I sware that I don't exaggerate when I say that wearing a kimono is a very special experience. First, this is not the kind of dress you can jump in and forget. Not only you need at least two persons to put it on correctly, but it is like a rigid, heavy, solemnel piece of fabric folded around you. A kimono itself is a very light and smooth sheet of silk, but under it you also wear three or four layers of cotton; scarfs and ribbons to keep it close to your body and a hard, wide under-belt to give the right shape to the obi. Once you're set, you have to keep your back straight, you can't release the pressure on your belly and you need to control your steps, your breath, every single movement. Sounds like hell? Actually, not at all. The kimono does impose a certain discipline, but it also supports you and it guides your behavior. Personally, I just can't get enough. So when a friend of mine proposed me to model for a kimono brand at the Tokyo Design Festa 2014, I couldn't decline.

The French models team - Before

The French models team - After

... Who said "Power Rangers" ? Oh, come on.

I am the Green Power Ranger. Let me show off.

Our Japanese counterparts

In the past, the way the ladies were wearing the obi gave some clues about their rank in the society, their marital status or their position inside their own family. Each obi is a real piece of art, it's really the most impressive part of the kimono.

The way of the obi

Pretty cool, uh ?

But of course, there are still some ways to be foolish in a kimono. You can count on us to add the French touch.

Be young, be foolish, be happy.

Guys, I'am definitely happy to be back in Japan, but amazing pictures of my trip to New-York City are coming soon. Be ready, it's going to be legendary.

One billion pictures later. Sorting. Comparing. Croping. Editing, editing, editing. And finally here there are : my best shots of New York City. Enjoy, dream, and go!!

As long as I can remember, I have always been obsessed with the Eastern world. I travelled to Canada with my class when I was in high school, but except the striking beauty of the deep snow covering the immensity, and the fun to be abroad, I can't remember nothing but the feeling not to be at the right place. No public transportation enough. Too much emptiness. Insanely large roads leading to insanely large malls and insanely large campus. Driving your car all day long as the only way to survive. Obviously I had not been shown the sides of the country I would love desperately, and my appetite for travelling has no borders, so nothing is written forever; but at first sight, America is not my continent.

But New-York is not America. New-York is the world.

Landing in NYC - Welcome to the world

It was a clear, sunny morning when I arrived on Manhattan by the North, from the emptiness of the Canadian lands. Little by little the neverending mountains and lakes turned into woods and then, civilization. Giant surburbs. Neverending cities. We were asked to fasten our seatbelts and to prepare for landing; then I saw it by the window : the dark square of Central Park, and behind, the familiar skyline of New-York City. And there on the right, twinkling on the sea, the pale green spot of the Statue of Liberty. Everything was looking so huge, and so tiny.

Emotion

This strip has been special in many ways : first time in the USA, reunion with my parents after a 8-month separation, and last but not least, meeting in real my keyboard-friend Sonyan, the great blogger I had been following for so long. It's not too hard to imagine how excited I was when I left Japan.

First thing to do after dropping our luggage : rushing to Time Square. Time Square, the crossroads of the world.

Time Square

Best photo-bombing ever... great shot by Sonyan

Time Square, or the depth of emptiness. Giant advertising boards. Lost in translation foreigners. Greedy cosplayers scaming tourists. Meaningless shopping. Power waste. Noise. So why does it feel so fantastic? Well, maybe because you stand at the center of the world, at the peak of our era. Fascinating... 

This is the city of dreams. Every single pieace of it looks familiar. You've been walking there in your teenage daydreaming, you've been visiting the city again and again through your movies, your dramas, your books. You didn't know it, but somehow you partly belong here. It's yours. And you share it with everyone around.

Manhattan

For someone living in Japan, the verticality of NY buildings is not so shocking - I've been far more impressed by Hong-Kong thin needle-skyscrappers. But they're not only high : they're large. Massive. There is no space enough on the Japanese ground to allow the building of these heavy, giant-size concrete monsters. I felt like a little mouse between the legs of square-shaped mammoths.

