If this entry doesn't make much sense, I'm trying to squeeze it in before heading to bed after an exhausting day. Plus, if you come to my blog to logical entries, I question your sanity.
Today started with a cab ride to Brussels Midi train station. Actually, back that up, today actually started with a chocolate croissant and a smoothie (with 5 servings of fruit). We took a 3 hour train ride to the Frankfurt airport where we had a 1 hour meeting. The ride to Frankfurt was interesting, as there was so much gorgeous scenery as we moved from Belgium to Germany, and most of the way across that country.
The Frankfurt airport is a massive structure. I counted 8 terminals, 2 train terminals, and a conference center (where we had our meeting). The shops could put Rideau Center to shame. Knowing it would likely be my last time in Germany for a while, I picked up a soccer scarf, some post-cards, and two fridge magnets.
Then we trained back to Brussels on a German "ICE" train. We reached speeds of over 250 km/h. Luckily it was dark, as it would have been hard to look outside at those speeds given I was facing backwards.
Tomorrow is our last day of meetings, and my last full day in Brussels. I'm going to try to hit a few touristy spots, but the timing of my meetings make it difficult. I MUST pick up some chocolates at some point tomorrow, as many of you have ordered those before I left.
Again, I'll say just how tired I am, and how days are fading together. Hopefully I can snap a few pictures tomorrow to help remember my time in the beautiful Brussels.
Lastly, here's a quick shoutout to Five Finger Discount, my Thursday night Frisbee team in O-Town. Give them hell tomorrow G & Co.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Day 10
First business day in Brussels was busy, especially since I spent very little of it in Brussels. We had a meeting scheduled at 10am downtown, but the owner, who's a bit of an eccentric, invited us out to Gent, where our second meeting was scheduled at 1pm. He picked us up at the train station (lovely train ride btw), and we went out to talk over a drink. My colleague had a 10% beer, while I opted for the less potent 8% brew. Luckily, I had ate a heavy breakfast (chocolate croisant, cheese, banana, smoothie, etc.) or I would have been as buzzed as my colleague ;-)
We then happenned into the most friendly taxi driver in all of Gent, who took us on a fun tour of the city (250K pop.) before dropping us late for our second meeting. The gentleman we met was almost as outgoing and energetic as the first guy, but he did give us a lot of information. Our taxi driver then came to bring us back to the train station. We tipped well since he was such a character.
Did some work before supper, then went out the Brussels Grill, where I sampled a 9% beer with my meal. The Belgium make some wonderful beer, and I plan to try a few other brews before I head off Friday morning.
After squeezing in a workout tonight (after hearing about some of your workouts back in Ottawa, I felt guilty), I'm down in the lobby, where the Internet is free, telling you about my day. I'll head back up when this is done, since I have to get ready to head to Frankfurt tomorrow for a meeting. It's a bit of a train ride, but I'm looking forward to relaxing along the way.
I'll level with you and admit that this trip is starting to wear me down. I wake up not knowing where I am, and one meeting is starting to role into the next. Worse is that I'm barely having time to catch my breath, yet alone see the sights in the cities we're passing through. Lastly, I'll admit I'm having a hard time with people at work, who don't seem to realize I can't respond to their queries in a moment's notice (6 hour time difference, limited connectivity, so much prep work and meetings over here)...*sigh*
Ok, no more complaining. I'm off to Germany tomorrow...and that makes me happy. For those of you who don't know, my background is over 50% German, so I look forward to my return to the motherland. If only for a few hours.
We then happenned into the most friendly taxi driver in all of Gent, who took us on a fun tour of the city (250K pop.) before dropping us late for our second meeting. The gentleman we met was almost as outgoing and energetic as the first guy, but he did give us a lot of information. Our taxi driver then came to bring us back to the train station. We tipped well since he was such a character.
Did some work before supper, then went out the Brussels Grill, where I sampled a 9% beer with my meal. The Belgium make some wonderful beer, and I plan to try a few other brews before I head off Friday morning.
