Free Paris transport!

Paris offers free public transport to reduce severe smog-

Ministers acted after air pollution exceeded safe levels for five days running in Paris and surrounding areas. The smoggy conditions have been caused by a combination of cold nights and warm days, which have prevented pollution from dispersing. The elderly, children, asthmatics and people with heart problems have been advised to stay indoors to avoid potential breathing problems.

On Friday, public transport was made free of charge for three days in an attempt to encourage people to leave their cars at home. This measure continued on Monday.

The capital's air quality has been one of the worst on record, French environmental agencies say, rivalling the Chinese capital, Beijing, one of the world's most polluted cities.

*BBC, March 14 / March 17

       

                           The entrances for the Metro are opened to let everyone in for free.

                                      

        

            My street is so quite on Monday, only few cars and motorbikes passing around

*Seems the free Paris transport will still going on tomorrow.

How nice it is to be a non smoker!

I've always envied non smokers for having healthier life, for enjoying their meals, parties, conversations, handle their stress without cigarettes. For not get hooked and be slave of Nikontine. I often thinking how nice my life would be if I have never touched the first cigarette. I remember the days when I got panic and nervouse if I forgot my cigarettes, I rather went back home just to pick it up. And the panic when I was out late at night and in fear of running out of cigarettes. Non-smokers do not suffer from it. Remember I have to have stocks of cigarettes before weekend, because I was going to smoke like a chain in parties and dinner, even in my backyard.

I remember my son often asked me, when am I going to stop smoking, because it will hurt me, it will kill me. He asked the same question again and again. And it was killing me, hurting me, that I couldn't give him an answer. I could not stop. Because of this nikotine trap that I had in my blood and my brain. Like all traps, it is designed to ensure that you remain trapped. I thought I would never be able to stop smoking. 

I know cigarette is bad right? I can read, I am not stupid. But tell the smokers that it is killing them, and the first thing they will do is to light a cigarette. But when it is coming from my son, it hurting me so badly, it made me cried. There is not a parent on this planet, whether they be a smoker or non smoker, that likes the thought of their children smoking. This means that all the smokers wish they had never started.
Reading Allen Carr book made me realized that no one can help me to stop, no pills, no doctors, no chewing gum, just my self. He brainwashed me, that the only thing that prevent me from quitting is FEAR! Fear that life wouldn't be the same anymore, life wouldn't be enjoyable.

Today is day 60 that I am free from cigarettes, I am one of them, the non smokers, who enjoy my meals, my coffee, my wine, my conversations, all without cigarettes. Everything taste better now, my meals tasted better, my coffee and my wine taste better, my clothes smell better. I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to look at all the smokers not with a feeling of envy but a pity. I was there and I escaped from this slavery.
*I am also very proud of my husband that did it very well too, we helped each other, we escaped. We enjoy life more now being non smokers. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO LOSE! AND SO MUCH TO GAIN!

Le Marché in Paris

The weather was awfull this morning when we woke up in Paris, the time changed 1 hour less last night, and it was weird to see the sunshine at 8.00 am! Our first sunshine at 8Am since we arrived in Paris.

It was busy in our little kitchen this morning when the rain falls and the wind blows roughly. Everybody wanted breakfast, and I was in a rush to go to Le Marché near by to hunt photos. I am so happy that I can carry again my machine everywhere. It seemed so cold outside, but the rain, the cold and the wind won't stop me to get out, No. I can't live in Paris if rain stop me to get out of the house. 

I put  on a thick rain jacket, on top of my sweater,  which is on top op my sleeveless tshirt (It is not even winter yet!) I think I look funny, or fat. I hope no one will notice that. Anyway, in Paris no one will notice how you look like. I have my coffee quick and leave.

The people are so nice at the Marché, they dont mind at all I am taking pictures. Sometimes I asked if I can take a picture of their things, and they said I can take as much as I want, and I didn't even buy anything. Who said that the French are snobbish?

Its raining, its wet,  I am wet, I have my Nikon covered with my jacket. I am happy that I came. I got some pictures, and I did some little shopping too. I bought some cherry tomatoes, grapes, khaki, mint leaves, chilis, some breads, and some ready food for lunch today, which are little of grilled meat, grilled potatoes, calamari and salads. I managed to spend 50 Euros. Damn, I thought wet markets are cheap! Not in Europe!

ANGOLA - The closing

Its Sunday morning here in Paris, and its my first Sunday in Paris, at the most beautiful city in the world, and thinking what I am going to do today. I am trying to remember how were my Sunday mornings back in Angola. I think today I am gonna walk, I just gonna walk around specially after 2.5 years never walk in Angola. I am free like a bird now, I can go anywhere I want. I can't believe it!