Chrysler Building

The Chrysler Tower is the star of NYC. There is no prettier building around. Elegant and slim, it's your number one navigation support in Manhattan.

Empire State Building

Less beautiful, but not less legendary. And this view from its top!! Suddenly I understand why King-Kong felt the need to climb on it. It feels high and safe, and provides the best view ever on the city. Don't try to sell me the Rockfeller Center : the view is great but we can't watch in all the directions and the Chrysler tower is hidden by a stupid building... Trust the King, follow the Kong.

Rockfeller Center

OK ok, I confess: the Rock offers the best view ever on the Empire State!

Central Park

Parks are relaxing, parks are peaceful, parks are harmony ; parks are absolutely necessary to survive for anyone who lives in a big city, but parks are not supposed to be exciting. Central Park is an exception. Its is so exciting to be there. Not only the landscape is gorgeous and provides various atmospheres, but there is something special in sharing the same garden with every single citizen and visitor of NYC. This is not a park among others, this is not any square of green : this is THE Park.

Magnificent, relaxing, heartwarming Central Park. The place is huge, but you can always spot the top of a building indicating the limit of the oasis. It feel so great that the center of the city is a park. Not a church, not the city hall, but a cool, green, breathing park.

Playing the mermaid with Hans Christian Andersen.

Brooklyn Bridge

Crossing Brooklyn Bridge by foot is an amazing experience : stunning view on the skyline, stunning view on the Manhattan Bridge... And it doesn't cost a cent! Maybe my best memory of NYC.

Brooklyn

Charming, peaceful, trendy Brooklyn streets.

credit photo : Sonyan

Little Italy VS Little China

A few touristic restaurants apart, there is nothing left of the old Little Italy. One has to use her imagination to find on these streets the remains of the Gangs of NY. Instead, some made-in-China products "shops" invaded the area. Two different pages of History.

Flying tramway to Roosevelt Island

Let's fly between the buildings! For the price of a subway ticket, the city ropeway leads you to the Eastern island of the City.

Upper East Side

The place to be for every gossip girl. It looks insanely expensive, and posh, and cold. Not a single supermarket around. But pretty tulips on the road...

West Side

Almost as ridiculously unaffordable as Upper East Side... if it wasn't for the the small shops and cafes. Beautiful and lively area.

Harlem

Our shelter, our home in NYC! Harlem is just as safe and touristic as the rest of Manhattan now. Fans of Black-American culture, this is the place to stay.

Statue of Liberty Boat Cruise

A long time ago, some of our European ancestors came here, hoping for a new life, craving for Liberty. They left everything behind. They risked their lives crossing a pityless ocean on archaic, unsafe boats. They had to take healthchecks and to undergo uncertain administrative procedures. The whole thing was a nightmare, but it was the price to pay to contemplate this. Liberty enlightening the world. The gift of France to the youngest nation of History. It was so moving to stand there, in 2014, from the deck of a touristic boat.

 Don't hesitate to go and see by yourself if you got the chance...

Ok, this time I screwed up. I missed the azaleas in Mifuneyama (Saga, Kyushu). It was supposed to be covered with flowers (sight). Well, of course it's still beautiful, but... anyway. It's not like I had crossed the whole country in the middle of the Golden Week just to see it... Oh, wait.

Disappointment.

The only pink bush I could find. Damned.

So green, so green... At least it's relaxing...

Fortunately the wisteria saved my day.

Aaaah, Mother Nature and her calendar...

Welcome to Nezu jinja, a peaceful shrine located in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo - peaceful except when azaleas are blossoming !

Like Nezu, many shrines in Japan are dedicated to Inari, a deity of harvest and prosperity. In most of them, you will find stone foxes dressed in red, for the fox sometimes embodies Inari, or serves as his messenger. And also corridors of red torii. They say that walking under the torii, you enter the kingdom of spirits... Make sure that you don't get lost on the other side !

Follow the red road

... to a land of blossoming azaleas.

Inari's messenger - or maybe Inari himself

Beauty calling for beauty

In two weeks, the sakura will start to blossom, luring admirers from the five continents. But don't forget that this is the blossoming ume plum-trees that really open the hanami season in Japan. Shy, discrete, perfumed ume flowers that the Japanese were worshiping far before the new cult of the cherry trees.

