A secret Garden

A Secret Garden

By MarieC1

Recycling Emotions can change lives

Everything can be recycled including emotions

Lots of things can cause an emotional turmoil. For example, some people might have had a relationship that ended before they were ready. Others might have strong feelings for someone who does not feel the same way. Or maybe a person feels sad and angry when a close friend ends or abandons the friendship. Or one might loss an opportunity because of making a wrong decision and the list goes on. The causes may be different but the feeling of loss is the same; heaviness, emptiness and sadness.

All rejections touches the old wounds that have yet to be healed. It is therefore important to first examine the abandonment wounds in order to move forward.

Grief is a natural part of human healing process

You will experience many painful and conflicting emotions, including anger, resentment, sadness, fear and confusion. Don't hold back....don't be afraid to "Cry me a river". Tears can be cleansing and healing.

Things you should know as you begin the journey to recovery:

1. Spirituality - the basis of everything in life

Meditation or practice breathing.

The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

2. Sleep Deprivation

Sufficient sleep gives you the energy and strength to cope with life's adversity.

3. Nutrition

Proper nutrients for a healthy mind and body.

In the beginning, you may loose your appetite or the reverse which is understandable. However the mind is unable to function if the body is starved of the life source ...food

5. Exercise - A healthy state of mind

Physical activities promotes the release of happy hormones endorphins and mood lifting adrenaline.

6. A Lifeline

Talk to a close friend you can trust, a family member, a professional or join a support group to help understand what you are experiencing. Only through opening up your heart can you really begin the healing process.

7. Distract yourself - for example:

a) Indulge yourself in your favourite hobby and that itself will simulate your mind to a more positive outlook in life.

b) Treat yourself to a spa vacation to unwind.

c) Do volunteer work e.g.help out in SPCA, old persons home etc. Remember, there is always someone worst off than us.

8. Music

Music can change a persons mood. Try listening to uplifting music.

A simple guide how to start the healing and recovery process:

STEP 1 - Identify the problems (self awareness)

1. Pen down your thoughts and emotions of what needs to be recycled. When you notice, label, and release feelings as they show up in smaller portions, they don't have a chance to build up inside.

2. Isolate the recyclable ones from the rest.

4. Examine what your frustrations are.

4. Look into what is causing the pain. e.g. betrayal, insecurities, jealously, unworthy, low self esteem and so forth.

STEP 2

1. Let us not look back in anger nor forward in fear. Stop getting angry, blaming yourself or others for your failure. Getting stuck in these hurtful feelings like blame, anger and resentment will rob you from valuable energy preventing you from healing.

2. Use your frustrations to create a positive energy by writing down your new defined goals. As you grieve the loss of the future you once envisioned, be encouraged by the fact that new hopes and dreams will eventually replace your old ones.

3. Remind yourself of your good qualities .

Give yourself time

Rome was not built in a day.

Healing takes time yet it does not need take years either.

The 3 Ps

Patient, Perseverance and Be in the Present

Just because you are feeling emptiness in your life right now, doesn’t mean that nothing is happening or that things will never change. Consider this period a time-out, a time for sowing the seeds for new growth. You can emerge from this experience knowing yourself better and it is through these life experiences that you grow into a stronger and wiser person. There are no mistakes, only lessons.

~When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. ~

Alexander Graham Bell

MarieC1

On the street.... In Paris

Fanny , 24

Coat & Shoes : thrifted , Scarf & Bag : Louis Vuitton

Personal Style : Classic, I like to mix it around because I don't have one kind of style, I visit a lot of vintage stores

Marc, 24

Pants: Dior Fall '09 , Shoes : Vans, Blazer : Balmain

Sense of style : I love Geometric pieces, peices that are fit, tight, black, grey, Anything classic

James, 25

Personal Style : Everything , I like to mix it around

Vilde , 22

Skirt : H & M , Top : thrifted, Brooch : Vintage jewelry from her grandmother, Coat : Topshop, Bag : Juicy

Personal Style : I visit a lot of vintage stores in Le Marais or Etienne Marcel, very laid-back, flexible, a lot of layering

Nervil, 18

Pants :The Kooples , Blazer : The Kooples, Shirt : American Apparel

Personal Style : I love shopping in Colette, The Kooples, American Apparel, L'eclaireur and vintage stores in Le Marais. I stick to bowties, hats, and blazers. I always have a bag to complete my look.

