Challenge !

Right now, I'm having quite a tough time at work, or maybe I should say I'm facing some big challenges.
Indeed, it's budget time, and it's my first "real" budget.

And the thing is that I'm in charge of the budget at 3 different levels, which is not the case of most of my colleagues (who only have one or 2 things to take care of).
First of all, I am responsible of one of the traffic areas, and of course I have to do the budget for it. That's the hardest for me because it's a very complex and detailed work.
Then I'm responsible for budgeting the financing of the bus fleet for the whole company (not only for my traffic area).
And finally I'm responsible for all the investments (whether they are buses, or IT systems or even machineries for the workshops...).

This is A LOT to deal with, especially that everything is due at the same time... ! And life doesn't stop during the budget time. So there are also all the "daily" tasks that you cannot completely put aside.
Yesterday I had a meeting with my boss to see how to plan the work, and after a while, he just said : "well, it's just not feasible...". Of course there is no solution, so I have no other choice than to make it !!!

So I'm kinda stressed since a few days... The challenge is quite big.
But at the same time it means that my bosses trust me and think that I'm doing a good job. So it's very flattering and very motivating as well. That's why, even though I'm a bit stressed, I'm also excited.
And I like challenges, in all ways.

Here is the place where I'm gonna spend most of my time and probably some late evenings in the coming 7 or 8 weeks... With much more mess on it of course hehe ! (actually it didn't look like that a long time...)


Nice huh ?!

Wish me luck !

Hejdå !

I've just said goodbye to Leonore, who is one of my very good French friends here.

She arrived in Stockholm at the same time as me about one year ago, and now she's returning to France...

I'm gonna miss her very much because she is the very first person I met when I came here, so she was really part of this experience - together with Leonard, her bf and Eleonore and Samba. We've discovered and shared a lot of things together.

Actually, I'm the only one staying in Sweden. All of them have decided to go back to France... So Leonore and Leonard are leaving now, and Eleonore and Samba are leaving in 1,5 months... Feels quite strange. It's definitely not going to be the same anymore without them. I'm not saying worse or better, but different that's for sure.

Here are Leonard and Leonore - "the Leo" as we used to call them - at their farewell party last Saturday.

I wish them good luck in the future and hope to see them very soon again, in Stockholm or Paris :)

Miss you already !

Warning : Hard disk almost full !

As many of you know, I'm a very organized person and I DO love to plan things.

I'm usually the kind of person that plans her vacations one year in advance for example. Well ok, maybe not one year, but not far ;)

I think that's why I feel quite comfortable in the Swedish environment. Even though I think that sometimes, the Swedes (I know I might be generalizing a bit...) are missing some spontaneity. Like for example, it's almost impossible to invite a Swedish friend to a party or to go for dinner at the last minute...!

Ok, how did I come to talk about this ? That was not the purpose of the post actually...

So, back to the subject :)

Even if I'm a very organized person, I've almost never been using any diary or organizer, I've never wrote down anything... and I've always felt like I could fit everything in my head and remember it. And so far, it was worked pretty well I should say.

But I don't know why, since a few days, I feel quite overwhelmed and I don't think I'll be able to handle it much longer... Many things are going on at the moment - especially at work. Plus there are lots of things I'd like to do, I have some visitors coming soon and in the coming weeks, I'm invited to quite many parties (feels like everybody has something to celebrate right now !!)... Well, my hard disk is almost full as my computer would say ;)

And as it's not really time for a break, I think it's time for me to start using an organizer OR... to find a personal assistant !!

Anyone interested ? ;)

Well, this is kind of me right now... !!

Missing New York...

... like hell today...

It's raining like crazy in Stockholm, nothing much to do... and I would give everything I have to be on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, dancing.

I WANNA GO BAAAAACK !!!!!!

Happy song

We all have some songs that make us smile or being happy, because they remind us of somebody that we like, a special moment in our life, happy times... And the opposite as well, of course.

I have one that I can't stop listening to since a few days... it's "Smooth Criminal" from MJ.

I like most of MJ's songs because I grew up with him, and I have some very good dance memories on some of his songs - especially "Dangerous", when we were dancing on the chairs a "few" years ago ;)

I know the picture is blurry but I like it, and I think we kinda recognize that it's a MJ's choreo lol.

Anyway, "my" song at the moment is "Smooth Criminal". It reminds of one of the best dance class I had in New York, which is also one of the best class I've ever had. If you remember, it's the one I told you I took with Luam at BDC. You know it's the kind of class, where everytime the teacher is adding an 8 (counts), you're like "woohhhoooo" and you can't just stop smiling (like I'm doing right now, just when writing it lol).

