UCRAZY FOR JAPAN??!!

I still like Japan,I just dont love it anymore.
First time I came here, I only saw the 'appearance'. That was an all brand new experience to me... endless buildings.. cutting-edge technology.. city which never sleeps (lots of shops open 24h), all those colorful Japanese mangas, games played by teenagers so as seniors... Tokyo was just synonym of pure crazness! I enjoyed myself every night going to clubs, going back to my apart at 8 to have a shower and then heading straight to my agency. I felt so dizzy, dizzy by so much colors, fun, noise... my 5 senses have never been so 'awake'.

Now its quite different.
Im not going out that much (first and main reason is there are no party girls in my agency and we're not as close as I used to be with other models from my frist time here).
I see the city and people differently.
First,I already knew how Tokyo will be like when I'll be back. First time was so surprising than now it just seems more 'common'.. so Im focussing more on people than the city itself.
For my first trip, I felt so amazed by people's kindness. 'Japanese all have a big smile upon their face, all thank, all apologize, all bending'. They all look sooo nice and respectful.
But now, I see them more like "robots". They become 'inhumans' by showing off their 'best human behaviour'. its just TOO MUCH!
My feeling towards the Japanese society have considerably changed.
Relationships aren't that 'sane', and prooves are many:

Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rate.
Workers 'are crazy about work'. My jap friend, for example works from '8 to 8', 6 days a week, which doesnt leave enough time for social relationships.
At the same time, rape games are rising (the daily headline on CNN!). The supply just caters for the demand... a sexual demand!! making up for the 'sexual lack' back home.
A japanese friend recently asked me: "What do U waana do latter?"
I told him I'd love to work on psychology, anthropology, intercultural management.
When he first heard "psychology', he burst out laughing.
Indeed, Psychologist are uncommon, even unexistent in Japan. Going to a see a specialist dealing with mental pbs (or simply if you need to speak) is seen as a 'weakness'. Everybody is human, every single person can feel depressed sooner or later. they just find difficulties to accept it.
If the husband loose his job, he would certainly prefer hiding the truth til finding a new one. Too much pride? what are they afraid about?

UCRAZY BACK TO TOKYO

HERE I AM!!! BACK TO MY FAV CITY!
Havent been writing for a long time.
But I cant be happier as I'm now standing in my world's fav capital city!

TOKYO
the place where my new life started in october 2008. A new model's life.
However, I see and feel the things very differently.
I'm in a completely different state of mind; nothing to compare with my first trip.
I felt like a caged bird and Tokyo was the key.
Freedom was the master word. Enjoyment, fulfillment, adventure, new experience... but always totally under control toward my choices and myself first.
The 'every single night going out' habit turned into "having a rest in my Akasaka apartment" and "wisely going out".

I'm lucky enough to have R. who's such a great friend.
I everyday learn more about the Japanese culture. Rituals, process, mind.
we can't halp going back to my a Takoyaki place.
Takoyaki is my favorite snack and more generally the tasties food I've never tried.
What is Takoyaki? Takoyaki are fried octopus balls sprinkled with dry fish, mayonnaise, but it wouldn't taste that great without the Okonomiyaki (kind of DELICIOUS Japanese crêpe) sauce. this sauce is made with Saké vinegar, honey and mashed vegetables.
A "best of" with a Suntory whisky highball drink. miammiam glouglou.

I also appreciate spending time with Charlotte, my 16 year-old english model friend and roomate soon. She's incredibly mature and 'down-to-earth for her age.
I get along with her much more than anyone. We at least find other topics than boys, food and diets, listening to (or suffering from:) the extraloud clubbing music playing the whole day in the car!
The feeling to get quickly stupid. Such conditions actually boost to study.
I sometimes consider studying as a 'shelter' from stupidity.

Thats the end of my fourth week-end in Tokyo.
Tomorrow the castings will start again.
My agent Hope will serve as my usual waking-up alarm and will be waiting for me downstairs.

