Reply to: 5 minutes in Russia

[AlfredJPruffock]

Aye FA

Amazing stuff. Its stuff like this that makes you think the job you are doing is worth while.

To tell you the truth I never even wanted to work in IT - I only did a IT course back in 1983 (that was Information Technology year) which was founded by the Government - I had working around odd jobbing - prior to that I had been working as a labourer in Ravenscraig Steelworks in Scotland then was laid off - I undertook the IT course as I was playing synthesisers and as a musician thought IT somehow might be useful .

Mind you back in 1983 there was no websites - in fact the Commodore Pet was as about multimedia as you could get... "BLEEP" -
impressive sonic effects - eh ?!

Anyway to cut a long story short - I ended up getting my first IT job in London as a Mainframe Computer Operator I thought this might see through till the end of the year - I hated it as for most of my time I was changing paper on a mainframe printer - but needed the money ... and Jings! ... It was tough to get that first IT job ... the moneys no good but get a grip on yourself and - well you can find out the rest in the Life and Times of AlfredJPruffock.

PS FA - I like your attitude - remember if you don't have a dream - how are you going to make your dream come true ??

PPS Check out this awesome YouTube video from Don Pettit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwt3kMivZk4

[fullyautomatix]

Sadly for you, desktop support doesn't count as "amazing stuff"

[Euler]

Amazing stuff. Its stuff like this that makes you think the job you are doing is worth while.

Sadly for you, desktop support doesn't count as "amazing stuff"

[fullyautomatix]

After my stint back in 1993 as one of the IT Pioneer's of the International Space Station courtesy of the European Space Agency's Operational Centre in Germany - I watched with interest over the years as the ISS changed from being a blueprint to an orbiting Space Station.

I worked again for ESA (again on contract) - this time in Holland from 2008-2011 - well shortly before I left I was told to visit the European Astronaut Training Centre near Koln in Germany - I hadn't been there before and after I did some IT work there - I was taken to lunch and had the pleasure of having lunch with NASA astronaut Don Pettit !

As a keen astronomer for many years I never thought I would have the pleasure of lunching with somebody who had been several times on the ISS via the Space Shuttle.

Don had been told I was one of the ISS Pioneers way back in 1993 when I was on my own in Moscow - and wanted to meet me to say thanks!

It was one of the best days of my life, you can see Don on the left(note the ISS symbol on his shirt) and that's myself on the left - OK although I was laughing - what I didn't know then was that I had deadly Melonama cancer - but you can read about that in the thread " The Life and Times of AlfredJpruffock"

PS we were sharing a joke about our Mothers at the time ...




PS Don was a scientist before becoming a NASA astronaut and has performed many experiments on the ISS - check out this wonderful YouTube video he created - shot from the ISS !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwt3kMivZk4

Amazing stuff. Its stuff like this that makes you think the job you are doing is worth while.

[AlfredJPruffock]

After my stint back in 1993 as one of the IT Pioneer's of the International Space Station courtesy of the European Space Agency's Operational Centre in Germany - I watched with interest over the years as the ISS changed from being a blueprint to an orbiting Space Station.

I worked again for ESA (again on contract) - this time in Holland from 2008-2011 - well shortly before I left I was told to visit the European Astronaut Training Centre near Koln in Germany - I hadn't been there before and after completing a wee IT project there - I was taken to lunch and had the pleasure of having lunch with NASA astronaut Don Pettit !

As a keen astronomer for many years I never thought I would have the pleasure of lunching with somebody who had been several times on the ISS via the Space Shuttle.

Don had been told I was one of the ISS Pioneers way back in 1993 when I was on my own in Moscow - and wanted to meet me to say thanks!

It was one of the best lunches of my life I can tell you , that's NASA astronaut Don Pettit on the left (note the ISS symbol on his shirt) and that's myself on the left - OK although I was laughing - what I didn't know then was that I had deadly Melonama cancer - but you can read about that in the thread " The Life and Times of AlfredJpruffock"

PS we were sharing a joke about our Mothers at the time ...