Today I visited Yushima Tenjin Shrine, in Bunkyo-ku (Tokyo), one of the the most famous ume spot in the capital.

Iconic ume flower

Ume paradise

The shrine itself is not far from the prestigious Tokyo University, and many students of the area come and pray there to pass the next exams.

Yushima Tenjin

"Please God, help me to graduate this year again"

Just like the sakura, there are many kind of ume trees. Some flowers are white, pink, dark pink or almost yellow. All of them smell very nice.

As soon as I will be properly settled in my own place, I will bring home one of these adorable ume bonsai! How sweet and cute!

I'm in love.

After visiting Yushima Tenjin, you can have a longer walk in Ueno Park. And look for the very first sakura !

More blossoms to be continued...

Sometimes typhoon strikes Tokyo and all you can do is staying at home, or trying to make your way to the Museum. This one, located in Odaiba, is the "Trick Art Meikyukan", dedicated to visual illusion in general and trompe l'oeil in particular. The point is to play with the background to get the more realistic picture - and it's not so easy, actually, but very funny.

Big kid playing in the Edo village

Ninja attack !

Japanese ghost stories

Jaws

Jumanji

King-kong

And finally, more friendly animals

There's no age to have fun with trick art!

Winter is happening.

In the Northern lands of Hokkaido, March is the perfect time to enjoy a pure white day. Iced landscapes, frozen waterfalls and freezing winds are welcoming you. Around Asahikawa, the landscape looks like a foreign and dreamy country. Take the bus to Sounkyo and you will find yourself into the wild. 

Asahikawa

Snow and Crystal Museum

S

Sounkyo Valley

The Frozen Waterfall Festival of Sounkyo

A happy girl enjoying the snow

If the Japanese calendar is dominated by meaningful celebrations, old graceful rituals and respected traditions, there are also a few moments in the year when heavily marketed events take the power. Typically: Valentine day, Christmas, and Halloween. These imported, made-in-the-West celebrations were adopted to fill gaps between "real" Japanese ones, and to give shops sales opportunities. And so it feels a bit cheap, unreal, misunderstood. As Valentine is already a very commercial celebration in the West, it doesn't matter so much, but Christmas for instance is kind of depressing in Japan. Japanese Christmas is too Disney, too KFC, too Sexy-Miss-Santa costumes to be good.

But Halloween... I don't know, Japanese Halloween is working well enough. Or maybe because as a European, I was not used to celebrate Halloween when I was a child, so my opinion doesn't count. No trick-or-treating kids on the streets, no one ringing the bell at night to ask you for candies... Maybe Japanese Halloween is missing the point. BUT, for adults, let's admit it's a nice partying opportunity. In the country of cosplay, people do'nt hesitate to go wildly costumes... Here is a sample of 2015's not-so-little monsters. Check it out!

Tokyo Halloween is for grown-up only...

Shibuya horror show - It's more fun with friends

Kawaii costumes - It's Japan after all

Tokyo Westerners - Bend it like the Japanese

- Everybody needs a hobby.

- So what's yours ?

- Resurrection.

Wearing a costume makes you feel like a super-hero. Suddenly you're strong, powerful and determinated. Suddenly you've got a mission, a reason to be, a deep and intimate motivation for life.

This year, I felt hot-and-cold like Natalie Portman in "Black Swan", so I sewed a few feather on a black dress, add some strass, painted my eyes and here I am as a dark ballerina.

But even a Black Swan has to eat. I cooked a pumpkin-based dinner for my friends, but without betraying my role.

End of the day at Shibuya, with a bit of singing because no singing, no life. Here with the two other talented singers and the full crew.

Meeting Mrs. Indestructible in the subway

Happy Halloween !

In old Japan, the shy and perfumed plum tree flowers (梅, ume) were venerated even more than the gorgeous sakura. With their round blossoms and their sweet smell, they meant the end of the winter, the very first step towards spring. Nowadays, the tradition of ohanami mostly belongs to the cherry trees, but the anonymous blossoming of the creates of the discreet ume provides wonderful opportunitiese to get a bite of spring far from the usual crowd.

