Shamil Salakhetdinov
shamil at smsconsulting.spb.ru
Sun Jul 27 09:31:23 CDT 2008
Thank you, Rocky, And you're welcome to St.Petersburg, Russia... <<< it's a long way from New York to San Diego >>> Well, there are planes you know :) When traveling to Seattle, WA, two years ago I have started here at home where I live on North West of St.Petersburg, Russia around 6 a.m. and I was in Seattle around 11 p.m. *the same day* :) Well, because of time difference that was a long 36+ hours trip but the fact it was that long was because of the French custom officers who didn't allow me to cross the borders for a minute to connect in Paris where I did come from St.Petersburg for a direct flight to Seattle (I didn't have Shengen Visa and these guys were severe and were following verbatim all instructions) - but I was a kind of lucky this day (I could have ended up forced to go back to Russia) - but the lady from the airline I flied with to the States did help me to find in 15 minutes a connection flight to Detroit but I have to wait 4 hours in Paris, then I went to Detroit and had to wait some time there also but finely safely arrive the same day to Seattle and my luggage(!) came with me - I have got a rented car and here you are driving American highway night time first time in my life - that was another portion of good stress because that highway wasn't illuminated good enough and I needed to find my way in anew for me country by myself driving the car by highway and having just some contact information and a map, which I didn't see that well while driving because if was rather dark and because there was no that much places to stop and I needed to drive fast etc. :) This long trip and waiting in Detroit allowed me to watch how the everyday's airport life - all the same - all around the world - what was great their in Detroit were connection trains - there is no something like that in Moscow's airport area hence the trouble with connection... To make the story short - I have found my way - and I liked your country - I should have born there on the West in America - next life probably :) BTW, FYI: non-stop flight Los-Angeles -> Moscow I did use on my way back is just 11 or 12 hours - if you're lucky to quickly connect in Moscow to St.Petersburg (which isn't easy to do because Russian airport service there in Moscow is very slow with luggage unloaded and connecting to local flight MSK -> SPB you have to get you luggage connected/brought with you - but if you're lucky, your flight arrived in time, you didn't have luggage then you can connect to SPB and be here in one hour, then one hour drive to my home from airport from the South of Spb to North - all in all - if you live near to the airport in Los-Angeles and if they ever allow to check-in for the flights as before just one hour or less in advance then you can be in SPB in 14-15 hours starting from Los Angeles - maybe even quicker - good connection points to SPB are Amsterdam, London, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stockholm or Helsinki - and they do connect to SPB better and quicker than in Moscow - and you can be here probably in 12 hours(?) - not sure about the latter... ...then another 1+ hour drive and you're in the village Sosnovo you have seen in the movie of my son :) Closing that OT thread now. Thank you everybody for letting me this OT here and for your kind references on my son work. Welcome to St.Petersburg, Russia! :) -- Shamil -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Rocky Smolin at Beach Access Software Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 5:44 PM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: Re: [AccessD] Weekend OT: Russia today by seven yearsoldboy'seyes... Well, it's a long way from New York to San Diego but the door is always open to you if you make it this far. Rocky Smolin Beach Access Software 858-259-4334 www.e-z-mrp.com www.bchacc.com -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Shamil Salakhetdinov Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 6:28 AM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: Re: [AccessD] Weekend OT: Russia today by seven years oldboy'seyes... Rocky, Yes, he would be pleased to see the photos and videos but I think he would most of all love to visit the States and to make the pictures by himself :) He is a kind of very familiar what New York is :) - he used to play Spider Man computer games - there are two both very good PC games about Spider Man adventure in New York... ..he asked me several times when we will go there - I still can't afford that trip but with the first opportunity I will do that... <<< he and his family could see what a typical American grocery store looked like >>> That was a long ago probably? I have been incognito (:)) to the state Washington a couple of years ago with very short business trip - and I must say/witness :) there is no almost any difference now between yours and ours groceries or supermarkets - I mean that :) BTW, here in St.Petersburg one of the largest retail nets is going to be bought by Carrefour (French or Belgian company) or most probably by Wall Mart - your country company... You still have larger selection of goods in an average supermarket - and - believe me or not (you probably know that) - your average prices are ***lower*** for everything what people uses everyday for foods and clothes etc.... - it was like that two years ago - and this year inflation here promise to be 15%(?) percents so the difference of retail prices is even larger now probably - people is used to go shopping to Finland now because the prices on some good quality products are lower there... ...and Finish people do not claim - they are glad to get more and more money from Russia spent in their country, and they come here often - gasoline is still less expensive here than there etc. - a kind of win-win microeconomics.... -- Shamil