Just a thought.
I feel like one of the most important things in life is knowing when to take things with a grain of salt and well, when not to. As a very tempermental person, this is something I've often struggled with in life.
I see it as a form of prioritizing. We only have so much emotional stamina, for lack of other words. Therefore you need to be able to assess the importance of an incident to decide how serious of a response you want to have. I don't think its always a decision that needs to be made consciously, I think its just a safe way of doing things. If you're very emotionally stable and never overreact then maybe you can trust your "learned" response. I think its pretty safe to say we all have our own "normal" way of reacting to things, for example if I had my watch stolen from me I would feel betrayed. If I then had the misfortune of having my wallet stolen I would once more feel the same way. All this must seem pretty obvious.
My point is, you have control over your responses, or rather you can have control over them if you decide its worth it. When something bad happens its easy to fall into the overreaction trap. Instead of switching gears into automatic after an incident, I think its best to consciously decide how you want to let it influence you.
Easier said then done ey? I'd even go as far as saying way easier...
Does this seem important to you? At my age, I see it as a step in learning who you are as a person, and being okay with it obviously. Its too easy to simply be okay with yourself without understanding why you are the way you are. In my opinion anyway.
Any thoughts?
Jess, you elucitaded this concept of response patterns to me, so thank you.
-Jaypee
ps: Incase you're wondering why all this: my wallet was stolen last weekend and I didn't freak out! Instead I carried on partying, on other's expenses of course ;)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Musik-
"I think most people are not used to having no lyrics to focus on. Lyrics are a real comfort to some people. I guess they like to sing along and when they can't do that with us they can get a bit upset."
From The Express Interview with Mogwai
From The Express Interview with Mogwai
Thursday, November 20, 2008
"Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young"
A short text I really enjoyed reading. It's a nice reminder of those important things in life that we should never take for granted and that we should be thankful for. It was originally write by
Mary Schmich. It reads :
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97... wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are NOT as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. (I disagree with this one :)
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen. "
Mary Schmich. It reads :
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97... wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are NOT as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. (I disagree with this one :)
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen. "
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
My teams and I
Are you as confused as I am?
I know it’s not the end of the month and I’m technically getting ahead of myself here, but I had a thought cross my mind which I wanted to share with you. Actually, this thought has more then simply crossed my mind. It’s more like one of those unanswered thoughts that’s sits at the back of your brain and pokes you every once in a while.
A brilliant friend of mine recently explored the idea of living our lives in teams. In my mind all it is, is a tie you have with someone or a group of someones. It might exist because of a set of commonly shared beliefs, ambitions, responsibilities etc. It can be a relationship or just an association; it doesn’t need to be intimate nor special. Its purpose should be clear, it allows you to have people to fall back on and to reassure you in case you trip over life.
That’s just how I see it. I was actually intending on concentrating on those teams that are dear to us and that we cherish with our hearts rather then those that we join out of inevitability and/or to make our life easier. You could say it’s even something many people might share together. For example my bromies and I are a team, chilling out and partying just isn’t the same with out them you know? It’s actually an amazing aspect of life if you think about, being able to a hold a collective relationship with a select group of people. That’s how I look at my relationship with these guys; of course that’s not the whole story. That’s not to say that I don’t have a relationship with each of them individually, because I do. What I’m saying is our collective relationship brings us more then the sum of our individual relations. We take pleasure in being together as a whole, and when someone is missing well, it’s as though a piece of the puzzle has been misplace (on another continent). This is where life becomes a big jerk, because you can’t expect people to live a communal life. That’s reality, people come and people go. Yet somehow, I have this feeling that no matter what happens, I know there are teams that I’ll always be part of, and to be frank it helps me wipe the tears off of my cheeks when they manage to escape from their ducts. If you’re reading this, my twin homies, you guys have known me for as long as I can remember, were we not still attached to our mothers when we first met? I now consider us attached, just *shudders* … not by an umbilical cord. As for el Gitano and le Sarazin, you guys have become as true to me as I have become to myself. You have both touched me as deeply as I am aware is possible, you have proved to me in your own way that this questionable world we live in still has love to offer.
