This
trip, yes I know yet another one, emerged when I was invited to work a two
bridge tournaments, The World Youth Championships 10 days in Taicang 60kms from
Shanghai and the World Mind Sports Game (formerly the Olympiad) 14 days in
Lille France.
When I say work that's a loose term. It involves doing voice commentary in the Vugraph theatre for an average of four hours a day and writing the occasional article. Equally it isn't particularly well paid as it works out at airfare, accommodation including breakfast and in China full board plus around $125 a day so let's call it what it is a paid holiday.
On a frustrating note on the eve of my departure I learned that a role I played in the management of a property would be lost leaving a hole in my consulting income. I was much more upset about the way in which it happened than the actual loss of work. Oh well more time for my impending grandchild!!!
However on the really positive side I end up having a great time with a lot of friends I have in the bridge world. With no evening play I will truly enjoy some fine meals with Nye, Ally, Maurizio and the Australian you teams (3) in Taicang as well as Michael and Vivien Cornell, Klingers, Krochmaliks, Haughies, Michael Wilkinson, Brogelands and many others in Lille.
I also discovered that there is a Eurostar service from Lille (90 mins) so I am going to roster myself a day off and go to London to have lunch with Helen and Espen.
Another nice aspect of this trip is that during the four days I am spending in Shanghai, my third visit, it will be Rodney Evans' 40th birthday and Mike, Liza, Ollie and Chris are on the Qantas flight to Shanghai to celebrate is milestone. I have bee invited to throaty tomorrow night which should be fun.
As is usual for me once you are on a plane add a few days here and there so here I am sitting on the Air China flight from Sydney to Shanghai. At $1415 return Sydney Shanghai Paris I guess I can't realistically complain about the hour delay departure.
We arrive at Shanghai and have to deplane on the tarmac. Not that easy they have to wait 15 minutes for a Marshall to bring the plane to its parking spot. Fark its on the bloody tarmac I can see where it should park. Anyway we all get set to deplane and another 15 minute delay standing in the aisles while we await for quarantine to clear the plane. Anyway quickly through Immigration, prompt baggage and onto the MagLev - the magnetic elevated train which takes us into Shanghai central just the cool 430 kilometres per hour and you think you aren't going very fast at all.
My plans for this trip are:
Love to all
David
When I say work that's a loose term. It involves doing voice commentary in the Vugraph theatre for an average of four hours a day and writing the occasional article. Equally it isn't particularly well paid as it works out at airfare, accommodation including breakfast and in China full board plus around $125 a day so let's call it what it is a paid holiday.
On a frustrating note on the eve of my departure I learned that a role I played in the management of a property would be lost leaving a hole in my consulting income. I was much more upset about the way in which it happened than the actual loss of work. Oh well more time for my impending grandchild!!!
However on the really positive side I end up having a great time with a lot of friends I have in the bridge world. With no evening play I will truly enjoy some fine meals with Nye, Ally, Maurizio and the Australian you teams (3) in Taicang as well as Michael and Vivien Cornell, Klingers, Krochmaliks, Haughies, Michael Wilkinson, Brogelands and many others in Lille.
I also discovered that there is a Eurostar service from Lille (90 mins) so I am going to roster myself a day off and go to London to have lunch with Helen and Espen.
Another nice aspect of this trip is that during the four days I am spending in Shanghai, my third visit, it will be Rodney Evans' 40th birthday and Mike, Liza, Ollie and Chris are on the Qantas flight to Shanghai to celebrate is milestone. I have bee invited to throaty tomorrow night which should be fun.
As is usual for me once you are on a plane add a few days here and there so here I am sitting on the Air China flight from Sydney to Shanghai. At $1415 return Sydney Shanghai Paris I guess I can't realistically complain about the hour delay departure.
We arrive at Shanghai and have to deplane on the tarmac. Not that easy they have to wait 15 minutes for a Marshall to bring the plane to its parking spot. Fark its on the bloody tarmac I can see where it should park. Anyway we all get set to deplane and another 15 minute delay standing in the aisles while we await for quarantine to clear the plane. Anyway quickly through Immigration, prompt baggage and onto the MagLev - the magnetic elevated train which takes us into Shanghai central just the cool 430 kilometres per hour and you think you aren't going very fast at all.
A taxi from the MagLev station quotes me a fixed fee of RMB250 (A$40) I say meter which winds up at RMB86 (A$14) and let the games begin. He even had the cheek not to give me my change from RMB100 but I must be getting old and weak because I couldn't be bothered discussing it.
Arrive at the Pullman hotel which is a fine example of an Asian 5 Star luxury hotel. The room is sensational with all the facilities one would expect. A note greets me to say that the Evans family are dining nearby so I dump my bags in the room and head by cab for the restaurant. Interestingly the cab has the entire back window blocked out by one of those aluminium sun screens that one normally places on the front windscreen on a very hot day. But his inability to look behind him was compensated by the large Crucifix hanging from the rear view mirror which clearly served no function.
A nice meal and back to the hotel where I spent two hours doing, well I dont exactly know what - ok must have been emails etc.. Next morning breakfast in the executive lounge and no plans but will do something I am sure.
Panoramic view from my breakfast - you can drag the photo to see around http://360.io/zW9DUx
To avoid
the most asked question where are you gong next
- Likely Bali 5th October for one week
- Booked Singapore 8th November for four days
- Maybe Hunter Valley with dogs for a week in December
- January Blockout for grandchild
- Late February Gold Coast to work at Tournament for a week
- May USA for three weeks including working at Cavendish in Las Vegas
- October World Bridge Championships in Bali (maybe ninth way home from Europe)
My plans for this trip are:
-
Shanghai four days
- Taicang World Youth Championships 10 days
- Paris four days
- Lille World Bridge Championships 14 days
- I have three days unplanned but may extend this to ten days and visit the Loire Valley and Normandy which I have been wanting to do for some time.
Love to all
David
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