Forgotten Chap 02

Come, dramatically  

without a sign 

rejoicing…before thee

Vanish, instantly 
not for another second 
mourning…in front of me

 

Oiseau Distrait 

Autumn 2022 Hong Kong

一年、一年又一年

三年，就這樣進入最後的一季。疫情彷彿騎劫了一切，我們是被動中的無奈，又或是可以把握到意外的停頓，一刻鐘、一天、一個月，甚至三年？因為停頓，把這些時間儲存下來，一分一秒，一共有多少？

要是計算一下，可能足夠你讀一本長篇小說、學會煮十個新菜式、完成一個語文初班、織一件毛衣；又或者調理好忙壞了的身體、重新思考信仰與生命、修補破損了的關係，⋯！

時間天天在流逝，一秒過去了就永遠不能尋回。我很害怕與長嗟短嘆的人相處，他們每歎一口氣，寶貴的一秒就這樣消失了，我想幫忙捉也捉不住…是我沒有同情心嗎？又或是這個歎息狀態實在太長了，年復一年，流失了的時間也許本來可以把現況改善一點點？！

人生總有脆弱的時間，尤其外在因素不能受控的情況之下；但人心郤可以是剛強的，接受了不能受控的景況，在緊有的空間之內一點一滴地重新開始，即使是斷斷續續，要是堅持下去，數年過後，一個（即使是）迷你的成果就在你能夠把握的分秒之內漸漸形成，難道不是一件值得高興的事嗎？

生命的成果無分大小，只要由這一刻可始，如果我有一分鐘的時間被迫停頓，不能做什麼大事，我就...

～唱半首勵志歌，成為我在下一分鐘的動力！

或者～做三下掌上壓，消消肥脂；

或者～發出一個短訊，向一位朋友問安；

或者～讀一篇文章，學一個生字。

又或者，大笑三聲，預備心情，愉快地接待即將到訪的客人；

又或者～向天父禱告，提取力量，勇敢地跨越下一分鐘的困境；

又或者～洗個臉，吃一塊巧克力補充能量，預備服侍即將由醫院回家的親人。

三年之後：你可能是未來的星夢新星、或是一個擁有健美體魄的中年男士、或是一個和朋友建立了緊密聯繫的小伙子、或是一個學富五車的家庭主婦；又或是一個不單自己正向，甚至能扶助他人渡過困境的伯伯...。下一秒就開始吧！勿讓時間悄悄地流逝，願共勉之！

Café de Flore

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Café de Flore has always been famous since 1885, even there was one located in Omotesando in Japan (not sure whether they are from the same organisation). The name came from a sculpture of the goddess of flowers - Flora (Flore in French), and the season of spring in Roman mythology.  

Delicious hot chocolate and elegant Art Deco interior design may be some reasons why people loves to visit Café de Flore, but most of all are due to the attraction by it’s history, a hub where the intelligence gathered around  in the 1920s. Even though we may not know the story of each of them, at least, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso were the well known. 

In my previous blog post introducing the book ‘Left Bank- by Agnés Poirier’ , Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Albert Camus were the names among those that frequently appeared, as what they called French intellectuals who really acted as the icons here.

 Café de Flore was a place for them to hang around, expressing their thoughts, ideas, awareness of the world issues (political & culture) , especially for France & America; or in person (Female & Male, You & I) that matters, then transformed their avant-garde thinking into plays, writings, journals, music, poem…,etc; even though they might not be acceptable in those days. It became a place that dreams could be made, no matter what the reality might be in chaos.

So I put this into the center page of my book, as a symbolic of the belief that any of us can embrace. We can have numerous dream, great or humble, global or for one’s own; provided the motivation is not evil, there is always a path to reach the success, nothing to do with the rocket sciences but keep trying and move on. 

Whether you like to stay in Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots; you are in Hong Kong, France or elsewhere; you are a teenager or old guy, male or female, rich or poor…, dream is no boundary once you act. 

Left Bank & Dream a Little Dream

 

Paris never fails us of her attractions, especially for those who love shopping. Whether the  prosperity impression, luxurious living or the Bohemia life style , what people used to call; are actually a very different scenario of what Paris was experienced & had been transformed after WWII.

While writing this series, I was accidentally found a book “Left Bank - Art, Passion and the Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950” by Agnés Poirier. A book that opens my eyes wide and solve some of the queries inside me during the trip. 

During the WWII, the third republic lead French into a shameful act, allow the occupied of the Nazis without defense, it might prevent major casualties as they originally thought but in fact, not to the Jews here, as mentioned in the book, over 13000 Parisian Jews (one third are children) were sent to death in Poland in 1942 & 80000 Jews were sent from France to concentration camps…this is still an ached in some of the Parisians nowadays. That explains to me why so many Jewish memorial museum were built in Paris. I feel sad, too. 

The intellectuals, how they survived to face the lost of their Jewish friends each day but couldn’t say, would there be any hope to dream for their future? To continue their philosophic expression? Publication? Playwright? Artistic life? simply to live or left?

Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Sylvia Beach, Albert Camus, Ernest Hemingway, Jacques Jaujard, Pablo Picasso, Henri cartier-bressan…some of the characters in the book, the intellectuals who were there…their dreams didn’t vanish but transformed and camouflaged in another way to preserve the seed of hope. What they had been struggling, physically, mentally & emotionally (whether succeeded or failure) left a trace in the Café de Flore, café des Deus Magots, the Louvre and many other places in Paris. 

The huge impact in the field of their specialties & their “third way” are still influencing a lot of us in the modern age.  Café de Flore may be famous of it’s hot cocoa, but in depth, there’s always been the stories behind like Hôtel La Louisiane, the Shakespeare & Co., Le Tabou…that flourished.

