This blog which was originally designed to be an update blog from my son Shlomo, has laid stagnant for the last several months (or year?) as Thank Gd everything has been going well with Shlomo. In an effort to make this blog more interesting, I've decided to start blogging about my current experiences, and that is a business trip to Rio De Janeiro. The intention is to journal the process and the culture and how it effects me, a very big fish out of water in Brazil, I expect. So let's get started!
The reason for the business trip, which is expected to take about ten days, is to test a new feature for the cell phone company located there. The company, named Vivo, is owned by Telefonica, and they are using our product from the Israel office to team up with Apple for a new feature. The feature is dependent on the provider's network service in Brazil, so testers and developers have been going for several weeks in order to certify the product is working. Now its my turn.
Today was the first day of travel. It started off with a little excitement when I attempted to do a self checkin from home. The website insisted I needed a VISA. Uh Oh. I don't have a VISA. The guys in my office told me I didn't one. Lo and behold I discovered that it doesn't always pay to be American. "Brazil maintains a fully reciprocal visa policy" says wikipedia, which means America (BOO!) who doesn't allow people in to their country without a visa, doesn't get free passage in Brazil. However, Israeli which does have an open policy with Brazil (YAY!) does allow israelis to visit without a visa (for up to 90 days). My ticket was booked with my US passport number. So i tried several times, i called the Lufthansa office, no luck. I figured Ill wait till i get to the airport and find out what will happen. On the way to the airport my friend pointed out to me that Lufthansa is located downstairs, so I asked my cab driver to please drop me off at arrivals. He was very confused. "I've never gone that way before." OK, i said, can you now? "If you really want to I can..." and then he mumbled: "it will cost you more money." "Why?" I asked. He then started to explain how its a balagan, and how he needs to find parking and get out quickly. Apparently, the 15 minute free rule is too difficult for him. Fine, i said, drop me off on top and ill go down myself. He pointed out how that was better for me, cause I can take the "electric stairs". Thanks. So i get dropped off, and head through towards ticketing. One win for today! Premium passengers (that's me!) get the same security line as First Class and Business. But that's as far as it gets for us peasent premium passengers. Even at the ticketing desk, we don't get.
Luckily for me the ticketing agent fixed the passport problem and allowed me to go on my way. The flight from Tel Aviv was so shocking, I didn't know what to do with myself. There were no TVs!! None! none in the seats, none in the ceiling! I had to check my calender to make sure i didn't go back in time to 1997! So, i pulled out my book and did the best i could. I moved myself to the back so I could have an aisle seat, but the reviews were right, a lot of people line up for the bathroom there. Eh, no biggy.
I am now at Frankfurt waiting to board a 11 hour and 45 minute flight across the world. Certainly the farthest I've ever traveled, and the first time for me in the Southern Hemisphere. Work provided me with premium seating, as company policy allows us to get premium (economy plus) for flights over 5 hours. I'm fine with this. Many people have asked me why we can't have business, which is a valid question, but I'm not a begging chooser. Ill take what I can get.
I'm tired now, time to go stand in another line.
Tomorrow morning... RIO!
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