JP's hideaway

...toujours Bruxelles

2008-05-25T01:35:00.000+09:30

The second picture was taken at "A la mort subite", famous pub which produces the famous beer (Mort Subite)...was pretty cool and the barman pretty funny.

More tomorrow...

Dans les rues de Bruxelles...

2008-05-25T01:22:00.000+09:30

Hello,

The journey goes on with a quick tour of Brussels today (Saturday) before I have the interview on Monday. It is a pretty city with nice little places to discover...

Above you can see the Grand' Place as well as the Manneken Pis plus some funky building paintings in the streets of Brussels (one of them being Tintin & co.)

More pictures to come...

Un peu plus sur Paris...

2008-05-24T17:41:00.000+09:30

Quelques photos supplémentaires...

Tout en haut: le Panthéon
Milieu: l'intérieur d'une cathédrale...je ne sais plus laquelle??
Ci-bas: une ruelle dans St-Michel

À venir: Bruxelles...stay tuned!

Bienvenue a Paris!

2008-05-22T01:33:00.000+09:30

Hello to you - my readers,

I've just landed in Paris this morning. I'm here for two days, then off to Belgium for an interview in Brussels, which should be quite exciting!

As I had never been to the Louvres in Paris, I decided to go and visit it today....man! this place is HUGE - and the Mona Lisa, well, not so big after all :-)

Anyway, after lots of walking and wandering about I'm just about ready to go for bed as the jet lag sets in and I'm feeling quite tired...

Will let you know how it goes in Brussels!

Ciao for now!

Aussie Day / Triple J hottest 100 BBQ

2008-02-10T22:16:00.000+10:30

Pogo Stick competition - Jodie won the title of "Queen of the Garden"!

Having a good time!

Zee BBQ!

My 1st catch ever - couldn't keep it, too small :(

From the country side to Boston...

2007-12-30T16:37:00.000+10:30

The Shack my cousins and I built when we were teenagers

Boston Public Garden

...in the Garden

My family in Boston - cousins, uncle and aunt (Dad's little sister)

Season's Greetings!

2007-12-30T16:26:00.000+10:30

Oscar the snowman! (yes! I built him up - and it was not that easy!!! ;-)

Xmas eve dinner at my Grandma's and Aunt's

Skiing with my mom

Skiing in the country side - on my uncle's land

The artists in the family

2007-12-22T09:07:00.000+10:30

The studio were my mom works

Some of my mom's work

One of my dad's painting

Dinner with my friends Matthieu et Geneviève

More snowy pictures...

2007-12-22T08:48:00.000+10:30

Welcome to Canada!

Me and Dad

My mom, happily cooking

...and that was a "mild" day!

Family reunion and skiing

2007-12-12T08:17:00.000+10:30

Me again!

Here are a few pictures from a family lunch at my mom's place and me going skiing with Nina (the dog). My mom's at the right hand side of the table next to my cousin with his mouth full ;-)

enjoy!

Winter back in Canada (and the states...)

2007-12-12T08:06:00.000+10:30

Hey Folks,

Above you can see a picture of a "Moose Crossing" warning - that's in Vermont, on my way to my dad's place in the states. I'll put more pictures of a family lunch that we had at my mom's...

Enjoy! :-)

Moose Party - Part 2

2007-11-28T12:45:00.000+10:30

Moose Party - Part 1

2007-11-28T08:12:00.000+10:30

Hey Everyone,

Here are some pictures that were taken last week-end (24th November - Election Day here in Australia).

Was pretty cool - lots of good friends and family, laughters and good food.

The party was in and out the house and at some point everyone gathered inside (or almost everyone) to follow the election results!

Was lots of fun!

Cheers!
(The pictures appear courtesy of Kris Broos)

Sunday arvo in Port Adelaide

2007-11-26T12:33:00.000+10:30

Salut tout le monde!

Me revoici sur mon blog...après plusieurs semaines (mois) d'absence!

Après une soirée bien arosée samedi dernier (housewarmin party chez nous), Jodie m'a emmené à Port Adelaide. Nous avons donc passé un bel après-midi ensoleillé à nous promener dans les rues de Port Adelaide. Étant un des plus vieux arrondissement (ou subburb) d'Adelaide et de classe ouvrière, peu d'argent est investi dans l'infracstructure locale, et donc la plupart des édifices sont les constructions originales de l'époque où la ville a été établie (1837). Port Adelaide est donc une ville riche en histoire culturelle.

J'espère donc que vous apprécierez les photos que j'ai mises ici.

À venir: les photos de notre "housewarming party"

Ciao :-)

Sunday Morning Run

2007-08-12T15:00:00.000+09:30

Hello again,

This morning was the last of the Jogger's World Fun Run Series...
Well, Jodie and I just decided last night that we'd do the event, just for the heck of it! Jodie decided to go for the 2km run, and I decided to do the 4km event (could'nt be bothered to wait an hour for the 8km race!!).

The 2km race was first, and at 9h00 am sharp, off she was running amongst kids and adults...Jodie did well, in fact she did very well - especially so for someone who hadn't trained at all! Jodie finished with a time of 10min 29 sec and - Lo and Behold - Won the first place for her age group!!! O.K. she might have been the only one in her age group, but still she did great!! I'm proud of her!

As for me, well, I didn't know what to expect as I haven't been running seriously for a while. I had two loops to do, the first one I did a bit too fast at first, but picked up a more regular pace towards the first quarter of the second loop. I finished at 14min 40 sec, which I was very pleased with! Better yet, I even won my age group (open), which came as a nice surprise!

