Friday, 19 December 2014

2014-12-17: Travelling Again.

It is currently 02:00 in Poland. I am fixing jet lag by changing 5 hrs/day. Just doing it the wrong way round, 2 more days and I'll be in sync. In the meantime? Stories!

We caught Swiss International from Narita. Business Class because we are Business People. I wear Business Shorts and Business T Shirts!
My camera has a special mode for shooting out of plane windows.

Cultural Observations: Decor as Signifier of Values


I believe each airline decorates their plane in a manner reflecting their cultural mores.

Qantas for example has a muted, serious color scheme of reds and greys in an attempt to remind Business People that "It Is Business Time, No getting obnoxiously drunk, you mention Booney and ask for 53 cans of beer and I will turn this thing around!". I think the dresses their stewardesses wear are designed to act as a prophylactic just in case the drunkenness happens as no one can get drunk enough to find that outfit sexy. You get free (muted grey) pajamas, they are a prayer from the staff that you'll just go to sleep.
Switzerland hates font nerds
 Air New Zealand has lots of white, all the better to play coloured mood lighting onto. This reminds the passenger they are artistic and creative people and totally not Australian at all. Air Kiwi also has Cuddle Class Seating. That's because Kiwis are affectionate and loving. If you are on a plane and see a lone kiwi in a bed we like it when you jump in for a cuddle. It's our way of trying to make the world better by soothing all your furrowed brows.
Mile High Alpine Office Club

The Swiss are a fairly serious and practical people. As such they have decorated their plane in the manner of an Alpine hut. This distracts the serious and practical person from the terror that they are this high in the sky and there is no mountain under their feet keeping them safe from French, Germans and Falling. They are afraid of trains too apparently as the transit train at the airport played lots of comforting cowbells and animals noises. I don't think they are afraid of Italians as all the wine was Swiss or Italian.
Cultural inclusion! (Not as much as a Kiwi cuddle but pretty good)

I believe the aforementioned cultural values all show up in me and my approach to life and its little travails (I might have to ask for Swiss citizenship on some kind of honorary basis).

The Problem:


From Warsaw to Białystok is a train ride. The track is undergoing maintenance. Thus the trip will be cab -> bus -> train -> cab. Given some 80Kg of stuff and the lateness of the hour, not to mention the anticipated stinky levels, this is undesirable.
He drove fast as well!

The Approach:


An Australian would be drunk while solving the problem
A Kiwi would be creative (and want cuddles during the solution)
A Swiss would find a practical solution through delegation

The Solution:


Get the official company translator (Ewa) to talk to a Polish cab driver. Ask him to pick us up from Warsaw and drive us to Białystok. Brilliant!

The Result:


I am not likely to get Polish citizenship in the near future unless I pull my socks up. That was wasteful and the Father of the Company Translator had nothing better to do than drive from Białystok to Warsaw to pick us up anyway.
I think I was forgiven after delivering The Polish Princess home.


Achievements:

  1. In Poland.

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