New York, New York

New York is big, huge, awesome, cold, windy, enormous, delightful, exciting.

New York is famous for the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Empire State Building, Macy's, and so on.

New York, is, just New York.

Disappointing.

I expected more.

News

I've just came back from a 5-day visit trip in New York. Check out some pictures here.

Now in France

I'm back.

Just came back from Manila last Saturday and I must say this is hard.

Will write more.

In the Philippines

It's been a while since I didn't write anything here.

I've been in the Philippines for one month already, leaving in one week...

Working as a volunteer in a Foundation helping street kids.

An experience I will never forget.

Soon, soon

I'll be in the country where the people always smile.
Where I can drink delicious mango shakes.
Where you eat pork sisig, adobo, halo-halo...
Where you laze on the beach on the week-ends...
Where you party like crazy.
Where you always have fun.

Philippines, my second home.

Inseec'Ond

I am a member of the association which is the webradio of the school.
I've been working hard on it, so please, listen to it !!

www.inseecond.net

Unfortunately, it is french...

4 rules

I've just had my first "Organizational Behavior" class today and I really enjoyed it! We talked about the business basics and how to be a good manager.

The teacher (who has graduated from Georgetown University and has worked for many companies eg National Geographics) gave us the 4 rules we have to respect in his class.

We don't have the right to say "I don't know" when asked something. If we do, we will be "dismissed" from the class! We can answer something like "I am not sure, but..." or "I will get back to you". Actually, the class is given in english to all french students, who for most of them, never had english lessons except for english classes.

The second rule is "no cellphones". If he sees us texting, checking the time, or using our mobile, he will confiscate it and we will have to pay 2 € to get it back! If we don't, he'll keep our mobile until the next lesson (and until we pay).

The third rule is respect. Respect each other and the teacher. People could laugh at other people whose english accent is bad, and those ones could be shy to talk. So, respect everybody! We are here to progress.

The fourth and last rule is to speak up. We have to talk loud when we answer, or if we want to make a point. This is - as he said- to prepare us to speak up our minds in future business meetings.

Interesting rules, aren't they ?

Hey there

School has officially started one week ago... Which school is it ? It is Inseec Bordeaux, which is a business school. I have micro economy, law, accounting, etc lessons. For now, all my classes were interesting!

Starting over the process of making new friends... parties seem to be all around the corner so it will be easy haha.

But I have long days, starting from 8.30 am to 8pm sometimes...

Anyway, apart from that... well I've watched a Marliyn Monroe's movie last week in theatre, and it was great! I only saw "Some like it hot" and I really wanted to know more about what Marilyn did, and why she is so praised until today. Well I better understand now! I watched Niagara and if you have the opportunity to see it, do so!

PS : you should read this!

Beautiful Paris

Here are some pictures of my week :

Changes

I would like to take another direction for this blog.

I will continue talking about my life, but not only. I would like to share cultural point of views from the countries I've experienced : the Philippines and China. I will also share my musical tastes and other views.

I hope I will have time to do it and that my blog will be more interesting hehe.

When in Paris

Hey there !

I'm in Paris since Monday now, staying at my brother's appartment in the 13th.

I spend my days visiting, watching TV and playing piano. I still couldn't see the friends I wanted to...

So what did I do ? I walked on the Champs-Elysées until the Arc de Triomphe (sorry, too lazy to translate), then today I went to the chinese quarter, see the Tang Frere market, then I took the subway to the Tuilerie garden. I walked to the Louvres Museum and took pictures. It was so beautiful ! I sat in the garden and read a little. Unfortunately you will see the pictures later as I am not using my own laptop right now.
I also walked on the Rivoli Street, where I found a charming book store with english books. I didn't buy anything, though. Then I just took the subway home...

Paris is so beautiful but I still can't imagine myself live here one day...

Back in Bordeaux

Alone in my appartment for the first time since... 4 months !

Tomorrow will be my internship defence... wish me luck...

A strange feeling

Back in Europe after living an incredible experience in China... It's like everything is plain normal and boring, I don't know. When you are in Shanghai, there is always something to do.