Altogether it was good fun! Funny thing is, I bought new shoes yesterday (really needed some) and won a free pair of running shoes today at the random draw at the end of the event! First-time lucky I suppose!

Cheers! :-)

The adventures of Mr. Brun...in Tassie

2007-08-01T20:11:00.000+09:30

1) One of Mr. Brun's favorite hobbies: licking barbwire surrounded by friends, Cornelia the cow and the Curly sheep twins!

2) Mr. Brun in the lab...taking notes

3) Mr. Brun about to do some lab work: need the safety goggles and the lab coat!

More Scenery From Tassie

2007-08-01T19:20:00.000+09:30

1) Morning sunrise in Crabtree

2) View of Hobart from the lab

3) View of Hobart from outside Campus

2007-07-31T20:49:00.000+09:30

Bonjour!

Je suis en Tasmanie!

The flight over Tassie went well and the views were stunning: so many mountains and lakes, wow! Pretty nice!
Weather: brrrrrrr...

The people I'm staying with (Eloise and her husband Brian) are very nice and friendly and uber-generous. They are taking realy good care of me! Funnily enough, Brian just turned 30 on the 29th of June, basically a month before me!

The lab work is going well so far: today was a pretty full-on day, but it all went well and I'm happy with what I've done! Tomorrow: more lab work and a 3o min seminar that I must present...still need to practice it - doh!!!

Brian and Eloise were talking about taking me to this look-out on our way to work one morning...hopefully I'll be able to get some good shots! The light is really beautiful here in the morning, with the contrast and the mist, frost, dead animals lying on the ground frozen to death - oopsss, wasn't meant to say that... ;-P

So, stay tuned - more photos to come!

JeP

Wecolme to Brissie!

2007-07-09T20:12:00.000+09:30

Bonjour tout le monde!

Je suis de retour avec quelques photos de...Brisbane! Une semaine au soleil, en t-shirt pour la plupart du temps! ahhhhh!!! le pied!

Brisbane was a nice experience: a mix between the artistic nature of Melbourne and the trendy Sydney, yet with it's own personality. An hippie-ish city with an eclectic crowd of people and sunny! What a difference from cold and wet Adelaide!

All in all, it was a great trip, a nice escapade before jumping back on the thesis!

Hope you'll enjoy the pictures!

A plus!

JP :-)

Welcome to Brissie - Part 2

2007-07-09T19:56:00.000+09:30

2007-05-23T18:54:00.000+09:30

Hey everybody!

I just had a long week-end holliday in Melbourne with Jodie, which was great, and wanted to share a few pictures that I have taken.
I did not take a lot this time...but I hope you'll enjoy what I put.

Melbourne was awesome! It is very diverse and multicultural and there is a definite taste for arts!
Jodie and I caught up with some friends while over there, had some Yum cha (Chinese "breakfast/lunch"), did lots of walking and shopping, etc.

Basically, we had a good time!

Enjoy!

JP :-)

Oakbank races - Easter Week-end

2007-04-10T20:53:00.000+09:30

Salut tout le monde,

me revoici sur le blog!

After a nice and long week-end, here I am to share some pictures I took at the Oakbank races on monday Easter.

This is a famous thing here in Adelaide (in the hills): every year, for the Easter long week-end, people from around the place go to Oakbank for a three-day feast of horse races, boozing up and a good laugh (from the booze and the crazy people dressing up and wearing fancy hat as if it was the Melbourne Cup - an important horse race).

Anywho, there I was with Jodie and her family, and Zhong (our flatmate) to enjoy the horse...and to place a few bets (to win please!). Altogether, it was a good laugh and good fun, we had a perfect day for it (usually it is wet and miserable).

Hope you'll enjoy the pictures!

JP :-)

My first Aussie Wedding

2007-03-22T07:56:00.000+10:30

Hello everyone,

Yeah, yeah, I am still alive...or just. Kidding ;-) Well, it has been pretty hectic in the last couple of months: finding a new place to live, moving to the new place, settling in, finding a flatmate to rent the spare room (aka, sharing the costs!!) and trying to juggle work and "social" life with all this! (what is social life again?).

All this to say, that those are the reasons that I haven't been keeping up to date with the fabulous world of blogs! Anywho, it is all sorted out now and all is going well!

Last week-end, Jodie and I went to Ryan and Liz's wedding. Ryan and I lived in the same house since I got here in Adelaide to do my PhD. It was quite an honour for me to get to go to the wedding ceremony and the reception, and in all honesty, it was a very nice and lovely wedding. Simple, short and sweet...with lovely words and vows exchange and "oh-so-delicious" food at the reception! :-)

Anyway, as it is still busy for me, have to dash to the lab and get back to work... enjoy the pictures!

Bring on 2007

2007-01-07T15:25:00.000+10:30

Salut tout le monde!

It's been a while since I've posted something, so I thought the new year would be a good incentive to write a bit.

First, I would like to wish you all the best for 2007, especially for those of you I still haven't got a hold of ('cause I'm too damn slow to to get in touch with you!)! I hope that you all had a great holiday break, wherever you are. I certainly did!

Here are a few pictures taken during the holiday season. The top one being a Xmas party with my Aussie "family" at Gabe and Em's place (by the pool on a scorching hot day!).

Then a few pictures taken in Deep Creek National park (1hr 1/2 down south), where Jodie and I went camping just after Xmas. It was really nice and peaceful, but still a bit chilly at night believe it or not!

