Where in the World is DK?
07 November 2011
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are fighting to buy BMI
Who would you prefer to buy BMI from Lufthansa? IAG (British Airways) or Virgin Atlantic? I hope I get to keep my BMI frequent flyer points. Ideally, BA will trade me a silver BA membership for my recently-earned silver BMI membeship. Fingers crossed.
12 October 2011
Mallorca
As you will have realised by now, I have been terrible in the last year or two at keeping this blog up-to-date. On the weekend I went with some friends to the island of Mallorca (Majorca) and luckily for me, one of those friends wrote an excellent blog post about the trip which I am going to simply link to. Here it is.
20 September 2011
Septuple Dutch
No, I’m not speaking Double Dutch. It’s just a play on the fact I’ve just come back from my seventh time to the Netherlands. My seventh time to Amsterdam. I do love the city, but that’s not why I’ve been seven times.
I’m not that crazy about it. Each visit has been for its own unique reason.
The first time I went to Amsterdam was back in 2006, when I first came to Europe. It was one of my first European destinations and I was excited to go there. I went with PP Travel – the party professionals! It was for a long weekend and great fun.
The second time was during the summer of 2006, as a stopover on a Paddywagon bus tour from London to Munich for the World Cup soccer game between Australia and Brazil.
The third time was in January 2009, a weekend for a mate’s 30th. Amsterdam is a great city for a boys’ weekend!
My fourth time to the Netherlands was in October 2010. I had spent a weekend in Krakow, Poland with some friends, and on the Sunday night needed to be in The Hague, in the Netherlands, for a work conference. So I flew from Krakow to Prague to Amsterdam, and then caught a train from Schipol (Amsterdam’s airport) to Rotterdam, and then another one to “Den Haag”. After spending a few days in the Hague, one of my colleagues and I headed to Amsterdam for some meetings, staying at the curious Hotel De Filosoof. I was in the ancient Greek room, while my colleague was in the Japan room.
My fifth time to the Netherlands, earlier this year, was with the same friends with which I went to Krakow. They were spending a week in Amsterdam and I went to visit them for a weekend. We even managed a side trip to Groningen, a small city in eastern Netherlands, to visit some friends who we met on the Krakow trip.
My recent sixth trip to Amsterdam was a quick overnighter. It was a last minute work trip: I booked the flight at 4pm and at 7pm I was taking off from London City Airport. I stayed the night at the very interesting CitizenM hotel at the airport, and at 10am the next morning was on my way back to London. Luckily I did have time to wander into town in between.
Yesterday was my seventh time to Amsterdam, and just a quick day trip for some work meetings with potential clients, and a visit to my company’s Dutch office.
So, after seven visits to the Amsterdam, what do I like about the city? Well, I’ll name seven things, in no particular order:
- The Architecture. Amsterdam’s unique narrow but tall, red, slightly crooked buildings lining a vast network of canals gives the city an instantly recognisable scene.
- The coffee shops provide a unique experience.
- The red light district. Amsterdam is a beautiful and friendly city, not the sleazy and drug infested town that it’s sometimes made out to be. But the red light district is definitely worth a stroll at night. Window shopping for beautiful, young women (as well as some rather disturbing ones!) can provide an interesting cultural experience.
- The bakeries. Sweet and savoury snacks looking fresh and delicious on many a street corner.
- Febo. A fast food chain where you buy the food from vending machines by inserting coins in the slot. It is all fresh though, because on the other side of the wall are chefs putting in fresh burgers and croquettes.
- Dutch girls. They are tall and attractive!
- Dutch people’s amazing use of the English language. Of all the places in Europe to not have to worry about the language barrier, this is the one. Sure, it’s nice trying out a different language here and there but in Amsterdam you don’t have to worry about the stress of not being able to communicate. Everyone seems to be able to speak English, which means you have a better chance of understanding the locals than in some places in the UK like, say, Belfast, Glasgow or Liverpool. Even at Schipol airport, most of the signs are primarily in English, sometimes with a Dutch translation underneath.
08 August 2011
Violence and Looting in London
A rather different travel blog post tonight!
This has certainly been one of the most interesting, and somewhat scary, moments of my time away from Australia.
On Saturday night there was a bit of rioting in the North London area of Tottenham. I didn't pay much attention to it. It is a rough area, and I didn't think much more of it.
On Sunday I had breakfast with friends in Brixton. The area was just gearing up to have a street festival. It ended that day in looting in the area.