Hanegi Park, Higashi-Matsubara station (Inokashira line), Tokyo

The dog days are over, the dog days are gone

Can you hear the horses, cause here they come

(Florence + The Machine)

I am keeping exploring the West side of Tokyo, especially the wide Setagaya-ku. Last Saturday, the sun was shining bright, so I decided to visit Todoroki, on the Oimachi line. There is a charming little trail in an unexpected fresh wooden valley along the stream.And a shrine at the top of the hill, or it wouldn't be Japan.

I was enchanted by the walk, you should really go and have a look, it is a beautiful and peaceful place with plenty of green. It is rare to see such a "wild" nature around Tokyo. I just loved it.

It's not a surprise : in August, one should admire the Japanese fireworks. This year, I was invited to watch the "fire flowers" from Edogawabashi park, in Eastern Tokyo. After the Atami fireworks on the sea, and, the Nagano fireworks in the mountains, let's contemplate the beauty of hanabi above the trees !

I'm your fire, your desire

Sawatdii kaa!

I am back from Thailand! God, it was amazing. The temples, the beach, the animals (just wait for it), the sun and the warmth in early February, the delicious food and fruits shakes and above all, my two absolute(e) friends from France who I joined in Bangkok. Unforgettable trip to the “land of smiles” (to be discussed then)!

Part 1 : BANGKOK.

Bangkok : a messy, noisy, dirty developing city, with bunches of loud tourists looking for an Asian Ibiza-style party place and loud local people looking for money, money, money. Unsmiling taxi drivers. Unsmiling shop attendants. Unsmiling hotel staff. Garbage on the streets. Cars, motorbikes, taxi and tuk-tuk driving madly. Rats. And… fun, fun fun! Fun everywhere! Desert streets when you avoid the touristic places, real deals when you talk to the right people, and temples shining like jewels in the sun… Check it out!

Wat Phra Kaew

Stunning Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of the Emerald Buddha and he most sacred temple in Thailand! I didn’t know exactly what to expect of the Thai architecture, and then, this… I suddenly felt so small. The buildings were so huge, the decoration so precise and rich and colorful… I have really been punched in the stomach by this pure gold on the violently blue sky. My pictures are fare below the reality. It was just like a proud and confident cathedral. I thought: “That’s a powerful country”. And I remembered these promotional posters at the airport, showing a Muay-thai box fighter, with the pitch: “Unbeatable Thailand”. Here I am…

(NB: you are supposed to dress “neatly” when you visit a thai temple. Short pants and skirts, slim jeans and light tops are forbidden – they check visitors one by one, and you have to rent a long dress if your outfit doesn’t match the criteria. Always bring a long skirt with you in Bangkok, and a sweater to cover your shoulders. Even if the weather is super warm. Just bear it!)

Palace

Wat Po

From the outside, Wat Po is more understated than Wat Phra Kaew, with its white-based walls and natural stones decorated with colorful tiles. But inside… the giant reclining Buddha is watching you between two pillars, and you feel just like an insect again. And these golden statues exhaling peace and meditation… Visual shock number 2, check!

Wat Arun

Wat Arun, the Temple of Daw, is made of darker stone. You have to cross the Chao Phraya river to the Eastern part of the city. The atmosphere is more peaceful, less busy than in the Palace area. You can hear the sound of wind around the pagodas…

Wat Saket

The main interest of climbing Wat Saket, the Golden Mount, is to embrace the 360° view on Bangkok. And to ask yourself what the hell is a “chedi”, for you can’t find any explanation in your guidebook. After a look at Wikipedia, I learned that a chedi is the thai word for the mount-shape pagoda protecting holly relics. Now I can sleep peacefully.

