Hobbies

Photography

For several years now I have been practicing Photography and developing my own pictures. I like the symbolism of Photography : to catch an unrepeatable, unique moment, and I find beauty in this art. Nevertheless, I am also very attached to the process of developing a picture. This is a real pleasure for me to work in my amateur laboratory (my bathroom), sometimes for hours, in search of the good time exposure, the good contrast...
My camera comes with me everywhere I go, especially in my trips.

Self-portrait

Picture of my amateur lab,
in my bathroom

Back to top

Trips

I had the chance to travel to several countries and to discover different languages, cultures and ways of life. Each time, I tried not to be just a tourist passing through, but to meet people and learn from them.

My first trip : Mexico
I was 19 in summer 2002 when I made my first backpacker trip. My journey has been 2 months long. For 4 weeks I traveled across the country, in cities with mythical names like Mexico DF, of course, but also Guadalajara, the village of Tequila, Oaxaca, and San Cristobal de las Casas (in Chiapas). In the middle of this trip, I spent one month with young Mexican students in what they call "Brigadas", a spontaneous intent to help people in the poor villages, by giving summer classes to children, participating to summer yards...

In Africa : the Niger
In july 2003, I joined a couple of friends who were working in Niger as trainers in an NGO. They presented me their project, and we visited their facilities between Niamey (West) and Zinder (East). After that I went to Agadez (in the North) and spent some days in the desert with a Touareg I had met in Niamey.

Hitchhiking over Ireland
In summer 2004, I went to Ireland, backpacking again. I arrived in Dublin, spent some time there before I took the road to the North hitchhiking up to Donnegal and the northest point of the country (and the worst weather I would see during this trip). Then I followed the coast (hicthhiking again) down to Galway on the West coast, before coming back (in bus this time) to Dublin and leave this Island and its welcoming people.

Travelling and working : Nicaragua
This time that weren't really holidays. For 3 months, I spent the week in the city of Managua, capital city, working in a laboratory of chemistry of the university (see on Focus page) and I visited the rest of the country during week-ends. Nicaragua the "Land of volcanos and butterflies" is a really beautiful country but Managua is certainly the most depressing city I've ever lived in. At least I understood what was the result of several years of civil war. That also was part of this experience.

A trip to the end of the world : Ushaia and Argentina
Me and my girlfriend went to the last lands before Antarctic. That was a great travel, discovering this part of the world throught trekking. We also visited the main city : Buenos Aires, its streets, its people like no one other and of course, the Tango. Between these two extremes, 3000 km.

And also...

I also went to less exotic destinations like Roma, London, Amsterdam or Budapest (Hungary), I spent 6 months in Belgium and my childhood in French West Indies (Guadeloupe).All these experiences are part of me. They made me aware of the world, its diversity and wealth.

... the next stop

Well for now I am living in Spain, where I'd like to stay a while. I don't know where I will travel next but I've been told that Asia is full of mysteries and promises.

Back to top