Crazy week. Given that it was my last workweek, I had to train the person who's gonna replace me temporarly, and overall, I gotta finish all what was in-progress. So I finished almost every day at 9 pm. Anyway, I'm officially and finally in vacation. I'm very tired because I slept a little these last weeks but I'll try to take advantage at most of these 3 vacations weeks.
I leave NY next thursday at 7.45 pm, and I arrive at Paris at 7.30 am I think. Then I leave France to Spain the same day for another tiring week with my friends...

The Next week I'll try to visit Boston for 2 days if weather is good, otherwise I'll spend some good time in NY by doing what I didn't have time to do.

Another Barbecue party over Twanh's roof, almost 100% French. Anyway, the party was quite good, even if I was very tired.

This week-end was a restaurant week-end. Given that the weather is not good at all in NY, we had to fing something to do inside, except theater and cybercafé, the other Yorker inside activity is the musical comedy and restaurants. So, we did 4 restaurants within 4 days: a mexican on Times Square, a brunch in Brooklyn, an excellent French's (and cheap) in Lower East, and a real Burger maker in Midtown.
On sunday, we saw a musical "comedy" off-broadwat: Stomps. GREAT !! It's a 7-person group who make music with any thing (sweeper, lighter, bottle, pipe, limbs). Music not so loud, and funny in add. I advice you this a lot.

About job proposals, it seems that I'm getting closer and closer of the company CEGID, which would be interested in me, in add, they would be interested in sending me to US to continue Lacoste project and work on new projects.

Yesterday night, big party on a roof on Times Square. I'm sure that you have already seen something like that on TV in the series or movies, people who go on the roof of their building and invite hundred people they don't know. That's what we did yesterday with the same guies that usually. The first choice was a roof in Upper East Side, invited by Larry, an American friend who work for NBC. But we prefered to go to Touanh's roof, a French girl who's doing a traineeship. Lots of people, Frenchs, Americans, Hispanics, Brasilians, Hindous. Once again, a typically-american stuff done before leaving.

I have just been finding out my future roommate (the third one), Pierre-Yves, a French guy in vacation in NYC for 1 month. He studied in a business school in....Troyes !! (where I studied) Finally, the world is really small.

Yesterday night, Bastille Day 2004 Party. 20 Bucks the ticket and you can acceed to 4 different bars located in the Upper East Side (Opia, Au Bar, The Pierre Hotel, and a forth one whose name I lost). We (Cyril, Paul and 2 American friends, Erika, Anne-so and her sisters, Chen, a chinese guy who speaks a little bit French and who is very funny and nice, and her girlfriend) are only able to visit the 2 first bars because of a lack of time (Anyway, we went home about 5 o'clock). It was a great occasion to meet with the other French people of NYC, but the american boyz'n girlz who wanna find out or find again the French Party Spirit. 'Was a good night but I finally didn't find again the FPS (apart from the jerk guies).
Opia: dancing bar-lounge with cheesy French music. Au bar: Fancy bar with a French library-styled ornment, and VERY expensive drink.

He have been keeping on raining for 3 days !! In add, I learnt that the project will be postponed again and that one of the technical responsible would quit the job because of this delay !! So that's not the ebest Bastille Day that I ever lived. I heard about there should be fireworks and stands in the streets for this special day, but there ain't nothing !! Hope that'll be this week-end...

One job proposition more: 2-year job for Lacoste in Troyes (I think it's in Troyes) to set up the software that I currently set up in US, in the French Lacoste Boutiques not owned by Lacoste. So the number of job proposals is closed to 3: CEGID (Lyon), Lacoste (Troyes), BO Technology (NYC).

Today (saturday), I went to my office. We had a presentation to handle about the software in front of 25 managers. Every thing was OK even if everybody was out from the night before...Some of the managers were sleeping, others had red eyes... I learnt later than some of the managers went on the party at the hotel, in the nightclub in the basement.

Today, all the managers of the US Lacoste boutiques (about 30) arrived in Manhattan for 3 days of meeting, conferences....and surprises too. In fact, at their arrival, there were a reception in a great hotel, then we went to the Yankee Stadium to watch playing the Yankees against Tampa Bay. In States, the managers are very young (and very well-paid): about 27 old years in average for the Boutique managers, around 45 for the outlet managers. In add, almost 75% of them are women.

Yesterday night, barbeque party at Erika's place, a French girl who's doing a VIE (one more) and who live in the Queens. Lots of people were there: Cyril, Paul, Joe (an american friend of Paul), Erika, Anne-so, Aline (Anne-so's sister), Anne-Helene (Aline's friend) and Ester (Anne-so's friend, from Los Angeles). For menu, (not-enough-cooked and too-much-grilled) pork ribs and hamburgers with smoked chopped beefsteack !!! Anyway, we spent a good evening and it was the first BBQ of the summer.