Well, this song reminds me this class, how much fun I had taking it with my 2 friends Klara and Jenny, and now when I listen to it, it simply makes me smile and feel happy :) The worst is when I'm listening to it while waiting for the bus cuz I wanna dance so much !! But I would feel quite ridiculous doing it I would say haha.

And you, what are the songs that make you smile at the moment ? Or in general ?

TOP 3

Today, I told my friend Julia that she entered my TOP 3 of the best dance instructors, for me. Actually that was just a way to tell her that I found her class was great. And then I started to think : "But who would I put in this TOP 3 if it really existed ?". Well, of course I would put Åsa, Julia then... and for the 3rd one I don't know. Maybe Robert ? Or Josefin ? I don't know really...

Anyway, I thought it was a good occasion to tell you about my TOP 3 of the best dance teachers I had in New York, and at BDC especially.

Actually, it took me a few days before I found the classes that were suiting me the best, but after I had discover those 3 teachers, it was just pure fun !

The first one, is the one I have taken the most (6 times in total !). Her name is Chio, and she is teaching a Jazz Funk class. I took her class in both levels : beginner and advanced beginner. She is doing the same choreo for both levels but teaching it more or less fast then. That was not an easy class I think (but I don't think there is really an easy class at BDC lol, for me at least) but the 2 choreo I did were both great and I had very much fun. When I say it was not easy, I don't really mean technically. It's more a matter of pace during the class, how fast you have to learn the movements. And also I thought they were not easy to remember. But maybe that's also because I was not so used to her style and her steps then, and also because I've been learning many many many [......] many steps in a very short time.

But anyway, here are 2 videos of the 2 choreos I've done with her if you wanna have a look.

The first one : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mt4gBFFEcY

And the second one : http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=0qNdyq27bNE&feature=related

The second teacher was Heather Rigg. She was teaching a quite "old school" jazz class. It loved it because I felt like back almost 10 years ago when I was taking jazz classes in high school. With all the technical exercises, stretching and so on. At the beginning I felt quite bad because it was a long time since I had not done that kind of exercises, but I took the classe different times and I could really feel that I got better each time. It was the same for the choreo. Actually it was funny because I already had danced on this music with Åsa. But it was not the same style at all. And it was even kinda confusing at the beginning ! But I really liked the choreo, and I like the fact that there was some technical difficulties (especially on turns and jumps), that I could work on through the different classes.

And the 3rd teacher was Luam, a hip-hop teacher, quite famous in the US actually. In the dance industry I mean. I took her class once only but I had SOOO much fun. I was supposed to take it a first time, in an advanced beginner level, but she was not there and it was somebody else teaching. So even though the class was good, I was kind of frustrated. Because my 2 friends who took her class before were so enthusiastic about it (can I even say hysterical ?!), that I thought it would be crazy. So I decided to take another of her classes. But the lowest level I could get was Intermediate, which means professional level over there. That's what they say at least... But it was the end of my journey there, and I really wanted to not have anything to regret (like "oh, I should have tried that..."), so I said "Ok ! Let's give it a chance ! You're strong, you're good, you can do it !". Well, I don't know if I'm strong or good lol, but you know what ? I did it ! And OMG it was so great. The choreo was on "Smooth Criminal" of M. Jackson and.... Oh, I loved it ! And it felt like a big victory to manage to take this class and not to be lost from the beginning until the end...!

So next time I go back (because yes, I'm seriously thinking of going back there in a few months), I'll definitely take those classes again.

But there are some more that I would love to try. Like Derek Mitchell in street jazz, Jermaine Brown in street as well, and also Sheila Barker and Debbie Wilson in jazz. And Sheryl Murakami in funk :) Well, that's a pretty nice program I have there !! Maybe next time I should stay one month ! Or if I can't (which is much probably going to be the case !), that could be a good reason to go back even another time ;)

Back HOME after a great vacation !

I'm back home, in Stockholm. Arrived here last Wednesday, late evening.

I'm saying that I'm back home because this is really the way I feel, that's here that I live, that I have my life, my "everyday life" at least. So after 3 weeks, I was quite happy to be back in this cosy environment. Even though the weather was SO terrible last Thursday (like a November day...), that I was almost ready to take a plane back to France (or to New York lol).

But now I've started my Swedish life again, and I like it :) The least I can say, is that it was not really a soft start !

At work, I've spend my first day reading tons of emails and signing dozens of invoices, and on the second day, I had to start the closing work for July closing !

