What day is it ?

I’m back from San Jose now after my IPExpert boot camp. I woke at 3 this morning (after going to bed at 8pm), it is of course the first day back (I think it’s Monday!) It took my until Tuesday evening last week to work out what day it was (Tuesday was a good day – everything I did that day worked) after arriving in San Jose on Saturday. So I should be back to normal by Wednesday I think!

So how was it ? Well, in a nutshell, it was the most enjoyable, most intense, most eye-opening training course of any type I have been on, and now I feel much more comfortable about what I need to achieve in the next 6 weeks before my exam. So let’s break down what was so good about it.

First, the class – my fellow CCIE wanabees (including some CCIE alreadys) – the stamina, enthusiasm, knowledge and experience in that room would have made quite an exceptional Cisco-partner organisation! Normally in a class you expect people to be quite 9-5 about it. Not here! Everyone was in (except Monday) around 8am and didn't leave (except Friday due to flights etc.) until at least 7:30pm if not later – and this was every day!  This didn't just apply to those who’d funded the trip themselves. This was one committed (or is that committable) bunch, and a great bunch too.

The content – well the website states that there are 4 days of lecture/lab and one day of full lab. Forget that! Vik stated up front that most of us would not get to go through that one day lab at the end, as there was just so much content to cover, that it was a better use of time to do this than the 1 day lab (we received the lab and solution guide so no great loss). The real world – forget that too. This course is about passing the CCIE lab, and that is not the real world. Many times throughout the week you would think – I’d never do this in the real world – and then you remembered where you were. Partition <None> anyone ? Would I recommend this course to someone not attempting the lab ? No! It is too detailed, and otherworldly. The number of gotchas that came up throughout the week, I lost count (but made copious notes!). “What protocol provides the voice vlan to a phone ?” – think about that carefully before you answer – and be pedantic!

The man – Vik is a Liverpool Fan – that’s the last bad thing I’ll say about him (I’m an Everton Fan!). His ability to engage a class is as good as I’ve seen. He explains topics in such detail and with such authority that it is easy to digest and learn from him. We were quite a clever bunch, but we struggled to find anything that could knock him out of his stride – if we had a question he had the answer. He had a knack of knowing when we were all starting to flag and had hit our knowledge absorption limit – at which point we take a “5” minute break (I think he needs a new watch!)  His explanation of 3750 QoS breaks it down in such a way as you go – ahhh!

So was it worth it (it being the not inconsiderable monetary sum I shelled out for flights/accommodation/food/unpaid work time!) ? Well, as I sit here on the train into the office I feel it was. I’m definitely better prepared now – in that I know where I am at, and where I need to get, but also how to go about getting there. The proof will be in the final result in April – although passing first time is not the be-all, it would be nice! As I’ve said before, I don’t want to go to Brussels!

Yes I knew the way!

My trip to San Jose for the IPExpert boot camp last week gave me my first taste of California. So on the two down days I had (Sunday and Saturday at either end of the trip), I had a look around San Francisco.

First however – how do you get to San Jose from SFO – easy, just jump into a shared van at the airport and then go on a geeky magical mystery tour until you get to your hotel. Travelling down the highway into Silicon Valley you see all the names of the places where those big companies you know the names of, and some other places that you go “oooh, I didn't know that was there!” (at least as a geeky Brit on their first trip anyway!) Mountain View, Cupertino, Moffett Field, Palo Alto. Hmmm!

If you are ever in San Jose, check out Gordon Birsch for a beer and a meal , a fine pint (or 3) of the seasonal bock, and a good feed – and thus ended my travelling day 26 hours after I woke up.

Awake at 4:30 hmm isn't US TV poor at this time of the morning – breakfast – UK football streamed over the internet, then time to catch the train to San Francisco. Firstly the San Jose VTA light rail to San Jose Diridon for the CalTrain to San Francisco – on time – nice! (Although given how short the change time was should have gone the opposite direction from Metro to Mountain View which is what I did on the way back) The fast train (baby bullet!) gets from San Jose to San Francisco in just about an hour (the stopper takes 1 and 1/2 hours!) and I managed to make it. Just! I’d decided to take an open-topped bus tour, but I had forgotten my coat, and it was colder than anticipated. I can however recommend it as the best way to see everything if you are very time limited (just don’t get off the bus unless there is really something you want to do!)  I had been looking forward to seeing the Golden Gate Bridge since I booked the trip – here it is!

That’s right – cloud arrived just before I did! So rather than get off I stayed on the bus and went over the bridge. It was much clearer on the northern side – but no photo of the whole bridge without any cloud. This is the best!

Down to Fisherman’s Wharf – fresh crab for lunch/dinner and then back to San Jose (CalTrain, VTA etc.). Back to the hotel in time to get a good night’s sleep before the course started.