Khao San Road

Thanon Khao San is known to be the busiest, most touristic and noisy street of Bangkok. And we had the fantastic idea to stay there, is a casual guest-house called D&d Inn (casual, but with a roof-top pool). If your room is on the street side, no way you can sleep at night. The bars and club are spitting heavy electro-pop sound all night long, people are drunk, taxi get mad and generally speaking, everyone is as loud as possible. Walking in Khao San at midnight, with our backpacks, freshly debarked from the airport will remain one of the greatest moments of our stay. I though “Bangkok is not kidding”. After two days, we were totally addicted with this impossible street. Especially when the discovered an unexpected Absolut Bar... When you think that we have been the Absolut team since our marketing study about Absolut Vodka (Country of Sweden) at school... like, there is no coincidence, isn't it.

 Siam

The area of Siam gives a very different glimpse of Bangkok. This is a modern, commercial district with many shopping centers and public transportation. Still, I wouldn’t have traded Khao San’s crazy mess for Siam’s cleanness if I had had the choice.

Rama IX

There is something you have to be careful with in Thailand: Thai people just LOVE their King. Genuinely. The crime of “lese-majeste” still exists in Thailand: if you offence the king’s dignity, you can be legally punished. Like, they’re not joking with that. At first, the huge portraits of His Majesty Bhumibol (and sometimes his wife) just made me think of a thai-style stalinian cult of the personality, and I was feeling sorry for the Thai to worship this old guy just a bit less than Buddha itself. Then, I read a few stuff about the king, and I understand better. Thai has been politically unstable for long years, with a lot of political violence, riots, coups d’etat and so on. The politicians tend to exacerbate the latent nationalism and xenophobia because it is (everywhere) the easiest way to win elections. But Bhumibol (also known as Rama IX) is an enlightened king who has been studying in the USA and Europe, and who is especially opened to the world. He preaches cooperation with the foreign powers, democracy (yes), and tolerance in general. He’s also a big donator for the little farmers (of course, as one of the richest kings in the world, yes he can). For the Thai, he is the only stable and reasonable voice in the political field, and this is why they revere him so much. (It’s not an excuse for hanging ugly portraits everywhere, but anyway.)

And the royal palace. That we couldn't visit because you can't enter if you don't wear a skirt. Between the temples and the palace, one needs to visit Bangkok with her full wardrobe in her bag...

And a few glimpses of Bangkok…

 Fresh fruits at every corner

A temple in Chinatown

Tuk-tuk, the crazy taxi that can slalom between the cars

Bangkok, green city

Blue sky, white elephants

Karaoke in the taxi!! Even the Japanese taxis don't have it...

Wanna see more?? “Absolute trip to Thailand – Part 2 :Chiang-Mai” is coming soon! Just wait for it !

Every year in Japan, this is the same story : after the magic of blossoming sakura in April/May, we are slowly slipping into the hot season. And before the sweaty summer, there is the grey, the wet, the uncomfortable rainy season. Grey sky, heavy rain, first mosquitos and other disgusting insects, and you can't even wish it's over, because you know that after that, Tokyo will turn into a giant hammam. But let's see the good sides of tuyu, the Japanese rainy season, too.

ADVANTAGE n°1

This is Singing in the Rain every night. Just stop playing with your smartphone for a while, and look around you. The ballet of umbrellas. The artistic combination of rainy boots and open shoes (two different strategies to walk into the puddles, pick up your side). The reflection of lights in the shining watercourses. By night, rainy Tokyo is even more beautiful.

ADVANTAGE n°2

Fireflies. Hotaru, in Japanese. If you can afford a week-end in the countryside, you may have a glimpse of these elegant insects who are mating during in early June for genjibotaru, and early July for heikebotaru. Remember this awfully sad movie by studio Ghibli. And bless Mother Nature to give us something so beautiful.
If you're stuck in Tokyo, well... use your imagination, and/or try your chance at the Four Seasons Hotel's park, close to Waseda.

ADVANTAGE n°3

That's the best moment in the year to go to the museum. Today, I have visited the Mori Tower and it's great exhibition about... LOVE, yeah! "All you need is Love", from April to September 2013, at Roppongi Hills ! From Chagall to Yayoi, feel the power of Love! I got lost in the tentacular labyrinth of Kusama Yayoi, and it was just delightful...

Don't forget to enjoy the rain! Water = Life, baby!