After squeezing in a workout tonight (after hearing about some of your workouts back in Ottawa, I felt guilty), I'm down in the lobby, where the Internet is free, telling you about my day. I'll head back up when this is done, since I have to get ready to head to Frankfurt tomorrow for a meeting. It's a bit of a train ride, but I'm looking forward to relaxing along the way.
I'll level with you and admit that this trip is starting to wear me down. I wake up not knowing where I am, and one meeting is starting to role into the next. Worse is that I'm barely having time to catch my breath, yet alone see the sights in the cities we're passing through. Lastly, I'll admit I'm having a hard time with people at work, who don't seem to realize I can't respond to their queries in a moment's notice (6 hour time difference, limited connectivity, so much prep work and meetings over here)...*sigh*
Ok, no more complaining. I'm off to Germany tomorrow...and that makes me happy. For those of you who don't know, my background is over 50% German, so I look forward to my return to the motherland. If only for a few hours.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Day 8 & Day 9
Day 8
This was my favorite day in Istanbul. I slept in til 9:30, then go up and had the breakfast buffet for almost an hour. With a full stomach, I did 2 meeting reports before taking a walk. One of my favorite ways to explore a city is by walking around aimlessly. I walked for about 3 hours, passing the soccer stadium, some mosques, and the heading along the waterfront. On the way back, I picked up a very tasty 2 TL turkish chicken kebab, sour cherry juice (3.50 TL), and a bag of doritos (2 TL). Then, I totall splurged and bought a Turkey soccer scarf from a street vendor for 20 TL. My negotiating skills clearly paid off as he started off indicating it was 35 TL (which I probably would have bought it for, but enjoyed the challenge of talking him down).
My colleague and I went out for lunch with my company's new representative in Turkey, who took us to a traditional Turkey restaurant in an indoor/outdoor mall (The Canyon). The food and company were both fantastic.
I ended the night doing some more work, and then relaxing and watching Good Night and Good Luck which I borrowed from the hotel concierge. A nice last full day in Istanbul.
Day 9
My colleague and I got up early so we could enjoy our last breakfast buffet at the Park Hyatt Istanbul. Forget the Waldorft Hilton in London, this PHI is my favorite hotel. The fact there was basically no-one staying there at the same time as us meant we had the staff's full attention, and experienced excellent customer service.
We were driven to our 3 meetings, and then had a company driver take us to the airport. We barely had time to check in and fill up on Efensen Pilsner and nuts in the first class lounge, before we flew to Brussels. Brussels is a much more managable city, and made a good impression on me when our cab took Amex!
The Sheraton Brussels is more of an...efficient hotel than the two others we've stayed. I'm just another guest to them, but I like my room, and the service is just fine. Typing this in the lobby using complimentary Internet, and will then head off to bed. Good night!
This was my favorite day in Istanbul. I slept in til 9:30, then go up and had the breakfast buffet for almost an hour. With a full stomach, I did 2 meeting reports before taking a walk. One of my favorite ways to explore a city is by walking around aimlessly. I walked for about 3 hours, passing the soccer stadium, some mosques, and the heading along the waterfront. On the way back, I picked up a very tasty 2 TL turkish chicken kebab, sour cherry juice (3.50 TL), and a bag of doritos (2 TL). Then, I totall splurged and bought a Turkey soccer scarf from a street vendor for 20 TL. My negotiating skills clearly paid off as he started off indicating it was 35 TL (which I probably would have bought it for, but enjoyed the challenge of talking him down).
My colleague and I went out for lunch with my company's new representative in Turkey, who took us to a traditional Turkey restaurant in an indoor/outdoor mall (The Canyon). The food and company were both fantastic.
I ended the night doing some more work, and then relaxing and watching Good Night and Good Luck which I borrowed from the hotel concierge. A nice last full day in Istanbul.
Day 9
My colleague and I got up early so we could enjoy our last breakfast buffet at the Park Hyatt Istanbul. Forget the Waldorft Hilton in London, this PHI is my favorite hotel. The fact there was basically no-one staying there at the same time as us meant we had the staff's full attention, and experienced excellent customer service.
