04 octobre 2005
Seasonal packing- 8 DAYS
A day out in the field
Life has been a rollercoaster lately, involving travelling around, working long hours and not much sleep. I am not complaining simply breathing out a little now...Work has been very busy, so much to do and finish before I leave on friday. I will miss the office greatly and Robert too. He is sort of a big brother for me...my boss...but luckily we will keep contact:)
So I am officially finishing work on friday and organising a north african dinner on thursday for 14 people, everyone I have worked with...Mmmm I am anticipating the melting of couscous on my tongue and the sweet tangy chocolate mousse I am making...
Then I will be in Girdwood, hanging out, filming, well learning basics, hiking and relaxing before I fly to Montreal and Sophie, ma groseille:) til 16th october when I will head back to Europe for an undefinite period of time....Weird feeling to come back, home will still be a suitcase for a few months and I am slightly scared of settling down somewhere for a "long" time (long in my vocabulary means more than 6 months)...
I will elaborate in the next message what I meant by rollercoaster:)
01 octobre 2005
ALAKSA -11 DAYS
My last week-end in Soldotna. I might pop up to Anchorage on saturday night if I can catch a ride with Stef from work but nothing is sure...So, for once I am actually sitting in bed on a friday night, not out listening to bands or in bars chatting, or with friends...and it was disappointing at first then I came to realise how much I needed to have a night off... used the opportunity to vacuum the Buick 1985 and brush up on my english vocabulary..I am constantly learning words it is amasing... Oh Btw could some of you tell me what those mean:
- prescient
- staunch
- skidded
- traipsing
- lintels
- blithely
- tremulously
They come from the book Fools Fate from Robin Hobb and are not in my tiny french dictionnary...Thanx...
Started packing my suitcase as I am stopping work in a week and flying up to Anchorage for a few days before the big final flight home. My throat has tighten up and I face the bag half filled with dread..I hate packing suitcases... or boxes...yet travelling requires it...next time I'll bring nothing and get everything I need there..Hol'on will still pack things BACk...dammit...no easy solution unless I send all of it home in a box... Back to square one;)
Natta-Night-Bonne nuitee...
23 septembre 2005
Matin pluvieux, ame heureuse
I have 2 weeks and a half left here. Time is running out & I might have to start planning (arghhh new word in my vocabulary) what, where and when with who...Oh well could start a list here but I would more likely bore you to death. Mmmm as the office is empty....Ole just called, he should be here at 9:30, and it is right now 8:35....So I guess I have plenty of time on my hands to start and finish my longlist of important things to do:
- Pack a box with all the books I bought (see under liens cherryh, I collect her old SF books and the States is a gold mine for that). I outpassed myself this time with a mix of old 70's SF, 30's-50's anthropological/ecological authors, and spiritual/self-esteem books...I can round the number around 2-3 kilos but I will go back to this beautiful (purple wodden house in Kenai) used bookstore where I feel like I am in Northern exposure...no kidding..and I love it...Books are one of my passion, their smells, feel and touch. I can easily fall in love with an old edition simply because of it's texture or smell...
- Also, the weighed limit on my plane is changing due to gas prices and I am only allowed 20 kilos back when I came with 30 and must reach 35 by now...So send another box with all the stuff I do not use right now or discard old crap...and only travel back with my tiny 50 litres backpack...
- Go for a hike in Homer/Cooper landing. I haven't hiked down here for over a month. Shame on me!!!!
- Plan my stay in Girdwood/Anchorage & check with Robert when are flights from Soldotna to Anchorage.
- See jenny, meredith,eric,david before I leave, and organise a french dinner party for Joss, jan, robert,Ole & stef
- Write an account of my work and have robert or stef sign it
This is the most boring e-mail I have ever laid my eyes on so I shall stop now before it gets any worse, get it done on paper at home and go get myself a nice cuppa coffee before I start my day out in the field...see y'a
01 septembre 2005
The vision of your wildest dreams
I have just come back from my week-end and it was simply an experience I hadn't plan to turn the way it did. A good feeling, a great wedding, Nice people and generally just the possibility to enjoy nature at it's best... pics will say more so...
Virgin Creek falls
On the Way to Bird Point
Sign from the sky
The Beginning
20 août 2005
Account None
I am feeling like I have no time ahead of me. I wanted to sum up for you my trip to Denal national park last week but between work and Social life, there has been absolutely no time to sit down and download pictures or write accounts of facts... So I guess I'll do that as soon as the weather gets bad.... I am leaving again for the entire wee-end and the same next week....Hope you're enjoying the last few days of summer as much as I do....
12 août 2005
Paradise
As I am sitting alone in the office, waiting for Tara's mum to come pick me up, I thought I could finish telling you my little week-end down by Kenai lake.
Tents were sprawled all over the beach and bonfires started lighting up in the summer night. I paced up and down the shore, observing people and sat facing the water, listening to bits of conversation and human noises that contrasted strangely with the peaceful setting of mountains reflected in water. It was like being in a beehive, hundreds of noises, people, buzzing. A stage was set next to the bonfire and music expanded, waves of beats and guitar, enticing,a crowd builded and I happily rested on a log a few inches from the bonfire to warm up my chilly bones. As people sat, we talked and drank, I met some canadians, wrote down phone numbers and e-mails...and time passed fast...At 3 o'clock we searched the sky for possible scraps of aurora borealis and I saw one, my first stripe of white in the sky...by then half of the crowd had left to rest or snuggle on the beach and back in their tents...