Restaurants, bars, clubbing, hanging out, going to KTV, shopping... I kinda miss all that now.
I'm happy to be back, seeing family and friends, but it's like I'm feeling so empty.
I also recognize that I actually liked very much my internship which was very interesting. I've learned a lot more than expected. From concept to design to marketing. I really know better about what I want to do in my future life. I'd like to work more for branding... something like that...

I'm back...

Long time no see !!!

I've been to the Philippines and to Beijing afer Shanghai.

I went back to France last week, and I am now in my "true" hometown : Luxembourg.

So glad to be back, but missing Asia somehow !

Will write more...

Summer heat

Summer has trully arrived here in Shanghai. Temperature is rising, sun is shining... good news ! Hmm not really. It's really too hot... And walking outside than going inside in ACed building than going out in the heat is not really... good...

If only there were suitable beaches nearby, the weather would be perfect to sunbathe... The thing is chinese people hate the sun... Ladies walk with an umbrella, scared to be "black".

I want to tan !!! Hahaha.

Things you do or don't usually do in Shanghai

You never wash, clean, or take out the garbage.
You never say "sorry" to anyone when you take the subway.

You do spend most of week-ends partying and shopping like crazy.
You bargain all the time for everything.(what, it doesn't work in H and M ?)
You suddenly find normal european shops expensive.
You do your hair, nails more often.
You take the taxi most of the time.
You eat for less than 3 €.
You have so many things to do that your appartment is like your hotel, you only sleep there.
You don't only go out on week-end, but also during weeks, as happy hours and ladies night are everywhere and everyday.

Useful chinese expressions

One of the only ones I know...

Ni hao... How are you (but not as a question)

Wei ... Used when you answer the phone.(Wei, ni hao ?)

Bu yao ! ... I don't want (very useful, most of chinese will try to sell you anything)

Wo yao (Wo yao zhe ge) ... I want (I want this)

Bu zhi dao ... I don't know

De, due, hao de ... Yes, ok, good

Shi ... Yes

Bu shi ... No (I say it all the time !!!)

Faguo ... France (yes, taxi drivers always ask me where I'm from.. Wo xie faguo ren !!! )

Xie xie ... Thank you (pronounce she she)

Due bu shi ... I'm sorry (pronounce doue boo tche)

Zai jian ... Good bye

and.. that's all !! But with these few word, and body language, I manage to get what I want... and don't want !

Weird

These days I never updated this blog, because first of all I didn't have time, and also because "blogger" is usually blocked here in China.

Today I suprisingly found it wasn't blocked so that's why I'm taking this opportunity to give some news.

I'm really enjoying Shanghai, more for the "expat life" than anything else. Because apart from shopping, restaurant, club, karaoke, etc. there is in fact not much to do once you have visited (what should be visited).

There are cities to see, but they are one hour or more from Shanghai (Hangzhou, Suzhou), and these days the weather is always bad on week-ends, especially on Sundays, days we usually plan to go visit one of these cities...

So the good thing here is meeting people, networking, people from different countries, origins, cultures.

Well of course there are many things to do here in Shanghai, as long as you have money !!

News from Shanghai

I'm still not getting used to the food here. I was sick, yet again, yesterday !
It's already been 2 weeks since I'm in Shanghai, and I feel like I've only been sick since I'm here. Plus I've lost 3 kilos, which is not really good news, I'm already thin enough !

Now, it is raining, and not only a little...

And also, blogspot is blocked here, which means I can write here, but I can't see my blog, nor others ! Sorry, I can't read you... Even some french blogs and sites I used to visit are blocked... Too bad.

My days are mostly like work, eat, watch dvd, sleep. Fascinating huh ? That's why I really hope to recover soon because there are so many parts of Shanghai I need to discover, and enjoy ! As I am weak and sick most of the time, I don't really enjoy many things...
Anyway, I'll write more.

Starting to get used to my new life

I'm starting to enjoy my stay in Shanghai ! Jetlag, sickness, weakness and lack of sleep are almost history.
I went to have a haircut for just 3€. Could you imagine ?
I live 20 minutes away from the center by taxi, that's not too bad !

Pollution is a problem, it really stinks all the time though...

I now have 3 days holidays, yeah I work on Sunday...