There is a beautiful project called "Tsunami - Pictures for Japan" here.

People are invited to draw something about the tsunami that stroke the Eastern coast of Tohoku region on Friday, March 11th 2011 - preferably something dealing with hope, or compassion. The best pictures are published on the website, and the best of the best will be sold for the association Give2Asia.

Mine has not been selected, but it really doen't matter. You can watch amazingly beautiful atworks on this website, and I hope they will raise a huge amount of money with their project. Japan needs all the goodwills and all the help people can provide !

Here is my picture : a little mermaid has been rejected by the tsunami among the ruins of a village near Sendai (click to enlarge).

Please support this beautiful project talking about it around you, and (why not) participating !

Every breath : a thought for Japan

Watching Tokyo by night from a high place is the best way to feel the poetry of the city and the Japanese society. For me, Japanese lights are the symbol of the Japanese people's energy. When you see Tokyo by night, you understand that the city has been countlessly destroyed in the past by  earthquakes, fires, and bombing. But people re-build it again. And it will may destroyed again in the future, but it will never prevent the Japanese people to build and build again. This city is not made of stones. This city is standing on the Japanese people's hearts and souls.

I love you, Japan. Be brave. You will survive. You are the champion of surviving.

Precious light / by night

(From Century Southern Tower Shinjuku)

Precious light / by day

Dear friends and readers,

The author of this blog is fine and safe after the earthquake that we experience in Japan last Friday. I will tell you another day in details how scary it was when Tokyo was shaking under my feet and how scarier it is now we have to care about Fukushima's nuclear leaks.

Today, let's celebrate Japan for what it is between the quakes : a peaceful, quiet, clean and safe country.

My mother and my sister, who have a kind of good angel above their lovely heads, left Japan by plane Friday at noon, just a few hours before the big mess. Thanks God, I did not have to worry for them. But as a result, they double worry for me. Anyway. Just a few days ago, we were in paradise.

Japan was Love, Love, Love

Let me tell you what we did together. It was the first time for my mother to come to Japan; during daytime my Japanexpert-little sister guided her around Tokyoand we met at night all together. We had :

Onsen at Odaiba Onsen Monogatari

Ginkakuji-revitalization at Kyoto

Samurai training at Eigamura, Kyoto

Happy Shinkansen time

... and lot of fun.

Details coming soon !

For Japan hip hip hip, hurrah !!!

Good to have a roof above the head.

Good to have electricity, hot water and gaz at home.

Good to have a sofa, a carpet and a coffee table.

Good to have nice friends who like to chat and laugh around a bottle of wine and a few Ebisu beers.

Good to have a real Home Party, finally !

The table before the invasion of people and extra food/drinks

Sofa-testing

Friends, friends of friends, girlfriends of friends...

(everybody could not be portrayed)

Represented nations : Japan, Hong-Kong, Taiwan, UK, Finland, Poland, and France.

Thanks everyone for coming !

Come again soon !

SCARLETT O'HARA
Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

Category : American Touch
From : Tara, Clayton County, State of Georgia, US
Hobbies : making men crazy


"Taratata !"

Because sometimes you need to be a bit bitchy... and because it's ok to be strong and be wrong, thanks, Scarlett !

ELINOR DASHWOOD
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

Category : British Touch
From : Norland, Sussex, England
Hobbies : reading, drawing

strength of understanding
coolness of judgement

For her ability to love under the feelings control... and for the happy-end, thanks, Elinor !

Noemi by Mucha




Noemi by Boticelli




Noemi by Modigliani




Manga no Noemi

The Face Experiment

When Valentine's Day fells on Monday, should be celebrated by advance during the week-end.
Thank you dear family for providing an important part of the delicious ingredients of this dinner !

Three types of bread, haaa... Happiness.
To be eaten with olive tapenade.


Foie-gras... no comment


Eiffel-tower-shaped pasta with a white sauce I improvised :
cream, parmeggiano, grilled almonds, white mushrooms and chicken.


Goat-milk cheese with white figue jam...
Definitely the star of the evening.


My Valentine dessert :
chocolate cake with mashed raspberries and white chocolate sauce.

Bon Appétit !

危ない！危ない！

Cupido waiting for you at the corner (Ginza)

Valentine is blossoming in never-tired-to-celebrate-the-events-of-the-calendar Japan. Chocolate smell is the air, everything has been redecorated in red, and cream-and-strawberry cake makers are millionnaires.
But all this shoud not keep us from wondering about the only important thing in Valentine : Love.

What is love after all ? The biggest illusion of Humanity ? The main component of Humanity ? The less human, the more divine that human beings are able to feel ? I can not tell you what love is, but fore sure I can give you good examples of what love can be.

Love is like...

When you Dance Cheek to Cheek

When you find Someone Meant for You... who becomes your Lucky Star.

When you Hey ! Pachuco !

When you find the One that You Want...

... and when you wonder What to Do with all this Happiness. Really.