Okay, enough tangent-ing, I could go on for hours talking about all my lovely teams. What’s been troubling me is how to use these teams in a positive reinforcing way without becoming addicted to them. It makes sense to me that we initially shelter ourselves under this protective blanket to give ourselves the chance of discovering who we are and what makes us happy. Its purpose, however, is actually more complicated because we inevitably end up inspiring ourselves from our companions. To take an overly simplified example, I listen to a lot of the same music as most as my friends. I guess what comes next depends on the person … Maybe living your life under this umbrella is the right way for some people but for me, I feel like it would be more blindfolding then comforting. Ever since I got caught up in a certain “chilling-pattern” back home I couldn’t help but feel restricted, I wasn’t doing or learning what (I thought) I wanted. Doesn’t it make sense that if you live your whole life this way you prevent yourself from experiencing what else life has to offer? It seems like a risk, becoming glued to comfort.
When it comes down to it, life is perpetually preparing you for something. So doesn’t complete independence make the most sense? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate way of preparing yourself for what ever might happen? That thought seems too ideological though, don’t you agree?
I guess I just have difficulties deciding when I should be independent and when I should be dependent in terms of my interpersonal affairs. When it comes to academics and the professional world it’s pretty clear, you should always be independent unless working in a team. It’s a little hazier when I consider my social life, because I’m always on some kind of team. When should challenges be taken on alone and when should you give in to comfort? This must be an impossible question to answer if there ever was one. You’re just going to tell me “It depends on the situation” and you’re right. Maybe you can help me with this one instead, would I be wrong in intentionally throwing myself into new and unpredictable situations to explore? Or maybe I should satisfy myself with what life throws at me…
The reason I posted this thought was to know how YOU felt about this. I would be very happy to know what you have to say, some of those questions weren’t meant to be rhetorical, I really am confused but aren’t we all (Say yes :)
Yours truly,
Jean-Philippe Moya
I know it’s not the end of the month and I’m technically getting ahead of myself here, but I had a thought cross my mind which I wanted to share with you. Actually, this thought has more then simply crossed my mind. It’s more like one of those unanswered thoughts that’s sits at the back of your brain and pokes you every once in a while.
A brilliant friend of mine recently explored the idea of living our lives in teams. In my mind all it is, is a tie you have with someone or a group of someones. It might exist because of a set of commonly shared beliefs, ambitions, responsibilities etc. It can be a relationship or just an association; it doesn’t need to be intimate nor special. Its purpose should be clear, it allows you to have people to fall back on and to reassure you in case you trip over life.
That’s just how I see it. I was actually intending on concentrating on those teams that are dear to us and that we cherish with our hearts rather then those that we join out of inevitability and/or to make our life easier. You could say it’s even something many people might share together. For example my bromies and I are a team, chilling out and partying just isn’t the same with out them you know? It’s actually an amazing aspect of life if you think about, being able to a hold a collective relationship with a select group of people. That’s how I look at my relationship with these guys; of course that’s not the whole story. That’s not to say that I don’t have a relationship with each of them individually, because I do. What I’m saying is our collective relationship brings us more then the sum of our individual relations. We take pleasure in being together as a whole, and when someone is missing well, it’s as though a piece of the puzzle has been misplace (on another continent). This is where life becomes a big jerk, because you can’t expect people to live a communal life. That’s reality, people come and people go. Yet somehow, I have this feeling that no matter what happens, I know there are teams that I’ll always be part of, and to be frank it helps me wipe the tears off of my cheeks when they manage to escape from their ducts. If you’re reading this, my twin homies, you guys have known me for as long as I can remember, were we not still attached to our mothers when we first met? I now consider us attached, just *shudders* … not by an umbilical cord. As for el Gitano and le Sarazin, you guys have become as true to me as I have become to myself. You have both touched me as deeply as I am aware is possible, you have proved to me in your own way that this questionable world we live in still has love to offer.
Okay, enough tangent-ing, I could go on for hours talking about all my lovely teams. What’s been troubling me is how to use these teams in a positive reinforcing way without becoming addicted to them. It makes sense to me that we initially shelter ourselves under this protective blanket to give ourselves the chance of discovering who we are and what makes us happy. Its purpose, however, is actually more complicated because we inevitably end up inspiring ourselves from our companions. To take an overly simplified example, I listen to a lot of the same music as most as my friends. I guess what comes next depends on the person … Maybe living your life under this umbrella is the right way for some people but for me, I feel like it would be more blindfolding then comforting. Ever since I got caught up in a certain “chilling-pattern” back home I couldn’t help but feel restricted, I wasn’t doing or learning what (I thought) I wanted. Doesn’t it make sense that if you live your whole life this way you prevent yourself from experiencing what else life has to offer? It seems like a risk, becoming glued to comfort.
When it comes down to it, life is perpetually preparing you for something. So doesn’t complete independence make the most sense? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate way of preparing yourself for what ever might happen? That thought seems too ideological though, don’t you agree?
