Thibs'

At night

2010-06-01T15:58:00.008+02:00

Oh, how they glisten!

The notes like sparks,

Won’t you just listen?

How they shine, shards

Of light and they darken

My oddest remarks.

New DEP Single: "Farewell, Mona Lisa"

2010-02-21T02:40:00.007+01:00

>>> Order the Album on iTunes here <<<

Pulling the puzzles apart

2009-10-11T01:51:00.005+02:00

It's way past bedtime, and I've got nothing to do but write. Write about my day, this night, or is it my life? This life. Who cares? I'll catch the next train to sleep, the one sleep specialists say comes at 2.

The bus driver looks like a nice guy. I didn't even know there could still be a bus there at 11:30 pm, which makes him seem somewhat nicer. Does this bus stop at my stop? Apparently not, but he says he can drop me on the other side of the hotel, and that it's not too long a walk. I don't really care, I don't mind the walking. I like walking, especially on dark gloomy streets. I love the contrast between the faint orange street lights and the dark, the shadows of buildings and the white neon lights. Or maybe it's just that everything looks so quiet, so calm. Past a certain time, this world can very much seem like a sleeping giant.

In a way it makes me feel more alive, to think that there may be a risk to walk on the road less traveled. Funny it should be dark, that's not how I usually imagine it.

Well, the guy assumes I just want to get home as soon as possible. It's true, but it doesn't really matter that much.

Oh shit, no change in my pockets, just my credit card! The driver tells me that at this time in the evening, no one is going to check anyways. I can travel for free.

We keep talking about where he's going to drop me off. If only he had known how little I actually cared, we wouldn't have talked at all. But I wanted to talk about it. Seems like the appropriate thing to do, act like you care. And he's really nice and looks like he enjoys talking to people, which is why I didn't let the conversation die.

Are you a student? Yep. You go to ESSEC? Yes. I surprised myself on this one. Tonight like for most of this semester, I didn't give a crap where I went to school. Not like a few months ago, when I could never prevent my overinflated ego to shine all across my face when people who couldn't care less asked me where I studied out of sheer politeness. Why? Is it pride? Am I proud? Of what? Going to a good school? What the hell, I don't even know what that means, a "good school". What the hell happened to me in the last 12 years?

But tonight I was in touch with the child I brought home from Africa. The one who got beat up in 7th grade. The one who didn't understand the world around him, but was eager to learn. The one who was infinitely wiser than I have been these past years. I didn't give a crap, I was just me, not the other ESSEC guy I hate and wish would disappear.

I said it the way I meant it, not the way I thought he would want me to say it. A liberating feeling truly, to be yourself. It's kind of like taking off the make-up, and liking what you see in the mirror. Obviously, I don't actually wear make-up. Well, not the visible kind anyways.

So are you going to the party on Tuesday? Ha! He knows about it. What should I say? Yes, of course I am going to the party!

I don't really enjoy the parties, I just like spending time with my friends. I don't see them enough this semester. Or not for long enough periods of time. But who am I kidding? They want me to get drunk. It would be the first time if I did, and frankly it would kill me to do it. Those who know me know that I stand firmly against alcohol and getting drunk. It's a question of values. Or non-conformism or something. Or health, safety...integrity. Yeah, integrity. Sounds good but can I really say I always act with integrity? Hell no. So what's it to me? Who knows. Defending what's left of my past, perhaps. I always look to the future by nature. I've always been like that. Sort of like a refuge, but it makes me neglect the present, and regret the past.

So it turns out the bus driver volunteered to drive us drunken and worn out students back home, throughout the early morning hours on Wednesday. He won't make a single dime for the extra hours. He just does it for the students. So does he care about helping students? Does he like cleaning up puke at 4 o'clock in the morning? I knew it! He tries to look like he doesn't care about his surroundings, with his slightly detached attitude. But he loves his job. He loves meeting new people. I can tell. I can always tell these things.

"Oh what good is it to live, with nothing left to give
Forget but not forgive, not loving all you see"

What's home when you're all alone? Well, maybe the incredible music of Coldplay playing through the late hours of the night. People like us don't care much for short-term purpose. We enjoy the little, insignificant things and savor them as much as possible. Every note on that keyboard. The beauty of every thought shared with a complete stranger. Every strum on that abrasive guitar. Every little cloud of fog moving mysteriously under a street light. Every ray of morning light that tries to wake you up. Every drop of rain on your skin. The look in someone's eyes on the bus. The concrete arches of the tunnel's ceiling gliding in and out of the back window.

For the first time in ages, I sang my heart out today.

And it felt like I was telling a tale of a billion years.

Projects for the year!

2009-09-27T13:42:00.006+02:00

Hi there!

Did you miss me?

This semester, my outlook on life has really shifted since the 2nd-year internship this summer. Here and there a few illusions have been destroyed and forgotten, and I now feel freer than ever. And I am dreaming big. Really, BIG. More on that at next summer if these dreams do come true (and they just might! :P).

One of the reasons why I feel somewhat guilty for not having posted anything these past weeks is that I have much more free time than the last 2 years. I am literally looking at 8h weeks in terms of classes. But before you start rambling about how it's scandalous to have so few hours, and that I should've taken advantage of that to post, yada yada yada, you should know that there are many things I am working on at the moment. My time has indeed been put to good use this month.

First of all, I am deep into the paperwork required for me to go to Emory for next semester's exchange. I still have papers to fill out with the bank, which is very time-consuming and requires constant focus. Otherwise, it's pretty much done...for the first phase. Then once Emory confirms that everything is in order, I will have to work things out with the US embassy, which should also be fun! I heard they require a 15-minute interview with all visa applicants, and that actually seems quite interesting.

