Reneka, Tom, Michelle, Andrea, Bobby, Elena, Tim, Christi, Ryan, Andy, Jim, Jeremy, Beth, TJ, RJ, Sandhya, Nicole, Yash
Thank you for coming to see this guy (who isn't really going too far) off!
Andy, Praveen, Rick, Barb, Christi, Sandhya, Rachana, Muzammil, Joe, Doug H. (especially Doug H.), Ryan, Reneka, Yash, Angie, Sandy, Tom S., Tim, Jim, Tom P., Jeremy, Pam, Doug A., Christine, Craig, Michelle, RJ, TJ
Thank you for the kind word and awesome going away picture. This is by far the best gift I have ever received and will be hung proudly in my office.
Gene -- Thanks for footing what I think was a rather sizable bill. That was truly a class act -- and I only had water, I swear.
Tom, Michelle -- hey, you even brought pie. mmmmmm.... I love pie.
Friday night at McFadden's, the old crew sent me off to the new job. It was a perfect night -- never a single goodbye or "We will see you", it was just another Friday night happy hour with my good good friends. There was not a person there that I wouldn't have wanted to see -- and they even let me win one game of pool. Reneka & Nicole even ordered the good little cheesy eggrolls and let me have a couple. Tom with the blackberry pie. To quote Brad Pitt in "The Devil's Own" -- "You are a good man, Tom".
Thank you all. I am truly touched.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Colombia: Triumphant Return
Thursday
This was our last day/night in country. We had planned all along for this to be pretty much an all night out on the town event where we would get just enough sleep to have a hard time getting up in the morning and potentially missing our flight.
Work wrapped up nicely. The system implementation was successful and our sponsors were out of the country, spread across the continent -- so we didn't have to worry too much about the niceties of things like verifying that everything worked through actual use. Mission accomplished.
For the evening, I still had to pack. Normally this would be no big deal, but I wanted to get through the added challenges of having 1) glass items, 2) large pieces of art work, and 3) I really didn't feel like it. The latter would prove to be the biggest challenge the next morning at 4:30 when we were to meet in the lobby around 5ish.
Since we had been so successful in the past with our taxi service -- and by successful we meant that we were 1) still alive, 2) not kidnapped, and 3) in the general area where we were supposed to be -- we decided to take it easy and simply go back to our local hang out, the Bogota Beer Company. This time it was kind of nice as when we came in (Note: my credit card did eventually work!) the wait staff all greeted us with handshakes (men) or the Latin cheek kiss thing (women). I felt like I was in Cheers. We talked until around midnight and left to get ready back at the hotel.
Friday
We get up really early and I am prety dehydrated and I am starting to get what would become a nice little sinus infection. I should mention now that I strongly recommend against flying with a sinus infection unless you enjoy the added excitement of wondering whether your head could actually explode.
The airport was interesting. First -- traveling with a Platinum airline member (Coby) rocks. The line for the normal folk was literally about 150 deep -- Platinum line 2. We get through that line and queue up for the immigration line. I don't mind this one so much as it means I get the little reward of a stamp in the passport. From this line we go through a very personal and intimate pat down and metal detection of the security line. We then go to our gate to wait until they make us leave the area, search/clear the room and then have us go back through security at the gate.
On the plane, we had to wait for a while as we were randomly selected to have our plane weighed. I will say that taking off in the middle of the mountains, the choice between ensuring our plane was of the proper weight or acting out the key scenes from "Alive" would always have me choosing the former. However, whenever I get a cold I start pouring in the fluids and there was not a bathroom between security checkpoints 3 and 4. The good news was that this took my mind off my head. I finally got up and stuck past the attendant and made it. Life is good.
We landed in Atlanta and Delta, realizing that my trip was going too smoothly -- decided to do emergency work on a runway and delayed my flight 3 hours. This after I made it through customs, Coby checked me into the Crown room and I left its warm free comfort to go to my gate. Sigh.
The flight home was uneventful minus the lightening storm and the most abrupt landing of my life. All is well -- and about 5 days later I was finally well.
This was our last day/night in country. We had planned all along for this to be pretty much an all night out on the town event where we would get just enough sleep to have a hard time getting up in the morning and potentially missing our flight.
Work wrapped up nicely. The system implementation was successful and our sponsors were out of the country, spread across the continent -- so we didn't have to worry too much about the niceties of things like verifying that everything worked through actual use. Mission accomplished.
For the evening, I still had to pack. Normally this would be no big deal, but I wanted to get through the added challenges of having 1) glass items, 2) large pieces of art work, and 3) I really didn't feel like it. The latter would prove to be the biggest challenge the next morning at 4:30 when we were to meet in the lobby around 5ish.
Since we had been so successful in the past with our taxi service -- and by successful we meant that we were 1) still alive, 2) not kidnapped, and 3) in the general area where we were supposed to be -- we decided to take it easy and simply go back to our local hang out, the Bogota Beer Company. This time it was kind of nice as when we came in (Note: my credit card did eventually work!) the wait staff all greeted us with handshakes (men) or the Latin cheek kiss thing (women). I felt like I was in Cheers. We talked until around midnight and left to get ready back at the hotel.
