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!

UCRAZY HAS SPENT 1 WEEK IN SEOUL

1 semaine deja que je suis arrivee.
Je n'ai pas eu le temps de visiter la ville. J'enchaine les castings, les kupbaps (maki sushis en rouleau) et "les seances d'ordinateur".
De plus j'attends tjrs ma carte de credit donc no tomeand no money to spend au shopping! Je rentre en France dans exactement 3 semaines. Can't wait to see Mum, Dad, family and friends, you know this christmas feeling...
Can't wait to "shake my life" as well. I've been too cute, kind and sensitive dans un univers impitoyable.
CE SOIR JE SUIS CONFIANTE. je crois d'ailleurs que je n'est jamais ete aussi confiante qu'a cet instant. Je souhaite "inseptiser ma vie" de ces parasites qui me ralentissent, moi, ma personne, mon potentiel. C'est finit de sourire et accepter betement. Il est venu le temps de s'affirmer.C'est hereditaire, c'est dans mon sang. En ce moment, si je devais donner une image de moi-meme, je serais un volcan; et comme bon nombre d'entre-eux, je ne previendrais pas lorsque je ferais irruption.
Oui, je l'avoue, j'ai peut-être etait trop gentille, trop "manipulable donc manipulée" et malgré tout consciente de l'être.
Seulement je me suis comporter de cette maniere parceque jaime l'autre et je ne conois pas le fait de nepas aller dans le sens d'autrui.
Autrement dit, ondevrait touss'ecouter, s'aider et ne vouloir que du bien, seulement le meilleur pour notre prochain.
Un de mes default fondamental serait de faire trop souvent confiance aux autres car je ne conçois pas le fait de déçevoir une personne,je n'anticipe donc pas le fait d'etre deçu par quelqu'un; car pour moi-même ce serait un veritable échec que de le déçevoir. Au final je ne peux qu'être déçu et toujours ne pas en vouloir à l'autre par le biais de la confiance.
NON JE NE SUIS PAS UN MOUTON, si les gens croient qu'ils peuvent me elaisser ou faire semblant de s'intéresser à mon être, j'y ferais face. De la meme maniere que je ferais fqce a moi meme, aller à l'encontre de mon naturel trop "optimiste".


15h58 en France, 11h59 a Seoul.
J'attends l'appel de mon papa. Il aurait du m'appeller il y a 58 min.
Non, il ne m'a pas oublie! il n'arrive simplementpas a me joindre comme cela est deja arrivea mum. So Im going to sleep et "recolter ce que j'ai semé". "Obtenir les benefices de ma reflexion". L'esprit est un champ, il a besoin d'etre cultive. parfois laisse au repos comepourprendre du recul. Il fleurit, il se fâne. Il est en perpétuel changement comme l'homme et ses états d'âmes.

UCRAZY FIRST DAY IN KOREA

I woke up this morning at 5AM, took a taxi, then the train, to finally take the plane bound to Seoul at 9AM.
Exhausting day, especially cause I slept 1 hour only last night, time to clean up the mess, packing "everything". The question is: What did I forget again?
C'est marrant cette manie de laisser tout "trainer", cette mauvaise habitude ne cesse de s'empirer (ou du moins ne s'ameliore guere) depuis mon enfance.
Remember...remember... remember... Laisser, oublier ses affaires pourrait-il avoir un lien avec fait de se sentir delaisse? On se sent abandonne, alors on abandonne a son tour. C'est peut-etre un sentiment vecu lorsque j'etais encore petite. Je voyais peut souvent mon papa, il me manquait beaucoup et lorsque je partais chez lui occasionellement en week-end, j'y laissais systematiquement des objets ou vetements de maniere inconsciente, mais quelquepart en etant consciente de vouloir laisser "une partir de moi-meme" dans un lieu ou j'aimererais etre plus presente.
I think Im getting sick this way: "j'oublie tout n'importe ou" passeport et appareil photo a NY, chapeau a un shooting, veste en boite.. J'ai un grand interet pour mes affaires, je suis en "etat de crise" lorsque je me rends compte d'avoir perdu qqchse.
Paradoxalement, "j'eparpille mes affaires" et deteste ranger, je remets souvent a plus tard ce que je peux faire au moment meme. Je devrais "prendre des lessons" de ces nombreux oublis mais cela m'indiffere en meme temps...

