Another day done...
We've finally made it back to the apartment for a dinner together. That last two night our partner was in the office, so we've gone out for dinner both nights. We had a great time. Unforturnately I wasn't able to bring my camera (it's just too nerdy around the partner). But it was a beautifully clear day from begining to end.
This morning I took some picture off the balcony when the sun was still low. After that I packed my camera in my bag, my intention was to get a couple of shot of the sandwich place we have lunch at near Exchange Tower. I didn't get any photos since we went somewhere else for lunch for the first time, but tomorrow will be my day.
However my first idea didn't materialze, but after staying late for a conference call back to the US I was able to snap some photos. It was a pefectly clear night. A nice bright blue sky. Now I took 90 or so photos, but I made the mistake of having my kit lens on the camera. I should have went with the faster prime lens, but I didn't, now I'm paying the price.
Take a look and let me know, some are not perfect, but they're not too bad.
I've been working in a cramped conference room for the week. Slightly annoying, but that is what makes fieldwork, fieldwork.
Stay tuned, I'm planning on going out for a big photo night tomorrow. I think I got Brian hooked a bit, so we both may go out for photos.
Finally!
As Dave noted in a comment, the story is only half done, so here it is...
After the guy at the Aviance counter tell me that my bag will make out to western Ireland tomorrow and that they'll call me sometime that night when my bag arrives. No call was made, in hind sight I should have been more worried, but I wasn't.
I spend the next two days in Mayo, enjoying the scenery, visiting a museum on rural Irish life. I took a bunch of photos of the museum grounds, flower gardens, etc. It was a good day. We returned to the house where I had chance to visit Bert and Val, the couple who have been hosting Bethany in Ireland. After diner we Bert opened a bottle of wine, and a bottle of 12 yr Black Label. So it was a good night. It helped create the mini-vacation I was looking for.
To earn my keep, I tried to solve some computer problems. Both Bethany and Bert were having problems with the sound on they're laptops. Bert's was fairly straight forward; he was running in to problems trying to play multi-region DVDs, particularly American DVDs. This become a big problem when you need to play a DVD as part of presentation in few days. So my solution was not the most creative, but I think it is effective. We downloaded a multi-region DVD software. We had two choices a free, open source solution or a $39 solution. We tried the free one first and it worked. So that was to the good news, too bad it took until 1 AM to finish the project.
Now it Friday, I still haven't received my luggage or a phone call. It still hasn't concerned me a lot since I was going back to Dublin to catch a plane to Manchester. After this experience I have decided for future visits to Ireland I'm flying into Belfast and not Dublin.
I drove back to Dublin after a relaxing morning showing off my photos of Froberg's wedding. I had enough money to pay for my tolls and I drove to Dublin with out incident. Well, almost no incidents. After sitting in Dublin traffic and killing the car a few times (damn manual transmissions) a kind driver pointed to my tire screaming some thing. I had no idea what, so I worried about a leaking tire, which I thought I would have noticed. After arrived at the airport (with out further incident) I noticed that my hub cap was loose (thanks to Europcar for zip tying the cap to the wheel.)
Trouble Brews I checked in for my flight on Aer Lingus, which was easier with one less bag. Then I walked over to the BA (British Airways) counter to get assistance with my bag. The lady behind the counter after the standard ignored phone call to Aviance baggage walked me through security to the baggage area. But this is where the BA help ends, she puts me in line amongst a plane full of lost luggage and angry passengers looking for their bags.
At this point I have two hours until my flight leaves, which is a good amount of time, but with how slow Aviance works I don't know if a day would be enough time. So I circumvented the system and grabbed a lady from the back office to help me. I tell her I NEED my bag, I'm getting on a flight to Manchester and I have to have my luggage to go to work.
Now this is start of the real fustrations, giving my lost bag number, the reference to my file in the system. I'm sure the system works well when utilized, but as the story continues you'll see that no one has trained the people working in Dublin.
So I give here my reference number (DUBBA10002, a number I will remember forever), she said it arrived on a flight Wednesday night at 6PM. "Ok, great" I said, "now where is my bag since it hasn't been delivered?" At that point I follow here to corners and backrooms with easily over 200 pieces of luggage that have been lost, by Aviance. After searching the entire airport we can't find my bag. So it must still be at Gatwick airport in London. WONDERFUL!