In other news, as a member of Sife ESSEC, I am currently working towards leading my own humanitarian project. It would consist of doing something to support Njala University in Sierra Leone, once a leading university in the region, which was destroyed by the civil war and needs help to get back on its feet. One of the main ideas I have is setting up a business incubator there, with the guidance of ESSEC Ventures and the financial support of major corporate players in Sierra Leone. In the short term, I am preparing a presentation for next week to try and get people on board.

Njala University

Njala University

Recently, I applied to work as a monitor, specifically in inter-cultural negotiations, within ESSEC Irene, a (the?) leading European research center in the domain of negotiations, provider of seminars, conferences, and more, including to top universities such as, yes, the big H. Given my 13 years spent abroad, and my subsequent deep interest in relations between cultures, I believe this would be a very rewarding experience for me.

I am also going to retake the TOEFL asap. Now I know 108/120 is good, and I know it was enough to pass the Emory requirements, but the thing is, I should have gotten ~10 more points. I misunderstood the format, waited for 20 minutes like a jack***, and didn't get the chance to put in my answers for the very first text of the reading comprehension section. As a result, that section was graded 19/30, while the others were graded 30, 29, and 30. Just because I didn't pay attention. That's so like me to do things like that (don't laugh, I hate myself) , but this time, I am going to try and make things right.

In more general terms, although I do have fewer classes than the last two years, the work is much more team- and project-based. Read "long-term and difficult to plan out". I am part of approximately 5 different teams in various subjects and, believe you me, we are far from roommates. From those who go back to Paris whenever they are free, to those who have other things going on (like me and my projects), to those who get annoyed and jumpy because of the complexity of the whole situation, it has become somewhat stressful. The funny part is, the work we have to do is not actually that hard or demanding. The real challenge is getting organized.

And I didn't even talk about the help I am providing my sister with to get her things set up in Paris. She's attending Sciences Po, and do you know what they study there? Uh-huh, 1st year microeconomics. And guess who did that most recently in the family (with a Sciences Po professor, oh, the irony)? Yours truly.

So yes, I have been for all intents and purposes, internet-dead this month, but as you can see, it's because many different things are happening in my life.

Busy...Busy-ness... Business.

It actually makes perfect etymological sense.

So why, oh why, didn't I see any of that coming?

Extrapolations on Perspective

2009-08-13T07:10:00.014+02:00

The context

A few weeks back (it must have been around 5 weeks back), as some of you may know, I was out in the sun, visiting as many buildings as possible to build a database at work.

As I walked passed the beautiful and gigantic Etisalat tower that I had just surveyed/ reviewed, I realized that these tall and new buildings that were closer to the roads were actually hiding many less-than-impressive residential buildings, home to the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan working classes. Essentially forming the core of the various blocks in the area, these low-rise properties (5 floors) were bustling with life.

Ground-floor retail, -or GFR as it has come to be known in our office-, makes the streets there radiate with colors. No fancy marketing, all of these shops are mediocre at best and the signs are indeed colorful, but rarely tasteful. Nonetheless they provide the many residents of the area with laundry services, photocopy services, computer repairs and cheap coffee shops. As dirty (it seems unhealthy to even walk past some of them) and shabby as they were, it occurred to me that these minute shops together formed the very heart of the community I was in.

So here I was, observing avidly what people were up to. Some of them were sitting on stairs in front of the buildings. Others were simply walking and looking around. 11 perfectly identical buildings were organized in what could be called a sub-block, and they surrounded a central open space. Kids were shouting. They were playing cricket. As I continued my survey, I started to feel like I was becoming part of all this. The noise, the colors, the movement, the (most unpleasant) smells. The place engulfs you in a feeling of warm and welcoming discomfort.

As I finally decided that I had entered a whole other world than the one I had imagined back when I was surveying the luxurious, spotless 40-storey tower of the national telecom company, I was quick to sink deeply into one of these "take-a-step-back" moments that have come to provide me, over the years, with most of my more philosophical insights and, later, convictions.

As it often happens, my metaphor-loving mind started drawing lessons on something completely unrelated: Leadership.

And then it struck

It started unexpectedly. Conscious as I was of the deep clivage between the appearance and the reality of the area, my eyes tried to find the landmark building I had first surveyed, to revel even more in this striking divide. Surely, with 35 floors more than the old little clones, I would have no trouble locating the gleaming tower that was merely 60 to 70 meters away. But I couldn't. Why? Perspective.

So close was I to the smaller residences, I could not even see the tip of Etisalat A. I took a few steps back. Not there. Another few steps back. No luck either. I turned around and moved in a few swift strides to the center of the sub-block to get the best chance to see it. Turned around, it wasn't there. I was trapped. Trapped in this other world. It was somewhat suffocating but I stayed there and started thinking. (now it gets freaky ^^)

The metaphor

To me, it seemed these buildings could be compared to people. What if this whole thing was a company? The idea seemed good.

I was now a small, almost insignificant worker in a massive multinational firm. The telecom tower was the global CEO of the group. The once-white buildings were now middle-to-low managers. In this context, I noted that the Harvard-educated CEO who earned USD 5 million as a base salary and 7 more in company stocks, lived in Santa Clara in Cal, and drove an Enzo was relatively less impressive, in the eyes of the ant I had become, than the mere team leaders with high-school educations and simple Fiesta's and Clio's. Indeed, it was safe to say that, to me my direct supervisors, albeit being infinitely less high-ranking and qualified than the superstar CEO, were my only masters. The CEO was not even in sight! So what can we draw from that far-fetched metaphor?

