Time goes by faster n faster, weather colder and colder

Sunday night, 20 November 2005 - Almost 5 entire months in my new home country.
The weather turns colder and the shadow of Winter is showing up day after day. It starts snow a little bit these last 2 weeks, the temperature deceases down to minus 6 degrees Celcius some days.

The autumn is not really over yet but the trees show it already is ;) I'm not totally equiped for the first real winter in Canada yet but almost ready for the first hard coldness. A little scared for I don't know what demands me as effort to live normally the coming winter months.
Anyway, I'm glad to make new friends, met new interesting faces and people. It keeps me up, I try to meet people often on weekends, changing my routine weekdays of work even if they are very interesting, having fun, go to restaurants, to the cinema, doing sports...

Here are some other photos of my trip that I started to share you the time before... Enjoy as usual and next time for another chapter of my "adventure" in this another country, in a kinda another world!

Hi dear distant family, dear distant friends

It's Wednesday - 10:40 PM, I'm Listening alone in my new flat tonite the sad love and slow song "I Love You" by Sarah MacLachlan, I'd like to sing it and share it with you.

Anyway, I've been missing you and in these cold days preceding the hard winter, my first cold canadian winter. I'm so happy to find back my own Internet connection from home. I've been working quite hard these last few weeks and this since late August actually. I4m happy to find quickly a job, to earn some money, to have my own flat, to have every thing a simple man needs : a roof, foods, paycheck every 2 weeks.

Right now, the weather is getting colder and colder and some day it gets back cooler around 10°C but most of the time less than 10 ;) The sun is often shy but when it's there, it gives me some strength to look things on the right side, positively. I even have had the chance lately to drive with friends up to Ottawa. My first trip ever on my first long distance as a driver, responsible for 6 other people in a minicar we rent. I felt stressed but here I'm back, safe and soul. With some photos I'd like now to share with everyone coming by here, in my little place, my little window on the world.

Thank my family for your support and education, thank my friends to be there whenever I need...

Hope you'll like them. Bye 4 now, take good care.

No news, ...

Alright, I let you guys complete the sentence above.

I don't think I exagerate to say that the good news is I found a real job since early September 2005.
The funniest thing is I'm working my second job since last week only. I started working temporarily for another company just before as a games tester on night-shift.

But now, I'm working as techical support but also doing lots of system and network administration in Linux/Unix and mostly Windows environment, with normal schedule from 9AM to 5PM but with only half a hour of lunch break. I miss the time I work in France when I have lots of breaks and more comfortable time to have lunch.

Here, apart that difference regarding time, most of people bring their own lunch and heat it up and have it at desk or nearby ;) My work is stressful sometimes and so far but I think I just stress myself cos of apprehension.

I have no more fast Internet at home so cannot update this space as often as I'd like to. Beside, I'm pretty busy and haven't photograph for so long, I miss that a lot too. Lots of friends I met now work too, either at school or busy with their job.

So this it it this time. More fun I hope to tell and to share you next time.

ATL from the Great Library of Montreal.
The weather here is getting cooler and cooler but I like that, more breathable.

Bye bye all 4 now. Don't hesitate to let me your comments and/or send me emails from time to time, I'll really appreciate it so much.

30 + one day

Well well, I've just had my birthday passed in almost complete silence... yesterday.

One old friend I saw recently before leaving France sent me 2 greetings msgs and of course from my family.

An almost lonely day if I didn't go out and spent the night, photographing outdoor with a new and young friend I made here thanks to photography. Yeah I'm now 30 ;)

Today is Monday, Aug 29th. My temporary and young roomate left me to return to her parents place. Her elder sister should take her room back soon. I started a 3 weeks jobs searching training this morning. Quite interesting!

Last Thursday, with a bunch of friends, we spent a whole day in a Safari parc in the south of Montreal. So here are some photos from that day, lots of fun "hunting" the animals during that safari.

Mid-August 2005

Gosh, as time goes by so fast...

I've been in Montreal for 2 months and a half.

