fairyjo

Wednesday, yes I'm leaving today :(

Last night I went to see a movie. I wanted to see Mona Lisa Smile but the program I had was wrong and the movie was coming really late, so I decided on another one: Along came Polly, not too good. Then I discovered a Borders store, books, dvds and cds everywhere, I stayed there over an hour browsing around.

This morning I packed and then went for brunch at the same place I went every day since I have been staying at the hotel. It's a bagel place. I phoned Michael but he was too busy to meet me today, I really hoped to meet him again before I left.

I went back to Brooklyn anyway to have a manicure at the same place I had it last time. It was another girl who did my nails and she didn't do as well as Mina did last week.

Now I'm at the easy internet cafe on Times Square. There's a shuttle coming to pick me up at 5 at the hotel. I have an hour before heading back toward the hotel, I'll have a last walk around. My plane will take off at 9.30pm and I will land in Geneva tomorrow at 2.30pm (I think, 2 something).

I'm so sad to leave New York, it's a fantastic city.

You'll find more about me here on my next trip, that is if internet access is available.

Joanie

Hello all!

Sunday was a bad weather day, after lunch I took the subway back to the hotel, but in the subway there were distactions like people dancing or playing music, that was nice. I met Charlotte and Sarah at the hotel we dressed up, put on make up and went out for dinner. We had booked at a French restaurant. The dinner was a really nice time and the food was delicious. Then we took the subway to a place they had found in their guide. It's a beauty salon that has been transformed into a bar. They left all the hair dryers and everything looked really funky and 80s.

On Monday I went to Grand Central Station (it's huge) and the Public Library, unfortunately the public library was closed because it was a holiday. Then I went to see the flat iron building and had a walk in wall street. The stock exchange building has been closed to the public since 9/11/2001. So I went to the Gugenheim museum. The building is art itself and inside I just saw the last exhibition, I didn't stay too long.

I had a long walk in central park then and when I had enough I went to Columbia university where I wanted to talk to someone of the French departement. But it was closed because of the holiday.

In the evening I met the girls at the hotel and we went to another nice restaurant for dinner. The food was also really good and it happened something there. I met a girl that had been to the same journalism class with me at Neuchatel university. I was so surprised and it was good to see her again. She achieved her dream to become a pianist in New York.

On Tuesday I went back to Columbia university and the people from the French departement were happy to hear about my magazine. They tell the students about it. Then I had a walk in Chinatown, visited a very friendly police station, I walked in little italy as well and had a tiramisu in a restaurant. I went back at the hotel at 5.45 to say goodbye to Charlotte and Sarah, their plane left on that night.

On Thursday, Michael had to leave for a business trip so I went to the youth hostel. The place was miserable, dirty, cold and not pleasant at all. At the hostel I met 2 British girls, Charlotte and Sarah, and we decided to take a room together in a real hotel and share the price. We did stay at that hostel for a night but couldn't sleep at all.

In the afternoon we went for a walk in the area, it's a nice area. Then Charlotte proposed to go to a typical New York cabaret and so we did. Then we had dinner at a Mongolian restaurant (too spicy for me).

After our night at the hostel we went to Brooklyn bridge in the morning and then they came with me to NYU, the university of New York, where I wanted to post about Graffiti online in the French institute, the people there were very friendly and let me post on their board.

Around noon on Friday we went back the hostel to pick up our luggages and then directly to the hotel, what a relief. In the afternoon we went to Rockfeller center and visited the Radio City Hall, very interesting behind the scene visit.

Then it was time to go to TKTS to get tickets for a broadway show. I took one for Gipsy and they decided to see I am my own wife. My show was great. It was not a musical as I expected but there were songs in the play anyway. I went back to the hotel very late.

On Saturday morning, Charlotte and Sarah went to Harlem and I slept in. In the aftenoon I went to the Statue of Liberty, Clinton Castle and saw Ellis island from the ferry. I phone Kathy, my host mother when I was in Florida 6 years ago and she phoned me back at the hotel. We had a long conversation and I was really happy to talk to her. The girls came back and we went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant we were recommended in the area and then had a drink in a bar.

Today is Sunday, Charlotte and me went to Harlem to a church service where there was gospel. It was really a great time and very interesting to live this experience. Charlotte had to meet her sister and she went after about 2 hours I stayed one more hour and then had lunch in a local restaurant.

More next time.
Joanie

Well I arrived in New York on Monday night. Michael was waiting for me and we went to Times Square and he took me to a Tai restaurant.

On Tuesday I went to the Visitor centre to get the city press pass and then walked in Central park. I went to the Empire state building (very windy) and the Ground zero, where the WTC was. In the evening Michael took me to a Salvadorian restaurant.