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Dream a little Dream is the second last book of Petit Paris Series, my first draft was finished in February 2022, the moment of the 5th wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, should I still bring out this message to my reader? absolutely Yes, without any hesitation! the hope to end this pandemic as same as the hope to end war. If they could survive in their own ways and achieved even more in 10 years, we can, it's not only a dream!

今天很平靜

 2022年7月1日

上午8:00

香港

狂風大雨仍是三號風球

吃過早餐之後，原本打算聽收音機，聽了第一句新聞報導便關了機，就這樣決定今天不上網、不看媒體，倒在風雨飄搖的日子換來平靜的一天。

或許是習慣，每天手機接收着或多或少的無謂訊息，少看一天是難以想像的生活，以為就此會坐立不安，怕世界發生了什麼事而自己得不到第一？或二手資訊而被人視為脫節；但事實上，卻是必需的短暫抽離，或至少應該檢視一下值不值得去＂追逐＂這些所謂的貼身資訊。

已經不是第一次作這＂短暫抽離＂行動，始於＂盲搶鹽＂的年代。無論是由官商富豪，專家政要，各國領袖以至某某關注組的市民⋯所發放的N個資訊；再由從不手軟的傳媒、網媒及小民群眾無限轉發＂forward＂，終於令我開始覺得＂短暫抽離＂行動的重要性，就等同電腦需要定時Defragment 重組一樣，否則似是而非混亂不堪的內容終有一天會令電腦死機！

行動於翌日（即現在寫網誌的今天）完結了，一覺醒來仍是八號風球的籠罩之下，沒有什麼大改變，甚至有時更加橫風橫雨；但是經過＂執機＂之後，不單平靜了，頭腦也清醒了多些，應該可以繼續迎接新一波的訊息轟炸，放馬過來吧 :D 

寫於2022年7月2日

下午3:25分

香港

風平浪靜的八號風球下

I love Haussmann

Okay, I know this is a bit weird to have all these cross over below :P  but let me explain something:-

I am really obsess to the Haussmann architecture, especially the Attic floor. Well, you may think it's the smallest, least luxurious, most of all, it's usually for the maids... but, it has the best view overall! Don't you think it's quite difference from the concept, like us who live in Hong Kong? Lots of people are willing to pay extra to live in a penthouse of a high rise residential. What a contrary ? 

Of course the reason is quite simple indeed, even thought the highest Haussmann building is only six levels, without an elevator in the good old days, there is no way for the bourgeois to climb so high, no matter how stunning the view is.  In addition, how could they ask their VIP to climb stairs for gathering day & nights!That's why the construction concept behind is to have the best floor on level 2, which did make sense; regarding the stunning view? any where you see in Paris are "stunning" why restricted to the window views of your apartment? 

Back to the modern time, I will be 100% excited to live in a Haussmann building on the 2nd level, but as a tourist, it's also interesting to stay for a while on the Attic floor, which usually has a sloped ceiling, with a small balcony open wide to enjoy your daily sunset... you can find it in some B&B rentals, and I am sure I will go for a try next time. 

center page in the book of Exquisite

In the mean time, what I can do is to draw a nice picture of her, to share with you in my new book & hope you will like it, too. But this is not the end, see what I've discover...

Ha ha! I am building a virtual Paris in Sim City! in my leisure moment, of course. A game I've found accidentally after returned from the trip, there are a lot to be developed, although it's not 100% real with so many restrictions, the Haussmann building are not bad, what do you think?

The night scene do imitate some of the mood in reality, I don't know how long will I continue to play for the expansion until a "longer La Seine" can be made, let's see.

Finally, I would like to share with you the photo below, a real scene of my beloved architecture I took viewing from the Center Pompidou. One of my favorite view, neat & decent; not for the bourgeoisie only, but for everyone who love to stay. 

Exquisite - Book Ten Of Petit Paris

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This is the most difficult book I’ve written in Petit Paris series, why? It seems there are so many elements that I can use to express “Beauty”, but is it the only thing that I want to say? No, I’m quite sure.

Writing book is always for the public but at the same time also personal I shall say, and this is my own feeling during these few years, that’s why you may love it or not; but beautiful things created by artists, designers, architects, craftspeople …and the final piece are always dominated by commercial, religious or even political reasons in most of the time. Take it or leave it, getting rich or broke, being famous or no one ever knows…now or in the future!

My thought was complicated while writing “Exquisite”, there are tensions between beauty ~long lasting ~preserve ~transform ~handmade ~technology…too many want to incorporate, too little can be captured, cos’ Beauty always has two faces, exterior & interior.

I was a commercial interior designer, I knew the struggle inside to convert “the beautiful thing in your eyes” to the one in “their eyes”. It’s even harder for us to produce & complete them even we may not think it is good enough or even ugly…but it has to be done, no matter how. For the truly beautiful things can be demolished/ vanishing just by a simple decision from some powerful people/unit who knows nothing about beauty at all! Weird but it’s the reality.

I think this is the reason to explain my excitement when seeing beautiful things that were preserved so well in Paris. Which also lead me to think of those behind who created and made them long long time ago. 

It seems the word Craftspeople is a bit old fashion nowadays, for everything takes time to complete may not suit in our new age, less and less youth are willing to take part in this sort of careers but not totally. Japan is a good example which did an excellent job in this field, recently in Hong Kong, there are also some young craftspeople who start to realize handmade items and to preserve rather than replace are valuable; furniture, book, glasses, cheongsam, leather goods, architecture…hopefully there will be a lot more in the future.

It’s quite simple in my theory, whenever people is willing to spend time into a certain thing, to make it nicer, to bring joy to someone, he/she has a kind heart, the beauty inside.