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 24, 2015 | People Pics
“I am happy because we just got married with Kino, my young and beautiful wife. But in two weeks I will go to Afghanistan for a humanitarian mission, and my wife will not be allowed to follow me, too dangerous. I will be a project manager for an NGO, and my role will be to protect detainees and help them maintain contact with their families, making sure they are treated in jail with respect of the “humanitarian laws.”
Seo-Jun is dedicated to others in a period of his life where he could have decided to think about him and his wife only. I was impressed by his dedication to respect of human rights such difficult countries.
by Arnaud | Jan 20, 2015 | People Pics
” We just got married in Korea, I live in China and my husband is going to start a humanitarian mission in Afghanistan. There is nothing for me to do there, nor am I allowed to go to live there. I hope I can find a job for the same american Corporation I work for, in Pakistan, that would allow me to see my husband easier than from Asia. We plan to live separated for one year, then we will see.”
When I asked Kiro how she felt about being just married and knowing she would live by herself for one year, seeing her husband from time to time every two three months, she believed that travelling all around the world for her job would help them go through that challenging journey. Her smile and her eyes behind the dark glasses seemed to say ” hope we are making the good choices”
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.
