Newcastle

This week I'm in Newcastle.
Newcastle revolves around coal, coal, more coal and only coal; over a hundred million metric tonnes a year of coal that is. They are going to double that amount per year and still have enough for the next 120 years. So... yeah, If you are a 'militant terrorist tree hugging hippie' for the 'green armee faction' scared of the greenhouse effect: this is the place to blow up. It is by far the largest producer of coal in the world. The lives of about 300.000 people here in Newcastle revolve around coal.

I'm moving up in the world!
People take care of my flights, accommodation and other things. I get to my hotel and find a very nice room, with a giant HDTV, a 2 people Jacuzzi, with a view to the pool. In the morning a taxi is waiting for me to take me to my work. Yay, oh boy, do I feel important now... Well not quite:

I flew out here on Sunday night in shorts, thongs and t-shirt still wet from Byron bay beach. When I landed Emmanuelle called and attended me to the fact that I had forgotten to my shoes. So in the morning I jump in my cab in business shirt, trousers and... thongs to go and buy a pair of shoes. A very interesting sight to the guests at the hotel when I flip flopped past them. Once at the client, I find my working spot is under the main outlet of the Air Co in a gray corner of the office, the server does not have network access and is very noisy. There goes my ego; here I was thinking I was getting important only to find myself working in a spot where some people wouldn't be found dead. Sigh...