Watch this!

If you haven't watched it already, Please watch Sense8.
This show has everything one could wish for: Strong characters, male, female, trans, straight, gay, white, black, asian.
There is action (KABOUM style or hand to hand combat style) there's love and romance, there's humour, there's friendship, courage and violence.
The scenario is cool and well thought and really original.

There's 12 episodes and seriously, it's worth it!

Back from my first LARP!

I just came back from my first LARP! It was so COOL!
The general context was the meeting of delegations from several nations, housed by the elves to try to build peace between the countries and defeat a dark lord. My friends and I signed up as a company of mercenary attached to a Duke and his delegation. I played Victoire, the company's cook (a key position) and I seriously LOVED IT!
It was my first LARP, so I was a bit angsty the day before, but once I was there, I forgot about the stress and had tones of fun with awesome people.
I had the occasion to hit people with a foam sword (And since my friends had kindly forced me into joining their training at least once a month, I wasn't as bad as I feared I would be [Thanks again guys!]) I drank hippocras with a Duke and his court, talked clothing with the duchess, laughted with some barbarians, and knitted during my watch.

That was really cool! The costumes, the atmosphere, everyone playing their role.
It was my first LARP, and I do hope, the first of a long list. (Very likely since I'll come back to France next summer ^^)
We had a perfect weather (a bit hot) and a really great place to play (a medieval village in a forest).

I'll have to by a new sword (mine broke) and finish my costume (I sewed for hours on the days before the larp, to finish my tunic and my shirts. I sewed so much, that my hands hurt and I overdosed, quiting before I finished the second shirt. (All the rest was done, so It wasn't .) and probably come back a week early just to train, but there's no way I miss the next opus!

The Adjustement Bureau

Okay, so I'm moving to China in two month. That's not exactly breaking news. I'm slowly thinking about all those little things I'll have to change in my daily life style:
First, I'll have to find a new shovel, and prepare a new "In case of apocalypse" pack.
Then I'll have to figure out which sport to pick to replace Rhythmic Gymnastic. Probably with Thai boxing. or something like that. Anything that implies punching someone.
I'll also need to find a new dance school, so I can keep on practicing ballet.
Yeah, some little adjustments in my dailylife.

Bescherelle

After two years working together, my colleague forgot my name. So he called me Bescherelle.

A significant part of my job is writting articles, checking articles for mistakes and re-reading articles, just in case. I've been known to be the reference in orthograph, and grammar, and vocabulary and general knowledge.

So I suppose the nickname is quite accurate.

Finals are (almost) over!

Oh, right. So for those who don't know it, my exams are almost over. There are only two left: my TOEIC exam (in 10 days) and the oral presentation of my report (in september).
Finals are mostly over. And I have to admit that this year I didn't even try to study.
And... I'm not really angsty about the results. I won't be head of the year, but I'll pass quite easily.
I don't really understand what some of my classmates meant when they said "I started studying last week!" What exactly did you study? We are in a sandwish course! You already know everything we were taught in class since you're supposed to use it in your job every day! (+ Seriously, it's so basic, all our classes sound like "how to think 101" or "Customer relationship for Dummies")
Ok, I must admit, I'm a terrible person. I good at understanding things the first time, and gather information very quickly before an exam. Like, starting to re-read the course one or two hours before the exam is usually enough. That's unfair. Call it quick and dirty.

That's me and Geopolitics last year. The day before the exam, I went out to buy stuff so I could dye my hair blue, then meet up with the Lady-Nerds-Sisterhood  to book a week-end in london (booking 5days before leaving. No stress), then we went to the Premiere of "The Fault in our Stars" and then me and PM headed back to my place where she helped me dye my hair and re-read the course, for an exam first thing the next morning.

I aced the exam. Top of the year in this field.

 Yup. (I can learn more than a hundred chinese caracters in one hour. (doesn't mean I'll remember them the week after, let's be honnest))
So... this year, I have to admit, I didn't even try! I studied for my Moocs, for my foreign language classes. But Marketing? Nope.

