That Paris is the most romantic city in the world is a great lie. But that doesn’t make the city any less great. People here don’t give a shit what you think of them. Lots of people say that about themselves but it’s not true. When you have a city of people who don’t give a shit, you get a city of dog poop and it’s c’est manifique!

Yes, I definitely feel like a tourist, but half of the city is people like me so I’m right at home.

One little guy is waiting for us back home and I wish he knew that we miss him as much as he misses us. We’ve taken many pictures of his French friends.

Dear friends.

It’s been awhile now, how I know in my heart I’m not doing enough. Then yesterday, it has come to us that Riverkids, the Cambodian help for street children group that we sell little Kewpie figurines for, may have to close. I believe the reason is due to insufficient expected donations. Simple as that. I went to their website hoping to read more on this matter, but I see charities too maintain a facade in the name of appearing ‘capable’ in how things are run. I did not find a sad letter, and I did not get the impression that hard things must be lurking beneath its photos and stories. But, the truth is, Dale Edmonds (the founder and ‘servant’) wrote to everyone on their cause of the recent hardship, how they always just pull by month to month, until this month when a major regular donor had to pull out. In short, if Riverkids close, it is because she has to make a decision between feeding the children and schooling them.

We all know this will not work in the tomorrow after tomorrow. Education holds the hope for the future, both yours and theirs and for the world we live in. Education is the single and only key to change, or which the word hope will not have real meaning. If you visit the Riverkids website, you would notice US$300 is the most they ask for in a single donation. The critical matter is regularity, and we can be regular in giving $6.16 (milk and bread for one week) or $4.57 (buying greens for one week). With more than 400 children enrolled in Riverkids’ programmes, they need over US$10,000 a month, and they’ve made it every month, thanks to amazing support from all over the world, until this month when the major regular donor must go. Can you, or someone you know, help Riverkids to pull through one more month?

And I draw you women’s attention to the Get Ready For Girls Programme. This programme prepares teenage girls between 11 and 21 years old who are highly at risk for trafficking and exploitation through intensive training to return to school, start vocational training or apprentice in safe work. The protection through schooling children is the key reason why HY and I want to make Riverkids our main ‘charity’.

Please help to forward this to anyone you know who will or could help. Thank you for understanding there is little to choose between school and food.

Most times when we travel we travel like the rag-bone man. By the end of each day our nails are like chimney pots and our nostrils and hair dusty and dank. Even when we ought to be cleaner we couldn’t be – because we are always distracted by old stores and scrapes and one scrape leads to another scrape. We find ourselves items we have more faith in keeping than selling. But today, today, I felt what it is like to sell something you wish you held on to.

Old things come from where I cannot go and they go where I cannot know. I feel closer to a hundred than fifty.

Can you spot them?

I am always watching out for that.

A dog that’s sad will look sad in any manner: in situ, while stretching, from stretching.

This stray hangs outside a house that has another dog. He will not leave and will hurry to the door when the house dog sticks her head between the pillars of the steel gate. Is this love.

From the Kansai region comes something made with love and ingenuity. Touting her wares on a bicycle in the quieter streets of suburban Tokyo, she is an artist’s dream come true. Free and joyful because the skies live within her.

These bags are made using the Japanese ‘sailcloth’ commodity, where a part of sales is contributed to the activity that defends the environment of the loquat lake. The artist comes from the Takashima area, an active region of the cotton fiber industry and surrounded by the biggest loquat lake.

Saddle + Hand Bag; Collapsible Carry Bag; Mini Suede-Trim Clutch + Sling Bag. In store.

Indeed.