Lessons for the CEO (also note that "CEO" is a metaphor for anyone with some power, in any context, including non-professional)

The more people you lead, the more you become invisible to the people you lead, because the size of your company pushes you out of sight of the low-ranking employees. Indeed the middle managers, who become essential as more people work for your company, are closer to your employees than you are. Never forget that middle managers have more influence than you do.

If you become invisible like the Etisalat tower...how do you solve this problem? It's difficult if not nearly impossible without radical measures such as laying off all middle managers and the resulting unsupervised workers (talk about becoming popular ^^), but it would certainly help a lot to spend time getting known by the workers. This can be done most effectively... by getting to know some of them on a more personal basis. Come this close to a worker and he will soon realize that the tower you are is indeed so much more than the supervisor he previously held in admiration. Let them actually see you where they can compare you with their direct supervisors. You will gain much respect from them and obtain more political power when it comes to managing your firm.

You must also (and it is less logistically challenging than the previous piece of advice), communicate extensively with your employees. Heck, keep a blog updated, or a weekly newsletter, to let them know what's going on and what you are currently assessing in terms of company strategy, provide them with extensive feedback tools and listen to their ideas. Make your workers feel valued not by the elusive "company" (that's a mistake many firms do), but by YOU personally. No matter how far along on the evolutionary track human beings are when it comes to abstract thinking, no idea or concept can ever be as inspirational as another human being providing them with direction, attention, and a sense of self-worth. Any action you can take to be that human being in their eyes, will earn you respect and near-blind trust. The most valuable assets of a leader.

However, in applying these methods, be especially careful not to completely overpower the lower managers, as they remain a vital link between your strategy and its different resulting applications. It's a question of balance. Keep everyone aware that you ultimately remain their leader, but don't crush people. Don't destroy the spheres of influence each supervisor gets from Perspective, because this influence, whether they know it or not, is their most valuable tool. Take it away, and you will find them to perform poorly. Your company will start lacking in coordination. Results will get affected and your credibility destroyed. The middle managers will either feel vain and leave by themselves, or HR will eventually make them redundant (take about becoming popular v.2 ^^).

In brief, be aware of Perspective. This driving force behind the concept of Leadership has to be kept balanced enough so that you retain your power, without at the same time affecting your company negatively by giving the impression you are the only one with power. You have the most power, yes, but NEVER all of it.

And in the meantime, I feel like Machiavelli LOL.

Lessons from this Week/ "Explaining the Complaining"

2009-07-14T17:13:00.016+02:00

So I came home yesterday. I thought the day was never going to end. Every minute seemed to bring its small share of pain. I realized a few things , beause, yes, I consider myself the "learning" type. I understood that:

-If someone gives you something to do, it's always your call in the end, but be sure to be balanced overall. If you become a "yes person", or a "no person", it will be used against you.

-Never trust anyone, and I mean anyone. Before you know it, even your best friend will be kicking you on your way out. This lesson I had already learned before though, but it's another story.

-When working in a team, the discussion shouldn't be between Titles, but the actual People behind them. It's just unnerving to have 10 people in a meeting room, watching a three-way conversation for an hour, and taking notes. You might as well stay in school and write down valuable things. This is especially important in situations where titles (and their corresponding job descriptions) are violated daily. It only adds to the irony of it all.

-Two days ago, we were reviewing a draft for a 100,000$ report that is due next week. Believe it or not, in the pompously named "Marketing Strategy" section there was written, and I quote: "Blah Blah Blah". Conclude what you will, but I, for one, was disappointed by the whole of mankind at the very moment the slide appeared. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist, huh?

-Leadership should mean thinking ahead, not smiling and talking "the talk". There shouldn't be any other definition of it. Communication is a tool of leadership, not the actual thing itself. Always keeping your interests in mind is one thing, but when it shows it's not leadership, it's ridiculous.

-Perhaps the most important realization today was that no one really cares about the job. People are interchangeable, and 90% of them don't actually enjoy what they do.

-Why is this last point so important? Because it goes to show that you shouldn't sweat the small stuff (ie your work), and that in this world, there is no need for you to choose a job that you like. In turn, what you're really left with are office politics. Backstabbings. Rumors. Continuous deception. I was ASTONISHED by the amount of effort people put into seeming rather than actually being. If that makes any sense.

- That is why some of you may have seen on Twitter that I was being pushed towards entrepreneurship. Because I am definitely one of these people who care about doing exactly what they want with their lives. And I certainly don't want to cope with any office politics. Jut 2 months of it wore me down. (one month to go) And I was never even a real target.

Yesterday redefined hectic, but only until today, when the bar will really be set high. Imagine two days, from 8h30 to 18h, walking in 47C from building to building to approximate their floor plates' areas by PACING!!. 3o times per day. There. That's why it looks like I'm complaining.

And now to explain why I (seem to) always complain. I have a strong set of values. Integrity is one of them, Passion is one of them, Responsability, Respect, Justice and Equity are also among them. Yesterday, almost all of them got transgressed, one way or another. Usually these values come together, in what is roughly referred to as "Ethics". Social ethics, work ethics, etc. I believe they are essential, that's just the way I am.

And by the way believe it or not, I'm not a "hippie", nor left-wing on the political side. In fact I am more of a "conservative", as Americans would have it. A "liberal", in French terms. Just debunking a few common misconceptions here.