I guess I just have difficulties deciding when I should be independent and when I should be dependent in terms of my interpersonal affairs. When it comes to academics and the professional world it’s pretty clear, you should always be independent unless working in a team. It’s a little hazier when I consider my social life, because I’m always on some kind of team. When should challenges be taken on alone and when should you give in to comfort? This must be an impossible question to answer if there ever was one. You’re just going to tell me “It depends on the situation” and you’re right. Maybe you can help me with this one instead, would I be wrong in intentionally throwing myself into new and unpredictable situations to explore? Or maybe I should satisfy myself with what life throws at me…
The reason I posted this thought was to know how YOU felt about this. I would be very happy to know what you have to say, some of those questions weren’t meant to be rhetorical, I really am confused but aren’t we all (Say yes :)
Yours truly,
Jean-Philippe Moya
Monday, October 27, 2008
Shining from within
Dear whoever you might be,
Thank you again for taking the time to read about my life. It really means a lot to me.
Just as a heads up, I’m not going to concentrate on all the beautiful towns I visited, the gorgeous weather I experienced or my fabulous adventures. There wasn’t much of that stuff. Although I did go to Brussels a few weekends ago to visit: “Le Musé de la Bande Dessinée”. You might have seen the ridiculous photos. Anyway, I was in my glory because they were celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Les Stroumphs” and if you know me at all, you know how fond I am of those little buggers. I think it’s the euphoric state of innocence in which they live that makes me so happy.
The rest of this letter is intended for those of you who really care about me. You’re all welcome to read but you might get bored.
What was truly amazing about this past month was my mental wellbeing. I’m sure you’ve all experienced moments in your lives where you’re simply not happy for an extended period of time. You get caught up in routines which you are not satisfied with and spend time doing things you find unfulfilling. You end up with a strong feeling of apathy towards the world. That's exactly how I was feeling back home. I was craving something new and refreshing but all I found was the usual everyday dealings, I wanted to feel ecstatic but all I felt was apathetical. It turns out that my ticket here was literally my ticket out of this mess. There has been a certain happiness in which my mind and spirit have been absorbed and somehow it seems to make every moment, even the bad ones, at least tolerable.
The question is why. So, right now you’re thinking its because you're in Europe having an amazing time, experiencing new things, meeting new people etc etc etc. Somehow, I feel the reason is more deeply rooted then simple novelty, and besides wouldn't that have worn off by now? I think it has to do with Me. If you don’t already know this, I’m going to write it out for you LOUD and clear: Exterior circumstances can not determine how you feel on the inside. If you’re on the apathetical level, maybe you’ll be able to satisfy yourself or even make yourself happy by doing something entertaining. But if you’re unhappy with yourself and your life, the change is going to have to come from the inside or your brain how ever you want to look at it.
So you’re thinking I’m contradicting myself now. Why has a new setting emotionally charged me if I just finished saying externalities can not make you happy? I think the deal is that my mind is much freer now. Not having a world of academics to worry about, which is at the heart of my ambition, gives me time to think. It’s simple really, no homework equals time, and with this time, I have been able to bring myself to a new level of feeling.
I mentioned Me earlier. First of all I’m not writing a biography here. I only want to point something out to all of you who might not have realized it yet, something that makes me Me. I’ve always been the type of person who is very conscious of himself and the world around him (I’m trying to expand this to world in general). I’m not only talking on a self-conscious level, I mean with regards to almost everything about me from the way I dress to the way I ponder my interpersonal interactions. This characteristic is what allows me to understand how I feel with regards to people, my life and the world that surrounds us. When it comes down to it, I am conscious about my consciousness, I reflect on my own thoughts and put my own opinions into question. That doesn’t mean I’m totally and utterly confused as you might be thinking. It’s quite the contrary, by doing this I allow myself to better understand why things are the way they are. I’m an engineer, and therefore I need proof, logic and reason to understand things. I try my hardest never to take things for granted.
By the way I don’t care what you think, because I feel that my introspective pattern is one of my strongest qualities. You’re welcome to give me your opinion though.
So sure, sometimes it can be bad and it leads me to care too much about what others think of me. Of course there are limits to everything, and caring what people think is definitely important no matter how you swing it, unless you’re a hermit. Caring too much is just as bad as you know. It prevents one from being outgoing and original. I love being different and I’m learning to be outgoing. But at the same time I’ll always care what certain people think of me, for example my friends and family. I’ll always want them to think the best of me because I’ll always think the best of them. I never want to let people down, I want to be that person you can always trust and rely on. It’s up to you to decide whether you think that’s true, all I can do is my best.
