To Monaco and Back

Ok, I know it’s been quite a while since my last posting, but as I kind of expected, my life back in Edmonton has put me back on the busy street. I find I have a lot less time to reflect or even really be present nowadays. I feel like I have to focus on the future now. The only thing that is really keeping me grounded, is salsa. (You knew I was going to say that didn’t you?)

A lot has happened since I last wrote… in February! Wow, it has been a while. The main thing I want to write about here is about my trip to Monaco, which I just got back from, but first a few updates:

- I had my first performance with the Salsaddiction dance team last month, and have since been getting more comfortable with the idea of performing dance. Oddly enough, I actually didn’t feel nervous at all. I’ll be sending an email out to those in Edmonton with info on our first big performance of the year soon.

- My first attempts at publishing my research on Shanghai were successful. I was given some space on one of North America’s biggest designer’s websites: Core 77 (http://www.core77.com/), and will have an abstract in the U of A’s Work of Arts Alumni Magazine.

- I had my three month evaluation at work, and while my biggest “area in need of improvement” is technical knowledge, the most interesting was a request to refrain from singing, humming, and tapping my feet to the music on the radio. I’m trying.

Anyway, I have a lot to say about my trip to Monaco, so here goes.

I did all my final packing the same day I was leaving (last Tuesday), and the same day that I had to stay late at work trying to get at least one of the four projects my boss had put on my desk to finish before I was to take the rest of the week off. I almost finished the first.

I had scheduled my flight connection to go through London so as to take advantage of England’s cheap flights, but that proved to be more of a hassle than I expected. Changing airports, eating lunch, making some phone calls and buying a few travel necessities to fill up the more than five hours between my flights cost me ₤50 (~$125). Little tip for those thinking about doing the same,… don’t.

By the time I made it to my hostel in Nice, it was already 11pm. I don’t think my roommates were too happy about that. Oh yeah, why Nice? It was a lot cheaper than staying in Monaco, even with the travel. Believe me on this one.

I woke up to my wake up call at 7am, took advantage of the hostel’s €4 petit déjeunez (breakfast), and made my way by train to Monaco with relative ease. The ride took about half an hour. The contrast between the climbing rocky southern France terrain to one side and the vastness of the Mediterranean to the other was quite beautiful, but my mind was a bit unsettled, unsure of what to expect at the conference.

Once I exited the Monaco station, I was approached by an older Tunisian guy going to the conference as well. We both managed to find the venue together, and over the course of the event, we would continue to help each other out.

The conference began with two presentations, “focus sessions” with a coffee break in between, and then lunch. The breaks were where I think I got the most out of being there, discussing everything from renewable energy to vehicle design, and languages to the benefits of competition (a favorite of a retired MIT professor). I also started to get back into the mindset of going back to school for business.

However, of all the discussions and presentations that day, none was as inspiring and full of optimism as that of Matt Christensen- the executive director of Eurosif (a venture capital company out of Paris). He talked a lot about why now more than ever, the renewable energy and automotive industry are growing together, and of course, why it’s now the best time to invest in these areas. Marketing aside though, he did use a lot of facts and figures.

After his presentation, I just had to go up to him and ask him about his work, and how I could get involved. As much as I was impressed by his work, he seemed even more impressed with my own enthusiasm and efforts. His most comforting remark was that despite having not yet really worked in the industry, my approach to networking and doing work for free is actually the right way to go about it. The way I understand it, is that because work to do with sustainable development (at least for the automotive industry) is driven by future needs, and not current market demands, to really get into the industry requires that you be this persistent, and should I say, crazy.

The rest of the day was filled with exhibitions, cocktails, mixes of French, German and English, and greetings from the Prince of Monaco. The trip back to Nice was late enough in the evening, that after moving into another room in the hostel due to cleaning requirements, I was once again able to upset my roommates.

