Got Coke?

It has been a while since I wrote but I have been pretty busy these last days. I spent 2 days in Pennsylvania and I’m now in Atlanta, GA. I had two good meetings at PennState, attended an Astrodynamics class and spent some time talking with grad students. College State is a nice place and the campus is amazing. There is also a bookstore which is maybe 5 times the size of the one at OSU. I spent one hour there and spent way to much money on books. My bag is getting a bit heavier everyday… So tonight, I’m in Atlanta, staying right next to the Coke Headquarters and in front of the Aerospace Engineering building of Georgia Tech. I won’t have far to go tomorrow morning (meeting with faculty and students). Other than that, the weather is nice and warm and this is definitely really enjoyable ;) I will be leaving for Oregon on Thursday. I can’t wait to be in Corvallis but I’m a bit stressed too. I feel like I’m going back home though I'm not living there anymore. It’s a weird feeling. I have been missing this place and the people there so much. The last plane will be the most difficult to take, as usual…

Go Blue!

This is my last night in Ann Arbor, MI as I'm leaving tomorrow for University Park, PA. University of Michigan and Ann Arbor were definitely worth the trip. As far as my internship is concerned, I now have a really interesting topic to work on and I'm really excited about it. I also met Julie, who is doing her PhD here and who is an ISU alumni from the SSP that was held in Australia in 2004 (the world is so small). She was also at the International Astronautical Congress in Fukuoka in October (for those who were there). She's a really nice girl and we got along pretty well during these two days. She drove me around and took me to some good places for diner yesterday and tonite. She will have a room available at her place next summer so I basically have a place to stay when I arrive in May, which is really cool. Ann Arbor is a nice town with tons of restaurants, cafes and stores. I was actually very surprised to see that many people walking the streets and going out. Everybody is for sure enjoying the very unusual warm weather they have here (no snow and temperatures in the high 40s). Other than that, I keep working on my poster (need to have it done by tomorrow evening) as well as my PA. I'll keep you updated on the rest of my trip but for now it's time for me to crash ;) Next stop: University Park, PA.

Cheers from Michigan

Ok, first impression: this is definitely flat! No mountains here but a lot of lakes everywhere. There is absolutely no snow, which is very unusual for the season. It is even warmer than in Strasbourg!
My objectives for tonite:
- find some food (shouldn't be too difficult) and Fat Tire (do they have Fat Tire here????)
- dive in the bathtub
- read some articles
- figure out how to go to the campus from here
- SLEEP

I'm sorry this is short but it has been a long day. More tomorrow I promise ;) Take care.

Blogging from the sky !

Youhoooo ! First post from a plane, thanks to «Connexion by Boeing» (which works on an Airbus too). I really enjoy the flight so far. Pics later. Landing in 2 hours.

Leaving for South Canada ;)

This is going to be one of the craziest trips ever... I'm definitely excited, a bit nervous too... Time to see what these places are all about, time to try to plan the next 3 or 5 years. And time to see friends again and have some good time... I'll do my best to keep you posted. I'll be on a plane every 2 days or so. My schedule is as follow:
27-29 of January: Ann Arbor, Michigan
29-31 of January: University Park, Pennsylvania
31-02 of Jan/Feb: Atlanta, Georgia
02-05 of Feb: Corvallis, Oregon
If you want the details of my trip (flight numbers and hotels), ask Max or Rocky (and my mum too of course!).
Now for those of you who'd like me to bring some stuff back from Corvallis, please send me an email or leave a comment. But you'll have to come to Strasbourg because I'm not dealing with the delivery once back in Europe! Also Benny the Beaver stays in Corvallis! Mee, I won't forget your Porter. Nicole, I'll have a beer and 'll say "Hi" for you.
Time to go. For the Beavers, see you at Fox and Firkins in about a week! For my ISU friends, see you in class on February 07. Rocky, take the lectures for me pleeeeeeeeeaaaaase ;)

Time for cartoons...

How come I didn't think about that one before???


And finally, here is a last one. Sorry guys ;)

A week-end in Switzerland

I was gone for the week-end. I went to mum’s place, in Switzerland. I was told to slow down serioulsy so that's what I'm trying to do. I have been enjoying mum’s amazing cooking, JY’s jokes as well as the Alps and the lake. And not to forget Zoe too, my bear (on leash to give the neighbour's cat a chance!).

We went to Les Pacots on Saturday night - great fondue, Macaroni and cheese and Swiss white wine (I had too much as usual). The restaurant is so Swiss with HUGE bells all over the walls. So cool !














Mum was happy and it was really good to be there. I tried to reassure her about my trip to the US (leaving thurday) and swore that I'll be carefull.
The last 2 pics were taken from Mum's room. The Alps, the Lac Leman and on the far left, Lausanne.

Something amazing!

I don't realize yet... I'm ALONE at home!!! I can go to the kitchen or the bathroom without running into somebody, a pair of shoes, a trash bag or a beam. I don't have to close the door of my bedroom because of Chris' music or the polar temperature of the living room. It is quiet, warm... So great! I'm going to relax and enjoy this so rare moment ;)

Jack Johnson - Concert !!!!

Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt, Germany on the 20th of March or Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland on the 24th of March.
Price: 120 euros... Gluuuups!

Anna gimme a call tonight!!! I can drive up to 3 persons to Frankfurt.