Now, I am enjoying my coffee, and looking at out of the window. Its chill outside, the news said its gonna rain today, people are busy walking already, on Sunday morning. I wonder where they are going. 

My mind is flying to Angola. How is it there? How are my friends there? What are they doing right now? My mind is with each of them. I wish I could do some magic, just close my eyes and bring them here in a second with me and will send them back this evening.

Hey! I hear that song "Let her go" by Passenger floating from the TV NRJ channel. Suddenly I feel heavy on my chest, something going on on my head, feel pressure on my eyes and nose, I think I get hit by what they called a Homesick. Shit! Why is this song come at the right moment?

I am not a writer, I am a story teller, I can tell. I can tell you stories all day and night, specially when I drink couple of glass of wine, no one can stop me from talking! My friends in Angola know that!

Now my mind went back to more than 10 years a go, I was in Sumatra when I met a couple that just moved from Congo, Africa. When they said they lived in Congo for couple of years, they told the story in Congo in five minutes, and my eyes became wider thinking about jungle and gorillas.

"Wow, so freaking cool" I thought. There is nothing more cool than going to Africa.

I couldn't imagine if I will ever live in Africa. Think how cool was that when someone asked where do I live? And I said "Africa" Wow.. 
Ok, I tell you one more thing, I am a dreamer too!

Eight years later in Oman my mouth was opened like a fish when hubby called me.

"We are going to be transferred to Angola" He said. For some moments I couldn't talk. My mind went back to that couple that lived in Congo. 

"Hello, are you ok?" Hubby asked.

Is this really happening? I couldn't believe that my dream come true! 

Seriously? Finally will I step my feet on the land of Africa?

Later I found that I was the only one excited about coming to Africa, apart of hubby was as just excited as me, but most of the people surprised to hear about we were going to live in Africa. They look at me with angry look, some with sad look, pity, and some with disgust.

"Why Africa?"  "Its dangerous!"

"Yully, sometimes life isn't fair"

"Sorry to hear about your transferred"

Or "Are you Ok?"

Someone even said to hubby "What did you do wrong in your company?" HAHAHAH

I was a bit upset that NO one feel excited about it. No one said that I am gonna be ok, or no one said "Wow" just like I did about 10 years a go. No one proud but me.

It was not easy to come to Angola. There is no way you can go to Angola without stress, depression and all. All of us got six injections in one day, plus all the documents, police reports have to be translated to Portuguese, back and forth in the Embassy, which was taking about a month! Later I found some people took three months. It was just insane! But I would do anything to come to Angola. I wait patiently, read and asked some informations about Angola which were all bad! I was scared, worried, and excited, all in one!

The day when our plane EMIRATES from Dubai going to be landed in Luanda, my neck was hurting from looking out of my window for too long. How is it Africa? Maybe I could spot some African elephants which I heard the ears are as big as cars. I saw red earth down there, seems like MARS or something, hahahah. 

Luanda was way better that what I expected. There are asphalt road everywhere. Cars everywhere. So how can I find the animals? Will I ever see a lion or something? When one day we went to the Angolan national park to do safari, there was almost no animals in there. Some people joke that the Angolan ate them all during the civil war. I spent 2.5 years in Angola, in the magical land of Africa.
I lived in Angola with proud, hate, love, everything. I met wonderful people, wonderful friends. Friends left and come, I got broken hurt again and again. Its like you get dumped every single time. Good friends left, new friends come. We just need to get used to it. Well, we are actually kind of used to it, we move around the world many times, Its just Angola is different, in my opinion. Its not so easy to recover, its already hard enough with friends around, and think when they are not around anymore. 

Angola thought me a lot, thought me everything. I saw horrible things around, which made me became tougher and wiser person, I think. Angola made us special, the people who is survived in Angola are special. I even know some of them that live more than 5 years, 7 years, I wonder how they are still normal *not crazy, Hahahaha. 

Because of Angola we had chance to explore some other African countries. South Africa, Tanzania, we even see little bit of Nairobi (Kenya). Cant believe that we survived Angola and managed to get out of Angola without get robbed and Malaria. Apart of that all of us got Typhoid fever from the water, but everything was just fine. My 2.5 years in Angola was sweet and bitter. 

Like the poem said:

Ah love is bitter and sweet

but which is more sweet

the bitterness or the sweetness,

none has spoken it.

I won't survive Angola without them, my friends, who kept me strong, because life in Angola is never easy, never! Live there! And you will understand. 

I realized that I forgot to say thanks to them. To my friends in Angola, all of them, the ones that left already and the ones still there:  "Thanks for everything.."

Someone said: "You come to Angola with tears, and get out of Angola with tears"

Now I know what its mean. My life in Angola that I will never forget and I will always proud of.