Thomas
Thomas, friend of Guillaume and Mamadou
In the sleepy little town of Faro in Portugal, Team West met their host Thomas, who has worked as a musician earlier and now works for the French Cultural Service abroad. Thomas says when he sees the world map, he doesn't see the countries any more. He sees the map as a point of where all his friends are. Over laughs and more, Thomas fondly talks about his friendship with Guillaume and sends the travelers across the ocean to his friend Mamadou in Brazil.
What is your superpower?
I think I know how to listen, more than normal people. That's a good power - knowledge. Many more people need to learn how to listen.
What are you proud of?
I would say that I have no regrets until now. I'm 32 and I had this gigantic chance to choose what I want to do. I've been able to tour as a musician which was a dream when I was a kid. I was able to work for a bit in the video game industry which was also a dream for many kids like me. And right now, I am working and I've opened my mind to new forms of art. I am also spotting the creation and local culture every time I am in a new country. So I am really proud of always having the choice, this unique chance that not so many people have. Though, I don't know if I am proud of it, it's just a fact.
What is your spirit vegetable?
My spirit vegetable will be tomatoes, for sure, because they're always fresh. And they're also tasty.
What do you expect from a friend?
I would expect my friends to be spontaneous and different from me. I'm always looking for different people. I like marginal, strange, unusual and out of nowhere kind of people. Basically, I expect them to be themselves.
How important are friends to you?
I think there's a quote that says that there is nothing that makes this planet more comfortable than having friends all over the world. Because they're the ones making the latitudes and longitudes. And I think that's true because having spent a couple of years now on traveling and being abroad of France, my friends are all over the place. And now, I don't see the map like the world map with different countries, but I see it as some point where my friends are.
Week #5 of the Yuujou journey
