After all these years immerged in competitive sport, I happily discover the normal lifestyle of a teenager, back to a local high school in the 13th district of Paris.
It is within that same high school - Monet - that I meet Delphine. June 1997.
In my last school year, I am still unsure of what education path to choose for the next year, and I still hesitate between business, doctor, or engineering. My good marks in maths, my sense of logic, and probably above all my parents's little push led me to choose the 'royal path' (as typically called in France): Maths Sup or intensive scientific preparatory schools.
I then spend two years of intense work between school classes and my basement bedroom, supposedly quiet enough to work late and without the distraction of my two little brothers.
For the love of physics and matematics, I even loose Delphine for a year.
Sept 2001, I pack for the South of France, leaving Paris behind after 19 years of life. I am heading to ESIM (Superior School of Engineering of Marseille), generalist school now part of the famous Centrale Group.
For 2 years and a half, I study in many different engineering fields, such as IT, structure, electronic, industrial design, and other parallel fields such as communication, finance or management.
During my second year I carry out a training period in Western England near Bristol, where I conduct a marketing study for the optical sector. Living for 3 months in the countryside of England, it gives me a first taste of overseas life.
At La Fontaine, we typically studied in the morning (our flexible-hours class was made of young tennis players, musicians and female dancers), and then trained / practiced tennis in the afternoon. To develop fitness we would sometimes jog in the sand in the woods, or run up and down the stairs of a football stadium nearby.
I spend my week ends and holidays competing in tournaments, in Paris and outside throughout France playing for the Parisian league team. I manage to win the Paris Championship and accumulate a few trophies on my bedroom's shelves.
The training is intense, and so intense that my shoulder can't hold and gets very worn off. After being consulted by many doctors, I have to give up competition and go back to normal school. Not so sad my parents may have thought... it's time to get a proper education!
The intense rhythm of the days makes weeks, months and years go by very quickly. At week ends, it is impossible to sleep and rest- my body is programmed for 6.50am (plus a few snoozes)!
Time is for me an obsession. Everything is timed, optimised, and I try to gain and save time in everything I do. The present is constantly made of a mix of objectives that I strive to achieve swiftly and efficiently, otherwise my minds are not at rest. And when it is time to rest, I do not feel comfortable because I do not have anything to deal with or think about. Hard.
My work has definitely encroached on my private life!
Interrupting my career, travelling and volunteering will be the opportunity for me to step back and reflect. I hope to learn to live with time again. Flowing with it instead of fighting it. Take pleasure in things instead of waste them, take the time to enjoy instead of rush everything; think about today instead of tomorrow…
I so look forward!!!!!!!!!!
I spend my next two years as a Mechanical Engineer, designing and monitoring A/C installations for commercial and retail buildings. I am heavily involved in French developments and travel to Paris every other week for meetings and site visits.
I leave F+K in September 2005, two and half years after my settling down in London. It’s time to move on and get involved in the UK local market, and eventually work with the typical rosbeef (no offence!). I then join Chapman Bathurst where I will spend a full 3 years.
My projects are of a smaller scale but I have to jungle between 4 to 6 projects at the same time. If I do not improve dramatically on the technical side, I develop other skills such as project and resource management, and get rapidly drawn into the politics of the projects, all based on profit margins, client satisfaction, and legal responsibilities... Not easy but very interesting!
I get promoted Senior Engineer in December 2006.
I like my job. It is intense. The daily pressure is tiring, but the buzz of the City is definitely there, pushing me to achieve and stimulating my motivation. I am often on the move during the days, running between sites, meetings and the office. I had many times to swap my lunch to meeting biscuits or eat a sandwich walking in the street!
A few days after my 22’s and a few days before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, I settle in London.
Having read the news a lot in France I am shocked straight away by the media culture difference. The news in UK is mainly based on the sensational, the amazing, and is very powerful and influent on the population. I struggle to turn the pages when seeing all these articles on Iraq.
I start working for the London office of Flack + Kurtz, American building services Consultants. After my first 6 months as a trainee/junior, I leave London for a few days to get my diploma in Marseille and swiftly return now as a permanent employee.
I was born in March 1981 in Ivry - just outside of Paris. My parents were then living in a small flat in the Chinatown area of Paris, but moved almost straight away to the 14th district in a more spacious flat.
My Dad used to play tennis often at week ends, and I liked escorting him to watch, pick up the balls and eventually have a 5 minutes session before going home. Soon I joined a local tennis club in the neighbourhood. People said I had some skills. And apparently more than the average, because without time to notice at 9 years old I ranked 3rd to the Paris Youth Tennis championship.
Three years later I joined the Lycee La Fontaine, famous sports school located in West Paris and very close to Roland Garros which traditionally hosts the French Open.
Ahhhh, what an excitement to finally leave after these long months of waiting and preparation! Finished the grumpy wake ups and days running in leather shoes ... No more tube, no more work to worry about.
Let's put the backpacks on and leave for the great adventure!
Occupation: Consulting Mechanical Engineer
Age: 28 ans (on 1st of March 2009)
Place of Birth: Paris, France
I Like: Sports, challenges and good food
In 3 words: Ambitious, dynamic, excessive
My view on the Wordlwide trip: Meet the different civilisations of the world, untie myself from the urban jungle, help through volunteering, see and understand differently