We were driven to our 3 meetings, and then had a company driver take us to the airport. We barely had time to check in and fill up on Efensen Pilsner and nuts in the first class lounge, before we flew to Brussels. Brussels is a much more managable city, and made a good impression on me when our cab took Amex!
The Sheraton Brussels is more of an...efficient hotel than the two others we've stayed. I'm just another guest to them, but I like my room, and the service is just fine. Typing this in the lobby using complimentary Internet, and will then head off to bed. Good night!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Day 7
I'm writing this at around 1am Turkish time, since there is disco music blasting at a club across the street from my hotel. I'm in an odd part of town, with lots of upscale shops, 5-Star hotels, and clubs that pump up the jam until the wee hours each morning.
Today, my colleague and I played tourists in Istanbul. We visited the blue mosque (absolutely stunning), took pictures of the other main mosque (the name escapes me), the museum, and then spent the afternoon shopping at and around the Grand Bizarre. Let me tell you something about the Grand Bizarre - it's draining!
The grand bizarre has a few thousand stalls, all under one roof. Add in a couple hundred thousand Turkish people and tourists, and a generous helping of pushy vendors, and you have yourself semi-organized mayhem. It took my colleague and I 3 hours before we bought anything, just because we both found it so overwhelming. I walked out totally drained, but with a couple of gifts for you fine folks back home.
Tonight was a nice supper in the hotel (lamb, cherry trifle, and a dark Turkish beer) and a movie in my room (Sex and the City...cause I'm so comfortable in my masculinity). There might be some big plans for tomorrow, but you'll have to wait to find out about those.
Today, my colleague and I played tourists in Istanbul. We visited the blue mosque (absolutely stunning), took pictures of the other main mosque (the name escapes me), the museum, and then spent the afternoon shopping at and around the Grand Bizarre. Let me tell you something about the Grand Bizarre - it's draining!
The grand bizarre has a few thousand stalls, all under one roof. Add in a couple hundred thousand Turkish people and tourists, and a generous helping of pushy vendors, and you have yourself semi-organized mayhem. It took my colleague and I 3 hours before we bought anything, just because we both found it so overwhelming. I walked out totally drained, but with a couple of gifts for you fine folks back home.
Tonight was a nice supper in the hotel (lamb, cherry trifle, and a dark Turkish beer) and a movie in my room (Sex and the City...cause I'm so comfortable in my masculinity). There might be some big plans for tomorrow, but you'll have to wait to find out about those.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Week 1 - London, Istanbul & Izmir
I know I promised regular blogging, but without Internet access in London, and with irregular, inconsistent, downright disappointing access in Istanbul, I saved up notes from each day, and will post below. Ending with Day 6 (today) since I've lost a day due to flying through 7 different time zones.
******
Day 1
First day in the UK and I’ve hit the first few snags on my trip. The first and totally unexpected snag is that there is no free Internet at the Waldorf in London (my hotel). This is the most expensive hotel I’ve ever stayed in, and Internet access costs and extra GBP 15 / day. On the flip side, the hotel offers a fabulous buffet breakfast for free. This was an unexpected perk.
Second unexpected snag was my loaner Blackberry doesn’t have Internet browser activity either (my colleague’s does). Together, with snag one, I’ll have limited connectivity during the first few days of my trip. Only my work email on my Blackberry is keeping me connected back to the office.
Now for a few high-lights. Flying first class was spectacular. When they weren’t feeding me a 3-course dinner, pampering me with freebies, and fast-treking me through ‘passport control’, they were inviting me to a ‘special’ lounge in Heathrow.
G will enjoy this – I tried Jaffa cakes. Not bad, but I doubt I’ll bring any home for myself. Having said that, at least my gift for one person is procured!
