― Paul Theroux, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star
This is about kindness, strangers becoming friends, openness and the great Japanese hospitality which made me fall in love with Japan already at the airport.
The above quote is so on point to what I experienced on my travels and especially it reflects my days on Hachijo-Jima, where I met Mikis, perfectly.
How did I meet Mikis?
Just how we met is already great. We both did a Vippassana retreat in Chiba together, meditating in the same place for 10 days. In absolute silence. No phone, no books, no electronics. On the last day the so called „noble silence“ is lifted and of course I talked to many people on the course to share the experiences. Also the other participants, which were mostly Japanese, approached me filled with curiosity and with many questions I happily answered. We laughed and shared stories of pain as the last day is very joyful after 10 days of hard work on your inner self and the ability to speak again.
So, it happened that also Mikis and I had a chat. As soon as he revealed he is living on a remote island, 11 hours from Tokyo, my curiosity got awakened.
See for yourself how life is in the sea far from Tokyo and what beauty it holds. meet: Mikis!
]]>20 years ago they decided turning those, soon to be abandoned fishing islands, into an outdoor and indoor Mecca of art.
We talked a lot about creativity, visited some places together. At some point I got a little bit confused about her negativity on art. But see for yourself how quickly this changed… Enjoy!
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this COULD BE the last post for the next two weeks as i will head out in the wilderness of Lake Baikal participating in THIS project. In the meantime you can enjoy the fascinating story about Sergey and Tatyana I had the pleasure spending two days with.
Sergey and Tatyana live in Irkutsk together with their german shepherd Yarush. I found them via Couchsurfing and gladly they accepted my request. I somehow already knew that there will be a story to find at their place since they are well traveled, hitchhiked a lot and announced their big trip already on Couchsurfing. Find out more in the video below. Take your time, grab your lady or lad,
it´s 13 mins but worth it and full of insights in travel, barriers in your head and fear.
What I´ve learned from Sergey, Tatyana and Yarush:
Barriers are only in your head
New beginnings hold new adventures
Everything is possible, you just got to do it (yes it´s that easy)
If you don´t live the life you want – change something and live it
No money is no excuse for not traveling – maybe your (self set) standards are
Fear is only in your mind and your own personal barrier (sometimes not even real)
Thank´s Yarush for this insight:
Grab your chances while the food is on the table and the landlords out of the house!
(Yarush stole a big bowl of meat and eat it all while we were away) 
Now enjoy the video and support Sergey and Tatyana on their trip!
]]>Dmitry, Vilnius based artist, born in Moscow,
creates clocks and small art pieces from materials like wood, copper or gyps in his little studio in Vilnius near the main station. meet: Dmitry, his art, his studio and what he has to say about life and creativity in the documentary at the end of this page.
I arrive at his studio which is located in one of the many soviet apartment blocks you see around. As I enter, my expectations are matched, I step into a small apartment stuffed with tools, materials and works in progress.
Dmitry has a warm and welcoming personality, soft voice and the smiles as much with his eyes as with his whole face. Most of the questions he answered in his own and philosophical way. But see for yourself below.
My presence didn´t seem to bother him at all and he restlessly pulled out and unwraps a lot of art, showing me what he has done over time. Very fine Photographs with double exposure shots put in frames (see more in the video), dotted pen drawings, frame in frame paintings and printer art his broken printer did. He also showed various materials he works with. See more in the Photostream below.
In the following video you will learn about Dmitry´s art and the way he sees creativity, how his ideas come to life and of course I asked some important questions regarding the meaning of life.
Enjoy the video and don´t forget to set it to best quality possible!
Check out his website and art on