Today is Monday. This evening various looting, rioting and violence has spread all over London. I've just put together a map showing some of the epicentres where this has taken place (in red) compared to where I live (in green).
View London Riots in a larger map
Buildings on fire. Shops ransacked. Buses burned. Police attacked.
I went shopping in Clapham Junction on Sunday. Now I hear the book store is the only shop that hasn't been looted.
Apparently there are not enough police to tackle it all.
And now it is spreading to Camden and Tower Bridge areas.
Interesting times in London. Tomorrow after work I fly to Budapest.
This has certainly been one of the most interesting, and somewhat scary, moments of my time away from Australia.
On Saturday night there was a bit of rioting in the North London area of Tottenham. I didn't pay much attention to it. It is a rough area, and I didn't think much more of it.
On Sunday I had breakfast with friends in Brixton. The area was just gearing up to have a street festival. It ended that day in looting in the area.
Today is Monday. This evening various looting, rioting and violence has spread all over London. I've just put together a map showing some of the epicentres where this has taken place (in red) compared to where I live (in green).
View London Riots in a larger map
Buildings on fire. Shops ransacked. Buses burned. Police attacked.
I went shopping in Clapham Junction on Sunday. Now I hear the book store is the only shop that hasn't been looted.
Apparently there are not enough police to tackle it all.
And now it is spreading to Camden and Tower Bridge areas.
Interesting times in London. Tomorrow after work I fly to Budapest.
01 July 2011
A crazy fortnight of travel: Belfast, Ibiza and Oslo
I have had a busy couple of weeks.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Last week I started the work week in Belfast. I went on the Sunday morning (after a big day at Royal Ascot and an even bigger night out in Putney) to do some sightseeing and stayed for the Monday and Tuesday for work meetings. It was an interesting time to be there, with the worst violence in 10 years erupting during my stay. See my post on Belfast here.
I came home on Tuesday night and had a few nights at home. On Thursday night I packed my things again, and on Friday headed off to work. After work I joined some friends at the London Zoo for a late night opening, and headed down to Gatwick Airport for another trip away. I was going to Ibiza, for a very short time, and it went a little something like this:
SPAIN
Friday
21:30 - Arrive at Gatwick and check in. Find out there's nothing to do at Gatwick at this time of the night, and nowhere to buy food, as everything is already closed!
22:30 - Flight takes off from London Gatwick
Saturday
01:30 - Flight lands on the Spanish island of Ibiza. I am all ready to catch a taxi to the other side of the island and withdraw plenty of Euros to cover it. Then I realise there is a bus that can get me there for about €4.
02:30 - I figure out what bus stop to get off at and find my way to the hotel, which is in the middle of nowhere, both thanks to Google Maps the GPS on my Blackberry.
03:00 - I am way too tired (and alone) to see the Ibiza night-life, and anyway I'm in the middle of nowhere, so I go to sleep.
11:00 - I wake up in Ibiza, refreshed. I wander around the San Antonio and realise I'm not far from some nice beaches, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. I walk all the way to the San Antonio city centre and eat breakfast on a rocky beach in a small hidden-away cove. I enjoy wandering around San Antonio. The place has clear blue water, and is buzzing with life. I'm a little put off by the vast majority of Brits, some very trashy, and the full English breakfasts advertised at every restaurant and bar.
21:00 - I'm waiting for my friends to arrive from London. I have dinner at a beach-side bar enjoying the sunset. I have some beers from some bars on the way back to the hotel.
Sunday
00:30 - My friends finally arrive at the hotel, having just flown in from London. We don't waste any time. We head out to various bars and club. Our first drink is, sensibly, a vodka and Red Bull. Each one is made in a pint glass, with about a triple shot of vodka and a full can of Red Bull. It costs €5.
06:00 - We've been to a few places and even played 2 rounds of drunk bumper cars. , We haven't made it to any of the megaclubs. We stumble out of a Scottish pub. It is broad daylight, we are drunk, and one of my friends can't stand. I decide to try to flag down a taxi.
06:20 - I haven't succeeded in getting a taxi. I realise there is a taxi rank, so we go and (attempt to) stand in the long queue.
06:21 - We are rescued by a "taxi driver" who offers to take us home for €25. He's not a real taxi driver. I look at my friend who is barely standing. I negotiate the price down to €20 and he takes us to the hotel.
11:30 - I wake up, shower, pack and check out of the hotel.