UCRAZY FOR A NEW YEAR :D

Today is the year's first day.
Today is the very beginning of an eventful program.
Cest le jour des bonnes résolutions.
Je n'ai pas de résolutions particulieres, les resolutions pourraient etre comparees a des objectifs s'inscrivant dans la finalité d'une vie, meme shema pour l'entreprise.
La vie ne serait-elle pas une entreprise? prise de responsabilités, décisions, de risques...?
Cette annee est une annee pleine d'intention mais avec realisation a la clef!
Jai une petite idee de mon programme pour ces prochains mois:

janvier: rester a la maison, reviser et envoyer un maximum de devoirs possibles au CNED (objectif: 2 devoirs min./semaine) ce qui m'en fait un minimum de 8 par mois et je vise le nombre 10.. 10 devoirs doivent etre rendus avant debut fevrier, date ou je pars a Londres.. Jaimerais aussi rencontrer une agence parisienne ce mois ci car Marilyn na me convient pas du tout!

Fevrier: Je pars debut fevrier pour Londres, peut-etre partirais-je en meme temps que Zoe, cest a dire le 4 fev,ce serait sympa de prendre le ferry ensemble.. j'y reste un mois, le temps de faire la fashion week et quelques editos, sans doute le show room pour Ashish.. :)


Mars: Je repars en Asie!!! Probablement la coree first avec des guaranties qui je l'espere seront respectees! still with Jennifer models will see kihwan :D and his friends, will probably go out from Seoul as well, he proposed me to go to Pusan last time. Wish I could be back there ASAP

Avril Mai: TOKYO!!! my fav city! will probably spend my birthday there :) mes 20 ans a Tokyo! Great! Then I'd love to go to Soth Africa or India.. Ive to find a training inckuded with my lessons! so I'l probably stay in Tokyo a bit if I'll get a training there.. depends on the country.

So tonight Im going to send an email to Irene about what Im planning to do for those coming months to inform her. Then sending wishes to my dad,godmother, so as Manon..
Im supposed to be at Beauvain tonight, sharinga family dinner but I prefered staying here, in a quiet place, being with myself and thinking about wghat Im gonna do next even if I dont often see my family.

Tomorrow I also have to send packages to Seoul and China cause I promised my friends there I'll some chocolates from France, and I know how much they care for it :)
I also have to finnish my article for ADesign about Branding in Korea.
I want to be ready to start my lessons this next monday, being focussed on it only, being more efficient that way.

Going to sleep soOon! I spent my last night at Les Planches in Deauville with my Zouzoute et ses amies (Sophie, Amandine and Alicia) I had a great night and those girls are really nice :) I just didnt liken the "atmosphere"that much cause its all about kissing, fucking and stuff.. I feel beyong that kind of shit now :)
Wasnt able to smile to someone, dancing or even seating alone, some guys were always coming over me! annoying and exhausting in the end!
Vendredi prochain on remet ca a l'Icone a Caen :)

UCRAZY BACK TO FRANCE

I came back to France 1 week ago, I left Seoul the 22th of december.
What can I say? What can I write?
I decided to get back to spend my chritmas at home with my family.
Im not going to say Im disappointed. They love me soOo much and so do I.
Its not about love, its about the 'feeling' I get every time Im back to my country.
Its like if "Im back cause Ive to be back", getting some news from people I used to share my life with, from a country I used to live in. Thats it.
I had so 'special', 'meaningful', 'precious' moments Im not about to forget in Korea; and I just realize how important those moments were since Ive been back to Normandy.
Here is the same, things are like yersteday, they'll be like tomorrow. Nothing changed at all, same habits and routine makes the life more boring than ever. That 'bread-and-butter' life is increased by the fact I also had a so good and memorable time in the country Ive just left. Didnt cry, Im not going to. Dont want my emotions to take over me. If only I could get back to Korea... but I also dont wanna regret anything. I made a choice, I came back cause I had the deep feeling I had to do it. I always trust what I feel, I mean my intuition usually never leads me to the wrong way. I deeply rely on it.
I already made my schedule for those coming months:
studying in january, going to London in february and then finally getting back to Asia in March (Seoul-Tokyo-Mumbai.. not sure about the order :).

