I decided to get to the airport in good time (as always) so my pop drove me into Nelson to catch the bus to Manchester. After playing a little Angry Birds on the iPhone, I noticed that the battery was depleting a lot quicker than I expected so I preserved battery power. For this journey I brought a book called 'Making Magic' written by a former Disney Vice
President about leadership and employing the right people - maybe it will work well when I begin my own business. I read a few chapters before I arrived in Picadilly Gardens.
As always when I set foot in Manchester, I rush straight to Bar Burrito to get a chicken burrito (no diet, no distance or time will change that). However, as I was TOO early, it was closed so I sobbed uncontrollably while I climbed on the airport bus. During the ride, I received a text from Katerina saying that she will be late and I had to find my way to the hotel by myself!! TERROR!! I am usually very nervous travelling alone and now in a non english-speaking country. This time though I had trusty iPhone to the rescue - within minutes I had the terminal map, bus schedule, station AND hotel addresses and some useful Finnish phrases - isnt future BRILLIANT!! I jumped off the bus feeling pretty good about myself (but stupidly minus two gloves :( )
Another aspect that I love about technology is printed boarding passes which allow you to get through to departure lounges MUCH earlier (and gives you time for a meal). Sadly, this was at Manchester terminal 3 (so no Frankie & Benny's and no Giraffe) and I had to make do with a canteen chicken balti. I used a little logic to charge up my iPhone by using the paid internet computers to get the charge but our money-hungry country BLOCKED the computers of that ability (data sticks ok, charging from it NOT ok EVEN though you paid). In a fit of frustration and fear of running out of charge, I left my cable there leaving the ability to charge it as well. Sob sob. My mind was concentrated on reading Mens Fitness while having a Vanilla Latte and Shortbread (reading about Gym Jones and organising month 2 of P90x) until it was time to get on the EasyJet to Helsinki.
I would have loved to sleep on the plane but as it is practically impossible (and especially on low-cost airlines) to I went on reading about leadership and also of entrepreneurs in the UK (Will Chase of Tyrells) and planning some life strategies. On the landing in Helsinki, the fog was really something quite spooky and the plane went from fog to LANDING!! (What a pilot!) I packed up and got off the plane into the -6 cold (although I didn't feel cold at all).time to climb aboard Easyjet to Helsinki.
Using the directions in the airport, I got on the bus with no problems and everyone (driver included) understood my slurry, Northern English. After 30 minutes and landing at the bus station, I fired up the GPS and followed the 1.5 mile walk to the Radisson Blu Seaside Hotel. This was actually a straight walk down a long road of small, cute shops which strangely had no real pattern to what they sell (glasses and toys, wood and medicine) and I caught a little shock walking past a house window when I saw a full skeleton sitting at a dining table. Katerina later told me it was for a design school (but decide for yourself).
Once at the Radisson, I went to reception and got the hotel room and sat watching Finnish TV until I received a call from Katerina saying she'll be a few more hours. This gave me the chance to watch Boogie Nights with Finnish subtitles while I waited (lol Dirk Diggler). After the movie, it was midnight and I stayed awake watching Deuce Bigalo: Male Gigolo. After THAT, it was then 2am and I went down to the reception to wait for Katerina to arrive (as meeting for the fi
rst time probably shouldn't be with a guy in his PJs asleep). 2am....3am....3:30am - I was starting to get worried but the calls couldn't get through - I decided to get some sleep and told the concierge to call me when she arrived. Yawn! Goodnight...
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