When I left La Rochelle last year in the late of July, I didn’t event expect that I could visit France again soon. After I get a position in a Cambodian-French Company as a Business Consultant, just only half a month, in the early of March; I was informed that I would be in the group for joining a seminar in Ibiza Island in Spain as well.
Following that 2 months, on the 10th of May 2017, I arrived in Paris to work and also to visit the head quarter of my company. During my stay in Paris, my colleagues in my office in La Rochelle before; paid me TGV tickets to visit them in the weekend. At first, they planned to come to visit me in Paris in the weekend; but plan was changed; so it was me who go to La Rochelle instead, to visit them.
I took the TGV from Gare Paris Montparnasse, on Friday the 12th in the afternoon; and then I reached Gare de La Rochelle in the evening. My only male colleague, Damien; was there to take me to drop my stuffs in his place in Résidence de Coureille. When I met him, I asked him a question “Since I left La Rochelle, you have been always waiting for me here? :D ”; because him and Colin, was the two guy who accompanied me to the train station for my departure in July last year. On the way, he told me the program that he and my other colleagues planned.
Following dropping my stuff in his place, we went to our lab; where I met on the way, Alice another PhD students working in another laboratory; but she started her research at the same year with us. A moment later, while me, Damien and Alice were talking; Chloé my other colleage came down; cause she join Alice to prepare for her birthday in the beach of Minimes. Then I met Nam, a Vietnamese PhD who had his defense when I was doing my Research in La Rochelle; he said that I was scaring him; since he haven’t seen me for almost a year. After that, I went up the laboratory, and the first person that I know and met was Mousammil; he is Pakistani and he is a postdoc in the lab, he was with another Indian Postdoc and another Indian interns. After this, I went to the office next to mine, to greet Mariem, a Tunesian PhD student, who started her research at the same year with me; and in the office I also met another Vietnamese PhD students; but I don’t remember his name. The last person for the greeting in the office, was Marceoù, my other colleague who were on her last year when I came for my research. After greeting; I was asked to sketch images of Asterix and Obelix and to put some funny phrase about the PhD students in L3i labs are gaining more kilo :D .
After that, me and Damien went for joining the birthday party of Alice in the beach of Minimes. There were many people there already; and some of them were the PhD students who started their research at the same year with us. After a while, Imena, my other colleague who also were on her last year when I started the research, came to join us; then Marceoù also came. Thus, all of our friends who used to share the same office together are reunion again; me, Damien, Chloé, Imena, and Marceoù, we took photos; we talked and have fun. Almost at the end, Vincent, another PhD student that was at his 2nd year when I started my PhD research also came to join us. At almost 11h PM, we separated; me and Damien we went to residence de Coureille, to overnight in Damien’s place.
In the next morning, Virginie, one of our friend who did research in Biology drove for 2-3hours to join our reunion day. She arrived at 9h30 AM in the place of Damien to share the breakfast with us and then we went for shopping in the city center of La Rochelle. In the market, while we were taking coffee; Alice came to join our team. In the open market, I met Windu, an Indonesian PhD students, who was on his second year when I started my research in L3i lab. After Shopping, Colin another friend of us from Vandée, arrived, and we went to meet him and then we went to the city center altogether for lunch near the Saint Nicolas tower. There were me, Damine, Cholé, Imena, Virginie, Alice and Colin in the lunch table.
After lunch, Alice went for her boat class; and we went around the shopping store in the city center to do some window shopping. After a while, Marceoù came to join our team and we went to a tea house on the way connected Place de Verdun to the central market. After the tea time, we took a ferry crossing Havre Échouage de La Rochelle from the city center to the Minimes. We walked along the coast until we reach Residence de Coureille. We had a pause there, and I gave some gifts from Cambodia to them. After that, Virginie had to leave for her home.
Following that we went to have dinner in a restaurant near the Porte de Minimes. There were me, Damien, Chloé, Imena, Marceoù, Colin and Vincent join our dinner. It was a nice dinner, I had oysters for aperativo, a fish for the main dish and a frape of strawberry as dessert. After that, we separated, Colin brought me and Damien to Residence de Courielle; we had a pause for a while, and then Colin left for his town. He got there at 4h AM.
In the following morning, I watched the coming to the Palaise de l’Élyssé of the new president of France. There were many protocols in the event, including the shortening of the red tapis as well; I told Damien that “Your country is the country of protocols.” At 11h AM, we went shopping and then we went to the place of Chloé for cooking and having brunch together. We were five, me, Damien, Chloé, Marceoù and Alice. After lunch, we went to our lab to bring some stuffs, and then we leave for the train station for my TGV to get back to Paris in the evening. Damien, Chloé, Imena and Marceoù accompanied me all the way to the train.
It was short to write about this visit, but I was a really meaning full, a great reunion, an unforgettable memory and it revised me about all my life in La Rochelle for almost 1 year overthere. Thanks so much to everyone who were with me in this visit; you are so kind people; love and kiss ;)
