Monday - Meeting day

It's me ... people asked me more Sophie photos ..So Hello ! I am here!

Monday is the meeting day, not so exhausted. During the morning you prepare your meeting,(graphe, results, problems ...)  at 1pm you have the meeting which spend between half an hour to 2  hours with James, Marc (our boss)  and all the researchers and students who have to talk about their week end and holidays...

Today Miguel arrived in the laboratory. He is the son of a famous researcher in Paprican laboratory! He will be the Alex assistant making handsheet. Marc (our boss) invited us to the restaurant at 2 pm after the meeting (Alex, Miguel, an other coleague and I)! At 4 pm we went back to the laboratory - END of the meeting day!

I am fond of this monument!

The milk man is in France now !

Enjoy your holidays milk man!

Milk is life, Lait nature, au chocolat, aux fruit, chaud, froid, en poudre... thanks, not for me!

Crevette! 

FIREWORKS - 2nd part

Saturday night was a crazy night. At 8pm, Alex and I were on English bay and we wanted to eat an ice cream... When we saw a queue of 10m in front of an ice cream shope ... HUM! it should be palatable with this queue .... HUGE, gorgeous, amazing !!! 10 varieties of waffle cones (white chocolate, dark chocolate, nuts, sludge, toffee ... Loads of mixin small stuff (brownies, chocolate, toffee, sweeties, kit kat....) We could see the man making the waffle cone, waiters mixin the small stuff ... The smell was tasty ... HUM !!!!

With our beautiful ice cream we were walking through the crowd looking for the perfect  place to see the fireworks !

The fireworks was as amazing as our ice cream !

To go back home, that was another story ... Zillion peolpe in the street looking for a bus ... To caught the B-line 98, I had to wait 5 bus later... But with all these peolpe it was pleasent looking at every body, imagining their lives...

 

Happy to get home too !!!! And I slept 12 hours long ...

Do you drink milk?

The french connection !

Friday was the last night for Samy, a french guy managing an intership in the south of Vancouver. The world is realy tiny. I have met Alex with who I talked to internet when I was searching a room. Every thing began at 11 am, with the Kevin e-mail : "Apero in my house on the 40th avenue, Sunset on the beach (English Bay) and the end on a downtown night club." Followed laods of responses : Samy ! I will be there, but in late ! (He had to send his car...) ...

Severine, Alex et sa copine, Axel et Mathilde (they joined us downtown !1 hours late), A quebec couple, Lucie, JB and her friend ...

Alex and I were ok, we fixed an appointment at 6.30 pm on the crossroad between Main street and the 41th avenue. As is usual, Alex was in late. She had forgotten the Martini! We were on the 40 th avenue  when we notice we didn't have the house number, 385-375-365 ... Who kowns...? We have tried several house backyard when we heard French speaking !!! OUFF !!!

Do you want a Milk - Milk is life - Drink a milk -good for health !    ----- Ah Samy -----   We will miss your milk attitude !

We had an appointment with Axel and Mathilde Downtown at 11pm. At 11pm, we always were in Kevin house ... lol ! Drinking, eating crisps, cake with Marocco butter  ... we decided to go to downtown. Granville was crowded, We stopped in order to eat a little (With alex, we picked an ice cream with chocolate, vanilia, nuts ...).At 12 pm We were on the English Bay, without sun (Yes At 12 pm, the sun is asleep ... The sunset ... another time!

At 1.30 am, I decided to go back home and find a bus (not easy!) I waited 15min the bus and The B-line 98 was really fast 10min downtown - 41th avenue! But at 2 am, the 41 bus was over ... Hopefully, a cab stopped infront of me, and ask me if I needed help. I said "YES" I have to go to salish drive ... He drove me to my house ... and he didn't ask me to pay for it, he was looking for another customers who would pay for!

 

The 25th of July - FIREWORKS

The 25th of july we saw the begining of the light festival of Vancouver. 4 NIGHTS - 4 CONTRIES - 300 000 person looking at the fireworks for the first night!

It was amazing !!!! Fabulous ... I met Alex at 9 pm on the intersection between Davie/Granville. Then we followed the masses on Davie Street to reach English Bay. 300 000 people on the Beach, in the street ... At 10 pm, the fireworks bigan. We listened to the Canadian national antherm and the show bigan.

 The explosives were on the ship. The Bay was protecting by a douzen of boat all over the Beach. Actually we were on English bay, but it was also possible to see it from Kits beach (with a radio to follow the music and get a better sound!)

Chinese, Japanese people were hysterical ... shrieking at all fireworks, taking photos ... Really good night. at 11 pm, we were again in the crowded street, it was awful. I had to join Granville bus stop to take the B line 98 to go back home. At each bus stop there were cops, helping people to go out.

We are going to see it again saturday night for an other country.

Enjoy the photos ....