I have come to realize, after 19 years, that I was the only person I knew who actually never cheated once on a test. Well to be honest, I did try once or twice, but turning myself in each time, after class was over. I didn't get the points, but I got respect from my teachers. To me ethics are of utmost importance, because I know first hand that they will earn you respect from your peers. Hopefuly, it will inspire them to be ethical as well.

Now look back on a time you remember saying or thinking "Thibaut sure complains a lot". Consider the situation carefully and look at the values above. Understand now? Good, you've decrypted the Why.

The How is something I need to work on. When I am revolted by something and want to share it with others, and try to make them understand how important an issue poor ethics can be, I should strive not to give the impression that I am complaining. Frankly, I don't personally care if the tests aren't the same for different people in a same class. I don't really mind if poor marketing and organization can be resolved ever so easily and make our school twice as good at it is now. I don't mind when someone in a position of leadership makes the wrong decision, or doesn't take the best.

What really bothers me most is that people seem blind to the simplicity of improving things. I am strongly growth-oriented, it's in my very nature. I cannot understand how people can bear with a non-optimal status quo, and put up with all these things that don't only defy essential values but also common sense, when they are sometimes merely a step away from the best situation possible. That's what really frustrates me. A lot.

Some say I'm a Perfectionist, but I'm really an Idealist (by the way this has been confirmed by multiple tests: I'm an INFP). Maybe it looks the same and none of these two is particularly better than the other.

But the major difference is that, as an Idealist, I NEVER "complain" per se. I only speak up when things can be improved. Think about it. Last time you thought I was complaining, didn't I say stuff like "They could've...", "It would be so much better if...", or other things along this line? Chances are I did repeatedly.

I try to keep it as constructive as possible. Granted sometimes I fail to make my approach very clear. It is a communication issue I'm not exactly fine-tuned on yet. But I'm still young, and as I said, I am a learner.

ESSEC Lipdub!!

2009-06-05T11:39:00.004+02:00

I love my school!!!

Lipdub ESSEC 2009

The Converge Nouveau is coming! :P

2009-03-30T15:43:00.006+02:00

Ooooh YEAH!!! This, my friend, is going to be one amazing album, I can feel it. This kind of heaviness and blasting around is a very very good sign that, by the end of this year, Epitaph will have treated us to some great music. I am so excited!!

Amazing!!

2009-03-14T15:39:00.005+01:00

Rebuilding The Geek Inside

2009-03-05T00:01:00.008+01:00

Hi! :D

Okey! So here I am, it's quite late considering tomorrow's test and I just had a flash.

What if I became a true Geek? Not an amateur Geek, a real one. Now, considering a Geek is NOT a "nolife", but actually quite the opposite, it would make logical sense to strive for geekiness.

This is true because:

- A geek is usually knowledgeable and curious, striving to accumulate things that seem trivial but are actually fundamental. (ie: how, from the inside out, computers and IT work)

- A geek is passionate about a few things, interested in all, and will usually go a long way to keep up to date and even try to anticipate changes: excellent for a healthy mind.

Apart from that, you may ask why I would personally want to strive for the geek ideal, and how. Your wish is my command.

WHY:

Because I want to! And the more I look at the average Geek, and see how this definition fitted me as a child (obsessed with science, books and comics, not too fond of mathematics but just enough to be good, constant curiosity, etc), the more I feel I have somehow repressed this part of me.

Come to think of it, I may have become a little French around the edges. I de-geeked if you will, starting in 6th grade. It was the first time I came to France, aged 11. I realized then that I had never actually been exactly French-minded, and that it was a good thing. I had never encountered such a hostile place, such closed minds (Since I was arriving after 4 years spent in Ivory Coast, people thought I was African! For crying out loud!).

And now, 8 years later I wonder how facing this wall has affected me. I had trouble making friends (which I eventually did) when I was actually most eager to make friends. Instead, I was called origin-based names, and even bullied in 7th grade. It was impossible for me to apprehend such a complete shift in paradigm: it was no longer a good thing to be open, sympathetic, or a good student to be appreciated. You had to be "tough", as they said. Friendliness was not the best way to make friends anymore. I now wonder to what extent I might have "beaten myself in" during the whole process of finding a few valuable friends in France. I started reading less and less books, science magasines, and comics.

And these past few months, it's all caught up with me. I have been virtually math-deprived for the past 2 years, away from any science for 3 years and I haven't picked up a decent comic in a looong time. And low and behold! I understood how important these things were to me. Sure I'm crazy about aesthetics, am completely in love with music, have a blog and surf around. But the truth is, I fear that I am losing my ability to think logically and feel a little off-balanced. It really concerns me. I'd love a good biology class, or a physics class (geez to think it's been 4 years since my last class on the subject), be 7 again and discover new things eagerly.

Nowadays I look around me, see the world, contemplate it, even dream about how it might be, briefly indulging in a fleeting moment of self-contempt. But heck, I don't even understand a damn thing about how it all works. It's really quite depressing. Like I've cheated myself all this time, -and for what? Originally just to "fit in".

Now HOW will I reconnect the geek I've always been at heart? Excellent question.

I am thinking of changing activities a bit. Surfing is not productive, unless it is to check out wikipedia, work, or write an article to reflect on myself and formalize my inner desires. ^^

I need more involvement in my environment. I am fed up with artsy detachment, and other bullcrap excuses not to make any effort. Basically I have to turn back my whole approach of the world. And READ. God do I need to read. I think I'll get myself a new subscription to Science Et Vie, but not the Junior version like in the old days.

