Good Morning,
Today I write you from a hotel lobby in Paris. Let me tell you, I am ready to hit the road for several reasons. First, work is complete. Like I have continually said on this blog, its not that the work itself is extremely difficult, but the entire process is quite taxing when you consider the logistical and language barriers you must fight to make it all happen. Let me tell you, it all hasnt been smooth. At least now, as I move forward on my journey, I am the one calling the shots, therefore I have the ability to play Europe my way. Its rather relieving and tonight I will be on an island in the Mediterranean...this trip is good, and its getting better!!!
The French really made a great effort the past 48 hours to downgrade my high thoughts of the country over the weekend. While work and the people were very nice, their culture has no respect for anything outside of their own life. To be honest, I have never been in a place so self absorbed and at times unaccommodating. I am not being critical, I am simply pointing out facts.
First, I change my entire post work itinerary because the french cannot adapt their plans for mine. That should have been a clue when the locals cannot make an adjustment for someone thats coming from 4000 miles away. I couldnt depart on Wednesday night because one person couldnt meet until Thursday. After kindly expressing multiple times that it will be a hassle to change my plans but as a guest I could politely do whats necessary to respect their regular schedule and change mine, I finally changed my agenda to accommodate the proposal. Who cares? Only two flights and one hotel room night I lose out of my personal funds because no refunds are possible. Well, I care, I care a lot, but I quietly and politely change my schedule.
To make a long story short, nothing on the original proposal went as planned. We bounced around the agenda as if it didnt exist, nights in Rotterdam were supposed to be reserved, they werent. We were supposed to be in Rotterdam two nights, we changed at the last minute, only one...putting me on the back burner for a last minute over priced room in Paris. And finally...Thursday meeting cancelled because I saw the guy on Tuesday. Its hilarious, but hard for a Midwestern American to handle.
As far as the hotel, well the room is very nice, everything else is French. It took me 30 minutes to check in while the desk attendants shared duties and allowed people to cut in line. Then the room key machine started failing, lets not mention they double charged my credit card. Yeah, I paid for it on the internet, only to be told last night that I didnt and had to pay to check in, only this morning to be told I cannot be printed a receipt because i paid for it on the internet. We will see what hits the card and what doesnt, but whats the worth in arguing with these bozos. To put a special touch on the french experience, despite waiting for too long to check in, despite the hassles, despite the French never showing up on time, not a single one has been on time since I arrived, the hotel called my room today 45 minutes before checkout time to remind me I must leave by noon. Seriously???
So there you have it. That brings me to this moment right now, I am in the lobby of the hotel, waiting for a file to upload to my work server at home because connection in the room was to slow to finish BEFORE noon. Before I move to the airport, I must take care of a camera battery issue, as easy as that sounds, it wont go as planned. Its really hilarious, but hey, I am the guest and I understand that cultures are different. However, you would think the arrogance would have stopped when german didnt become the official language in the mid twentieth century, but then again you really cant expect this society to respect our inconvenience in those times either....
