Sunday, December 25, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Deutschland!
Was lucky enough to be sent to Germany for a 3-day training last 14-Dec to 17-Dec 2005.
14th December 2005 - Left Dubai alone at 8am and reached Frankfurt airport around 2pm. Flight to Bremen with my German colleague was at 4pm and he rented a car from there and he drove to Kirchdorf for more than two hours (yeah, I was useless.. my driving license can’t be used there). He’s a good colleague… very professional (and a bit strict about punctuality, hehehe).
It was very memorable. I experienced countless “first”s there…
First all-expense-paid trip (business trip??hehehe...)
First trip to Germany (Europe, in general)
First visit to the Head Office
First time to meet my colleagues at the Head Office
First time to be aware of how important punctuality is for Germans
First time to taste “hot” wine.. steaming hot, German-style,
(at wine stalls in Minden; they bought one mug for everybody from each of the 3 stalls!)
First time to get drunk (but i behaved!)
First time that my colleague told me “Rose, you embarrass me!” (coz I got drunk!)
First time to be utterly embarrassed in the presence of my boss!!
First time to skip a very delicious meal specially ordered by my boss for me
(couldn’t eat anything… after the mugs of wine, I felt really dizzy and sleepy…
I had to skip the yummy meal *sigh*)
First time to stay in a hotel room.. and I was alone… for 3 days and 3 nights
First time to eat schnitzel (mmm… yummy!)
First time to eat lots of other German food I haven’t tasted before
First time to see installed heaters for winter
(manol gid ko ya, tingala pa ko wala sila mga airconditioners, hehehe..)
First time to attend Christmas party at the Head Office
(with yummy vegetables & mashed potatoes… and yummy dessert,
they served roasted goose instead of roasted turkey)
First time to drink too much alcohol (of different types!) without getting drunk
(during the Christmas party)
First time to be in a party with German-speaking people…
(so every time they spoke in English, it meant they were talking to me and only to me!!
Yes, even the printed menu is in German, hehehe..)
First time to be sooo “manol” in my life!! about everything!!
First snow!!! (during my last day, everywhere I looked, it was all white!)
First… etc. etc. etc. don’t want to mention all—you’ll be bored
My colleagues (especially in the accounts department there) and the “big” people (owners, CEO, Finance Director, Managing Director, etc.) were all very accommodating, friendly and very professional. I realized the higher his/her position in the company is, the more polite and good-natured he/she becomes. I was somehow convinced (by what I have observed) that they deserve to be there at the top of the corporate ladder. The owners & the CEO were unbelievably down-to-earth and accommodating. There was no sign of arrogance at all!
I'm glad the Germans I met in Kirchdorf were (are) wonderful people.
Arrived at Dubai Int’l Airport at midnight.. dropped at home by Sam at 1am.. went to sleep at 4am after “chika-chika” (chat) with Nanay and went to work at 9am on the same day… Sunday, 17th December, 2005.
The trip was a wonderful blessing.
I’m blessed, and I’m aware of it. Thanks to God.
14th December 2005 - Left Dubai alone at 8am and reached Frankfurt airport around 2pm. Flight to Bremen with my German colleague was at 4pm and he rented a car from there and he drove to Kirchdorf for more than two hours (yeah, I was useless.. my driving license can’t be used there). He’s a good colleague… very professional (and a bit strict about punctuality, hehehe).
It was very memorable. I experienced countless “first”s there…
First all-expense-paid trip (business trip??hehehe...)
First trip to Germany (Europe, in general)
First visit to the Head Office
First time to meet my colleagues at the Head Office
First time to be aware of how important punctuality is for Germans
First time to taste “hot” wine.. steaming hot, German-style,
(at wine stalls in Minden; they bought one mug for everybody from each of the 3 stalls!)
First time to get drunk (but i behaved!)
First time that my colleague told me “Rose, you embarrass me!” (coz I got drunk!)
First time to be utterly embarrassed in the presence of my boss!!
First time to skip a very delicious meal specially ordered by my boss for me
(couldn’t eat anything… after the mugs of wine, I felt really dizzy and sleepy…
I had to skip the yummy meal *sigh*)
First time to stay in a hotel room.. and I was alone… for 3 days and 3 nights
First time to eat schnitzel (mmm… yummy!)
First time to eat lots of other German food I haven’t tasted before
First time to see installed heaters for winter
(manol gid ko ya, tingala pa ko wala sila mga airconditioners, hehehe..)
First time to attend Christmas party at the Head Office
(with yummy vegetables & mashed potatoes… and yummy dessert,
they served roasted goose instead of roasted turkey)
First time to drink too much alcohol (of different types!) without getting drunk
(during the Christmas party)
First time to be in a party with German-speaking people…
(so every time they spoke in English, it meant they were talking to me and only to me!!
Yes, even the printed menu is in German, hehehe..)
First time to be sooo “manol” in my life!! about everything!!
First snow!!! (during my last day, everywhere I looked, it was all white!)
First… etc. etc. etc. don’t want to mention all—you’ll be bored
My colleagues (especially in the accounts department there) and the “big” people (owners, CEO, Finance Director, Managing Director, etc.) were all very accommodating, friendly and very professional. I realized the higher his/her position in the company is, the more polite and good-natured he/she becomes. I was somehow convinced (by what I have observed) that they deserve to be there at the top of the corporate ladder. The owners & the CEO were unbelievably down-to-earth and accommodating. There was no sign of arrogance at all!
I'm glad the Germans I met in Kirchdorf were (are) wonderful people.
Arrived at Dubai Int’l Airport at midnight.. dropped at home by Sam at 1am.. went to sleep at 4am after “chika-chika” (chat) with Nanay and went to work at 9am on the same day… Sunday, 17th December, 2005.
The trip was a wonderful blessing.
I’m blessed, and I’m aware of it. Thanks to God.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