The dumbest movie ever...

Meeting at 21:45 tonite in front of the Pathe Vox (17, rue des Francs-Bourgeois) to see "Un ticket pour l'Espace".

It promises to be a good dumb movie (so you can leave your brain at home) and you won't need any translation, you can trust me ;) Rocky, you come with me. You need a bit of French culture (other than my so French way of driving).

Launch in 15 minutes!!!!

The multidisciplinary question of Module 1 is taking off in a few minutes ;) (for those who don't know, one of our exam question in October was about the New Horizons spacecraft). This spacecraft can take you to the Moon in about the same time it would take you to fly from Frankfurt to Detroit (about 9 hours). The mission is detailled on the following NASA website.

Last update: It's a no go. Too much wind. And since this is the end of today's launch window, we'll have to wait for tomorrow (1:16pm ET). Back to work...

When aspirin is not strong enough...

I spent the entire day in bed as standing up or seating on a chair for more than 10 minutes is definitely not endurable anymore. How is it possible to be so fucked-up at 26? Who should I call to complain about my back problems ? Mum, Dad or both??? Certainly both...
I was still able to work a bit on my PA today (what would be my life without a laptop and WIFI?) but I haven't done half of what I had planned to do during the week-end.
No class for me tomorrow morning. I'm going shopping for new vertebrae and cervicals, you know the ones that stay in place...

Speedo on France Info

If you want to hear Speedo talking from the icebreaker Aurora Australis on his way to Antarctica (on the lastest news he was somewhere around there: 55 S 86 E), this is here (but in French).
Next time we want to hear Bene!!!

Pics of Vancouver Island online!

I just posted the pics of our New Years trip to Vancouver Island here. Enjoy!

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...

Yeah right! Give me a gun.

The effects of remote sensing on me....

Give me some maaaaaaaaths!!!!

Orange??? Come on!

Here are the new colors of the McLaren Mercedes... I miss the black and silver... Anyway, in 60 days, first GP of the season ;)

How do you want your toasts?

I'm sure you are all wondering what these crazy machines are...


I was asking myself the same question when I got in Dad's kitchen saturday morning. So on your right you have the radio toaster, that doesn't work anymore by the way (and no I didn't spend the WE trying to fix it) and on the left you have Dad's new toaster, the one on which you can choose the color of your toasts by turning the knob (from 1 to 5) on the bottom left. When's the toaster that reads your emails in the morning, tells you you're beautiful (who cares if it is true or not!) and secondarily toasts your toasts ???
Next time I will show you the coffee-machine that requires you to have a PhD in order to be able to operate it...

Now, you have to know that there is more dangerous than me in a kitchen (I know it is hard to believe...). Everything was going well, we were enjoying some Foie Gras and Cidre Glace (a crazy Canadian alcohol) for my sister's birthday, the chicken and sweet potatoes were in the oven, cooking... Everything was normal, then, till my soon-to-be-ex-step-mother (STBESM) decided to stop the oven. In order to do so, she turned the knob on "P", thinking it meant "Parking" as on an automatic car. I swear this is true. As she wasn't able to open the oven's door (and for a very good reason!), she called for help, explaining that she put the oven on "Parking"... Worried look between my Dad and I... After consulting the 100-page user manual, he discovered that "P" meant "pyrolysis" and understood the horror of what was happening in the oven: bye bye sweet potatoes and chicken !!! Everything was now cooking at 275C (about 530F) and we had to wait for the oven to cool down before being able to open the door! Dad was mad, I was doubling up with laughter ;) No risk of bird flu with that one! Now, you can tell me that it is not very nice to make fun of my STBESM... Well, I don't care ;) She doesn't know about my blog anyway since she barely knows that Internet exists ;) Ooooooo, I'm becoming mean here...

Ok, now that I made fun of everybody, here is a little bit of French madness (told you too much vacation ruins my brain!)...

Valmorel and Xmas pics online!

There are a few videos as well but they'll come later. Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Totally jetlagged...

I spent the night dancing on my bed and I will spend the day sleeping in class...

Back in the box....

7 ft by 7 ft... looks familiar? Yes, I'm back home. I wasn't really sure at first but after my short jaunt to the Post Office, there are no doubts possible... I had a wonderful time on Vancouver Island. It was exactely as I was expecting it: waterfalls, forests, lakes, rivers, beaches and the ocean. I'm having a hard time realizing that last night I was enjoying a homemade salmon chowder in a light house on Nanaimo Harbour with the seaplanes and fishing boats around and that tonight, I'm here, "enjoying" 200 g of rice with nothing else than salt. However I'd better get used to it because with all the money I spent on plane tickets recently, it is going to be pasta, rice and potatoes for the rest of the year... Except maybe for a couple of days, since I got Foie Gras and chocolates for Xmas and that I brought back 2 Fat Tires from the West Coast. I probably need to buy a lock for the fridge at this point...
Anyway, school starts tomorrow morning (don't ask me why they didn't give us 2 more days...) and it will be the occasion to see if my only good resolution for this year can stand up more than 2 days ;) I'm leaving again in 3 weeks for the US but this time, getting in the plane back to Europe will be another story...
Finally, here is the private joke of the day (found on a T-shirt while touring Calgary's airport this morning): What is the definition of a Canadian? An American unarmed with healthcare!

Pics of Xmas and Vancouver Island will come soon...