Believe it or not, but so far I didn't have the chance to wear my yukata this year. What's the point to live in Japan  if it's not to wear a beautiful yukata in summer ? Fortunately, IMA and AFJ proposed to raise money for Tohoku having fun on a big boat cruising in the Tokyo bay, and yukata were highly recommended. Tokyo by night, unlimited beer, plenty of friends and yukata everywhere : that's what I call a Japanese summer !

Why is it still essential to raise money for Tohoku ?

The Japanese government and society are more or less taking in charge the situation in Tohoku, financing the temporary housing of the people who have lost their homes, paying the unemployment fees of those who have lost their jobs, replacing the damaged infrastructure... But there are many little things to do which are not exactly a top priority but which can really improve the life of the inhabitants : planting a garden, painting a wall, installing public benches... And this is why there is still a need for small money, and charity events are a great way to participate to small-scale projects. So keep having fun, keep smiling and keep giving to AFJ and IMA !

La voici la voilà, la recette de grand-mère, au sens littéral du terme ! Je vous présente les gobinettes de Binas, réalisées à Tokyo par la fille aînée de la fille aînée. Comme prévu, les gobinettes sont bien rustiques, pas extrêmement goutues et un peu étouffe-chrétien, mais très amusantes à réaliser, toutes jolies et réconfortantes avec une tasse de thé. Et avec des petites madeleines à la cerise, l'hommage est complet.

Mon colocataire a suggéré de coiffer les gobinettes de crème fouettée. A tenter la prochaine fois...

Rentrée de Paris trop tard dans la journée, pas de temps pour aller me promener dans Tokyo... et c'est dommage car la capitale japinoise se donne à fond le soir d'Halloween, et il y a du spectacle. Enfin, j'ai quand même pu m'adooner à un de mes passe-temps favoris - le déguisement - en me grimant à l'image de Marie-Antoinette pleurant des larmes de sang. Not easy to be a queen these days...

It seems that Hollywood is the year's leitmotiv. After my initiation in Broadway, the red carpet was calling me. Welcome to the Tussauds Wax Museum in Odaiba, the leisure island located in the Southern area of Tokyo, where you can chill with your favorite movie stars.

The last time I visited a wax celebrities museum, it was the Grevin Museum in Paris, a long long time ago when I was a kid. I don't know if the rules are still the same but at that time, it was forbidden to come close to the statues and to touch them. But at Odaiba's Tussauds, you can hug them, kiss them if you want. More fun and definitely better pictures. Here is a selection of my favs.

The kid inside me is flying high

Hi Audrey, I went to the real Tiffany shop in New-York City just for you

There's nothing like a nice ride with Tom to discover a new city

Gentlemen prefer blonds like my friend Marylin and me

Sharing secrets with Lady Gaga

Beyonce shows me how to dance

Then I'm 13 years old again.

Madonna looks younger than me but anyway.

Taylor Swiftn, the latest of my blond glamour friends

It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. DisneySea Tokyo is the "mature", "elegant" and "romantic" twin park of DisneyLand Tokyo (according to Japanese criteria). Difficult for me to agree with the "mature" atmosphere when Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are dancing around me, but anyway. Compared to DisneyLand Paris, DisneySea Tokyo is definitely more beautifully decorated, with a steampunk flavor in the volcano area and a very pretty seafront. Two rides are named after Jules Verne ("Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Twenty thousand feet under the Sea"), the Little Mermaid cave is wonderful beyond words and the Da Vinci area, with its astrology tower and giant pendulum, is fascinating. So Mickey Mouse apart, I just love DisneySea.

Another beautiful day in Tokyo

Welcome to Agrabah

Little Mermaid's castle under the sea

Inca city of mystery

Jules Verne's legacy

The village by the sea

The Pirates' halt

Ready for Halloween

DisneySea is a fabulous place to spend time with your girlfriends. Don't miss the opportunity to go.

It's not very difficult to capture the poetry of sakura when you shoot it in gardens and parks; but it doesn't express how magical the city can turn at the blossoming season. Sakura in the nature is glorious, but sakura in the city is more than that. It's enchanting, it's miraculous. Just like snow, it makes the city look, sound and smell different. It belongs to the city as its lights in the night.

