This hotel is about ten miles from the Champs Elysee, not that it worries me. I’m here to work and that’s what I’m gonna do. We are essentially in Tottenham, Paris.
Only about an hour of actual sleep and then I was off to Victoria on a grotty morning. Monday. Nobody is happy first thing on a Monday. I met one of the worst humans I’ve met for a long time at the boarding gate to my Easy Jet flight to Charles de Gaulle from Gatwick. I ended up on the flight wearing half my clothes, with what I couldn’t fit of the contents of my carefully packed and fully paid for overhead cabin bag shoved into my under seat bag. What didn’t fit went in a little tote kindly donated by a Frenchman who could tell that I was banging into a rock.
It was Brian’s new bag, bought new and sold as being cabin compliant. It almost fit in the stupid cage. Had I the tools I could have pulled off a plastic handle to make it fit. But… Monday morning. And these people are like traffic wardens – they are the societal outlet for people who might otherwise kill babies. The nice face of the sociopath. They’re in for the kick. I remained outwardly calm and polite while volcanic inside. They were intractable and robotic. Knowing that they were probably secretly excited and sweaty at the possibility I might say something that allowed them to throw me off the plane, I avoided all snarky comments that occurred to me apart from a few grumbles, and a polite shout up the queue : “Forgive my sudden volume but I find I really need a plastic bag. I don’t mean to trouble anyone but should you happen to have one you don’t need, please pass it to me.” “SIR PLEASE DON’T SHOUT,” they responded, and then I think stopped as they realised the double standard.
“You dealt with that very well,” my neighbouring passenger told me once I was on “I’m so angry,” I told her. I then had to breathe consciously for the first half of the flight. In retrospect it was funny.
I owe Brian a bag. Had to just … leave it there by the gate. Grumble grumble.
Then I landed in Paris.
“What’s the weather been like?” I asked the taxi. “Terrible.”
This week looks like it’ll be logistics. There’s a great big warehouse full of things that need to be sorted or moved. I was there and work was needed so Ali and I got stuck in and now I’m absolutely shattered. It’s ten local time. I’m in bed, had a shower, gonna give myself a good rest. This’ll be a big team and a huge event. I know how I can add to these things, and I know I’m understood and trusted. Just got to work hard and it’s gonna be a good month or so.
AlBarclay 