Activities I have to re-connect with include the following:

- Reading (classic books, historical fictions, sci-fi, and more),

- Reading (science mags, comic books, anything interesting which ideally will become everything written ^^),

- Drawing,

- Playing RPGs :P

- Sport, and not just the sporadic run in the park,

- Move around, go discover unfamiliar places, meet new people, start new projects.

- etc. (<<<>

There. That should just about get me started. :)

The Big Bang Theory

2009-03-02T21:57:00.005+01:00

Such a great show! I'm loving every bit. Sheldon is the best! :D

Atlanta here I come!!!

2009-02-11T23:34:00.008+01:00

>>> Official Site <<<

>>> Wikipedia Page <<<

I just received (this Tuesday) confirmation of my affectation to Emory University in Atlanta for next Spring Semester (January 2010 - June 2010)!!!! :D

A little presentation of Emory:

Emory was founded in 1836 and has been called a "New Ivy" by Kaplan and Newsweek. Its "Goizueta School Of Business" BBA program was ranked the 5th best undergraduate business school in the US by Businessweek, above NYU 's "Stern" (8th), UNC at Chapel Hill's "Kenan-Flagler" (12th), and UC Berkeley's "Haas" (11th). UPenn's Wharton is still number one, followed by McIntire, Mendoza and Cornell. With its $5.5 billion endowment, Emory U is known for being a research-intensive university, especially in medecine (their pre-med program is amazing), as they invest a lot in cancer and AIDS research ($1.6 billion in 2008/09).

Among notable faculty are former president Jimmy Carter, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, novelist Salman Rushdie ( writer of "The Satanic Verses") and many others.

Alumni include Christopher McCandless (the main subject of "Into The Wild"), Peter Buck (lead guitarist of R.E.M, -dropped out-), and several prominent politicians and businessmen (Andy Slater- CEO of Capitol Records, Duncan L. Niederauer - CEO of the NYSE, etc) as well as writers and scientists.

I feel so lucky to be able to experience a community with such a rich history of excellence. I will definitely try to make the most of these 6 months, Atlanta here I come! :P

Right-brained or Left-brained?

2009-02-05T22:02:00.006+01:00

You see the dancer rotating counter-clockwise?

You are left-brained! (like most people)

The dance rotates clockwise?

You are right-brained!

*LEFT-BRAINED people are analytical, rational, logical, sequential, objective. Generally the way of thinking is structured and clear-cut. They will understand by building the big picture from its components.

*RIGHT-BRAINED people are random, intuitive, holistic (big picture oriented), synthetical, subjective. They will see the big picture and then consider its different parts.

Personally, I am right-brained (not just proven by this test, but by several others as well). The thing with this dancer test is that you can "switch" the rotation if you try hard enough (you'll find it easier looking at the shadow below), so you really have to trust your first glance to define which operating mode is usually yours.

Optical illusions!

2009-02-05T21:35:00.005+01:00

Because we love them! (At least I do ^^)

Don't worry, I've checked them all very carefully, they are not animated gifs but real optical illusions. You can actually stop the "motion" if you concentrate hard and stop moving your eyes. Most of these illusions actually depend on the brain's own anticipations and the approximative visual information of the peripheral sight. By unconsciously/ mechanically sweeping over the image while looking at it, you merely imprint the approximative vision in your very short-term memory, the brain easily modifies this vague information, and holds it for hard fact, in order to fit the conclusion it calculates can be drawn: motion. Colors, shapes and the different priorities subconsciously set to each of these elements define the imaginary motion more precisely (orientation, 3D conversion, etc). And there you have it!

Verum Addo Pacis

2009-02-02T10:46:00.003+01:00

Structures rip open and break

Yet the inside remains intact

The dove is gradually rising.

Long live the glad upraising

Of love where hate is

Of joy where despair is.

And when the night comes

We won’t be scared, bathed

In the sacred peace, that

Burning feeling of comfort.

The sky won’t be clouded.

The light blinding, but it’s the only way

You know it’s the only way.

Memories: 1 song = 1 place

2009-01-25T19:02:00.005+01:00

Budapest (Hungary).

Quimper (France).

Pont-l'Abbé (France).

Muscat (Sultanate Of Oman).

Al Ain (United Arab Emirates).

Liverpool (United Kingdom).

San Francisco (USA).

Abidjan (Ivory Coast).

Abu Dhabi (UAE).

Dubai (UAE).

Oldies!!!

2009-01-07T22:38:00.004+01:00

Iiiiiiiit's... LAME TIME!! 90's electro/pop baby!To think we grew up listening to this lol. I thought I'd make a collection of some of my personal favorites. Some of these are actually still fun, ageless really! Others...but I'll let you be the judge of that hehe ^^

Anyways, be prepared,chances are these next videos will be a wild trip down memory lane for you too ;-)

ATC - "Around The World"

Alice Deejay - "Better Off Alone"

Haddaway - "What Is Love?"

Corona - "The Rhythm Of The Night"

Gala - "Free From Desire"

Ace of Base - "All That She Wants"

Aqua - "Barbie Girl"

Spice Girls - "Wannabe"

Meiko

2009-01-07T02:33:00.010+01:00

Discover Meiko!