PS Don was a scientist before becoming a NASA astronaut and has performed many experiments on the ISS - check out this wonderful YouTube video he created - shot from the ISS !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwt3kMivZk4

[Flashman]

LiveLeak.com - 5 minutes in Russia

Typical afternoon in Glasgow. Isn't that Minestrone with his top off?

[AlfredJPruffock]

Ah yes. Lots of prossies in every bar. How could I forget that? Unfortunately I was with colleagues.

PS It might have only cost a few roubles over there. You should at least have asked.

Aye Xoggoth

Then again perhaps it was my Guardian Angel saving me from this Temptation to Sin - perhaps the KGB could have altered the course of History had I succumbed to her charms - by reverse engineering my VTAM macros they could have unleashed a massive decisive military attack on the West.

Alf's Guardian Angel always told him where to go and what to do next.

[OwlHoot]

Back in 1992 I was working at the European Agency site in Darmstadt Germany (its called ESOC). To cut a long story short I was roped into a project which involved myself going to the Russian Space Agency research centre in Moscow (IKI) and installing an IBM 9371 Mini-Mainframe - back then I was an IBM sysprog - remember those ?

At that time Moscow was pretty much isolated in terms of network connectivity - the idea as that the IBM9371 (with integrated front end processor) would become a communications hub via the CERN Network (remember that?) - thus facilitating the exchange of information between scientists at IKI Moscow and ESA and NASA. You see the impetus for this mission was something called the International Space Station - which was just a pipedream at this time.

I have many fond memories of the week I spent in Moscow - certainly all the staff I worked with were very friendly and very intelligent. I recall after work one day watching Russian TV - at six o clock there was a Russian Poet on for about 90 minutes - that's peak time viewing. That's how much they appreciate poetry.

I was pretty much allowed to go where I pleased - no KGB escort.

Oh - this might amuse Xoggoth - I took the train from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.

I checked into a hotel and just after I went to bed at midnight - my phone rang "Would Sir like a girl ?" I politely declined. However not to be deterred there was a knock on my door and (was she Blonde - I cant remember) girl put her head around the door - I had to tell her in my pigeon English - words to the effect of "No Sex please Im British". Anyway I only had a few Roubles on me at the time.

I sometimes regret that - after all what information could have the KGB been so interested in - VTAM or REXX manuals - I shall never know.

PS Mission accomplished and Alf had did his wee bit for the International Space Station

Crikey - They tried the same trick on you twice?

Those Russkies are pretty persistent

[xoggoth]

I checked into a hotel and just after I went to bed at midnight - my phone rang "Would Sir like a girl ?" I politely declined. However not to be deterred there was a knock on my door and (was she Blonde - I cant remember) girl put her head around the door - I had to tell her in my pigeon English - words to the effect of "No Sex please Im British". Anyway I only had a few Roubles on me at the time.

Ah yes. Lots of prossies in every bar. How could I forget that? Unfortunately I was with colleagues.

PS It might have only cost a few roubles over there. You should at least have asked.

[xoggoth]

5) Forgetting where I'd had to deposit my passport and wandering around for several hours trying to locate it.

Or was that Borneo? No wonder it took ages if I was looking on the wrong country.

[AlfredJPruffock]

From Russia - with Love

Back in 1992 I was working at the European Agency site in Darmstadt Germany (its called ESOC). To cut a long story short I was roped into a project which involved myself going to the Russian Space Agency research centre in Moscow (IKI) and installing an IBM 9371 Mini-Mainframe - back then I was an IBM sysprog - remember those ?

At that time Moscow was pretty much isolated in terms of network connectivity - the idea as that the IBM9371 (with integrated front end processor) would become a communications hub via the CERN Network (remember that?) - thus facilitating the exchange of information between scientists at IKI Moscow and ESA and NASA. You see the impetus for this mission was something called the International Space Station - which was just a pipedream at this time.

I have many fond memories of the week I spent in Moscow - certainly all the staff I worked with were very friendly and very intelligent. I recall after work one day watching Russian TV - at six o clock there was a Russian Poet on for about 90 minutes - that's peak time viewing. That's how much they appreciate poetry.

