9. A Great Friend of Chaos
Summer solstice, London.
Hihihiiii friends,
I absolutely love this, I just won’t be clicking on it during a UK winter.
Here’s 5 things I enjoyed this week.
1. A poem
These words from Aldous Huxley:
“It’s dark because you are trying too hard.
Lightly child, lightly.
Learn to do everything lightly.
Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.
Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.“
Learn to Do Everything Lightly - Island
2. Chevron floors
Researching the bejesus out of soundproofing and wooden floors, while eyeing up these exquisite floors in the Jil Sander store in Paris designed by one of my favourite British architects, John Pawson.
John designed the Jil Sander store in Tokyo also a special cafè / bakery in Milan.
3. Watching
*1982 feels 100 years ago now
Here’s Knight Rider for 8 Cellos.
4. Learning a New Skill
So I’m learning how to be a barista. I’ve been getting lessons from a lovely friend called Natalie, who was thankfully blessed with a lot of patience!
It’s
So.
Damn.
Hard.
I had no idea how scientific coffee making is, how much faff there is in milk frothage and also how utterly incredible it feels to be making something with my hands that people appreciate straight away. I imagine this is what giving birth to a child feels like.
[ J/K.]
So far, all my milk froth designs are mildly pornographic and I can just about make a flat white that you won’t spit onto the floor. Thanks Natalie! Maybe owning a cafè is in my future - ha!
I also loved this hilarious story about a cafè in a remote village in France that decided to buy a vintage Italian coffee machine, not realising they’d have to be interviewed by the entire family to qualify.
LOL, Italians do not fuck around when it comes to coffee.
PS: They are not just a cafè, they have a famous French cooking school and shop too.
book yourself on one of their courses here.
5. A Great Friend of Chaos
Thinking about this great quote which is alarmingly apt right now:
“I am a great friend of chaos. It’s all we have. I mean, this whole concept of being able to manage life…life is risk, life is chance, life is being open to chance. The best things in my life, and probably in anybody’s life, come out of being open to being blown off course.”
— Tilda Swinton