On Wednesday I walked to the pier but the cruises had taken a day off, so I walked back to Times Square and visited the wax museau Madame Tussaud's. Then got back to Brooklyn and had a manicure. I got home and a friend of Michael, Alicia, came and we went together to Madison Square Garden to meet Michael who had the tickets for the Knicks match. A fun evening. I had a really good time.

More on my next internet connection.
Joanie

I know it's been a very long time. I just need to share something.

My grandfather is really very sick, he has a generalised cancer and my mom keeps on repeating to me that I won't have him for very long any more and that I need to go see him at hospital more often. This makes me cry, a lot, and I don't want him to see me crying. I do love him a lot and go see him when I can.

So where was I...

OK, Monday I went to the ice-rink, bad choice of the day, that Monday was a holiday here (President's day) so all kids were out of school and it was so crowded I could do nothing but just skate around. It's also a lot more tiring when there are a hundred of people on the ice and you have to be attentive to the kids and people, also the ice is so used that the skates don't really obey any more. In the evening I went to the medal plaza. The whole house was supposed to go but they were tired and I went on my own. I offered the spare tickets to a family who was very happy to go for free. That evening the Swiss won two medals at bobsleigh (I think) and I saw part of the concert of Nelly Furtado. Part of it only because the city center train station closed at 7pm and I had to walk all the way down to Courthouse to catch the train back to Sandy.

Tuesday I watched all tapes Howard had prepared for me. Almost the whole 6th season of Buffy & Roswell too. Loved them, every episode of them.

Wednesday... nothing really. I watched Almost Famous on tv and read my magazines all day.

Thursday, my first olympic event... the Giant Slalom. I woke up at 5am and Howard drove me to the TRAX station at 6. I took a coach from downtown to Park City Resort and then a bus to the venue. Walked in the snow for 1/2 an hour and met some Swiss with the big bells. After a while I also met the people I was supposed to meet there: Didier Cuche's Fan Club. I had Bernard's mobile phone number with me so I could find them. They first put on the big banner on the tv stage and then we all went to find a seat. They had T-shirts on with the letters of CUCHE and another banner, stickers they sticked on everybody... even the security volunteers. We had a sunny day and cheered for the Swiss and the others too but they didn't meet their expectations. Dommage... On the way back the train broke down... twice. First we all had to get off the train and wait for another. We got in there but that other train broke down too at the next station. So we had to get off again and wait for a third train. The third train was so slow that it took twice as much time to go back to Sandy than usual.

Friday: My second Olympic event, I was so excited to see the Figure Skating Exhibition. I went to Salt Lake City and had a walk downtown. I looked to buy some Olympic stuff but they were way too expensive. I decided to wait. I entered the Olympic Square at 5.30pm and at 6 I was in the Salt Lake Ice Center. I found my seat but was disappointed. I'm sure they made a mistake with my seat. I paid the middle class price but was seated at the top of the ice rink in a corner. So I couldn't see part of the ice. Then a giant seated right in front of me so I could eventually see only half of the ice. I ended up watching almost the whole exhibition on the screen :( That night I had to walk down to Courthouse station too.

I'll tell you about today another time. Bye :)

Hey everybody!

Last Tuesday, after a 25-hour journey, I finally arrived in Salt Lake City. I met Alyson and 2 of her friends at the airport and she offered me 2 packs of peanut butter M&M's, she knows I like them and we don't have them in Switzerland.

Once at home, I met her parents, Carol I knew because I had met her in Switzerland but Howard I had only talked to on the phone. They are very nice. Howard had a surprise for me too, he had recorded the 6th season of Buffy for me. We are not even finished with the 5th back home!!

The next day I stayed there, Switzerland is 8 hours ahead of Salt Lake and I needed to catch up. Alyson had to work all day so I watched tv with her father and went shopping with him too. He is the cooker of the house.

After dinner Alyson came home and picked me up. We went to the medal plaza. She had gotten tickets because the Norwegian team won a medal that day. We saw the Barenaked Ladies in concert that evening too. That was fun. Then after that we went to another concert, a local band wich Alyson knew. We met Katie there and her sister and other friends. But I was so tired that we didn't stay very long (sorry Alyson).

Thursday was Valentine's day. Alyson, her mother and I went to a spa to have a manicure (my first ever), I was going to pick a light color but did like it so I finally had a dark red. And for the first time ever the nail polish is staying on my nails, usually (when I do it myself) it would only stay for 2-3 days.

Friday I went downtown, walked a lot, saw local bands playing on the streets and it took me about a hour to get into the Olympic square because of the security control. I also went to the House of Switzerland to have a tea before calling Alyson's parents that I would take the next train so they would pick me up at the station wich is really far from their house.

I am a little sad that Alyson has to work for the Olympics every single day but she is so nice with me.

