The Old Push Back from the Gate and Leave On Time Trick!!

So last night's trip was about an hour or so late because American Airlines got us all settled in THEN said some button was wrong and they had to go over the entire plane. This way they can report they left on time. Everyone is a crook these days. Still it was a pleasant trip except for the fact I didn't sleep a wink. I did do a lot of relaxing however, so I was able to make it through the afternoon at the office today at least semi-lucid most of the time.

Arrived at Charles de Gaulle and had to wait for my colleague coming from Dall-ass. Great guy, has lived in 11 different states and knows his way around. We are visiting our European customer who is a really cool lady, even offered to do my shirts to save money LOL. Hmmm, you could be waiting a very long time for a similar offer in the US haha. Of course I politely declined and found a little place to do my laundry and iron my shirts.

Thanks to Bush's economic policy, the dollar is worth less than nothing. For example, a coffee and a bottle of water cost me $9 at the airport this a.m., my shirts will cost $5 each to launder, my hotel room is the size of a broom closet yet goes for $300. OK, this is prime real estate, the Seine is right up the street, the Eiffel tour around the corner, and you can see Notre Dame a few minutes walk away.

So, I have decided to ignore the true cost and pretend that a Euro is the same as a dollar, works for me, I'm not paying anyway, can't do anything about it.

A few observations:

1. everyone takes time to talk, even in such a huge city. A conversation is required with every transaction.
   
2. people put a lot of pride into their food - it is a celebration, not a gulp and run.
3. everyone still walks around with their baguette in the evening
4. there are practically no fat people
5. there are tons of those little mini car things everywhere, not sure what they are called.
   
6. the whole city is a post card, gorgeous architecture everywhere
7. I said everyone in Vancouver smokes, here it really is EVERYONE.
8. People drink wine at lunch like crazy.
9. The people are extremely polite in impersonal situations such as bumping into each other on the street. I accidentally touched a couple of people with my luggage cart in the airport and they really noticed it, you must excuse yourself in these situations or else.
10. Fast food is hard to come by.
11. Parking is optional. People just find an empty spot on the road, sidewalk, handicapped area, or whatever, and just abandon their cars. Practical approach.
12. There is no more dog poop on the streets. Paris used to be the world capital for dog poop, people scraping their shoes off and cursing and sliding and stuff. No more.
    
13. There are no cops, haven't seen one in two days, very interesting.
14. Can't find any homeless either, just the odd one here and there.
15. The days are incredibly long, it is after 10 and the sun has just gone down and the Eiffel tour is all light up behind me, quite a site.
    

This is somewhat of a homecoming but not completely as I never lived in France, just spent extended stays on projects and boondoggles to Cannes and Nice when I had people in my group based in Southern France.

I managed to stay up until 10 exactly as planned and slept mostly through the whole night YIPPEEEEEE.

Last night my friend from Dallas' parents were here on vacation so he went out with them. I had an opportunity to scout around, found a bar for a glass of wine and did some people-watching, then a cleaner for my shirts, and several interesting little stores and restaurants. I will try to avoid heavy restaurant meals but it will be tough as my buddy is counting on me to be his guide and translator until he leaves a week from tomorrow.

This trip was originally foreseen for next week, then hasty arrangements were made to advance it so we could be here and work with our customers to translate our products in time for next weeks' big presentation.