12:00 - I knock on my friends door and sleep on their couch for another 3 hours.
15:00 - One of my friends and I head down to a beach-side bar, eat lunch, and go to the beach.
18:00 - We return to the hotel to get our other friend, go swimming in the pool and get ready for dinner.
21:00 - We eat dinner at the same beachside bar I went to yesterday, enjoying the sunset.
22:00 - We have a few final drinks at some of the pubs and bars, as I'm about to head back to the airport, after about 48 hours in Ibiza. My friends are staying on for a few more days.
Monday
12:30 - I'm back at the hotel, and luckily the reception guy manages to get me a taxi despite it being a busy night with everyone heading out.
01:15 - I'm at the airport with plenty of time to get my 2:30 flight. I'm too afraid to have a nap in case I miss my flight!
02:30 - My flight departs Ibiza and I am asleep before take-off
03:30 - My flight lands at Gatwick. The next train back to the city is at 4:30. But that will get me to work too early to get into the office. So I decide to catch the 5am service. I try to find somewhere to have a nap in the arrivals terminal. All the seats are taken. People are sleeping on the floor but I don't feel like it. I eventually find some seats in the train station, but all the one without armrests are taken. I uncomfortably doze on 3 seats, sleeping around and atop of the armrests.
05:00 - I catch my train back to London. It is already really sunny and warm so I find it hard to sleep.
05:45 - I arrive in the city. I can't get into my work building. I go to McDonald's for breakfast.
06:15 - I manage to get into work, have a shower, and go to have a nap at my desk.
08:00 - One of my colleagues catches me sleeping at my desk. I decide to wake up and proceed with my work day.
By the time I finished finished on Monday night, at about 7pm due to a long meeting, I was feeling absolutely ruined. It was a hot day in London and all I wanted to do was get home. I walked to Cannon Street station but the trains weren't running. I want to the steaming hot Bank underground station, and caught a DLR home. By the time I got home, I just wanted to sleep. But I had to unpack from Ibiza and pack for Oslo. I was heading to Norway the next day for work!
NORWAY
I had Tuesday morning in the office, and at lunch time headed to Paddington station for the Heathrow Express. Storms were brewing in London at this time, and by the time I got to Paddington, there were no trains running, because lightning hit some power lines or signal boxes. I caught a few tubes and ended up at Heathrow, luckily in good time. I waited and waited for my flight to board, which ended up being delayed. I eventually made it to Oslo. Landing at Oslo airport was amazing, watching the fjords on the approach in the "late afternoon" (9:30pm) sunshine! The Flytoget express train from the airport to the city wasn't running, so I had to combine a train and replacement bus, and then walk, to get to my destination. What a journey it had been that day!
I got to my hotel at 11pm and it was still quite bright. I had some dinner and went to bed. I was nursing a cold I think I managed to get partly thanks to my lack of sleep on Sunday night.
On Wednesday I spent the day with a client and then walked around Oslo. It was a warm, sunny day, perfect for a sightseeing stroll around the city. Oslo is a picturesque capital. It is spacious and in true Scandinavian style, with neat buildings, plenty of parkland and views across the Oslo fjord.
The next morning I got up at 4:50am, in time to get the 5:45 replacement bus to the train station to get me to the airport. By 9:30 I was back at London Heathrow and at 10:30 back in my office.
CONCLUSION
It has been a tiring couple of weeks but overall I love my life. Most of the last 5 years have been spent living in London, travelling Europe and the rest of the world, whether it be for business or pleasure. It is a great opportunity and I am thankful that my life has allowed me to do that.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Last week I started the work week in Belfast. I went on the Sunday morning (after a big day at Royal Ascot and an even bigger night out in Putney) to do some sightseeing and stayed for the Monday and Tuesday for work meetings. It was an interesting time to be there, with the worst violence in 10 years erupting during my stay. See my post on Belfast here.
I came home on Tuesday night and had a few nights at home. On Thursday night I packed my things again, and on Friday headed off to work. After work I joined some friends at the London Zoo for a late night opening, and headed down to Gatwick Airport for another trip away. I was going to Ibiza, for a very short time, and it went a little something like this:
SPAIN
Friday
21:30 - Arrive at Gatwick and check in. Find out there's nothing to do at Gatwick at this time of the night, and nowhere to buy food, as everything is already closed!