I spent christmas at the hospital to visit my dad's stepmother. I got there with my dad, sister, Raymond, my stepmother and her mum. Then I went to st James, a small town next to the famous spot 'the mont st Michel' I saw my whole Dad's side family :) That was a quiet and intimate moment, talking about politics, recents deaths, family, religion as usual :) with tasty French food (such as Coquilles st Jacques, poulet de ma grand-mere, cheeses, this unique 'countryside bread' like we call it in France, truffes de chocolats and the best for the last: les crêpes!!!). Honestly, that wasnt lots of fun like I used to get those previous days in Korea. You can have the best food in the best place.. but its not worth anything if you're not with the best people to share it with. Family moments are nice but friends moments are great, appreciate both of them anyway.
That was just different, need a bit of everything to make a living, every element plays an essential role to build a life. Id prefer going party with friends and having a blast for sure. I also feel important to step back to familial bases, getting different feelings and viewpoints about the way you run your life. keeping myself as openminded as I can.

I got back to my hometown tonight, I saw mum I havent seen for more than 3 months. still no changes. She told me about her trip to Vietnam, I guess she enjoyed it as mush as I did in Asia (China and then Korea).
My purpose is clear: studying as much and as fast as possible to get back to the 'real life': the one I love, the one I definitely care for, more than anything else:) I could sum it up by travelling, means getting to know more about cultures and people in the countries Im going to.

UCRAZY'S LAST DAYS

1 semaine s'est ecoulée... je sors tjrs le week-end avec Kiwi.
We went to Gnamnan station for clubs (Eden..) fumer le narguilé avec ses amis, watching a movie about Korean relationships (I mean sex haha), having Korean food at 5AM, we had a blast yersteday!
Today We went to Namdaemun to find souvenirs to buy such as Hello kitty stuffs, a traditional handbok for my sister, those big lighters, Korean cakes. Actually it was too cold for shopping (-10 deg here now!)so we had a coffee at my fav coffeeshop (Tom n toms)we tried the seasonal beverages (white chocolate coffee and the chocolate mocha one) withthose Korean biscuits, great! Then we went shopping in my fav area which is Myong-dong, I bought this amazing vintage yellow coat and was offered those "sexy animal print gloves :). Then we warmed us up with those delicious "Ota". mmmm miam miam.
I still cant believe Im going home on tuesday, everything is going by so fast! I just finnished my schedule for my last 2 days. I absolutly have to buy gifts cause I didnt :( U know those gifts YOU HAVE TO buy.. this for mum, that for Dad. Too cold outside to make your choice :)

UCRAZY with KIWI and ST JEAN

The title is correct. Those are our nicknames!
I spent my day with my two Korean friends.
I met KIWI at sinsa station at 2pm, then we went to Insadong market with his friend, ST JEAN :)
Insadong is a great place for traditional shopping. You can find hanbok (traditional Korean costume), postcards, typical products, jewellery, items such as various plates and chopstick, decorations.. good place to buy souvenirs!
Also a good place to try Korean snack and having a tea in a trainional teahouse.
I'd never get enough! love grabbing snacks in the street, eating mini-size snacks such as dry fish, pancakes filled with red brean, tofu in a stick, rice pasta with spicy sauce, "ota": fried pancake filled with honey and sesame... every 30 mins :)
Then we went to the Historical museum, was about to close but we made it for free! (I just have to smile and say " KAM SA HAM MI DA" with tenderness!
We talked a lot, drunk a lot, smoked a lot, walked a lot, laugh...
We went to a Korean restaurant for dinner where we shared some fried seafood: un délice!!! it is called JEON. We had some Korean wine to match the dish. Lets drink, drink, drink and drink again :)
Then we stopped in a convenience store, coffee shops, saw a snowboarding competition, went to see those traditional palaces.
I had a great time,especially when we had a "tabou talk" together, speaking about differences btw Asia and Western countries, sex in our societies, relations btw teenagers and the way it's evolving today... In Asia they speak less about it than we do.
I had an interesting day learning more about an other side of Korea :P