So, all this to say that I’ve made a huge step, no … a leap, in terms of making the decision when to care and when not to care. You might think you’ve already made this step and I’m lagging behind. Maybe, but better now then never right? Do you walk down the street proud of who you’ve become, of what you’re making yourself? Good! Me too. Call me what ever you want, I am proud of the person I’m becoming because I’ve put and continue putting time into reflecting and effort into improving Me. I’m not aiming to be perfect, that would be silly. I’m aiming to be open minded and positive. Something I learned was critical from a handful of people.
“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” – From an e-mail my wonderful mother sent me.
Something else I felt needed changing is my jump-to-the-gun way of judging (is that an expression or did I just make it up?). I’ve always had strong beliefs in what is right and what is wrong. Probably because of the way things were so clearly laid out for me as I grew up. As a consequence I ended up thinking I was right as soon as I had an opinion! Hahaha, funny ey? Well guess what. I bet you do the same, didn’t you just judged me right now? I don’t hold it against you if you did. It’s ingrained into us as we grow up that we need to have a set of beliefs and values by which we are defined. This entails that others with different beliefs and values are not on the “right” track. So maybe you think this doesn’t apply to you. Have you ever judged someone for being religious by telling yourself religion makes no sense? Or even worse, have you ever judged someone for saying something you used to believe but no longer do? I have. But all it took was for the most reasonable boy I know to explain to me why judging is a waste of time. Asides from only being a non-productive negative pastime, it’s simply of bad character. How can you pass a judgment with out understanding why? It took me a while to realize that what’s good and makes sense to me might not to someone else. The most interesting (and maybe only) thing I learnt from my anthropology course was that people pass judgments because they do not know the full story. So I’m learning to accept the way people are instead of thinking they should be different, even if I don’t understand why.
How could I accomplish this with out putting into question my own opinions?
All these changes in my attitude, these are what have really been making me happy and clearing my mind, not the traveling nor the beer. I feel like I'm starting to understand life slowly. So, what to do with this happiness other then let it be seen and do as much good for the world as I can? I wasn’t always this way.
I previously said “I’ve always been the type of person…”. That was a lie. Sometimes I lie. Someone, a very special person helped me become this way and helped me to begin growing up. Because to me, all this is part of growing up. This person taught me to use my brain for things other then school. They took the time to explain my personality to themselves so that they could then explain it to me. They were one of my few friends to really see how childish I was on the inside. Which was acceptable at the time don’t get me wrong, I was young and innocent! So, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank her. You know who you are.
I’d also like to thank many others. Of course, to truly express how I feel would be a waste of time because there are no words (that I know of, which isn’t say much ;) that could truly express how much I love you and how thankful I am for every minute of your lives you have devoted to me. For those of you who showed up to my birthday, you are exceptional. I will love you forever. It made me so incredibly happy to speak to all of you. (For those I didn’t get to speak to, I was using telepathy)
Dear friends and family,
You who have helped me sculpt my life from the beginning
With out you I’d feel like any old fish in the sea
You who fill my days with happiness and meaning
With out you, I just wouldn’t be Me
Love from across the ocean,
Jean-Philippe Moya
Thank you again for taking the time to read about my life. It really means a lot to me.
Just as a heads up, I’m not going to concentrate on all the beautiful towns I visited, the gorgeous weather I experienced or my fabulous adventures. There wasn’t much of that stuff. Although I did go to Brussels a few weekends ago to visit: “Le Musé de la Bande Dessinée”. You might have seen the ridiculous photos. Anyway, I was in my glory because they were celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Les Stroumphs” and if you know me at all, you know how fond I am of those little buggers. I think it’s the euphoric state of innocence in which they live that makes me so happy.
The rest of this letter is intended for those of you who really care about me. You’re all welcome to read but you might get bored.
What was truly amazing about this past month was my mental wellbeing. I’m sure you’ve all experienced moments in your lives where you’re simply not happy for an extended period of time. You get caught up in routines which you are not satisfied with and spend time doing things you find unfulfilling. You end up with a strong feeling of apathy towards the world. That's exactly how I was feeling back home. I was craving something new and refreshing but all I found was the usual everyday dealings, I wanted to feel ecstatic but all I felt was apathetical. It turns out that my ticket here was literally my ticket out of this mess. There has been a certain happiness in which my mind and spirit have been absorbed and somehow it seems to make every moment, even the bad ones, at least tolerable.