22:30 - Flight takes off from London Gatwick
Saturday
01:30 - Flight lands on the Spanish island of Ibiza. I am all ready to catch a taxi to the other side of the island and withdraw plenty of Euros to cover it. Then I realise there is a bus that can get me there for about €4.
02:30 - I figure out what bus stop to get off at and find my way to the hotel, which is in the middle of nowhere, both thanks to Google Maps the GPS on my Blackberry.
03:00 - I am way too tired (and alone) to see the Ibiza night-life, and anyway I'm in the middle of nowhere, so I go to sleep.
11:00 - I wake up in Ibiza, refreshed. I wander around the San Antonio and realise I'm not far from some nice beaches, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. I walk all the way to the San Antonio city centre and eat breakfast on a rocky beach in a small hidden-away cove. I enjoy wandering around San Antonio. The place has clear blue water, and is buzzing with life. I'm a little put off by the vast majority of Brits, some very trashy, and the full English breakfasts advertised at every restaurant and bar.
21:00 - I'm waiting for my friends to arrive from London. I have dinner at a beach-side bar enjoying the sunset. I have some beers from some bars on the way back to the hotel.
Sunday
00:30 - My friends finally arrive at the hotel, having just flown in from London. We don't waste any time. We head out to various bars and club. Our first drink is, sensibly, a vodka and Red Bull. Each one is made in a pint glass, with about a triple shot of vodka and a full can of Red Bull. It costs €5.
06:00 - We've been to a few places and even played 2 rounds of drunk bumper cars. , We haven't made it to any of the megaclubs. We stumble out of a Scottish pub. It is broad daylight, we are drunk, and one of my friends can't stand. I decide to try to flag down a taxi.
06:20 - I haven't succeeded in getting a taxi. I realise there is a taxi rank, so we go and (attempt to) stand in the long queue.
06:21 - We are rescued by a "taxi driver" who offers to take us home for €25. He's not a real taxi driver. I look at my friend who is barely standing. I negotiate the price down to €20 and he takes us to the hotel.
11:30 - I wake up, shower, pack and check out of the hotel.
12:00 - I knock on my friends door and sleep on their couch for another 3 hours.
15:00 - One of my friends and I head down to a beach-side bar, eat lunch, and go to the beach.
18:00 - We return to the hotel to get our other friend, go swimming in the pool and get ready for dinner.
21:00 - We eat dinner at the same beachside bar I went to yesterday, enjoying the sunset.
22:00 - We have a few final drinks at some of the pubs and bars, as I'm about to head back to the airport, after about 48 hours in Ibiza. My friends are staying on for a few more days.
Monday
12:30 - I'm back at the hotel, and luckily the reception guy manages to get me a taxi despite it being a busy night with everyone heading out.
01:15 - I'm at the airport with plenty of time to get my 2:30 flight. I'm too afraid to have a nap in case I miss my flight!
02:30 - My flight departs Ibiza and I am asleep before take-off
03:30 - My flight lands at Gatwick. The next train back to the city is at 4:30. But that will get me to work too early to get into the office. So I decide to catch the 5am service. I try to find somewhere to have a nap in the arrivals terminal. All the seats are taken. People are sleeping on the floor but I don't feel like it. I eventually find some seats in the train station, but all the one without armrests are taken. I uncomfortably doze on 3 seats, sleeping around and atop of the armrests.
05:00 - I catch my train back to London. It is already really sunny and warm so I find it hard to sleep.
05:45 - I arrive in the city. I can't get into my work building. I go to McDonald's for breakfast.
06:15 - I manage to get into work, have a shower, and go to have a nap at my desk.
08:00 - One of my colleagues catches me sleeping at my desk. I decide to wake up and proceed with my work day.
By the time I finished finished on Monday night, at about 7pm due to a long meeting, I was feeling absolutely ruined. It was a hot day in London and all I wanted to do was get home. I walked to Cannon Street station but the trains weren't running. I want to the steaming hot Bank underground station, and caught a DLR home. By the time I got home, I just wanted to sleep. But I had to unpack from Ibiza and pack for Oslo. I was heading to Norway the next day for work!
NORWAY
I had Tuesday morning in the office, and at lunch time headed to Paddington station for the Heathrow Express. Storms were brewing in London at this time, and by the time I got to Paddington, there were no trains running, because lightning hit some power lines or signal boxes. I caught a few tubes and ended up at Heathrow, luckily in good time. I waited and waited for my flight to board, which ended up being delayed. I eventually made it to Oslo. Landing at Oslo airport was amazing, watching the fjords on the approach in the "late afternoon" (9:30pm) sunshine! The Flytoget express train from the airport to the city wasn't running, so I had to combine a train and replacement bus, and then walk, to get to my destination. What a journey it had been that day!