That's about it for now. New Year's resolutions? None. Goals: Finish the PhD, publish as much as a possible and get a freakin' job!! ;-) hihi. Oh! and of course, I'd like to (hopefully) take a few weeks off to go back to Canada and say hello to all of you my friends and family!

Muchos amores!

JP ;-)

Des questions, toujours plein de questions!

2006-10-24T15:40:00.000+09:30

Comment doit-on vivre sa vie aujourd'hui?

Doit-on se conformer à une société qui ne se souçie guère de votre bonheur mais plutôt de votre avoir personnel? Est-ce que le désordre émotionnel et intellectuel seraient les nouveaux "hits" du jour?

Comment faire pour se situer alors que tout n'est que confusion, désordre moral et chaos communautaire? Du coup, qu'est-ce que le mot "communauté" signifie désormais?

Malheureusement, il est trop facile de se poser plein de questions de nos jours, sans toutefois avoir la moindre idée d'où trouver les réponses...

Peut-être les réponses se trouvent-elles dans l'individualisme et la centralisation du soi vers son propre nombril??

À vous de me le dire...

More Pictures EP

2006-10-05T15:58:00.000+09:30

Here are a few more pictures from our week-end getaway!

Enjoy!

Week-end in Eyre Peninsula

2006-10-05T15:50:00.000+09:30

G'day all!

I'm back after a few weeks of silence.

Made it back to Adelaide in one good piece, and already I managed to escape the lab and the city to go on a long week-end with my "aussie-family" in the Eyre Peninsula...in Lincoln National Park.

It was a great week-end of camping and chilling. We had a great time, the weather was fantastic and the ocean's water bloody cold!!! :-)

More pictures to come...

JP :-)

Epilogue...

2006-09-09T13:16:00.000+09:30

After having completed my European/Asian tour, I allowed myself one last day of visits...

...here are a few shots from my last day in Taiwan.

I'm off to catch my flight!

Mission completed!

2006-09-07T23:40:00.000+09:30

Well, that is it...

I have presented a seminar today at AVRDC, which completed my more-than-week-long official visit. This basically wraps up my overseas trip for the summer/winter 2006 (depending on which hemisphere you're from! ;-)

Tomorrow (Friday), I'll be doing field-site visits and some site-seeing with Peter, the researcher who has been supervising and coordinating my stay here. Then, Saturday, I'll be leaving around mid-day for Kaohsiung, where I'll fly out to Hong Kong. Then, later in the evening, I'll be taking off for Adelaide.

It has been a long trip, but a good one.

Lots of experiences and meetings with new and interesting people from all over the world. Now...I have to brace myself and embark in the last-year journey that will get me to the completion of my Ph.D. (hopefully)!

It's been good being able to share some of my experiences with you through this blog. I enjoyed having some feedback too! Thank you! I hope that it allowed you to travel a little bit too, through my own experience.

Remember, the world is a big place! There is a lot to discover and be blown away by: places to see, environments that will marvel your eyes, cultures to embrace, and people to meet that will forever change you!

Carpe Diem!

JP :-)

Des fleurs pour maman :-)

2006-09-03T22:32:00.000+09:30

Voilà maman. Tel que promis, des "close-up" de fleurs que j'ai pris ici et là!
J'espère que ça pourra t'inspirer dans ton art!

Gros becs! :-)

Ali-Shan: last part

2006-09-03T21:36:00.000+09:30

Well, these last pictures sum up my week-end in Ali-Shan! Pretty amazing!

I realised one thing this week-end: a very simple equation as a matter of fact; ditigal + JP = crazy!!! hehe I must have taken more than 200 pictures, it is quite crazy indeed! No doubt I have at least one or two good pics! ;-)

But, one thing is, I'm getting better at using my camera and playing with the different parameters!

Anyway, it was a great experience for me. A first as I went on my own to a place where I was literally the only foreigner at sight!! It was quite funny... I think people must have been wondering "what I was" haha It was a great cultural experience for me!

As I was walking in the forest of Giant Trees, I adopted (or maybe more the other way around!) a family of three who were visiting: a Taiwanese lady and her 2 daughters. They were behind me on the train and helped me with some language subtleties (no to say difficulties!).

So as we were walking in the forest they recognized me (not too hard to spot: I'm 1-2 heads taller than anyone else...plus I'm dark skined!) and started "chatting" and offering taking some pictures with me in it. They were really nice to me and made me appreciate my week-end even more!

So, that is it...my week-end in Ali-Shan. Pretty amazing experience...a first for me as I was totally immersed in an "unknown" world, surrounded by beautiful scenery and nice people who I hadn't a clue what they were saying!! :-)

Well...I hope you'll enjoy the pictures!

A bientôt!

Sunrise over Ali-Shan

2006-09-03T21:27:00.000+09:30

I think these pictures speak for themselves... what do you think they are saying?? :-P

Week-end in Ali-Shan

2006-09-03T21:12:00.000+09:30

Voici quelques images de mon week-end a Ali-Shan.... plus de détails plus haut....

Bienvenue en Asie! Ni hau!

2006-09-01T23:38:00.000+09:30

Hello! I made it to Asia.

Pretty spectacular for me. I had been to Singapore once, for a short day, but this time I can experience a real cultural shock!

I spent almost a day in Hong Kong and I couldn't believe the number of inhabitant there...it is crowded! :-) I don't know if Bono refered to Hong Kong in his song "City of Blinding Lights", but to me, it could very well be it! It is the "New York" of Asia (figure of speach, of course).

