Shanghai by night..

...is all i get to see since i'm stuck in this stupid open space office all day! can't wait for my first week end here!

So here's People Square..








And Nanjing Road...

The biggest "china town" I've ever seen!

You would have guessed it, everything is in chinese! Everything but the brand names that is! It's all the more striking that they're the only words you recognise in latin alphabet..

As soon as you're out of the airport, the number of giant posters advertising for Budweiser beer, Buick cars and Hooters restaurants, give you a fair idea why Mr Bush is so friendly with his good old commies pals!
Then when you reach the new city of Pudong, you really feel at the heart of the "world company"! Every major western brand owns a tower here.. Opium has been replaced with electronics and fashion products but it seems to me that Shanghai has always kept its role of dedicated entrance port for foreign investment in China!

Flight AF114 Paris-Shanghai

It hasn't been 2006 for 72 hours and I've just reached China! Happy travelling year everyone! Having said this, it's been raining cats and dogs since i got here and i'm jetlagged to the core.. so i'll get back to you when i'm awake! Below some quick snaps of my first impressions!

my first chinese meal at the office

Out of the blue..

My first photo exhibition!
Paris, december 2005.
Come check it out!

As everybody keeps yelling that i never post anything on this blog.. well here's a little something!

First i thought i'd include a little map of the trip, generated on airtrecks.com.. it's not too accurate but it gives a rough sketch of where i'm supposed to go..


My recent trip in India (don't forget to check pictures at http://joune.free.fr/photos/thumbnails.php?album=20 !) taught me a few things..

• travelling with a guitar isn't that much of a hassle and can be really convienent when waiting for a train for 5 hours.. (it also works great with kids!)
• i didn't find time to post a single word on this blog in a month i was away.. not too good a sign!
• processing films in India for 20Rps a roll sounds like a great deal but i got all my films scratched!
• film quality does matter!.. how will i be able to buy quality films when i'm travelling??
• No use packing ten pairs of pants and 20 shirts.. you can live on a couple of pants and shirts for months , it's easier on your back.. and you'll end up buying stuff along the way anyway..
• 30 hours by train isn't such a big deal, at least in India.. there's always tons of things happening out the window and you can play the guitar to kids to kill time..

Mmm.. i guess i knew all that already.. what exactly was i trying to say in this post??

Oh and i checked
http://www.transsib-travel.com/transsiberien_individuel.htm
for my transsiberian trip.. wonder if i should go with them or just get to russia and figure out my trip from there! any suggestions?!

..later everyone.. next post in two months!

Second post! In english this time!
I think we're going totally wild in here!!

So here's the thing.. I didn't create this blog only because I think my life is sooo interesting!.. as a matter of fact, so it happens that, starting in April 2006, I'll be taking an 11 months leave from work (and salary! sic!) to travel around the world!

.. Ok everybody does it! Yet it's necessarily unique for each and everyone!

As I'll be travelling alone, I thought this may be a good option to stay in touch with my many many friends!.. So if anybody ever reads this, chances are that he/she will be english speaking..

Well, ok i'm not gone yet.. so you still have some time before it starts being interesting at all!

In the meantime, I'll try to keep you -anxious readers- posted on my preparations to that formidable experience!.... only i'm not really preparing much so far!

Let's start with the first draft of my planning.. If nothing else I'll be able to monitor how much I shift from my original plan!

Here it goes:

• April - May - June
• Germany
• Poland
• Bielorussia
• Russia
• Mongolia
• July - August - September
• China
• Tibet
• Nepal
• India
• Myamar
• Indonesia
• October - November
• Australia
• New Zealand
• December - January - February
• Ushuaia
• Argentina
• Chili
• .. and back to Paris..
  

As I write this I realize it's probably already more than I can handle in the timespan I have.. we'll see..

Now don't even try to tell me "Oh you're not going to Africa!".. I know!
I'll need a whole new trip for Africa alone! and it just won't fit in this itinerary..

Now how am I going to go to all these places??

Ideally, I'd like to make it all the way to Indonesia without flying.. by trains and buses, bicycle, hands and knees..
sounds a little tough doesn't it? I'm not sure..

After that I don't think i'll have too much of choice to get to Australia and New Zealand and south America.. The ocean is not an option!

I've also started to think of what VISAs I need..
http://www.action-visas.com
has good info on this.

That's it for today... It's the second and biggest blog post I ever made!
(life is full of small satisfactions!)

Welcome!

Ca y'est je suis à la mode! Je vais pouvoir raconter au monde entier les folles aventures trépidantes de ma vie tumultueuse.. d'ingénieur informaticien chez alcatel..
Bienvenue sur mon blog! (ah vous allez pas vous faire chier!)

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voilà voilà...

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C'est un peu la même impression que quand j'ai fait ma première page ouèbe.. Tout cet espace internet disponible pour exprimer les choses les plus folles.. et puis pof l'angoisse de la page blanche.. rien à dire!
allez..
tchô.