Last year I went to more countries than I have managed in all my life... thanks basically to my Directors at the company who trust me with customers as well as give me the chance to explore uncharted territories. The main disadvantage of course is that you are there on business, so you cannot really roam about and go places. The advantage however is, you tend to get a bit of local hospitality for free, and since you visit customers, small talk brings in a lot of info you would not normally get if you were visiting !!!
So my last year started off with the knowledge that I was about to go to Japan for a week long really tiring really hectic (3 companies in 5 working days, opposite corners of Japan) trip. Since it was the first such trip for me, the boys sent me to Italy on a little mission a week before, to fill me up on confidence as well as just give me a taste of what to get. I think I mentioned it in a blog, wayyyyyyyyyy back early last year !!! Even had a few videos, and I even brought back LUX as a souveneir... mainly because we get it in Pakistan but not UK... lol !!!
And then came Japan... no book reading or training can prepare you enough for those people. I think they are the most difficult people to deal with in the business world, and its not like they do not try. It is just that they have a very strong cultural set of rules and roots, which they hang on to. Quite good in many ways, but a bit problematic in others. The other thing is, they think that following America is the way to modernism. I have to disagree !!! Anyways, after a week of travelling on planes, trains, bullet trains and cars (:P), I got back.
Following that was Berlin, Germany. Three days there, with an exhibition as well as a chance to roam around Berlin, taking in a bit of the history !!! Saw Charlie's Checkpoint, the Berlin Wall, and a lot of other things. The best part was the fact that we actually drove back from there. Germany has the motorway called Autobaun (or something similiar), which has no speed limits on it!!! How cool is that. A pity that we were driving the company van which would not do much, but I was still able to manage 95 mph !!! The fact that nobody got near meant it was quite an achievement.... Being June it was absolutely beautiful!!! On our way we entered Holland, and had a roam about. Had dinner at an Italian restaurant, which funnily did not serve pastas or pizzas (peeeeeeeetzzzzzaaaaaaaaas), all posh !!! So we had some real posh salmons and other such stuff !!!! One of the best foods I have had on my trips !!!
A month later and I ended up in Japan again. This time more relaxed as it was based in Kawasaki only. But I did experience one of the most fierce earthquakes I had, plus cyclones and twisters. Things were not too good back home too, with floods ruining most of England !!!
That was then followed by Canada in September. Oh how I loved it. Was definitely the best place to visit, mainly because everything is in English !!! They have some real swell seafood restaurants there, and a beautiful sky line!!! They also offer skiing and fishing and what not. I did not get to see the Niagra falls though!!! What a pity !!!
And then was the trip to Belgium via Eurotunnel, and hence France. That was funny because we only spent like 24 hours in the country... and a total of 15 minutes in France. But Belgium was a nice place. Apparently they take pride in beer, as well as flames. I saw a lot of open flames... interesting but funny!!! My hard luck was that anything I ordered came back wrapped in pork... :/... so it had to go back and come back without it!!! Mostly veggies for me on that trip :( !!! But they did have a nice Ice Ring in the city centre. Plus on our way back, we actually stopped over in this place called Tobacco Alley (to us... do not remember the real name), and you can buy cheap ciggarettes there, or stock up on some nice Belgian chocolate, as I did!!!
And that kind of wraps up a planetastic year for me :) !!! I cannot say I know the places I been to real well, but at least that a check on the list !!! LOL !!!
So my last year started off with the knowledge that I was about to go to Japan for a week long really tiring really hectic (3 companies in 5 working days, opposite corners of Japan) trip. Since it was the first such trip for me, the boys sent me to Italy on a little mission a week before, to fill me up on confidence as well as just give me a taste of what to get. I think I mentioned it in a blog, wayyyyyyyyyy back early last year !!! Even had a few videos, and I even brought back LUX as a souveneir... mainly because we get it in Pakistan but not UK... lol !!!
And then came Japan... no book reading or training can prepare you enough for those people. I think they are the most difficult people to deal with in the business world, and its not like they do not try. It is just that they have a very strong cultural set of rules and roots, which they hang on to. Quite good in many ways, but a bit problematic in others. The other thing is, they think that following America is the way to modernism. I have to disagree !!! Anyways, after a week of travelling on planes, trains, bullet trains and cars (:P), I got back.