I then made my way to Kaohsiung in the south west coast of Taiwan. I was pleasantly surprised to get my luggage that had travelled from Zurich to Taiwan (without me picking them up for a day in Hong Kong!). There was also someone to pick me up to drive me to the AVRDC (the research center I am visiting here). It was an hour drive and I actually understood why the plane is statistically much safer than the car!!! (even after flying China Airlines, which was pretty smooth I must admit)... so I decided to fall asleep for the drive not to have cramps in my hands and legs from freaking out about the drive! ;-) hehe

So, here I am, near Shan-hua, which is not too far from Tainan. I quite like it so far. I have been very well taken care of and I am well installed in my own room (with internet connection!). I also enjoyed talking to the researchers here about the work they are conducting.

This week-end (tomorrow) I am going to Ali-shan ('shan' meaning 'mountain'). This is a national park/forest, and you can take the train to get up to an altitude of 2200m! Pretty impressive...I think it is one of the main attractions here on the island of Taiwan. I will try to take some nice shots to share with you all next week...weather permitting!

Ok. I'm off for now! I hope you are all doing well, and once again, I'm looking forward to see some of you very soon back in good old Adelaide!

Dzai jyan! (good bye)

Auf Wiedersehen!

2006-08-25T23:11:00.000+09:30

Well, that is it...my last day here at the institute (BOKU), and my last few days in Vienna! :-(

I can't believe I have been away for two months already...it has gone pretty fast!
Nevertheless, I have great memories to bring back with me and a very nice impression of this beautiful city that is Vienna!

I still think that I would need some serious german lessons to be able to live here on a "regular" basis, but I will definately miss this place! It has been a very nice journey altogether and I have met incredible people once again!

So, next step? Hong Kong! I think this too will be a cultural shock! Although I will only be spending a few hours there (most of them probably sleeping!!).

Then, I'll be off to Taiwan, in the south of the island, near Kaohsiung, to visit the AVRDC (Asian Vegetable Research & Development Center). I'm looking forward to that too! I think that this will also be a cultural shock for me...but I kind of like it! :-) I think I do like those sorts of travel that make me push my boundaries a little bit further...

So, I hope that you enjoyed following my trip this summer (well, Northern Hemisphere summer)! I hope to be able to keep you all posted with my trip to Taiwan!

If not, well, I'll make it up to you when I get back to Adelaide!

Until then, be well and hope to catch with some of you very soon!

Bons baisers d'Europe!

Tschuß!

JP :-)

...pour finir avec Zurich - retrouvailles de vieux amis!

2006-08-10T19:59:00.000+09:30

1) Tonton (Gérard Laurent) et moi à Montpellier (chez lui)
2) Vue sur le lac de Zürich
3) David prêt pour le départ en vélo (ballade en vélo à Zürich)
4) Freitag - marque populaire de sac faits à partir de toiles de camion de transport...very expensive stuff!!!

...en passant par Montpellier...

2006-08-10T19:56:00.000+09:30

1) La Place de la Comédie
2) Monsieur Brun prend un allongé (short espresso)
3) Apéro entre amis (Laurence, Carine et David)
4) ...j'oublie le nom de cet endroit !?!?

De Paris...

2006-08-10T19:53:00.000+09:30

Une image vaut mille mots...

2006-08-10T19:40:00.000+09:30

Bonjour tout le monde!

After a long silence, here I am again...back in Vienna! I would have a lot to say about my travels in the last few weeks, but instead, I decided to put a few pictures!

The ones above were taken in Spain - in Granada: 1) La Alhambra 2) Street Market 3) Inside the Alhambra and 4) Sunset from the Alhambra (once again).

More pictures to come...

JP :)

¡Viva España!

2006-07-21T22:44:00.000+09:30

¡Hola amiogos y amigas!

Estoy en la ciudad de Sevilla...esta una ciudad muy buenita!

The culture, the heat, the smells, the architecture, the narrow streets...everything is pretty much amazing! That is my first time in Spain and already the impression it is leaving me is one of awe and amazement!

It has been good to take a few days of from work and play the "real tourist" in Sevilla for the last almost-2-days.

Tomorrow, heading to Granada for more serious things: the conference! ...although it only starts on Sunday evening; so that should still give me some time to look around a little bit (good thing because the conference is gonna be pretty full-on: from 8h30 am till 8pm! for 3 and a half days).

Anyway, just wanted to keep in touch with you all as I managed to use the computer here at the hostel where I am staying... It is fun meeting other travellers, but boy these kids - backpackers - are young and crazy and coming back late at night!! (I'm becoming a grandpa! hehe).

Alright, hope everyone is doing well...miss you all wherever you are!

¡Hasta la proxima!

Another week-end goes by

2006-07-17T07:08:00.000+09:30

Bonjour!

Well, another week-end in Vienna has ended!Some grocery shopping at the Brunnenmarkt on saturday, which was a really nice experience; then some work in the afternoon and drinks in the evening with friends. Then today, sunday, it was an afternoon at the Schönbrunn, where I had been to the free outdoor concert (with Placido Domingo).

It was quite a nice place (as you can probaby attest by the above pictures) and a beautiful day to walk in the huge gardens! According to my Lonely Planet guide (yep, once again), this Palace and the gardens are only second to Versailles in terms of "splendeur"! Quite impressive indeed!

Well, that is it. Just a short one today...
Hopefully I'll be able to keep in touch while in Spain!

Aurevoir, et à bientôt.