By MarieC1

All images copyright

The former Spice girl-turn-fashion designer Victoria Beckham, has partnered up with Cutler & Gross, a London based eyewear brand on a newly-relaunched line of eye glasses for S/S 2010

This oversized pale rose-gold-plated square frame metal with drop temple arms and graduated brown lenses with the design almost upside-down is timeless and super fashionable.

I found this pair at Maria Luisa at Printemps. A black or rose gold frame is available but I chose the latter of two options because it complimented the color of my hair.

This photo - credit to Net-a-Porter

View full collection of Sunglasses at - www.victoriabeckham.com

Victoria Beckham S/S 2010 Denim Line

View full collection at - www.victoriabeckham.com/denim/

Where to buy Sunglasses:

Net-a-Porter.com

A number of high end retailers around the world including:

Bergdorf Goodman

Harvey Nichols

Selfridges

Maria Luisa

The Label Finder

MarieC1

Panasonic Lumix DMC- GF1

The world's smallest and lightest interchangeable digital lens camera with a built-in

flash

This compact camera has by far the best reviews, so I decided to get one in white, my favorite color.

Features:

-Auto focus

-A pop-up flash(build in)

-A support for an optional electronic viewfinder (which the camera does not have)

-A high resolution 3-inch LCD

-Full manual controls

-An intellignet Auto mode

-Megapixels - 12.1 MP

-AF system - 23-point

-LCD size - 3.0"

-LCD RESOLUTION - 460,000 PIXEL

-Bust rate - 3 frames/sec

-Battery life - 350 shots (you can only use Pansonic battery)

-Dimensions - 4.7 x 2.8 x 1.4 in

-Weight 285 g

Video:

A HD movie mode

Max movie evolution - 1280 x 720 (60 fps) Sensor output is 30 fps

Max HD movie recording time - Card capacity

Movie codec -AVCHD Lite, M-JPEG

The DMC-GF1 is available in two kits that you can choose from:

1. The first includes a new 20 mm (unstabilized) f1/7 pancake lens.

(Note that the 20mm pancake lens does not offer image stabilisation. If available, it can be turned on and off via the Mega O.I.S switch on the lens barrel, with three different modes accessible through the DMC-GF1's menu system)

2. The second has the 14-45mm Micro Four Third lens.

Other Micro Four Thirds lenses available are:
F2.8, 45 mm Leica DG macro w/ MEGA OIS
F4.0, 7 - 14 mm Lumix G
F4.0-5.8, 14 - 140 mm Lumix G HD w/ MEGA OIS (designed for movie recording)
F4.0-5.6, 45 - 200 mm Lumix G w/ MEGA OIS

Note: Whichever lens you end up attaching to the DMC-GF1, there will be a 2X focal length conversion ratio. So, the 20 mm pancake lens has a field-of-view of 40 mm.

All in the box:

-The 12.1 effective Megapixel Lumix DMC-GF1 camera body
-F1.7, 20 mm Lumix G lens [20 mm kit only]
-F3.5-5.6, 14 - 45 mm Lumix G lens w/MEGA OIS [14-45 kit only]
-DMW-BLB13 lithium-ion battery
-Battery charger / AC adapter
-Body cap
-Lens hood [14-45 kit only]
-Lens bag
-Shoulder strap
-USB cable
-A/V cable
-CD-ROM featuring SilkyPix Developer Studio and PhotoFunStudio HD 4.0
-202 page camera manual (printed)

I will share my feedback on performance and images in the next couple of weeks.

Perhaps you might also like to read on this MICRO FOUR THIRDS SYSTEM here.