On Saturday evening she had gotten tickets to the medal plaza again, but we didn't make it. We were late because we had dinner with her parents' friends. We picked up John (her "boyfriend") and went shopping downtown. We were going to the Swiss House but there was a private party so we drove back home.

On Sunday I was left alone in the house. So Katie came by with her new born baby Kaden. We went to the mall and she shopped for clothes while I was holding Kaden. Then we went to the gym together, I'm really not used to it and the machines are so weird, I got dizzy. Then we had spagettis at her house where Alyson came to pick me up with John. She might feel guilty that she is working every day, she hates Britney Spears but still went to the cinema with me to see Crossroads because I wanted to see that movie. She said it was a bad movie, John said it was a bad movie, I don't say it's a good movie, but it is a fun movie and that's all I wanted from it.

So long for today, I'll give you another update soon, signing off...

No, no, not me....
but the all of Expo.02's computers migrated from Windows NT4 to Windows 2000 and Office XP. That means I worked a total of about 65 hours between Jan. 29th to Feb. 4th. And the migration is not finished.

I had to accompany the migration team in order to reinstall some un-standard application (not Microsoft) after they had done their job. I met great people, IT geniuses really. I learn a lot with people like them.

After all this work, I will need some holiday. Fortunately (before even knowing about that migration) I had planned one begining next week. Yes I am leaving Switzerland for two weeks and I will go to Salt Lake City, I will be in an Olympic City :) I have a ticket for the ice-skating exhibition gala and also for the Men's Giant Slalom (a Swiss, Didier Cuche, has good chances to win). I will live with Alyson's family. I can't wait to meet them and see Alyson again. I miss her.

Keep with me...

I just wanted to say...
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

I would have prefered to spend it with lots of people in New York, but I spent it on my own at home. I cooked myself a little dinner and watched the DVD of Billy Eliot.

Then, at 11.55pm I went to the village feast and danced there until 4am. My godmother invited me in her farm and I slept (still dressed) on the couch. I didn't sleep much unfortunately... I had forgotten to switch off my mobile phone and I received a dozen of SMS as from 7am every 30mn.

Anyway, enjoy the new year. I am just praying my mother is well soon.

This is very personnal and not easy to say... or write.

My mother has a cancer called leucemia. She was diagnosed 1 week 1/2 ago and it has been a shock for my family. As I am very sensible, I cried a lot. My father, sister and brother don't really support me but are trying to cope with their own feelings and are very irritable. The doctor said I needed to tell people I love and trust about this so that they can give me some courage that I will give to my mum.

She had chemiotherapy for a week and now she is getting a little better after vomitting so much. But it's strange to know she will go through this all over again in three weeks. We already know that she won't be home for Christmas and New Year. She is in an aseptised room, there are two doors and they can never be opened at the same time. We have to put on green blouses, a mask and to disinfect our hands to get in her room. She can never have more than two visitors at a time and we are not allowed to touch her or her bed.

During her chemio, she didn't want any visits so I didn't see her for 5 days. Now I could see her but can't because I had a vaccine against "winter sickness" and I developped it a little.

I'm feeling so bad to be unable to do anything for her. It just came and now our lives changed for ever, because she is the heart of the house and she is not there.

Hello to you all around the world!

Even though I'm not Amercian, I feel deeply concerned by what happened on Sept. 11th 2001. I have friends and family there but I can't help thinking about the thousands of people who died in the apocaliptic terrorism attacks against America's monuments. Let's all pray for the US people and that this kind of thing will never happen again. Let's hope it is not the events that will start World War 3.

If you go to http://www.poetry.com and search under my name (Joanie Waelti) you will be able to read the poem I worte in memory. We will all remember that day.

Wow, it's been some time I haven't updated my livejournal, sorry.

I've begun working for the National Exposition in Switzerland, it's name is Expo.02 ImagiNation. I work as a super user with computers. I'm there to help with all little problems with program use. The IT team is great, my boss is also a friend now and she is really nice. I like being there and do what I'm doing.

Time flies, did you ever experience that ???

Hey, I hope you get back to me soon, until then... thinking of you :)

Would you imagine that after spending 2 days in Bangkok, where it's about 38?C all day, I'd come back with a cold? Where here I am, not very fresh, with a nose running and feeling weak, but finally home.

On our last day in BKK we took the sky train and my father decided to take any bus and go to the terminus. Of course it was a long trip (BKK has the population of Switzerland) and then we found a big market that was opening. But we had to be back at the hotel at 8pm and get changed to go to the airport.

We said goodbye to Bangkok, my sister says she'll go again, I don't know but I do like the culture there.

Haven't slept for 48 hours. Wonder if I'll sleep tonight.

Got home to find my brother had managed somehow to screw up the VCR programmation I had done. So what about the last episode of Charmed and the brand new episodes of Roswell... Just to be a mean again with me...

