I hardly realize it. As soon as I get entangled into petty things, i.e almost every hour,  nothing else dawns upon me than how to resolve issues and find solutions to 'situations'.

I, somehow, fully adhere to the principle that any act of faith can redeem the whole human race anew.I just need to sit back a few minutes and become a clever judge of situations. Paying more heed to my hunches might definitely help me in performing more and more 'acts of faith'. After all, the world is such a beautiful place to be...

Saturday 25 September 2010

Je te sais

J'ai toujours su quoi dire
Mais depuis que je t'ai connu
J'ai su comment le dire

Plus question de je t'aime
Mais tout simplement de je te sais


Toi qui fus autrefois
Cet horizon lointain
Riche de toutes les possibilités

Tu es désormais
Cette mer vaste et généreuse
Sur laquelle navigue mon coeur

Obsédé sensuel

Samedi matin. Je me mets à l'ouvrage. Il ne s'agit malheureusement pas d'oeuvre ici mais bel et bien d'ouvrage, petit et insignifiant, de tricotage grossier sur clavier. J'ai créé un blog, autant l'alimenter de quelques fioritures.
Je remplis comme je peux ces quelques lignes avec l'aide de mes cinq doigts (trois de ma main droite, deux du gauche), mon cerveau et mes oreilles qui écoutent Prince susurrer Sign o' the times sur youtube.
Après Bob Dylan, voilà que Prince s'est mis de la partie lui aussi fin des années 80s avec son signe des temps.Gnome et petit génie prolixe qui s'est malheureusement laissé happer par son égo surdimensionné au fil des ans. A quand un autre "1999"  ou un autre génial "Purple Rain"? De la musique comme on n'en fait plus beacoup.
Même si à peu près tout a été dit sur Prince, il reste quand même pour moi le deuxième plus grand obsédé sensuel artistique que j'ai eu l'occasion d'écouter jusqu'ici. Deuxième car le premier reste tout simplement indétrônable: Marvin Gaye.
Si la musique avait du glamour (Prince), de l'urgence (The Clash), de la joie (les Beatles), son sexe appartient à tout jamais à Marvin Gaye. Jamais quelqu'un n'aura autant transpiré de la sensualité mêlée à de la grâce. Douceur, caresses, orgasme, que du bonheur!
Hmmm, je compte bien passer quelques heures avec James, Otis , Marvin et Stevie.Finalement, il ne s'annonce pas si  mal ce samedi ;)

Thursday 23 September 2010

Sailing into the unknown.

Everyday I sail into the unknown. Although the day starts with a set agenda of duties, tasks and chores to be performed hour after hour, some questions still arise about the whys and the wherefores of me performing them. Of course, part of the answer lies in the fact that I need to earn a living, look after my family and loved ones, etc, etc... Truth is, this answer does not satisfy me completely and there is this annoying feeling that  some stones are left unturned.
Getting back to my initial statement, I mean that I am a sailor on an unknown sea doing things I have to do as a human being but not understanding the purpose of it. I live, experience joy and pain, sometimes encounter with bliss and terrible sufferings, face problems, find solutions to them, all that to eventually die one day. At life's dusk I know I will never find the answer to that ultimate question of what my purpose on earth was. This might seem frightening but then, why should I bother so much about it? It must probably form part of what many call the great Mystery. I do not really have any "duty" to perform on earth except that of following my dreams and enjoying every single minute of what life has to offer.
Though it's all up to god, my lil' finger tells me that he'd be pretty cool about that and would not mind letting me having it my way :)

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Lose yourself

A few days to go before I resume work. This morning, I took time to listen to the heart of the universe beating. I was immersed in one of those moments when you don't feel your body anymore.You remain silently immobile on the grass, stare at the sky with a quiet smile and lose yourself in its vastness until you become hypnotized by its purity. Slowly your eyelids become heavy and your five senses vanish, you become one with everything. This sense of emptiness is gradually replaced by an unbearable lightness of being. This is the moment when you feel the heart of the universe beating, this is the moment where everything makes sense.


Monday 20 September 2010

The Times They are a-changin'

The times they are a-changin' goes the song by Bob Dylan. When he scratches his six string and whispers: "and accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone", i start questioning myself:: is Bob referring to the cycle of life and impermanence or is the end of everything really close? actually, come to think about it, it happens everyday. Buddhists call it khuddaka marana, meaning 'small death'. It takes place when something makes way for another; the sunset makes way for the evening, night makes way for sunrise and the dawn of a new day.
I, myself, continuously have to reassess my own self (and ego) through the eyes of those i am in contact with every single day. when i pull the blanket at night, somewhere deep into my conscience a few thoughts crop up. The range is much too wide. It goes from " Fuck, I should have told her that? Why didn't I speak up?" to "Bien bon! Mo kontan mone réssi kass so la guele." Truth is, there is nothing more annoying than this uncomfortable sense of what I should have done and said versus what i actually do and say. I can feel petty or happy but where do I really stand? Intentions lead to thoughts which in turn lead to actions...the basics of buddhist philosophy.
How long will it take until I start converting right thoughts into right speech and actions? Well, I better get starting or else I'll soon be "drenched to the bone".

Sunday 19 September 2010

visit, bad news, past = a sunday morning package

Sunday morning, i just got a call that a dear friend of mine's father has passed away during the night. brings me back to last year when my dad left us and all the hurt and feeling of isolation that followed. I cannot say we got over, we never really get over these kind of things but we managed to get through somehow.
My leg is plastered and I have been in bed for the past 12 days, following surgery. I will go to church this afternoon to attend the funeral. I will get out of bed and go there no matter what because that's what friends do. They stand by those they love, silently sharing their pains in times of trials and their joys in other moments of life.
I don't have a clue why I created this blog. The idea just came like a spring out of nowhere.I hardly know how to use the internet.
My neighbor came to visit me this morning. He got the news that I broke my leg and came to see how i am doing. I was moved by his concern and attention. He is past 70 years old and is following a dialysis treatment. I should be the one visiting him more often. I feel awful. so much for bad conscience.

Douze petites minutes

Quatre rues séparent ma maison de C hez Ram où trois pains maison chauds chauds  m'attendent tous les matins. Cinq minutes à pieds pour ...