The question is why. So, right now you’re thinking its because you're in Europe having an amazing time, experiencing new things, meeting new people etc etc etc. Somehow, I feel the reason is more deeply rooted then simple novelty, and besides wouldn't that have worn off by now? I think it has to do with Me. If you don’t already know this, I’m going to write it out for you LOUD and clear: Exterior circumstances can not determine how you feel on the inside. If you’re on the apathetical level, maybe you’ll be able to satisfy yourself or even make yourself happy by doing something entertaining. But if you’re unhappy with yourself and your life, the change is going to have to come from the inside or your brain how ever you want to look at it.
So you’re thinking I’m contradicting myself now. Why has a new setting emotionally charged me if I just finished saying externalities can not make you happy? I think the deal is that my mind is much freer now. Not having a world of academics to worry about, which is at the heart of my ambition, gives me time to think. It’s simple really, no homework equals time, and with this time, I have been able to bring myself to a new level of feeling.
I mentioned Me earlier. First of all I’m not writing a biography here. I only want to point something out to all of you who might not have realized it yet, something that makes me Me. I’ve always been the type of person who is very conscious of himself and the world around him (I’m trying to expand this to world in general). I’m not only talking on a self-conscious level, I mean with regards to almost everything about me from the way I dress to the way I ponder my interpersonal interactions. This characteristic is what allows me to understand how I feel with regards to people, my life and the world that surrounds us. When it comes down to it, I am conscious about my consciousness, I reflect on my own thoughts and put my own opinions into question. That doesn’t mean I’m totally and utterly confused as you might be thinking. It’s quite the contrary, by doing this I allow myself to better understand why things are the way they are. I’m an engineer, and therefore I need proof, logic and reason to understand things. I try my hardest never to take things for granted.
By the way I don’t care what you think, because I feel that my introspective pattern is one of my strongest qualities. You’re welcome to give me your opinion though.
So sure, sometimes it can be bad and it leads me to care too much about what others think of me. Of course there are limits to everything, and caring what people think is definitely important no matter how you swing it, unless you’re a hermit. Caring too much is just as bad as you know. It prevents one from being outgoing and original. I love being different and I’m learning to be outgoing. But at the same time I’ll always care what certain people think of me, for example my friends and family. I’ll always want them to think the best of me because I’ll always think the best of them. I never want to let people down, I want to be that person you can always trust and rely on. It’s up to you to decide whether you think that’s true, all I can do is my best.
So, all this to say that I’ve made a huge step, no … a leap, in terms of making the decision when to care and when not to care. You might think you’ve already made this step and I’m lagging behind. Maybe, but better now then never right? Do you walk down the street proud of who you’ve become, of what you’re making yourself? Good! Me too. Call me what ever you want, I am proud of the person I’m becoming because I’ve put and continue putting time into reflecting and effort into improving Me. I’m not aiming to be perfect, that would be silly. I’m aiming to be open minded and positive. Something I learned was critical from a handful of people.
“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” – From an e-mail my wonderful mother sent me.
Something else I felt needed changing is my jump-to-the-gun way of judging (is that an expression or did I just make it up?). I’ve always had strong beliefs in what is right and what is wrong. Probably because of the way things were so clearly laid out for me as I grew up. As a consequence I ended up thinking I was right as soon as I had an opinion! Hahaha, funny ey? Well guess what. I bet you do the same, didn’t you just judged me right now? I don’t hold it against you if you did. It’s ingrained into us as we grow up that we need to have a set of beliefs and values by which we are defined. This entails that others with different beliefs and values are not on the “right” track. So maybe you think this doesn’t apply to you. Have you ever judged someone for being religious by telling yourself religion makes no sense? Or even worse, have you ever judged someone for saying something you used to believe but no longer do? I have. But all it took was for the most reasonable boy I know to explain to me why judging is a waste of time. Asides from only being a non-productive negative pastime, it’s simply of bad character. How can you pass a judgment with out understanding why? It took me a while to realize that what’s good and makes sense to me might not to someone else. The most interesting (and maybe only) thing I learnt from my anthropology course was that people pass judgments because they do not know the full story. So I’m learning to accept the way people are instead of thinking they should be different, even if I don’t understand why.
How could I accomplish this with out putting into question my own opinions?
All these changes in my attitude, these are what have really been making me happy and clearing my mind, not the traveling nor the beer. I feel like I'm starting to understand life slowly. So, what to do with this happiness other then let it be seen and do as much good for the world as I can? I wasn’t always this way.