Friday
We get up really early and I am prety dehydrated and I am starting to get what would become a nice little sinus infection. I should mention now that I strongly recommend against flying with a sinus infection unless you enjoy the added excitement of wondering whether your head could actually explode.
The airport was interesting. First -- traveling with a Platinum airline member (Coby) rocks. The line for the normal folk was literally about 150 deep -- Platinum line 2. We get through that line and queue up for the immigration line. I don't mind this one so much as it means I get the little reward of a stamp in the passport. From this line we go through a very personal and intimate pat down and metal detection of the security line. We then go to our gate to wait until they make us leave the area, search/clear the room and then have us go back through security at the gate.
On the plane, we had to wait for a while as we were randomly selected to have our plane weighed. I will say that taking off in the middle of the mountains, the choice between ensuring our plane was of the proper weight or acting out the key scenes from "Alive" would always have me choosing the former. However, whenever I get a cold I start pouring in the fluids and there was not a bathroom between security checkpoints 3 and 4. The good news was that this took my mind off my head. I finally got up and stuck past the attendant and made it. Life is good.
We landed in Atlanta and Delta, realizing that my trip was going too smoothly -- decided to do emergency work on a runway and delayed my flight 3 hours. This after I made it through customs, Coby checked me into the Crown room and I left its warm free comfort to go to my gate. Sigh.
The flight home was uneventful minus the lightening storm and the most abrupt landing of my life. All is well -- and about 5 days later I was finally well.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Colombia -- Fool me once...
Wednesday (Night)
It was after 8 when we got out of work, so We decide to press our luck and go back to the Bogota Beer Company for dinner. As we approach the restaurant, the guard that had chased us down comes up to us smiling (Coby had given him a nice tip) and we laugh, shake hands, and say a few words to each other in a language that neither of us would understand.
We are accepted through the metal detection, receive friendly waves from the waitresses, and go to the bar as it is the only place to sit. At the bar, is one friendly guy that speaks great English (although oddly with an Eastern European Accent) and we get to talking about Colombia (same conversation, see earlier blog).
Oh -- dinner I order the club sandwhich and fries -- which was good, but they fry an egg into the bread.
I decide to mix up the conversation a bit and ask him if he ever gets much counterfeit money. He says, "Yes, actually earlier this week" and he goes on to relay the story. I told him, "Yeah -- that was me...". He looks in horror, apologizes and tells me if he had known it was me, he would have been okay with the money as he knew that we would have gotten it from a bank. (blah blah blah). We laugh about it -- no worries...
Then I go to pay for dinner with my credit card and it doesn't work.
It was after 8 when we got out of work, so We decide to press our luck and go back to the Bogota Beer Company for dinner. As we approach the restaurant, the guard that had chased us down comes up to us smiling (Coby had given him a nice tip) and we laugh, shake hands, and say a few words to each other in a language that neither of us would understand.
We are accepted through the metal detection, receive friendly waves from the waitresses, and go to the bar as it is the only place to sit. At the bar, is one friendly guy that speaks great English (although oddly with an Eastern European Accent) and we get to talking about Colombia (same conversation, see earlier blog).
Oh -- dinner I order the club sandwhich and fries -- which was good, but they fry an egg into the bread.
I decide to mix up the conversation a bit and ask him if he ever gets much counterfeit money. He says, "Yes, actually earlier this week" and he goes on to relay the story. I told him, "Yeah -- that was me...". He looks in horror, apologizes and tells me if he had known it was me, he would have been okay with the money as he knew that we would have gotten it from a bank. (blah blah blah). We laugh about it -- no worries...
Then I go to pay for dinner with my credit card and it doesn't work.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
My wife rocks
Today is Nicole's birthday. She is older than she would like, but she looks young enough that I still get the jealous stares... Life is good.
Let take a second and list a few reasons why my wife rocks... I am going to go with 11 since I understand Letterman's legal team is hard-core.
11. It is her birthday and I am in Colombia and she is cool with it.
10. I also am going to miss our anniversary and she understands
9. There is a chance I will miss Valentine's Day and she just describes the flowers that she likes
8. She went hiking with me in Montana for her vacation this year -- and that isn't her thing. She even enjoyed it.
7. She let's me travel
6. She is genuinely happy to talk/chat with me when I am available
5. She doesn't get grumpy if I can't talk for a couple of days
4. She doesn't ask for a lot of souvenirs or expect gifts -- just a bigger house
3. She still thinks about 1/4 of my jokes are funny
2. She has earned herself a great job
1. She puts up with me.
to quote Ricky Bobby... "Thank you God for my smokin' hot wife..."
Let take a second and list a few reasons why my wife rocks... I am going to go with 11 since I understand Letterman's legal team is hard-core.