My colleague and I went for a 2 hour walk along the Thames today. Got a few nice pictures with my new camera, including ones of the London Eye, St. Patrick’s cathedral, and London Bridge (from far away). Planning on using the tube tomorrow, and possibly meeting a client near Buckingham Palace.
I’m exhausted and it’s time to turn in. I’m watching an American movie on tv (saw 500 days of Summer on the plane – meh), and am looking forward to my first meeting tomorrow at 9:30am. As they say in the UK (even though I haven’t heard anyone say it just yet…) Cheerio!
***
Day 2
Meetings started in earnest today, with a breakfast get together, a pre-supper chat, and then drinks with another contact. By the time Mark (my colleague on the trip with me) and I ate dinner at 8pm, we were both holding our heads up. This entry, written at 10pm, will likely be short, since I’m exhausted.
In my free time today, I walked to parliament, the National Gallery, Westminister Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. Pictures were taken of everything, and I think they’re turning out spectacular. I take no credit, as I’m sure it’s all the new camera.
We had drinks tonight at the hotel, and for the second night in the row, I asked for Strong Bow, but was given Meyners (and Irish cider) instead. This is slowly replacing Strong Bow as my favorite cider. It’s very pale, sweet, and about 4.5%. Another high-light was raspberry crème brule for dessert at supper.
Also bought some souvenirs and gifts today. Can now cross off three more people off my ‘to buy stuff for’ list.
Oh, and here’s a comment on something off topic – UK tv is strange. We only get about 15 channels at the Hilton, and only one of them is sports (SKY). Everytime I turn on the sports channel, I see soccer! It amazes me how big soccer is over here. Even with a new British heavyweight champ, everyone can’t stop talking/thinking/obsessing over soccer.
Anyway, it’s definitely bed time (10:14). Hope all is well in the C.dot.
***
Day 3
My last full day in the UK was jam packed. Reality is that I’m over here on a business trip, and today was a virtual non-stop sequence of meetings across the city. We ended up at a reception with an open bar just past 6pm. In less than an hour, my colleague and I both made the most of the free appetizers and drinks. When we left at 7pm, I was full enough to not want to bother with supper.
In order to work off some of the beverages, I used the fitness center attached to the hotel for the first time. Nothing too strenuous, just a 5 minute run, and 3 sets of 6 exercises. I felt energized after the workout, and proud of myself for doing something during my trip. Maybe it was the circular implement Friday night email I got just before heading off to the gym, but it felt fantastic to get some gym time in.
After the gym, I decided to go for a little walk down by the Thames. I took a couple of pictures, and then started to look for a place to eat. I wanted to go for a pub since it’s my last night here, but the only one I found “The Sherlock Holmes” closed at 10pm (I found it at 9:50). So, I decided to gather myself a traditional English meal on the go instead. I grabbed a Thai chicken wrap (incredible), a banana (needed a fruit), an Innocent strawberry smoothie, a chocolate tart, and a Magners cider (my new favorite cider). All in all, it was a great meal.
Now I’m watching an English movie, with a few American actors, thinking about my 3 days in London. This is such a beautiful, historic, picturesque city, Turkey really has it’s work cut out for it.
Until next time, happy travels ;-)
***
Day 4
Left London on a high note (Star Alliance lounge at Heathrow), and ever since my mood has changed drastically. The first 2 hours in Turkey have been awful, losing 2 hours is sucking, and honestly, I’m just really down right now. If I continued with this entry, I’d probably say things I’d regret. Off to sleep. Hoping tomorrow is a much better day.
***
Day 5
Today was a slightly better day. It started off early when the hotel cashed and converted my GBP travelers’ cheques to Turkish Lira, giving us some cash to cab. Also had 2 very enjoyable ferry rides across one of the major bodies of water to Ottawa to/from a meeting. Cabs continue to be a problem, as I spent 15 lira to basically get nowhere, and need to spend an extra 6 to get back to my hotel.
Things I like about Turkey:
- The people are very nice, and love to talk.
- Our hotel is beautiful, except for the Internet charge.