Une visite à Nuremberg

2006-07-14T15:08:00.000+09:30

Le week-end dernier je me suis rendu à Nuremberg pour visiter mes amis Barbara et Martin (connus en Australie il y a de cela quelques années). C'était tout simplement génial!

Ils se sont bien occupés de moi et m'avaient préparé un week-end rempli d'activités: balade en vélo à Nuremberg et Fürth (où ils demeurent); BBQ avec des amis(es); écoute des matchs de soccer à la coupe du monde (Deutschland, Deutschland!!! Go Zizou!!!); promenade en voiture vers Spalt, puis baignade dans un lac entouré de verdûre (ahh!!! ça me manque ça...ça faisait longtemps que j'avais fait ça...petite nostalgie du Québec), puis balade encore à Nuremberg!

Bref, un super week-end en excellente compagnie. Je suis choyé d'avoir de si bons amis qui prennent si bien soin de moi!

Cette semaine: boulot-boulot-pratique de ma présentation pour ICOM 5 (Conférence en Espagne). Je quitte mercredi matin prochain (4hr du mat!!!) pour Malaga; ensuite je me rendrai à Sevilla pour quelques jours avant de me diriger vers Granada pour la conférence.

La suite...à suivre! :)

D'ici là, à bientôt!

From the lab...to the Turkish' corner!

2006-07-07T06:11:00.000+09:30

Bonjour tout le monde!

This has been a long week...lots of work in the lab, but it is quite diversified, and quite interesting so that is a big plus! I like having to work on different little projects.

Today, after work, I went to a restaurant (in fact, quite popular) with Horst and his family: a little token of me to thank them for having had me over for a week at their place.

We went near one of the most famous market of Vienna: the Brunnenmarkt. The place we went to is called Kent; a Turkish restaurant, located in the Turkish "subburd" of Vienna.

The place didn't look like much at the front, but as we moved inside and to the rear, I was quite amazed by the beautiful garden that they had at the back. The food was delicious and the Bakklavahs oh-so-good!! (vous savez que j'ai la dent sucrée!).

So, here are a few pictures of the place (garden) and Horst and his family : Martine, his wife (she is Haitian, but grew up in Sept-îles, so speaks with l'accent québécois!), Saskia (6 ans) and Smila (4 ans). You can see that Mr Brun got along well with Saskia; Smila was hidding somewhere when I took the pictures.

Allright...bedtime!

A bientôt! :)

2006-07-04T05:36:00.000+09:30

This morning as I was walking to work I couldn't help but to notice the beautiful landscape that was offered to me: I had to take a few shots! and here is the results (after merging two pictures together).

It is funny how I am always brining my camera with me now that I have a digital one! hehe :-)

...tonight I went for a run near the place I live, which is located to the north west of Vienna. It is near the Wienerwald, the green spot of Vienna, where you can escape the buzzing life of the city and its head-spinning architecture.

I really enjoyed my short run over there...it was so green and lush and peaceful! I felt...at home! It is funny to say! I hadn't had that feeling in a long time! Being able to run in a such a nice environment. It somehow reminded me of my long runs in the Gatineau Park, back in Ottawa, or my little runs in Mont Royal, Montreal, and even back in the country side where I grew up, in Bromptonville! ahhhhh!

And guest what! I even crossed the paths of two wild deers! They were quite "Bambi-like"...very nice! It was quite a nice experience.

Well, it seems that Vienna won't stop surprising me!

That's it for today!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Of Viennese, Schiele, Klimpt and Sacher Torte...

2006-07-03T05:34:00.000+09:30

...it seems that I'm making an habit of posting something everyday! Just like a personal diary; a diary that I share with many people! ;-)

Yesterday (Saturday, 1st of July (whispers) Canada day...) I moved into a student residence in which I will stay for a couple of weeks. It is quite a nice place, very green, with an easy access to a tram that takes you straight into the center of Vienna!

So, as I was moving in, I got invited to a birthday party that was taking place in the "lounge room", here in the residence. It turned out to be a very nice evening, and quite interesting too! Towards the "core" of the evening, one of the guest started performing on the acoustic guitar, playing his own songs. That was pretty amazing! Nice voice and a good performer!

Then, we moved on to the Acapella (sp?) signers: that was simply amazing! The b-day girl and her sister, along with another guy started signing typical Austrian songs. It seems that every Viennese is musically gifted! That was a pure delice!

...and then of course there was some wine drinking involved, which left me with a massive headache this morning (although I didn't drink that much...should have had more water!!).

Today, I went to the city again to visit my first Museum at the Schloss Belvedere (pictures above). It was, as pretty much everything else in Vienna, breath-taking! And that was only the exterior! I then went inside to have an official visit of the museum and to experience the master pieces of Egon Schiele and Gutav Klimt.

As suggested in my lonely planet (I do like my little guide), I took a set of headphones with commentaries...which was quite worthwhile! It was a truly enlighthing experience for me...I think it made me realise a bit more the perspective of an artist, and how much conflict there is for artists to express themselves and to feel "at ease" with our "society" (...now I see a bit more what you mean Jodie).

I also saw a few masterpieces of Van Gogh, Monet (amazing!), Renoir and Munch to name a few that most of you will know (probably a lot better than me!). So, basically, that was quite an experience for me!

I then walked back to the city center (the Belvedere over-views the city) and headed for a specific place: Hotel (Cafe) Sacher, home of the famous Viennese "Sacher Torte" (or so it says): a chocolate cake filled with apricot jam (ref. Lonely Planet). I think Mr Brown enjoyed it quite a bit, although I thought it was a bit over-rated...

