Thursday, March 17, 2005

The UK and Name that Airport

Well I’m back. I went to England for work. I arrived early to take in a few sights. This trip presented my first chance to drive in England. The experience of being on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road is very strange but not that hard to handle. I think most people reading this will agree that the English are in the minority and therefore on the wrong side, in both cases. My biggest problem was getting a feel for the clutch on this car, a Peugeot 206.
Everything happens to me so on the first day trying to adjust to this driving style I had an accident. Hey, wait! IT WASN’T MY FAULT! Listen to this… I was stuck in traffic looking for a parking space in Oxford. I look to my right and the lady is pointing at me and saying something. I look behind me just in time to see a huge BMW 5 series back out of a parking spot and into my back bumper. He was in such a hurry (with people jockeying for his spot) that he didn’t see my little yellowish-green Peugeot. We checked out our vehicles and they were fine so we drove our separate ways. I didn’t even get his parking space so I had to keep circling. I think it’s great to say I had an accident on the first day, since no damage done. I spent the night in Oxford and it is a neat little college town. The pubs were clean, nice, but expensive. The following day I drove to Cirenchester “the capital of the Cotswalds” and then on to Birmingham to work. It was interesting because the street signs just said “B’ham”. You better know where you’re going.

Name that Airport
I just saw in the paper that there is a new airport being built in Bari. Right now they are holding a contest to name the airport. The government has purposed “Aeroporto degli Ulivi” which means “Airport of the Olives” so it sounds like they need some help. Usually airports are named after famous local people so Bari is screwed there. If you think of anything then let me know and I’ll fill out the form in the paper and send it in. Before you get too excited it doesn’t seem to have a reward except to know you named the airport.

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