Today is kinda another new start as I visited 2 appartments and went to a music video record to photograph a young female artist called IMA. The story about this is I photographed her show on a free concert during the Francofolies festival, taking place in this late July. I posted some photos I'm quite happy and proud of on a local forum. And another photographer sent me a private message telling I should send them to the artists (2 concerts of which IMA and the other is Catherine Durand who loved my photos as well) which I did. And few days after I got in touch with people of her agency who will use my photos to promote her and send to some papers... and early today, the manager called me to attend the record of her video... I took my chance and went there to photograph the "show", quite a good and exciting experience to live that. The photos will come pretty soon.

Aside is one of the photos they like and select to promote her during the concert...

Last Saturday was great because I went to a "footing" to walk a little bit with some people to the Mont Royal where I met a woman who invited me to come with her and her man to the international balloons festival... an event I dreamt to go but I have no car. So here are few photos I shot that afternoon thanks to these kind french people. Hope you'll like them.

Quiet Days

Today is Aug 02. Always lonely face to my laptop writing down few words.

I spent lots of good moments with friends, nice people I met. Fireworks were shot for the last time last Saturday. I got some good shots you can see below.

I expect to work hopefully soon. I applied a lot yet few feedbacks so far. But I keep faith and not desperated somehow.

Loneliness is hard to bear sometimes, mostly when you're far away from home, family and good friends you have. A job can keep you busy and from thinking too much of your conditions. Spend your days and money with less worries. The today sky and weather reflect my mood: cloudy and grey ;) The good thing is it is not too hot though. Storms should come soon ;)

>> to see more fireworks... <<

Few days away from Montreal and Quebec

I left Montreal on July 10 for almost a week to go to Toronto to visit my relatives living there.

Lucky me to be invited on a short half day trip with 2 lovely young asian ladies to Niagara Falls...

Few days before, I was taken to a shore of Ontario lake in Oshawa, a nice place too. Check this out





A strange flower in my aunt's backyard


Here I'm back again to my adoptive town since last Friday night... soon more photos of other events still running here in this unbelievable city.

War of the Worlds, pretty good!

Saw it few hours ago, not bad at all. Weird ending anyway.


The above picture was taken just after the rain and stormy hour!

Later on, this fountain was on smoke ;)


Finally this is for you ladies

Last Night Fireworks, again

Hello all,

Feeling lonely and getting tired and bored sometimes, fortunately I still have Internet and lots of events to cover photographically... The weather could be horrible sometimes with heat and humidity.

So last night, I went early on that Jacques-Cartier bridge to get to a pretty good location in the middle of the green bridge to set up my photo gear. I'm quite happy to get some good results comparing to the previous attempts the last 2 Saturdays of which France's fireworks were last Sat., almost a complete disaster for me regarding the results :-(

So here I go again and got some good ones I'd like to share.

24 Juin - Fête nationale de la St-Jean-Baptiste à MTL

A special day for Quebec, they celebrate their OWN "national" day!

A march, concerts, fireworks here and there...

vive le Québec ;)
















I'd like to thank you guyz who let me comments and messages... Keep on dropping few lines from time to time. Write me emails to tell me your days, your work, your hobbies, anything especially events you live in France.

My "Tourism" journey continues

Yesterday was planned to visit and photograph the famous Botanic Garden but I left home quite late and the garden closes at 18:00 but I discovered another wonderful location/site where I assisted to the Invasion of "War of the Worlds"-like. Check these out and LMK your feelings & impressions.







Today is June 20th, 2005. I'm about to go out and see a new friend, new immigrant like me, from Maroc like lots of them at the sessions I've attended to far. I saw Kung-Fu Hustle yesterday, gosh it was good and too funny. Sin City few days before was not bad as well, but in original version w/o caption, was challenging to me at times in the movie, anyway...

Shows must go on!

19th day, Sunday June 19, 2005

Beginning of new events... especially the fireworks. FYI : http://www.internationaldesfeuxloto-quebec.com/fr/programmation/Default.asp

I took few photos last night with other viet friends I made lately.





Busy days with information sessions and job applying strategies...

to be continued.

Day 13

Monday 13, it was a busy day...

Got up early to go for a meeting of a half-day talking about "réalités socio-economiques" à Montreal and Quebec in general. Another group meeting where we were more than ten people to attend in a small "classroom". I arrived late for I missed my bus then train. Lucky somehow I arrive at the same time than a beautiful girl from Bulgaria who therefore sat beside me for the whole session ;) In the morning I gave her my business "photography" hopefully she'll contact me back.

