Schnitzel please!

Had dinner with Linda, a new friend and coworker.  We met in the Bonn City Center and found a beer garden to try for dinner.  I had to order a schnitzel and check this out.....it's the biggest schnitzel in Bonn!!!  And I'm happy to report that it was delicous and it was really too much food.  Top it off with a few Bonsch beers and all is good in the world!!!

BBQ on the Rhein River

Last week a group of friends hosted a BBQ on the Rhein River and it was a great night!  We BBQ'd all sorts of food, just don't ask me what everything was but simply put, it was delicious!!!  In the following photo, Ty is holding a sandwich that Susie and I named a "Suzuki", however, I don't even recall how we came to that conclusion.  Marija, in the yellow t-shirt, put the sandwich together for me and I think it was a cross between Croatian and Hungarian.  All I remember is it was delicious!!!

After I ate and drank all that was possible.  Ty gave me the key to the bicycle and I managed to stagger my way home on the bike.  YES - first time on a bike since I was a kid.  I was pretty wobbley but I made it home safe without any collisions.  All is good in the world and I may consider getting a bike back in Seattle.  It really was fun to ride!  Thanks Ty & Marija!!!

Here is a picture of the group (left to right):  Frank, Susie, Jennifer, Stefan, Sven & Kathryn. 

This really is the best group of people and they are incredible friends!  And with enough pressure from them, I just might take up running!  Oh, and bicycing too! 

Good news, not so good news and delicious ice cream!

So, it appears that I'm not the best blogger!  LOL  However, I'm finally taking an evening to myself and I don't think I've had this time to myself in over a week.  So, yes.....life is busy!

It's Tuesday August 2nd and only 2 days remain in Germany and I head home to Seattle.  Would you believe that the sun and heat have finally made an appearance and it's warm today.  It feels good but I could certainly use a fan in my apartment.  Thank goodness there is a fan in my office!!!  It's a bit warm and I decided that the best option for dinner is ice cream!  I walked to the nearby village, yes that is village, not neighborhood, and went to the most popular ice cream shop and got two scoops on a cone.  Oh my gosh......delicious!!!  After the first two licks I was tempted to go back for a second cone.  It was the best moment of the day. 

Now for the not so good news of the day.  There was an announcement yesterday at T-Mobile in Bonn, Germany that there is a freeze on hiring and they are looking at a headcount reduction.  Being that I was considering applying for a position here, the timing just isn't working with me.  So thankfully, I still have a job back in Seattle and I'm in no rush to figure out what is next for me (assuming that the AT&T acquisition will take place in a matter of time).  So here I've been really thinking and stressing about figuring out whether I like it over here in Germany enough to move permanently and now I don't have to worry about it.  No decision necessary with the hiring freeze, so I feel less stressed about making up my mind.  Now to enjoy the last two days of my time here and to see friends before I hit the airport. 

In reality, it's all good news.  I believe that what is meant to be, will happen.  Fate....karma or whatever you want to call it!!   :)

The Museum Mile & The Day of Desserts

Sunday July 24, 2011 – Started the day by getting my laundry done and as you know, it takes time to get that done.  So, about noon I walked to the nearby ice cream café that has coffee and I desperately needed a cup of coffee and I had a scoop of caramel ice cream for breakfast and ohhhhh, that was SO incredibly tasty!!!  YUM! 

Next up was the day of the Museum Mile, located near my apartment.  I went to the German History Museum, which was free admission to promote learning the German history.  Although, it was a bit difficult as there was no English interpretation so I had to rely on reading the English postings which were frequently posted, just not on every display.  It was quite interesting to learn about the German history, where it’s been and how far along it has come.  It’s really quite interesting. 

After the history museum, I stopped into an Italian café and had a late lunch and it was so delicious!  It began with a glass of chardonnay, caprese salad, and ended with spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and shrimp with the best Italian bread.  It was incredibly delicious!!!  AND I brought a piece of tiramisu to bring home for later (dessert #2).  I think this weekend I’ve had the best food so far on the trip!

And last I went to the Bonn art museum and walked through the different artists on display.  I have to admit, there is some interesting art and then there is the art that doesn’t make any sense.  There was a display of a dresser drawer cabinet with glass and inside the cabinets were blankets.  Somehow, I was thinking that I could somehow come up with something interesting too and call it art.  Wonder if my closet of clothing at home could qualify as art if the blankets on display was art?  Another display was about 12 televisions and they were playing video tape of men playing basketball and all you could hear was the sound their sneakers on the basketball court and all the squeeks of the soles on the court floor and that was considered to be the art on display.  Hmmmmm, never would have thought of that myself.  Last thing I found at the museum was the café and had an espresso and an apple dessert (dessert #3) and they have a HotSpot there so can use my iPad (must make mental note to return here). 

