1) If you book on the first flight out of Manchester to Lodinium on a Budget Airline(VLM) don't actually expect them to get out of bed to fly you even if you had to get out of bed at 4am to get there. And don't expect any notice or apologies either
2) When you go to London for a conference don't expect to spend more than 5 minutes actually looking at central london. ( Hotel was oh, 100 yds from the Tube station)
3) Whilst the Tube is relatively efficient ( 30 mins for ~10 miles) give me the crowded M60 anyday, reasons
a) being I REALLy don't want a sweaty armpit 5 inches from my face.
b) when an ignorant bloke in his 60s arm has hit you in the head 5 or 6 times, don't expect him to be too chuffed when a rather pee'd off East lancastrian rather abrubtly asks ask him to move his chuffing arm further down the grab rail
c) I don't want to listen to your MP3 player headphones
4) Automated Ticket machines have an inherrant inability to print receipts meaning I now have to argue the toss with my finance team for ~£30 of expenses(both the Dockloads Railway and teh Manchester Airport car parking failed to print receipts despite trying to do so)
5) Be REALLY grateful that you aren't expected to find upwards of £300K for a basic flat in a not very nice area of the east end or find upwards of £300/week to rent somewhere half reasonable
6) Old people don't suit ipods
7) Forget actual eye contact with anyone, and its seems its almost a mortal sin to actually smile at people.
8) Hotels are now all fully staffed with eastern Europeans who whilst very plesant seemed to struggle with my accent and sent me halfway round teh hotel when teh room I actually needed was that one there, right behind teh desk