Following that was Berlin, Germany. Three days there, with an exhibition as well as a chance to roam around Berlin, taking in a bit of the history !!! Saw Charlie's Checkpoint, the Berlin Wall, and a lot of other things. The best part was the fact that we actually drove back from there. Germany has the motorway called Autobaun (or something similiar), which has no speed limits on it!!! How cool is that. A pity that we were driving the company van which would not do much, but I was still able to manage 95 mph !!! The fact that nobody got near meant it was quite an achievement.... Being June it was absolutely beautiful!!! On our way we entered Holland, and had a roam about. Had dinner at an Italian restaurant, which funnily did not serve pastas or pizzas (peeeeeeeetzzzzzaaaaaaaaas), all posh !!! So we had some real posh salmons and other such stuff !!!! One of the best foods I have had on my trips !!!
A month later and I ended up in Japan again. This time more relaxed as it was based in Kawasaki only. But I did experience one of the most fierce earthquakes I had, plus cyclones and twisters. Things were not too good back home too, with floods ruining most of England !!!
That was then followed by Canada in September. Oh how I loved it. Was definitely the best place to visit, mainly because everything is in English !!! They have some real swell seafood restaurants there, and a beautiful sky line!!! They also offer skiing and fishing and what not. I did not get to see the Niagra falls though!!! What a pity !!!
And then was the trip to Belgium via Eurotunnel, and hence France. That was funny because we only spent like 24 hours in the country... and a total of 15 minutes in France. But Belgium was a nice place. Apparently they take pride in beer, as well as flames. I saw a lot of open flames... interesting but funny!!! My hard luck was that anything I ordered came back wrapped in pork... :/... so it had to go back and come back without it!!! Mostly veggies for me on that trip :( !!! But they did have a nice Ice Ring in the city centre. Plus on our way back, we actually stopped over in this place called Tobacco Alley (to us... do not remember the real name), and you can buy cheap ciggarettes there, or stock up on some nice Belgian chocolate, as I did!!!
And that kind of wraps up a planetastic year for me :) !!! I cannot say I know the places I been to real well, but at least that a check on the list !!! LOL !!!
2 comments:
mmm well,being in those countries does allow you to update your facbeook "where have i been map" :P lol and then it's also about, "been there done that" =D
i realli want to go to italy.. but then again there are loads of places i want to go, japan being another one =D
luxxx!!! aaaah, lol!! reminds me of that ali zafar song :P lol with those 3 models and all !
and yes about japan, true i have heard that they have a very strong culture! i know this one phrase in japanese which is "hajji ma-mamshtey" which apparently means nice meeting you =P
lol my mum went japan and she got a kimono =D lol i\d love to gt one of those! BUT when i go thea myself inshAllah!
erm germany i havent exactly been in germany, but i have been to the german mountains :P i went to austria, and from there we went to these mountains, dont rememeber which ones and they were like a border between germnay and austria./. so i did step into germany :P lol i also recived a text from o2, saying welcome to germany , calls in europe are blah blah blah :P
i would want to go to holland, i have heard they have a wodnerful flower festival thing there!!
canada!? you never got around to getting me my hoodie did u!?:P
lol
and as for belgium!? we were gonna go thea on our way back from paris (when returning from my 16th bday waali trip :P)
actually we werent gonna go go on our own, lol we went by euro tunnel as well.. and the signage when coming to london from frnace is reallllllli bad! and i mean it ,it's in french! no english! and we almost toook the exit for belgium lol, but we managed to escape that cus we stopped at htis petrol pump and this guy, bless him! toook us all the way to the place where you actually go in for train and all!!
so yeah.. indeeed you had a fantastic year =D and hopefully, inshAllah! u'll gt around to visit these places in detail! =]
well... japan... hmmm... its an interesting place... but the japanese people seem to love the RUSH rush rush life... workin late... waking early... always in a hurry... spoils the joy of an overall wonderful culture... also i think there is formin a confusion there between their culture and the whole concept of WESTERNIZATION... so... yea... enjoy :P !!! i kno very lil japanese... a few basic words... and its def not even enuff to order a sandwich... lol !!!
but yea... germany i did actually spend teh day around berlin so can say saw most of that... lol... baqee belgium is a nice place... laid back people and all... you see a lotta open flames... which u neva see in uk... lol... so its all cool...
yea... good guy u met there... that place is called calais... which is the french end of the tunnel... our end is at folkestone if i rem it correctly... followed by the scary m25 :( !!! lol...
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