Tuesday, January 31, 2017

WE WISH YOU A...

...BRAVE HAPPY NEW WORLD YEAR!



For some reason it's been really hard for us to wish you all the usual "Happy new year!" this time... the global context maybe? But on this very last day of January, though, life took us across Oradour-sur-Glane, a little French village close to Limoges whose name is probably familiar (if it is not, Wikipedia is there for you). So, at the very last minute of this long month doubting and looking for the appropriate words, we just want to wish 2017 will witness only the bravest, kindest, humblest, wisest version of each one of all!

May we all radiate light, generosity, patience, peace, intelligence and resilience, even with storms approaching from many different directions. May we all re-open and read History books, learn and remember always, listen and understand, embrace and accept. But may we also be strong enough to refuse, to stand up and to struggle whenever it becomes necessary: it's not too late until we give up.

Wishing much light, love and peace to you all!


On ne sait pas bien pourquoi on a eu tant de mal cette fois-ci à vous souhaiter à tous une "Bonne et heureuse année!" comme d'habitude... le contexte mondial, peut-être? 
Mais voilà qu'à la toute dernière minute, ce 31 janvier, la vie a voulu qu'on passe par Oradour-sur-Glane, petit village français pas loin de Limoges dont vous avez certainement entendu parler (si ce n'est pas le cas, Wikipedia est un bon point de départ). Du coup, après tout ce mois passé à hésiter et à chercher les mots justes, on veut simplement souhaiter que 2017 révèle la version la plus courageuse, la plus bienveillante, la plus humble et la plus sage de chacun d'entre nous.

Puissions-nous être autant de sources de lumière, de générosité, de patience, de paix, d'intelligence et de résilience, malgré les (et au cœur des) tempêtes qui s'approchent de tous les horizons. Puissions-nous rouvrir et relire les livres d'Histoire, apprendre et nous souvenir toujours, écouter et comprendre, embrasser et accepter. Mais puissions-nous aussi avoir la force de refuser, de nous lever et de lutter chaque fois qu'il le faudra. Tant qu'on ne se rend pas, il n'est pas trop tard.

On vous souhaite à tous lumière, paix et amour!


Por alguna razón, nos ha costado mucho desearos el tradicional "Feliz año nuevo!" esta vez... ¿será por el contexto general? No obstante, en este último día de Enero, la vida ha querido que cruzáramos Oradour-sur-Glane, un pueblecito francés cerca de Limoges cuyo nombre seguro os suena (y si no, para esto está el Wikipedia). Así que, tras un largo mes de dudar y buscar las palabras más adecuadas - en el último minuto - queremos desear que el 2017 tan solo vea la versión más valiente, más benévola, más humilde y más sabia de cada uno de nosotros!

Que seamos, todos y cada uno, fuentes de luz, de generosidad, de paciencia, de paz, de inteligencia y resiliencia, aun con (y en medio de) las tormentas que se avecinan por todos lados. Que volvamos a abrir y leer los libros de Historia, que aprendamos y recordemos siempre, que escuchemos y entendamos, que abracemos y aceptemos. Pero que sepamos también decir que no, levantarnos y luchar cada vez que sea necesario. Nunca es tarde hasta que nos rendemos.

Mucha luz, amor y paz para todos!



Thursday, January 5, 2017

Autumn in Kyoto - part 2




- Nature -


If early spring has its hanami, the celebration of the cherry blossom, late autumn also indulges into its own, spiritual and contemplative way to aknowledge the seasons' cycle. Momijigari, a.k.a. kōyō (紅葉), literally means "hunting the red leaves" and refers to the act (widespread throughout Japan) of going and witnessing the reddening of the leaves - mostly the maple trees'. Kyoto is a very popular place for kōyō...






- Toriis -


Generally found at the entrance of Shinto shrines and temples, a torii (鳥居, literally "bird perch") symbolically represents the transition from mundane to sacred. The word torii likely derived from the Indian torana, as did the German tür and... the English door. At Inari temples, people often donate a torii as an expression of their gratitude: the Fushimi-inari featured below has thousands of them.





- Wallis...


...and Futuna, too. Not that we particularly enjoy appearing on pictures. But sometimes, it happens anyway. Well, it's not like Kinkaku-ji needs any of us on the postcard: wouldn't make it look any better whatsoever. It's still nice to scroll through some un(t)ravel pics - or just "life" pics - and recognize your partner, yourself, or the two of you, somewhere special. Or somewhere unspecial, as well. And not all of them, just some.





Well, that's mostly it. You probably ended up here after seeing the first part of this blog/album.
Were it not the case and would you crave to anyway, you could still click here: Autumn in Kyoto - part 1.
Almost time to pack and go home now, whatever that means for us at the moment...



Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Autumn in Kyoto - part 1


- Temple -


There are over 2.000 temples in Kyoto. Rent a bike, ride along and you'll find one, eventually. Kinkaku-ji and Sanjusangen-do (first row) are probably among the short list of the most famous, but you'll want to go witness the beauty of Fushimi-inari (see the Toriis section here) or consider jumping from the terrace at Kyomisu-dera... Whatever you're looking for, there is a temple for you in Kyoto!





- People -


Of course, it's not Shibuya, Tokyo's vibrant and picturesque district (and a tourists' favourite). Yet, with almost 1.5 million inhabitants, Kyoto does host many people. It's only a matter of time until your start running into exotic, strange, eye-catching or freaky characters. And, no! These "geishas" are not real. They're Chinese tourists who rent those costumes to "blend" in while wandering around the city's must sees...





- Creatures -


In Kyoto, there are many creatures, too. They live everywhere - aside and among people - so, you'll get to meet some. They can be lonely or they can be legion. They can be fluffy and goofy. Foxy, or hungry. Some look at you from the dark ; some look after you on the street ; some look orange from far away. There's even one who looks at you from above, whose name says just that in hindi - Avalokiteshvara.





- Textures -


There are probably many reasons why craftmanship is such a core element in the Japanese culture. Wood, stone, paper, fabrics... even straw. It seems that everything the hand touches reaches some sort of perfection. Perfection of cutting, jointing, weaving, threading, carving or folding. Most objects tend to transcend shape and function: they become a tribute to the very nature of the raw materials they're made of.





You enjoyed this post with less talking and more pictures than usual?
You're tired of Futuna's logorrhea and you'd like more of this?
Well, check the second part of this album/post here: Autumn in Kyoto - part 2.