A week in Atlanta – Technology, Cheese and Soda

Last week, as Twitter followers will already know, I spent the week in Atlanta, at our internal conference called MGX (Microsoft Global Exchange). As usual it was an amazing week, with astonishing organisation and conference content (could you imagine organising a 12,000 person, 4 day conference, for global delegates?). Of course, we learnt a huge amount, but sadly it’s an internal event which gives us an insight into the direction ahead. Of course, all the secrets are safely locked away in my head!

Normally everything that happens in the conference centre is away from public view, but at this year’s event a short video was released, of just a few minutes, when Steve Ballmer signed the Windows 7 Gold disk as it was finally released. And yes, I was one of the 12,000 people applauding and cheering it (in a very British way, of course!)

So if I can’t share anything from the conference, what can I share? Well, I’ve already said too much about the week’s cheese diet elsewhere, so how about fizzy drinks?

The World of Coke

Well, I though that perhaps I could do a professional job on my visit to Atlanta’s World of Coke – with the “64 soda challenge”.

Here’s the scenario – they’ve assembled a big pile of drinks machines, containing 64 of the company’s drinks around the room – grouped by continent. I, and Mike (my Government counterpart, and photographer on this occasion) started on Europe, and worked our way through Asia, Latin America and North America. One cup. 64 fizzy drinks. And a burning desire to do this properly!

Not only did I have Mike with me to record the challenge, but I also took along my notepad, so that I can share with you some of the country highlights!

But before I tell you about the best, how about some of the highlights!

• Delaware Punch from the Honduras
  Which tasted just like water from a fish tank (the bit I get every week when I’m trying to syphon it off to clean it)
  
• Simba from Paraguay
  Which tasted identical to Irn Bru
  
• Inca Kola from Peru
  Which was actually okay, but didn't taste like Cola, and it was lime green.
  
• Vegitabeta from Japan
  The label had a picture of a carrot, and a taste to match – like the water you’ve just washed the carrots in it
  
• Bargs from North America
  Which tasted like a combination of the stuff you wash your mouth out with at the dentist, with a piquancy of deep heat
  
• Fanta Birch Beer from North America
  According to Mike, this smells exactly like the cesspit in the Jorvik Viking Centre. I have no doubt of the accuracy of this, as he was a full time Viking for 6 months - except for weekends, when he had to play a Saxon
  
• Mello Yello from North America
  This tastes like it should if you remember the slogan of the 1976 drought ("If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down")
  
• Fanta Strawberry from North America
  Exactly like watered down Calpol
  
• Vault from North America
  Had the full depth of Lemon Fairy Liquid, and the full taste of cold, fizzy Lemsip
  
• Beverly from Italy
  This was odd, as it had almost no taste, apart from a hint that it's arrived through a long garden hose pipe.
  
• Fanta Pineapple from Greece
  I think you can make this at home if you drop 5 pineapple chunks in a glass of sugar
  
• Fanta Exotic from Uganda
  Like fizzy Umbongo, but the blinding colour of a red traffic light
  
• Stoney Tangawizi from Tanzania
  Which not only got a prize for great naming, but had a great taste like Ginger Beer used to taste when you grew it yourself on the windowsill
  
• Sunfill Menthe from Djibouti
  Was sweet and fizzy but it had the taste of watered down chewing gum
  
• Bibo Candy Pine-Nut from South Africa
  It even had a picture of Pine-Nut on the label, but all it tasted of was desiccated coconut

The drink from England was ‘Kinley Bitter Lemon’, which was a bit bizarre, because none of us had heard of it. And similarly, Beverly, from Italy wasn’t familiar to the half-dozen Italians that were with us. There must be a soft-drinks parallel-universe where people sit drinking Kinley all day, and eating Tunnocks Caramel Wafers (‘a million sold every week’) 

 

And The Winner Is…

Anyway, back to the important stuff. The most pleasing drink of all, and a clear winner for both Mike and I was the French one – Nestea white peach. I am a big fan of iced tea when abroad, so I think it’s time we campaigned for more availability in the UK too.

The Soda Effect

You may be wondering what drinking 60 sweet, fizzy drinks does for you? Well, compare the photo below (the ‘after’ shot) with the photo at the top of the article (the ‘before’ shot).

It may not surprise you to hear that I found it difficult to sleep that night!

A quick ps on the linking ability of Twitter
On Saturday morning I tweeted “Last night managed all 60 soda flavours in World of Coke. Made careful tasting notes for blogging tomorrow (too much time on my hands)”. A bit later I got a reply via Twitter from their WorldofColaCola account saying “@RayFleming glad you enjoyed it! Be sure to pass on your blog post, I'd love to read your review! :)”. Let’s hope they feel the same now it’s written :-)