The session ended and every one left away... but then I crossed on the way to take the train 2 of the immigrants like me from the session, 2 very kind moroccans (a man and a young woman) with whom I spent a good part of the afternoon walking and having lunch and talking about out own situations... making new friends.

I finished my day by attending to a big dojo to see how my future Aikido school is run. Looks different and some different "styles" from what I've learnt so far back to France. I'd assisted for almost 2 hours of training looking at people practising Iaido with what it looks real japanese swords to me and that for about half a hour and then 1 hour and a half of empty hand Aikido. I wish I could pratise right away with them.

Tonight back to home quite tired... continue backing up over more than 4000 photos I took the last few days on Festival of Fashion & Design and also the Grand Prix F1 exhibition on a street not far away where the models did their catwalks. Thinking the work ahead waiting for me: selecting n post-processing and publishing! Hell.

Got to sleep more tonight and go out again to the Botanic Garden tomorrow.

And you guys, what's up on your side?!? Tell me a little bit!

PS: photos will show up here again soon. Don't worry :o)

My second weekend in Montreal

Amazing how fast time can go by! Last Wed June 1st, I were near my family in Paris suburb and now, it's been 10 days I'm living in Montreal, Québec. Wonderful city I try to walk around and discover so far.

The last few days, I've been attending to an important event or I'd rather talk about events for we're in summertime and I learn that there're the most events in this period of time here. The reason is quite simple, winter is rough so people and the city take their revenge on long period of cold to reborn and live and go out. So I was talking about my absence, I attend to the Festival of Fashion & Design in downtown. FYI : http://sensationmode.com/site.html

3 days spent to "cover" the event with my quite heavy digital photography gear, results : more than 2 thousands of pictures and to be honest, lots of them will be forgotten ;) Some of the results out of the 1st day can be seen here : http://anhtuan.le.free.fr/festival_Mode_Design_MTL/
Drop me a line about them please!

One of my favourite to illustrate the event:


Hope you will enjoy them. More to come soon but don't know how soon actually :D

Yet Another Day in MTL

Back to the calm day that was yesterday, Monday June 6, 2005

It rained a while in the morning with strong winds but the sun came back in the end of the morning and the weather got hot again. Sunshine came along all the rest of the day. An evening quite noisy with strong winds again.

I got my micro Hi-Fi component system earlier and I'm enjoying it. Cannot live without music... It keeps me company anyway for I miss my family, friends, and few anotehr things.

I went in town in the middle of the afternoon to get my appointements for informations and helps to better understand local economico-social life here. Got an email of someone interested in my profile on monster.ca, sounds great and keeps me believe.

I took the bus from downtown to try to reach the old port when I missed the stop and had to get down, go back for miles on foot to the destination. I just scout the spots and have not my camera with me so cannot share any picture with you guys for now.

Today is Tueday June 7, 2005. Already 7th day in Montreal, time goes by so fast. The sky is always beautifully blue and the sun shining... I'm about to go out. But before this blog feeding and listening to some songs.

To you these lyrics of "Another Day" by Lene Marlin:

Lie to me, say that you need me
That's what I wanna hear
That is what, what makes me happy
Hoping you'll be near
All this time, how could I know
Within these walls, I can feel you

Another day goes by, will never know just wonder why
You made me feel good, made me smile
I see it now, and I, can say it's gone
That would be a lie
Cannot control this, this thing called love

You must think, how can this be
You don't really know me
I can't tell, this ain't the time
You'll never be mine
What can I say, something 'bout my life
I just lost again

Another day goes by, will never know just wonder why
You made me feel good, made me smile
I see it now, and I, can say it's gone
That would be a lie
Cannot control this, this thing called love

Always have to move on,
To leave it all behind
Go along with time

Another day goes by, will never know just wonder why
You made me feel good, made me smile
I see it now, and I, can say it's gone
That would be a lie
Cannot control this, this thing called love

Welcome to my New World!!!

This is my second try of blog for the previous one prevents public (not registered users) from commenting my blog :-(

So here I am to try new free weblog space...


a view of MTL downtown in face of Place PHILLIPS

The show must go on.

Today is June 5, 2005. I worked on my jobs searching and applications for lots of them, checking my salary I could possibly & hopefully earn... went out this afternoon again for few shoppings and get used to the city life