MaricC1

Paris in the 7th Arrondissment on a winter Saturday

The 7th arrondissement, also a major tourist destination in Paris is where Eiffel Tower and Hôtel des Invalides, Napoléon's resting place is.

This winter has been freezing and unusually snowy in Paris. However, the last couple of days have been bright and sunny though chilly with some drizzle now and then.

Today, I took a pleasant short stroll to the Eiffel tower by my lonesome self. Stef has gone to Amsterdam for the weekend. I was thrilled to try out my new Lumix GF1 camera I bought two days ago. I absolutely think this is a superb camera to have....sure beats carrying my heavy SLR D700 around the streets of Paris! It came with a 20mm lens fixed lens (without a zoom), nice but not quite enough to meet most of my needs. The good news is it is an interchangeable lens digital camera so there are a few choices of lenses for the body. I will definitely get a zoom lens next week.

Basking at Eiffel tower

Left bank of Paris, close to the Eiffel park is the renowned Rue Cler Market

One of the pleasures of staying in this safe neighborhood is to be able to walk to Rue Cler to get my weekly groceries.

This is where I get my seafood.

Davoli - La Maison du Jambo

Davoli never disappoints me when I am in need of a take away meal.

This Italian delicatessen sells homemade specialties ranging from meat to pastas, roasted vegetables, cheeses, desserts and the best Choucroute in Paris. Chroucroute is the pickled cabbage found in Alsatian cuisine very similar to German sauerkraut.

Indisputably one of the best delicatessens on Rue Cler and in the quarter. Be prepared to line up!

Breakfast is a must, skipping lunch may be an option but never my fruits!

Espoir vous avez un week-end d'amusement aussi

Wala, Hope you have a fun weekend!

MaricC1

When Paris Meets Tokyo at Kong-Le Bar

Kong – le Bar

www.kong.fr

1, rue du Pont Neuf,

75001 Paris

Tél. 01 40 390 900

Métro : Pont Neuf (line 7) and Chatelet (lines 1, 4, 11 & 14)

Kong is a restaurant-bar located on the last two floors of the prestigious LVMH (Louis Vuitton) building above Kenzo store in Paris. As seen featured in Sex and the City, it is designed by Architect Jean-Jacguey and interior by a French product designer, Philippe Starck.

With its glass domed ceiling roof top and surrounding glass walls, you can get quite a magnificent view of the city below and the Seine.

Menu: A Japanese and French fusion cuisine by Fumico Kono

My recommendation: Cocktail and soft-shell crab

Price: Slightly on the high side

Reservation:

Be sure to book a table on the second floor and if you want to avoid disappointment, try to reconfirm a day before. Though they had confirmed a table for us upstairs on the second floor, we were given a table at their club floor where the bar and music is, instead. Don't get me wrong, I love music but when it starts to get louder my palate was confused and it became quite hard to hold a conversation. I suggest you start dinner at 8 p.m if you are at the club floor and you probably will finish in time to listen to some really great music. I was told that Kong is one of the 'in' places for people in the fashion industry and fashionista especially during Paris Fashion week.

MarieC1

Images - credit to Kong Le-Bar

Saved by "STOPPA" in Japan

I found this very effective anti-diarrhea medicine at the chemist when I was traveling in Japan last year. I can't be sure if it suits everyone but a my friend whom I was traveling with, can't thank me enough!

A single tablet is all that is needed to make the symptoms subside and it can be taken without water

Berberine, an anti-bacteria plant alkaloid, sterilizes the bacilli that give rise to food poisoning

MarieC1

Objets Trouves- Paris

I have resigned myself to the fact that my camera is gone forever.... no more searching, no more looking back, time to move on.

For your information, before you decide go to Objets Trouves (refer to my previous posting). It it better to call or send an email, giving them descriptions of your lost item and wait for a reply before you visit them. All the information you need can be found at the website below.

Objets Trouves:

prefpol.dtpp-botf-objetstrovesfourriere@interier.gouv.fr

Telephone: 0821 00 25 25

Picture Perfect

You never know what have until you loose it.......I miss my D-Lux4.

