Aike

"Existence precedes essence."
-Jean Paul Sartre ...
(but maybe essence precedes existence?)


"It is inauthentic to refer to oneself through the eyes of others."
- Jean Paul Sartre


"One is not born a woman but becomes one."
- Simone de Beauvoir


"Man's greatness is his misery."
- Blaise Pascal


"One is never as happy nor as discontent as imagined."
- François de La Rouchefoucauld 


"Those who live without madness are not as wise as they believe."
- Francois de La Rouchefoucauld

These come across a little more powerful in French...

But an idea is an idea! 

-b

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

The French struggle to write freely in newspapers during and before the Revolution was actually pretty remarkable.  Having to write a whole paper on this stuff is a very eye opening experience because it's made me realize how much I take news for granted.  

 I like these images from an artistic standpoint.  Especially the first one because of the passionate expression on their faces.

-b

Lanvin

Rain in July

I'd say the majority of the world will get a few summer rain showers here and there.  I haven't traveled to too many places in the world but I can say without a doubt that rain would grace us with its presence every once in a while when I visited Paris a few summers ago.  It would graze the beautiful quiet city later in the day.  A few hours later the clouds would begin to part and crack like ice just as the sun set.  We'd walk outside to accompany the desk attendants as they smoked their Parisian cigarettes and the puddles would glisten in the reflection of the sunset.  I still have this image in my head of the Rue Vavin after a summer rain shower.  It's one of the most beautiful things I have been graced with in this world and I plan to cherish it until I see it again.  Until it becomes a reality once more.

Cheminées rue Vavin à Paris 6ème  by John Aives (on flickr)

-B

Quand je vais à Paris

I'm still hopelessly addicted to the idea of living abroad.  So every once in a while I look up Parisian apartments.  Take me here and leave me here.  Baby, I don't care if  I miss that plane.