double armenia

Double Armenia
Well were off to a New Year and back to Armenia. I didn’t have the best time in Armenia last year so I wasn’t totally looking forward to the trip, but it ended up being super splendid this time and heres why.

Thursday
Left America but didn’t get an upgrade over the ocean. That’s twice in a row, what gives!?!? I was in the exit row but it was super cold, I don’t remember it being that cold. I had about three blankets and I still thought it was cold.

Friday
We got to London and I took about a three hour nap on a bench, very nice I must say. Had some lunch, I always like eating there because I think they have the best salt and vinegar chips. Its actually sea salt and balsamic vinegar, I know right, ooh lala. So we had a few more hours in London and then we got on our flight to Armenia which was about 5 hours away. I watched the Social Network, twice, I couldn’t sleep. BMI, which is British Midland International has some of the smallest coach seats Ive ever been on, second only to JAL I think. That’s Japan Airlines, sorry sometimes I speak in airline jargon.

Saturday
So we arrived and it took us about 40 minutes to get through customs, because we had to go through a special line for our visa waivers. Got our luggage and made it to the hotel about 230 or so. Got checked in and went and got some water since the water there is not good. Came back flipped through some channels and found some Russian porn, yeah, you know what Im talking about, it was pretty mainstream they just happened to be speaking Russian. Woke up and it was still Saturday, got up, grabbed my coworker and we made it out for some lunch and then headed to the street bazaar. A lot of crap and when I say crap I mean crap. You need a screw that fits a 1979 Hoover vacuum, they got it. You need an old school dental drill, they got it. Dog collar, painting, USSR medals, tapestries, hot bread, watch, wood carvings, you name it they have it and they want you to buy. We did that for awhile and then made our way back for a short meeting. The rest of that day I watched Australian Open until it was time for dinner. I didn’t have the best culinary experience last year but this year there was a new restaurant, which turned into my favorite restaurant; I ended up eating there four times. I had a few glasses of this wine that I remembered from last year, its pretty sweet, but very tasty. I had a nice lamb dish, with this red pepper chutney and some fried potatoes, man alive it was good. I hurried back because I had a massage that night. It was really awesome, because it included a gluteal massage. The chick came in ripped down my pants and began to massage my ass, ohh yeah oil my ass, massage it all freaky naughty, just kidding, it was a very professional massage of my derrière muscles. Think I fell asleep twice, that’s how you know it’s a good massage.

Sunday
Got up had some breakfast then made my way down to the work area. Did some stuff and then it was off to a new pizzeria. I remembered this place from last year, but don’t remember eating there because it was really tasty. A lot of times pizzas in Europe come with a man made meat, its good, but its not pepperoni, well this meat was the closest thing Ive had to US pepperoni in Europe or Asia or wherever I was. I know you should eat like the locals, but sometimes eating like the locals includes eating corn on my pizza or tuna and Im just not down with that. This time I got the best of both worlds. Since it was a lot of food and I didn’t want to ruin my dinner I didn’t finish it, well my coworkers felt the same way, and I got to take their pizza home, win win for the jake meister!! Getting that pizza into the fridge was quite a test. I had to take out the entire mini bar supplies and bend the pizza and then fold the pizza and then slam the cardboard box into the refrigerator. It still tasted good the next days, but it wasn’t pretty. Went back down, did some work and then headed back to my new favorite restaurant. Went with different coworkers because the other was getting sick or trying to get over his illness. This time I had an awesome fried chicken dish with French fries and more of that delicious wine. Went back home watched some Metalocalypse, that show is excellent, and then called it a night.

Monday
Aww man, jet lag finally kicked in. I woke up at like 4 am that day. Not to worry, put on some power metal, checked for cancer, and did some body weight pushups and then headed down to breakfast. Monday was our first real day of work and it was pretty busy, lunch and dinner came really fast. I went up to my room and watched the Australian Open, it was nice to be able to watch it live, we were only about 5 time zones behind Australia. I did that all week, saw everything except for the championships matches. That night I went back out to dinner at the Pizza place, had a chicken dish with pomegranate chutney thing; they like chutney there, had some more wine and then watched some Metalocalypse and called it a night.

Tuesday
Still jet lagging, got up at some time way before my alarm. Not sure what I did that morning, but I eventually went to breakfast. Tuesday was the opening ceremonies of course, little administrative remarks, little roll call of nations, little picture taking. That day was very hectic, I did a lot of entries into the database for users and their equipment. This round of conferences Im wearing 5 hats, one for the regular system, one for trouble ticketing system, one for network assessment, one for data tests, and one for services based testing. Yes I am the man and everyone knows it. That night we had out ice breaker, it was held at the brandy and wine factory again. I enjoyed it much more since I was not hung-over this year. The 98 and 67 year old wine was really nice as was the 15 and 25 year old cognac. I cant remember if explained the whole cognac situation last year. According to the WTO, only brandy from the cognac region of France can be called cognac. Well, France really likes Armenia or really admires their brandy so they allow them to call their brandy cognac. Its all distilled grape wine, but you know people are sticklers for tradition and rules and such. They only had about 30 minutes of alcohol, meaning I had about 4 drinks, samples is more like it, and then we took off not wanting to wait for the buses. We headed back to my new favorite restaurant and I had some other dish on the menu; I cannot remember which though. Again went back and watched a few more episodes of Metalocalypse.

Wednesday
This was our first full full day of working. I worked with some other groups I belong too and everything went well. I know I had whined a little bit about Italy because all my friends had gone, well I made some new friends this trip and so I hung out with them this time and Im looking forward to seeing them again. Watched more Australian Open during the day and Im not sure where I went for dinner this time. Just kidding I went back to my favorite restaurant.

Thursday
Was another full day of work and meetings and that night was our cultural dinner. It was at another location than last year. I sat with mostly Americans but not Americans from work so it was cool. The food was really good and so was the vodka, yeah vodka is like an appetizer for them. We went through a few bottles. Then we drank some more wine and some other liquors.

Friday
Whew, not too many people showed up to work first thing in the morning. The Commander was a little ticked and a litter perturbed. I know because he told me. We only worked about ½ a day and then we cleaned up and went to the out brief. That afternoon I chilled in my room and watched a movie. Then I went back to dinner at the pizza place went home and called it a night since we were getting up in a few hours.

Saturday
Or should I say Friday night. I got up at 150 since I had to be down for the bus at 230. Got up brushed my teeth and drug my shit down to the lobby to go wait in the rain with the bus. Our flight wasn’t until 530, so I don’t know why we needed 3 hours but we did. The flight back to London sucked ass. I was in a middle seat and there was nothing to do or watch or say except sit there. Luckily I had a powered up ipod, but man alive I was super uncomfortable. Luckily I had an upgrade going over the ocean. I went to the lounge in London and took a shower, ate some breakfast, ate some lunch, watched more Metalocaplyse because we had about a 4 hour layover in London. Got on the plane, ate, watched two movies and proceeded to sleep for the next 6 hours. Talk about the greatest utilization of business I have ever completed, my previous record was for 5 hours, boo yeah. Arrived in Dallas and only had about a 2 hour layover, so after we finished with customs and immigration we basically got on board for our flight to Tucson. Easy peasy 2 hour flight. Got to Tucson, but my luggage didn’t. I had to go file a claim with AA, ohh the joys of travel how I love thee. Went to my cousins house, chilled there, and went to sleep.

Sunday
Went to the airport, got my stuff, drove home, missions complete.

Thank you Armenia for a much better time this time,

Jacob