Fascination in the air Check-out, check in. Buying a little souvenir. Boarding. Fastening seatbelts.

And a good nap while the hostesses are showing the safety procedures. Yes, I do like taking the plane. Although my knees are, indeed, often firmly stuck in the seat in front of me. And despite the fact that half of my shirts always seem to have gone through a tornado when opening my suitcase after the flight. But that must be me. During one my last flights, I was staring around after my revigourating minutes of sleep. Businessmen struggling to turn the pages of their newspaper without hitting their neighbours. Others staring at their leather covered iPad. People sipping from something supposed to be coffee. And the discrete smiles amongst the different members of the cabin crew, promising a nice stay-over. The December issue of the in-flight magazine showed a guy on a bench, looking at the sunrise. According to the ad, he was thinking about the real meaning of richness. Knowing that the other advertisement of the same series stars a little kid driving around in a mini version of a Bugatti, they probably wanted us to say real richness is having a good private banker. I went for real richness means having clients who take a private plane to sit on an uncomfortable bench instead of opening their eyes at home. My attention quickly drifted away from the glossy pages. I leaned back, relaxed and looked outside. Amazed. The light of the cloudless full moon night had drawn an unusual veil over the towns, cities and villages below. They seemed to be part of a real-life Magritte painting, combining a soft, warm darkness with a vivid preciseness of the lid up houses. A mix of the boundless freedom of childrens fantasy worlds and the abundant details one can find in the end of year displays of the Haussmann galleries. That very moment of fascination made me think of the time spent underneath my grandmothers Christmas tree. Year after year, she would gather fresh inspiration in the garden or nearby woods, resulting usually in a very rich landscape: a hilly road to the stable, the traditional figurines, a little lake with an oversized fish, and many deer in the midst of trees and moss. All grandchildren would look at it during hours to grasp every hidden detail of this miniaturized world. In the meantime, we are all a couple of feet taller, but didnt really grow out of the rich inspiration surrounding celebrations, warm moments and festive seasons. Yes, I do like taking the plane. Flying around the globe. Taking a bath of colors and feeling the international vibes. Sipping from the nocturnal charms and sharing human energy. But in December, my favourite part is definitely the take off to the explosion of fun ideas, generous smiles and last minute plans. The dreamy glow of candles. Festive mindsets. No worries. Giving and receiving. Nice meals. Family. Friends. Remixed versions of Christmas songs. Tradition. Surprises. Unfasten your seat belts. Time for a great blend. Enjoy your Magical Merry Xmas Mix.

Jrgen Janssens | 2011

janssensjurgen@gmail.com