Borat country here I come! - Page 3

Radar · 03-24-2008, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclefrance

Yep, first training trip of 2008, and it's a no-holds-barred whopper of a journey to Almaty in Kazakhstan where I will be training around 50 or so oil industry people from the new and old Soviet block in the wonders of tanker shipping and operations plus (a new one for me) oil storage and pipelines (hey, you at the back, did I see you nodding off already? - well hold on a bit, when I travel things have a habit of going more than slightly askew!)

Leave lunchtime armed, as usual, with laptop and digital camera. So be ready for a blow-by-blow account of all things wonderful and otherwise about my journey and short-ish stay there (fly back on Friday - that's Good Friday as well - such dedication to the cause!)

I think it's going to be interesting......

Watch out for those shape-shifting Jews while you're there.

Radar · 03-24-2008, 04:23 PM

Oops, didn't realize you were already back. Interesting photos.

toranokaze · 03-25-2008, 11:37 AM

Did you get to see the running of the Jew?

Trilby · 03-25-2008, 03:54 PM

thanks, cf, those are great pics and I LOVE seeing pics of other lands. It's amazing how much the weather there is like the weather here in Ohio!

Cyclefrance · 03-25-2008, 05:57 PM

I only got to see the invisible jew - sorry a bit slow on the responses - so far as running goes, my gift from Kazakhstan is taking quite a while to run its course (and in fact I've had a few shifting shapes myself the past few days!)

toranokaze · 03-25-2008, 09:24 PM

All is well that ends well.
Perhaps you should try and get a wondering jew instead of an invisible one..

xoxoxoBruce · 03-26-2008, 12:15 AM

Sorry to hear you drank the water, cf.

We appreciate you suffering to bring us your wonderful pictures. Suffering for your art, so to speak.

Cyclefrance · 03-28-2008, 07:11 PM

Thanks Bruce, but 'suffering for my art'? - was that a mistype (even though the 's' is a little distance from the 't')?

xoxoxoBruce · 03-28-2008, 11:21 PM

Ha ha, no mistype. We vicariously enjoy your adventures and photos are always interesting.

Sundae · 03-29-2008, 09:28 AM

Thanks CF - a place I'm pretty sure I'll never go and was fascinated to see.
Lordy lord, those Beatles get around don't they?

Cyclefrance · 03-31-2008, 02:56 PM

The legend travels, as they say, SG - BTW, same people ran this course as did the one in London last year when we met up.

Just had the results of my tests today - nasty campilobacter - same little bugger that I caught in Lanzarote last year - now on antibiotics (thank God!). Not at all pleased with my doctor's practice - they knew last Thursday it turns out, yet in spite of my phoning them Friday morning AND seeing a doctor Friday afternoon, I was told at the time that the results were not in, and so I suffered another weekend of problems when I didn't need to - what on earth has happend to the good old days when it was the patient that was at the top of the agenda - now it seems it is too much about cost of drugs and avoiding prescribing them whenever they can get away with it on the one hand, and over-the-top salaries on the other which are totally out of sync with the level of service and hours that GPs now put in - pathetic!

DanaC · 03-31-2008, 04:08 PM

That sucks CF. Makes a bit of a joke of the huge pay rise GP's were demanding.

Cyclefrance · 04-01-2008, 01:04 AM

UNfortunately everywhere we look the public services are in chaos - too many misguided targets skewing the services, money that is assigned used for the wrong purposes and generally bad managment practices. We can debate it all day long, but this govt isn't going to take anything on board - maybe the next one will otherwise we will end up being more third world than the thrd world countries themselves.

xoxoxoBruce · 04-01-2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclefrance

snip~ too many misguided targets skewing the services, money that is assigned used for the wrong purposes and generally bad managment practices. ~snip

Squeaky wheels distracting the powers that be, from the silent majority?

Cyclefrance · 04-04-2008, 11:46 AM

More like we were targetted to reduce costs on wheels by 25%, so we removed one and then found that it didn't go so well with 3 wheels, but what the hell, we met our wheel target!

03-24-2008, 04:23 PM	#32
Radar Constitutional Scholar Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ocala, FL Posts: 4,006	Oops, didn't realize you were already back. Interesting photos. __________________ "I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death." - George Carlin

03-25-2008, 11:37 AM	#33
toranokaze I'm still a jerk Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Little Mexico Posts: 1,817	Did you get to see the running of the Jew? __________________ "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa It is the ignorance of ignorance that lead to the death of knowledge The Virgin Mary does not weep for her son, for he is in paradise. She weeps for the world , for we are in suffering.

03-25-2008, 03:54 PM	#34
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	thanks, cf, those are great pics and I LOVE seeing pics of other lands. It's amazing how much the weather there is like the weather here in Ohio! __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

03-25-2008, 05:57 PM	#35
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	I only got to see the invisible jew - sorry a bit slow on the responses - so far as running goes, my gift from Kazakhstan is taking quite a while to run its course (and in fact I've had a few shifting shapes myself the past few days!) __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-25-2008, 09:24 PM	#36
toranokaze I'm still a jerk Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Little Mexico Posts: 1,817	All is well that ends well. Perhaps you should try and get a wondering jew instead of an invisible one.. __________________ "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa It is the ignorance of ignorance that lead to the death of knowledge The Virgin Mary does not weep for her son, for he is in paradise. She weeps for the world , for we are in suffering.

03-26-2008, 12:15 AM	#37
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Sorry to hear you drank the water, cf. We appreciate you suffering to bring us your wonderful pictures. Suffering for your art, so to speak. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-28-2008, 07:11 PM	#38
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	Thanks Bruce, but 'suffering for my art'? - was that a mistype (even though the 's' is a little distance from the 't')? __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-28-2008, 11:21 PM	#39
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Ha ha, no mistype. We vicariously enjoy your adventures and photos are always interesting. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-29-2008, 09:28 AM	#40
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Thanks CF - a place I'm pretty sure I'll never go and was fascinated to see. Lordy lord, those Beatles get around don't they?

03-31-2008, 02:56 PM	#41
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	The legend travels, as they say, SG - BTW, same people ran this course as did the one in London last year when we met up. Just had the results of my tests today - nasty campilobacter - same little bugger that I caught in Lanzarote last year - now on antibiotics (thank God!). Not at all pleased with my doctor's practice - they knew last Thursday it turns out, yet in spite of my phoning them Friday morning AND seeing a doctor Friday afternoon, I was told at the time that the results were not in, and so I suffered another weekend of problems when I didn't need to - what on earth has happend to the good old days when it was the patient that was at the top of the agenda - now it seems it is too much about cost of drugs and avoiding prescribing them whenever they can get away with it on the one hand, and over-the-top salaries on the other which are totally out of sync with the level of service and hours that GPs now put in - pathetic! __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-31-2008, 04:08 PM	#42
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	That sucks CF. Makes a bit of a joke of the huge pay rise GP's were demanding.

04-01-2008, 01:04 AM	#43
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	UNfortunately everywhere we look the public services are in chaos - too many misguided targets skewing the services, money that is assigned used for the wrong purposes and generally bad managment practices. We can debate it all day long, but this govt isn't going to take anything on board - maybe the next one will otherwise we will end up being more third world than the thrd world countries themselves. __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

04-04-2008, 11:46 AM	#45
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	More like we were targetted to reduce costs on wheels by 25%, so we removed one and then found that it didn't go so well with 3 wheels, but what the hell, we met our wheel target! __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

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