Hit

Hit the track,
Hit the book,
Hit the floor.

I run,
I read
I dance

This is a neverending cycle.

Work in progress

Sewing a 1780's dress, a black 1890's skirt, a med-fan dress, a 1890's walking dress and a 1780's hunting dress, dying a little summer dress,
Knitting a large scarf, a woolen mattress, gloves,
Sewing three cushions and a plush octopus,
Working on my german, my spanish, on my italian, on my chinese,
Studying psychology of popularity, maybe starting social psychology

I guess I could try and work on my feet, on my hands, play violin more often, work on my writing, my book, my journals.

I look at the calendar and watch the days going by without having a grip on them.
I go out, meet some friends, some very dear to me, some I barely know.
I read and work and breath and walk.
Somethings's off.
I couldn't say what. A numbness inside me, cold and damp, talking in a low voice, whispering into my ears, dark words for my heart.
The blanket is warm, when all the rest feels cold. Sleeping but not resting.
Feeding my brain but never feeling challenged. Bored with everything. Where did all the light go? The excitement? The Wonder?
Everything tastes like ashes. Everything is dead and grey. All is quiet. A hollow shell, a moving body eaten from the inside.

And yet.
One step at a time, life goes on. I go on, working, studying, sewing, knitting. So many little things. Keep calm and carry on.
The weight is crushing me, but it doesn't mean I have to crumble. Sometimes the best victory one can hope for is just that: to stay alive, to make it to the next day. To keep moving. Just one more day. Another morning, another evening. One day at a time. Not letting go.
I can walk in the shadows, I know the place. I don't need light. I just go on. one foot after the other. Keeping faith. No sword, no war cries, no great lightnings. Just the muffled sound of my feet on the dust.
There's no glory to gain in this battle, there's no gold, no medal. No great deeds.
The daily battle, discrete and quiet, that never ends and never attract attention.

Studying late at night

I have this bad habbit of doing my homework at the last possible moment. Usually sunday night. And when I say "night", I don't mean "evening", I really mean NIGHT.
I got home yesterday after 1:30 am. I took off my shoes, drank a good litre of water and started my homework on my computer.
I love to work at night. The house is silent, as if I was the last person on earth. At night, time is suspended. it's a peaceful pause between two days. There is no one to distract me. The world is mine and I am in peace.
I can keep on working for hours without all the troubles I get during the day. The voices are calmer, the shadows purrs somewhere in a corner of my mind and my brain is working at its best. Connections that get drowned in the noise during the day are now clear and obvious.
When at last, all is done, I go to bed, more or less exhausted but happy I got everything done.

Pic Nic Steampunk

 I love seeing so many people and dear friends!

Today was the annual steampunk pic nic in the Parc de Vincennes, near Paris.
To me it was sort of a special date since last year's edition was my first steampunk even ever. Last year I met many people and some are now very dear to me.
I was happy to see so many people. It tired me a lot, but it was definitly worth it! (lots of people, noise, the heat and the sun, I felt exhausted, but I definitly had a good time)
We had a sunny and terribly hot sunday, which was perfect for a pic nic under the trees. We played cards, drank a bit, even had a little boating. a perfect afternoon, spent entirely having fun with friends.
I had the opportunity to talk with new people, having great conversations about anything and everything.

For the occasion, I used a costume I already wore several times, because I knew it was comfy and I wouldn't die of the heat. Last year I came as some king of a medical examiner (1900's style) and this year I went for the 1900's explorer.
I love creating costumes and getting to invent a story behind them. What kind of person would wear this outfit, what would they do of their life?

I hope I'll be able to attend similar events before flying to China!

Sun in an empty room - Edward Hopper

Sun in an empty room,
a warm and soft touch on the skin.
The emptiness and the loneliness are driven away.
Sleeping, curled up in the golden light
Feeling safe and comfortable and understood.
The soft sound of a conversation, that lasts for hours.
The world, made and unmade with words, thousands of time.
The smile of a shared thought
The laughter of unfinished sentences
The natural understanding that doesn't need words.