I'm in shock. Really. Meiko took me completely off-guard. I wasn't expecting anything like that to ever be written, not in my lifetime. This is the first time I encounter a song that feels at once so very familiar yet strangely at the same time completely distant, almost alien. I've never felt anything comparable. This sort of sublime emotion I only knew (and believed I would only ever know) through a few movies, that very unique breed of movies where epic violence and utmost peace are put in startling contrast. This song is nothing violent, don't get me wrong, but musically speaking it's exactly the soundtrack I'd choose for, say, a long, contemplative scene in a sci-fi disaster movie of some sort...I don't know if I'm clear, if I'm making any sense with this, please excuse me if it's not the case but this song shook me to the core. Also, along with that breathtaking and confusing melody are personal lyrics about love that would make you feel lonely if you were in New York! How the heck do I respond to that??? That up-and-coming 1/4th Japanese L.A. indie artist is one big question mark. She somehow seeked out limits in my listening habits I would've never imagined, deleted tags here and there and shuffled a whole part of my mind in such a way that I'm not taking too many chances saying this song changed me. I have now to see how this will affect my future approaches to music, but I'm telling you after this song, I feel...washed. They say that's what music does, it cleans the soul. I used to think of it as just a nice idea to consider when there was nothing else to do. But this song made me a believer.

Just have a listen, and tell me. Should I like this? Should I not? Do I love it like fear itself? Or do I hate it for making me feel this lost??? This Meiko girl has to be a genius, and she's messing with my brain on this one! I am now launching what must be my 10th consecutive listen of "Hawaii", and still can't fully grasp the incredible magic that drives it, and makes it so hypnotic, so weirdly addictive. Let me sleep!!!

IWRESTELDABEARONCE

2008-12-03T18:29:00.008+01:00

iwrestledabearonce - "Tastes like Kevin Bacon"

Iwrestledabearonce- "Tastes like kevin bacon"

Very interesting music, by a slightly twisted band (check out their myspace). You're not sure what that means?

Here's an excerpt of the blog post on myspace introducing the new members (line-up has changed since the video):

"First is mikey on drums... mikey is a sexual beast and enjoys long walks on the beach as well as spooning.

next is mim on guitar... she is krysta's sister and she shreds balls. period. the end.

anndd finally we have dave on bass. he is a beast and makes love to the bass like it's an underage malaysian prostitute."

Heavy mosh parts + original music + lead singer and lead guitarist are sisters + funny bits + varied structure = one new fan...me! he!

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE - "ULRICH FIRELORD: BREAKER OF MOUNTAINS"

2:27 to 3:11 destroys all!!!

Future Of The Left: my discovery for this week :-)

2008-11-20T12:08:00.005+01:00

Future Of The Left, a band I discovered 2...days ago. ^^ Good music, straightforward yet complex enough. Perfect to re-conciliate yourself with good ol' rock'n'roll spirit.

This particular song, "adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood" makes me think of some sort of noise-style Rage Against The Machine. Veeeeery catchy, groovy tune :P

"Manchasm": The ending is fun: the cam starts following a cat called Collin instead of the white-haired man, and the band sing along stuff like "Colin was a pussy, a very pretty pussy" ^^ And it is kind of cute, I have to admit lol

Heavier music I love

2008-11-13T10:16:00.005+01:00

The song by Zao, "The Rising End" is great stuff, albeit perhaps a liiiittle repetitive, but both the main riff and the break (x2) are fantastic! Can you believe these guys are fervent christians?

Converge - Drop out: The beginning is "ok", but the end of this song is PERFECT!!!

Soft, harmless pop (before I post some more "catchy" stuff later on :P)

2008-11-12T23:53:00.006+01:00

Most of the time I listen to violent stuff, so people might think that's ALL I like. It's not true, I sometimes appreciate a little pop or pop/rock...given it's not too plain and/or that it's beautiful.

This song is extremely well-known, "commercial" in a way, soft. But I love it!

But THESE guys below really get to me! Such amazing music. Both of their albums soooo great, from A to Z. Presenting Needtobreathe!

Pursuit

2008-11-10T16:03:00.007+01:00

Ever wondered what it'd be like to go
From apathetic ignorance to enlightened willpower?
Run away, but escape not in vain.

Explore the vast jungles and lost temples of our time
Open your eyes to the futility of being self-assured
Unexpectedly calm bursts of violence

These walls are made of spiders
The ground is covered in leeches
Your nest is filled with slime

But find truth, find truth,
The darkest moments are lit only by the brightest lights
(And your madness is blinding)
Find peace, you’re now the prisoner of the freedom you chose.

Branches break under your feet,
The trees slouch in the heavy, humid air
Mosquitoes in your neck.

Rashes burn your skin,
Sweat crusting your hair
Dirt on and in your clothes,
And nowhere to sleep.

The trail is getting steeper now,
The air is crisp.
You can see the whole valley below.
And the bridge ahead.

All the bright colors,
Glowing even through the setting sun.
The strong scent of the blooming flowers
Makes your head spin.

You are above the birds now,
Above these white clouds.
(And Oh! The hypothetical fall…)

They won’t be keeping their terrible secret much longer.
Not from you.

The night is newly born.
Still, you keep ascending.
One step at a time, one breath at a time.
Following that haunting noise.

Your whole body is numb with pain,
Your hands keep shaking.

Breathe in…Breathe out…
Breathe in…Breathe out…

A sinister crack.
A dark bush trembled,
As though convulsing in violent, sudden pain.

Stop.
Your eyes wide open.

Only silence now survives the tension.
Your pounding heart invades your mind.

Patient… rigorous… pressure.

And in that very moment,
As warm blood gargles up your throat,

Death.

All your efforts erased in the blink of “Its” eye,
Such a simple lesson learnt, truly.
About greed, envy, and pride.

