Next topic at the agenda will be Kiev, Ukraine next week. And it is also a place, I will visit for the very first time in my life.

The info I got in advance, does make me looking forward to this trip very much and finally the info about the chosen  accommodation there does make it fancy alone. But that is not already all of the news really …. Right the week after I will head off again, then even visiting three countries within only one trip. More news to come!

Yeah! So to say: It really could become more dragging than actually.

Heading there you need a special Visa and for getting it quickly you need some business invitiation first. You can get some easily even by the booked hotel if you want, but even them processing will need up to 10 days though.

Now flying there is not really different than to any other place in the world though. Even air traffic controller there made us wait up in the air for nearly 45 minutes. 

Now Russia for me so far was only Moscow and one day driving out of town to see one single remote location only. But Moscow for sure is worth some trip and I even made it up to see the Kremlin and the Red Square right on the first evening being there. 

Traffic there is killing and as a pedestrian you better always look carefully twice. Driving a car is not at least a bit better and so I was rather happy getting droven around.

Being there with a few others guys  (one Danish, one British and finally another German) we quickly hooked up to a team and especially the evenings after work, we’ve used to stroll the town on our own were rather enjoyable. Yes! Boys we had heaps of fun during this trip.

Now for work it seems different. Even being called for turning up, it looks like not everywhere and with everyone we were welcome first. The answers we got were often contradictive and at first they never ever give you a clue really. But even that did improve over the days….. as always it needs to get familiar with each other first!

Not sure I should mention that on the way back to the airport we’ve passed a car hijacking and a few guys fireing after a car which tried to escape with spinning wheels????   Yeah, thats Russia as well! And I guess you have to be aware about!

But anyway! Being back now I personally see it as an "Adventure"! And giving the fact I was told to fly to Kiew, Ukraine in about two weeks, it looks like it will remain interesting for a while. 

To be honest … something I would never have thought about myself to be possible to happen.

Now I have to say that I very much liked this trip and even it was for work only and rather rather busy, it had some touch of heading off and flying out there to somewhere fancy and starting to discover new things there. Luckily, I was even able to make some friends there and therefore eitherway, for work or for leisure, I’m expecting myself to head there again someday.

In general my actual work (project management) is very interesting at all and as for the project does include overall EMEA, I’m looking forward seeing Russia and Poland soon. People around are even start kidding asking me whether or not I’m doing this all for pleasure saving money, I would usually spend for vacation instead.

Now I for sure confirm it is working only! And everyone saying or thinking something different is …. simply a liar! 

I just not hesitate to confess, that it has some attraction as well. It’s just sad I can’t share more about my trips though.
At least I will update you with my impressions about the new countries I’m going to see soon.

Besides that conditions over here are actual lovely and sunny and besides the usual work getting things around the house in shape again, the time over the weekend was short doing a few fun rides with Suzi again. Yeaaaaaaaah!

Last time I was there was back in 1992 and for a duration of 3 weeks. Doing a roundtrip there I had the chance to get quit a good impression about the country itself and the people living there.  What I’ve found there back in 1992 was a very interesting country and a lot of rather friendly people living there. Nontheless many things were different and a lot of them remained strange to me though.

Now this time I’ve headed to Istanbul only and therefore I’m for sure not able to give you an overall feedback of todays situation there. But once again I met very very friendly people there and enjoy my short and sweet diving in there very much.

The general appearance is still the same, but people appeared much more "western" alike today to me. Since years the Turkey is keen and willing to join the EU and the majority of people there really seems to be willing and happy to do.

I had quit a few really enjoyable conversations besides work, even scratching this and a few others similar topics and really enjoyed the ideas and argument I got to hear. Sure, I’ve mostly dealed with people my age and also mainly with folks working in my area of expertise or generally within the IT business. But for my feeling really the general background has changed there.

And therefore thinking about their wish to join the EU I have to say .. why not?

Sure there might be still things not fitting in very well or other things (in our eyes) which still needs to get improved! But I rather like to deal and talk with friendly people again and again, trying to improve or adjust things, than to bounce and maybe turn them grumpy instead.

May this New Year bless you All with peace, happiness, success and good health.

Merry Christmas,

Michael

At the end that is why I call todays posting "waiting"! Waiting, is plainly what I do actually.

But friendly people over here at Singapore have turned nearly all the town and the Airport in some huge Wifi – Zone where you have internet access nearly everywhere (ok, it needs a carrier contract though).

But back to the trip. It was for sure a fabulous trip to do and I very much enjoyed my time off. Most of the time I had company by oversea friends travelling with us. And to be honest that was what I’ve enjoyed most.

