Back to Semi Normalcy

It's back to semi normalcy now with things almost straight back to the grind of work and normal life. I am really suffering from jet lag this time round and am having a hell of a problem getting properly into the time zone.

I am falling asleep early at night and waking early, it is getting better so I am not all that concerned over it.

I had wanted to make some comments about my time in San Francisco and my trip over all so I am going to do a bit of that today, and be warned I am in a slightly bitchy mood triggered by some stuff with work.

Every time I go to San Francisco I am reminded just how much I love the place. We almost ended up moving there earlier this year for work but that didn't come through. We both love LA a lot and would probably move to either city given the chance.

Although as the boy says LA is better because it has more sun (like 365 days a year LOL). But for me LA would involve one small issue ... I would have to drive again something I have not actually done in about three and a half years.

But I am starting to think I want to start driving again and we have even been talking about next year getting a second car (one which I did not work about scratching LOL).

But back to San Francisco, The weather was perfect for our stay this time, beautiful sunny skies and really nice weather. We only had one night and a full day in the city but we made the most of it.

We had dinner with a friend who has moved to SF from Sydney and ended up of all the strange places an newly opened Australian / New Zealand Wine Bar in SOMA, go figure that one!

The next day our flight was not till almost eleven PM so we used the day for some shopping in town then we went to Sausilito for lunch and essentially drove the entire round the bay and across all the bridges.

You can't help wondering sometimes as you are on all these bridges just how strong and earthquake proof they are, but that's just my general strange anxiousness.

Travel Observations on Airlines

This is the bitchy part - I have to say that after travelling on Finnair Business Class for most of the trip having to get back on to one of the old QANTAS 747s was a huge shock. Whilst it is not uncomfortable as such and it's still above cattle class it did not come up to the standard of other flights.

The aircraft was probably a few years shy of my age and it certainly showed and sounded it's age. I flew one of the new QANTAS A330's to Tokyo at the start of the trip and the service and difference was extreme.

Talking about this with some people I discovered that the Tokyo flights are considered 'regional' and as such the staff are not actually employed by QANTAS but are contractors, Subsequently they are younger, fresher and more into helping and serving.

The crew on the SF to Sydney router were by contrast considerably older and less inclined to provide the same kind of service.

Overall though I have to take my hat off to Finnair and say just how amazing their service and aircraft were. If you have a chance to fly with Finnair I would say do it.

On the other hand my flight from New York to LA with American Airlines in Business Class was very ordinary.

Bottom Line on Round the World Travel

I did a total round the world fare in just over three weeks, which was probably a bit too much or too many countries. By the end of the second week I was over the travel and I think I would have liked to have come home. I also left some important business meetings right till the end of the trip, whereas I should have done these at the beginning. But we live and learn right!

Don't use facebook at Work!

I have to make this comment it's been bugging me for weeks now LOL. I share an office with another start up company and a lot of the staff are quite young and inexperienced. Like all good gen Y's they use Facebook constantly, and they are always sending messages, adding comments, applications and tagging images.

Problem is you can see exactly what and when they were doing this on their profile. Now for someone who runs a small business and has staff if I could see on a staff members profile that twenty times a day they were doing something on Facebook DURING BUSINESS hours I would be significantly concerned. Especially since they state they are 'really busy' with work.

You can add up just how much time a day someone spends on Facebook during the time they should be working and it's only a matter of time before bosses get wise to this and start cracking down.

Anyway I need to get my ass into gear and get to the office and get my day started!

Labels: holidays, Travel-Sep-Oct-07

6:49:00 AM