11. It is her birthday and I am in Colombia and she is cool with it.
10. I also am going to miss our anniversary and she understands
9. There is a chance I will miss Valentine's Day and she just describes the flowers that she likes
8. She went hiking with me in Montana for her vacation this year -- and that isn't her thing. She even enjoyed it.
7. She let's me travel
6. She is genuinely happy to talk/chat with me when I am available
5. She doesn't get grumpy if I can't talk for a couple of days
4. She doesn't ask for a lot of souvenirs or expect gifts -- just a bigger house
3. She still thinks about 1/4 of my jokes are funny
2. She has earned herself a great job
1. She puts up with me.
to quote Ricky Bobby... "Thank you God for my smokin' hot wife..."
Colombia - Pink
Tuesday
Today was a good day. We had launched the system on Monday, but today we sent our first item all the way through the approvals. To quote the A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together."
To celebrate, we went out for dinner in a new mall near the hotel. We wandered around looking at menus and we settled on a restaurant named "Pink". Coby went with the spaghetti and I chose the "Lomo" cut of steak because it came with "Risotti Pink" which I assumed was the risotto of the house. The dish came with the steak nicely laid out in the wine reduction gravy. It was beautiful, but easily overlooked by the shockingly pink risotto. I am not sure what makes pink -- I had a fear of cherry risotto or something from an unknown beef origin -- but I think it was just food coloring. It had a nice bite and the flavor of the cheese was subtle and nice. The plate also had a nice pear/cheese slice. Anyway -- I got dessert again which was some red berry strudel thing. It was also good.
We waddled back to the hotel and called it an early night.
Today was a good day. We had launched the system on Monday, but today we sent our first item all the way through the approvals. To quote the A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together."
To celebrate, we went out for dinner in a new mall near the hotel. We wandered around looking at menus and we settled on a restaurant named "Pink". Coby went with the spaghetti and I chose the "Lomo" cut of steak because it came with "Risotti Pink" which I assumed was the risotto of the house. The dish came with the steak nicely laid out in the wine reduction gravy. It was beautiful, but easily overlooked by the shockingly pink risotto. I am not sure what makes pink -- I had a fear of cherry risotto or something from an unknown beef origin -- but I think it was just food coloring. It had a nice bite and the flavor of the cheese was subtle and nice. The plate also had a nice pear/cheese slice. Anyway -- I got dessert again which was some red berry strudel thing. It was also good.
We waddled back to the hotel and called it an early night.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Arrested Development
I have been told that it is annoying that when I want to punctuate the start of my sentence that I use the word "So". As in "So, you think I actually am concerned what you think..." or "So, why would you possibly notice something as trivial as that...." I only think of that because I was going to start this blog as you would expect....
Monday
SO, you are going to travel internationally and you need cash. AAA or other local banks don't give you a great exchange rate, so I get enough cash for the initial taxi and food from the airport currency exchange. Not a big deal. However, it is a big deal if the cash is counterfeit.
Fast forward a 1 1/2 weeks into the trip. We go back to the Bogota Beer Company (our fourth time) because they are the only place we have seen with a big screen television to watch the Monday Night Football game. We watch the beautiful event (Steelers lost) and pay for our dinner. (On a side note, I felt brave and ordered an item from the menu because it was the only thing where I didn't recognize a single ingredient in the description. It was thick ribs of a porkish origin.) Since it is towards the end of my trip, I pay in cash with a nice tip for the nice waitress (I didn't have small bills and was tired and didn't want to wait) and leave.
We are walking back the four or so blocks to our hotel when we hear someone shouting as us in Spanish. Here is my response. I ignore it because...
1) I don't like to be shouted at
2) I am walking on a dark street in a foreign street in a town known for kidnapping
3) I don't speak Spanish
4) I figure it isn't for me
5) Most importantly, I am really really tired and just want to go to bed.
I mentioned in an earlier blog that there is a lot of private security for the office -- well, this also carries over to the hotel and restaurants. There are at least 3 security guards at the restaurant that do the wand thing over you to get in. One of these guards (a pudgy one) was running towards us, huffing and puffing. He says something. We respond saying in Spanish that we don't speak Spanish. (I always have thought there is some good irony in that.) He speak more Spanish and somehow wants to follow us to the hotel. He is holding my 50,000 peso bill in his hand.
We get back to the hotel and he argues his way through security to the front desk. We follow along curiously -- but also because we now feel bad for the guy as he is still out of breath. It turns out that the restaurant thought that the bill was counterfeit. The hotel scans it through a checking machine thing, holds to the light, rubs it on white paper and tastes it... They think that it is real. They exchange it for another and my time as an international counterfeiter is over.
The best part is that I finally got to my room for a great night's sleep.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Colombia - I know a girl...
Saturday
Everyone had said that if you do anything in Bogota, you need to see the Gold Museum. It is the largest collection in the world of really old gold artifacts. It is set up very well -- but I must say that it is tough to go through if you cannot read any of the signs.
