Meet Gem Guina, a passionate Filipino chef matching French macarons with Southeast Asian flavors.
Lockdown stories: how I found my soulmate during lockdown
As far as I can remember, I was always fascinated by France and its culture. It was like a dream come true when I got accepted to a university in Paris last year. It was a big shift since I was about to start my adult life: living alone for the first time in my life (not to mention that I was going to start it in a foreign country). My life in Paris began pretty smoothly. I managed to adapt pretty quickly. As soon as classes started, I befriended some people from the group, and my social life kicked off. At some stage, between picnics by the Seine and crazy soirées, I met my French boyfriend. We clicked immediately. We had a lot of common interests, shared tastes, and ideas for spending time together. We could spend hours just lying down and talking. Of course, there were some arguments, but…
Lockdown stories: I will never say “later” again
My life has always been revolving around hard work. My parents put a lot of pressure on being practical, rigorous as well as frugal. Many people also praised me for being pragmatic. I never overspend money. I’m always focused on excelling in everything I do. I’m a perfectionist. If I need more time to complete a task flawlessly, I don’t hesitate to spend hours checking everything. Every day is planned to bring as many fruits as possible. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a workaholic. I like to go out with my friends or travel like everyone else. It’s just that I always privileged down-to-earth matters over pleasure or fun. Time is money, so I wanted to spend my time in the most productive way possible. I never perceived it as a problem. In fact, I was always proud of myself for being well-organized. Unlike my friends, I didn’t waste…
Lockdown stories: Paris taught me how to be grateful
The beginning of the lockdown was very hard for me. The bad news was hailing down on me. My soon-to-be graduation ceremony was canceled. That was a pretty big blow given the fact that I was supposed to celebrate the end of an eighteen year-long period in my life. Instead of seeing my classmates for the last time and savoring getting my hard-earned diploma, I found myself being a prisoner in my own home. For some, it might seem like a small problem. “People are losing their jobs, some even lives” friends and strangers were saying everywhere. But when you lead a stressful life, such “small” things can save your life. Going out, being around people, meeting for co-working sessions with other freelancers helped me keep my life balance in check. Suddenly I was separated from my boyfriend, friends, and activities that made me manage overwhelming stress and anxiety. Deprived…
Molly Wilkinson
Image Courtesy of Molly Wilkinson
Molly Wilkinson, baker extraordinaire, is an expat living and working in Paris. Originally from Dallas Texas, Molly is a pastry grad from the Le Cordon Bleu and enjoys documenting her baking experiments through her blog www.toffeebitsandchocolatechips.com