- The food is interesting…but…
Things I dislike about Turkey:
- The food expensive. For example, tonight I paid about 8 Canadian dollars for a can a sprite. This beats the 10 Canadian dollars my colleague paid for a 1 L bottle of water.
- The language barrier is pretty huge. The only turkey word I’ve learned is “Fiche” (receipt).
- Cabs are not well run, and most drivers don’t speak English, and have never heard of our hotel (only open 14 months).
Off to bed before a flight to Izmir tomorrow at 11am. Hoping tomorrow is a slower day as I’m starting to wear out. This wouldn’t be such a problem if people back home didn’t expect me to respond immediately to their work requests despite the 7 hour time difference and my loner Blackberry being down all day (another thing I dislike about Turkey). Until next time, sweet dreams peeps.
***
Day 6
Got up and had another delicious, complementary breakfast at my hotel, and then headed to the airport to fly to Izmir for a meeting. There were a couple bumps along the way getting to the airport, figuratively speaking, but I want to concentrate on the positive.
The flight to Izmir is only about 45 minutes in the air, and since we're flying business class, each flight starts off with champagne (or OJ). The geography around Izmir is fascinating. It's basically the size of Toronto (4 million people) built in between and on mountains. I have some pictures of it, that don't do it justice, but it's sprawling, beautiful city.
The company we were meeting with sent a car to the airport for us, as they were about an hour away from the airport. My colleague and I enjoyed the drive immensely. Not only was it scenic, but our driver drove like he was rushing us to the hospital for an emergency. I can't do Turkish private drivers and cab drivers justice in trying to explain their driving to you, it's truly something you have to experience. Here's a quote from my colleague "Do you notice that this car starts to shimmy when we go over 140 km/h?" I tipped the driver 20 Euro when he dropped us off back at the airport, and his eyes just lit up. It's people like him who make Turkey worthwhile.
I intentionally try to minimize details on the business side of my trip, but feel it necessary to say that this was by far my favorite meeting. Not only did our hosts feed us a Turkish lunch in the company cafeteria (where 3 meals a day are served for employees), he took 2 and a half hours to answer all our questions, and then toured us through the premises. I can only say that the tour was fascinating and eye opening. I'll never forget today's meeting.
Had some dinner on the flight back, and enjoyed the Star Alliance lounge at the Izmir airport before that. Got back to the hotel, bought 24 hours of Internet access (since Blackberries continue to function for about 5 minutes a day), and have been working, and catching up on emails ever since.
It's time for a little Turkish/English tv before bed. With 4 non-news channels to choose from, I think I'll settle on some Euro-Sport (likely soccer)...which should help put me to sleep. Here's to sleeping in til 10am tomorrow!
******
Day 1
First day in the UK and I’ve hit the first few snags on my trip. The first and totally unexpected snag is that there is no free Internet at the Waldorf in London (my hotel). This is the most expensive hotel I’ve ever stayed in, and Internet access costs and extra GBP 15 / day. On the flip side, the hotel offers a fabulous buffet breakfast for free. This was an unexpected perk.
Second unexpected snag was my loaner Blackberry doesn’t have Internet browser activity either (my colleague’s does). Together, with snag one, I’ll have limited connectivity during the first few days of my trip. Only my work email on my Blackberry is keeping me connected back to the office.
Now for a few high-lights. Flying first class was spectacular. When they weren’t feeding me a 3-course dinner, pampering me with freebies, and fast-treking me through ‘passport control’, they were inviting me to a ‘special’ lounge in Heathrow.
G will enjoy this – I tried Jaffa cakes. Not bad, but I doubt I’ll bring any home for myself. Having said that, at least my gift for one person is procured!
My colleague and I went for a 2 hour walk along the Thames today. Got a few nice pictures with my new camera, including ones of the London Eye, St. Patrick’s cathedral, and London Bridge (from far away). Planning on using the tube tomorrow, and possibly meeting a client near Buckingham Palace.
