Well in a hotel facing Trafalgar square which is about as central London as you can get. The place is teeming with tourists with maps stopping every 100 yards and pointing in different directions. Laughingly some have even asked me for assistance. Maybe I just look like I know where I am. Lots of locals rushing around being busy. There are far to many bicycles for my liking possibly something to do with the congestion charges people have to pay to drive a car around here. Watch out world it will happen where you live soon mark my words, cars are an easy target for money, tax, insurance, petrol(gas), parking , parking fines, clamping, speeding fines, tolls, emission all these are the price we pay for trying to get around. There are also lots of people actually running around and none of them looking like they are enjoying it much. They look more like they are in pain. I give them a wide berth I am not good at first aid. I am also paying close attention to crossing the road as I struggle to remember which way to look so staying on the side of caution. It is the first time I have ever worked in the center of London normally it is just a quick dash in and out but this time I get the chance to hang around after work and saunter around the sites playing at being a tourist. Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Cleopatra’s needle (saw the other in Luxor) London Eye, Covent Garden and lots lots more although the museums and gallery’s are closed by the time I fininsh. I have noticed here is lots of security around not because it is actually dangerous more to deter it. When I was out for a smoke break I could see 7 CCTV cameras keeping an eye on me and there were probably more. I read somewhere that England has more cameras per person than any other country. Not sure if this actually stops crime or just records it in High Definition. I wonder if the technology is capable of facial recognition ? They can identify a car plate even if it is traveling at over 70 miles an hour so you would think they could identify a pickpocket or the participants of the brawl outside the pub. You should see me crisp dark blue suit shirt and tie I really think I look the part. Lets hope they never see through the disguise. Not got my Pc and account yet they say its an 8 week process so I told them I could order one custom built and get it hand delivered from China faster than they could get one up 2 floors of the same building. Lets see if that stirs them into some action. Despite this I am managing to keep myself busy doing stuff. Having fun dissecting the IMPACT report. (This is an in joke for some readers apologies to the rest of you) Just booked a flight to get Judi over at the weekend one of her best friends has just had her first baby so a quick visit is in order. Bev and Richard have been our constant vacation partners for a very long time. From Dubai to Las Vegas, India to Peru and many many places in between we have had plenty of adventures and now we get an extra team member and built in babysitters for them. I think there is still lots of fun to be had. Not my week for technology a I am still struggling to get my mini Pc working to specification although I think I may have touch a raw nerve as they did contact we with some things I could try instead of constantly telling me to ship it back to the USA because they is where I purchased it. That might just qualify as perverse logic as they sell them everywhere and repair them everywhere but I need to send mine back to the point of origin. They did not seem amused when I casually suggested it should go to China then. I believe the differentiator between firms is their attitude to their customers after they have your money not before. Anyone can be nice when they are selling you something a really great company makes sure they keep you. My hotel seems to have a confused lift I tried to get from reception to the eighth floor to my room this evening but once inside it refused to accept my command in fact it would not accept any command it mattered not which button was pressed. All it would do was open and close the doors. (Do you really want to go to your room now Stephen would’nt you like a nice glass of beer instead the voice very much like the one from the cooker at home said inside mt head) After a couple more people got in and got the same response and then a couple more I decided like a good citizen to go and inform reception. Explaining what was happening I was met with these responses He “Are you sure” (think he has a relative working in a cinema somewhere) I calmly responded by asking if I was on the eighth floor He “ no sir you are in reception”, Me “well I am pretty sure” I said. He “did you press the button sir” (Ok stay calm) Me “yes I believe I did, several in fact” He “and it did not go to the eighth floor” Me “is reception on the eighth floor” He “no sir it is on the ground floor” Me “well I am pretty sure” He “thank you for letting me know” Me “you are more than welcome” At this point I decide to go to the bar across the road for a drink rather than go to my room. (good choice Stephen the voice said) As I pass the lift the doors open and another 4 people try to get in, “have a nice day “I say as saunter past.
Me “one of the lifts is not working I pressed several buttons without response and someone else tried as well its not moving”
La Jourdinarie our place in France
Steve & Judi's website for all sorts of stuff