I previously said “I’ve always been the type of person…”. That was a lie. Sometimes I lie. Someone, a very special person helped me become this way and helped me to begin growing up. Because to me, all this is part of growing up. This person taught me to use my brain for things other then school. They took the time to explain my personality to themselves so that they could then explain it to me. They were one of my few friends to really see how childish I was on the inside. Which was acceptable at the time don’t get me wrong, I was young and innocent! So, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank her. You know who you are.
I’d also like to thank many others. Of course, to truly express how I feel would be a waste of time because there are no words (that I know of, which isn’t say much ;) that could truly express how much I love you and how thankful I am for every minute of your lives you have devoted to me. For those of you who showed up to my birthday, you are exceptional. I will love you forever. It made me so incredibly happy to speak to all of you. (For those I didn’t get to speak to, I was using telepathy)
Dear friends and family,
You who have helped me sculpt my life from the beginning
With out you I’d feel like any old fish in the sea
You who fill my days with happiness and meaning
With out you, I just wouldn’t be Me
Love from across the ocean,
Jean-Philippe Moya
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Antwerpenstraat
Goede dag iedereen!!
From the sunny warm beaches of Majorca, I have made my way to the chilly wet streets of Antwerp. But who's complaining?
The next step of my journey started with a short flight to Brussels. Well, it ended up being much longer then anticipated. It might have had something to do with the screaming baby beside me. Anyway, I arrived sane.
Let me tell you, when you go from having Nothing to do to having a bunch of small things that need attending to, it feels like the end of the world. My first week here was definitely very hectic. I spent most of my time after work running around left, right and center trying to get things organized. Which isn’t easy when you get off work at 17h, and stores close at... well, 17h. By the end of the first week I was more or less settled, I knew how to get around and I had met and remembered all the names of the 20-or-so trainees working here at Agfa with me.
This brings me to my next point. Multiculturalism is amazing. There are interns working here from all over the world. Most are even very interesting and insightful. We often discuss cultural differences and exchange thoughts on the subject. On occasions, parties are hosted by people sharing a common background to introduce the rest of the itnerns to their customs. I am planning on have a Canadian party, so to speak. There shall be de la tire, poutine and maybe even Nanaimo bars! My two flat mates are part of the large French community. We get along very well, in French. Its really nice to have people to go home to. I hardly ever feel lonely because they're there! There are also many other interns in the near vicinity.
Something which was repeated to me countless times before coming here was that Belgium is know for its chocolate, its beer and its astonishingly shitty weather. They were right on all counts. It feels like it rains a lot here, but maybe that's due to a reminiscence of beautiful weather from not so long ago. But when I'm at work, I don't care.
As long as my weekends are sunny, which they have been.
My first weekend here I went to Brussels on Saturday. We roamed the streets and marveled at the beauty of La Grance Place. A huge square surrounded by aged buildings sculpted to the finest detail, carefully illuminated to allow their gold pinnacles to glimmer in the night. The place was full of people gathered around, watching a musical march take place. We started our night in a bar with Chevaliers, a liter of beer served in an oddly shaped vase, and we spent the rest of the night drinking and wandering. We took the first train back in the morning, and from there I took the first train to Breda with a couple friends. Breda is a small town in Holland near the border. We were blessed with a cloudless sky and warm air. Having spent the day in the sun, we decided to go for a Koffee. That’s when an almost predictable event occurred. A girl by the name of Marie-Jane came and sat down with us. She was actually very nice, and knew just how to make us laugh! Being of good company, we spent the day with her walking around having a good-old-time.
My second weekend in Belgium, I went to see Yannis in Liège! Once more, beautiful weather was
upon us. So what did we do? We played a game where he was The Guide and I the tourist. We drank among the Wallonians, the French Belgians, who were hosting celebrations in the name of their culture. We ate des gauffres and drank de l'hidromiel (honey wine, Mmmm). We drank des Bières Spéciales, which are high in alcohol content, all day. I really mean all day... I've never been drunk off of so many different beers before! Some had 8%, 9% and even 12% alcohol! Amazingness. On Sunday we drove to Holland again, to a town named Maastricht. We didn't stay very long; it was more of a drive through. And what a coincidence it was. You'll never guess who we saw! We spoke briefly and to my greatest surprise Yannis had already known Mary for many years!