Dream city.

Lava rocks topped with creamy mist... Apocalypse landscape lost in the Nagano prefecture. Welcome to onioshidashi stone magma park, born from the eruption of Mount Asama in the XVIII Century.

Apocalypse now

I let you appreciate the stunning mix between the green and the black...

New planet

Still so many eerie landscapes to discover in the archipelago...

Energy. They say that universe is nothing but energy. The huge and the small, air, earth, water, you, me - energy. On the human scale, energy means food, heat, light and communication. It means music, humour, art. It means love.

And it means danger. Because the needs of the so-called modern society in energy are insane, we have let our cars, our planes, our factories and our poor cattle spit so much CO2 in the atmosphere that we have messed up the world climate in no time. The ice flow will never be back. And we have let our leaders sell us the nuclear miracle as the only possible alternative to fossil fuels. As a result : dangerous aging nuclear plants which are too expensive to be dismantled. Radioactive garbage that nobody wants to manage, and which is leaking in our undergrounds, contaminating our soils, our water, endangering our health and the ecosystem. And, of course, increased probabilities of terrible accidents, because of the nature of this industry itself and because the corporations which are supposed to manage it are more driven by cutting their costs than insuring the safety of the community. Hey, man, what did you expect, it's business after all.

They say: after fossil fuels, the nuclear industry is the only one able to provide us all the energy that we need. Solar, wind, water, geothermy power can only represent peripherical options. According to them, we are bounded to the nuclear power and there is no other way for us in the coming centuries.

I am not a scientist. I'm not a big businesswoman. I'm not a specialist. But I am a citizen, and a human being, and as far as I know, I have the right to question what "people" say to me. Especially when the information comes from the stakeholders of the industry I am watching.

Einstein himself said: "Nuclear power is one hell of a way to boil water". Yes, the source that actually "makes" the energy in most of the nuclear plants is water, not uranium, plutonium and so on. Hot water that makes helix turn very fast and very strongly : nothing else. The truth is : all we need to create electric power is movement. Don't tell me that nature itself is not full of superpowerful, gigantic movements. Bottom waters. Tidal currents. Rivers. Waterfall. Hot springs. Wind. Volcanos. Come on!

What I can easily believe is that at least at the beginning, all these clean energies, as a business, may make less money than the nuclear industry. I accept the comment. And so what ? Less profit for the people who have been used to pay themselves too much? I am not going to cry on this.

They pretend to be more social-oriented than us and they say : think about the jobs!... But we still need the smart guys to boil the water, you know. We will still need the ingeeners, the scientists, the builders, the maintainance technicians, we need everyone. We will need them to keep doing what they, and only they, can do: create, capture, transform, distribute power to the society. We need all the brains and all the hands to safely close the nuclear plants, and to build the green energies' ones. We need to keep all the jobs, and to create new ones. Look at IBM: if they had kept doing what they were doing at the start, they would be dead. But they knew that they were not only doing tabulation equipments, but technology-based business solutions, and they moved on. From machines, to software, to services. Let's do the same. Our energy providers will stay our energy poviders. But they will provide clean, safe, and beautiful energy.

They say: green businesses will never be enough. We now have massive needs. To this, we reply : there are some ways to save energy. There are ways to make every single home independant, each house being its own energy-providers. Fridges working without power, devices under the wooden floor  capturing the vibrations of our steps, materials stocking the warmth in summer delivering it in winter, solar power boats and planes... So many prototypes that are just waiting to be developped on a wide scale. Come on, if we can think about a space elevator for 2050, so we can save energy here and now. So be afraid, nuclear gurus, because very soon nobody will believe you anymore.