I’m exhausted and it’s time to turn in. I’m watching an American movie on tv (saw 500 days of Summer on the plane – meh), and am looking forward to my first meeting tomorrow at 9:30am. As they say in the UK (even though I haven’t heard anyone say it just yet…) Cheerio!
***
Day 2
Meetings started in earnest today, with a breakfast get together, a pre-supper chat, and then drinks with another contact. By the time Mark (my colleague on the trip with me) and I ate dinner at 8pm, we were both holding our heads up. This entry, written at 10pm, will likely be short, since I’m exhausted.
In my free time today, I walked to parliament, the National Gallery, Westminister Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. Pictures were taken of everything, and I think they’re turning out spectacular. I take no credit, as I’m sure it’s all the new camera.
We had drinks tonight at the hotel, and for the second night in the row, I asked for Strong Bow, but was given Meyners (and Irish cider) instead. This is slowly replacing Strong Bow as my favorite cider. It’s very pale, sweet, and about 4.5%. Another high-light was raspberry crème brule for dessert at supper.
Also bought some souvenirs and gifts today. Can now cross off three more people off my ‘to buy stuff for’ list.
Oh, and here’s a comment on something off topic – UK tv is strange. We only get about 15 channels at the Hilton, and only one of them is sports (SKY). Everytime I turn on the sports channel, I see soccer! It amazes me how big soccer is over here. Even with a new British heavyweight champ, everyone can’t stop talking/thinking/obsessing over soccer.
Anyway, it’s definitely bed time (10:14). Hope all is well in the C.dot.
***
Day 3
My last full day in the UK was jam packed. Reality is that I’m over here on a business trip, and today was a virtual non-stop sequence of meetings across the city. We ended up at a reception with an open bar just past 6pm. In less than an hour, my colleague and I both made the most of the free appetizers and drinks. When we left at 7pm, I was full enough to not want to bother with supper.
In order to work off some of the beverages, I used the fitness center attached to the hotel for the first time. Nothing too strenuous, just a 5 minute run, and 3 sets of 6 exercises. I felt energized after the workout, and proud of myself for doing something during my trip. Maybe it was the circular implement Friday night email I got just before heading off to the gym, but it felt fantastic to get some gym time in.
After the gym, I decided to go for a little walk down by the Thames. I took a couple of pictures, and then started to look for a place to eat. I wanted to go for a pub since it’s my last night here, but the only one I found “The Sherlock Holmes” closed at 10pm (I found it at 9:50). So, I decided to gather myself a traditional English meal on the go instead. I grabbed a Thai chicken wrap (incredible), a banana (needed a fruit), an Innocent strawberry smoothie, a chocolate tart, and a Magners cider (my new favorite cider). All in all, it was a great meal.
Now I’m watching an English movie, with a few American actors, thinking about my 3 days in London. This is such a beautiful, historic, picturesque city, Turkey really has it’s work cut out for it.
Until next time, happy travels ;-)
***
Day 4
Left London on a high note (Star Alliance lounge at Heathrow), and ever since my mood has changed drastically. The first 2 hours in Turkey have been awful, losing 2 hours is sucking, and honestly, I’m just really down right now. If I continued with this entry, I’d probably say things I’d regret. Off to sleep. Hoping tomorrow is a much better day.
***
Day 5
Today was a slightly better day. It started off early when the hotel cashed and converted my GBP travelers’ cheques to Turkish Lira, giving us some cash to cab. Also had 2 very enjoyable ferry rides across one of the major bodies of water to Ottawa to/from a meeting. Cabs continue to be a problem, as I spent 15 lira to basically get nowhere, and need to spend an extra 6 to get back to my hotel.
Things I like about Turkey:
- The people are very nice, and love to talk.
- Our hotel is beautiful, except for the Internet charge.
- The food is interesting…but…
Things I dislike about Turkey:
- The food expensive. For example, tonight I paid about 8 Canadian dollars for a can a sprite. This beats the 10 Canadian dollars my colleague paid for a 1 L bottle of water.
