Fist impression of Phoenix, I love it!!!! I will admit thought that as Phoenix never made it to its maximum temperature, I may be a little blind sighted here, but I really think I could so live here.
In the cab on the way to the hotel, I had this feeling of that was way to easy. Where is the normal stress that follows? And being back in the land of automatic flushing toilets, with automatic soap, water and paper towel, this is the life.
My first full day, I spent an hour trying to find the shopping centre.(arrrhh back to normal) by the end of the day though, I had worked out that my hotel was actually a whole 25 meters from the entrance to the Mall. (God bless American and the fact that the Airplane accepts American Express for on flight purchases)
I spend my afternoon sitting by the hotel pool under the palm tress de-stressing… …..perfect.
The Mall
With Sephoria, Footlocker, Macy’s, no forever21, but they had forlove21, The whole atmosphere really reminded me of QLD but it could have been the heat, mixed with the lack of crowds and then having illuminations (a candle shop which is also in QLD) with a lovely smell.
Though I will say I have n’t seen this many Crocs for sale since, Vienna. (not even in Oxford and they have a pretty impressive range)
The mall was heaven, minus the fact that the Pump shop doesn’t open till July. (I will be back)
Everyone was very friendly, by the end of the day I had decided as I was not a size 4 with Plastic surgery, fake Boobs and lips or a size 36 and was not due to my size forced to ride around in a disabled persons automated wheel chair that this may have been why everyone was so friendly in Phoenix. So much so that the next day while waiting to be picked up at 6 am for my tour of the Grand Canyon. (WoW amazing) A guy pulled up and told me to get in? I was a little confused
The tour was through www.openroadtours.com Once we picked everyone up it was off to Sedona, I was so glad I did a tour as I would have had no idea about the number and variations of Cacti (which I love) (I even ate some Prickly Pear Candy made from the Prickly Pear Cactus.) Or the number of animals and insects in Phoenix, pretty impressive with its Scorpions, deadly Lizard and Snakes. (Sedona , (well driving too it) not many tour companies actually go to, so I was glad with my very last minute research, that I got to experience it, its not to be missed) Maybe next time if Rich comes we will do the tour again and then on the second day see if we can do a raft tour down the river in the Grand Canyon. Not so keen on the Donkey rides down the Canyon.
The complexly different surroundings that you drive through Pine Forrest, dessert, real dessert and many more. Plus the fact that its Phoenix in summer and its hot, very hot and should be hotter, but yet you can see a mountain with snow on it? Like what the???
Maybe next time I can go skiing?
Also all the history about the Indians. And then finally the Grand Canyon. It really surprised me how cold it was. At the Canyon, I ended up wearing every long sleeve piece of clothing I had brought with me. (Which was n’t much) The huge never ending valleys, my Camera will never do it any justice. It really was beautiful. (is this my second, 7 Wonders of the world??)
There where two Indian guys on my tour and thought very naughty of me to stereo type I know, I thought I better talk to them in case I have to face them in the office on Tuesday. (After all, this entire trip is for me to meet up with my Tech team) Sure enough they did actually work in IT and had actually perversely worked on our Account but not currently. But they where impressed that I could say their names. ( I didn’t like to point out that given that I work with IT people all the time, Indian names are a piece of cake but I feel sorry for the poor European people I occasionally have to work with as I always stuff up theirs.)
I was also trying to think about Rich’s Uni assignment, what you would export?
….. I thought for awhile, well Starbucks, Mac’s and Boarders are everywhere already and after Phoenix so is Lush and Bunny Rabbits. (yes, they where everywhere. Kind of like the whole toad thing in Oxford.)
Where Rich and I could sigh up to volunteer to help toads in Oxford cross the road and not get hit by cars.
Well in Phoenix, I have never seen so many rabbits, and they are clearly smart enough to be car savvy, they are crossing the road, running around on hotel lawns. Out the font of the office just sitting there eating grass in groups of 6 – 8.
Apparently though they are actually native to America.
So after that and the fact that Zara is coming to Australia this year any way I’m thinking to suggest bringing H&M to Australia or Abocrbie & Finch or Brookstone. OK I have it, “Metro” bring the New York train system to Sydney. (even Vienna, Tokyo, Paris, Milan and Rome, Budapest have better system than Aus)
I ended up staying in Scottsdale and they even had this cute little trolley ride which you could go on www.scottsdaletrolly.com and took you on a tour of old Scottsdale, where I visited the Cowboy boot shops and bars right out of CowBoy and Indian Movies.
Another plus for the trip, was that I worked out how to eat in America. The first night I just ate a main, which I could n’t finish, the next night I cracked it just order two entries. The food was fantastic from the Mall food to the Belgium restaurant to the Restaurant at the top of the Mountain at the Hilton we where staying at.
While Americans keep complaining about the cost of fuel its 3.98 a gallon, (but how much is a gallon??) I will have to ask Mum how much it is back home.
I love my new boss as he’s based in the US, this was my first time meeting him. So most of the time its an email relationship, he just sticks it all in an email and then I end up writing back a Yes, no or maybe.
He was good enough to pick me up and take me to fab Sushi Restaurant for lunch, How does Phoenix have such great Sushi, Its been so long, (since Tokyo) that I have had good quality Sushi – Yum. (we take it for granted in Aus) He then drove me to the hotel to check in, on the way we stopped at a drive by & picked up Gin & Tonic and beer. And he tells me we are all going to meet at the pool for a swim and Drinks. This is the first time I’m meeting my boss and the rest of my team and no one at work has ever seen me in a Swim suite, even people I have worked with for the last 8 years and here on the first day, Mmmm not so into that, I don’t want to look at my tummy, so I don’t think anyone else does.
My Boss kept asking me if I wanted to drive, but I just had visions of when we where in Belgium and we where on bikes with rich leading the way round a conner and then onto the wrong side of the road. No thank you.
My new Director well over the phone I had n’t been so sure, but during dinner she asks the waiter do you have dogs? Great then can you please take the rest of my steak home for them. I love her already
When they told me I had randomly been selected for add ional security, I thought great just like QLD again they are going to do the swab for explosives, but by the time I made it too the gate, (only to find out that due to weather my flight was delayed by two hours ) I was like Ha, I live in London, I can’t leave the county with out getting felt up, that’s no add ional security that’s just every flight leaving the UK.