After two museums and a great meal and a few sweet desserts, I walked home and am catching up on the blog postings.  It’s been a busy weekend, great food, my legs are tired and I’m ready to rest. 

Wine Country Photos

Here's a few photos from the top of the hill.  It really was gorgeous to overlook the little villages and the vineyards.  A fabulous day with incredible friends!  Thank you Stefan and Susie!!!

Hiking in Wine Country

Saturday July 23 – Today Stefan and Susie pick me up at 11am and it’s a full day in wine country and I return home at 10pm.  It was probably the best day I’ve had so far on my trip! 

We drove up to Ahrweiler, which is about 30 minutes south of Bonn.  We went hiking in wine country and did a few wine tastings along the way.  It was a beautiful country side and I was so amazed at the vineyards in Germany and I had no idea that they grew grapes for wine here.  The vineyards grew up the hill side and there were plateau’s of grapes and I can imagine that harvesting the grapes is very labor intensive due to the way the grapes are planted.  But it really makes for a beautiful view!!!  Amazing!

It was an overcast day but overall it was very nice and it didn’t rain at all.  We hiked 10km overall, which is about 6.2 miles.  Stefan and Susie were telling me that we would not see any wildlife, however we did see some goats, a kangaroo and some deer.  So, that blew that theory about not seeing wildlife! 

We stopped at a monestary that was 824 years old and we took a break with a red wine and a flat bread pizza, which is called flammkuchen, and very tasty!  The monestary was just beautiful and I can’t imagine the history that it has in all of its years. 

At the end of the hike, we stopped in a village, walked around the market square and shared a bottle of white wine at a “borg”, meaning castle in German.  After that, we all had quite an appetite and were getting tired, so we took the train back to where we started and found a restaurant for dinner.  We ate at the Hofgarten in the village of Dernau.  It was a cute little house setting and there was even a kitty that seemed to belong to the restaurant and was hanging out.  We had the BEST dinner that I’ve had so far in Germany.  Chicken breast with mashed potatoes and red wine.  Oh, I also had vanilla ice cream with a variety of fruit.  It was so incredibly delicious!!!! 

Susie and Stefan were the best hosts.  They taught me some German, which I’m really trying hard to remember.  They taught me a little about German history as we’re overlooking the villages while we’re hiking and you can see the wall that was built around the town/village.  Typically the villages started by having a church built and then the village was built around the church and then the wall was built around the town.  It’s really very interesting to see that it is all still in existence, however, they have continued to build outside of the village wall as it continues to expand.  Very interesting!

Susie and Stefan were staying overnight so they dropped me off at the train station and waved a sad good bye (but I don’t think they were really going to miss me) and I headed back to Bonn.  On the train I met a man from New York and a couple, Kate and Ludwig, originally from Hungary and now they live in Dublin.  They were visiting for the Formula 1 race trials that were held that day and they said it was very fun and a lot of people.  I chatted with the guy from New York and he is a musician that has been living in Hamburg for a year and a half.  He loves Germany and highly suggested I make the move if it is something I’m interested in.  By the time I got home I was incredibly tired and slept like a baby.

Beer & Brauts!

Friday, July 22 – Went to the Rheinaue, which is a park area next to the Rhein River.  The Bierboerse festival was just starting up.  The Bierboerse is a family event, however, I want to point out that it hosts 800+ beers and has a live music stage.  I arrived just after work and met Birgit, a friend that Sven connected me too.  Birgit is German, however, she lived in Chicago for about 15 years.  She speaks very good English and she promised to guide me to all the good beers.  We spent a few hours there and I had such a great time with Birgit!!!  We hit it off and chatted, drank beer, and laughed.  I also had the best brat that evening – it was soooo delicious!  My shuttle driver also indicated that he thought Duvel beer was the best beer he has tried and I found one, so I had to try one for him.  I managed to try some great beers and then stumbled home from the train. 

An update on Glowee & Gypsy

You may know that while I'm away traveling, I have two wonderful people that have sublet my apartment and inherited two kitties with the apartment.  Yes, my treasured kitties are in the hands and care of Leigh and Lucio while I'm away in Germany.  I thought I would enclose a few pictures that Leigh sent me and as you can see, I don't think the kitties miss me at all!  It appears that Lucio is now their favorite and he is getting plenty of kitty attention.  Let's all hope that Lucio is enjoying the time as much as Glowee and Gypsy appear to be enjoying it!

Thank you to Leigh & Lucio!  You helped make this trip possible by taking care of my kids.  THANK YOU!!!!

Surprise destination?