...I stayedf up all night...The little group of 10 to 20 individuals who wouldn't give up, sang, played the guitar, drums, filmed, took pictures and just watched the sun rise, the sky lit up, the water fog build up on the lake like a morning veil...magical moments when tiredness evades you and you're left feeling reborn, alive and new....
...The rest of the sunday was a blurr as I had to pack my life to move to Robert and tiredness suddenly kicked in mid-day. I hope this week-end in Denal national Park will be as rewarding...Alaska is a place where you can lose yourself in the vastness of nature, like Norway or some parts of France but it is just easier to get away from City life. That's, I guess, what made me want to come here...
05 août 2005
Lonesome'cowgirl
I am slowly, after 3 weeks here, getting accustomed to the place, the people but dread still fills my heart....I am not as outgoing as I thought myself capable of...This journey is just starting and at times I can see myself already giving up because it's too hard, I'm tired, I don't feel like making the effort. I wonder how I would be if I could spin around in an euphoria wave most days., I precise most days as it is not realistic.
It is a weird feeling to have to make your own plans and arrangements by yourself, catter only for yourself yet share a house with a family. I realise then how lucky I am to have a partner to share things with and how I miss him. However, I am as some of you would say easily influenced by others so it is a good thing to be on my own for a while. Yet, I am faced with an inertia which I have had the desire to shake for years and haven't by lack of goodwill and possibly lazyness. As I was standing in my Boss office I saw a pile of books, very readable, very knowledgable and I considered the option of borrowing them...simply reflected on it...mulled over it...
I am standing at a crossroad in my life... many of us are...I need to nudge myself forward not stagnate...moving places doesn't take away the knots, spiderwebs and inner inertia that lies within oneself...Finding a fixed idea,a project, a goal is the key...
29 juillet 2005
Inner Peace
Une journee en attente, en exil, un petit spleen baudelerien me ronge tendrement, prend ma main et se glisse sous ma peau, sangsue bienfaisante qui me vide goutte a goutte et me laisse pantelante, prete a m’evanouir, manege d’enfant colores tourbillonant. Hier il a enfin fait une journee ensoleillees, une journees faites de nuages dores et de ciel bleute. J’en ai profitee pour faire un petit tour en kayak sur le lac en forme de haricot, j’ai perdue pied dans un monde de silence entre ciel et eau, le ciel reflete, ma vie reflete, confondue dans cette univers liquide. Cette paix interieur je voulais la partager avec vous, vous en donnez un petit bout…en image…
I had a day of in between, moments where I lost myself because there truly was not much to do but yesterday I had inner peace at last. I went for a kayak ride on the lake down the house, the bean shaped lake where I left my body to reach the sky in a liquid world of reflections about myself, the world and beauty surrounding me. For the first time in a long time I reached this state of happiness that doesn’t come from shopping, achieving something, being recognized by the one we love or being complimented…I want to share this with you all…pics for the soul…
s
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Dites moi laquelle vous preferez et pourquoi J
Could you tell me which one you prefer and why? Need feedback to improve on photographic skills.
27 juillet 2005
HOME
I am so BUSY...Been in the field again ...but I wanted to share home with you guys...1 pic is worth a thousand words for me sometimes...
Pier from the house
20 juillet 2005
Wilderness
Hi everyone. I made it. I am standing on alaskan ground, safe and sound. I had my first day of work today in the field, counting boats from 13 o'clock til 19:00 to measure the impacts of wake on bank erosion of the river. I have witnessed huge red and king salmons jumping out of the water and they are YUmmingly impressive. I can't wait to catch one mysself. We will be doing the same for the rest of the week and are getting up tomorrow at 6 :) We, means, me and Stephanie. I am staying with her and her boyfriend Tom for the next 10 days and they have an awesome house right on a lake with a pier and a breathtaking view. Just amazing. I'll take a few pics. Then, in 10 days I am moving in with my boss, Robert, and his wife,tara,and little daughter, Jordan. Odd concept then living in the house with your boss but everyone here is very relaxed, that is what i have seen so far. I am still in awe at being here and can't beleive that I am at last doing what I have dreamt of doing for so long... YEAH... I guess I'll tell you all more about it. I might write you personal e-mail but don't be too disappointed if I don't, husband is first on the list.
Seelie: I can't wait to see the new bed-room, why don't you take pics and send them to me!!
Sophie: I have arrived safely so don't worry and GET RID OF THE BUGS
Espen:What are you up to? no news good news.
Aurelie:EGYPTE, go diving girl!!!! it's just the best!
Je ne suis pas certaine d"avoir le temps d"ecrire cette page en anglais et francais alors etant dans un pays anglophone et la plupart d'entre vous francophone parlant l'anglais un petit peu je risque durant les 3 prochains mois de n'entrer que des commentaires en anglais. Desole...et puis cela vous fera travailler votre anglais:)
