An An

I'm learning the art of disguise so that I don't recognise myself.

Quarantine

I must say that I quite enjoy those two weeks of quarantine. Work, but no deadline, nowhere to go, nobody to see or care for, nothing (much) to worry about - temporarily maybe, but I haven't had that in a long time. 

Tentative piano playing - it took me a few days before I could bring myself to open the lid and start playing, healthy home made cooking (mostly soup - I have been eating  much too much during my time with Dennis and François!, reading, watching films - oh the joy of cinema with the projector, I think people call that 'holiday'... 

Ở ngoài thì chỉ nhìn được mây bay qua, ở nhà thì đọc sách bay xa.

Outside, I see the clouds, inside I travel far away with the books!

Anniversary

I just came back from five months in Paris and it was very hard to say goodbye, to my friends, to my family, to the city and particularly to my parents. And exactly ten years ago, I was leaving Paris to start anew in Asia, to begin a new chapter in my life with a big question mark as title. I was about to turn forty, an age in life when most people are normally already well settled. I came to Taiwan with no working nor resident permit, I didn't speak Mandarin - still can't, my finances were far from glorious, I had no real job prospect, nor did I know where I would be living. The only thing I had was the faith that I would be fine somehow. 

Now ten years later, well... I am happy to see that I have managed it, more or less. Life is crazier and more surprising than ever, I still have no clue what is going to happen - or shall I say that whatever happens, I'm fine with handling it. But I'm surrounded by fantastic people and that is what really matters!

Merci la vie!

Tôi vừa trở về sau năm tháng ở Paris. Nói lời tạm biệt với bạn bè gia đình, thành phố của mình và đặc biệt với bố mẹ mình là một điều rất khó. 

Mười năm trước, tôi rời Paris đến châu Á để bắt đầu một chương mới trong cuộc đời mình với một dấu hỏi lớn. Khi đó tôi sắp bốn mươi tuổi - là  một độ tuổi mọi người phần đông đã ổn định cuộc sống và sự nghiệp của họ rồi. Tôi bay qua Đài Loan nhưng không có visa hay là giấy phép làm việc, không nói được tiếng Hoa, không có, chưa có việc làm, tài chính của tôi cũng không được vẻ vang. Điều duy nhất tôi có là niềm tin rằng tôi sẽ ổn bằng cách nào đó.

Bây giờ mười năm sau... tôi rất mừng với sự trong đời mình. Cuộc sống còn điên rồ và đáng ngạc nhiên hơn hồi trước, mình vẫn không biết chuyện gì sẽ xảy ra, nhưng tôi được bao quanh bởi những người tuyệt vời và đó là điều quan trọng nhất!

Huy

Yesterday was the birthday of Huy, the talented young director of Ròm.

When two years ago, Trần Anh Hùng wrote to me to introduce me to this film project and recommend me as a composer, little did I know that I would also befriend a wonderful person, a passionate and open minded young man filled with crazy ideas, someone I truly enjoy spending time with. I remember the first time we met: it was in Paris. I took him to Potemkine, one of my favourite places. Potemkine publishes DVD and blu-rays of restored classics or modern films, some of which they also finance. Their shop offers a great selection of DVD and film soundtrack (how much money did I spend there), as well as serve a great coffee (and cakes!). Huy just loved it. We spent long hours there, and I played him all the music I had just composed for his film. It was a moment I shall always remember. His eyes lighting up as he was listening to each piece, then telling he knew exactly how to use the music. 

That was the beginning of a wonderful adventure. We would often meet whenever I come to Saigon, we shared our moments of joy, distress, doubt or excitement. What about the adventure in Busan when the film was selected for the festival... 

To collaborate on a great project is already wonderful, but to genuinely enjoy the company of the people you're working with is absolutely priceless! I'm so looking forward to his next film, Tick!

Naked dream (again)

This time I was in a police lodge near a wood, the connection to real life being that I was in quarantine. But I kept popping myself up outside unwillingly - maybe not that unwillingly, and had to find a way to sneak inside again without the guards noticing, until I realised I was simply naked. That often happens in my dream. Nakedness being that I am actually naked, or holding something odd or embarrassing that wouldn't want people to see... (usually something connected to my childhood). 

I tried in vain to find some clothes so to go unnoticed. Then... the little Indian boy laughed when he saw me.  According to his mother he had never seen a grown up man in his life. Shall I add, she said that he had never seen such a fine looking grown man such as I.... One odd thing adding up to another...

That's when I decided to have a shower.

Friends and family

The universe has made me the gift of truly wonderful friends, and among them are Dennis and François who not only have opened their house to me for the past (almost five) months, but with whom I discovered the boundless infinity of friendship. Two months of strict lockdown would have been lethal to any relationship, I admit that the first weeks were difficult for me, and challenging for them. It was the first time we would spend so much time in the same place together. I was exhausted from all these years of continuous hard work and also emotional pressure regarding my parents, and was looking forward to some time alone. Free time... However, this lockdown turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me. Ar first we did out best considering the situation. I felt guilt and unease to impose myself, though involuntarily. After a couple of weeks of guarded friendliness, the bubble bursted and we began to truly enjoy each other's company. More laugh and relaxed time. I also realised how much they genuinely cared about me, and I guess they also saw that I wasn't too bad a person to be confined with! A joyous and joyful blessing it was.