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To Speak of Many Things
Jul. 24th, 2003 10:33 amSo, busy week.
Le Weekend: Paris. I worked there for a while back in 1998, before I met M and it was fun, and it is always strange to visit a foreign city that you "know". We had good travel for the whole weekend, especially strange given we flew BA which was in meltdown in Heathrow but, as usual, Bristol was like flying out of a cattle shed in a field.
Good eating, some good business conducted on Monday out at La Defense, which is suitably stunning. France and the French constantly amaze me. They are dreadful to do business with and there's a vague nagging feeling I always get that everything is on the verge of collapse. And yet, despite what all the little Englanders say, France works.
They've a large and effective civil nuclear programme, producing more than 70% of their power needs, a large manufacturing base, effectively their own space program, they build pretty much all their own military equipment rather than working with other people or buying it wholesale. They enjoy life. Its nice.
It can also be a pain in the bum, but sitting in the Sun on a Paris street drinking a cold beer and reading the papers was excellent.
I got back to the UK with a load of things to do, which I was working on until gone 10pm last night, so I'm taking a quick break to write this before getting back to it. This is based on 2 Outline proposals for technical pre-studies, an MoU, a Letter of Intent and a Proposal. All of which must be finished and sent by close of business Friday...
Why Friday? Well, Concorde finally beckons.
I can barely believe its come around already! I'm flying on Saturday and then going to spend some time with friends in Boston, before coming back on Thursday.
In other news; my next Seattle trip is booked, the first week of September. It looks like I am being allowed to book World Traveller Plus which is a bonus. I have arranged to meet up with Cardboard Fetlock and crew in the Pacific North West which will be fun. They should just be back from the worldcon.
Le Weekend: Paris. I worked there for a while back in 1998, before I met M and it was fun, and it is always strange to visit a foreign city that you "know". We had good travel for the whole weekend, especially strange given we flew BA which was in meltdown in Heathrow but, as usual, Bristol was like flying out of a cattle shed in a field.
Good eating, some good business conducted on Monday out at La Defense, which is suitably stunning. France and the French constantly amaze me. They are dreadful to do business with and there's a vague nagging feeling I always get that everything is on the verge of collapse. And yet, despite what all the little Englanders say, France works.
They've a large and effective civil nuclear programme, producing more than 70% of their power needs, a large manufacturing base, effectively their own space program, they build pretty much all their own military equipment rather than working with other people or buying it wholesale. They enjoy life. Its nice.
It can also be a pain in the bum, but sitting in the Sun on a Paris street drinking a cold beer and reading the papers was excellent.
I got back to the UK with a load of things to do, which I was working on until gone 10pm last night, so I'm taking a quick break to write this before getting back to it. This is based on 2 Outline proposals for technical pre-studies, an MoU, a Letter of Intent and a Proposal. All of which must be finished and sent by close of business Friday...
Why Friday? Well, Concorde finally beckons.
I can barely believe its come around already! I'm flying on Saturday and then going to spend some time with friends in Boston, before coming back on Thursday.
In other news; my next Seattle trip is booked, the first week of September. It looks like I am being allowed to book World Traveller Plus which is a bonus. I have arranged to meet up with Cardboard Fetlock and crew in the Pacific North West which will be fun. They should just be back from the worldcon.