Every Friday night this season, the loyal followers of Intrepid Model Adventure (IMA) run by Dean Newcombe added their voices to the ones of the Japanese protesters shouting : "原発やめろう！原発いらない" (let's stop the nuclear plants, we don't need it) around the National Diet of Japan. They have lit candles, exhibited "No nukes" signs and simply talked to the people walking on the street. It's peaceful, quiet, it doesn't make harm to anyone and it is certainly too small to worry the nuclear industry, but it counts. Let's spread beautiful energy. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Light up the world with Beautiful Energy

Chris (from the group WORD), me and the drum-team

They say that there are 300 temples in Chiang-Mai. Obviously, we have visited only a few of them, and this is a city that you can explore endlessly.

I fall in love with this old town, with its square-shaped historic center, its old walls, its palm trees, its monks walking everywhere in their orange dresses. Chiang-Mai is infinitely cleaner than Bangkok (the weather is not so wet, also), and it was a delight to get some rest after the busy capital.

The Three Kings who contributed to the creation of the city. Hot guys !

We stayed at Awana House, a charming and cheap guest house with a very sweet decoration, and a pool! The staff was helpful and charming – finally, the land of smiles!

Ok, friends, the following adventure has been the top of our trip, the most exciting moment ever. Have you ever hugged a tiger?? I mean, a REAL, BIG, ROARING TIGER?? Well, I did. And it’s so moving, so special that after this experience, you just love nature, people, yourself, and everything. You just love the whole world.

Aaaaaaw. I know.

It’s not over yet! “Absolute trip to Thailand – Part 3: Koh Samui” will be following! Thank you for reading!

What is your definition of hell? Spending your priceless lifetime to perform unpleasant tasks, to stay alive ? Oops, no, they call that "work". Restlessly pursuing illusions, hopelessly expecting to find your soul sister on earth ? Nope, this is "love". But let's get back to a more traditionnal image of hell : steaming rocks, burning lakes, sulfur mists all around, thunder noises coming from the depth of the ground... In Oita, Kyushu, there is a place called Beppu, where you can visit eight different hells. The Japanese volcanos, which also make sweet and relaxing hot spring bath, are responsible for these "curiosities" of nature. There you can feel the power of Earth ! Let me show the way through hell...

The way to hell : Oita volcanic region

When you get close to Beppu accross the countryside, the lanscapes start to steam. Rivers are steaming, rocks are steaming, and so do the watercourses and the fields. Everywhere under your feet, the power of volcano is boiling.

The hells are now divided into eight touristic venues, also featuring exotic animals like hippo, flamingo or crocodiles, apparently very happy to rest in the natural hot waters. I have to say I had another vision of hell, but anyway. Let me show you the parts I prefered.

Hell, no. Come on. Let's be serious.

Umi-jikoku : the sea hell

With its 98° blue steaming waters, Umi-jikoku is from far the most beautiful hell ever. What is impossible to describe is the strong smell of rotten eggs (sulfur, actually) lingering around. You can also small real eggs, because boiling it directly in the pool is so much fun, isn't it.

Hard eggs on the way

Umi-jikoku is partly covered with water lilys and large leaves that can bear more than 20 kilos. If you dare, you can put your baby on it.

Oniishibozu-jikoku : the mud bubbles hell

This is the clay in the ground that gives to this hell this very special white color. After umi-jikoku, I found this hell the most impressive.

Yama-jikoku : the mountain hell

Kamado-jikoku : the "cooking pot"

Pretty, isn't it ? It's a pity it's really too hot to take a bath...

... but a foot-bath will go !

Shiraike-jikoku : the white pond hell

Chinoike-jikoku : the blood pond hell

Exotic looking plants enjoying the micro-climate...

Your Eurydice, a bit drunk with sulfur steams

Tatsumaki-jikoku : the geyser hell

This last hell geyser is bursting every 40 minutes with a real devilish sound.

Did you enjoy the visit ? Next time, let's go and see a bit of heaven, for a change !

Do you want some more? Fine.

Ohanami must go on! The most convenient sakura spot for me is defitely Megurogawa, the thin canal running from Gotanda to Ebisu. It's only five minutes from my office, so I can escape during the lunch break and cry with hapiness in front of these sweet cherry blossoms.

Megurogawa riverside sakura show

And here I go again after work, to enjoy the pink light of the paper lanterns.

Megurogawa by night

Honestly... what else?