Today, I made a few attempts to search for my missing camera. Even my Landlord and the camera guy who runs a store down the street tried (bless them).........but no luck.

In any case, I was advised to look at Object Trouves (Lost objects). Apparently, nearly 600 to 700 objects are turned in daily. They come from the Metros, taxis, buses, the airport, city streets and from some departmental store. About 10 percent items lost are actually found so I shall not put my hopes up too high.

Address:

Objet Trouves

36 Prefecture de Police,

Bureau des Objets Trouves des Fourrieres,

36, rue des Morillons,

75732 Paris Cedex 15

Tel 08 21 00 25 25

Hours: Monday to Thursday, 0830 to 1700 (8:30am to 5:00pm) and Friday 0830 to 1630 (8:30am to 4:30pm)

Meanwhile, I am preparing myself for my next camera:

Life is compromise between the following:

Leica M9 ( manual focus)

Only in my dreams

But in reality, got to be realistic:

Panasonic Lumix

Leica X1

Ken Rockwell knows best!

MarieC1

Please click on the reds for information and reviews

One Strange Day in Paris

A PASSANGER'S DAIRY

Every passenger has a story:

À Paris, des visiteurs vous êtes pardonné pour parler Français cassé.

(In Paris, visitors are forgiven for speaking broken french )

Sometimes finding a taxi in Paris can be challenging, especially, during rush hour, not to mention finding a friendly one and if you can find a friendly one you've won a lottery. Paris taxi drivers frequently do not feel obliged to stop for you (even if they don´t have a passenger). When you do get them to stop, if your destination doesn´t appeal to the driver, he will tell you so and drive off. One can never hail down a taxi when there is a taxi stand several meters away even if there is one available right in front of you. It is the law in Paris....taxi drivers are actually not allowed to stop if there is a taxi stand near by.

I have heard and read stories of people having bad encounters with cab drivers. I never really had a big problem with cab drivers in Paris until one unpleasant incident in November last year. Stef and I had to run some last minute errands and time was of the essence as we had to be at Charles De Gaulle airport in time for our flight.

We got into a cab from Le Bon Marche with a driver who likely couldn't speak English. When we arrived at our destination at Rue De Cirque, I asked if I could leave the taxi while Stef took care of the payment. To my dismay, I found the doors locked. He raised his voice, "À moins que vous payiez l'euro 10, les portes resteront verrouillées " (unless I paid the Euro10, the doors would remain locked). Finally when the payment was made, he got out of the cab and opened the door from the outside while rambling on like a bad thunderstorm. There might have been a miscommunication but surely his lack of respect was totally unnecessary. Yes, there are some nasty people around in Paris but I have yet to visit any place in the world where there are no nasty people.

Now that I have been visiting Paris on a regular basis, I have begun to realize that even the smallest attempt to speak a little french take you a long way. The French actually appreciate those who make some effort to speak French. They will automatically revert to English to converse once they detect an accent.

2 days ago - Rue St. Honore

It was lightly snowing as Stef and I walked down the Street of Rue St. Dominic towards the Latour Marboug taxi stand.

We got into a taxi and was greeted by one of the nicest drivers I have come across in Paris. He even spoke English fluently, with an American accent, which aroused my curiosity as to whether he was a Parisian. He proudly replied that he had studied some English at school but be learnt most of his English from his American passengers while working as a cab driver.

I asked my nice cab driver to take me to Hotel Coste but I was not sure if the address was Faubourg Saint Honore or Rue St. Honore even though I had walked the streets countless times before. He very kindly explained to me in detail: From arrondissement 7 get across the bridge to the 8th, as you approach the first traffic light on Rue Royale (you'll see the church Madeleine ahead of you), the street on the left is Faubourg St. Honore and the street on the right is Rue du Faubourg St. Honore. I was taken by his patience and helpfulness.

When he stopped to let us alight, he politely said, "Have a nice day". In that instant, I said to myself, one bad apple does not spoil the barrel....oops, let me rephrase that. A few bad apples does not spoil the whole bunch! My next mission is to apprenez la langue francaise. (learn french)......I think.