Farewell

2008-11-10T16:00:00.004+01:00

Well hey gorgeous, what were you hoping?

You crazy, furious waste of blue

Didn't you see the days slipping away,

The thick moist night swallowing you?

The time has come, everything has an end.

What makes it frightening is shattered and lost

When you forget you're alone. You aren't.

Around, the dance has only just started, unstoppable,

And soon, you’ll see, I'll be holding in your heart, burning it with love.

A burst of white heat fills your insides, acid rain running down your skin…

I appreciate your concern, but you won't be cared for ever again.

You’re helplessly longing for more time, when it finally strikes you.

You’ve spent your life in your deathbed.

And when you leave us here all dried up like summer grass,

We'll send you postcards of the desert in Chicago,

Remembering your mirth, and innocent selflessness,

Applauding how we smoothly drowned you in yourself.

You’re so close, yet still believe in your strength as a shield.

Think again, for we breathe that painful sweet-scented air about.

And so do you.

You wipe every single grain of dust off of the empty floor.

You'll be safe wherever you are, tiny particles just craving to unite.

It's funny how a few million years can change convictions, so don't worry,

We'll come back here after the dance, to spare us this farewell.

Blast from the past!

2008-11-10T02:35:00.009+01:00

Silence Is Sexy!

2008-11-10T02:21:00.005+01:00

And it's FREE, too! (Oh! And legal!) :P

Check it out...here!

Irrational, explained

2008-11-10T00:52:00.012+01:00

FEAR, stress, FAITH, envy, pleasure, beauty, LOVE, trust, HOPE, hate.

All irrational, yet feared, hated, believed in, trusted, enjoyed, contemplated, and loved always.

Why can't life be logical and clear-cut? "It would be cold?" What's that?...cold? Ha!

It would be EASY, that's what it would be. Perhaps a little boring too, but hey that's not too high a price tag for inner peace, right?

I have this lingering contradiction in me: I know for a fact that if there was only black on the one hand, and white on the other, I would probably spend my whole life blending both in infinite shades of grey. To me, unease in its most vibrant expression. Such a brilliant driving force.

I guess my desperate need for a logical explanation for everything expresses itself in my constant emphasis on relativity. Trying to find patterns in random systems, whilst unavoidably acknowledging the complexity of the task. Trying to reach something simple the hard way. It's all very much like rock-climbing, mind you.

Always -and only- at home away from home.

And that's just wrong, isn't it?

:-)

Free drum lessons!

2008-10-12T12:53:00.004+02:00

I really miss formal musical education, like I said already, but there are things on the net that come quite close to a formal teacher/student learning process.

NO, It's not a chat room where you talk to drummers live and play together via webcam... this could be very interesting, but extremely difficult to manage and supervise. And music is one of these things you either learn by yourself, or with someone with whom you have to work "live", or else it's just distracting...

HOWEVER, I really like this website Free Drum Lessons.

It offers very high quality drum lessons. From beginners to polyrhythm masters, anyone can learn on this site. There are a few e-teachers on this project, and all of them seem quite passionate about teaching drums.

Each lesson looks at a particular aspect of drumming. You find everything on there, from drum tuning to music notation, from dynamics to rudiments, or counting in 5/4. You can learn rock drumming, jazz drumming, latin drumming, and double-bass. you name it they have it. Each lesson is also associated to downloadable sheet music of the stuff covered in the video, so you can print it out, jot down a few things from the video, shut down the computer and PLAY!.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!! If one day you just don't feel like "learning" (in the formal sense) all that much, but still feel that urge to play for fun...you can conciliate both! Because free drum lessons has a whole bunch of pretty cool play-alongs, and you can download the drumless audio-only mp3 track for free as well!

Ex. of a play-along:

So yeah, just thought I'd share this with you ;-)

Fabulous movies..."Oh yeah, they're ab-so-lu-tely fab' " ^^

2008-09-21T16:30:00.004+02:00

Hi there! :D

Ok, I know almost no one actually reads this blog, however it's always a good idea to keep posts coming, just in case someone stumbles upon it ^^

Today I'm going to recommend three movies I've seen recently that I just can't get out of my head:

* "Crash"

* "The Shawshank Redemption"

* "Torremolinos 73"

- Crash was released in 2005, and I believe won numerous awards. It is a very powerful movie about how people relate to each other. The focus is on the people of L.A. but most of the message is universal. Touching mostly on the issue of racism, the film also includes a spectacular view of the holistic explanation of fear between people of different social levels. "Blacks, Whites, Spanish and Middle-Easterns, Riches and Poors, or the difficulty of interaction in a world of misunderstanding". That could fit as a suitable alternative title.

The movie dives deep into the psyches of its main characters, so as to allow the viewer to understand just how little control over themselves people have in an environment where stereotypes have power over individuals. Not only do these preconceived ideas about people keep others from seeing who they really are, but the movie also goes to show just how everyone unconsciously starts to fit these stereotypes. And thats the most tragic part of it all. Everyone feels trapped, because everyone actually is. And the only "easy" way out becomes violence.

- The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 movie that I unfortunately only got to see this year for the first time. It's about an innocent man, accused of having murdered his wife, who is sent to prison for life. The plot is quite "basic", because it just seems like one of these movies that focus on stuff you could just as well read about in your daily newspaper. But the story line goes much deeper than originally expected.

