I stopped my Best Buy two days ago and got to try the new Nintendo DS Lite that I have been about a few times on the site already. The new unit is everything that they advertised. It is smaller, fits better in the hands, and has two amazing screens with very strong backlights. With these characteristics and its internal rechargeable, the DS Lite is looking like a very nice upgrade from my first-generation GameBoy Advance with no backlight and standard batteries. Since it plays all GBA games, it would be perfect.

However, I’ll sit back and wait some more before making a move. I first want to see if prices will go down before Christmas or if they bundle the system with a game (the new Super Mario Bros. would be awesome). I also want to see if they release new colors such as the cool-looking black version that has been released in the UK. If prices don’t go down by Christmas, then they will probably do so in the month or two following the holiday which would be right in time for my birthday. So, let’s wait and see

As I write these words, I am zooming down the railroad on board of a high-speed train (TGV) between Paris and Toulouse, first stopping in Bordeaux. The speed at which this train is going is quite amazing, as we can easily see with the landscape zipping by.

I was not able to post regularly as I was hoping while in Paris since I did not have the right connector to hook my modem to a phone line. Come Friday, I did go in to the office which is when I posted my first blog entry.

The first part of my trip in Paris went very smoothly, with the customer being extremely happy of the results by the end of the three-day course. I was also able to hook up with my friend Jord who lives in Paris and was one of my co-workers.

In terms of visiting the town, I was the Grande Arche de la Défense, Arc de Triomphe, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Musée de l’homme, Tuileries, Halles and of course the Eiffel Tower.

On Friday night, as I was walking around town waiting to meet my friend, it was really nice to see tons of people having pic-nics on the sides of the Seine river, with a bottle of wine, bread and cheese or other things. There were a lot of young students but also older couples out for a small romantic escapade.

On Saturday, I visited a few of the historic monuments listed above and also went shopping to buy a few gifts. At Jord’s recommendation, I went to the Printemps and Lafayette stores. These are gigantic! Think about 7 to 10 times the size of a Sears or The Bay store in Canada.

All in all, a very full week but very successful. The only downside is being away from home and my family for so long. As well, I learned mid-week that I will only be back home for a week before leaving for the US for another class. So I will only have been home for a bit more than a week in June. Oh well, at least the vacation period is right around the corner so things should calm down and other people will soon be ready to give courses on the road. I guess we’ll just have to see people every week-end in July and August to catch up!

First day in France. As soon as I got onto the train to go from the airport to my hotel, I remembered one of the things I really hate about Paris: singers and other performers in the darn train. They just get on board at a station and start singing or making noise of some sort and then expect people to give them money for their “performance”. It just gets on my nerves, especially after an overnight flight on which I only slept about 2 and a 1/2 hours.

I got to my hotel without too much trouble, already knowing the Paris transit system, and was a bit shocked by the size of the room I got for 98 euros a night in a 3-star hotel. It’s not much bigger than by daughter’s room, with a small adjacent bathroom. I guess I’ve been spoiled by some of my other trip like New Mexico when my room was about as big as the two large bedrooms in our house plus the main bathroom!

Since I was not feeling too tired, I decided to go out on the town, do a little shopping, grab food and a few snacks. It was a really nice day to walk around. I also snagged some pictures which I’ll post when I come back in a couple of weeks.

My dear wife Andrée has started her own blog on which she posts her own news and thoughts and also publishes all of the digital scapbooking layouts that she creates. As you’ll see if you follow the link, she is quite talented. If you would like to get your own scapbooking page done, just drop her a note.

Another month, another trip. This time around, I am going to be spending two weeks in France. I will first be in Paris and will then move on to Toulouse for the second week of my stay. I will try to post some impressions of my trip while I’m there.

I am still writing for the magazine Québec Micro and have contributed two articles in the new June issue that has started to appear on stands. Interestingly, the theme of the issue was 100% Québec so I wrote two articles about software applications that are produced by the company that I work for, Engenuity Technologies. Check them out when you have a chance.