The next day proved to be interesting for different reasons. Not to go into much detail, I spent a lot of time conversing with my Tunisian friend and his fellow researchers, listening to the technical critiques of a French professor, sitting through all-French presentations (with and without translation ear-pieces), and browsing through the exhibition area once more.

I spent the late afternoon and early evening taking my own tour of Monaco, walking along the pebble beach and main roads, and counting the exotic cars all around (not as many as you would think). It seems as though most people there prefer massive yachts to expensive cars. I guess that’s the next step up.

Later that evening, I made my way to the Fairmount Monte-Carlo Hotel for the conference’s official dinner. I met my Tunisian friend near the entrance, and later sat down to eat with the retired MIT professor, a guy from Brussels, and a young pair of Germans who worked for one of the electric car companies that took part in the exhibition. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the evening switching between English, French and German. The food itself was really good. I thought of taking a picture of it, but that, nor more text would do it justice either. It was just really good. The steak (and I don’t usually like steak) was the most tender meat I can ever recall eating, the vegetables more than just decoration but less than filler, and the dessert was, as my junior high school French teacher would say “to die for”. The night ended with me running to catch what I thought was the last train to Nice, and almost missing my station as I feel asleep.

The weather on the first day of the conference (last Thursday) was really nice, mild and lots of sun. By the time Saturday came around though, the air had a chill in it, and the sun was weak. I had my breakfast in a small café near the hostel where I boar witness to “slow food” (a movement if you will, by the French and Italians that started a few years back to reclaim that portion of the quality of life that so many in the industrialized world have forgotten). I felt almost obliged to slow down and savor my food as well, even if it meant coming late to the last sessions of the conference.

I spent the rest of time in Monaco test-driving alternative energy vehicles and saying my goodbyes. Upon leaving I was taken by surprise by a CBC reporter who stood outside the conference area, reporting on the event. I really didn’t expect that.

I arrived back in Nice around 4 in the afternoon. It had started to rain, but I knew this was my last chance to tour the city, so after exchanging some money in preparation for my trip to the airport the following morning (this by the way was a bit of a freaky experience itself. Not only did I spend $60 to get €30 (for a taxi!), but one of the guys who worked at the currency exchange booth had the most conniving smiles I have ever seen. Think of a cross between Disney’s Gaston and Jafar as the old man with the golden teeth trying to take your money. I had to get out of line and deal with the other guy in the booth just to make the transaction bearable). Apart from this experience, and the construction projects going on right in the heart of the city, I could imagine how the city would stand up to its name in English.

I traveled as far as the coastline when the rain began to let up. I continued along the pebbled ground picking up some for my own collection. There was a rusty staircase that climbed up a stone wall that I was walking towards which intrigued me. So climbed half way up and then followed a path to rocky area around the wall which had warning signs all around. I went further around and found some rocks jutting out of the sea (the last of which reminded me of that which Ariel sat and sang on after she rescued her prince. Ok, I know. Enough with the Disney references!) I hesitated for a long time to venture out that far. The tides were a little too rough and the water a little too cold. Nevertheless, after studying the pattern of the waves, and remembering what I had written about regret, I decided to go for it. The first step took the most, but I managed. It felt good to do that. There was another stretch I would have liked to cross, but not knowing what time it was (due to my not taking a watch with me on this trip), I figured it was time to head back.

I climbed the staircase up to the main road and started my return to the hostel. I passed through the “old town”, where I stopped to eat dinner at the sound of a simple waiter’s greeting: “Bon soir monsieur”. We carried out our conversations in the same three languages I had been speaking (or at least trying to) since I had arrived in France.

I woke up the next morning at 5am to catch my €30 taxi ride to the airport (I still can’t believe that). Once I got to London, I was once again surrounded by its excessiveness. There are just too many people passing through Heathrow, and way to much security. I even had to take off my shoes to get them x-rayed! My shoes!

Once I got back to Edmonton, I finally noticed how town-like it is here. I really do have to move if I am to pursue my dreams.

P.S. So much for short postings, eh?