- The language barrier is pretty huge. The only turkey word I’ve learned is “Fiche” (receipt).
- Cabs are not well run, and most drivers don’t speak English, and have never heard of our hotel (only open 14 months).
Off to bed before a flight to Izmir tomorrow at 11am. Hoping tomorrow is a slower day as I’m starting to wear out. This wouldn’t be such a problem if people back home didn’t expect me to respond immediately to their work requests despite the 7 hour time difference and my loner Blackberry being down all day (another thing I dislike about Turkey). Until next time, sweet dreams peeps.
***
Day 6
Got up and had another delicious, complementary breakfast at my hotel, and then headed to the airport to fly to Izmir for a meeting. There were a couple bumps along the way getting to the airport, figuratively speaking, but I want to concentrate on the positive.
The flight to Izmir is only about 45 minutes in the air, and since we're flying business class, each flight starts off with champagne (or OJ). The geography around Izmir is fascinating. It's basically the size of Toronto (4 million people) built in between and on mountains. I have some pictures of it, that don't do it justice, but it's sprawling, beautiful city.
The company we were meeting with sent a car to the airport for us, as they were about an hour away from the airport. My colleague and I enjoyed the drive immensely. Not only was it scenic, but our driver drove like he was rushing us to the hospital for an emergency. I can't do Turkish private drivers and cab drivers justice in trying to explain their driving to you, it's truly something you have to experience. Here's a quote from my colleague "Do you notice that this car starts to shimmy when we go over 140 km/h?" I tipped the driver 20 Euro when he dropped us off back at the airport, and his eyes just lit up. It's people like him who make Turkey worthwhile.
I intentionally try to minimize details on the business side of my trip, but feel it necessary to say that this was by far my favorite meeting. Not only did our hosts feed us a Turkish lunch in the company cafeteria (where 3 meals a day are served for employees), he took 2 and a half hours to answer all our questions, and then toured us through the premises. I can only say that the tour was fascinating and eye opening. I'll never forget today's meeting.
Had some dinner on the flight back, and enjoyed the Star Alliance lounge at the Izmir airport before that. Got back to the hotel, bought 24 hours of Internet access (since Blackberries continue to function for about 5 minutes a day), and have been working, and catching up on emails ever since.
It's time for a little Turkish/English tv before bed. With 4 non-news channels to choose from, I think I'll settle on some Euro-Sport (likely soccer)...which should help put me to sleep. Here's to sleeping in til 10am tomorrow!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
All my bags are packed I'm ready to go...
I'm sitting in the Air Canada executive lounge at the Ottawa Int'l Airport (YOW for those of you who know your airport codes), ready to embark on the longest trip of my life. Not only have I never left North America before, I've barely been out of Canada in the last few years.
Today was hectic. Up at 8am to get into work early. At work from 10am - 2pm, getting more accomplished than it usually takes me 2 days to complete. Back home and off to get a haircut and a couple of last minute purchases at 3pm. Picked up supper so that I could eat, pack, and do my laundry at once. It took me about 2 hours to pack, which isn't too shabby. Having said that, I'm glad that only my colleague from EDC will be seeing me for more than 3 days in a row, cause I'll be wearing a lot of the same outfits over the next couple of weeks. Although my suitcase was...well...pardon the pun, but packed, there's quite a bit of paper that can be thrown (or shreaded) as the trip goes on. Also, I'm bringing my big laptop from work (currently typing on my small loner laptop from work), with the intention of sending it back to Canada with my colleague when he leaves in two weeks.
Now for the important question - will I have enough socks and underwear to last me the entire 18 days??? Well, if my mom reads this, I'm happy to report that I should be fine. If worse comes to worse, I can always pick up some in Amsterdam or Paris.
I also found myself thinking - 'can I dispose of this?' when I was packing. Consensus is that my shoes can go (don't worry Andrew, I'm talking about dress shoes), as can a few of my work shirts, and handkerchiefs.