Anyway, Today is my first day in Seoul. I met my agency, Jennifer, so as the girls living at the model's apartment. I had my first casting this afternoon mais I also cant wait to visit the city. Unfortunately I cant go away from the apartement til 6PM in the week days! :( at least Im going to work on my studies!
I got 100000 wons as the weekly pocketmoney and I already spent 20000 wons in a supermarket, dunno where it goes cause I amost didnt buy anything.
My roomates advised me to go out for luncher or dinner. Its realy cheaper than buying found in a market! So, I will. dunno how does Korean food taste like, so I just ask for having a shot at it :)

UCRAZY SAYS GOODBYE TO CHINA

AUREVOIR CHINE,

I had an unforgettable time with you, you made me discovered new places, people, culture, way of life I didn't know before.
I learnt a lot once again, and even if I was expectacting to make money (that's the reason why I came, and I didnt), your life lessons are "priceless".
I learnt how to face life problems.
Indeed, in Beijing Lu, people took my purse wich had an important amount of money, so as my credit card. I that moment I never felt so lost, nonody speaks english so I didnt how how to explain my problem. People started to care about it when they saw my anger turning into tears. The Police car finally took me to the Police station where I stayed hours filling numerous papers. At that time the priority was to ask for an emergency incashment but the Bank doesnt give it on the week-end.
When I went there on monday, they agreed to gimme cash but I had to pay $20 fee (everytime Im going to withdraw money without card) cause Im not a Premier client. So I called my Bank in France to get the Premier Status. Unfortunanlely, I need a certain amount of money on my account, and Im far from getting it!

My dear China, Ive never been so "watched" in a country :)
At least 5 times a day, people stop in the street to ask "Are you a model?"
YES I DO. YES I DO. YES I DO. YES I DO. YES I DO.
At least 5 times a day peope stop you in the street to tell you:
YOU ARE SO TALL AND BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE SO TALL AND BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE SO TALL AND BEAUTIFUL. YU ARE SO TALL AND BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE SO TALL AND BEAUTIFUL.
At least 5 times a week people ask you to take pictures with you.

First time in my time I eat so healthy.
How comes? cause I eat everything (fruits, veggies, cereals, yogurts, sushis) but Chinese food :) Sure I tried it many times but dont crave for it.
I enjoy eating Durian: you know this big yellow fruit which smells very bad but with an amzing taste, I also get dragonfruits, bananas, Fuji apples, grappes, lots of differents nuts, wholebran biscuits, and and and... those uncommon Chinese yogurt, which can be compared to "yoghurts to drink" in France, I just love them so much!!!
So I give up Chinese meals (lots of rice, meat is still with skin and bones, you can eat snake, chicken feet ot neck, very oily noodels (cant digest that), solid blood from the pork prepared in a soup, dry fish (I like it actually :)

I learnt lots about Chinese people behaviour.
Right, they are always pushing each other in the crowded metro station or even in a supermarket (shopping has never been so frustrating to me).
Right, they are always spitting in the street (One time, a Chinese man didnt see me and spit on my foot but whatever..)
They are not that "delicate", or even "quiet", they speak loud (its like if they argue sometimes but they dont), when I took the train Guangzhou-Shenzhen, the person on my right was like screaming to his phone, behind my seat a person was vomitting in a tiny-tiny plastic bag, on my left another one was listening to music that we all also were listening to , haha.
They drive also very fast and I saw many car crash accident.

Clients can appear cold, we dont really know what they think... First thing they do when I arrive is to show me the clock. time is time. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. At least its clear. They know what they want. They will finish to work when they'll get everything they want, paying extra working hours.

Anyway, I JUST LOVE THIS COUNTRY, the first impression I had was a mess, no organization, rude people but if only you could know how good I feel here, how much I'll miss China.
They are also very helpful, and there are more people speaking english than we think. Most of them are just very shy to speak it.
My Chinese friend Wendy told me more about it..they are happy to help foreigners. They are in a good mood, loving to make jokes.

Chine, tu me manques deja! Demain matin je dois deja te quitter. Ne sois pas triste, mes souvenirs avec toi feront toujours partis de moi.

UCRAZY MEETS MAHER

Right, today the French model met the Arabic businessman :)
We met on facebook a few weeks before when I joined a group to know more about Guangzhou. He told me he'll arrive to the city soon and proposed me his help.

YES MUM AND DAD, I'M AWARE I SHOULDN'T ACCEPT TO MEET SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW :)
Like in Business, everyone knows life is made of risks, which are often essential get to know great people or opportunities.
So, I just had to catch a taxi and to go to the Garden hotel to meet him at the end of the afternoon. Didn't really know how he looked like,(he knew more about my appearance than knew about its :) I was looking for Maher in this luxury hotel, where a waterfall stands out behind the lobby.
We met at the second flor where he recognized me at the first glance.
We stopped at the hotel's bar and drunk some coffee. He offered me a christmas starbuck cup so as a Carolina Herrera perfume: great smell!

