travel Archives - Page 2 of 2

March 25, 2012

Reality Is Always Different

There is one thing that is always true: never discuss politics or religion. It’s hard to do that with what I’m going to discuss for a bit – but I promise there’s a method to my madness and I’ll tie computers in later …

I’m over here in Europe before SQLBits X. Last year I went to Germany (Stuttgart) and Amsterdam for the first time before and after SQLBits VIII. I’m very thankful I was accepted and will be back for SQLBits X, so I started thinking of where I could go this year. Paris was a candidate, but I decided to go the road less traveled: Munich. Sure, Paris would have meant Disneyland and it would have checked that box off (and also it would mean the only Disney park I wouldn’t have visited since December would be Hong Kong Disneyland – but I have been there), but I’ll do that another time.

Anyone who knows me is aware I am not ashamed of who I am in any way – including my religion. I don’t wear it on my sleeve or tattoo it anywhere (that is a no-no anyway), but it is part of me. Ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I can remember studying and reading about the Holocaust (the Shoah for those who hate the former term). I’ve seen way too many documentaries, read hundreds – if not thousands – of books and articles in 30 or so years. But one thing I always wanted to do deep down was visit a concentration camp. Now, this is not like visiting Disneyland (one of my favorite places on Earth) – you can’t just say, “Let’s go!” You really need to think about it and be in the right frame of mind.

When I went to Stuttgart last year, I saw that it was too far to just do a jaunt over to Munich. This year, I decided to do what I’ve said I would do for at least 10 or 15 years. Especially after the death of my friend Mike, I am of the opinion you need to follow your heart. It was time for me to go.

By the way, my heritage is important to me, but anyone with half a brain knows that many different groups perished at the hands of the Nazis in World War II (as well as the years leading up to it). Gays, the mentally handicapped (is that even the PC word these days? sorry if I offended – I mean no disrespect), the sick, many clergy, other political parties, Gypsies … you name it, they were probably represented. It wasn’t just the Jews, but they were #1 on the list.

Dachau was the first concentration camp, and arguably the easiest to visit (at least for me). It’s located just outside of Munich. As I rode the train from Munich to Dachau (it’s an actual town, not just a concentration camp), you see what you think of Europe: beautiful countrysides. Cute little homes. The town of Dachau itself is one of those right out of a postcard when you think of Germany. It made me wonder what the people who were transported there were thinking on their ride … but they were certainly not going on a vacation. The fact of the matter is that 70 years ago, I would have been sent there for the same reason others were. That’s sobering, isn’t it?

Situated right next to Dachau are some homes. It’s bizarre. Yes, I know it’s nearly 70 years since WW II ended, but still …

Homes on the right, concentration camp on the left

As you approach Dachau, there’s an eerie stillness. That stillness stayed with me my entire vist. Sure, you hear birds chriping but it’s a feeling and sound of near silence you can’t describe. Once you enter through the now-famous gate pictured below, you’re transported into a different world and time. Someone said to me that the picture was wrong because he had always imagined a concentration camp to be a “black and white” place that was absent of color, so the picture made no sense to him. I thought about it and he’s right – we’ve all seen B&W photos and news footage from the 30s and 40s, but seeing it in color is a very jarring experience.

Entrance to Dachau

I’m not going to talk much more about the experience, because I’m sure you can guess how it went. Seeing the places where many unknown are buried (or their ashes),being able to walk into the gas chamber, and see the crematorium are experiences that will stick with me forever. The dichotomy of the beauty of the surroundings vs. what happened there is hard to understand. My only real political comment for the day: anyone in the area HAD to know what was going on when the camp was active. It would have been impossible not to.

Three other comments before I get to my point:

I don’t get some people. Before I got on the bus to go to the camp, a couple was waiting. There’s a sign that says “Concentration camp memorial site” above the bus stop. A couple (from some English speaking country – couldn’t place the accent) was there. The wife/girlfriend was getting the guy to pose under the sign and wanted him to smile. Huh? You’re not visiting a happy tourist attraction. Similarly on my way out, a group of guys was behind me. One of them got on the other side of the door and posed like he was imprisoned with a sad face while his friends took pictures. Both were totally disrespectful. You may disagree with me, but this wasn’t like posing with Mickey Mouse.
The camp/memorial does a great job of telling the story of everyone – not just Jews. Walking around and seeing things like the outlines of where the barracks were, or the partially reconstructed fences to show what they were like, as well as the memorials to those who died, everything was treated with a lot of respect. Admission is free and I’m glad they have it there as a reminder of an event that should never happen again (although despite that, we’ve had similar events all over the world since then …).
Germany today != Nazi Germany. Both my experiences so far have been great (last year and my in-progress trip). I’m not anti-Germany by any stretch of the imagination and that can get lost when you discuss one of the darkest chapters in human history.

View from the corner

Anyway, my point here is that this is a subject I know well, but the reality of it is much different when you’re there. It’s real. It’s visceral. I prepared myself as much as I could since I was a kid, but seeing things like the gas chambers up close and in person is WAY different than seeing a picture in a book, reading how the Nazis came to that method of efficiency, etc. As you’re standing in the chamber (which they put a light in, but I can imagine not much light was there when people were herded in), you can picture how it was. How people suffered. Pictures can tell a story, but there’s nothing that matches the experience.

I can say the same for my career in IT and with things like SQL Server and databases. I never assume, and that has put me in good standing, but too many people assume that reading, say, a whitepaper and actual experience are the same. They are not. There have been times in my career I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my experiences and preparation, and other times you realized that what you have done is woefully inadequate.

Reality is sometimes a swift kick in the pants. You want to be pleasantly surprised more than not both in life and in your job. Put yourself in a position where that happens.