BRANDING KOREA BY ITS OWN FOOD

Let's meet on the third floor at COEX shopping mall. Also known as the biggest shopping complex in Asia, it is first the place to be today! the Seoul design festival location is going on...
DESIGN FOR DINING. As the event title mentions it, the purpose of this global festival is to show other countries the role Korea plays in design by exporting its own values; The country is focusing on emancipating its traditional food, nationally called "Hansik".
Sharing a dish is first taking time to appreciate a convivial moment, usually in family. Koreans (globally Asia are very serious about it. There's a time for everything. Korean food is incredibly tasteful and gorgeous to look at but is at the same time paradoxically unappreciated. How can it be appreciated without being known?
The opposite example would be the case of Japanese high-branding.
Exporting Manga and high-techs, Japan is also noted for having the top chefs in the world!
Just test yourself: Have you ever tried, or at least heard about some of the following dishes? If you're good enough, you can associate the dish to one of both countries. What about... Sushi, ramen, kimchi, tempura, kimbap, tteokbokki, udon, takoyaki, bindaeddeok, namul, sashimis?

So?
Find out the most mouth-watering Korean dishes at:
http://www.admirabledesign.com/La-Coree

UCRAZY WEEK-END

Ce matin
Je me reveille tranquillement, check my mails like I use to.
This fucking phone is rigging pdt que je croque my carrot! new casting.Soya is coming to pick me up in 20 mins. U know what? cest le week-end so no worries: je 'sirotte avidûment' mon thé et "avale tranquillement" mon kiwi.. no stress, mon estomac se resert simplement au son du tel!

Cette aprèm
After this fucking wedding casting :) where I gave the clients "my cutty smile".
Icame back to the apartment, wait for Natalia and we went to the Seoul fish Market.
We didnt eat "alive fishes" like we wanted to :) I was just freezing looking et those poor creatures, tout en aprreciant l'ambiance du marche.
Than I went alone to Hongik University, where I expected to go to Hongdae free market. This place is famous to get unique artistic stuffs from creative students who sell items there every saturday. I asked for it, I even went to the university for more explanations but didnt find it so I was just wandering around and cae back home cause I was freezing today! 3 deg., il a meme neigé this morning. Little taste of christmas!

Ce soir
Aprés etre allée dans 2 ou 3 G25 differents (chaines d'epicerie, combinis ou convenient store) i was finally back to the apartment.
I had some snack (encore le trio onigiri-rice chips- popcorn :)I checked my mail et l'email que j'attendais avec impatience m'est enfin parvenu:
Mr Caron a apprecié mon article pour admirable design (et plus genereallement mon style d'ecriture) et va le publier d'ici lundi) That'sa great new! Cant wait to see it published.

Tomorrow Im going to the SEOUL DESIGN EXHIBITION with my Korean friend (whats his nam again? :)hard to remember..
So, comme dirait ma maman, "vas te refaire des yeux pour demain' right mum, Im going to look fresh and beautiful for tommorrow, et anticiper le prochain article d'Admirable design sur "design is diner" (nom du festival).

UCRAZY FEELS GREAT TODAY

Sometimes its "OK", Sometimes its "SUPERFINE".
I still remember thie remark from M Jacob in a TV interview. 'Im superfine' he said, so do I Marc, ta bonne humeur est contagieuse!
Je me balade ds la rue et "je peux sentir le regard different des autres sur moi, et d'abord de moi sur moi-meme."
Wearing one of my fav outfit, those Zara snake print pants, with a long black perlé top covered by a short black jacket with uncommon shapes. Just wear it, just feel it.

UCRAZY FOR LEOPARD COAT

Right, I just wrote "it", I just love "it". il donne l'allure, signe la silhouette.
I went to Myeong-dong at the end of the day with Jenny to look for a Leopard fur coat. (fake furjetiens a preciser). I went to Zara first, I tried on it. The print fits me perfectly but my arms are too long. Is it a european standart or is it an Asian size? dunno. ZARA has the same collection worldwide.I already checked on the website, only the price is different. Its even moreexpensive in Korea than in my country so its doesnt make sense for me to buy something I can get in my hometown at a cheaper price. I'll go to Deongemon tomorrow and look for it.

En attenant je ne peux que "rêvasser" de me voir un jour le porter :)
My favorite one is the ISABEL MARANT leopart coat worn by Raquel Zimmermann for the AW 09 collection. She just looks WAOUH!!! She fits her style, attitude, perfect on her! Love the "animal print look". Exceptionnel!