The day started with breakfast and then we had the hotel call for a cab again. They were very concerned both Friday night and today -- and took down our room numbers and cab numbers so that if our bodies were discovered, they could track down the perpetrator. (I assume).
Days of Thunder had been on one of the channels that was in English and all I could think of as we whipped in and out of traffic (he actually used his emergency brake a couple of times to stop suddenly so that he could switch lanes) all I could think of was "rubbing is racing". Thankfully, HR had finally gotten me all set up and Nicole is set with life insurance.
We went to the museum and wandered through the markets and streets. Our directions (and map) was not too much help as we could not find street signs. At one point we decided that we had gotten far enough away from the good path and that if we could make it back to "sketchy" it would be an improvement.
I bought some emeralds from a local guy pretty cheap, so I can't wait to get back to see if they are real. (I think they are, but then again my IT background did not include training in gemology.)
It also didn't help that at one point -- hypothetically -- we found a young woman that might or might not have been selling some movies which might or might not have led us down some alleys though storefronts, etc...
The one thing that was really cool was that there were a number of those guys (they all seemed to be guys) that would act like statues in different dress. There was a shepherd hanging out at the cathedral, a knight, and a jester. They were pretty cool.
When we finally decided that we gave up and should ask a guard -- we realized that we had made a big circle and were about 45 yards away from where we started at the museum. So, more confidently now, we wandered around the presidential residence (no pictures allowed) and other wonderful architecture. Some guards were there for decoration. The ones with automatic weapons and in constant communication with each other -- may have been serious.
After a nice lunch in a local hamburger place called "McDonald's" -- I had the McTasty combo -- we found a place that would sell soccer jerseys. I got one from the local team. We had the guy get us a taxi and we repeated the experience of the morning, just in reverse.
After our wonderful success with maps and directions, we decided to simply walk down the street to go back to the Bogota Beer Company which had a great outdoor patio. It is Valentine's day in Colombia so we had figured that all of the local restaurants would be packed.
We got a table and there was a nice couple next to us. I helped them take a picture of themselves and that started a couple hour conversation (see earlier blog). They had a 2 month old son and this was their first night out. It ended with invitations to their home for dinner. I am supposed to email them on Monday. Very nice folks...
So at this point, it is about 1ish so they leave. There is a new group of 5 couples that comes over and ask us to join their table and we have a great conversation (see earlier blog). They were a lot of fun -- so we closed the bar down. They finally kicked us out just after 3. They walked us back to our hotel and made promises to call us for lunch (they did not which was fine...)
Sunday
Started a bit slower today. We had breakfast (great omelette) and went to the local market where I bought some watercolors and verified that I got a good deal on the emeralds.
The goal was to get back in time for football, but unfortunately here is the literal order of sports preference:
1) Soccer (there were 6 different games on)
2) Baseball
3) Billiards
4) Volleyball
5) Golf
6) Tennis
57) NFL.
I bought the wireless service from the hotel so that I could work and see the scores (18 USD/24 hours). I wandered out at one point to get passion fruit sorbet and dinner from the grocery store.
On the sandwiches, let us just say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I saw (Pollo) and recognized that as chicken. Chicken is good. Chicken Salad however in a foreign country may turn out to be less than stellar. Stay tuned.
Anyway, I missed the Bengals but they are showing the Sunday night football game and I must say that the Spanish announcers are better for me than John Madden.
Everyone had said that if you do anything in Bogota, you need to see the Gold Museum. It is the largest collection in the world of really old gold artifacts. It is set up very well -- but I must say that it is tough to go through if you cannot read any of the signs.
The day started with breakfast and then we had the hotel call for a cab again. They were very concerned both Friday night and today -- and took down our room numbers and cab numbers so that if our bodies were discovered, they could track down the perpetrator. (I assume).
Days of Thunder had been on one of the channels that was in English and all I could think of as we whipped in and out of traffic (he actually used his emergency brake a couple of times to stop suddenly so that he could switch lanes) all I could think of was "rubbing is racing". Thankfully, HR had finally gotten me all set up and Nicole is set with life insurance.
We went to the museum and wandered through the markets and streets. Our directions (and map) was not too much help as we could not find street signs. At one point we decided that we had gotten far enough away from the good path and that if we could make it back to "sketchy" it would be an improvement.
I bought some emeralds from a local guy pretty cheap, so I can't wait to get back to see if they are real. (I think they are, but then again my IT background did not include training in gemology.)
It also didn't help that at one point -- hypothetically -- we found a young woman that might or might not have been selling some movies which might or might not have led us down some alleys though storefronts, etc...
The one thing that was really cool was that there were a number of those guys (they all seemed to be guys) that would act like statues in different dress. There was a shepherd hanging out at the cathedral, a knight, and a jester. They were pretty cool.
