Thursday, June 29, 2006

Coo! Innit warm?

Hello all you people with not a whole lot better to do.

I'm writing this quickly so you'll have to read fast. I'm in customer's sister company's development room with about nine Italian guys working on their Cisco Certification. They've set me up with a hot desk complete with t'internet, power socket and personal Italian translator. Well, ok he's not my Italian to English translator, he's actually in charge of some part of this rable to some extent. Ok, well before I go on about what I'm doing here, I probably should explain what's going on!

I got to Heathrow Terminal 2 yesterday with plenty of time before my flight. I had time for a sit down meal and some time to get some notes sorted. Unfortunatly, I also had too much spare time in Dixons Tax Free, and am now the proud owner of a Nintendo DS Lite and that brain game the whole of Japan is playing. Understandably so too, its great fun! The flight was delayed on the taxi to take off for over 30 minutes. Eventually we were up in the air, and by the time we had lost an hour to Sandford Fleming, we landed in Milan around 11.30. Security was pretty quick and I was in a taxi shortly after. I got to the hotel before 1am, and they didnt seem to pleased to see me dressed in a Nike running top and jeans. I got to my room (2nd Floor, and through a maze of corridors) and pretty much colapsed on the bed until I remembered I had to tell half the company I had arrived. I manged to get to bed about 2.30am which of course meant that this morning I was feeling awesome.

I had to pretty much get my act together straight away this morining. I got the little man outside the hotel (this hotel is dead posh by the way) to get me a taxi, which took me half way across Milan in what I thought would be my last car journey anywhere. There are no road marking, they all just pile their cards around 'sticking' to the right hand side (when they can). Petrifying. Especially as they don't require seat belts and therefore don't have any.

I got to my 'hot desk' shortly before 12, and have been working and testing away with my Italian counterparts since then. We had a quick trip out for lunch, which for me consisted of pasta salad with vegetables. Pretty good and very filling. I've got a few hours work left in this building yet before I have to figure out how the hell I get back to the hotel!

This evening will also be testing, and hopefully something to eat (I spotted a resteraunt/cafe down the road from the hotel earlier). Tomorrow I will be finishing up and I want to get to the airport for 4pm. Check out's at 12 so I might be in limbo for a while. We'll see.

Aside from that the weather is very hot and incredibly humid. Very friendly place, bit smoggy and polution is a bit bad, but generally a good place. I've been recommended on many occasions so far to visit the south of Italy (Naples) on holiday. They all seem to really like it down there!

Speak to you all soon, I'll try and find something decent to take a photo of!

-Kev