And so ended my second week-end in Vienna, and in fact, my first week here. Now, I think I'll have to focus a bit more on work this week...although I have been working long days last week still!

Anyway...will keep you posted!

When you think Classical music, think Vienna!!

2006-07-02T03:04:00.000+09:30

Wow! That is what's on my mind!

Last night was a totally improvised evening...just the way I like it (which I am goot at, I think). I went out first to have a bite in the city, watching bits and pieces of the football game between Germany and Argentina (being in Austria, there were a lot of German supporters!).

Then, I met with some newly made spanish "friends" to go see a live outdoor concert. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to see or where we were heading...I just took the subway (U-bahn) to a meeting point where I was meeting my spanish companions.

Well, it turned out that the event was taking place in one of Vienna's most famous place: the Schönbrunn (coming from "Schöner Brunnen, lit. "Beautiful Foutain" - copyrights: Lonely Planet ;-). It was simply AMAZING and Majestic! What a nice place for an outdoor concert of Vienna's best renowned music style: classical music!

So, we were treated with an evening of classical music with a full Orchestra...and to top it off, the icing on the cake: our Maestro for the evening was none other than Placido Domingo!!!! Really, it couldn't get any better than that!

In fact, it really didn't get better 'cause it started raining! Quite a lot as a matter of fact! Nevertheless, that didn't stop the thousands of people from staying and listening to some of the best master pieces of classical music (without forgetting Mozart of course!). So, that was quite something I must admit! I was under the charms of Vienna last night!

On another note, this morning I went to one of the most famous open-market in Vienna: the Naschmarkt (see pictures above). This place was HUGE!! It stretches over 500m, and you can find amazing things: from fresh grown veggies and fruits, to nice cuts of meat and delicious cheeses, without couting the numbers of Cafés and food stalls surroundings the perimeters!

Then, you find at the South Western end of the market an amazing flea market where you can find some old Austrian Hose (you know the short pants as seen in the Chevy Chase, Lampoons movie!), some nice hukahs and tons of other things!

Quite frankly, I must admit that the Adelaide Central Market (although I quite love it) is nothing compared to what I've seen today...but that doesn't take away the "charm" of my beloved Central Market ;-)

Ok, I think I’ll stop here and keep some more for another time! I’m sure I’ll have more “exciting” stuff to tell you about very shortly!

Ciao!

Mr Brown's night out...

2006-06-30T16:18:00.000+09:30

Well, for those who don't know him, let me introduce you to Mr Brown (Monsieur Brun): my kind friend and travel companion who sits in my pocket.

Mr Brown (an alligator from Mississipi) and I went out last night to see Vienna at night and to try some of the highlights of this beautiful city (restaurant-wise).

We started at Cafe Una, in the Museum Quartier (first picture), which was really nice. Unfortunatelly, I didn't take a picture of this place (I was a bit shy of doing so), which had beautiful arched ceilings and massive windows. We then headed to another "highlight" (all this according to our lovely Lonely Planet guide): Cafe Prückel, a typical Vienese cafe!

Indeed, it was pretty cool: laid back, but "stylish" (somehow) with a nice atmosphere! I was glad I went with Mr Brown...and he enjoyed it too (see the picture above...can't you see him smiling? ;-)

Then we took a tram back home via the Ringstrasse enjoying the "nightlife" scenery of Vienna...

Tchuss!

Of bananas and men...

2006-06-29T16:04:00.000+09:30

Flying overseas is always a thrilling experience, well, at least for me!

You get to discover many new airports (even get familiar with some...a bit too much), take new airlines, experience the craziness of flight transfers, etc.

Then, there is also the fact that you get to try new menus on the plane (I quite like the ones on Singapore airlines), though it is definately not "gourmet cuisine". You can also enjoy a pletora of movies in the "compfort" of your own economy-class seat (unless you are an Elite member of Frequent Flyers, or Star Alliance or lucky enough to travel business class!)

What I experienced on my way to Vienna was something that was somehow unexpected, but so fulfilling: I was served a Banana for breakfast!!

Now, for you Aussies, you will know how much banana are sought after nowadays: it is like caviar! Boy was I glad to taste that delicious fruit that was "forbidden" to me in the last few months! I enjoyed every bit of it! :-) lol!

Anyway, that was my thought of the day!

A bientôt!

Live: from Vienna

2006-06-26T22:09:00.000+09:30

Well, here we are! In Europe; in Vienna to be precise!!

Ahhh!!! What a nice feeling; A) to be in the northern hemisphere for summer-time; B) to have so much culture surrounding you; and C) to feel totally lost in a city where you don't speak the main language!! lol! I love it!

Altogether my trip went well... although I didn't have much stop over in all my transits, which was a bit tiring as I wasn't able to stretch much in between flights except for the usual "run-to-the-next-airline-counter-so-you-can-get-your-boarding-pass-on-time-before-your-next-flight-takes-off-in-less-than-half-an-hour"!!! When I got to Vienna, I found out that my luggage had been "lost"... Not only that, but all the places I tried to get a room at were full (summer-holiday)! Fortunately enough, Horst (the researcher I'm visiting) offered me to stay at his place with his family, which I knew from a few years ago when I was in Ottawa! Also, I DID get my luggage back in the same day...which was very good!

Anyway...all this to say that all is good. I went to the city yesterday (suntag) for a little tour: it is simply amazing! I realised how much I miss the whole culture that is found in Europe! Anyway, here are a few pictures that I took...enjoy!