Last weekend was just as amazing as the first two. Except this time I was in Paris! I got to 
spend the whole weekend with Samisosa. It was so amazing, everything about it! Thibault even came up from Toulouse. We also met up with my friend Marion which I met in Mallorca. So wonderfully pleasent that was. It was so warm and sunny all weekend; we walked around for hours on end hoping to see everything we had planned. From the Eiffel tower to le marché aux puces to le Cartier Latin. We did Paris in a weekend. I’ve posted pictures on BookFace.
As for work, I must admit how truly lucky I am. My colleagues are so nice. They're always there to help me and most of the time quite anxious to practice their English. Did I mention EVERYONE here speaks English? It's remarkable. What’s even better, my boss has been one of my most pleasent acquaintances so far. He's very understanding and knows how to handle my situation. I really lucked out. As of now, I've just barely scraped the surface of my project. Incase you care, my project involves a lithography** technique, the printing plate, and how it wears with time. These plates are used to print newspapers, books, magazines etc. I'm quite happy with the project because it draws concepts from my studies. What more could I ask for?
I'll leave it at that, I don't want to bore you with the meticulous details behind it all. I wish you all the best of luck.
Until next time,
Jaypee
** Wiki says: Lithography is a method for printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Paradies Beach
Hello everyone !!
First of all, if you're reading this. Thank you. There would be no point in me posting this blog if you didn't read it, obviously. It's also nice to know I have friends and family who care for me enough to read about my life.
Well, I don't really know where to start. Frankly, my life these past few weeks has been intense. And by intense I mean extreme (Those aren't synonyms are they?). So as you all know, I hope, I spent my month of August in Spain. Now, if you're truly my friend you wont be jealous of what I'm about to say. If I had to sum it all up in one word, I'd use the word 'Spectacular'. There were so many moments that were simply unreal, it was really a spectacle now that I look back on it.
To recount all the stories would be impossible. Everyday was an adventure. You know that feeling of waking up and having absolutely no commitments or responsibilities? Well, that's how I lived for a month. Usually I would decide over breakfast what I felt like doing that day. Sometimes I'd wait until lunch to decide. There were also days were I ended up doing nothing. Even those days were enjoyable though, because when your mind isn't tied down by obligations you can let run free and fill it with positivity.
So why don't I start by explaining what I would do on a typical day. I'd usually wake up late morning to sun pouring into room and a delicious smell in the air. I'd take my time and have a complete breakfast because its the most important meal of the day. The beach was next on the list. If ever I didn't hit up the beach at least once during the course of the day, it was because there was serious business that needed attending to. I would oil myself up before I got to the beach and lay there for hours. Baking, reading, admiring. I don't think I need to specify what I was admiring. It should be clear to you if you know me even in the least bit. So, I'm not sure if you've ever swam in the Mediterranean before, but if you have then you'll understand what I mean when I say its heaven on earth. Crystal clear water, warm like you couldn't believe. Nights would be spend partying. I would say we partied one night out of two.
At one point there were 6 of us in the apartment. Tal, Daniel (my cousin), Dani, Dani's Welsh friend (Jason), Etienne and I. This lasted one week. The most ridiculous week of my life. I partied 8 straight nights, from sun set to sun rise. We would start the night with one of our devised concoctions which we drank from a bucket with long-ass straws. This was an awesome way to meet people. And by people I mean girls. (You wouldn't want to make friends with a bunch of drunk German guys either) We then would choose a location to party depending on the nationality we wanted to be surrounded by. We had lots of options: German, Dutch, English and Spanish.
We also went on a day trip around the island. The trip was amazing. Everything about it. We were 5, crammed inside a little Ford Focus. Our first stop was in a little old peublo. We walked through beautiful little streets until we found a cafe. Later on, we made our way to the mountains driving up threatening zigzagy roads all the way to the top. By the time we got to the monastery it was lunch time, so we decided to find ourselves a peaceful place to
sit and enjoyed a Jamon Serano sandwich. Which is what we ate everyday for lunch. Our trip continued until we arrived to an enclosed bay with turquoise water. With the mountains in the distance you almost felt as though you were dreaming. What made this one of the most incredible moments of my trip was the ambient music flowing out of speakers spread out around the shore. With the sun’s warm touch on my skin and music on my mind I had to express the happiness and calmness I felt in that moment. Dancing was the only way to go.
As for the people I met, well they made my summer that much better. I really liked how I met people (and this time I mean people) from all around Europe. We got to talk and discuss our culture differences. We met a French crew at one point. We partied with them and chilled with them on the beach. By that time I was switching between languages as if it was my job
It was a summer like I’ve never experienced and I am thankful
for every second of it. It wouldn’t have been the same had those select few people not been there. So thank you as well (you know who you are) I’m really happy I was able to share such amazing experiences and party so hard with you.