Then we went shopping at the Teemall cause I had (I still have) to find a coat before going to Seoul after tomorrow, it's SUPERCOLD there!
As you know my difficulties to find cothes at my taste and also which can fit me, I still didnt find anything!
Tirred after walking around the mall without getting anything we went to a Turkish restaurant. I was "sceptique" about this kind of food. I still remebered one of my last "Turkish food try", that was in Istanbul a few years ago. I and Daddy stopped to grab a "traditional kebab": the taste was a desaster! I mean the mutton seemed so old, you know this smell de vieux bouc.. haha

Anyway, we went to this famous restaurant where I felt like if I would be in Turkey!
Where is the Chinese community? Would the door (separating the street and the restaurant) be the frontier btw China and Turkey? It could be, at least the time of a (delicious) dinner. We ordered almost all the menu, tried so many varietes of Turkish pizzas, bread, hummus, the desserts were like a "little taste of paradise". Ce riz au lait si onctueux, parfume au caramel dont mes papilles se delectent encore.
Still those "wordless" Turkish pastries (no loukum or Alva this time) simplement de formidables "etouffe-chretiens" comme des cornes de gazelle... MIAM MIAM MIAM le tout accompagne d'un caffe turque tres.. serre!

We talked a lot, speaking about politic, religion, cultural differences, the importance of the nationality in business relationships, my job compared to its.. We had a nice talk!
Then I asked him to bring me home (YES MUM HE DID :)

UCRAZY IN CHINA

Ive been in Guangzhou for 24 days.
I went castings, got some jobs and had lots of free time to find the city out.
We went to the zoo (or should I say the Animal's Jail!) where I took some pics to show people the miserable animal's way of life! such a shame to "make them trapped" this way! Every creature should be free on earth, there's no priority to freedom, Humans or not! So, of course I didnt pay to enter the Zoo :P

I also went to the famous streets for shopping or for having a local lunch. I always try to share as much as I can with local people. Its difficult to communicate with them, I dont speak one Chinese word, they dont speak one English word either.
Actually, who said we need languages to communicate? Of course we do, but despite one of our 5 senses is missing, we still can decide the way to behave. Just listen to people, smile to them, try their food, look around you... Whatever the way you express yourself, they will give it you back :)
So I went to Beijing Lu: both fashionable and traditional street, in the center of Guangzhou City. I went to Zhuangyuan Fang and Renmin Nan Lu, where the "most fashionable clothes" are supposed to be: GROSSE DECEPTION concerning fashion in this city, its "cheap" in every way: prices so as the quality and style!
Plus even if I'd love it, I'd not be able to wear it cause everything is tooooooooo short!

In order to find more "wearable" clothes I went to Plazas, those big shopping malls.
Actually, Its better to go shopping on the street: they sell the same items with higher prices in malls! So whaterver the Plaza's name: CITIC Plaza, China Plaza, Teemall, or the Mayflower one, just forget it...

Alright, its OK. Guangzhou isnt a shopping city and its not that important, except when the weather starts to be very cold (like what happened those last days). Getting warm clothes appears like an emergency case so I tried my best to get dressed but there's nothing to do with the local fashion industry to me I guess...
I wish I could wear those old (non fake!!!) vintage Dr Martens + flowers leggings+ used leather jacket + grey wool shirt + classic back hat :) MISS LONDON

Premier message

What did I start a blog today only?
Is my life more interesting that it used to be before? certainly not.
Life is made of events; sometimes those events make you deeply question yourself.
This is important for me to "build" something from my crazy life. I dont mean my life is crazier than another one. Many people think they are so special, unique by themselves. I think we have never been so similar and so different at the same time.
We are all "very very very" good at something, I believe everybody was made for something on earth. Some people spent most of their time looking for it. I also think lots of people know what they are very good at, they just dont know the way to "exercise", how to "practice"their particular skill(s). Lots of them match their lifes very well :)

I still cant make up my mind about what kind of information Im going to write on this blog, I mean I dont wanna write about "my life", "my passions", "my projects", or writing about a person Im crazy about (even I I do).
So, Im going to write what I wanna write at the moment. Im kinda messy person, founding difficulties to organize my time, my thinks, even myself.

I often start something I really believe in but give it up for something else. I want to "specialize", I also want to stop doing many things at the same time cause it's such a stress and it's also useless; if I dont do every single thing well, it's better to do 1 or 2 things very well.
I (try to) follow this advice every day: Don't spend to much time deciding on something, its better to make a faster choice than keeping to think which choice would be the best one. Even if I'd make the wrong choice (but fast) it would still be more efficient than making the good one after taking a long time thinking about it.

So, let's go! I made the choice to write on my blog regulary aout some "pieces of my mind".