Want to go to Lausanne, where are you now?

Hello Bangkok, finally!!!
I was getting tired of doing nothing while my mother and sister sunbathed, my father and myself tried to get places but there wasn't much to see where we were.

In Bangkok we walk the streets and go with the Tuk-tuk. We went to Chinatown and to Patpong where the night market is situated, but also where all the whores are!!

I'll be back in Switzerland on Saturday afternoon, I think.... Get back to me when you can...

The Buffle legend

One day the empror of Jade decided to send his officer to Vietnam to bring rice and grass seeds there. He explained his officer he had to plant and grow the rice first and then the grass.

When the officer arrived in Vietnam, he was distracted by all the karaokes,... and he forgot which was first. So he planted the grass and then the rice. The Vietnamese people were very unhappy because the king had promised them something they could eat and with too much grass, the rice wouldn't grow really well.

When the empror discovered the mistake of his officer, he punished him by changing him into a buffle. His task would be to eat all the grass of Vietnam so rice could finally grow to feed the people.

Buffles are still here, the task is not finished!

Hope you like the story. Bye for now...

So after 48 hours in Cambodia we were very tired.
We visited the archeological sites of Angkor in Siem Reap. Our guide on the site never stopped talking, he had so many interesting things to say about the history of Gods and people there. But we could not understand everything, I think he used some words of Khmer (his mother tongue) when he didn't know a word in French,he also had a strong accent so sometimes even if we were concentrated on what he was saying it was difficult to understand. We were relieved when we left. Our visa for Cambodia costed 20 USD per person, so it was an expensive 48hour stay, but worth it... we saw all there was to see.

Now we are in Thailand, near Hua Hin, it's in the south. My mother and my sister are grilling in the very hot sun beside the hotel pool. My father and myself are not really into sunbathing so we took the afternoon to go to a nearby village. Here I am writing this story.

For those who know I am scared of water, you'll be surprised to learn I did get into the pool this morning after a ride of an hour on the beach. Both the horse and myself needed a shower but only I got one, he had to go on with tourists the whole day, poor horse. I just entered and got out of the pool: the water was so hot, there was no point in seeking refreshment in there.

Next time I get on this site, I'll write a legend we were told in Vietnam. And see you soon, I'll be back in Neuchatel on Sunday August 12th...

A 4 day trip in the south of Vietnam, especially the Mekong river delta, very interesting.

We had long boat rides, walked islands, ate exotic and unkown (to me) fruits, saw how they use coconuts (make artisanal things in wood, drink milk, make caramels with the inside and burn the outside). We passed a bridge built by Effeil (again) and visited a place where they make rice.

We saw a floating village where people raise expensive fishes, 2 floating markets and we met the Musulman minority and saw their mosque.

The way back to Saigon was VERY long, we saw lots of Buffles (I'll tell you their legend another day), how people dry rice and encens sticks. We had a look at the house where the movie "The Lover" was shot, but now it's a police office and we were not allowed to stop or take a picture.

Today we went in another direction. We saw how the rice galette are made, the ones used to make spring rolls and also how they make briques to build houses, they have to "cook" them for a month! We visited the Vietnamese tunnels, which they built during the war, they lived in there because on the surface there was nothing left, too many bombs exploded there. We also observed the cult of a sect. Their emblem is an eye and the religion is a miking of christianism, buddhisms, taoism,...

Tomorrow we'll leave Saigon and fly to Cambodge. Until then, so long...

Got up early, the day was very long. There are lots of interesting things to see here.

It went by so fast, let's count... 5 markets, 2 temples, 2 churches, the war museum and the post office (built by Eiffel, yes the same person as for the Tower Eiffel in Paris).

We met people we knew tonight at the hotel and we went for dinner together. Their guide, whom I knew before (I had taught him ice-skating in Switerland), took us to a 100% Vietnamese restaurant. We were the only tourists there, the food was great and the atmosphere too.

More next time... Good night.

Hey, I'm here. The trip lasted 24 hours and my legs are all swollen but I'm here for two weeks now. Just enough time to unswell:)

Today we had a tour on these tricycles and then a boat dinner trip. Need to go now. But I'll find another internet cafe soon.
Bye...

So, I'll be off tomorrow morning at 7.20am. My sister and me are going to join our parents in Vietnam.

Train, plane, plane, plane, plane... about a 20-hour journey. I'm tired just thinking of it. You know how I get, I love flying but when it's that long it's just too long and I feel bad (legs swelling, can't sleep,...).

I'm sure it's worth though. There must be beautiful things too see over there; and you'll know everything... Well as soon as I'll find an internet cafe.

Hope to hear from you on my email. Have a nice holiday.
Joanie