"Well since we don't have it, the best I can do is send another request for the bag to be sent to Dublin," she said. So I had to explain again that I wouldn't be in Ireland I'M GOING TO MANCHESTER! "Oh, ok, do you have an address in Manchester?" Oh boy this will suck. I gave them my hotel address and they gave me the direct number to their office in the airport.
I've given up, the bag is not in the country I'm in, but the one I'm going to, and it still has to go to Dublin and can't go directly to Manchester. I get on my flight for Aer Lingus. A nice easy short hop to Manchester I sleep for most of it. Hop on a bus and back through Her Majesty's Customs.
In ManchesterI find an ATM, get some cash (in pounds) and find the best way to the Hotel. Now I should have taken a taxi, but for some reason I go with the train system. I do like public tranportation, but I'm not in a good mood and I should have recognized that. After two trains and about 5 quid, I made it to Salford Quays (pronounced like keys). Luckily there is a giant glowing sign for "Express by Holiday Inn."
So I walk a few blocks to the hotel. As luck would have it the lobby is completely under construction, ugh! I get me room key hop into a tiny elevator and walk to my room after a u-turn or two. Damn! A tiny room. I didn't expect smaller room even though I should know better. I'm really not happy now. I tried to get on internet to finally check email, nope no free internet. I decided to not deal with anything else Friday night. I really wanted to back in Mayo, the country life.
After a good night sleep I set up the nearly 30GBP wireless connection posted my pictures to
Flickr. I also found the cool movie a guy made of his visit to Mayo. All of it just made me want to back, but I couldn't. I played around while longer and then all of a sudden a call on the hotel phone! It was Aviance, "we have your bag in Dublin and it will be on a flight to Manchester tonight." The day came and went, no bag, no phone calls. In this brief moment of happiness I went to see the United footballers take on the Spurs.
Sunday rolls around I make more phone calls, to Dublin, no help, hotel front desk, no bag, Manchester airport, no one even answers the phone! Desperate time call for desperate measures, I'm decided to goto Manchester airport to investigate the issue personally. This is not fun, a light rail ride, to the train station, then to the airport, but I go.
After a very annoying bus ride (the rail line was broken) I'm at the airport. I try to find Aer Lingus, who should have flown my bag over the previous night. They don't have a counter or baggage check it. GREAT! I find their representative, and they are know help. They send me to the baggage area in Terminal 3 to find some one from OCS.
I can't even find terminal 3 for 20 minutes because the airport is a madhouse. ONE line for security is atleast a football field long. After finding it find a guy with OCS letters on his vest and quiz him about my bag. Again after about a dozen phone calls of giving my reference number, I give it again. Again, I hear the same response, it flew in to Dublin on Wednesday night, it's there. So again I go through the entire story again.
As I'm waiting for some one else I call Avaince in Dublin again. I finally lose it when he asked is it a red garment bag. "What! It is black, BLACK, a rolling garment bag! I told you that last week! A BLACK GARMENT BAG!" He says he'll go check on it an give me a call back, the third time I was promised a call back, and I still hadn't received one.
After talking with a British Airways rep, who was actually helpful, I left the airport with 135GBP reimbursement promise from BA so I can get some clothes for the week. Now 135 pounds isn't bad, but come-on. Where am I going get enough for the week with 135GBP??
No Choice, Dirty Clothes TimeI've resigned to the fact I'm going to have to wear the same clothes I spent 30+ hours in flying right after work to Dublin and driving to Mayo. This will be fun. I do it I send everything else to the cleaners. Luckily everyone at Centrefile in Manchester was easy to talk to and very sympathetic to my plight. Also I was luck enough to have the nicest outlet mall I've seen between the hotel and the client's office.
So I searched high and low, to find if that have big and talk shirts somewhere in Salford. After three tries they did, I found a place called "Suits You" that had a 21" neck shirt. I thought I was saved, but no. The neck fit but the body didn't. DAMN! Since every real big and tall place closes by 5:30, I was S.O.L.
Most of Monday I was playing phone tag with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Manchester Airport Switchboard, OCS in Manchester and London, and Aviance in Dublin between meeting for the audit. At one point the switchboard operator told me that Lisa from BA was on break, but he told her an American chap was calling that she would call me back. Now he didn't know my name, it was that obvious to her that it was me. Of course she called back Monday afternoon, the one time I wasn't with my phone.