So, I can't decide where I want to go this weekend for an overnight trip and I saw this link.  https://www.germanwings.com/skysales/BlindBooking.aspx?culture=en-GB

 

You pick a destination type like shopping or western europe or culture and then you get a random destination booked for you.  I'm almost tempted.  What do you think?  Shopping, Western Europe, Culture or Party?  If you put your mouse over the topic, it will show the destinations included. Hmmmmmm.....should I dare?

It's Gooey & Sticky!

Today’s topic is the food.  I have to admit, I’m not easily able to adjust to the German foods.  I’m trying to be adventurous and I’m trying different things, however, I’m just not finding the German cuisine tasty. 

For example, today’s lunch I had a slice of pork, which looked better than it tasted but was okay.  It came with potato dumplings and pineapple cabbage.  I couldn’t get the courage to try the pineapple cabbage however, I did try the potato dumplings.  The dumplings were odd.  It was a round ball but it was really sticky.  The consistency was gooey and sticky and not exactly what I expected.  Kind of reminded me of a fly trap that you put up to catch flies (in the old days).  You know that gooey sticky feeling?  Imagine that as a potato dumpling.  Just not quite right.  Of course, this is only my opinion and I’m eating in the cafeteria too, which could be the explanation.  But it was interesting and I just had to share with you the gooey experience!  LOL

A little laugh!

A friend in Germany provided me a bit of encouragement.  This pretty sums up my experience in speaking German.  LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh5xu35bAxA

Saturday Shopping

Did a little window shopping on Saturday at the Bonn City Center.  It was filled with people!  They have a farmers market every Saturday and the place is booming with business.  Even managed to figure out how to buy a train ticket to take it to the city center.  Thank goodness a guy assisted me in buying the correct ticket.  Even though he spoke little English, he understood what I wanted and showed me how to buy a ticket.  Nice!

A lazy Sunday

It's Sunday in Germany and as usual, I'm taking it slow and easy.  Gotta have a day of relaxation!  However, I must do some laundry, however, it just doesn't seem that easy for me here.  This last week I had to call the apartment office to have them unlock the door in the basement for access to the one washer and dryer.  They unlocked it and this morning I went down to start the process.  Of course, someone else's stuff was in the washer, so I returned 15 minutes later and the last person locked the door!  No access to the washer and dryer.  I can't believe my luck!  I waited and tried after an hour and still no luck.  So, I called a friend and they were just leaving their apartment but said I could go to their house and use their facility.  So, I'm hanging out at their house and learn how to use the washer.  However, then I notice....there is no dryer.  Hmmmm.......so I inquire and then I'm directed to the hanging rack outside on the patio.  So, I've been hanging out and catching up on emails and all that fun stuff but I've learned that the washing machine cycle is 2 hours long!  Yes.....that is 120 minutes for one load of washing!  To top it off, my underwear is outside on the drying rack and I'm really hoping they are done drying by the time my friend comes home.  I mean, I haven't known them but more than a week and I certainly don't need my underwear out on their patio very long!!!  So, it's been a very interesting experience to do laundry.  And I'm hoping that by the time I get home, that perhaps I will have some luck and someone will have left the door unlocked to the washer and dryer at home.  I would love to put my clothes in the dryer for at least a bit to fluff them up so they aren't so stiff from drying outside.  And let's hope that the wind outside doesn't blow away any of my undies.  Nothing like having your unmentionables out for the neighborhood to see! 

Dusseldorf Belly Dancer Show

Here's one of the shows during dinner in Dusseldorf.  She was a great entertainer!

Dusseldorf Shopping!

A few pictures from the streets of Dusseldorf.  It reminds me of Seattle with the rain. 

An evening in Dusseldorf, Germany

Took a trip to Dusseldorf with a friend on Saturday evening.  Dusseldorf is about an hour drive, northwest of Bonn.  We planned to walk around so I could check out the town, have dinner, check out some live music and just enjoy the evening.  However, the evening didn't quite work out as well as planned.  When we left Bonn, it was overcast and warm but when we arrived in Dusseldorf it was raining which added a chill in the air.  Not exactly the best for walking around town.  Although, it really reminded me of Seattle.  Lots of green trees, people were still out walking around with umbrellas although, I'm told that more people would have been outside if it weren't raining.  We walked around the shopping area and there was quite a bit!  It's more upscale shopping like Prada, Armani, Cartier and Tiffany's but you still have the lower and middle end shopping too like H&M, Levi's, and their local large department stores like Kaufhauf (not sure of the spelling). 