Since we’re all computer geeks, I highly recommend Edwin Black’s book IBM and the Holocaust. It explains a lot of how the Nazis were able to do what they did, and is an interesting take on technology.

And with that, I will just say this: it’s experiences like what I did today that really puts life and work in perspective. If you ever get the chance to go to a concentration camp, don’t be scared to go. Is it heavy? Yes. Will you be sad at times? Probably. But that’s how it should be. Not everything needs to be shiny and happy. (Another lesson you can take away as well – the happy marketing message is rarely our reality in IT :)).

May 4, 2010

Life in the Not-So-Fast Lane

If you read my last blog post, you can see where I’ll be – at least publicly for the next month. Privately, I’ve got a few clients in addition to the public stuff I’ll be doing. It seems like since the beginning of the year I’ve been on the road pretty constantly. To put it in perspective, I’m half way to hitting Platinum status (50,000 miles) on American Airlines without any kind of double miles promotion and also very close to Platinum status with Marriott (75 nights; I’ll be about 15 days shy as of mid-June, and thst doesn’t count my non-Marriott hotel stays so far this year). Now, you may be thinking, “Man, what a jerk! Bragging about his travel status!” I look at it a different way: it means I’m away from home. A lot. Actually, this blog post is being written on the Amtrak Acela going back home to the Boston area. (Free wi-fi. Woo hoo!) By the way, if you’re traveling on the Northeast corridor, and especially between Boston and New York, taking the train is much easier if you need to be in Midtown.

I genuinely love what I do and the customers I work for. I know what I signed up for, especially since I’m chief cook and bottlewasher around these parts. So while I’m not complaining, I don’t lead a fabulous life of extravagance on the road, either. People think that I get to go to all of these wonderful places (that’s true to a degree, although some are not as wonderful as others), stay in top notch hotels, fly in first class, sip champagne … in essence, lead a “fabulous” life. It is a good life. But “fabulous”? Not so much.

At the end of the work day, a hotel is just that: a place to go back, do some more work, and get some sleep. Some definitely are better than others; I’m not saying there’s no difference. I’d be lying. But I can’t always justify, say, staying in a Renaissance or a “normal” Marriott when one of the other brands is in the same area and like $200 cheaper per night. That’s not a hard and fast rule. For example, if I’m going to be working, say, in downtown Los Angeles, it makes no sense to stay farther out because if you need to be somewhere first thing in the AM, it’s just impractical. I always work with customers to have very reasonable travel costs when it comes to things like hotels and flights. One customer of mine who I’ve worked closely with since going independent and I spend a lot of time up front getting estimates based on the proposed days. As long as we can sign the work quickly (PO processes can be fun at some companies), we’re always close if not right on the money. Doing things that way can easily chew up the better part of a day or two as I search for deals and flight combinations. For example, sometimes with Marriott properties the rates for Thursday night through Sunday night are cheaper (not always, though). So if I’m going to be somewhere for 10 days, I may have 3 or so reservations at the same hotel just to get a discounted rate Thursday – Sunday. You get different rates depending on how you select your dates. Sometimes you can negotiate a good rate at certain hotels if you stay often enough. I’ve done that once so far.

Doesn’t this sound glamorous – spending a day or two just to find travel costs? There’s no assistant doing all of this for me. Add travel agent to my list of job duties after consulting, billing, and running my business.

After a day working at a customer, sometimes it’s too late and restaurants are closed. Compound that with special dietary needs, and life in certain parts of the country can be challenging at times. Not everywhere is like New York City or Los Angeles. Many cities roll up the carpet by 9 or 10 o’clock. This is often why I’ll stay in a place that has a kitchenette or at least a refrigerator so I can go to a supermarket or a Whole Foods (if there is one) and get some stuff. I’ve also learned not to change my diet on the road. I eat the same things at home as I do elsewhere. I also snack less, drink less soda, etc. Why? Before you know it, you’re 10 – 15 pounds heavier. As a small guy, 10 extra pounds makes a big difference and quite frankly, you feel lousy. I could do better on the road; I should use the hotel gyms more often. But after a long day of work, it’s about the last thing I want to do.

Before you go break out your little violins for me and say, “Awww, poor Allan!” I do get to have some fun at times, but it’s not often. For example, on this trip where I’m on the way back from, it was a pretty intense week or so in Seattle, and then I spent a day and half in New York City. Hey, it’s on the way, right? It didn’t add any cost to my airfare to do it, and I don’t charge my customers for the hotel in New York. Win-win. I got to see Peter Gabriel at Radio City Music Hall (fantastic show) with a lifelong friend of mine who I grew up with and don’t get to see very often.

Not being around as much makes you appreciate the really good times more. I sometimes wonder if friends and family think I abandon them … I don’t. My time is mine since I’m self employed, but very limited as my work schedule dictates everything else most of the time. If I’m out West or in another country altogether, I need to be mindful of the time zone differences. Of course I still manage to go home and at least change suitcases, squeeze in a rehearsal or two with the big band, maybe some recording dates (hope to do round two of the sessions I started last fall sometime this summer), and have a bit of downtime to unwind, too. Music is a big part of my life, and even on the road, I try to catch shows if I can if someone I like is playing. I’ve had the good fortune of catching people like Joe Jackson in both London and Sydney, the Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke/Lenny White trio at the Blue Note in Tokyo, and Genesis on the last tour outside of London.

I pledge to get back to more regular technical blog posts that I’ve got some planned after I get through this next stretch of customer work and deliverables (including two whitepapers). Some possible blog post ideas I’m toying with:

How to create DTC in the cluster resource group/application with SQL Server on Windows Server 2008/R2
Upgrading your SQL Server 2008 failover clustering instance to SQL Server 2008 R2
… and more

Back to editing one whitepaper and writing about 9 presentations I need to deliver over the next month or so …

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