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back from paris - again
May. 1st, 2004 06:58 amok, i'm back from paris. and since this was a business trip, it didn't matter too much whether i was in paris, france or cleveland, ohio. got a lot of good database design done despite the constant grating email comments of my bosses about "when you're not busy at the swanky nightclub" or "if you have time before your five course dinner". i worked 12-13 hour days the whole time i was there because i'd go to work at 8am paris time - work with my colleague on our db design, then about 1pm paris time the east coast of the US would wake up and from then until i left at 7 or 8 paris time, they'd all be wanting me to do my regular US job during regular US hours. it was a productive trip, and expensive trip, but not a fun trip.
most fun was sending some email from paris to the 12 year old son of a friend of ours who is doing a social studies report on paris. i got to tell him things that you don't find in books or on the internet. like that in french hotels they don't give you a washcloth - because a washcloth is too personal for more than one person to use, kind of like we feel about a toothbrush. or that most of the parks in paris have little areas fenced off with hedges or fences made of solid wooden pikes, and filled with sand with a couple of wooden pikes in the center - for the dogs to use so they don't mess up the rest of the park. or that the french don't buy a loaf of sliced bread like Americans do and use it a slice at a time until it's gone. supermarkets, and there are a few, don't even SELL bread. bread is brought daily at a bakery. or showercurtains. lots of nice tiled showers, but showercurtains just don't exist in french hotels.
if you're thinking of upgrading to business class on a 767, for the most part, don't bother. i'm a very wide person, and i like to upgrade to get the wider seats. but on a 767 the business class seats aren't any wider (although they do have foot rests) and they have solid sides on both sides so even if there's no one next to you you can't flip up the arm rest and have a wider area. the meals were better in business, but on reflection it wasn't worth the 30,000 miles.
most fun was sending some email from paris to the 12 year old son of a friend of ours who is doing a social studies report on paris. i got to tell him things that you don't find in books or on the internet. like that in french hotels they don't give you a washcloth - because a washcloth is too personal for more than one person to use, kind of like we feel about a toothbrush. or that most of the parks in paris have little areas fenced off with hedges or fences made of solid wooden pikes, and filled with sand with a couple of wooden pikes in the center - for the dogs to use so they don't mess up the rest of the park. or that the french don't buy a loaf of sliced bread like Americans do and use it a slice at a time until it's gone. supermarkets, and there are a few, don't even SELL bread. bread is brought daily at a bakery. or showercurtains. lots of nice tiled showers, but showercurtains just don't exist in french hotels.
if you're thinking of upgrading to business class on a 767, for the most part, don't bother. i'm a very wide person, and i like to upgrade to get the wider seats. but on a 767 the business class seats aren't any wider (although they do have foot rests) and they have solid sides on both sides so even if there's no one next to you you can't flip up the arm rest and have a wider area. the meals were better in business, but on reflection it wasn't worth the 30,000 miles.