When we finally decided that we gave up and should ask a guard -- we realized that we had made a big circle and were about 45 yards away from where we started at the museum. So, more confidently now, we wandered around the presidential residence (no pictures allowed) and other wonderful architecture. Some guards were there for decoration. The ones with automatic weapons and in constant communication with each other -- may have been serious.
After a nice lunch in a local hamburger place called "McDonald's" -- I had the McTasty combo -- we found a place that would sell soccer jerseys. I got one from the local team. We had the guy get us a taxi and we repeated the experience of the morning, just in reverse.
After our wonderful success with maps and directions, we decided to simply walk down the street to go back to the Bogota Beer Company which had a great outdoor patio. It is Valentine's day in Colombia so we had figured that all of the local restaurants would be packed.
We got a table and there was a nice couple next to us. I helped them take a picture of themselves and that started a couple hour conversation (see earlier blog). They had a 2 month old son and this was their first night out. It ended with invitations to their home for dinner. I am supposed to email them on Monday. Very nice folks...
So at this point, it is about 1ish so they leave. There is a new group of 5 couples that comes over and ask us to join their table and we have a great conversation (see earlier blog). They were a lot of fun -- so we closed the bar down. They finally kicked us out just after 3. They walked us back to our hotel and made promises to call us for lunch (they did not which was fine...)
Sunday
Started a bit slower today. We had breakfast (great omelette) and went to the local market where I bought some watercolors and verified that I got a good deal on the emeralds.
The goal was to get back in time for football, but unfortunately here is the literal order of sports preference:
1) Soccer (there were 6 different games on)
2) Baseball
3) Billiards
4) Volleyball
5) Golf
6) Tennis
57) NFL.
I bought the wireless service from the hotel so that I could work and see the scores (18 USD/24 hours). I wandered out at one point to get passion fruit sorbet and dinner from the grocery store.
On the sandwiches, let us just say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I saw (Pollo) and recognized that as chicken. Chicken is good. Chicken Salad however in a foreign country may turn out to be less than stellar. Stay tuned.
Anyway, I missed the Bengals but they are showing the Sunday night football game and I must say that the Spanish announcers are better for me than John Madden.
Colombia - Working for the Weekend, Friday Edition
Friday Night
This is going to be an interesting gig. My compadre is single. As a single guy, he is always on the lookout, as anyone else in his place would be, for women of like mind. This is contrasted by me -- who 1) was never really good at it anyway and 2) haven't suited up for the wingman role in about 10+ years.
If Nicole is reading this -- I don't even notice that other women exist. (cough)
Based on recommendations from the office, hotel and anyone on the street that could "Habla Anglais" -- we head to the "T-Zone" for dinner/drinks/music/whatever. (Bogata uses zones for areas of similar use, i.e., the G-Zone is for Gourmet as in the best restaurants).
We wander down the streets (two streets that have a T intersection) to see what is what. Surprisingly, I do not blend him -- but wait, there is hope. We see a "Pub" which is British, so naturally there should be other leprachaun-looking folks to help me not stand out. (Not so). On recommendations from nutritionists everywhere, we go with the cheese fries for dinner. We stay here for a few hours for the scenery.
Next we head out to wander a little further. We see the requisite Hard Rock Cafe and so we go in primarily to use the bathroom, but to get the requisite souvenirs as well. We sit at the bar and the bartender speaks English very well so we decide to stay until two beyond inebriated local gents decide that they should strike up a conversation with us. 30 minutes and at least 8 introductions later (they kept forgetting that they had already told us their names) the bartender rescued us by 1) getting us to an outdoor table and 2) getting security to kick them out. His response was that he did not want us to have a bad experience in Colombia. We sit outside enjoying the weather when the next local decides to chat with us. We are still a little freaked out by the first guys, but we stay and talk for a while. They were really fun and interesting.
Everyone so far essentially has the same discussion with us... We really should practice to make this more interesting.
Topic 1 - Hello, introductions and why are you in Bogota
Topic 2 - What do you think of Bogota
Topic 3 - The women of Bogota are beautiful, no? (but you should go to Medellin)
Topic 4 - What do Americans think of Colombia?
Oddly -- by the end of the weekend we had that same exact conversation with every single person we talked with... Woman or man it didn't matter.
My opinions are pretty simple... Bogota is beautifully green with amazing mountains. The food is great, the people are great and I really enjoy the architecture. The women are beautiful, yet I am not looking. Americans believe what they see in movies - but I will go back and tell everyone what a great time I had.
We eventually leave and go to get a cab. Now the way this should work is that you do not accept a cab off the street. You also never should get in a cab with more than one person. I don't ask questions -- I just accept the rule.
So, we go to one of the army guys on the street and ask for help getting a cab. He waves down the next one, checks the credentials and we go on our way.
This is going to be an interesting gig. My compadre is single. As a single guy, he is always on the lookout, as anyone else in his place would be, for women of like mind. This is contrasted by me -- who 1) was never really good at it anyway and 2) haven't suited up for the wingman role in about 10+ years.
