Saturday, November 7, 2020

souvenirs niçois

Traveling to Nice is always a treat.

I remember the first time, some seventeen years ago. I was going to hang out with my friend Danielle. I flew into the international airport, either from the United States or from the United Kingdom, I can no longer recall which. But what I do recall was the bus ride into the city center. We rode along the Mediterranean coast, and I had never seen a sea so blue. I was mesmerized.

I had a chance to relive the same memory five years ago, when I went to meet up with my buddy Brian. That time though, it was the from the TGV (a high-speed train) from Paris. I had a window seat, and utterly loved gazing out towards the sea, building up excitement about the weekend.

This time around, last month, I did take the TGV again, but from Provence. The enchantement from the previous time was however nonexistent. Why? Because it was dark outside. 10pm dark. Nothing blue to see through the window.

But whatever, I was going to Nice!

For me, this trip, at the tail end of a two-week vacation, was going to be mostly one about going down memory lane. What made it extra special was using Vieux-Nice (the old city) as a base. It was a neighborhood far from modern, yet charming nonetheless. Besides, it had several spots where one could get socca, even though I was interested only in one particular spot.

Three days was not enough, but I did my best to make them worthwhile.

Place Rossetti in Vieux-Nice
Place Rossetti in Vieux-Nice


Lou Pilha Leva (Old Nice eatery offering the best tasting socca according to Wikitravel)
Lou Pilha Leva
(Old Nice eatery offering the best tasting socca according to Wikitravel)

Socca (a chickpea-based pancake)
Socca
(a chickpea-based pancake)

Promenade des Anglais
Promenade des Anglais

Colline du Château (viewed from la Promenade des Anglais)
Colline du Château
(viewed from la Promenade des Anglais)

Salade niçoise at Le Safari
Salade niçoise at Le Safari

View from la Colline du Château
View from la Colline du Château

I Love NICE. And you?
And you?

The pedestrian and bicycle lanes along the coast was a new sighting
The pedestrian and bicycle lanes along the coast was a new sighting

Daurade royale (gilt-head bream) at la Maison de Marie
Daurade royale (gilt-head bream) at la Maison de Marie

Sunday, November 1, 2020

souvenirs provençaux

Having the desire for a getaway from Paris for an extended period of time, I took the train down south to a region well-known beyond France : Provence. It would be my first stop before heading eastward towards Nice.

All in all, it was a 10-day vacation in Provence.

I focused on two cities, namely Aix-en-Provence and Avignon. The former, I had visited some two years ago for a reunion with sketchers from all over France whereas the latter was completely new to me.

Several aspects of the vacation were classic ‒ city walks, eating in restaurants, and hanging out with local friends ‒ and enjoyable. What made the stay even more memorable were the different artistic activities that I indulged myself in.

Thanks to my friend Christelle, I had the opportunity to discover calligraphy hands-on. I tagged along to participate in a day-long workshop in Aix, where professional calligrapher Cécile Pierre introduced me to the technique.

I had been skeptical about the idea of writing out characters in an obscure typeface being fun. But what I experienced myself was quite the opposite. As I practiced out the letters of the Unical script, the hours just seemed to fly by too quickly.


Onciale 1


Onciale 2


One of the things that I really wanted to do with my time in Aix was to learn watercolor. Sure, I had dabbled in it in the recent past with less than stellar results. This time around, I wanted to sink my teeth into it. Certainly, I was inspired by the work of sketchers that I had met regularly in outings in Paris during last six years. Because while I sketched exclusively with graphic pencils and black pens, most of them embraced watercolor with abandon. In their company, I had always declined the invitation to explore color, and "now", at Aix, I was about to venture out of my comfort zone.

So I signed up for three classes with Hélène Dieudonné, an artist that I found on the Internet. She is based in Lambesc, a town outside Aix. I had taken five hours of classes in watercolor last year in Paris, but that was in a small group setting. With Hélène, I was able to receive more attention as the classes were private and each lasted three to five hours. Undeniably, I learned a lot about the technique, pigments, water, and color. And there is much more to learn, but in the meantime it will be practice, practice, practice !


Fruits


Besides dabbling in new artistic techniques, I found time to return to old habits, i.e., pen and ink drawing. I had already sketched several well-known fountains and landmarks in Aix during the sketcher réunion two years ago, and I was not very motivated to go back that route. So I settled for something new, challenging and very characteristic of the city all at once : Cours Mirabeau. With its wide sidewalks, numerous restaurants, large boutiques, and vibrant scenery, I likened this thoroughfare to the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Even in times of COVID, there is hardly a rendez-vous spot more popular in Aix than Cours Mirabeau.


