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.

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 ...