If Nicole is reading this -- I don't even notice that other women exist. (cough)
Based on recommendations from the office, hotel and anyone on the street that could "Habla Anglais" -- we head to the "T-Zone" for dinner/drinks/music/whatever. (Bogata uses zones for areas of similar use, i.e., the G-Zone is for Gourmet as in the best restaurants).
We wander down the streets (two streets that have a T intersection) to see what is what. Surprisingly, I do not blend him -- but wait, there is hope. We see a "Pub" which is British, so naturally there should be other leprachaun-looking folks to help me not stand out. (Not so). On recommendations from nutritionists everywhere, we go with the cheese fries for dinner. We stay here for a few hours for the scenery.
Next we head out to wander a little further. We see the requisite Hard Rock Cafe and so we go in primarily to use the bathroom, but to get the requisite souvenirs as well. We sit at the bar and the bartender speaks English very well so we decide to stay until two beyond inebriated local gents decide that they should strike up a conversation with us. 30 minutes and at least 8 introductions later (they kept forgetting that they had already told us their names) the bartender rescued us by 1) getting us to an outdoor table and 2) getting security to kick them out. His response was that he did not want us to have a bad experience in Colombia. We sit outside enjoying the weather when the next local decides to chat with us. We are still a little freaked out by the first guys, but we stay and talk for a while. They were really fun and interesting.
Everyone so far essentially has the same discussion with us... We really should practice to make this more interesting.
Topic 1 - Hello, introductions and why are you in Bogota
Topic 2 - What do you think of Bogota
Topic 3 - The women of Bogota are beautiful, no? (but you should go to Medellin)
Topic 4 - What do Americans think of Colombia?
Oddly -- by the end of the weekend we had that same exact conversation with every single person we talked with... Woman or man it didn't matter.
My opinions are pretty simple... Bogota is beautifully green with amazing mountains. The food is great, the people are great and I really enjoy the architecture. The women are beautiful, yet I am not looking. Americans believe what they see in movies - but I will go back and tell everyone what a great time I had.
We eventually leave and go to get a cab. Now the way this should work is that you do not accept a cab off the street. You also never should get in a cab with more than one person. I don't ask questions -- I just accept the rule.
So, we go to one of the army guys on the street and ask for help getting a cab. He waves down the next one, checks the credentials and we go on our way.
Colombia - Are you going to eat that?
Friday
Today the second in command, was taking us to lunch. The plan was to go to lunch late and then call it a day. We drove to a famous place outside of Bogota in a place named "Chia" for lunch.
The place was incredibly eclectic where the owner had made all sorts of things (art?) from scraps of metal. We ordered the the best empenadas that I had ever had. Then things got a little, as Coby would say, "Out of Control."
Coby, it is important to note, is very clear about what he will eat. The following did not make that list.
1) Corn Tortillas -- so far, so good.
2) The large intestine of a cow stuffed with blood, rice and spice. (actually really good.)
3) Something he wouldn't tell me until after I had eaten it.
Now let us step back and ponder for a moment the third item. From my China adventures, I was very familar with the "not telling" approach, and in all honesty, I think that it had served me very well. However, if the "large intestine of a cow stuffed with blood, rice and spice" made the "telling you" cut -- what could this possibly be?
It looked like a small noodle. Fried. Tasted only slightly chewy with a strong taste of liver. Okay, so I liked it. Now what is it? Well, I was disappointed to find out it was only small intestine. Now before anyone with a medical background explains to me what the small intestine is, does or the safety or foolhardiness of eating such -- enough time has passed that I really don't want to know.
We drove back through the beautiful countryside and returned to work. We were almost ready for the weekend. Almost.
Today the second in command, was taking us to lunch. The plan was to go to lunch late and then call it a day. We drove to a famous place outside of Bogota in a place named "Chia" for lunch.
The place was incredibly eclectic where the owner had made all sorts of things (art?) from scraps of metal. We ordered the the best empenadas that I had ever had. Then things got a little, as Coby would say, "Out of Control."
Coby, it is important to note, is very clear about what he will eat. The following did not make that list.
1) Corn Tortillas -- so far, so good.
2) The large intestine of a cow stuffed with blood, rice and spice. (actually really good.)
3) Something he wouldn't tell me until after I had eaten it.
Now let us step back and ponder for a moment the third item. From my China adventures, I was very familar with the "not telling" approach, and in all honesty, I think that it had served me very well. However, if the "large intestine of a cow stuffed with blood, rice and spice" made the "telling you" cut -- what could this possibly be?
It looked like a small noodle. Fried. Tasted only slightly chewy with a strong taste of liver. Okay, so I liked it. Now what is it? Well, I was disappointed to find out it was only small intestine. Now before anyone with a medical background explains to me what the small intestine is, does or the safety or foolhardiness of eating such -- enough time has passed that I really don't want to know.
We drove back through the beautiful countryside and returned to work. We were almost ready for the weekend. Almost.