Now, I have left the warm sunny beaches of Mallorca for the rainy weather of Belgium. But this is a whole new experience in itself. This is a lovely city with beautiful girls. Obviously the two most important things, in an inversed order. I’m excited to see what this place has in store for me.
I hope this post wasn’t too long, I simply couldn’t have expressed what I wanted otherwise!
Until the next time friends,
I miss you and love you all.
Jaypee
First of all, if you're reading this. Thank you. There would be no point in me posting this blog if you didn't read it, obviously. It's also nice to know I have friends and family who care for me enough to read about my life.
Well, I don't really know where to start. Frankly, my life these past few weeks has been intense. And by intense I mean extreme (Those aren't synonyms are they?). So as you all know, I hope, I spent my month of August in Spain. Now, if you're truly my friend you wont be jealous of what I'm about to say. If I had to sum it all up in one word, I'd use the word 'Spectacular'. There were so many moments that were simply unreal, it was really a spectacle now that I look back on it.To recount all the stories would be impossible. Everyday was an adventure. You know that feeling of waking up and having absolutely no commitments or responsibilities? Well, that's how I lived for a month. Usually I would decide over breakfast what I felt like doing that day. Sometimes I'd wait until lunch to decide. There were also days were I ended up doing nothing. Even those days were enjoyable though, because when your mind isn't tied down by obligations you can let run free and fill it with positivity.
So why don't I start by explaining what I would do on a typical day. I'd usually wake up late morning to sun pouring into room and a delicious smell in the air. I'd take my time and have a complete breakfast because its the most important meal of the day. The beach was next on the list. If ever I didn't hit up the beach at least once during the course of the day, it was because there was serious business that needed attending to. I would oil myself up before I got to the beach and lay there for hours. Baking, reading, admiring. I don't think I need to specify what I was admiring. It should be clear to you if you know me even in the least bit. So, I'm not sure if you've ever swam in the Mediterranean before, but if you have then you'll understand what I mean when I say its heaven on earth. Crystal clear water, warm like you couldn't believe. Nights would be spend partying. I would say we partied one night out of two.
At one point there were 6 of us in the apartment. Tal, Daniel (my cousin), Dani, Dani's Welsh friend (Jason), Etienne and I. This lasted one week. The most ridiculous week of my life. I partied 8 straight nights, from sun set to sun rise. We would start the night with one of our devised concoctions which we drank from a bucket with long-ass straws. This was an awesome way to meet people. And by people I mean girls. (You wouldn't want to make friends with a bunch of drunk German guys either) We then would choose a location to party depending on the nationality we wanted to be surrounded by. We had lots of options: German, Dutch, English and Spanish.
We also went on a day trip around the island. The trip was amazing. Everything about it. We were 5, crammed inside a little Ford Focus. Our first stop was in a little old peublo. We walked through beautiful little streets until we found a cafe. Later on, we made our way to the mountains driving up threatening zigzagy roads all the way to the top. By the time we got to the monastery it was lunch time, so we decided to find ourselves a peaceful place to
sit and enjoyed a Jamon Serano sandwich. Which is what we ate everyday for lunch. Our trip continued until we arrived to an enclosed bay with turquoise water. With the mountains in the distance you almost felt as though you were dreaming. What made this one of the most incredible moments of my trip was the ambient music flowing out of speakers spread out around the shore. With the sun’s warm touch on my skin and music on my mind I had to express the happiness and calmness I felt in that moment. Dancing was the only way to go.As for the people I met, well they made my summer that much better. I really liked how I met people (and this time I mean people) from all around Europe. We got to talk and discuss our culture differences. We met a French crew at one point. We partied with them and chilled with them on the beach. By that time I was switching between languages as if it was my job
It was a summer like I’ve never experienced and I am thankful
for every second of it. It wouldn’t have been the same had those select few people not been there. So thank you as well (you know who you are) I’m really happy I was able to share such amazing experiences and party so hard with you.Now, I have left the warm sunny beaches of Mallorca for the rainy weather of Belgium. But this is a whole new experience in itself. This is a lovely city with beautiful girls. Obviously the two most important things, in an inversed order. I’m excited to see what this place has in store for me.
I hope this post wasn’t too long, I simply couldn’t have expressed what I wanted otherwise!
Until the next time friends,
I miss you and love you all.
Jaypee
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