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Trips to Paris [2026]
I’ve made several very quick trips to Paris over the past two months (sometimes same-day round trips from Lille) and took the opportunity to visit some museums, exhibitions, and see suppliers. Let’s start with the Boulevard de Bonne nouvelle area. I went there to pick up some tailoring sewing supplies from Lafayette Saltiel. And I took the chance to visit Maison Sézane for the first time. It’s a brand I really don’t like, because their fans follow blindly like sheep. I found the place gorgeous, with beautiful ceiling height, plenty of space to move around, look, take photos. I don’t know if the purchase is satisfying, as there seems to…
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[Story time] How I got a master’s degree through VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience)?
I studied computer science: a DUT (2-year university degree) obtained in 2007. The plan was to continue with a master’s degree, but I started a business and never went back to school. During almost 20 years of career, my education level never held me back. I worked in a new field (web marketing), most profiles were self-taught, and there were no academic courses. In 2025, I decided to switch careers to cybersecurity. I trained, passed a certification, and then started looking for a job. A job search is never a walk in the park, especially when changing careers. I received dozens of rejections for “lack of experience,” which was perfectly…
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My Current Favorites – [March 2026] – Rich Grandma Energy, Higher Self, Survival Mode
March brought lots of reunions, sunshine, and new concepts. Here are my favorites of the month: My leather tote bag See this post on Instagram A post shared by Mehach (@mehachcom) After a year and a half of deliberation and procrastination, my tote bag has finally come to life. I was tired of shopping with fabric tote bags, so I set myself a deadline to make the tote bag of my dreams. Now my fingers are sore because I’ve never sewn so much by hand with so many layers, but the result is totally worth it. Not only does it have all the features I love, but it’s also super…
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[review] The book “Rich Grandma Energy” by Shania Khan
The title may make you smile (Rich Grandma Energy: And the Death of the Girl Boss, Amazon link) but the book is enjoyable, short and easy to read, even in English. The format is very American but I really like the mindset of this entrepreneur, founder of a PR agency. I found it while looking for a silk slip dress ahahha (she wears them all the time). Here’s the official book blurb, translated from English: Rich Grandma Energy is not about age or money. It’s about certainty. For decades, women have been sold the girl boss dream: work harder, perform competence, neutralize your femininity, and maybe they’ll finally take you…
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[Reflection] #34: Inner Peace, the Only Eternal Currency
Once again, I offer you a concise translation of a Vietnamese text I found truly fascinating: Two forces can genuinely transform a human being’s destiny: gratitude and repentance. You can amass years of spiritual practice, explore countless teachings, but at the core, it all comes down to these two pillars. True gratitude isn’t limited to when life smiles upon us. It reaches its deepest fullness precisely where it’s hardest: in the heart of adversity, when everything seems to run against our desires. It’s in those moments that the soul truly forges itself, that consciousness expands, that the most lasting merit is built. Being grateful in prosperity, anyone can do that.…
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Cruise gratuities: are they mandatory? How much do they cost?
The price of cruises you see in brochures or on websites is often surprisingly cheap. The advertised prices do not include: Cruise gratuities? A vast subject that I’ll try to untangle. The first thing to know is that most cruise ships use “flags of convenience,” meaning they are registered in countries like Liberia, Panama, the Bahamas, etc., which have a very favorable legal environment, especially regarding labor law. This allows cruise lines, let’s put it bluntly, to exploit many crew members (mostly Filipinos): long hours and meager salaries. On top of the initial cruise price, the companies automatically add a daily amount for gratuities, which supplements the crew’s low wages.…
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Getting an ESTA despite traveling to Cuba after 2011
About to spend a few months in French Polynesia for work, I carefully fill out my ESTA application in anticipation of my stopover in the United States (reminder: it’s essential, even for a simple transit). I felt a jolt of stress when I saw the following question: “Have you traveled to, or been present in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011?” Yes, that’s exactly my case (I went in 2017), and I don’t remember seeing this question on my previous applications. Some might be tempted to answer “No,” encouraged by the lack of a stamp in their passport. Very…
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My Current Favorites – [February 2026]: BBL Laser, Lingerie Sewing, Silk Satin
February marks the Lunar New Year, and to you, dear readers, a happy Year of the Horse. ! 2026 is great for practicing wu wei (the Taoist concept of non-action). I wish you to follow the energies of Heaven and Earth and be in harmony with them. Here are my favorites this month: Paper Cutting Since I read several books at once, I’m always short of bookmarks. So I make them regularly. I should have made these paper houses at Christmas, but better late than never. If these paper cuttings interest you, the patterns & tips are available here. BBL Laser for Pigmentation Recently, I noticed my skin was not…
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[Reflection] #33: Getting Out of Survival Mode
Recently, someone (of foreign origin) confessed to me that she couldn’t savor her successes: as soon as she achieved a goal, she felt she had to prepare for the next one right away. As an immigrant, I recognize this pattern all too well. Immigrants live in a state of permanent instability—a broken contract, an illness, a change in the law, a missing document… is all it takes to feel like you’re back to square one. And I don’t think this is exclusive to immigrants, but it’s a pattern I see often. A friend of mine, deprived of parental love, has lived since childhood in “I’m unworthy of being loved” mode.…
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[Reflection] #32: Privacy Becomes a Luxury Good
Covid is further accelerating the isolation of the ultra-wealthy. Here is the translation of a text I found on Instagram and found very interesting: It echoes the evolution of the luxury consumer I shared with you last time. The richer you are, the more you can say goodbye to shared infrastructure, shared spaces, shared risks, and shared reality. Today, isolation has become a luxury good: a continuum running down the social ladder, each level buying a little more separation from common spaces. At the very top, there is geographic escape in the literal sense. Private islands, estates in New Zealand (now the preferred apocalyptic refuge of tech billionaires), etc. The…