Colombia -- Settling in
Thursday
Thursday we finally started getting more time with the folks that we needed. The day started early as I had a conference call with Europe, so I was one of the first folks in the office.
We had lunch at a restaurant in the mall. We thought at first that I had a steak done cowboy style -- but it turned out that the correct translation was that I had a horse steak. (It was good. Sorry Jayme.) For dessert I had Maracuya pie which was a wonderful tart citrus ice box pie. Not knowing what it was, we asked the waitress if we could see the fruit. She cut one open for us and let us try to original fruit. Still wonderful...
So I go to Babblefish to find out the translation fo Maracuya. If you translate "maracuya" from Spanish to English it translates very nicely to "maracuya". Helpful. So I go to the Wikipedia (English version). Maracuya only appears as a non-US flavor for Gatorade. Hmmm... So I google it -- and it translates in English to "Passion Fruit". So I had a passion fruit pie.
That has since gotten on my passion fruit kick... I bought some marmalade to bring home, I have had maracuya sorbet, etc.... I love it.
Also, I should say that all of the fruit here is wonderful. At 8600 feet, in Montana you are above the tree line. In Colombia, everything is green and beautiful. They are so close to the equator that everything grows here. Passion Fruit is one of the cheapest fruits. For breakfast in the morning (when I go), I have fresh squeezed orange juice and similarly papaya juice. I love this place.
Thursday was a long day for work -- we didn't leave until about 10. I didn't have as much to do, but my contractor needed to stay and I have a strong philosophy to never leave a man behind.
So, dinner was room service pizza which was an excellent reminder that for my next trip I was going to bring an ingredients dictionary.
Thursday we finally started getting more time with the folks that we needed. The day started early as I had a conference call with Europe, so I was one of the first folks in the office.
We had lunch at a restaurant in the mall. We thought at first that I had a steak done cowboy style -- but it turned out that the correct translation was that I had a horse steak. (It was good. Sorry Jayme.) For dessert I had Maracuya pie which was a wonderful tart citrus ice box pie. Not knowing what it was, we asked the waitress if we could see the fruit. She cut one open for us and let us try to original fruit. Still wonderful...
So I go to Babblefish to find out the translation fo Maracuya. If you translate "maracuya" from Spanish to English it translates very nicely to "maracuya". Helpful. So I go to the Wikipedia (English version). Maracuya only appears as a non-US flavor for Gatorade. Hmmm... So I google it -- and it translates in English to "Passion Fruit". So I had a passion fruit pie.
That has since gotten on my passion fruit kick... I bought some marmalade to bring home, I have had maracuya sorbet, etc.... I love it.
Also, I should say that all of the fruit here is wonderful. At 8600 feet, in Montana you are above the tree line. In Colombia, everything is green and beautiful. They are so close to the equator that everything grows here. Passion Fruit is one of the cheapest fruits. For breakfast in the morning (when I go), I have fresh squeezed orange juice and similarly papaya juice. I love this place.
Thursday was a long day for work -- we didn't leave until about 10. I didn't have as much to do, but my contractor needed to stay and I have a strong philosophy to never leave a man behind.
So, dinner was room service pizza which was an excellent reminder that for my next trip I was going to bring an ingredients dictionary.
Colombia - the country mouse goes to the city
Sunday
Sunday the flight left at 11:30 so I got to the airport around 9:30. Security took all of 5 minutes, so I sat at the restaurant and read while I waited on my coffee to cool to a temperature slightly less than the surface of the sun. The flight to Atlanta was uneventful and I met Coby to let me into the Crown Room so that I could watch my Bengals play with a big screen tv and free munchies.
In the airport, I exchanged money to the local currency. Remember that the Colombian peso is roughly 2,400 to 1 in our favor. So at the end of this transaction, I was a millionaire. Very nice. I carefully folded the stack into my now George Constanza wallet and happily strutted off looking down at all the poor peons that until recently were my financial peers.
The flight to Bogota was also uneventful. I learned a couple of tricks from the travel master: (1) Ask at the desk if there is an open row to be reassigned, and (2) sit in the middle seat so that no one else moves up with you... Works like a charm. The movie was one of those few experiences where it makes you appreciate life. Like how you just wasted two hours that you desperately want back...
We arrived and stood in line to get through Customs for about an hour. Outside the airport, there was a mass of people standing there offering taxi rides, etc… It felt good to see my name on a placard with my driver. I will say though that it was nothing like the commercials – it wasn’t a limousine and it wasn’t full of Bud Light. We checked into the hotel and then went out to dinner (10:30 local).
At dinner we looked at the menu and were amazed by the prices. The menu had a hamburger as 8.500. Now for those of you that travel, you probably see where this is going. For the rest of us, with my wallet containing over 1 million pesos, somewhere in the midst of my decision that when I bought the bar I would tear down the adjacent buildings to build a park – I remembered that they use a "." for a "," – so it wasn’t 0.35 cents but rather $3.54. So my hopes for Colombian domination were quickly dashed.
