Katoucha

It's leap year! Everyone take a bound!

So, today in the city that I love and long to visit - Paris - a model who had been missing since January has been found, floating in the Seine.

Here's part of a CNN article about the discovery:

"PARIS, France (AP) -- The body of Katoucha Niane, one of the first African women to attain international stardom as a model and a vocal opponent of female genital mutilation, was found in the Seine River, police said Friday.

Known simply as Katoucha, the former top model for Yves Saint Laurent and other top designers was found Thursday near the Garigliano bridge in Paris, judicial police in Paris said.

An autopsy showed no signs of foul play, pointing to the possibility that the 47-year-old may have fallen accidentally into the river, they said."

How scary is that - to just fall into a river on accident and thus end your life.

It's kind of odd though - and I hate to compare this tragedy to a reality tv show - BUT there is a girl in this season of America's Next Top Model who is practically Katoucha reborn. Probably around the same time of this models disappearance, Top Model started filming Fatima - an African girl who was circumcised at 7 years old, who wants to use modeling as a voice against that very mutilation.

Fatima in the latest photo shoot

In a somewhat similar but completely different side-story... I was born the day after my last great-grandpa died. My great-grandma thought that part of his soul was transferred to me, and so she always cherished me in that regard.In that same thought - the moment that one voice left this industry, a new girl with the same hopes and goals arrives on the scene.

I just found it interesting.