“Angela，Here’ s brief description of how I feel when I am in Europe. When Monika and I are in Europe, we are stimulated by historical and cultural richness, scenic landscapes, quaint towns and villages, culinary delights, cultural warmth and diversity, old-world charm, sense of romance, and especially, ease of travel. Not to mention, better sense of fashion. Europe is truly heaven on earth in my opinion.”
- Wahid

On a scorching afternoon in the garden, I cozied up with the plants, birds singing, and my dog, with nothing on my mind. Gardens and pets make the best therapists.

Seeing the text from a friend travelling in Europe, I couldn’t help but immediately tune in to Emily in Paris, and savoured my European holiday to the full.

Here are my favourite quotes from Emily:

“Like wearing poetry. - Emily
“I have been dreaming of moving to Paris forever, you know. I mean French men, they love older women. Look at their president. He’s young. He’s hot. He married his schoolteacher.” – Madeline
“Paris is for cheese lovers.” – Emily
“Well, this will give you something to dream about.” – Emily
“Smoking is a pleasure, and without pleasure, who are we?” – Paul
“German?” – Sylvie
“I feel like I’m dreaming and I’m about to wake up.” – Emily
“You haven’t done Paris right until you’ve had at least one wildly inappropriate affair.” – Mindy
“We came here to lose ourselves and find adventure.” — Brooklyn
“Yeah, happy endings are very American.” – Julien
“You came to Paris and you don’t speak French. That is arrogant.” – Luc
“A little ‘Bonjour’ goes a long way.” – Emily

Ten days I spent to zone out the feelings from my trip to Paris. I had success losing weight, so I rewarded myself with coming back to my routine – morning cafes with a latte and butter croissant to start the day.

Smacking the croissant crumbs off the corner of my mouth, I thought of Emily’s phone call with her boss in Chicago. The boss, a lady, said that Paris has nothing but croissants and sex, while Emily said that all she had at the moment was croissants when she just arrived in Paris.

**Emily in Paris (2020) - S01E03**
GIF Source：getyarn.io, Netflix © 2021

Having enjoyed my latte, I felt a smile on my face. I went through a list of my friends all over the world – perhaps it is even challenging to just have a good croissant.

Sooooo, shall we also go to Paris like Emily? Anyway, it seems that it is just a question, and no answer is needed.

Reason NO.1 -

New routine in Paris:

Eating from the wake-up to mid-night,

but still successful in losing weight.

I started a 30-day diet challenge from my personal trainer in April. I went to the gym twice a week, exercised on calorie-watching, and followed a strict diet. The first thing in the morning for me was to use a Kenote test paper to see how my body was doing, reflect on what I ate for the previous day, and weigh myself.

Six weeks later, I successfully lost over 10 pounds.

I am a huge fan of Bryan Johnson, so I follow what he does.

Bryan Johnson and Kernel make helmet devices that see and record brain activity, which provides valuable data for the discovery of knowledge about brain activity and the development of brain-related treatments.

Bryan is the founder of many well-known tech startups and an expert on regimens.

He and his personal health team came up with a strict diet and exercise plan, which is shared on the Internet. His schedule and diet are available at https://blueprint.bryanjohnson.co

Here is an example: his “Super Veggie”.

After two years of exercising incredible self-discipline, physiologically his body is 31 years old, while he is actually 45.

Then I was in Paris and lived free of all restrictions and disciplines. I ate well, but surprisingly, I continued to lose over 8 pounds.

This explains our reason NO.1 – we have to go to Paris.

Tips: small portion, quality and additive-free ingredients, no driving, and at least 2 hours of walking/wandering per day. Curiosity and a good mood are the key secrets here.

Reason NO.2 –

In Asian and North American countries,

men talk about only business in cafes or restaurants.

In Paris,

men are seen talking about philosophy and ideologies in cafes and restaurants.

This question came up in the past: Men from our culture leave as soon as business is over, but why did you stay in the hotel lobby and keep talking for the entire afternoon?

Well, well, well. This may boil down to a difference in our lifestyles. In Asian or North American cafes, men often talk about work or business opportunities, and leave as soon as they are done. Nonetheless, in Paris, men are often seen spending a whole day in cafes, talking passionately about philosophy and art, which is kind of a “wonder” for me, having lived for years in North America and Asia.

This is probably why many ideologies and theories originated from all kinds of cafes in Europe. Examples include the “La Rodonde” that we talk about, which used to be frequented by Pablo Picasso, as well as “Café de Flore”, one of the favourites of Simone de Beauvoir, my idol.

New thoughts about philosophy and art begin in discussion and thinking. Perhaps you have to be in Paris to understand what it means to a day of talk.

Reason NO.3 –

Unusual Compliments

I have had many compliments before. But in Asia and America, most people compliment me because of their recognition of my career. Compliments are usually about my competency and professional success.

While I’m in Europe, the compliments are somehow different. They are more about my smiles and how I communicate with my eyes. This different feeling is refreshing to me. It is a gentle and pleasant acculturation.

It is about sharing how I feel, and also about how we plan things. When it comes to enjoying life, there is passion, and there is also action. Another citizenship can enable free travel to Europe, and head to Paris as long as you want. Now the Euros are in a favourable exchange rate, and it is time to plan ahead for your family to enjoy life in Europe. Emily is already in Paris, and we can’t wait to be there!

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on August 17th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

Angela Bi is the founder of TCT Arte House, a global digital community for investors interested in a trusted resource in the world of art, culture, travel, well-being and wealth management. With over 20 years of business experience in both China and North America, she has established a private global network of high-net-worth Chinese to invest in high-profile landmark projects in NY, CA, and Europe and has curated for her clients some of the most invaluable investments to ensure the best quality of life.

毕颖是TCT Arte House的创始人，这是一个数字化礼宾服务平台，集合全球可信赖的投资资源包括艺术、文化、旅游、健康和财富管理等领域。游走中国及北美、拥有20多年的业务经验，她已建立了一个由高净值资产中国人组成的私人全球网络，以投资于纽约、加州和欧洲等知名地标项目，并为她的客人们在世界范围策划私密的奢华体验，以确保最佳的生活品质。

Emily is in Paris. Let’s also go there

Angela Bi 毕颖