Trips and countries
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The Tale Of the United Sands – 2nd Part (Kathy – Abu Dhabi – November 2024)
French and Dutch versions below Part 2 : Shadows and Light in the Land of Dreams The United Arab Emirates was a place where wonders met realities less radiant. The desert, once silent and endless, had been transformed into a land of modernity, dreams, and ambition. The cities gleamed under the sun, full of skyscrapers and sparkling shopping centres, but beneath this shining surface, there were far more complex challenges than met the eye. The country, in its pursuit of a bright future, also battled against invisible shadows. While prosperity was evident, there were struggles to manage the fragile environment. Resources were scarce, and water, this precious treasure, was a…
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The Tale of the United Sands (Kathy – Abu Dhabi – November 24)
French and Dutch versions below Part 1: A Vision of Unity in the Desert Once upon a time, across a vast, golden desert where the sands kissed the shimmering waters of the Gulf, there were seven proud and fiercely independent lands. Each was a sheikhdom, ruled by its own wise leader, bound together by shared culture but separated by the silent spaces of the desert. Life was tough under the blazing sun; families carved out their living from the sea and the scarce treasures of the earth—fishing, pearling, and trading along distant shores. They lived by nature’s rhythm, telling tales beneath the stars and dreaming of a brighter future. Yet,…
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Agri per tutti (Kathy – Tuscany – July 2024) Part 2
English and French versions below I mestieri legati alla produzione alimentare sono fondamentali per la nostra sopravvivenza e il nostro benessere. Contrastando gli effetti nocivi dei grandi gruppi agricoli tossici e sostenendo le pratiche agricole sostenibili, possiamo proteggere il nostro ambiente, la nostra salute e il nostro futuro alimentare. C’è però un grande ostacolo: questi mestieri vitali, come quelli praticati da agricoltori, orticoltori, apicoltori, allevatori e viticoltori, sono minacciati dal predominio dell’agroindustria con i suoi impatti negativi significativi, dalla burocrazia pesante e dalle continue modifiche legislative imposte dall’Europa, che sembra preoccuparsi di tutto tranne che dell’ecologia e della vita. Le ultime elezioni ne sono una prova, no? Mi sembra cruciale…
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Agri per tutti (Kathy – Tuscany – Italy -July 24) Part 1.
English and French versions below Daniela è molto più di una semplice amica geniale. Ci siamo conosciute più di 40 anni fa su una spiaggia isolata a Phuket, in Thailandia. La nostra amicizia è stata un dono della vita, ricca di connessioni sincere e ricordi vividi. Qualche settimana fa, sapendo quanto amo il mare, gli animali come mucche, maiali, cani, gatti, cavalli e i meravigliosi paesaggi della Toscana—sua terra natale—mi ha invitato a trascorrere una vacanza insieme. Abbiamo organizzato un soggiorno prolungato in una splendida fattoria che offre agriturismo. Sono affascinato dalle varie forme di lavoro che ci permettono di connetterci, trovare significato e realizzare i nostri sogni in armonia…
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Iftar (Kathy – Souss, Morocco – March 24)
English version below Au cœur du Souss, dans le sud du Maroc, là où l’océan embrasse les dunes du désert, une chaleureuse invitation m’attendait pendant le mois sacré du Ramadan. Latifa souhaitait me convier à rompre le jeûne avec sa maman, que tout le monde appelle Ina, sa soeur, Sadia, son neveu, un ami français et elle-même. J’étais d’abord trop intimidée pour accepter et Latifa a dû insister pour me convaincre. Et puis, j’ai cédé et ça allait changer le cours de ma soirée et de mon séjour. Comme dans un conte de fées, cette charmante famille locale, leurs sourires aussi radieux que le soleil couchant, m’a accueillie pour l’Iftar*,…
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Salam : A Journey into Hospitality and Generosity (Kathy – Anza – March 24)
English version below Bonjour ! Salam ! Bienvenue ! Ce sont trois mots que je reçois avec le sourire à longueur de journée. Ah le Maroc, un pays que j’aime et qui me fait du bien. La seconde définition de l’hospitalité semble taillée sur mesure pour ce peuple: générosité, bienveillance, cordialité dans la manière d’accueillir et de traiter ses hôtes. Le Ramadan est un rite et l’hospitalité en était un également dans la Grèce antique. Ouvrir son coeur, son pays, sa maison à l’étranger m’apparaît comme un acte d’amour et de confiance. Je découvre en faisant quelques recherches que dans le judaïsme l’hospitalité est considérée comme un devoir des plus saints,…
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Sipping Timelessness (Kathy – Thrissur – Feb. 24)
Version en français plus bas Today, I’m flying low-key. A fresh perspective, perhaps even a different vibe? Picture this: the first-ever Indian Coffee House in Thrissur swung its doors open on March 8, 1958—over 60 years back! We’re talking about an old-school institution here, right? It was also the fourth of its kind in the entire country. Fast forward to 10:30 AM, and I’m chilling in the lower deck of this ICH, just around the Round central park in Thrissur, up in the north of Kerala. It’s scorching, I’m starving, but damn, it feels good to tip my hat to the cool folks running the show here. https://maps.app.goo.gl/JR85DdLDUgDQPx8m8 There’s space…
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West Nada, East Nada (Kathy – Guruvayur – Feb. 24)
Check reel on Insta or FB about the East Nada Version en français plus bas An Indian Coffee House to the west and another to the east of the massive Hindu temple where, like hordes lined up in metal cages, hopeful devotees go to perform their pujas. Pujas to hasten marriage, encounters, to cure illness, to eliminate poverty … I am struck by the cost of these pujas. It’s exorbitant. Hope fills the temple’s coffers. The gods and gurus are adorned in gold and are so wealthy that they no longer know what to do with the accumulated billions of euros. Money and religion make a perfect match in India.…
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A Star Is Born (Kathy – Guruvayur – Feb. 24)
Short reel about this outlet on Insta and FB Version en français plus bas Wow, what an enchanting find around the corner of the central temple in such a charming and serene neighbourhood – a gleaming Indian Coffee House with captivating signs! I actually spotted it thanks to one of those signs. It seemed odd that it was positioned exactly opposite the direction I was heading to visit the only listed ICH in Guruvayur. I thought I was losing my way. Inside this delightful place, there were two pink shirts, three turbans, and five khaki shirts. Around fifty seating spots bathed in a soft light from the ceiling’s curved design.…
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A. K. Gopalan (Kathy – Thrissur – Feb. 24)
English version below Depuis trois mois, je parcours des milliers de kilomètres à travers le pays pour rendre hommage aux travailleurs et clients des Indian Coffee Houses (ICH). Ma motivation est politique, sociale, artistique et fantaisiste. Mon moteur c’est la soif d’aventure, de rencontres, de liens, de découvertes, d’émerveillement. Il me semble opportun, à titre de rappel, de retracer des pans de l’histoire de cette coopérative. Il y a plus de 500 Indian Coffee Houses en Inde mais pas dans tous les états. Dans le Madhya Pradesh ou le Kerala, par exemple, il y en a des multitudes. Ces ICH sont gérés par une série de coopératives de travailleurs. La…
