In homage to studying abroad...

Do you ever wonder if the places you've inhabited, feel your absence after you're gone? I like to think that they do. After all, you've contributed to their daily wear and tear and aromatic essence. You've shared with them, your most intimate self; when nobody else was watching, their space was there surrounding you, witnessing your every move and solace.

And if they don't, we do, don't we? 

Oh, but they do...they have the scars to prove it.

And we have a cache of mementos - such as the polaroids in this post - to remind us we were there.

Fall 2002 - Spring 2003, Copenhagen, Denmark. 
All photos were taken with 600 Polaroid Film, © Viviana de Loera

From top to bottom: 
+ Kollegium - drying laundry, Sept 2002.
+ (4) photos: neighborhood around Kollegium
+ DIS: Danish vernacular building with yellow facade.
+ DIS: Round staircase next to architecture studios. 
+ One of the many iconic buildings I had the pleasure of experiencing in person, Le  Corbusier's chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp; October 2002.
+ Riding the metro, Dec. 26, 2002

"MO" is Aussie slang for moustache...

Today is the last day of the 2011 MOVEMBER campaign.  I had never heard of this movement until I saw the poster below while touring the Moment Factory studio last week.   What's it about?  Well, every year, men around the world commit to growing and sporting a moustache during the 30 days in November to bring awareness, and raise research funds for the cruel reality of prostate cancer.  
As it turns out,  this is a global movement  launched in 2003 by some guys in Melbourne, Australia. I'm very impressed by the alluring style of the campaign. The MANLY HUNTER visual strategy is hysterical and genius!  I also love the The Craft and The Pride video series. Bravo for promoting the craft behind the man, it's just as important as health in my book! 
This is Canada's 5th Movember campaign and it grows bigger every year.  It's funny, at the beginning of the month, I though it was the latest dandy trend among Montreal hommes. . .sorry to say that it doesn't suit all men . . . Désolé! BUT I LOVE THE PLAYFUL DEVOTION!


Photos borrowed from the official site, click here.  
Also, check out the YouTube videos from The Craft and The Pride series, here...absolutely stunning production. 

The beautiful shots below were taken at a barber shop in København, Denmark in honor of the Danish Movember Campaign. Borrowed from here.

...it goes round and round...

I do not know how to ride a bike...my patient husband tried teaching me this past summer with a Montréal Bixi, but I need more practice.  I just never learned when I was a young girl.  One can look quite chic riding a bike.  I must learn to ride...perhaps by next summer. 


I love Denmark, check out the upcoming Copenhagen wheel. The project was unveiled last year at the COP15 United Nations Climate Conference. It was devised and developed by the SENSEable City Lab for the Kobenhavns Kommune and it will be available June 2011 for about $600.00 US.  
I think it is very Danish...spotless design.  When I lived in Copenhagen, it was amazing to see gorgeous women and men riding their bikes with sharp outfits...the women with heels, in the snow!!  

The Copenhagen Wheel would be a great addition to the Bixi...hint..hint  

NOTE: Pictures by Max Tomasinelli

The COPENHAGEN WHEEL. . ."It transforms ordinary bicycles quickly into hybrid e-bikes that also function as mobile sensing units. The Copenhagen Wheel allows you to capture the energy dissipated while cycling and braking and save it for when you need  a bit of a boost. It also maps pollution levels, traffic congestion, and road conditions in real-time."

kvor kommer du fra?

København is a wondrous city! 
I lived in Copenhagen for a short time about 8 years ago and it was truly a magical experience.  I miss the sidewalks, the public transportation system, the bike-obsessed-sarcastically-loving Danes, the fashion, the beer...the chic 7-eleven stores...haha...I miss it all!   The only Danish I remember is...hvor kommer du fra?...Where do you come from? 


This morning I came across the site, Copenhagen: STREET STYLE and I reminisced joyfully...thank you to the creators of this site...here are a few of my favorite pics.

I want a cup of French Tea.

The French Tea, Mariage Frères inspired WE Architecture to create an alluring store located in the sensational city of Copenhagen.  I love that the store itself  & the product advertises itself without the need of a storefront display. 

Oh, I hear the tea is delicious.