It is a great thing to do such a long and exciting trip. Seeing things other people might never get to see in their life. But the companie of friends and sharing this experience with them is some real priceless experience for sure.

It is really not like I could see or speak them all day long. Virtual perhaps, but personally nearly never. Now seeing, touching and interacting with them day by day was like a dream for me. Sadly even the most beautiful time in life is meant to end some day.

Nontheless, thanks to all my friends making it possible to travel with me. You taking time was a priceless pleasure and gift of life for me.

Thank you!

Michael

Now I should say that since a while I missed a handy app enabling me to use my hotspot connection details easily to login into secured hotspots like you often see at Starbucks or McDonald’s.  Not that I really would relay very often on the services of the 2nd service, but with the hotspots as an option they look farway more attractive now and the other service I visit anyway frequently.

Now seeing it and giving it a test was nearly one thing … especially it is offered for free … and I was very amazed seeing it working very well.

It working very well seemed rather strange to me, by knowing about such hugh company like T-Mobile does fail since ages to hand over you a working App doing the same. Now my hotspot flatrate seemd to make sense for the first time really!

Available as a PC client software only, the Mac OSX equivalent of a login tools is plainly missing and the browser https://jfvbvbvd bookmark might work as they suggest, but in my eyes is far away from being a really useful solution.

So therefore encouraged I’ve downloaded there Mac proggy and sadly found out about thereis a compatibility issue with Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.(1) preventing this gorgeous solution to work.

Feeling a bit disappointed I’ve searched thereforums and FAQ and found some article answered by a tech guy called John, promising a new port soon and thereby asking for people willing to test for them. I didn’t mind and offered my help and nearly instantly got contacted by John. Now only a few days later I got a test suit from him and right the first test of it was a success!

If you ever  nagging have looked for a similar solution like me…. Give it a test! This company does rock for sure.

John! You have a new friend here. Feel free to contact me for another test whenever needed.

Although sun is still strong and warming, authumn wind does already feel cold and I was quit happy about I had thought to put on my wind breaker. The landscape scenery actually is most beautiful and colored, while the color green is already on it’s way back. Now making room for yellow, red and brown.

Along the countryside roads nearly every farm and shop does offer fruits, new wine and home made onion pies to buy. And seeing all cars and folks on the road it nearly looks like everyone is keep to get his or her piece of it.

In some way it was a little bit surprising seeing so much people out on the road, as for it was election weekend here in Germany and I really doubt all others had already voted like me. Not I personally would be a very political person at all. But I see it as an "obligation" to vote for every responsible adult. But enough of this!

… as more interesting I think is, that on one of the perhaps last really friendly "summer" days this year I decided against the motorbike prefering the pushbike about. And even now feeling a bit tired about I still think about it as the right decision.

Next few weekends will now be filled with work around the house on on the property getting everything in shape for the winter season and especially ready before we will head off into our vacation. This time I feel about it as very much over due and I’m really looking forward to this time off. The and hopefully having a short and sweet 2nd summer this year.

Even now after two separate sessions I’m not really sure about the issue. Some domains had "extra content", while others plainly did miss content or files. Hackers? Erratic SAN errors? Anyway …. A bit baffled I had to accept that my effort securing things seemed not be enough though. But thanks god I’m not short on recent backups and after that digging into details quickly I was quit sure about a restore would be best – databases were not touched and files hadn’t changed since last backup as I was sure about. Simply put things back into place and all would be fine again?!

Just after restoring domain folder there were still a few issues left when I was force to leave things alone having other obligations to go for. Shortly before leaving I decided to inform some close friend of me hosting with the same business and even on the same system than me.

As quickly turned out some of my friends’ domains were involved as well and being aware I’m short with time there was immediately the offer to do some more checks on mine as well ensuring everything would be fixed again.

Can you imagine how great and relaxing it is coming back after a long day and finding everything fixed and in place again … like magic? Thanks Matey … that rocks!!

The day after booking there were some questions and at first they insisted on placing my wife and me into two different aircrafts, but after talking with them again all was solved soon and I got the obvious email confirmations send by them.

Now this was in early february … 

Since then they called me at least up to ten times re-scheduling flights and time lines again and again. One time they told me that now daylight saving was adjusted in their systems and therefore the departure time would change one hour.

Since when do we have this confessed "senseless" daylight saving time change?!

Anyway, they are friendly, helpfully and do care …. Just I wonder why the hell it is that difficult to arrange some flights – especially when i give them so much time in advance.  And what I really do not understand is why they call me and make me confirming and repeating the info that a flight departure time has changed 5 minutes. Hey, I could and would read it within their emails of course, no need to treat me like a 5 years old.

Guess it is just to ensure I can’t sue them in case I would miss the flight though.