I was pretty much allowed to go where I pleased - no KGB escort.

Oh - this might amuse Xoggoth - I took the train from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.

I checked into a hotel and just after I went to bed at midnight - my phone rang "Would Sir like a girl ?" I politely declined. However not to be deterred there was a knock on my door and (was she Blonde - I cant remember) girl put her head around the door - I had to tell her in my pigeon English - words to the effect of "No Sex please Im British". Anyway I only had a few Roubles on me at the time.

I sometimes regret that - after all what information could have the KGB been so interested in - VTAM or REXX manuals - I shall never know.

PS Mission accomplished and Alf had did his wee bit for the International Space Station

[NotAllThere]

How Putin deals with complaints from his neighbours.

[stek]

Spent a couple of weeks in Soviet Russia. Things I recall:

1) Leaving a meeting and going for a piss without asking permission. A uniformed soldier with a rifle rushed after me and stood guard outside.
2) Having to wait around for ages outside the hotel room until the appointed old ladies showed up and graciously allowed me to have the key.
3) Rudest waiters in the entire world.
4) Streets covered in thick ice but taxi drivers zooming around as if it was summer.
5) Going to see Moscow Ballet and enduring a very dull modern ballet set in an airport. Companion constantly remarking on how prominent the male ballet dancers' balls were.
5) Forgetting where I'd had to deposit my passport and wandering around for several hours trying to locate it.
6) Being given sweets instead of change at airport on exit.

PS Being totally disappointed, having worked on the Trident submarine a couple of years before, that a lovely blonde did not show up at my hotel room and try to get me to divulge any secrets,

I did a week c1985, clearly not the Socialist Utopia I was expecting being a bit of leftie at the time and still now really when it suits me. Still, managed to stay largely under the radar and visited some cracking places, Soviet Taverns/drinking dens included, lots of Soviet underclass which didn't officially exist.

Travelled back via Hungary which was a socialist utopia really but by then I was fooked after 3 months Eurorailing.

When I went back to Russia in 2002 things had changed a lot and even more when I went back again in 2003. That one year was a bigger difference than the previous 17 or so....

I love Russia and Russian people, language and literature but I won't be back cos it's too hard, as the demi-spouse of a Russian I have to go to London now to get a visa to visit, and my better half now, having a UK passport as of last Thu, on her next visit home she will have to register her duality, in case she's an oligarch with Sterling, otherwise it's something like a 10,000,000 rouble fine (40p) and/or 300 hours Community Service, which she said she's not doing.....

My' nenavidim Vladimira Putina lol!!

[xoggoth]

Spent a couple of weeks in Soviet Russia. Things I recall:

1) Leaving a meeting and going for a piss without asking permission. A uniformed soldier with a rifle rushed after me and stood guard outside.
2) Having to wait around for ages outside the hotel room until the appointed old ladies showed up and graciously allowed me to have the key.
3) Rudest waiters in the entire world.
4) Streets covered in thick ice but taxi drivers zooming around as if it was summer.
5) Going to see Moscow Ballet and enduring a very dull modern ballet set in an airport. Companion constantly remarking on how prominent the male ballet dancers' balls were.
5) Forgetting where I'd had to deposit my passport and wandering around for several hours trying to locate it.
6) Being given sweets instead of change at airport on exit.

PS Being totally disappointed, having worked on the Trident submarine a couple of years before, that a lovely blonde did not show up at my hotel room and try to get me to divulge any secrets,

[stek]

LiveLeak.com - 5 minutes in Russia

True for the Gopniki (Chavs) and BOMZH (Tramps), same in UK - watching Benefits Britain ATM! Depends on the circles you move in, non of the people I knew in Russia and I was there a fair while, even drank or smoked, let alone fought in the street or supported Putin.

Except Dyadya Kolya, he was an alcky big style, dead now and some bitching over ownership of his flat going on in the family, but that happens everywhere. 55. And Dyadya Vika, big strapping man from the Kavkas, drove huge plant, massive diggers and tippers, suddenly started to shrivel away, dead too. 56.

Other than those two - everyone else is like late 80's!!

Slava Rossiyi....