A few days in Ohio.

I am currently in Columbus, Ohio, doing a new training course for work... This is the story of how I got here, what happened on the way. and what I have done since I arrived...

Monday.

I was up and ready to go on plenty of time. I had checked and double checked the bus timetable. The 20 bus was due at 0552. A 25 minute ride to the airport gets me there and in the terminal just after 0620. Giving me 90 minutes to clear the us Customs at Winnipeg before my flight. I only have carry on luggage so it should be quick.

So, waiting for the 20 bus and a 10 and a 17 go past, the time passes 6am and still no 20. I book a tappcar, but the app fails. I try again and a get a car allocated. Its a 9 minutes wait. I still see no 20 bus. I wait again in the heated bus stop with a view just a little along the road. A 20 bus flies past 13 minutes late going about 3000 mph. I laugh at myself as the Tapp car arrives 2 minutes later. The driver hears my accent, gives me a fistbump when i explain I'm from Manchester and a United fan. He then talks book stop for 15 minutes about Ole Solskjaer and how bad mourinho was. He forgets to start the timer f or the rideand then laughs when he tells me the trip will be cheap! 

I arrive at the airport and the machine to check in didn't work. I get called to the check in and it's easy. Straight through and onto the U.S. Customs. I have to wait as an old man empties his pockets of loose change and tissues before removing his shoes VERY slowly and then flapping as he has to take the body scan. I wish i had his level of nerves and excitement as he giggles to himself as the Xray arm rotates around him. I get through easily and have no queue for USA security check. 

The big burly American police security man asks where i an going and why?

I say Columbus, for a training course. He asks if i and 'doing' or 'taking' the course. I explain to him that in English, taking and doing the course mean the same. I am learning on the course, being taught. He looks at me funny. As if contemplating what to say. He asks the same question. I say i am taking the course. He says, so you are teaching? I say no, i am learning...'doing' the course. He says 'so if your are doing the course, why did you say you are taking the course? I explain one more time.. slowly.. that taking and doing a course are interchangeable and basically mean the same thing. He 'harrumphs' and stamps my passport. I am in Winnipeg.. But i have passed the USA entry test. 

I think this security officer didn't like me. 

I don't care.

The flight is on as small plane. I board last and we are off.. on time to Chicago.

Apart from waiting for the deicing of the wings. In Winnipeg, in winter. Before you take off you drive to a plane car wash where the plane is sprayed to remove ice. Unfortunately for us and the person de-icing, we got the shit truck where the bloke actually stands outside and sprays the wings with what is essentially a home standard car wash gun. He looks freezing and doesn't get any happier when the spray is switched from a cool ping to a bright green colour. I don't know why the colour changes but it probably helps the children on the flight stay amused while we wait.

It was a nice easy flight to Chicago and a 20 minute walk gate to gate between landing and taking off again. The two interesting things i speed at the airport were the awesome underground tunnel that links the two parts of terminal 2. It's underground, but with the lighting on the ceiling and walls it was like being on a cool fairground ride! Secondly, i saw a bloke with a mohican  haircut who also wore headphones. His headphones were riding up so high to keep his hair straight, they didn't each his ears!! Ridiculous. I am sad I didn't have time to take a photo. But I did get photos of a frozen Lake Michigan as we landed. Cool.

Underground tunnel at Chicago airport

IN Columbus I get the Hotel shuttle and a few minutes after arriving decide to take a wander around the city for the afternoon. It is cold . Not Winnipeg cold. But I don't have my Winnipeg cold clothing, so it IS cold. But I wander around for 90 minutes taking in the sites including the German village, which looks remarkably like Europe and down to the river where I found a swinging bench to sit on. i also visit the arena where the Columbus Blue Jackets were beaten by the Jets just a few hours ago.

Later in the afternoon I had a video chat with Buff and Hannah. Its great that Hannah recognizes me on the phone and laughs when I make noises. We are going to do this every day.

Later this evening I go out to visit a local bar. Its called 16 bit cafe, and is filled with cool old retro arcade games that are free to play if you buy a beer. I play frogger, defender and space invaders, but my favourite is Track and Field which is ace. I play for an hour and get a good score....

Tuesday

So after a full day yesterday, its training today. The office is on the 10th floor of a building just 5 minutes from the hotel. so an easy walk. Training is good and teaches me a few things I dint know. There are 4 of us on the course - a couple who run a communications company in Trinidad and a Texan who runs a company in the big state. Being taught by a Bulgarian instructor - we are a strange mix. But the course is fun and we meet up for dinner in the evening. 

Dinner is a farce. The restaurant in the hotel is busy. with one barman and one waiter. We wait for 90 minutes to order food and another hour before it arrives, In 3  hours we we have 2 small beers and a burger, but its a fun night and good to relax and chat with everyone. I laugh as every few minutes there is an ad on TV for paranormal videos. The ad shows a baby stood on the edge of a crib and I think its something Hannah would do for a laugh. Everyone else misses the joke.

Wednesday.

Day two of training starts early, has a short lunch and a late finish, but I don't care as during the afternoon session I get to sneakily watch the final 20 minutes of the United v PSG  champions league game. United were expected to lose as they have many injuries and PSG are a great team. But United win with a last minute penalty. Its amazing and being a United fan is suddenly great again. We can beat anyone, On the way home from the course I nip in to a garage and buy a couple of beers to celebrate! Tomorrow is test day.

The classroom

Office

Another weird thing I found out today was 'Electric Scooters'.
Apparently these are a thing here in Columbus. They are everywhere and are accessed using an app. You download the app, scan the code on a scooter when you find one and then just ride the scooter wherever you like.  Payment is done through the app and the scooter can just be left wherever you leave it. The scooters are connected with GPS and every now and then a bloke in a truck will come round and collect them taking them back to somewhere where people will be able to find them easily. Its a bit weird that you wander around and find these things just left lying around - outside a pub, in a bus stop or just left on the sidewalk. But if it works then that's great!!

Here's just a few I saw!

Thursday
A lovely day with weather around 0 degrees. I leave the hotel a little early and take time to wander around a bit. Just behind the building where the training takes place is a city centre park and at the side of the park is a green structure. This stricture is a game and fitness machine and art installation all combined. It is a series of lights at different heights in a circle. Each light is also a speaker which plays sounds. So you can play any number of games to do with pressing lights and making sound. Much like the game where you bang buttons to turn off lights as quick as you can. Anyway, I spent quite a while playing various games and enjoying the weird sound and music that the games made, A really fun way to get fit and something different to do than running, walking or swimming. I think I will build one or more of these in Winnipeg.

A good days work followed  - building a new phone system and learning a few new things that I didn't know earlier. Its been a fun week and meeting the guys from Trinidad as well as the Texan who was also on the course. After finishing work today i took another walk around the city. Its not a bad place - The city centre has plenty of places to eat and drink and is easy to get around. I'm not sure I will ever come back here as its not the most touristic place to visit, but I do like it here. Maybe I should come back in summer when its a little warmer. Here's a view from my room and a look at the Ohio Statehouse.

Tomorrow I head back to wintry Winnipeg!!