Aix-en-Provence : Cours Mirabeau


When I made it over to Avignon, I was more interested in discovering the city than doing anything artistic, as I had never been there before. And what a pleasant experience it was visiting the old city, walking the narrow, cobblestone streets and appreciating the stony buildings. Certainly, the Palais des Papes was a highlight, as well as the Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Jardin des Doms, a wonderful, tranquil garden perched atop the hill from which I sighted the Pont Saint-Bénézet below.


Late lunch at Carré du Palais

Jardin des Doms

Pont Saint-Bénézet seen from the Rocher des Doms

I left the city with a desire to return for more complete visit, but not before creating a nice souvenir.


Avignon : Palais des Papes

Saturday, October 31, 2020

one of these things

Fruits


One of these things is not like the others

One of these things just doesn't belong

Can you tell which thing is not like the others

Take your time or you may get it wrong

Friday, August 21, 2020

typographic sponges


Recently, in my graphic design class, I did an exercise in typography.

Typography was something I had never really cared for. Until last year, I did not even know what it was about it. That said, using typefaces (or what people take for fonts) to convey something more than words is something interesting and even powerful, and I am only starting to embrace that.

The objective of the exercise is to use typography to express four qualities or characteristics of an household object.

Looking at the four representations above of the same word, what qualities or characteristics of a sponge come to mind?

Answers below.








































Tuesday, July 14, 2020

happy bastille day



Thirteen years ago, when I went to celebrate Bastille Day at the Eiffel Tower for the first time, I never thought that it would be my last (to date).

Yet it was a memorable experience.

The day had been memorable so far, as I spent the morning with Alexandre and many others lined up along the Champs-Elysées to watch the military parade, during which I got a very quick glimpse of a Nicolas Sarkozy waving to the crowd from the presidential car as it passed by.

The evening brought a welcome opportunity to chill, after battling for a chance to see tanks drive by and fighter jets fly by.

I went to meet Chi-Yang and some of his friends on Champ de Mars, where an huge, festive picnic was taking place. In the distance, near Ecole Militaire, musicians such as Nelly Furtado, Stanislas, and Michel Polnareff took turns performing sets on a large stage that had been set up.

And then the fireworks came. As I snapped pictures, "La Valse d'Amélie", a track from the Amélie soundtrack, started playing and I got giddy. "I know that song!", I said excitedly, to anyone who would listen. Having arrived in France only five months before, I felt in that moment a little more French.


Friday, May 22, 2020

celebrating mbira

The mbira made it to the Google Doodle stage yesterday!

The feature was made to commemorate Zimbabwe Culture Week and it's just awesome news that this wonderful instrument got this level of attention.

Click on the image below to check out the Google Doodle, and to learn about — and even play — the mbira.

celebrating mbira



I became charmed after discovering the soft, melodic, and hypnotic sounds of the mbira during a world music introduction class in college.

Twenty something years later, I learning to play the instrument to remain charmed.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

why i love san francisco (2)

When you try to let go of the past and live in the present moment ... without success.

We all know that it's hard.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

why i love san francisco

Yes, I love Paris, but I love San Francisco too.

One of my favorite things to do when I return to the San Francisco Bay Area is to head to the Marin Headlands for breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge. It only makes sense; it was something that I loved doing when I was living in the area long ago. The bridge in its splendor. The immense body of water. The wide panorama of San Francisco. The high hills of the Headlands. It all offered a feast for the eyes and moments of serenity, far away from the traffic and hustle and bustle in the city.



As I was in the area earlier this month, I looked forward to keeping this tradition. This pilgrimage was going to be a bit different though this time. I wanted to reproduce the view on paper for the first time ever, so I brought along my pens and sketchbook.

I managed to make not one but two sketches, each from viewpoints only half a mile apart along Conzelman Road in Marin County. The first was from the Golden Gate Observation Deck, the second from the Golden Gate View Point. Part of the joy of the experience was sending my sketcher friend Anne just a photo of my first sketch with the view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background,  on WhatsApp. She was not expecting it ; she must have assumed that I was in Paris as usual! But no, I was far, far away.

Views of the Golden Gate Bridge


Before leaving, I discovered and scouted a third viewpoint, also on Conzelman Road but even closer to the famous bridge: Battery Spencer.

I can't wait to go back!