The rest of my jet setting adventure...

Ok as mentioned earlier, I just returned from the US and the 3rd Annual Alstom University People Quest event ... which took place in Philadelphia. I may have hinted at some adventerous activities that took place while I was there... While I won't bore you with major details I will provide you a quick recap:

1. A monster snow storm hits the east coast the day after I arrive (some places with 30+ inches and no power for 10+ days...) YIKES
2. 360 degree slide/ nail biting moment,  with my driver as we try and make our way to Target to get some final supplies for the upcoming event
3. A power outage while I am at the King of Prussia mall right outside of Philly - wanna see a mad house, flip the power switch at your local mall and let me know how great of a time that is...
4. A power outage at the hotel while expecting 70 participants and guest speakers - of course this happens after I promise all is well to everyone who has checked in from their powerless homes in CT and MA ... timing is certainly a bitch in this case. But with flashlights, space heaters and a positive attitude we prevailed
5. No heat on the first morning of training - revert back to space heaters and extra blankets, never letting that positive attitude fluster
6. When we finally get the heat back, whatever switched it on, also switched on some flames... in turn requiring for an evacuation of the hotel along with all my lovely participants - good times had by all. BUT any of you who know me also know I have a thing for fireman, so I turned this situation around quite quickly...
7. This is not a road block at all but something super awesome we did - our first ever Alstom Chili cook-off. I laughed so hard my face hurt for the entire night. What a blast!!

I am sure I am forgetting something somewhere, but those wrap up the major road blocks and obstacles. Leaving  me to be able to look back on this event as one of the most interesting, adventorous and challenging events I have yet to work on. Lucky for me I was lucky enough to have the most fantastic group pf participants ever, they managed to smile, support and laugh right along with me, which honestly made all of the difference in the world. I am hoping to stay in touch with most of these participants and there are a few I hope to even become better friends with. All in all, I love my job and after an event like this and seeing the excitement in the participants faces, I couldn't ask for anything better (well except for no fires, snowstorms, power outages...) Below is a little recap of our 5 days together.

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The River Seine

Cofffee break time, along with lunch time and well just about all the times we have lead to very interesting conversations. Over coffee a few days ago I was chit chatting to everyone about the MONSTER blizzard everyone at home (well in the US, I've found myself refering to Paris as home a few times...) was experiencing. 2 feet of snow in some places, I don't remember the last time or if I have ever seen that much snow at once. And I digressed as usual but back on track, the snow conversation led to a conversation about how the Seine was overflowing here and flooding some of the banks in Paris. The river is quite big and along most places it is surrounedd by benches and pathways for people to walk. I am secretly hoping it keeps flooding over the weekend so I can go take some photos. For me when I think of a river or a lake or anythign flooding it is because of th esnow melting and causing a big rush of water. So my mind began racing and racing and I became curious as to why this river was overflowing, is there snow melting somewhere (it has been in the 40's here for days on end now) causing this normally calm body of water to take over?? So I asked and being surrounded by French I figured it would almost be a "silly" question. Turns out...it was a very good one!! Google quickly became our friend as we searched. Interested to find out where the Seine begins????

Click Here  --->  The Seine - How Stuff Works!! OR Click Here  ---> Bonjour to the Seine

Winter Wonderland

Yesterday was just that here in Paris. Although it has been rather cold here for the last few weeks and we have had snow showers almost every (gray) day,  December 8, marked the true start of winter here. Around 11am I looked out the window at the office to see GIGANTIC white fluffy flakes falling in all sorts of directions. The snow doesn't come down the same way it does at home, at least it doesn't seem to. The flakes were big and almost looked like mini snowballs falling from the sky. For the first time this winter, and after many snow flurries, the fluffy little buggers actually stuck aroudn and started to accumulate, which in turn began to throw the city (especially the airport) into a slight state of chaos. It was a risky walk home yesterday as there were people waiting with piles of snowballs to attack their friends as they turned corners and walked down stairs, the grocers on Rue de Levi (my little market street) scurried around to keep the fruits and vegetables from being covered and almost everyone had their faces covered with the scarves and umbrellas up to keep the flakes from their faces. I thought walking in the cold was a bit intense, but walking around in inches of snow (in what I thought were waterproff boots) is even more intese. One might even say it's a bit of a resistence workout!!! It was a beautiful site to see though for the day - even though this morning the sidewalks were deathtraps of ice and slush and the awnings covering the shops were dripping down icy cold drops of melting snow into my hood. I managed to find a few photos ... next time I will have to pull myself away from watchign the snow fall and my fuzzy blanket and go take some photos of my own...

People walk through the snow in Ville d'Avray, west of Paris, Wednesday Dec. 8, 2010, as a snow storm disturbs the traffic in the French capital. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

A woman and a girl are seen near the Eiffel Tower after snow fell on the French capital, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. (AP Photo / Jacques Brinon)

A jogger runs past Notre Dame cathedral, under the snow in Paris, Wednesday Dec. 8, 2010, as a snow storm disrupted traffic in the French capital. The padlocks on the railings of the bridge are left by lovers who lock their padlocks onto the fence and throw the key into the Seine river as a symbol of enduring love. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

Notre Dame cathedral is seen under the snow in Paris, Wednesday Dec. 8, 2010, as a snow storm disrupted traffic in the French capital.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)