Then it has been the same training wise. One class everyday since Friday ! And it's not over, as I'm going back tomorrow and Tuesday as well. Tomorrow my friend Julia is holding a street dance class, and I'm really excited to see how it will be :) Even though I'm sure she will rock, as she always does ! ;) Also, I've been out one night, took some fika with Eleonore... and lots of other things ! But this is my second year, and maybe the last one in Stockholm. So I really wanna enjoy every single minute of it ! So, no time to loose !!!

My holidays were all great !

Well, I won't talk more about New York, first because I've already written a long post about it, and also because I think everybody is getting fed up of me talking about it all the time !!

As I also already told you, I've had some quality time with my family, which doesn't happen very often since a few years, as I'm always abroad (what a bad girl I am !), and my cousins are living abroad as well.

Then, I ended with 3 days in Paris, where my lovely friend Veronica joined me. We had a very good time there.

The first evening, we had some diner with my friend Emilie, in a small restaurant, in the Latin Quarter, close to where my grand parents live (and where we were staying).

Then we took Veronica on a small tour, to see Paris by night. I love all those views...

And I think Veronica enjoyed them as well, as every 5 seconds she was saying "oh shit !". Haha.

The second day was very busy ! We started the day with a boat tour on the Seine where we could see many of the famous monuments.

After we had lunch with my great friend Sophie, we headed to the center to do some shopping at Les Halles, and finally headed to Beaubourg, where we sat for a while, just feeling the nice atmosphere. And then we passed the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The day ended with my friends :) First we met David for a short drink, then we took the metro to "Republique" to join my "girl" friends from Bordeaux for some happy hour !

And we finally finished at Mel&Fitsch's place for a nice diner. Nice to see all of them after such a long time !

On the second day, we first went to have some lunch with my grand mother !

I was so happy to see her. Everytime I come back to France, she joins me for a lunch in Paris and we talk about everything and nothing, but most of all we LAUGH ! I think I have the funniest grand mother in the world. She used to take care of me a lot when I was a kid, and I'm the oldest of all her grand children, so we have a very strong a close relationship together.

Later in the afternoon, this is Valerie that we met ! Valerie is one of my really good friends in Stockholm, but she was in Paris at that time.

We went at the Cafe de Flore, a very famous cafe where lots of (famous) artists use(d) to go. However, there is something that I'd like to add here... I do love Paris, I really do. BUT. There is a big BUT. How come the waiters in restaurants and bars are SOOO unpolite and even rude ?? They think that because it's Paris (and especially in this area), and because they will always have customers, they don't need to be polite ?? That makes me so angry. Because it really gives a wrong image of the people in France, and of the Parisians especially. Well...

After this nice drink with rude and unpolite waiters (lol), we headed to the Champ de Mars where I had organized a picnic to meet a maximum of people. This is not always easy for me to meet all the people I would like to meet because usually I'm there for a few days only, and as I've been to many places, I start to have a lot of friends !!! lol. (Poor me ;) )

So basically, everyone was invited. But as we were in the middle of the summer, many people were on vacation.

But Tiphaine and Stan (freshly married !) were there.

Mel&Fitsch as well !

Sophie, and even Insaff on the phone hehe.

Claire, Jennifer, Clementine and Christelle - my friends from Bordeaux.

Max, Guena, Francois and David - my friends from Keolis (where I used to work).

I've had a really good time and I was very happy to see all of them. Thanks for coming. LOVE you all !!

The 3rd day, the weather was very nice and even pretty warm. Perfect for a last day of vacation !!

We first headed to the Louvre. Everytime I go back there, I'm like "Wowww, this is SO beautiful !". Even though I've been passing in front of it everyday during 6 months lol.

After a good lebanese lunch, we walked on the Jardin des Tuileries and simply enjoyed the sun :) This was great ! And we ended by a tour on the "Grand Roue" (Big Wheel ?) to have a view a Paris from the sky. And as Veronica's favorite expression during this journey's expresses it so well : Oh shit ! That was beautiful !

And that's how the journey (and my vacation) ended... After that, I went to take my bags and took the train to the airport.

But I was not sad to leave. First because I know that I'll come back soon (I'll even get to see some of my friends in the beginning of September during a reunion week-end in London) - to celebrate my birthday probably. And also because I was happy to go back to Stockholm, to be in my apartment again, to see my sweet friends, to hang out in this city that I love, to start training again, and also to start working ! I know this year is gonna be full of challenges, and I love that !

Last thing to finish... If u wanna have another point of view of this journey in Paris, I advise you to go and read Veronica's blog. It's in Swedish, but there is a small summary in English at the end. And you can always Google Translate it ! I love it anyway ;)