by Arnaud | Jan 30, 2015 | French in the USA
“I lived in New Jersey when I was four with my family, then came back at 24 to work for two years in New York. Since that time I have always wanted to go back to the USA with my own family, to make sure they could enjoy “the american lifestyle” I had loved so much when I was a little girl. I talked to my husband who had his own printing company in Paris, and after a short trip to San Francisco he said ” you know Amelie, your dream, we can make it happen here if you want!’.
Amelie is now part of the adventure of starting a new art gallery in San Francisco with her husband Jules, and as always in her life, the human factor is driving her decisions: Amelie loves working with artists as a team, brainstorming before making decisions, meeting new people and making new friends.
by Arnaud | Jan 27, 2015 | French in the USA
“As a kid I followed my parents around the world. I really wanted my kids to have this experience and this is why we decided to move to the USA. Today, the world is a village. They have at least to know their neighbors. I’m also working in the software industry, so the Bay area is a kind of place to be.
You were not sent in the USA by a company, you came by your own…
“Quitting my over-protected french contract for an US “at will” employment is of course a risk. Moving three teens is another one. Though I have been nurtured by mathematics and rationalism I often took decisions using my gut feeling. This time I had a strong feeling that it was a good move for the whole family. Isabelle, my wife, and the kids voted in favor”.
What do you like about the USA?
What is done to build a nation with kids and people from all over the world, speaking English, Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, French or whatever, is probably what stroke me most here.
Do you have a dream, how do you see your future?
“Building my own house, creating a school, living somewhere in Asia (yet another move) are some of my dreams. But I have hard time figuring my future : 4 years ago I couldn’t have foreseen my family living in San Francisco, so who knows”.
Full of passion, dreams and projects, Raphael spends a lot of time with his kids to build weird machines (bubble maker) or with his friends to produce his own beer “The french beer”; Raph also loves cooking for his (lucky) friends. Opening a bakery in the Bay area sounds like something Raph has in mind…more to go!
by Arnaud | Jan 4, 2015 | French in the USA, People Pics
” After almost three years in the USA, I decided to start a Yoga Teacher training program here in California; in France I was working in the cosmetics industry, I was starting my own business when we decided to move to San Francisco, as my husband had this great opportunity for his career; our four boys are growing fast, and I want to be prepared to go back to France, whenever this is going to happen, with an experience from the USA that I could value back to Paris.”
Marine is an active mother of four kids, and although she enjoys a lot her life in Marin county, she does not really feel good not working anymore; she felt in love with Yoga she practices four times per week, and thus decided to get a yoga teacher diploma to practice her passion when time comes. Marine is also my lovely wife.
by Arnaud | Dec 23, 2014 | French in the USA, People Pics
“The first time we tried to freeride, we used our ski gloves, I even tried the garderner gloves from my Dad; we decided to stop doing only freestyle, to find the adrenaline, the sensations, the speed we were looking for while descending the long streets of San Francisco. SF is the best city worldwide for freeriding, streets are never ending, there are not too many cars, the bitumen is good quality, and the landscape is amazing, sunset on Ocean Beach, hills and blue sky…”
Benjamin, Justin and Oscar are three French teenagers that value their team, the “Ride Dudes”, as being inspired by the professionals they admire the most in San Francisco, the “Sunset Sliders”; being part of a team pushes them go beyond their fear and find new challenges, just like the Marin Headlands they freerided today.
by Arnaud | Dec 14, 2014 | French in the USA, People Pics
Jerome left his job in France as sound engineer travelling all around the world, the follow and support his wife who decided to start a new company in the IT business in the Silicon Valley. Jerome talks about sound like a painter about colors.
by Arnaud | Dec 7, 2014 | French in the USA, People Pics
“One day I will buy a ranch in Montana, there will be a very long fence all over it, I will paint it in white, and I will spend my days seated on that fence, looking at the horses, like the one I had in France when I was younger. I will renovate the barn; I have always loved building houses and furniture. When we arrived from France 2 years ago we bought two cars, one truck F150 for me, a Jeep 4X4 for my wife.”
Francois travels all over the USA to sell a high technology cork to the best wineries; along with the boots, the Stetson hat, the truck, Francois is now realizing his dream of living the American life style, just like he dreamed of when he was a kid.
