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[Reflection] #38: What if our greatest danger was ignoring the warning signs?
Over two thousand years ago, in the ancient pages of the I Ching, a universal truth was written. Three sentences to understand human history: “Where a servant kills his master, where a son kills his father, the causes are not found between the morning and the evening of a single day. If things have gone so far, it’s because it was prepared very gradually. This came from not stopping early enough what should have been stopped.” (page 439 of the yellow edition Amazon link, Fnac link). Nothing great is born suddenly. Disasters, betrayals, economic crises, the fall of empires—everything begins with microscopic neglects we choose not to see. The Law of…
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My Current Favorites – [May 2026]: Books on Abundance, Claude Code, #softlife
It’s been over a month since we arrived in Tahiti. As usual, I still wake up super early, giving myself time to read and enjoy my #softlife in Tahiti. Ali Wong’s Dear Girls Ali Wong has several comedy specials on Netflix, a movie, a series. She’s very funny.eI bought her book as soon as it came out, but it quickly ended up in the “books to read” pile. Then one day, I wanted to take a break from Taoist books, I wanted a funny book that didn’t require too much brainpower, I devoured her book (in audio version because I really couldn’t be bothered to read) and I was laughing…
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Moving to Punaauia (French Polynesia)
After a first month in Papeete, we found another Airbnb in Punaauia, and as luck would have it, it’s in the same complex as a colleague of JB’s. We thought we’d be close, but we ended up even closer: same complex, same building, and same floor!!! He’s just a few doors down from us. What a coincidence! It’s a two-bedroom apartment, quite spacious (around 60m²). There’s no office, but JB turned the balcony table into a desk in the living room, and I work on the kitchen island. In Papeete we were on the top floor so it was very hot. But here, not only are we on the first…
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I tried Claude Code and you should too
For several weeks now, JB has been all about Claude Code (and DeepSeek). He showed me what he’d done and it was seriously impressive. Let me show you a website you can build in under 3 minutes. It’s a super basic demo, but it shows you how fast it is and how simple, accessible to everyone. You can even check it out because it’s live: http://eur-xpf.surge.sh/ So I jumped on board too. I use it to code basic programs that make my life way easier: AI lets you code so fast for cheap. AI agents can simulate how a company works. It’s like having several employees at junior/senior positions, starting…
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Day trip to Tahiti (French Polynesia)
It’s May 8th and we’re enjoying this long weekend with two of JB’s colleagues and one colleague’s brother. He has a big pickup truck and is going to show us around the island and the peninsula (Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti). Luckily he has a car because the island is huge and we would have been exhausted if we had to do the tour on scooters. Also, it rained a lot the day before and it’s still raining on and off. Because of the rain, the water on the beaches is not as nice as on postcards, but in exchange, the rivers and waterfalls have much more water than usual.…
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Driving a Scooter in Tahiti: Which License? What Insurance? Where to Buy?
When settling in Tahiti, you have to think about how you’ll get around. Public transport exists but isn’t very reliable, so you’ll quickly find yourself limited in your travels. Since we plan to stay for about a year, we quickly ruled out the car option: too expensive, and in any case, Papeete’s traffic jams are pretty off-putting. The ideal solution seems to be a scooter which we can also take with us on the ferry when exploring the other islands of Polynesia (you can take your car too, but it’s more expensive). Once you’ve decided on a scooter, another question arises: 50cc or 125cc? Driving a 50cc? To drive a…
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Cardboard box as checked luggage with Air France?
When flying to settle in Tahiti, I wanted to bring the large 27″ computer monitor I had bought a few months earlier. I still had the original box, which ensured good protection. The box measured 81 x 51 x 21 cm. On the Air France website, it states that checked luggage can measure up to 158 cm (height + length + width). In my case, that’s 81 + 51 + 21 cm = 153 cm. Normally, it fits, with 5 cm to spare! Since I couldn’t find any specific mention of cardboard boxes vs. regular suitcases, I was still a bit worried, and I had no desire to find out…
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[Reflection] #37: The Roots of Jealousy
Recently, I attended an online philosophy class led by a Vietnamese philosopher. At the end of each session, students can submit their questions. Some have been following him for years, and he knows them well. One of them speaks up to describe his situation: he considers himself competent. Too much, even. To the point where his less capable colleagues are putting obstacles in his way, sabotaging his projects, and pinning their own mistakes on him. The philosopher’s answer surprises everyone: your energy level isn’t high enough. Firstly, you’re not rising sufficiently above your colleagues to escape their jealousy. Secondly, you’re not radiating enough positive energy to attract well-being into your…
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A Sunday in Moorea (French Polynesia): Scouting
We still don’t have wheels on Tahiti, so this 3-day weekend feels a bit long. On May 1st, absolutely all shops are closed, and downtown is dead silent. We decide to do a round trip to Moorea in a single Sunday to scout it out. Moorea is the closest island to Tahiti, and we plan to go back regularly. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal We sleep terribly because at 2:30 a.m., there are sharp noises coming from our wardrobe. I don’t know why, but my guess is that for the first time, I left the AC on all night and the wood must have…
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[review] Pool pass at Intercontinental Resort Tahiti
For our very first full weekend in Tahiti, JB and I wanted to go somewhere that looked like a postcard. I spotted several 5-star hotels on the island and chose the Intercontinental Resort Tahiti for its proximity to Papeete and its dreamy setting. The hotel offers various pool pass / day pass to give us access to its many pools and restaurants, namely: Huriama Sunset Pass Te Tiare Pass with lunch Le Lotus Pass with lunch We chose the Day pass Lotus with lunch at the Lotus restaurant because the restaurant’s menu is crafted by chef Bruno Oger, twice starred. You can book the pass by email writing to [email protected].…
