dear friends,
first off, HUGE apologies for taking so long to update the blog!! we've been on our own planets lately! and it's truly amazing where this summer has taken us. we have much updating to do here, much to share with all of you :)
well, to start, since arriving here in lisbon, we knew that it was a special place. this didn't take long to realize and we have each found something here that has opened up for us in a way that we didn't imagine. for one, we encountered a community of people and friends who are so inspiring and so supportive of our crazy ideas; this really warmed both of our hearts. we also discovered how much people really love our food- and this is also something wonderful! (we are so glad that we didn't talk ourselves out of coming here!) on a broader level, we also found paths for ourselves which, although started with the concept of 8folds, have now blossomed into new and exciting journeys for both of us.
selina arrived in lisbon and.... well, fell in love(!!) with a lovely lady who lives in mons, belgium. she is now there in her new love-nest sharing a life with this special someone and going through the legalities of moving to yet another new country. (we don't really like to make conventional choices! :) as soon as she gets settled she will continue with her other very important love in life, teaching.
alice came and fell in love with lisbon. she has been learning more ways to make the connection closer between food and community development. she has been inspired by her many friends who share passions for all the different ways we can live more harmoniously, and sustainably. she is currently exploring a new project which, will include many of the same ideas that were in mind for 8folds, but will take them in a slightly different direction.
where will 8folds go from here? well, we are still working this out for ourselves. one of the great things that came out of this project was the dirty dumpling jam! it started in wonderful melbourne as a way to give people an idea of what we were going to create in lisbon. in the end, it took on a life of its own, and from one jam to the next, it grew to include storytelling and fundraising, as well as food and music. we are still going to see where this goes in melbourne, because it is too wonderful of a thing to stop now! in the meantime, however, we have some adjusting to do before we can see where 8folds will fit into our lives moving forward. we will continue to keep this blog going so that when we get ourselves focused again, we can keep up the tradition of food and company and fun going in our respective countries!
8folds so far has been an incredible way for us to share our love of dumplings-- but not just dumplings-- food in general, and the joy that it can give us by bringing people together. and this is something that we will both always continue to share with people, because we love it so much that it is really just second nature for us by now :)
so until next time, long live food and fun and love and happiness!
lots of love from portugal and belgium,
alice and selina! xxxx