"Ratatouille"

Tonight I have seen the cartoon "Ratatouille" ! Awesome ! Really funny, I liked it! You have to see it - Your child part have to be here for this fancy film ! You will enjoy it in English !

That reminds me of the France, my beatifull country, My cooking culture ... I like it! I have seen this film with Ario and Alex in a cinema in the downtown at 7.pm.

And you have to see it in english... you will discover an other vision of or beatiful "French accent" ! awful...

BLOGS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD !!!

Here, there are some friends blogs from Vancouver, and others !

 

Enjoy it !

 

Alex - My french twins

(Non disponible)

Samy - French guy in Vancouver - managing an intership in Vancouver for 3 months!

http://pibeaucanada.blogspot.com/

Axel - French guy in Vancouver - who works in Vancouver for 5 month !

http://axel-vancouver.blogspot.com/

Guillaume - French guy in San Fransisco - Holidays !

http://groxx.free.fr/blog/

Amel and co - PG all over the world - INPG forces ! Boston / Australia / France ...

http://ousontelles.blogspot.com/

I miss my violin ... I have never stoped playing more than one month .. it's really hard for me !

I miss y little poppy doggy "Caroul" !

RAINY - CLOUDY - VANCOUVER

Je me dois de vous raconter cette journée en Français, la journée Française du séjour ... Vous allez vite comprendre ... Tout a commencé ... 

Hier, une journée comme il y en a 10 mois sur 12 ici, une journée de pluie ... Nomalement nous sommes ici pour les deux mois de grand soleil (Summer) mais il y a toujours des jours ou la pluie revient ...

Alex et moi avons décidé de nous donner rendez vous au Pacific Center (centre commerial - Yves St Laurent - ... et autre grande marques parisiennes, Autant dire innabordable mais un tres beau centre commercial !) Georgia/Granville.

A 16h30 nous avons rejoint Samy, Axel et Mathilde sa copine et Kévin - Robson/Granville. Nous voila partie tous les 6 sous la pluie à la recherche d'un festival à regarder. (Ah oui ils sont tous Français et nous les avons rencontré à la dernière soirée de Couch Surffers) VIVE internet A Vancouver, moyen de communication super puissant ! En une heure la soirée était organisée !

Au finish - 17h30, on décide de ce poser dans un bar/retaurant assez classe (Tous les pub était blindé!!!) On entre - une grande photo d'une femme nu dans l'entée. Ils nous montrent surment le côté artistique d'un corp nu, ce bar était tout à fait respectable ! Nous voila parti pour boire une série de bière ( sauf moi, en effet je ne raffole vraiment pas de la bière, trop de bulle pour moi ! vraiment!)

20h00 On sort du bar ... il pleut toujours ... On se dit que l'on commence à avoir faim ... Alors on décide d'aller au Bleetz un retau assez classe où l'on mange de super hamburger servi avec salade quasi diététiqe .... Vous pourrez regarder sur les photos les beaux plats que l'on a dégusté. De plus nous connaissions le chef cuitaux et une des serveuses Française (bien sur). Au final on c'est retrouvé avec deux déserts en prime un vraie délice, le Tiramitsu sublime meilleur que le gateau au chocolat tout de même délicieux !

22h30 Nous voila tous repartie sous la pluie pour regagner Granville (Bus et Skytrain !)

Une super soirée entre Français où l'on a bien rigolé ...

10 reasons why, it's a crappy trip !

 

1. Everything begun in France, when I was looking for a shareroom in Vancouver ! Too difficult - No help - No information save craigsliste website ...
2. The airport ... London airport are insufferable ... They want only One hand bag, so with one computer it become difficult ! The fucking controller checked all my stuff, my suitcase, belt, purse, ... I was up set ! 15 hours fly is too much (with 5 hours watting in London.)
3. One week spent in a Hostel ... Which was full ! Exhausting, most of all with 40 kg of luggage!
4. My mobile phone was over (actually I spend one week to discover that I needed to activate the 3 bands option, to make my mobile phone working !)
5. My wireless connection was over too ... MISFORTUNE ! After On week spent, and lots of research of lots of personn (parents, friends, coleagues ... )  Guillaume, A french computering friend have found a solution ! OUF !
6. Find house in Vancouver ! More difficult than we though !
7. Vancouver BUS system ! Discovering that you have to pull the wire, if you want the bus to stop ! Discovering B line - fast line which never stop even if you pull the wire !
8. Spend One month in the laboratory doing nothing !!! Waiting for the decision of your three boss (to much boss !) who are never in harmony ! Waiting for the administration laziness, which slow down when your name begin with an "H", slow down when you need refund .... up set !
9. Be here at 8000 km from my home, my familly, my friends was very very hard ! I was totaly homesick at the begining, totaly depressed ... Now, it's better, I have encountred loads of people, I go out, go to restaurant trying Sushi, greek food, chinese food ... Where is canadian food? ... I didn't find it! The beach, downtown, beautiful landscape ...
10. Be here without my sweety loved boyfriend - Romain called Fresh - And Alex can confirm that with Francis ! That the first reason why be here is so hard !

