[710] That Aparment in Paris

Back in 2009 when my folks took me with them to a European vacation we spent a few days in an apartment Paris. My mom got this through a website, and I can't really remember the details. All I can remember is that the apartment was located on a street parallel to Rue Mouffetard. I think the street was Rue Lhomond.

The moment I stepped in that apartment I fell in love with it. We arrived in the morning and we were greeted by the owner and her professional cleaner (who happened to be Filipina). They were finishing up the final touches in the apartment when we arrived, I guess they weren't expecting us that early.

It's been a while since I last thought about that apartment. I don't even know why I suddenly thought about it again. That apartment is one of my dream homes. Not necessarily that specifically but the design. It is such a beautiful and practical home.

It is a rectangular house, with a second floor loft. Once you enter the door (located in the middle of the width of the house) to the left is a kitchen and the toilet. To the right is the dining table, a sofa-bed and the television. Obviously I took that spot. There is a narrow L-stairway located at the left-most part of the house that leads to the second floor loft.

The entrance and a quaint little reading area.

The kitchen area.

This wall separated the "living room" from the kitchen.

The toilet area, right beside the kitchen.

That's the sofa bed I slept on, and to the right is the dining table.

My little area in the apartment.

Other details, the second floor loft has two wide windows that open to see the first floor. The main doorway also has floor to ceiling windows. When you get out of the apartment you come out to a lovely courtyard.

View of the bedroom and the entrance to the bath area from the first floor.

Upon getting to the second-floor you enter the "library" or common area. At the time there was a mattress on the floor for my folks to sleep in.Beyond that room is the only bedroom, where the friends of my folks who were travelling with us slept, and located inside is the shower room and a washing machine.

View upon getting to the loft.

My folks' sleeping area.

Downstairs view from the bedroom loft.

Washing machine, sink, bathtub.

The only issue I have with this design is that the bath area is inside the bedroom. Assuming I copy the design I'd rather have the bath area in a more accessible place. Also maybe I'd try to convert the second-floor common area into another bedroom instead for my daughter. Aside from that I love that house.

Why am I suddenly posting this? I just remembered this house and I tried remembering all I could about it. I'm also posting some photos I took of the apartment. I just regret not being able to take photos of the exterior of the apartment and the courtyard. Oh well.

Maybe for my next post I'll be reminiscing about the apartment we stayed at in Rome. That was another apartment I loved.

Out.

[709] 2016

It is now around 10:52pm Metro Manila time as I start to write this post. In little over one hour it will be a new year here.

Hopefully the new year brings joy, good vibes, and positivity to everyone. Also more peace and love to all - humans, animals, living creatures. We all live in one Earth and I think we all deserve to live here in harmony.

I also hope the lessons I learned in the past I can retain, and hopefully I won't repeat the mistakes I did before.

Happy New Year everyone. I do hope I can blog more next year.

Out.

[708] I Have a Bad Feeling About This

Something isn't right. I cannot pinpoint what, but there seems to be a nagging feeling of something wrong in my gut.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, maybe I just think too much. I can't even analyze what it is that has been bugging me the past few weeks.

Is it my mortality? When I was younger I had this arrogant attitude of thinking I was ready to die anytime. It was the arrogance of youth and I'm glad that I didn't die then. However now death scares me.

Maybe because it's the unknown. You don't know what happens when you die. Does your brain shut down like when you sleep? Or do you just, I don't know, stop? What happens, what about all the dreams and goals in life you still want?

I don't want to die. Not yet. I want to achieve my dreams, I want to be able to find the inner peace I envy from so many people I meet.

I want to gain the courage to accept my mortality.

Out.

[707] Adaptability

Everyone should be familiar with the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none." It basically means you can do a lot of things, but that you can't do any of them great. I usually hear it get used in a negative sense, meaning someone can do a lot of things but can't do them all in an exemplary way.

Well here's another perspective I just realized about jack of all trades. They are masters of something -- adaptability.

What do I mean by this? It means these do-it-alls can adjust and conform to whatever life throws at them. They can do almost anything which makes them pretty useful to have around. Specially if these "jacks" are pretty good at adapting.

Which brings me to this: I am now a VFX game artist for my current employer. I applied and was accepted as an animator, but because of my willingness to try new things I volunteered to help our relatively small VFX team.

I may not be as good as the software engineers we have on the team, but so far I can sort of hold my own with the requirements.

I never imagined I would do well, at least by my standards, with the VFX team and yet here I am doing pretty well and having quite a blast doing it. I guess because being a VFX artist involves having an artistic side to create the textures needed for the VFX as well as having a, er, "logical" (can't think of how to describe software engineers) side to implement the VFX in the game engine.

Thank God I was blessed with the ability to learn quickly. I believe I am not a hindrance to the VFX team, and I would like to think that I am helping a lot by being one of the two main guys who produces textures.

So if anyone calls you a jack-of-all-trades, try seeing it from another perspective. It might be the best compliment you can get.

Out.

[706] My Luxury Christmas Wishlist

Last post I gave you my practical wishlist. This time it's the luxury wishlist.

1. The latest iPad or iPad mini - My iPad2 is old, and I want to keep playing the games I downloaded. I find it useless (and expensive) to buy a new one.

2. The best 15" Alienware laptop available - I have no idea what it is. I do know I want a new laptop that can handle the latest games with ease. Plus I'm a sucker for some brand names, and Alienware is one of them. I also want a slightly bigger screen for the laptop.

3. Both a new PS4 or a new XBox One - I will mostly play racing games, and I want to try both Forza 6 and whatever Gran Turismo comes out for the PS4. However either one will do. I'm guessing the newest Need for Speed will be available for both consoles, as well as whatever new Grand Theft Auto comes out.

4. A Tiny House of my own design - I'm still obsessed with them, I just don't blog about it that often.

5. White 2015 Subaru WRX A/T with Brembo GT Kit front and rear and red or black HRE rims - Because I'm a car nut, and this car and those mods are available here in the Philippines.

Anyway I'm actually pretty happy with my life right now, these so-called luxury items are things I don't really need. I wouldn't mind owning them, but I don't mind not owning them either.

Out.