The title of this blog is the one word that can describe best to you what I have been up to since I last was in touch. Wow. I am really truly alive here, even on the days when I sit at home and do menial online tasks related to my art (which I have been doing plenty).
Mom's friend Rosalie from DC recommended that we go to see a teacher from the Bön tradition who was visiting Paris. It was a 2-day retreat that I attended (a tad reluctantly) on day one. During our lunch break (R) on the 1st day, where we ate at a very gorgeous restaurant near a park (above), we talked about the teachings and I was the only Berry who planned to attend the 2nd day. Ha.Both days I listened to talks about transcending negative states of mind, achieving a natural state in the moment, and other things that sounded familiar, and truer than anything I'd heard someone on a stage talk about in a long time. I connected deeply with the teachings and the people in the room. I made friends with a group of people from Mexico, and a man from California named Michael. After the retreat was over Michael, Carlos from Mexico, and I went out for SPIRITS.
Carlos has an awesome friend (Tania) who moved to Paris and is engaged to a very cool guy, Tim. Although my friends Michael and Carlos have left Paris to continue their journeys, Tanya and Tim are here, and my new friends. So lucky to have met them!
So I took a trip by myself to Marais, a Jewish neighborhood yesterday. I wandered the streets and
so many doors opened for me. First, I found a beautiful bead shop. I have all my beading stuff with me, and finding a store was on my "todo list". I met an American woman in there and she gave me her list (printed in English, woohoo!) of all the bead shops in Paris. Thanks!I found the main street where the Jews hang out. Falafel, Kosher pizza, Deli, and upscale Kosher restaurants... and a Bakery that I will certainly visit again, wonderful Challah and the BEST APPLE/ POPPY STRUDEL EVER! mmm. Walking around somewhere with so many familiar traditions and cuisines was really fulfilling, special, and fed my inner-Jewish-mother-spirit.
The men in black suits and kippot on the stree
t are ready for Sukkot, its not even Yom Kippur... they were already selling lulavs and etrogs from Israel. They didn't look to pleased to have their pictures taken... I think a Jewish woman in pants who attends Buddhist retreats doesn't quite fit the profile "one of us", which honestly is something I struggle with sometimes. I don't usually feel the need to fit in a box, but do not like the idea of belonging to a tribe where I'm inextricable to "outsiders" and barely pass to some "insiders". Oh well. I like being all over the place spiritually.Here are some more pictures from Marais (pronounced Mar-ay) where I found beautiful gardens, art galleries,
and pieces of myself. I also found very friendly people, including a cool girl my age who was working in a shop where I bought a neat bracelet (it used to be a fork). We exchanged #s and she invited me to go dancing... my 1st Parisienne friend :)
I stumbled into a photo gallery in Marais, I went into many galleries, but this one really resonated with me. I got the email address of the gallery manager, I may show here sooner than I thought! YELLOW KORNER.
Think big for me and yourselves. For those of you fasting on Yom Kippur, may it be an easy fast.
Lots of love!
SMB
