Posters Everywhere: 7
At first glance, I fell in love with the blue, then the white, but suddenly I looked down at my feet and all the colors came together and greeted me properly.
Yoga Goddess: Energy
Yesterday, lying in darkness after another deeply satisfying class, I opened my eyes to see my teacher performing what I thought was Tai Chi. While some students were lost in slumber or simply breathing deeply, I could not take my eyes off my teacher’s movements. In the dark she moved with such graceful force that it made me recall many things. At once she reminded me of the flow of the James River or a waterfall I’d seen in the mountains of my native Virginia.
She looked like the wind itself when she violently and peacefully changed directions and pressure of her movements, arms and feet. I swear I could feel the air between her fingers once clenched then as soft as a bird’s wings. With each movement it was if she was using her body to write and tell a story.I’ve never seen anything like it before. I am grateful for the gift of sight.
Later, I asked her where she had learned Tai Chi. She told me that she had never learned Tai Chi, but that she’d simply was allowing her body’s energy to flow through her, to manifest itself. I stood there in awe, speechless.
New category: Yoga Goddess
My Yoga Goddess (instructor) is so awe-inspiring and influential in my life that I must dedicate a category to her on this blog. I attend yoga 5 days week and now I believe that I will attend on Saturdays as well. I may also follow in her footsteps and share with others the joy and physical as well as spiritual growth I get from her instruction and yoga itself. I’m serious folks. Serious and happy!
Void in Korean Art
I was on my way back from Hyewa and saw this billboard about the latest exhibit at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. From what I’ve seen so far, Seoul seems to be quite smitten with Design, it’s not as near as frenzied as Japan seems to be but…In any case I will definitely visit this fascinatingly beautiful museum and try to gather more ideas and thoughts about art in Korea and Korean art.
Yoga goddess
Well, as you know, I love yoga. Seriously, it was a tad difficult in the beginning. I was no where near as flexible or as peaceful-minded as I am now and I know the best is yet to come. Earlier in the week as we were all waiting to enter the studio, my teacher informed everyone that “Felicia’s poses are great, now”. My Yoga Goddess even demonstrated.I’ve always been a positive person but now I’ve become more mindful and I know that this class and my teacher has had a great influence on me. I understand very little of what she says as I am not fluent in Korean but there is something about her energy, her spirit that I find amazing. I admire her. She’s small in stature but incredibly strong in body and spirit. Don’t ask me how I know, I just KNOW. As I advance in yoga, I do find that at times my mind wanders but now I practice more mind control than before. In class as in life, I focus on the HERE AND NOW. Of course I have plans in the works, and things that I want to accomplish but when I’m in that class, I know that the most important thing is that MOMENT, that second and nothing else. I let myself be, just be. I now know how important it is to focus on the moment when I’m speaking or listening to someone, when I’m working, always when I’m walking. The way that we are taught to breath has led to some changes in my photography, I believe. Oh, I also sleep more soundly. It’s funny how I look at people here and see more of the similarities between us instead of the differences. On the metro, this thought “I am them and they are me” constantly pops into my head. I love thinking this way.
Chocolate, coffee, Brazil
This rich toffee, coffee color of these items just sends me…reminds me of my night with “Brazil” and of the color of coffee that my mother likes. As a child I used to pride myself on making her coffee with just the right amount of cream and sugar.
I’m a rich, hot chocolate woman myself. I can never forget the time when my friend Philippe, a French journalist, took me to the Plaza Athénée for hot chocolate. Oh, it was hot alright. The interior of this hotel is exquisite. I felt as if I was in a dream and my friend was my French mentor, “father”, admirer, protector. This is France. I swear if I would have said “make love to me”, he would’ve booked a suite for the week, but I digress. We sat down in our own corner and even though there were celebrities, writers, etc all around us, it was strangely intimate. We ordered hot chocolate and the most delightful cakes and tarts. How can I ever forget the thick chocolate, dark and sultry, pouring out of the silver pot. The contrast of colors, the scent, the room.
True love
Love their closeness, they look warm, gentle and loving. I’m beginning to notice this trend of having birds in boutiques now. One of the shops that I photographed recently even has a pond filled with koi just under the bird cage. Birds and fish? Who knew. What I do know is that I love hearing the chirping of these beautiful creatures instead of loud and/or obnoxious music. To me, hearing birds sing while shopping turns an otherwise stressful event into a pleasant one.
Everything old is new…again
Well, I seem to have touched a nerve with my last post. I’ve received a lot of clicks and emails about sewing, design in fashion, etc. I really love this particular sewing machine as it is quite tiny. Must have been all the rage at the time of its conception. It’s so compact that I could’ve carried it around all day in my purse. I do love the color as well, very crisp.Note: I’ve just received some good news about the shoe-making project. I can hardly wait to see someone mold, sew and bind leather and thread and/or at least get closer to the design process.Another note: Happy Thanksgiving!
Do you sew?
If you sew, please let me know. I remember winning the blue ribbon prize for sewing a stunning heather grey wool blazer while I was a high school student in Texas. I probably sewed on this very machine. I know, I know, it’s highly unlikely but wouldn’t it be cool it was the very same sewing machine? Stranger things have happened. I was really surprised to find this in one my favorite stores in Apgujeong.I would really like to learn how to knit. I like working with my hands. There’s nothing like making something useful with your own hands.