Tuesday rolls around and I'm forced to wear the a polo, which is really something I don't like to do. I planned my day to end early to go shopping in Eccles to a big and tall place, but before I could cement my plans I got the call from Lisa, my bags were in Manchester and she was having them delievered. I threw up may hands in excietment, FINALLY! Mission Accomplished! Not really, when I got to the hotel, my bag wasn't there! After a couple of hours a knock at the door, finally there it was... my luggage.
Enough!
I haven't really updated about my trip so far, but after a call with a coworker tonight I figured that I should do so.
It all started a week ago when I flew out from Minneapolis after a day of work in Minneapolis. I work all weekend on trying get the right packing set up. I started with on big bag from my parents, but I thought it was too risky. With on lost bag I would be out of luck.
So I went out and bought a new rolling garment bag for my dress clothes. I then used my standard roll-on bag for my casual clothes for Ireland and the weekend. That with my new back-pack for my camera equipment and random stuff would go on the plane as carry-on luggage.
The flight progressed with out any incidents excepting me only sleeping for and hour and a baby throwing up as we were landing all over the isle I had to walk through. I 'm not a quesy person, but imagine sitting on the tarmac at Gatwick Airport with no more air conditioning and the stench slowly working its way down the plane. Not fun.
We finally get off the plane. We wander all over the airport to check in for our international flight. I'm not sure where to go next, but I find a person from the airport and he directs me to another terminal. I work around many people who have never used a self-checkin terminal.
As I enter the security line a British Airways (BA) person let me know that neither my roll-on nor my backpack will fit with in the new requirements for BA carry on sizes. What the hell?! Did the British swap out their entire fleet of 737s, A320s, et al for Saab Turbo props? Why? It doesn't do any good to argue, so I check by carry-on bags, transfer my camera to a flimsy plastic bag and go through security.
I'm slightly worried that my laptop will be destroyed or lost along with my plan to have a back up set of clothes. But hey, I was in the land where people talk funny, but I can still understand them (for the most part). I've got my camera and my wallet, I can still make it to Co. Mayo for some pictures and buy clothes in necessary. Remember this: my luggage has just been lost, I just didn't know it yet. The announce over the intercom that we have so switch planes for some reason, from gate 55D to 55E. The thought crept in to my mind would my carry-on bags make it on the plane?
(Unbelieveable, I'm watching the Vikings, right now, and they're winning 6-0!)
It was an uneventful flight to Dublin. I got some sleep on the plane, but not much since it was only a 50 min. flight. Another side note; I can almost sleep through take off and landings, only the wheels touching or leaving the ground wake me up. I get to Dublin and through another passport check to the luggage carosel.
I start to worry about my carry-on luggage, did it make it??? After many passes and half of plane getting their luggage, I finally got my carry-on luggage. But i just wait and wait for my gament bag. Wait a little longer, the off to the lost luggage counter.
Here is where it gets interesting. I go the Aviance counter. Aviace is the baggage handler for BA. I'm first in line and understand what should happen, I make the point that the bag needs to go out West and i can wait all night for my bag. Not a problem it is on a flight tonight and will make it out to Ballycatle tomorrow afternoon. Ok, I say, not a problem, just note I'll only be there until Friday.
When the Spurs Go Marching In!
Tonight I was able to get a ticket at Old Tratford, the home of Manchester United, in the vistors section. I was able to sit and cheer and sing with other Spurs fans. I had a great time, it would have been even better if I would have known all of the cheers and songs, but I was able to particpate in a few.
The funniest thing I noticed that you have to cheer togother to really feel it and for me that ment singing with a very English accent. It wouldn't be a big deal except when they sang "When the Spurs go Marching In" to, you gessed it, "When the Saints Go Marching In." It feels really weird to sing it with no g's.
I sat with 5,000 Spurs fans out of 70,000 Man U fans and I'm pretty sure we out sang them. I couldn't imagine if the Vikings fans developend a set of songs it would turn the Dome from loud to DEAFENING.
It would be easy to say that I'm hooked. The best place to enjoy a game is in the stands. Tomorrow Aston Villa and West Ham are playing in the afternoon, I'm going to try a pub or two to see what the atmosphere is like. Then I'll try to see if there is a place to watch American Football. What I would like to see is some baseball tomorrow evening, espically the Twins and Tigers. The season could be settled by the time I return on the 24th.