Auf Wiedersehen!

That was not an easy one!

2006-05-24T08:30:00.000+09:30

Well, I did it! I did my first marathon ever!

It was set on the Great Ocean Road, one of the nicest scenic route in the world...and boy! what a beautiful morning it was for a race on that pretty nice road!

The race started very well for me, I was running smoothly and at a good pace: I passed the 21k mark after about 1h15min (which was a personal best for me!) and still felt fresh and strong. The course was, obviously, full of hills and pretty winding but still managable.

The problems started after the 3oth km...that's where my legs started to hurt, especially my right leg. At 35k, I had to stop and stretch and walk, but I knew that I shouldn't do that as it was going to be hard to start running again...

So, I ended up alternating walking and running (actually, mostly jogging) for the rest of the course. It was hard seeing all the people I had passed by earlier on, passing me by this time! But, hey! What could I do!? I was very fortunate though, as a lot of runners saw me struggling and cheered me up and pushed me to keep going as I was getting so close to the finish line: I have to thank them for that!

All this to say, I managed to run the 42.2k in 3h22min...which I guess isn't too bad for a first and such an up and down course (and considering I had to walk a fair bit at the end). But the funniest part is that, the G.O. Marathon is actually a 45k course: I still had 3k to go! I can assure you, those were the TOUGHEST 3k in my life (so far)!!! hehe! I managed to walk/jog those 3k in a big/fat 31 minutes to cross the actual finish line in 3h53min!

Surprinsingly, I found the courage (or ego?!) to run the last 500m under the cheers of the gathering crowd that was there to welcome the runners...I even finished with a smile as can attest those pictures:

http://www.supersportimages.com/products/showbib.php?xs=301&s1=92

Anyway, it was a nice week-end gettaway! I must thank my dear friend (my little sister) Laurence for coming with me and driving along and supporting me in this crazy adventure! We had a good time road-tripping!

Skippy et moi...

2006-05-07T19:29:00.000+09:30

Vous savez, j'aime bien Adélaïde malgré les petits défauts des "petites villes" comme celle-ci...
Ce que j'aprécie particulièrement, ce sont les parcs qui entourent la ville et qui sont à portée de la main...ou plutôt des pieds, si vous êtes un (e) courreur (e) comme moi!

Ce matin donc, comme à tous les Dimanche matins (enfin, presque, puisque certains Samedi soirs étant trop bien arrosés, il est difficile de se lever...)...bref, comme à tous les Dimanches matins, je vais faire mon "long run" habituel.

Ceci consiste généralement à me rendre vers le parc national de Clealand, situé à quelques kilomètres seulement de chez moi. C'est pour moi un havre de paix, mon petit coin de "paradis" ou plutôt, mon petit coin de campagne en ville: tout y est vert (en fait pour Adélaïde, c'est raisonable), les petits oiseaux gazouillent (les perroquets/perruches me rappellent que je suis bien en Australie), il y a une de ces tranquilités qu'il m'est rare de trouver ici...c'est donc pour moi un endroit idéal pour aller courrir quelques kilomètres!

Bref, ce matin donc, je prenais ma route habituelle: sinueuse et plutôt en pente, mais plutôt agréable! Après environ 45 min d'une course constante à un ryhthme raisonable, j'étais dans ma "zone"! La "zone" est là où je suis à mon meilleur; je suis alors comme les grands courreurs (ouais, bon j'aime bien en mettre un peu!)...rien ne m'arrête, je suis une machine à courrir!

Mais vous savez, les machines à courrir, elles courent tant et aussi longtemps que ne s'opposent à elles aucun obstacle contraignant. Un autre courreur (e) par exemple ne se qualifie pas vraiment d'obstacle contraignant...au contraire, cela ajoute au "challenge", c'est comme de l'huile pour la machine: ça aide à la propulsion (ça travaille l'égo quoi!).

En réalité, les seuls obstacles que l'on puisse considérer comme étants "contraignants" ici en Australie, sont les serpents que l'on peut rencontrer sur les sentiers (du genre, ceux que j'emprunte!). Toutefois, puisque nous sommes en "hiver", ces petites "vipères" se sont enfuis pour aller hiberner. Donc, ne reste que le soleil qui peut être plutôt dur ici au sud de l'Australie, mais encore là, rien à craindre en ce moment (d'autant plus qu'aujourd'hui était une journée pluvieuse). Donc, pas d'ours, pas de loups ou quoi que ce soit qui peut vous bouffer!

J'étais donc dans ma zone, une vraie machine à courrirr, impossible à arrêter...du moins, ce que je pensais! Or, alors que j'étais concentré, regardant l'horizon et envisageant les prochains pas à "coordonner" pour ma course, je vis au loin (qui en fait n'était pas si loin), au prochain tournant, surgir de nulle part une masse sombre se dirigeant à une allure folle vers moi, en plein milieu du sentier...il n'y avait alors que moi et cette "masse sombre" (je n'avais pas mes lunettes).

Il ne me fallut pas très longtemps pour réaliser ce qui se passait: ce n'était pas un autre confrère "courreur du dimanche" qui se dirigait ainsi à toute allure vers moi, c'était bien plus inquiétant... c'était un énorme Kangourou tout mouillé qui fuillait je ne sais quoi!

