For Patrick-Yangguizi (page 9 of 19)

🙂 Hi there,

"...the consciousness of a dying person on this earth can, at the moment of death, be karmically directed toward rebirth in another distant galaxy..."

Lama Thubten Yeshe

I didn’t know him, but I’m still really moved...

Safe travels, and bon voyage!!!

Hey Patrick!

Just got back from my little paradise and found out you’ve set off on your big trip... We’re gonna miss you, but I’m sure they’ll appreciate you up there! So... one last little favor—save us a nice spot, you know, with all the respect, humor, and good times we love...

Yikes!

Whenever someone I like hasn’t posted in a while, I always worry a bit about them—must be my "mother hen" side. Luckily, it’s always for nothing. But this time, with no internet for two months, I didn’t worry about anyone. And yet, that’s exactly when I should’ve.

Zai jian, Diable d'Étranger, you really made me laugh.

My sorrow joins yours...

Thanks Patrick for all your spots and travel journals, safe travels to you!

My deepest condolences to his family, his partner, and his loved ones

Hi Patrick-Yangguizi,

I don’t know you personally, and yet, I feel like I do, a little.

While browsing this forum, I quickly came to appreciate your contributions to discussions—thoughtful and funny. Some of them had me laughing out loud.

I discovered your travel journals late, just before summer, thanks to a thread that mentioned them. That morning, I had a lot to organize for my trip, but once I started reading your *Voyage à la découverte de l’Amour*, I couldn’t put it down. What a way with words and what humor!

I’m lucky to have only read one of your journals so far. I’ll be able to dive into the others with joy, but also, no doubt, with a touch of melancholy, taking my time to get to know you better. It saddened me to learn that you won’t be writing any more. I can hardly believe it.

Safe travels, explorer! May the unknown lands you now walk be overflowing with wonders!

Good evening,

So you’re the H. in his journey to discover Love…

Danielle

Hi everyone,

I’m forwarding a message from Vladimir, a friend of Patrick’s:

I wanted to let you know that we’ve set up an email address, tributetopatrick@gmail.com, to collect any messages you’d like to share with Patrick’s loved ones.

Personally, I’ve sent the photos I found of Patrick to this address.

Hang in there, everyone... it’s been 3 weeks already...

It’s been a while since I last visited VF, and now I hear this news that really breaks my heart... I only knew Yagguizi by his username, even though I knew his real name was Patrick...

Like many others, I discovered him through his travel journals, but his passion for propaganda instruments immediately drew me in to spend more time reading his posts.

He probably didn’t know me, or maybe just in passing, but I knew him through his posts. He was a member I truly appreciated for the way he described what he saw, the irony he had about overzealous officials in certain countries, and his knack for uncovering hidden gems online (especially propaganda music...).

I really hope to visit the places he went (North Korea, Uzbekistan, Pakistan...) and the ones he wanted to go to (Turkmenistan, especially). When I do, there’s no doubt I’ll remember Yagguizi’s travel journals, because he’s one of the people who inspired me to go there.

What more can I say... I’m so sad for his family and loved ones. My sincerest condolences.

Alexis.

I’m not much of a traveler. I met Patrick in Paris when he was finishing his studies and about to move to China. I’ve done a lot of traveling vicariously through Patrick. We’ve talked so much over 10 years of forum chatter, yet we’ve only met once—in Paris, at a really nice evening get-together.

He’s one of the dearest friends I have, and the one I’ve seen the least.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had tears in my eyes.

Hey Patrick, I’m really proud that through all my moves and changes, I’ve never lost my A.A.R.R.C.C. card.

Why is it always the best ones who leave us too soon? PS: If anyone has a great idea to publish their travel journals, let me know—I’d love to read them.

Good evening, It’s with great sadness that I open the VoyageForum pages tonight. I want to express my deepest condolences to Patrick’s family. Safe travels, my friend. Ronan

I’ll probably never know what he thought of the book *Riding the Iron Rooster* by Paul Theroux that I gave him when we met in Shanghai last December.

Shanghai is blue But ... me no worry, me no sad, me no cry Cause ... me love blue of life Shanghai is blue Shanghai is really blue

Life has no more depth Than the leaf of a tree Than the coldest marble In its sorrow Gérard Manset

So long, Yangguizi

Sad news, Yangguizi.

I loved reading your travel journals and posts here. My wife and son would laugh when I told them about some of the adventures you shared with us. Such a shame we won’t get to read anything new from you.

My thoughts are with your family and loved ones.

What an incredible and sad piece of news... I had devoured all of Patrick's travel journals, starting with the one (exceptional) dedicated to North Korea, even using alt-tab at work, and we had exchanged a few PMs...

I was eagerly awaiting the Uganda journal, occasionally refreshing the message list, naively thinking that a last message from July 28th was just a sign of a packed schedule. Until today, when I noticed this "For Patrick - Yangguizi" added by an administrator. "No, it can't be an obituary," I thought for a moment... damn, it is...

Patrick, bravo and thank you for the quality of your stories, your humor, and your endless passion for off-the-beaten-path travel and your desire to share it with us, thousands of admiring strangers. After reading your journals, I felt the urge to travel to North Korea and Central Asia. Thank you, and farewell...

2:00 PM (French time), our usual time to meet on MSN... My heart can't accept this fate... I miss you, Pat. Kti

In memory of Patrick, I’m passing along the message I received this morning from Mrs. de Brisson:

Hello, Patrick’s friends and colleagues, along with the partners and lawyers at Bignon Lebray, were extremely kind to publish an announcement in memory of Patrick in today’s edition of *Le Figaro*, September 3, 2008. We are deeply grateful to them. http://www.carnetdujour.publiprint.fr//annonce.php?urn=81097 Sincerely, Nicole de Brisson

Like many of you, I just came across this news late, and it’s hitting me hard! Yangguizi, reading your travel journals took me back to Pyongyang—20 years after I actually went there. I walked in your words, turned your pages, and thought that maybe one day, in Shanghai for example, we’d grab a drink and compare memories... In a word or two, we’d put the world to rights, or at least the country!

Of course, you’ll be missed—more than just a little!

My nose is itching, my eyes are stinging a bit. Gotta go blow my nose, excuse me...

For a story to go everywhere, it must come from somewhere...

Hello, I’m Patrick’s mother. I want to thank all of you for these heartfelt messages. They’ve brought us so much comfort and moved us deeply. Some of you knew him personally, and very strong friendships had formed. Others only knew him through his posts, but you all testified to his kindness, his humor, his writing talent, and his human qualities. Patrick will continue to live on through his writings on this forum. We weren’t aware of them, because Patrick kept many aspects of his life separate, but thanks to this site, I’ve discovered so many facets of his personality—his sensitivity, his curiosity, his love for discovering others through his travels. I also understand better now his passion for deeply knowing other cultures by learning languages. He had a spirit of discovery and pursued his thirst for adventure to the fullest. It’s already been a month since he left us, and his memory stays with us constantly. Nicole