Return to the beating heart of Tokyo, three years after
After almost two stiffing years in Hong Kong, for the first time, as mass competition was allowed by the Hong Kong authorities, under the form of the Standard Chartered marathon. I knew that one of my goals was indeed running such a race, but I … Continue readingRunning the half-marathon of Hong Kong barefoot
The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down life for many, and obliged to a lot of lifestyle changes. In my case, it was sadly 2020 was a year where my training efforts went dramatically down compared to 2019. It was thus that the appearance of the … Continue readingBAREFOOT TRAIL RUNNING DURING THE PANDEMIC
Since the start of the protests in Hong Kong, policemen have been seen on several occasions taking out their guns and in at least two occasions, shooting protesters. The actions which lead to impressive footage or action scenes must not lead us to forget that … Continue readingContext is king: when guns come out in Hong Kong
As I returned to Japan, almost two years after my first trip, my priority for this solo trip was to connect with Japanese nature and tradition. I definitely wanted to do a hike in Japan, and the closest place to Tokyo to do so was … Continue readingBarefooting in Japan: barefoot hike on Mount Takao
In the last couple of months before December, riot police in malls became so frequent, that you would be forgiven for thinking about them with the term “Mall Cops”. But when the new mall cops peppered the Festival Walk mall, with a generous dose of … Continue readingWhen the Mall Cops pepper a Festival Walk
One year ago, I reflected on the path completed after my starting barefoot running in 2017. As we are now in December, it is time to reflect once more on the progress since then. And one of the best indicators of progress is probably the … Continue reading2 years barefooting and a new milestone: my first half-marathon barefoot!
It was a couple of weeks ago that we found ourselves in one of the most intense fights of the time between protesters and police in Hong Kong (where even Wanchai looked tame). For six to seven hours, I was literally in the war zone, … Continue readingHong Kong Protests: in the war zone
The protests on 28 September 2019 promised to be a tough confrontation between police and protesters. Both parties knew it would be a “general rehearsal” for what would take place on October 1st, 2019, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of … Continue readingRunning battles in Hong Kong
Shatin has been a flashpoint several times already, especially after police carried out a brutal clearance in July. Once again, a protest in the New Town Plaza mall of Shatin became a ritual celebration, something which made me think of a “Rite of Autumn”. The … Continue readingShatin: the Rite of Autumn
Friday 13 September, on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the peaceful and cheerful celebrations on several mountains of Hong Kong gave a glimmer of hope and peace. Within the same week-end, however, we moved from mid-autumn lanterns to days of fire in Hong Kong. … Continue readingDays of fire in Hong Kong