Or, je me dois d'ouvrir ici une autre parenthèse. J'ai déjà vu à plusieurs reprises dans ces sentiers des Kangourous, tous doux, tous gentils, broutant l'herbe paisiblement, faisant fi de mon passage à la course. Je croise aussi régulièrement des Koalas qui semblent tout aussi désintéressés par ma présence que les Kangourous. Or, bien que de "bonne envergure", ces Kangourous et Koalas ne sont pas bien malins, et encore moins affolants.

De retour à mon épisode donc... Un Kangourou tout doux, c'est bien beau, mais un Kangourou qui se dirige à toute vitesse vers vous et qui ne semble pas vouloir s'arrêter pour deux minutes, et qui se fout carrément de votre présence, ça peut rendre les plus braves "machines à courrir" d'entre nous un peu nerveuses! Ainsi, donc, j'ai dû sauter à deux pieds fermes, sur ma gauche, dans le ruisseau débordant encore des pluies torrentielles de la veille!!!

La tête que j'ai fait! Non mais! Et monsieur Skippy lui, à continué sa route sans même broncher...il a même eu l'audace de continuer à brouter, tout en courant, la petite gerbe d'herbe fraîche qu'il avait dans la gueule (oh oui! je l'ai bien observé celui-là, cet obstacle contraignant qui m'a arrêté si brusquement dans mon élan! moi qui était dans LA zone!).

Ma réaction par la suite? J'ai regardé le Kangourou s'éloigné, puis me suit exclamé à voix haute "Don't mind me you know!!!" (surtout ne te dérange pas pour moi!!). Puis je me suis mis à rire! C'était pathétique! Moi les deux pieds dans l'eau, ayant tenté d'esquiver un Skippy tout mouillé qui se foutait bien de ma présence!

Bref, si, un de ces quatre, vous décider de venir à Adélaïde pour courrir avec moi un Dimanche matin, vous ne vous ennuirez certainement pas!!!

To let go...

2006-04-26T17:10:00.000+09:30

Here's a text that I recently found in my tons of folders on my computer.

I hope that it will inspire you as much as it is still inspiring me!

To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable, but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another, it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for, but to care about.
To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective, it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny, but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody, but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more

- Author unknown -

Un petit poème... (oui, je suis romantique et sentimental...et je m'assume)

2006-04-25T09:40:00.000+09:30

Your smile...

Your smile is what first attracted me to you
Your smile is what makes your eyes twinkle
It is part of your mouth, which is not only pretty, but so delicious
Just like a passion fruit sorbet!

Your smile makes me blush
Your smile melts my heart
Your smile makes me feel like a child again…
It makes me want to run to you and play!

Your smile makes me smile
Your smile makes me nervous
Your smile drives me nuts
It is simply irresistible!

Your smile... Well, I simply can’t live without it!
It is in my dreams, it is what I see when I go to bed, and what wakes me up in the morning
Your smile is infectious, nobody can resist it...I certainly can't
Your smile is what I want to wake up to every single day of the year…

Vienne me voici!!!

2006-03-30T12:45:00.000+10:30

Et bien, c'est officiel: Je pars pour l'Europe à la fin du mois de Juin!!! YAHOOO!!!

Donc, je quitte le 23 juin prochain pour Vienne, où je vivrai pendant près de 2 mois. Je devrai me rendre également à Granada (tout au sud de l'Espagne) pour une conférence d'une semaine...et, bien entendu, je vais profiter de mon séjour en Europe pour prendre 2 semaines pour visiter ami(es) et famille ici et là (Paris, Montpellier, Suisse, Allemagne)...humm, je me demande si je pourrai tout faire!! ;-)

Bref, ce blog sera donc une porte de communication entre vous et moi (je l'espère)!

J'essaierai donc de vous tenir au courant de mes aventures en terre Européenne, et surtout mettre quelques photos sur ce blog.

Bon, je retourne bosser....j'ai du travail à faire avant de partir!

Ciao!

Sunday at Handhorf

2006-02-16T15:02:00.000+10:30

Here are a few pictures taken during a sunday afternoon in Handhorf: an historic German village in the Adelaide Hills... Went there with Jodie and we had a great time!

Hope you'll enjoy! :-)

Élections en Haïti...quelle désolation!

2006-02-07T08:23:00.000+10:30

In a few hours Haitians will be asked to vote for a new president. As usual, people are fleeing the country, some are locking themselves up at home, others will move out into the lands...

How is it that in the 21st century human beings are still not able to think freely, and have the freedom to live democracy, in a country that treats its inhabitants well??

As I was reading on the news "...arguments [in Haiti] often end-up in fights and dead people..." How is that possible? Tension! Terrible tension creaping up amongs the populace in Haiti: Hunger, little (to none) income, extreme poverty... and foremost ignorance from the rest of the world!

Despite all these negatives images, Haitians are courageous, smiling and laughing people! Very resourceful and tenacious...so how can it be that they cannot live in an harmonious environment, especially so after obtaining their "independance" 200yrs ago??

My wish for today and the coming days: to see Haiti free itself from hatred, dictatorship and everything that is plaguing this beautiful country (La perle des Antilles)!

Cè neg' Guinée m'yé. Kréyol m'ap' parlé, Kréyol m'ap' comprend'. Kè pa m'jen soté!(auteur: Luck Mervil; painting: Jacques Auguste Toussaint)

Welcome!

2006-02-01T12:00:00.000+10:30

Well, after spending a few minutes (or has it been hours??) here it is...my own blog!

Can't believe that I'm actually almost "up-to-date" with technology!! ;-)

I hope you'll enjoy this and that this will be an easy way to keep in touch with you all: family and friends!

A bientôt!!

JP ;-)