I know what you're saying, this picture looks like it was taken during a full eclipse of the sun but in fact it is the best my Blackberry could manage at 3pm in Ormeau Park, Belfast, today and that most definitely is cricket being played by gentlemen of India and/or Pakastani origin I would say.
I also passed two gentlemen from eastern Europe who had taken a full badminton set to the park for a Sunday excursion, erecting the net and dismantling it later. The sort of thing the Irish rarely do in our wonderful public parks.
That said, I am very excited to see more rowers on the Lagan. In driving rain yesterday morning, I ran past scores of young people in canoes on the water. Good for them. Which reminds you to ask me how I'm doing with my one thousand mile target in 2009. Not as well as I had hoped unfortunately. At the present rate of progress, I would complete only 650 miles by year end (I'm up in the 160s somewhere at present) so it's time to move up a gear, wonky knees and all.
Meanwhile, it's depressing to see that despite the economic downturn, rip-off Ireland is alive and well. I've been invited to California in July and would love to fly direct with Aer Lingus from Dublin. However, for that pleasure Aer Lingus would like €877 return. Continental will take me from Belfast with a stopover at Newark then onwards to San Francisco (and back) for €800. And interestingly, Air Canada will take me via Toronto (and back) for just €600. If I could find a cheap way of getting to London, United will fly me direct round-trip for €660. Aer Lingus has predicted a slump in passenger numbers on its long-haul routes in the months ahead. Why doesn't it just reduce its prices to attract more business? Or at the very least, it could do away with its insulting €10 "handling charge" which it dumps on top of the fare.
4 comments:
Please, in decades gone by we used to refer to that airline as Aer Fungus.
There is an attitude issse revolving around arrrogance starting at the top and working it way down.
Obviously, that is why they lose so much money year after year.
From the BBC News morning summary of newspapers:
"The Irish Independent reports that the head of Aer Lingus is due to quit.
The paper says he will depart with a golden handshake of about 1m euro as the airline struggles with mounting losses, a permanently depressed share price and internal tensions about its future direction."
Aer Lingus has never learned a thing.
Where can I get a golden handshake for a million Euors for continuing a policy of failure?
Isn't it absolutely amazing that Aer Lingus will not lower ticket prices so as to become competitive and perhaps make a profit, but there is no issue giving a failed CEO a golden handshake of a million Euros?
Where can I apply for his job?
And if I introduce a little common sense and make some money for Aer Lingus, might they give me a billion or so for starters?
If you are ever in Botanic Gardens early on sunday mornings, you will see many young Indian men playing Cricket on the green.
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