The 'Soldes'

 Happy Wednesday!

Here we go! The sales started at 8am this morning.

The Soldes in France come around twice a year. What is a Soldes you may ask? Basically, France holds two sales, one mid-winter (January) and one mid-summer (July). It is the time to have minor panic attacks and drive yourself a little crazy. The sales are pretty standard (this is coming from a Westerner)…But you will find insane prices by the 3ieme demarque (third mark down) which will happen around mid February.

The French typically return from vacation around this time, so you will notice a lot of fresh looking faces strutting around Paris. This means, they are ready to shop until they drop, literally. Last year, I almost got trampled at the Galleries Lafayette in Marseille over a Sandro cashmere coat. I lost. The French can be downright ruthless when it comes to clothes and getting what they want! I have no problem with that, in fact, it's helping me grow a thicker skin. Grrrrrrrr.

Hmm, that is pretty much it for now, one last thought...After returning from vacation, I finally found my groove at work this week and I really feel that I’ve learned so much in the Oil and Gas industry this past year. While it may be a tough industry to crack, it is most definitely rewarding.

Bisous fois dix.

Surrounded by Men. Yay or Nay?

Have you ever felt anxious in your work environment? I use to hate that word, ‘anxiety’. It’s ugly and nothing good comes from using it. Today I’m going to rant about the pros and cons from working solely around men.

Being an engineer comes with a lot of positives. However, it also has an overwhelming amount of negatives at the beginning of your career.

Positive: I get paid well. Yay, new shoes.

Negative: I never get to talk about my shoes. All of my colleagues are men. Men like beer.

Positive: I get all the help I need when I ask nicely.

Negative: I may seem ‘helpless’ at times because I am female and we always need ‘help’

Positive: People listen when I speak during a meeting.

Negative: I might not always be heard. Men tend to have larger heads in France. Just kidding. I love you guys.

Positive: I get to solve problems everyday and it feels pretty damn good when I get the answer.

Negative: My nails are a mess when I can’t solve the problem and hurt the next day.

Positive: Marathon trainning is a blast with a ton of boys!

Negative: Sometimes they run too fast and leave me behind. Jerks.


Positive: I don’t have to wear suits to work.

Negative: Men at work don’t make comments on my brand outfit. Common. Throw me a compliment once in a while! Uhh, where the ladies at?!

If you are a female out there working in a male dominated field. Don't be afraid to strut your new shoes around the office and show those men what you are capable of!

Bisous fois dix

Petroleum queen or killer?

There are two reactions I get from people when I tell them what I do for a living:

the "oh-so-you-caused the gulf of Mexico disaster, bitch!"

OR

the "dammnn-girl-you-an-engineer?"

So, I am usually prepared to respond to each reaction depending on my god forsaken-ever-changing-moods. The first response can be categorized two ways: pity and/or hate. Either way I am quick to respond with a snarky comment to the mostly ignorant person. I start by explaining that I actually prevent pipelines from breaking and causing oil spills by installing them correctly. I finish with a few big engineering words like "finite element analysis on orcaflex" and throw a flashy smile into the mix.

As for the second look; I tend to respond with a little more humility: "Ha Ha, sucker, I made it through engineering school and you didn't" OK sorry I had to get it out of my system. When someone is genuinely interested in what I do, I turn a little red and become shy when I start to explain.

The oil and gas industry is HUGE and complicated. It took me one whole year, three asshole French engineers, two shitty bosses and partridge in a pear treeeeee (I couldn't resist a little Christmas joke) to finally reach the finish line of a long swim, across what felt like  an endless pool! Lucky for me I didn't drown but that is not to say that I didn't sink, or continue to struggle on a daily basis to stay afloat. But is it worth it? The office work, staring at a computer for hours on end, hiding my blog obsession, and banging my head on my desk every once in a while. The answer is yes, because at the moment I arrive at the end of the pool and stand on my two feet I will be a better person for swimming my way to the answer. That's what engineers do, we find answers and that can be way more rewarding then purchasing those Hermes booties Ive been saving up for all season. (Although I did have a  minor anxiety attack when they came in the mail).

Lesson for the day. Strive to be your best, do what you love, live with passion.

“May I Be I is the only prayer-
Not may I be great or good or beautiful or strong.” e.e Cummings


Bisous fois dix.