• French Polynesia,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    5 Days in Moorea (French Polynesia): Dolphins, Rays & Sharks

    We take the ferry to Moorea in the middle of the afternoon. We’ve been to Moorea twice (the first time 10 years ago and the second time for a scouting trip two months ago), but this is the first time we’ve brought a scooter with us. Our itinerary spans five days, but you can do exactly the same thing in two days. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 1 For the ferry ride, we were told that scooters don’t need a reservation, but cars must book in advance because there aren’t many spots—especially for the last daily ferry between Tahiti and Moorea. Many people…

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  • French Polynesia,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    Our stay at the Intercontinental Resort Tahiti (French Polynesia)

    Our Airbnb in Tahiti being booked for a few days by someone else, we take the opportunity to go on vacation. Even though we now live in Tahiti, you can still “go on vacation” while staying on the same island, because according to a buddy we’re “already living on vacation” 😀 We chose Intercontinental Resort Tahiti because it’s the best hotel on the island. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal We’ve been here several times before, once with a pool pass and other times for lunch, but this is the very first time we’ve booked a room. And frankly, in the low season, it’s more…

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  • TDM

    [Analysis] Dream of the Red Chamber vs. In Search of Lost Time

    Last month, I told you about the four great classic novels of China, including Dream of the Red Chamber. Reading expert analyses from the Redology (a literary branch that analyzes only this novel), I realized this book had a lot in common with In Search of Lost Time by Proust. That made me very happy, because I know that the Dream of the Red Chamber only exists in French in Gallimard’s Pléiade collection (in other words, the books are expensive). Reading it is demanding for French readers, as it requires an excellent understanding of Asian culture, as well as Chinese wordplay. However, if this novel resembles Proust’s, you can at…

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  • TDM,  Travel Journal

    The 5 most incredible places in the world

    There are places you visit because they’re “must-sees,” because they’re in every guidebook, because you’ve seen 10,000 photos of them on Instagram. And then, once you’re there, something unexpected happens. It’s not just beautiful. It’s not just impressive. You really feel like you’re no longer in the same world. That doesn’t happen to me very often, because after traveling so much, you become a bit picky. It takes more than a pretty landscape or a famous monument to move me. It takes a special energy, a light, a feeling of vastness, and above all, a desire to go back. So here are 5 destinations that really left a mark on…

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  • TDM

    [Review] Laberge.fr: ⚠️ Alert — Read this before placing an order

    Many of you have been targeted by ads and Facebook posts from La Berge touting “French craftsmanship”. Careful, it’s highly likely this is dropshipping! If the rugs are made in France, why is the company based first in Bulgaria and then in the United States ? And now, on the website, it says Bulgaria? Source: INPI The address 30 N Gould St, Suite N, Sheridan is also the address of a mail forwarding and business registration service, used by many companies. On their Facebook page, they show a SIRET number, but I checked: that SIRET number is invalid. €100 in capital… €100 in capital for 140,000 satisfied customers and “workshops”…

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  • TDM

    How to Film and Photograph Your Travels Without Weighing Yourself Down with the Insta360 X4 Air?

    If you travel, whether alone or not, you probably have the same issues as I do: Traveling with a single camera: tips for filming and taking photos What if I told you all these problems could be solved with one single camera? One single? I wouldn’t have believed it either, until Insta360 generously sent me the Insta360 X4 Air to test. I should clarify that the brand is absolutely NOT paying me. Upon receiving this camera, I’m free to say what I think about it. The brand trusts the quality of its products, and they’re right to, because I thought my problems had no solutions, but the X4 Air addresses…

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  • TDM

    [Analysis of the Dream in the Red Chamber] Could the Jia family have been saved? Wang Xifeng, the money, and the tragedy of helpless lucidity

    In The Dream of the Red Chamber, the real question isn’t just why the Jia family eventually falls. The most painful question may be this: if certain characters could already see disaster coming, if a few knew how to diagnose the flaws in the house, if Wang Xifeng possessed genuine administrative genius, then why couldn’t the Ning and Rong mansions have been saved? The novel’s answer is cruel, because it’s never entirely simple. On a practical level, the Jia family isn’t without remedies. It still has clear-headed minds. Qin Keqing, before dying, appears to Wang Xifeng in a dream and advises her to prepare for the future: set aside assets…

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  • French Polynesia,  Oceania,  TDM

    [review] The Restaurants of the Intercontinental Tahiti

    Intercontinental Tahiti is the largest resort in French Polynesia, and we spend a lot of time there because it’s the best resort on the island and it’s just a 10-minute scooter ride from our place. We’ve had the chance to stay there and try all its restaurants. Here’s a quick rundown and review of each restaurant. As soon as you arrive at the lobby, you’ll see a small dining area at the back left, the Lobby Bar. Breakfast is served until 10:30 AM, and from 11:30 AM you can order either ultra-caloric desserts or savory snacks. Personally, I loved the brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The view…

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  • TDM

    My Current Favorites – [June 2026]: Claude Code, Philippe Guillemant, The Four Chinese Classics

    We still live in paradise, so I invite you to read about our weekend outings here and there. The rest of the time, I’m in front of my screen, writing prompts. All day long. The law of attraction I’m a fan of the law of attraction, but this is the first time I’ve applied someone else’s practical methods to the letter. Last month, I gave you a long review of this book “Get Rich, lucky bitch” here and since then, I do two things every day: the money tracking, and writing my goals. I’m super surprised but extremely excited to tell you that this method works!!! Honestly, if you don’t…

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  • TDM,  Thoughts

    [Reflection] #39: Management Lessons from the Epic of the Three Kingdoms

    Nearly 1,800 years ago, China was torn apart into three kingdoms. A Taiwanese philosopher, Ceng Shi Qiang, re-read this epic (condensed in the novel The Epic of the Three Kingdoms (Amazon link), one of the four Chinese classics) with a lens from the I Ching, the Book of Changes and management. The whole book can be read as a manual for corporate strategy, with one caveat: it never talks about business. It talks about kingdoms, generals, and oaths, but the mechanisms it describes are exactly those that make or break an organization. His premise can be summed up in one sentence: beneath the turbulent surface of battles and alliances, an…

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