The Wisdom Project...

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Inspired by *ubuntu...
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Wisdom:

50 Unique and Original Portraits

.I'm not going to spoil the surprise,

and your pleasure,

by saying a word more...

So, please, just

ENJOY..!
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. For those of you, who like me,
love nothing more than going behind the scenes:

WISDOM:
How It Was Made
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WISDOM:
In Order Of Appearance + Behind the Scenes
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I simply can’t stop watching these excerpts
as I await delivery of my copies (for all my family and friends)
ordered from Amazon...
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Do let me know your opinions on the
project...
I'm saving what I have to say until you've all
had the time to watch, read and listen to, slowly but surely,
the excerpts from the book & documentary film.
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N'oubliez pas de me dire ce que vous en pensez...
Chez nous, en tout cas, toute la famille adore
- on garde, tous, encore en nous toutes les images magnifiques
et, surtout, les paroles si belles de tous
ces "ainés" qui ont chacun, dans leur domaine,
marqués le cours de l'histoire...
..
*Inspired by the ancient African concept of ubuntu,
which emphasizes human connectedness
- I am what I am because of who we all are -
Zuckerman set out to gather and communicate the lessons his extraordinary
subjects have learned about love, work, the environment,
and conflict resolution.

Well worth checking out:
Super Forest
where there's an extremely informative and well-
written article about the project.

Caravan: Shopping in Style...

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I don't know about you, but, personally, shopping is

not my idea of fun...that is

unless, it's shopping of a particular kind:

outdoor farmers' markets, thrift shops, etsy, "brocantes" and

independent stores

– online and on the high street -

Caravan in east London is one such store

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.Browsing in these places is not like the usual shopping experience;
shopping here feels like an adventure.

I always find something to please family and friends...

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I love the whole concept created by Emily Chalmers,

who started out as an interiors stylist.

Do checkout their site, it's a real treat..!

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*photos from their site

Here Today...

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i believe...

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My favourite *weathercock overlooking the orchard...

i believe in dreaming BIG but still being content
to live small...

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i believe that knowledge is an end in itself;

not just a step in the pursuit of the almighty

dollar/euro/pound...

i believe that if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well...

i believe that actions speak louder than words...

i believe that my love of food, (sourcing, cooking, experimenting, eating...)

most certainly stems from my African childhood...
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i believe that every ending is simply

a new beginning...

i believe the opposite of religious belief is not atheism or secularism

or even humanism.

It is not an ‘ism’ - it is independence of mind, that’s all...

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i believe discretion is the better part of valor...

i believe men are like wine: some turn to vinegar,
but the best improve with age..!

I'd love to know what you believe..?

* I just love quirky weathercocks - this one is placed on my roof terrace...

World Food Day...

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Did you know..?

There are 250,000 known plant species in the world,

but only 20 of them provide 90% of our food...
The Eden Foundation believe that the key to prosperity for the poor
lies in underexploited, edible trees and bushes...
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Esther Garvi is the lady on the right of the above photo.
As an unpaid volunteer with the Sweden-based non–profit organisation
Eden Foundation
she lives and works in the Zinder zone of the Niger
- one of the poorest countries in the world -
and I really wanted to draw attention, particularly today,
World Food Day
to what she and other volunteers are doing around the world to help
relieve suffering from hunger and malnutrition...

Do checkout
Esther's blog; it's extremely interesting and this
amazing lady manages to regularly update it with news, views,
recipes and, of course, her stunning photos...

Esther Garvi

Someday, Somewhere...

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we'll meet again...

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Lake Annecy, very early Monday morning

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.Algún día en cualquier parte,

en cualquier lugar indefectiblemente

te encontrarás a ti mismo,
y ésa, sólo ésa,

puede ser la más feliz o

la más amarga de tus horas...

Pablo Neruda

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Someday, somewhere -

anywhere, unfailingly,

you'll find yourself,

and that, and only that,

can be the happiest or

bitterest hour of your life...

Pablo Neruda

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Un jour, quelque part -

toujours partout,

vous vous trouverez,
et cela, et seulement cela,

peut être le plus heureux ou

le plus amer heure de votre vie ...

Pablo Neruda

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Soul Brother...

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I've been listening to James Hunter all weekend...

I didn't realize that so few people knew

(at least here in France)

about him and his music

I just had to share...

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British singer-songwriter James Hunter talks to CNN

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The New York Times described James Hunter as

"Studiously recreating the delicate and comforting soul sound of Cooke,
Jackie Wilson and lesser-known figures like Roy Hamilton and Little Willie John,
Mr. Hunter has mastered a territory of American music

beloved by fans and collectors worldwide.

And with touches of Chuck Berry guitar and some falsetto shouts
from the playbook of James Brown, his style is too eclectic
to be easily pigeonholed..."
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checkout his personal site here
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I'd love to know what you think...
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Expressions From The Heart...

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"J'ai les goûts les plus simples du monde.

Je me contente du meilleur."

Oscar Wilde

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Check out the Ladurée online boutique here

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Just a couple of the little treats I brought back from Paris for
some good friends of mine who, like myself, appreciate the finer things in life...
I just love all that pretty packaging and,
I have it on good authority, both the *macaroons and *chocolate
are to to die for..!
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* I wouldn't know as I never eat chocolates and enjoy very few patisseries -
It's just another of my idiosyncrasies - I've simply not got a sweet tooth..!

Moments in Time...

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"Love is the answer.

Now, what is your question?"

Author Unknown

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Prends le temps d'aimer...

C'est le secret de l'éternelle jeunesse !

Prends le temps de lire...

C'est la source du savoir !

Prends le temps d'écouter...

C'est la force de l'intelligence !

Prends le temps de penser...

C'est la clé de la réussite !

Prends le temps de jouer....

C'est la fraîcheur de l'enfance !

Prends le temps de rêver...

C'est un souffle de bonheur !

Prends le temps de rire...

C'est la musique de l'âme !

Prends le temps de pleurer...

C'est l'émotion d'un grand coeur !

Prends le temps de vivre...

Car le temps passe vite

Et ne revient jamais
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Beauté d'ailleurs...

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I've always loved Saris (or Sarees)
- comfortable to wear, so elegant, such a wide variety

of fabrics and designs...
- sadly, I don't get to wear mine as often as I'd like
(it's only October and we've just had a hailstorm..!)
but as I also love admiring them on others, whenever I've time

I take a wander in the direction of:

Saree Dreams :
a beautiful blog about the latest sari designs
and sari blouse designs...

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Photo: Saree Dreams
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An old sari ad from the past...
probably around 1950-60,
as that was the time when most cities in India
had 4 digit phone numbers ...


Photo: O. Föllmi
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My favourites are when there are

no catwalks, no glamorous models, glossy magazines

just regular beautiful people in saris...
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Photo: Saree Dreams
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I find these pictures more touching and more beautiful than
any of bollywood stars;.
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Photo: IndiaDailyLife
..
the saris are just as beautiful, if not more so, than any sari
that a designer ever created...
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Photo: Saree Dreams