I got to my hotel at 11pm and it was still quite bright. I had some dinner and went to bed. I was nursing a cold I think I managed to get partly thanks to my lack of sleep on Sunday night.
On Wednesday I spent the day with a client and then walked around Oslo. It was a warm, sunny day, perfect for a sightseeing stroll around the city. Oslo is a picturesque capital. It is spacious and in true Scandinavian style, with neat buildings, plenty of parkland and views across the Oslo fjord.
The next morning I got up at 4:50am, in time to get the 5:45 replacement bus to the train station to get me to the airport. By 9:30 I was back at London Heathrow and at 10:30 back in my office.
CONCLUSION
It has been a tiring couple of weeks but overall I love my life. Most of the last 5 years have been spent living in London, travelling Europe and the rest of the world, whether it be for business or pleasure. It is a great opportunity and I am thankful that my life has allowed me to do that.
21 June 2011
Return to Belfast
I am in Belfast on a business trip. I have been to Northern Ireland before, back in 2006 when I did a week-long Paddywagon tour all over Ireland. I found the whole thing very interesting, seeing ongoing evidence of The Troubles.
Things haven't changed much. Just last night, in East Belfast, there was rioting caused by the Ultser Volunteer Force (paramilitary protestant loyalists) attacking Cathlic homes in the area. Two people were shot. At lunch time I went for a walk around South Belfast. Only a few minutes from the office I was passing murals on the walls of residential buildings, paying homage to UVF "battalions" and loyalist heroes of the past, while British union flags line the streets. Had I been a few suburbs over, I am sure I would have seen the republican equivalent, with references to the IRA.
They say the peace process has calmed things, and I believe it has, though there is still tension in the city. I read this morning that there are more walls going up between Catholic and protestant neighbourhoods than there are coming down.
The city centre, on the other hand, is newly developed, clean and peaceful. I stayed at the Hilton which is right next to a modern waterfront concert hall. I went shopping in an impressive, contemporary shopping centre under a huge glass bowl at Victoria square.
I wonder about life in Belfast. I understand pay to be quite low here, but the cost of living seems comparable to London. I am sure property prices are much lower, though day-to-day costs are the same as the rest of the UK. Life must be reasonably tough for people trying to make a living here. But hey, could be worse. They could be paying six Euros for a pint like their neighbours in Dublin are!
Things haven't changed much. Just last night, in East Belfast, there was rioting caused by the Ultser Volunteer Force (paramilitary protestant loyalists) attacking Cathlic homes in the area. Two people were shot. At lunch time I went for a walk around South Belfast. Only a few minutes from the office I was passing murals on the walls of residential buildings, paying homage to UVF "battalions" and loyalist heroes of the past, while British union flags line the streets. Had I been a few suburbs over, I am sure I would have seen the republican equivalent, with references to the IRA.
They say the peace process has calmed things, and I believe it has, though there is still tension in the city. I read this morning that there are more walls going up between Catholic and protestant neighbourhoods than there are coming down.
The city centre, on the other hand, is newly developed, clean and peaceful. I stayed at the Hilton which is right next to a modern waterfront concert hall. I went shopping in an impressive, contemporary shopping centre under a huge glass bowl at Victoria square.
I wonder about life in Belfast. I understand pay to be quite low here, but the cost of living seems comparable to London. I am sure property prices are much lower, though day-to-day costs are the same as the rest of the UK. Life must be reasonably tough for people trying to make a living here. But hey, could be worse. They could be paying six Euros for a pint like their neighbours in Dublin are!
18 June 2011
I suck
I suck. I have not posted since March! Have I travelled in that time? Hell yes!
Some of the places I have been to since March:
Some of the places I have been to since March:
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Estonia
- Germany
Germany was Tuesday and Wednesday last week. I flew back on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning headed down to the Isle of Wight for the Isle of Wight Festival. I came back from that this Monday night, and have been out every night this week. It is now Friday night and tomorrow I am off to Ascot for the Royal Ascot horse races. Then on Sunday I am off to Belfast for work. I have not yet had a chance to fully unpack all my muddy stuff from the festival. This is a reflection of my busy (but admittedly awesome) life lately.
I will try to catch up on posts some time soon! Hang in there.
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