San Francisco

Last Wednesday, I headed off to San Francisco for an 'Americas Training School' with work. Somehow work had managed to pick a Pom to represent the Australiasia region over there - but I wasn't comlaining!

After almost 21 hourse of travelling I arrived two hours after leaving and headed to the hotel to dump the bags. Popped into work to meet up with some colleagues I had worked with in the UK and was given some tips on what to get up to. This also included the warning not to turn left out the office at all costs - A nice place called Tenderloin where one of the staff had been tenderised a few weeks before. One of the first things that struck me was the poverty and homelessness in this place, which was magnified by the contrasting wealth that lay all around - bit depressing really.

Here are some pics from my first day....

The next day, myself along with guys from HK the UK and a group of Americans from offices around the country where picked up and taken to the Marconi conference centre set in woodland about 1.5hours north of SF.

Spent the next couple of days doing group tasks and activities, designing things like sustainable solutions to redevelop New Orleans - Which, i will add our group won with the new elevated mass transit system! The rest of the time was spent either making the most of the free booze or recovering from a stinking hangover.

After heading back to SF on Sat evening we went out for dinner and numerous beers. One thing that impresed me was the number and qaulity of the micro-breweries in SF - the whole place has a really good vibe and and some old pubs with real Character (recommend Vesuvio if you ever go). Highlight of the night was definately the cab ride down the steep hills (almost getting air) with the tunes banging out the cab.

Last day was spent nursing a sore head and checking out Alcatraz, see pics below...

Arrived back in Perth on Tuesday, to be met off the flight by Alun and Gemma who were visiting on their hols....see next post above

//(As I write this Kevin Petterson has been given out for a very dubious lbw and Flintoff is out for a Duck on a No Ball!! - not looking good for the first test!)