Well, I'm going to go take advantage of the complimentary beverages and food. Air Canada sure knows how to treat their executives *haha*
Today was hectic. Up at 8am to get into work early. At work from 10am - 2pm, getting more accomplished than it usually takes me 2 days to complete. Back home and off to get a haircut and a couple of last minute purchases at 3pm. Picked up supper so that I could eat, pack, and do my laundry at once. It took me about 2 hours to pack, which isn't too shabby. Having said that, I'm glad that only my colleague from EDC will be seeing me for more than 3 days in a row, cause I'll be wearing a lot of the same outfits over the next couple of weeks. Although my suitcase was...well...pardon the pun, but packed, there's quite a bit of paper that can be thrown (or shreaded) as the trip goes on. Also, I'm bringing my big laptop from work (currently typing on my small loner laptop from work), with the intention of sending it back to Canada with my colleague when he leaves in two weeks.
Now for the important question - will I have enough socks and underwear to last me the entire 18 days??? Well, if my mom reads this, I'm happy to report that I should be fine. If worse comes to worse, I can always pick up some in Amsterdam or Paris.
I also found myself thinking - 'can I dispose of this?' when I was packing. Consensus is that my shoes can go (don't worry Andrew, I'm talking about dress shoes), as can a few of my work shirts, and handkerchiefs.
Well, I'm going to go take advantage of the complimentary beverages and food. Air Canada sure knows how to treat their executives *haha*
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Preparing for Europe Trip
For a small town boy, who's never been outside of North America, a 3 week trek to Europe is pretty intimidating. Don't get me wrong, I'm super excited, but I'm so nervous.
I'm flying direct from Ottawa to London this Saturday night, where I'll stay until Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon I'm flying to Istanbul and staying until next Monday. However, there's the possibility of a quick trip to Kazmir on Monday before leaving. Then it's off to Brussels where I'll be until Friday. On Tuesday, we're off to Gent for the afternoon. On Wednesday, we're training to Frankfurt and back. Details of this 'business portion' of the trip are being left sparse intentionally.
Then I'm off on my own, training to Amsterdam until Sunday morning. I found a 4-star hotel for $120 CDN a night, which is a kilometer from city center. On Sunday morning, I'm off to Paris where I'll stay in another 4-star hotel, less than a kilometer from the Arc de Triomphe, which was again $120/night. I might be visiting one last company on Monday in Paris, but will generally be enjoying what the city has to offer. Then I'm flying back to Ottawa next Wednesday afternoon (arriving next Wednesday morning).
All my travel arrangements are in place, and I'm just picking up a few last things for the trip...including my biggest splurge in a long time. I'll keep that a secret until tomorrow.
My plan is to update this blog with details from my trip (minus the business stuff) over the next few weeks. All of the hotels I'm in have wireless. Look forward to telling you all about the travels of this small town boy...
I'm flying direct from Ottawa to London this Saturday night, where I'll stay until Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon I'm flying to Istanbul and staying until next Monday. However, there's the possibility of a quick trip to Kazmir on Monday before leaving. Then it's off to Brussels where I'll be until Friday. On Tuesday, we're off to Gent for the afternoon. On Wednesday, we're training to Frankfurt and back. Details of this 'business portion' of the trip are being left sparse intentionally.
Then I'm off on my own, training to Amsterdam until Sunday morning. I found a 4-star hotel for $120 CDN a night, which is a kilometer from city center. On Sunday morning, I'm off to Paris where I'll stay in another 4-star hotel, less than a kilometer from the Arc de Triomphe, which was again $120/night. I might be visiting one last company on Monday in Paris, but will generally be enjoying what the city has to offer. Then I'm flying back to Ottawa next Wednesday afternoon (arriving next Wednesday morning).
All my travel arrangements are in place, and I'm just picking up a few last things for the trip...including my biggest splurge in a long time. I'll keep that a secret until tomorrow.
My plan is to update this blog with details from my trip (minus the business stuff) over the next few weeks. All of the hotels I'm in have wireless. Look forward to telling you all about the travels of this small town boy...
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