Girl Crush: Simone de Beauvoir // I want everything //

“I am awfully greedy; I want everything from life. I want to be a woman and to be a man, to have many friends and to have loneliness, to work much and write good books, to travel and enjoy myself, to be selfish and to be unselfish… You see, it is difficult to get all which I want. And then when I do not succeed I get mad with anger.” - Simone de Beauvoir

At times I feel like this—greedy, wanting to be everything and do everything all at once, getting overwhelmed with the emotion of wanting to swallow the universe whole—the urgency passes after a while, but the yearning remains. It keeps burning. Today, I try to flame the fires. Oh Simone, how to deal?

Girl crush Simone de Beauvoir in my favorite cafe in Paris, Café les Deux Magots

Paris Haute Couture exhibition

I'm currently in a couture mood so I'm so excited to see the Paris Haute Couture exhibition curated by Olivier Saillard in partnership with Nadja Swarovski.

Here's a sneak peek of the exhibition, c'est magnifique!

For more information, visit the exhibition event page 

New Year, New Perspective

Against better judgment, I've decided to start blogging again. I've had a pretty good year this 2012—of actually ‘living’ and not just reporting or assuming the role of a spectator in my daily affairs—and much of this has robbed me of the energy for introspection. Which brings me to the idea of the blog as a medium for self-discovery, perhaps it will help me slow down and enjoy the scenery, instead of zipping from one activity to the other. As a tactile thicker, I need to form thoughts on paper or onscreen for me to process them, the case is the same whether in writing or designing—my hands are necessary for me to understand the greater scheme of things. 

In any case, I’d like to welcome you again, dear reader, I’ve been blogging since January 2005 but I’ve never taken it seriously, until now. Enjoy!

Me and my fiancé Aurelio in Versailles, France, several hours before he proposed. (Obviously, I didn't know what was coming, or else I would have worn heels!)

Travel journalism

In preparation for my trip to Paris, I've been reading memoirs, hoping to find inspiration from other people's stories about the city. I've always wanted to live in Paris, so I try to live vicariously through these real experiences by writers, artists, and architects. I think I'm too focused on Paris though. I still have to plan out Lyon, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Brussels, Burges, and Amsterdam!

"Scenes from a Paris Market" from Beers and Beans 

On journalism assignments that require travel: "For short, intense periods you're welcomed into worlds that are completely different from your own. Ordinary people tell you their extraordinary stories. And although they will quickly forget you, you don't forget them. Their lives—touching, heartbreaking and sometimes uplifting—will somehow stay with you." - Almost French by Sarah Turnbull (2002)