The movie becomes a tribute to willpower, patience, and the accomplishment of dreams, self-empowerment. As you see how this man leads his life in prison, intelligently laying low, yet gradually becoming a key individual for the prison's administrators, you learn more about prison itself. Of course it's a place of violence, of conflict, of loneliness and despair, but nothing is comparable to the destructive power it has on people. When you spend 20 years between 4 walls, you just don't feel the urge to get out anymore, because you start believing you could never get back to a normal life. Prison destroys dreams as it slowly becomes home. But not our man's. A very involving movie, with the touch of magic Frank Darabont always includes in his films.

- Torremolinos 73 is perhaps the lighter movie of the three. A Spanish-Danish production, it has that typical feel of Spanish films. The theme is love, undoubtedly, and how couples try to have their professional lives and love lives to go the best possible. The main character is a man, a movie director, who lives with an unhappy wife. His job keeps him from understanding that his wife needs more attention and love. Eventually, he starts making pornographic movies to make more money, and his movies feature him and his wife. The good part is that he spends more time with her, the bad part is that the wife starts to feel as though their renewed relationship is more of professional than romantic nature. And the husband is still completely blind.

One day he decides to write a more conventional movie: "Torremolinos 73". The movie as always, features his wife. (who by then has become an international porn star without the couple even noticing.) They go to Torremolinos (a city in Spain) and direct the movie with foreign actors. But towards the end the producer decides that the movie needs sex to attract people. The problem is that the wife now has to have intercourse with a complete stranger, while her husband (!) directs the scene. The man refuses but his wife readily accepts. "Why???", one may wonder. Well, it turns out the experience is so painful the husband realizes how much his wife matters to him. The movie is a success, the couple adopts the child conceived during the scene with the stranger (the main character is infertile) and everything ends for the best! And that's partly why that movie is lighter than the others! :) EVERYTHING is fixed.

I hope you'll go check these movies out at your local DVD rental shop because they are reeaaally worth it, you can take my word for it (although I don't do refunds if it turns out you don't like them lol)

See you later!!!

Flying stool

2008-06-12T15:07:00.008+02:00

Hi everyone!

Today I wanted to share this sweet video by a band I love: The Dillinger Escape Plan. The music video for "Milk Lizard", an interesting (albeit not as violent as other DEP songs) new single from their album "Ire Works". This video depicts the amazing adventures (and city exploration) of a selfless flying stool thrown by a girl during a bar fight. I thought that it wasn't that cool a video at first, but the end just got me laughing, so I think watching this is really worth it. Note also that this is one of Gil Sharone's first appearances with DEP as their new drummer. Enjoy!

I'm a drummer

2008-06-11T18:19:00.001+02:00

Hi again, this is my third post today, my first day of blogging. Hooray! :D

I figured you maybe wanted to know more about me. (yes I'm quite the egocentric ^^) After all, you are reading this blog, you might as well find out, piece by piece, who writes it.

So as I was saying, I am drummer. I have been one for the past two years, and this puts me in the "just-past-beginner" stage. I try to drum as much as I can, unfortunately I don't have loads of time nor a very easy access to drums where I live. I'm hoping next year to find some sort of local music centre where you get a 2€/h drum set and rehearsal room to play with friends, rather than the putrid cave I've practiced in several times this year (for 50€/ year) where the drums are always conveniently stored as a puzzle. :'(

My stage experience is rather short. I must have played a grand total of 3h30 in concert playing things I can't honestly say I enjoyed. Next year (a year of great expectations indeed lol), I'm going to see if I can get my band mates to write music together, or at least choose the stuff we play together...

Maybe I can also hook back up with a teacher to formalize my learning process. I started with a great teacher the first year but then left for my studies, so I started self-teaching myself. It works. You do grab a few techniques, tips and cool riffs here and there, but I feel it really isn't enough to achieve better independence, agility, dynamics and so on. Practice makes perfect and nothing beats, in my opinion, spending 2h a week with someone who knows how it's done.

If you're a drummer too, please contact me, share your experience and techniques, I'm eager to learn!!!

I will be posting more about drumming, most probably, and about music in general... ;-)

Thibs

This is how laundry should be folded!

2008-06-11T18:10:00.001+02:00

Hey,

I know this is the lamest first post in terms of actual "content". But I just had to share this with you. It's my secret weapon when it comes to doing the laundry, and doing it as fast as possible. This Japanese-ninja-what-have-you technique WILL blow your mind as it blew mine, and will save you precious minutes when doing your chores.

Folding Clothes Japanese Style - CrazyAsianVids.com

Enjoy ;-)

The Opening!

2008-06-11T13:27:00.001+02:00

Hi all! :-)

I thought I could resist this new blogging trend forever, but in the end I think it's kind of fun to just put my opinions "out there" and see what comes of it. Yes, I am weak. And I enjoy self-mockery quite a bit as I might or might not show in the articles you'll find here.

I almost forgot to introduce myself. The name is Thibaut. You are probably asking yourselves many questions now that you've learned this. So:

-First answer: it's pronounced "teebo".

-Second answer: it's French, as I am.

-Third answer: yes, you can just call me Thibs with whatever accent you wish. :D

Now I won't bother you with my personal life too much as of now, and I probably won't ever. The purpose of this blog is to be a place to post my thoughts, ideas, likes, dislikes, content from youtube or any website for that matter, so that you'll be able in turn to delve into my psyche and somehow get a sense that you know me personally... OOOOOOH THE ORIGINALITY!

Anyways, I really hope you enjoy my blog, that it'll give you stuff to reflect on, things to do when bored, etc. I want this to be as interesting for you as I hope it will be for me.

See you soon! ;-)

Thibs