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Late
"Wake up in the morning ..." What a great song, but I bet he never got up this damn early to get a plane. Well luckily I have
a chauffer, otherwise known as my dad. Just climb out of the house (crawl at this point), and straight into the car. We head
off, and promptly stop around the corner in a traffic jam. Well that's was it all the way to the airport. I had left early
enough to get there at least an hour and a half before the flight.
Good job to, because the journey took three time longer than it should have. Crawling along, I could have walked there fater.
Final the airport is in site, and we drive up to the main entrance.
Run Rabit Run
Well I managed to get there in time to run down to the gate and board the plane, damn traffic. Check in no problem, really
quick in fact. Then get through security no problem, wow what's going on now. Get to the gate, and walk on to the plane, with
no huge queues either wow what I nice change. Obviously being KLM they have really nice staff wonderful.
Well we sit down, get severed a drink, and then get off the plane. It takes me longer to get half way across London, shit.
I would prefer the commute to Amsterdam each day. Well I have to try the train out so go buy my ticket (after getting some
money at last, I got loads coz I didn't know how much taxis were going to be). So the train journey goes smoothly. I get off
and grab a taxi, no problem. Pronounce the name of the street and hotel, and promptly get back a different pronunciation.
Well I would like to point out at this point, I actually got it right, and it was an arsy taxi driver making out I got it
wrong.
Welcome
Well get to the hotel and walk in, looks pretty good here. Go to the desk, very nice lady there nice and polite, cheerful,
if a little on the weird side. Well dump everything in the hotel room and have to go out and about. I have no map so things
could get interesting, well I tried the Internet again to try and get something that resembled a good map. Failed again and
lost interest so went walk-about.
Cool, water everywhere what a great place. Canal after canal with some great names to, they are everywhere. Well I start walking
and get the feel of the place, kind of get an idea from the crap map I had seen of where I am and where things might be. So
I head in general directions to see what I can find.
Dodgems
Well there is absolutely loads of things to find. And its such a small city, as Derk was to call it later on a Village.
Bike and Trams
Drugs
Shops
Sissy Boys
Australian, not your usual Aussie, but a food shop
Did I mention the drugs
Flower Market
Heiniken Brewry
There are drugs everywhere
Food
Thank god for Burger King
Cannal
Oh my god I don't believe it, a Fun Fair with Abba music playing and Bunjee Ball
God there everywhere these Australians.
Wow these drugs are cool, did i... oh who cares.
Presentations
Well anyone that says this is easy is either mad, or hasn't done the entire day by them selves. It was quite an experience,
and not a bad one actually. Nine presentation in one day, yeah no sweat, its only in a little office, with eight people in
it. Well that's what they told me anyway. They showed me around and well, they did have small offices for people to present
in, then we went up stairs to where I was doing it. Then they took me to my room, the "movie" room. Setup with 15 to 20 seats,
well hey I nearly ran out screaming at that pint, but I was told not to worry. So I didn't. Then I got the list of people
coming, and every session was overbooked. No problem I had loads of room for them all didn't I.
I got to stand up the entire day as well doing the presentations. The first one was me making up the speech as I went along,
but every other one after that was the same, so at least I was consistent. It was an early start for me, so I was trying to
stay awake, but one lot came in and sat down. I had half looking out the window, and the other half looking like they were
falling asleep, with one actually nodding approval. Hey at least you could all listen, couldn't you, yeah right. Got to the
end and asked if there were any questions, and the whole damn lot stirred in their seats, and they all had questions. They'd
been listening, damn.
By lunch my legs where hurting, but I persevered, and got through the whole day. Everyone liked the presentation by the looks
of it, which was good. Answered all their questions satisfactorily. The last three became a blur when I wasn't sure whether
I had already told them the same thing already, very strange feeling. Anyway the last presentation came and went. And then
call for beer came around and all the presenters went running to the temporary bar to get pissed. Well what else are you supposed
to do after a day like that.
Press Hound
Well I had looked at the people coming to my presentation, and noted a few good ones. One of them was ES Today. I thought to
my self, not a reporter, oh great. Well I had no idea who was who. I get to the end, and then FLASH FLASH FLASH. Oh god it
was her, I am doomed, she got my picture while I was wearing a tie. Oh my god if these pictures get out I am dead, a developer
with a tie. I actually had shoes on as well, you know those black painful block you stick on your feet, the things I also
never wear. They didn't get in the picture, I hope. Well she came over and said this would make an interesting story. Oh shit,
not a story with me in it, going into ES Today, I have seen those things in there and always have a good laugh, damn. And
then she wanted a picture of me in front of the presentation screen on the title page, oh my god was she trying to destroy
my cred.
Strange thing this but during the day I had so many people coming up and talking to me. They knew who I was, I knew a couple
of them but not the others. Really annoying when that happens. So we then headed out for dinner.
The Last Meal
We went by coach, which must have taken some organising it was like being back and school. Everyone running around and getting
ready, and the organisers like teachers trying to put everyone on the bus. We finaly left and drove of into Amsterdam. Really
nice meal at the restaurant, sat at the table with the big boos, Derk Hank. What a nutter, I had heard about him getting drunk
at these dinners before, but he was a right laugh. Bit on the dry side, like TC but still a good laugh.
Well the meal went okay, loads of picture were taken (I am still wearing the tie!!!!) managed to dodge a few of them, but just
too many cameras. We got throught the meal, and being my second night here I wanted to do something, everyone else looked
like they were going home, or to hotels. Well surprisingly there are loads of English people over here, and I mean loads working
there. So not a problem get a little posy together and we hit a local bar. That's where we stayed until about 12:30am. Nicely
blissful of the pain in my legs now, and toddled of back to the hotel to gets some Zs.
The Last Bit
Got up early again, and got ready. Go down checkout, say goodbye to the grump sod at the desk, the lovely lady is there but
dealing with another customer. So I go get a taxi to the airport, no train this time. Mercedes, with leather interior, hey
what can I say travel in style. Great driver, spent most of the journey turned around chatting to me. Not a major problem
apart from the near misses on the motorway. Got a load of great stories from the guy but they would need writing up all on
their own.
Well here I am sitting at the airport ready to go. The battery is dying and telling me to save my work before it goes black,
so this will be all for this trip. Had a realy nice time and definitely want to come back here to complete my exploration,
and maybe do some photography.
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