This morning, with Paul, Anne-so, Ester, Anne-Hélène and Aline, we went to a Gospell mess. We went in one of the 600 churches in Harlem, the one right the next door from my apartment !! G.R.E.A.T !!! 2 hours of songs and preaches with a red-and-black-dressed choral, in a place very different from a church, with balcony fro visitors. Afterwards, we had a brunch at Amy Ruth's, right in front of the church. It's a South Food restaurant, where the waffles are fairly renowned.

Today, it's independance Day, the July 4th. So we'll see Fireworks all around the city, and specially in Financial District. But I was disappointed because I didn't find the american people celebratory. I prefer a 14th of July in France to that.

Yesterday night, GREAT party. You all know the movie "Coyote Ugly" where a girl who wants to become a song writer finally become a barmaid in Macho bar in NY, that's in this kind of bar where we stopped by yesterday. In the movie, the place where it was shooted was called Coyote Ugly saloon but we were in this main concurrent in NY. In fact, every thing has started by a "looser" evening, we were supposed to meet 2 hot girls that Cyril met (again and again) to go to a nightclub in a boat. Finally, at the supposed address, no nightclub no boat (even no water), and the girls are not hot at all. So we decide to go to the nigthclub street (14th), (un)fortunately, we cannot get in because of my sneakers. So we went to the first bar, a bikers bar, we weren't disappointed. As soon as we got in, barmais were dancing country music over the bar, then they invited girls in the room to do so. So did lots of women (from 21 to 50). and the barmaids took their bras off and threw its over the full-of-bras wall...!!! Then we finished in a bar besides where the atmosphere were more peaceful.

It's about 3 weeks that my work is going better. It becomes to be interesting (finally !!). Normal, the deployment in the boutique starts in a few weeks and there are a lot of stuff to fulfil, and I have to involve in the worl. I traine people, I'm involved in the meeting... Unfortunately it won't last long, the traineeship finish in 5 weeks !!

In Denmark, I have killed 3 mice in the kitchen with traps and 2 others with a kill-rates product. Here, mice come to dye by themselves in front of the bathroom... My german roommate wake up a morning by this week and found out a mouse in front of the bathroom, we even don't know how she arrived here. Anyway, he is the only one to see this kind of stuff, he has already seen coakrocks in the apartment (the coakrocks are as numerous as the rates in NY)

After having called several organizations, I have just been knowing that my "VIE" (kind of job) in Lacoste has a few chances to happen one day. In fact, I am not allowed to get a second visa straight after an intership for USA, actually I have some chance to be allowable to get a visa but it will take a long time. So, the only reason for me to stay in NY is that Lacoste offer a short-term contract instead of a "VIE", but I'm not sure that that's what they'll do.
BUT, I received a call this morning from a Conseilling Company which is interested in me. It would be a long-term contract as a computer consultant in the Fashion domain, located in Lyon, which will begin on September.
So, by this moment, I don't know what I'll do on september, but I strongly think about a long-term contract.

Yesterday night, I went in a bar called ACME, where music bands have 1 hour to perform (and maybe to be seen by a producer). In fact, we wanted to see the band of somebody that a friend of a friend knew We saw 2 bands: a Hardrock one, and a poprock one. It was a little bit noisy, but there was a good ambiance at the end.

Nightclub week-end. Friday night, with Nath', Cyril, a businessman doing a VIE for a French lemonade trademark, and his friends, we ate in a good pasta restaurant. Then, with Anne-so and her friends, we had a drink in a nice bar before going to one of the most famous nightclub in NY: Avallon. In fact, it's a nightclub located in Midtown in an old church. The entrance is very expensive ($25 if you are on the guestlist, $40 otherwise !!! the password is "club planet") There are 2 main rooms: one techno with 2 floors, and one hip-hop. There were lots of people and the atmosphere was hot. According to me, it's worthy to have a look to the place and to check out the atmosphere, not to dance.
Saturday night, aperitive at Paul's place, a businessman doing a VIE for a French Bank, and her girlfriend, with Nath, Cyril et his two friends, and two girls that Cyril has invited (Cyril is a sales representant from Liban, so he keeps on chatting and invite lots of people that he doesn't know...). Then we went straight to China Club, another nightclub famous in NY because located to the top of a building with a terrace on the roof. Free entrance thank to Cyril and his pass. Inside, it's G.R.E.A.T !! 4floors, 4 rooms: a jazz lounge, a mainly hip-hop room with professional dancer and stage where people perform (singer, fashion model, pompom girl), a hiphop-latino-atmosphered room, and finally the terrace without music where people came to discuss quietly and have a look to some skycrapers.
The New Yorkers are keen on going out, that's why there are so many nigthclubs in NY. There are some Hot points (as the ones I'm talking right before), but there are also small discos, specially in Chelsea or Soho, like the 14th street where dozen of nightclubs are spread along the street. Prices are quite expensive (20 dollars in average, 300 for a bottle, 5 to put your jacket aside), but there are always tips to get the evening cheaper: subscribe to the guestlists, find passes, go in before 11 pm, to know people who know people who know the guard. Like in France, it's better not to come without girls. But, you don't have to be well-dressed. About the music, from my former experience, it's either techno or hiphop, not pop rock music!!

