For Patrick-Yangguizi (page 13 of 19)

What a shock! I’d just arrived on the site thanks to Patrick-Yangguizi because I was searching for info on North Korea, and I stumbled upon his amazing travel journal about it... which I read with delight in one go—it was so fascinating. I wanted to send him an email to ask a few questions, and then—bam—I read the news... It’s truly terrible! My condolences to his loved ones (even if it might feel a bit out of place since I didn’t know him), but I got the strong impression he was really appreciated here on the site... Anyway, I just felt it was right to leave a little comment because he had so much talent as a writer...

"because he had so much talent as a writer..."

And not just as a writer—he was an amazing human being too... Coincidences, life, irony—whatever you want to call it—meant that someone thought of him while posting a message today, May 1st, the day of propaganda par excellence (his pet topic), the same day the Shanghai World Expo officially opens...

Symbols are only made to be replaced, and for me, this one will stick.

If you’re watching from up there, you must be laughing!

Philo

"The message you're about to reply to was posted over a year ago (August 10, 2008) and may no longer be relevant for a response."

Hi there,

I didn’t know Yangguizi either until I saw the first post announcing his departure for "another trip."

But maybe it’s simple to keep this post updated regularly so it stays relevant, again and again.

August will be here before we know it.

Wherever you are, Patrick, sending you a little thought.

hadinna

Hello, Poem by Birago Diop THE DEAD ARE NOT DEAD

Listen more often To things than to beings Hear the voice of fire, Hear the voice of water. Listen in the wind To the bush in sobs: It is the breath of the ancestors. Those who are dead are never gone: They are in the lightening shadow And in the deepening shade. The dead are not under the earth: They are in the trembling tree, They are in the groaning wood, They are in the flowing water, They are in the still water, They are in the hut, they are in the crowd: The dead are not dead.

Those who are dead are never gone: They are in the womb of the woman, They are in the wailing child And in the burning ember. The dead are not under the earth: They are in the dying fire, They are in the weeping grass, They are in the moaning rock, They are in the forest, they are in the home, The dead are not dead. Condolences to his family, friends on the forum, and beyond. Jamna

Yeah, Philo must be having a good laugh... and that’s the best we can give him...

To be continued... 😉, and for a little visit here on VF, I’d raise my glass and say... Cheers to both of you, my friends, and see you soon—here or elsewhere, but honestly, the place doesn’t matter... It’s just that nostalgia over time, whether for one or the other, is more and more present, and those moments can be tough sometimes...

I’m raising my glass too, because even if I don’t come around often, some people stay in my thoughts!

For many of us, a fellow Véfist has left us far too soon.

Longtemps: a slice of eternity.

At Père Lachaise, you’ve got to get comfortable— once you lie down there, it’s for a long, long time.

DeCléricy

Wow... I stumbled upon this amazing travel journal on the CDN. I spent a whole night reading it—I’ve never been so passionate about travel and discoveries before (I’m 15). And then I found out its author had passed away... Such a shock. It was so well written, so vivid, with humor everywhere... It was... It made you dream. Two years later, rest in peace, Patrick! :(

Thank you, Belgrade, for rekindling the flame yesterday. Almost two years later, Patrick is still very much present in our thoughts. There are so many travelers left to share stories about Patrick—it’s nothing short of wonderful. He’s become a reference point for travel lovers. Yangguizi, watch over us happy travelers.

Just two years ago... Patrick left us.

"But you, children of Space, who never cease to act even in the stillness of your sighs, you shall not be trapped nor tamed. ..... You shall not dwell in tombs dug by the dead for the living. And even if your inner self is luxury and splendor, your house will not keep your secret nor hold your desires. For the infinite within you, guest of the ethers, dwells in the palace of the Sky, whose door is the morning mist, the windows the songs of the Night, and the skylights the silences." Kahlil Gibran - The Prophet - Thank you for everything you left us as a legacy.

Thanks for this reminder for Patrik. Those who knew him will never forget him

sending you very gentle thoughts, Patrick wherever you are I bet you’re keeping things lively up there, 😏

boussa hadinna

😕 He remains very much in our thoughts and in our hearts, our brilliant friend... Our thoughts are also with his mom in Nice.

Chris.

It’s been two years now since no one teases me about my perception of trips to India... since no one tries to drag me to the Indian restaurants in Nice anymore... and that should satisfy me, but deep down, it sometimes leaves me with a bitter taste of nostalgia—of jokes and unfinished conversations, of places I no longer set foot in, telling myself that maybe... one day, not like any other, I’ll hear a familiar burst of laughter around a corner in Old Nice...

It’s tough accumulating memories, especially as you get older...... (that last "sentence" must be cracking him up up there.....)......

I never knew him—he left just as I arrived. But I was captivated, fascinated by his stories (just like those from Naps or others on VF). In a magazine this week covering the journeys of a few adventurers, I came across this thought from an "extreme" guide that fits him pretty well: "Adventure is having stories others don’t. And knowing how to tell them." If there’s an afterlife, I’ll be a traveler there too. Safe travels.

I really enjoyed reading your travel story about North Korea. The news of your passing brought tears to my eyes, even though I didn’t know you personally. I’ll read your other stories while thinking of you, your family, and your friends. Rest in peace.

Yangguizi, I wish you could read these few words for your 35th birthday: "happy birthday." (Even if I’m writing them a little late—November 4th was yesterday).

Danielle

Thanks Danielle for rekindling that flame Yangguizi left in our hearts.

Clemalex

Here’s the first message of the year 2011 for Patrick. We exchanged a few messages a few years ago. Your stories were a real treat for me! I never stopped coming back to your page to see if you had any other adventures to share—I just didn’t understand your absence... And it’s only today that I discovered this post dedicated to you... I’m in shock... What will become of all your beautiful stories... They deserve to be published! I wonder if your loved ones have thought about it, unless the pain is still too raw.

We won’t forget you, Patrick!

Paucar

I really loved his travel stories. Truly.