A CUSTOMER'S DAIRY

Hotel Coste

A brief description: I like to show you some pictures but....story to follow about my camera if you read on.

Situated right in the heart of the Rue St Honore fashion district, is the Baroque styled decor five star hotel, bar and lounge. Often frequented by celebrities, it is certainly a place for people to be seen. Be prepared to part with your cash though.

Comments:

. Doormen -polite

. Receptionist - comme si comme sa.

Someone once said to me, if you are amongst the 'aristocrats', behave like one......For those 'wanna be's ', show them their place. Well, quite honestly, I don't think I can live my life contrary to my conscience.

. Waiter - Model- like quality but with a slight attitude problem. Perhaps try to parley francais and you may just find that the French are much nicer than what everyone thinks.

. Menu is quite good. Snails and duck are among the favorites.

. Service a wee tad slow. If you have a tight schedule, try to request for your bill ahead of time.

Conclusion:

I do like the food, the deco and ambience especially the courtyard....( I was immersed into another era). Can't say the same about the service though.

Faux fur is the alternative

After lunch, our curiosity took us to a fur shop nearby. We were being served by a french lady, attendant who might I add, is supposedly a guru of style and fashion, so she claims.

"Madame, there is no pret a porter sizing here" she says. So be warned not to ask for your supposed size (e.g.. 34, 38, 40 etc) if you want to appear posh!

As far as I can see, almost everything looked oversized on Stef's petite frame. In response to this, the attendant was quick to remind us that there are girls who are even smaller in Paris!!!

Well in all fairness , there was this one coat I thought looked really beautiful. It was a reversible, knee length, golden brown sable fur. Of course, she had to ask me if I knew what a sable is? I am like..... Duh!!!!!

She went on to say that all the fur on one end of the rack (Rack A) cost nothing less than Euro40,000. At that point, Stef said, "But I am a student". She replied with sacasm in her voice, "The cutting is perfect. It is for keeps. Besides you would want to receive a special gift, would you not? You see this other one Rack B (cheaper) is not fashionable for a young girl such as yourself".

I was speechless and thought to myself why would a student or anyone want a Euro 70,000 real fur as a special gift?

Needless to say, the whole episode was a case of the ' Pretty woman' experience.

Where are my gloves?

When we left the fur shop, it was freezing which prompted me to look for my gloves in my handbag only to find that they were gone! So I decided to see if I had dropped them at the the fur shop. Trust me when I say the lady attendant was not impressed. She turned over the little rug which is by the sofa to show me that nothing was there. I apologized and quickly headed back to Hotel Coste to check with the receptionist and also the waitress who served us. Sad to say, neither bothered to help me look for my gloves.

Having gloves is like carrying an umbrella....more often than not, they'll leave you....I will now buy only cheap ones!!

AlexanderMcQueen

Our next stop was Galeries Lafayette.

Stef received a message on her blackberry saying that one of my favorite fashion designers, Alexander McQueen, had just passed away that morning. What shocking piece of news for the world. Alexander McQueen is arguably one of the best though some would say that his clothes are not women friendly. But he helped put British designers on the map!!! I decided to look at his collection of shoes and accessories at the basement and was served by a very nice salesperson who very politely broke the unfortunate news. Soooooooo sad.

Next, we went to Printemps where I found a pair of the coolest Victoria Beckham sunglasses. Then we decided to have a tea break at Laduree. It was decorated with the 'Alice in Wonderland tea party" theme which included pictures, books, tea cups and pots etc. Can't wait to watch the movie in 3D!

Where can my Leica be?

Finally, off to do my tax refund on the 2nd floor, which is where I think I may have left my new Leica camera or could it be at Balenciaga next to the tax refund area or perhaps in the taxi? Cry!!!!!

I shall find out on Monday. Please kind people, if you find my camera, please keep it at ' Lost and Found' for me. Much gratitude.

This sure has been one strange day.

MarieC1