Today, tour in a limousine across Manhattan by night. In fact, after working, we went to a small restaurant in Times Square to celebrate the arrival of friends of friends. Afterward, a person proposed to us to fetch to us wherever we want in a limo for cheap (that's what chauffeurs do to earn extra money quite often). We accepted and we went straight to Southern Manhattan. So So cool. 8 seats, small fridge, etc... Barry White for music, diffused lights, smoked windows, we were the king of the nights for 30 minutes. Then, we had a walk in one of the coolest and prettiest area of Manhattan: Battery Park and the seaside of the bottom of Manhattan.

It's about 2 weeks that I run 4 times a week during about 30 minutes. I start from my apartment and I do a circle (or 2) around the big lake in the middle of Central Park and I go home. In fact I'm preparing a company running contest organized by the Chase Bank (one of the most famous in US) whose Lacoste takes part. So Lacoste employees are invited in this contest. There are at least 10,000 participants each year who tried to complete 3,5 miles (5km)

Again in Brigthon Beach for a sunbath session. Finally, I got big red tan on the feet, arms, legs, face and back!! Now it's going to be more brown.

Yesterday, to make Greg's friend discover NY, we took the ferry which go to Staten Island. this ferry pass by some hundreds meters of Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, the weather was foggy, so we didn't have a nice view, but still, it was our first real meeting with Miss Liberty.
Then, we spent the evening in Greenwhich Village, which is a very very nice area to walk around: crowded but quiet and peaceful, green square and park, musicians playing (more or less well)...A must-to-see district.

I heard the european football final cup Marseille-Valence on-line at my work's place (the kick-off was at 3 pm local time). Unfortunately, I had a meeting with a consultant at this precise time so I missed a part of the match. For people who don't know the score, Marseille lost 2-0 after the goalkeeper was expelled.

Decidedly, there will be no days without any event here. Today is the Happy St Patrick's day, Irish fest. New York, which is what it is now thanks to the irish settlers, must celebrate that. So, we could assist from 11.30 am to I don't know to a parade on the 5th avenue (the most famous) where the Irish New York people scrolled in front of the crowd with a fanfare who did some strange dances. We could see some Irish policemen wearing a kilt. In the restaurant and shops, lots of people put a shamrock on their clothes (symbol of the Irish). The night, with Greg (my French rommate), we went out in a pub to have a beer, next to Times Square. The pub wasn't full but the ambiance was pretty good. In add, don't forget that smoking is forbidden in the public space, so in the bars, so when we go home, our clothes don't smell the smoke, that's great !

This is my first working day. I work in a beautiful 17-floor building, at the 14th floor with a sight on other buildings, twice bigger than mine. The first impression was good since I was welcome by several pretty and young girls (I know someone who'll be jealous!!!). In add, Ioni, a canadian guy who picked me at the entrance, is really nice and introduced me everybody. There are two other French guies (included the vice president) and one trainee in accountancy. Actually, I though I was a big shit in English, but it seems that I'm not so bad !!! As regarding the first working day, it was not so busy, I'll see tomorrow whether it become more interesting.
I have met the Frenchy who's gonna live with me for 4 months (in the case that both stay in this place until the end of our journey), his name is Greg, he comes from Haute-Savoir (in the Alps), he also works for a French company on Times Square, but he stays here for 1 year.

Yesterday I was so much tired that I went to the bed at 9 pm and I woke up at 7 this morning. I decided to take advantage of the sunny morning to do a little walk and to call all people that I had to call. The first things that I saw was Central park, with all the people who go there to run and cycle. Then I took a breakfast in a bakery-coffe shop, with a paper cup that you can see in the movies (you know, the cup with a plastic rim that nobody manages to drink and everybordy spills over the coffe on the floor). Afterward, I went to the Columbia University which is huge and magnificent. The afternoon, I bought a metrocard and I went to my workplace (not to work !! just to notice the way to go, it's near the fifth avenue, a very nice place) and I walked through the districts (Midtown, Chelsea, Greenwich village, Timesquare) until the edge of the Financial Distric. After eating in a MacDonalds like a typical american, I went home with the metro. During the day, I saw quickly a lot of nice places (parks, buildings, markets) where I'll go again within a few days.