Monday – Wednesday
The office is in the heart of the financial district. Bogota has had trouble with crime and terrorism in the past, but I feel completely safe here. To get into my hotel on foot, you have to pass three security guards. To get into my hotel by car, you have to have the car searched by a guard with a bomb-sniffing dog. To get into the restaurant that is nearby, you have to pass a metal detector. They do not play.
However, what is odd is that after you go over the barriers, through the security checkpoing, badge in through 2 different doors to the office -- you still have to get a key from the receptionist to go to the bathroom.
We are a couple of blocks away from the office and we walk through an open mall. Over the past couple of days we have settled into a routine.
08:00 we call each other for a wake up
08:30 meet in the lobby
08:45 arrive at work
10:30 first smoke break (I remain simply a second-hand smoker)
13:00 lunch in the mall (more about the food later)
14:00 back to work
16:00 smoke break #4
19:00 leave work
20:00 dinner
When we leaave, we go through the grocery store to get the next day's morning breakfast (2 bottle of Diet Coke each). I have been experimenting with the local drinks and have settled on a no calorie Dasani water that is Jamaica flavored (taste likes Cranberries).
Sunday the flight left at 11:30 so I got to the airport around 9:30. Security took all of 5 minutes, so I sat at the restaurant and read while I waited on my coffee to cool to a temperature slightly less than the surface of the sun. The flight to Atlanta was uneventful and I met Coby to let me into the Crown Room so that I could watch my Bengals play with a big screen tv and free munchies.
In the airport, I exchanged money to the local currency. Remember that the Colombian peso is roughly 2,400 to 1 in our favor. So at the end of this transaction, I was a millionaire. Very nice. I carefully folded the stack into my now George Constanza wallet and happily strutted off looking down at all the poor peons that until recently were my financial peers.
The flight to Bogota was also uneventful. I learned a couple of tricks from the travel master: (1) Ask at the desk if there is an open row to be reassigned, and (2) sit in the middle seat so that no one else moves up with you... Works like a charm. The movie was one of those few experiences where it makes you appreciate life. Like how you just wasted two hours that you desperately want back...
We arrived and stood in line to get through Customs for about an hour. Outside the airport, there was a mass of people standing there offering taxi rides, etc… It felt good to see my name on a placard with my driver. I will say though that it was nothing like the commercials – it wasn’t a limousine and it wasn’t full of Bud Light. We checked into the hotel and then went out to dinner (10:30 local).
At dinner we looked at the menu and were amazed by the prices. The menu had a hamburger as 8.500. Now for those of you that travel, you probably see where this is going. For the rest of us, with my wallet containing over 1 million pesos, somewhere in the midst of my decision that when I bought the bar I would tear down the adjacent buildings to build a park – I remembered that they use a "." for a "," – so it wasn’t 0.35 cents but rather $3.54. So my hopes for Colombian domination were quickly dashed.
Monday – Wednesday
The office is in the heart of the financial district. Bogota has had trouble with crime and terrorism in the past, but I feel completely safe here. To get into my hotel on foot, you have to pass three security guards. To get into my hotel by car, you have to have the car searched by a guard with a bomb-sniffing dog. To get into the restaurant that is nearby, you have to pass a metal detector. They do not play.
However, what is odd is that after you go over the barriers, through the security checkpoing, badge in through 2 different doors to the office -- you still have to get a key from the receptionist to go to the bathroom.
We are a couple of blocks away from the office and we walk through an open mall. Over the past couple of days we have settled into a routine.
08:00 we call each other for a wake up
08:30 meet in the lobby
08:45 arrive at work
10:30 first smoke break (I remain simply a second-hand smoker)
13:00 lunch in the mall (more about the food later)
14:00 back to work
16:00 smoke break #4
19:00 leave work
20:00 dinner
When we leaave, we go through the grocery store to get the next day's morning breakfast (2 bottle of Diet Coke each). I have been experimenting with the local drinks and have settled on a no calorie Dasani water that is Jamaica flavored (taste likes Cranberries).
Last Day / First Day
September 1 was my last day with my job. I went to Cincinnati and said a few goodbyes. It was a good day...
Several folks were too busy to really talk. I went to lunch with a former manager (and friend) and my replacement (and friend), and we had lunch like it was any other day. I left work and went for dinner with two good friends Tom & Michelle and they bought it very generously.
There is a going away "roast" for me on Friday the 29th. So maybe I won't have as many kind things to say after that... ;-)
February 10, 1997 to September 1, 2006.
My new job started on Monday the 5th. A new beginning.
Several folks were too busy to really talk. I went to lunch with a former manager (and friend) and my replacement (and friend), and we had lunch like it was any other day. I left work and went for dinner with two good friends Tom & Michelle and they bought it very generously.
There is a going away "roast" for me on Friday the 29th. So maybe I won't have as many kind things to say after that... ;-)
February 10, 1997 to September 1, 2006.
My new job started on Monday the 5th. A new beginning.
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