But we are trying to profit of this fabulous opportunity to learn english, meet foreign people ... discover a new country far from our dear France ! And People here are really friendly !

Soso ! Happy to be here ... perhaps, Happier when I will come back to France ! lol !

But Vancouver is a gorgous city with sea, mountain, downtown !!!  And I really advise you to go there !

Grouse mountain by Grind trail !

 

Sunday we have decided to go to Grouse Mountain with Alex and Ario (an Iranian guy who carry out a Ph.D on the hydrocyclone and the power consumption). Frist surprise ! I had an appointment with Ario at 7:15 am near the 17 bus stop ... What I hadn't checked what were the week end schedules to reach UBC from my house. At 7:00 am I was waitting for my 41 bus when I see the sunday schedules, unfortunately there were no buses before 8:00 am - Always our dear buses and I, who never read the bus schedules ! I sent a fast message with my mobile phone to Alex but I kewn that was to late in order to prevent Ario! I took a bus to go to the downtown directly ... WATER FRONT STATION !

I am going to  finish my story later, actually it is 3:30 p.m I have to go to METRO TOWN ! THAT'S THE SALES !!!!!!

 So, It's Friday afternoon, I am on weekend ... ouf ! I can finish my story... We met each others at water front station (our meeting point, but that we didn't kown is, skytrain waterfront station is not the same than bus water front station. At 8 p.m I was with Ario in front of the bus waterfront station, but Alex was at the skytrain waterfront station !!!! ... After 30 min, we decided to search Alex .... OUFF, We found her ... We are on the road ... going to Grouse mountain!

Grouse mountain ! 2 hours of hiking , on a sharp slote ...  Really, really exhausting !!! BUT, I DID IT, AND I AM NOT DEAD ... So Courage ! YOU CAN DO IT TOO !

Fortunately during the up the weather was cloudy, but I admit I would have prefered a sunny weather at the top ... I was freezy ! I seen two beautiful bear, birds, eagle, owl, falcon ... amazing, and again and again, hiking trough out the mountain ... it was 2 pm, and I became hungry ... Ario proposed us 2 huge beaver tails (chocolate and apple cinnamon ("cannelle" is the most famous spice in Vancouver, every meal you  encountred here contain cinnamon !!! If you are going to go in Vancouver, I hope for you, you like "cannelle"! Alex does'nt like it !!!)  YUMMY !!! Delectable, Delicious ! The view was beatiful at the top, you could see Vancouver bay ... The ocean ....

To go down, we have chosen the cable car ... too exhausted to hiking down! 15 min, we were down ! it was 3 pm, we was near the sea bus (North Vancouver) to join the downtown, when Ario propose us to test a Greek restaurant ! Let's GO !

GREEK RESTAURANT !!!

HUM ! YUMMY FOOD, Chicken - greek salad with greek cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper, potatoes, rice, tzatziki ...

EXHAUSTED DAY, BUT HAPPY TO BE HERE ! 

The Friday 13th - Dana's Birthday

Alex and I had finish our work day at 16. pm. At 8. pm We were going to buy some beverages and some food for the party. We stoped to eat a pizza (one slice = 1.51$  = 1E cheaper pizza I have ever seen)!

The house

At 9:00 pm we were at the party - we didin't kown anybody in the house, actually they have laid down an add in the Couch suffers web site : "tonight party on ... Renfrew" So lots of French people were there! But that's was really funny to speak english  with German, Canadian, Australian people totally drunk ... all these drunky ! 

With Couch Surffers you could visit all the city you want and people from couch surffers give you a room!

Dana and I !

I have spoken with Ashley, an English who is roughly 40. He has spent 6 month in Vancouver and he comes from England - He really prefers Canadian life, people, way of thinking, open minded personn... That's was really interested to speak with he, He lives in the Alex House and English people are easy to understand!

I have spoken with German guys, they told me that I have the "French accent" OH ! NO ! pfffffffu

 Dana, birthdy's man have had only 21. I has already visit all the world, he comes from Ausralia, the 4th of sptember the will go to Seatle, NewYork .... The he will go in Irland, South America, and Finaly Europe (France, Italia, spain ...) In order to learn abour the french Vine! - Australian people are by far the most difficult to understand !

French people Jerem (25) the Alex room mate, really funny ... With Ashley they helped me when a drunk guys annoyed me ! One canadian guys was really blooding, I was always trying to avoid him... Jerem and Ashley was really helpfull!

The Oher French guys, from engineering school, commercial school, au pair  ...

Nicole the quebec girl that I better understand when she speaks english than French ... Really when she speak french, we don't understant anythings....

Loads of new friends all over the world we will go over with couch surffers Vancouver Parties !

http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=905