We walked down to the waterfront on the Rhine River and across the river on the other side is a large carnival, which I've added a photo.  It was pretty miserable with the rain, so we didn't stay long.  We went to a local brewery pub and it was huge inside!  Not to mention, it was packed!  Dusseldorf is known for their Altbier, which means old beer.  It's a bit darker, similar to an amber beer.  It was okay but really nothing special, per my taste buds.  It is interesting that at the brew pub, they do have food menus, however they have waiters that take platters of food around and offer it to you.  Apparently the main thing you go for is the beer and you can have a little food if you like too.  And the waiters take large trays of beer already poured in glasses and offer them from table to table if you want another beer.  I guess this is the easiest way to serve beer to people, as they only have one beer option.  They also had one guy taking around a bucket of dill pickles and offering them to people to eat.  Now that was a new one I didn't expect!!!  Dill pickles in a bucket at a brew pub.  LOL

After I was able to try the Altbier, we went to a Lebonese restaurant for dinner.  I've never had this type of food, so it was all new to me.  They served about 10 different tapas (small plates) and they bring them in 3 different courses, with the meat as the last course.  Basically you snack through the dinner on a little of everything.  I really enjoyed the hummus and a few dips similar to hummus.  The pickled veggies were tasty too!  But my favoite was the meat at the end but of course, I was a little full by that point.  The the chicken and beef was SO delicious!  The chicken was cooked with garlic and oh my!  YUM!!!  I would have loved to take that home with me, but I was told that take out boxes are not common in Germany.  My friend said he once asked for a takeout box for leftovers and a few Germans with him laughed and gave him a bad time about the American asking for a doggie bag.  The only downside was the dinner was incredibly long.....2.5 hours!  I guess that is typical since you snack and socialize over the many small dishes of food, but it was a bit long for me.  Although, during dinner, they did have 2 belly dancing shows and the woman was a very good entertainer!  She even got a few people in the restaurant to get up and dance but you didn't catch me doing that. 

After dinner we went to a small piano bar.  We stayed for a bit but I just couldn't handle it very long.  By the time it filled with people, it was also filled with a LOT of cigarette smoke.  It sure seemed that every person in the bar was smoking excpet for us and I couldn't handle the smoke and got a really bad headache.  So, that is a big difference that I'm not use too.  And not sure that I can get use to hanging out in bars if they are filled with smoke.  But the brew pub and the restaurant weren't so bad.  There were still smokers but not as bad.  And of course, in the nice weather, you can sit outside on the patio's, which is very common and the fresh air helps cut down on the smoke.  But very interesting difference in culture from the US. 

Overall, it was interesting to check out Dusseldorf but the rain put a damper on the experience.  Hoping for more sunny days when I explore the area!

Koln, Germany - This is the place for shopping!

Bonn, Germany City Center

Friday evening in Koln, Germany

It's currently 2AM in Germany and I'm just returning home, so you therefore know:  1.  I was out on the town enjoying life.  2.  Obviously it was a fun night out if I'm just returning home. 

Went out and had dinner on the Rhine River boardwalk in Koln, which is so much larger than Bonn.  I have to admit, I really enjoy Koln.  It reminds me of Seattle and I love the city life!  Downtown shopping, people out on the streets, noise, restaurants and all that good stuff.  Had dinner on the boardwalk and they just keep bringing you glasses of cold beer until you say "no".  Food wasn't bad, although, people on each side of me ordered some type of dish that served raw meat.  Just not my type of dish, but it was certainly interesting. 

After dinner and continuous glasses of cold beer, went and walked along the boardwalk and decided to take a boat ride along the Rhine River that had a band playing.  It was a Jamacan band and all I could think of was German Reggae.  Sure enough....there was some German Reggae music and it was pretty interesting.  Also a cover band that played The Beastie Boys and that was by far the most entertaining!  It's like I knew the words to the song but it was yet foreign (again...in German).  So I'm singing along in English to a German band singing The Beastie Boys tunes.  It was hilarious and so much fun!  Dancing, chatting and hanging out on a gorgeous night in Koln.  There was a full moon and it was high up in the sky and was great to be out on the river. 

So, after a fun night out, it's time to crash and see what is on tomorrow's agenda. 

Good night and sweet dreams!
Jennifer

Apple Juice or Bottled Water?

Another interesting piece of info.  In meetings, they place bottled water on the tables for you to drink.  However, in Germany, they also place bottled apple juice on the table as well as a second option.  Who knew that apple juice was so popular in the German business world for meeting beverages?!  Just an interesting fact!  I never would have guessed!  Would you?

It's getting interesting!!!

I'm starting to piece things together as I learn little things around the office.  I'm learning about the different businesses of the company and how they use to be treated as separate businesses but this last year or so they have come to report under the same big umbrella and are joining forces in one big company, the big T.  The typical problem that happens now is you have duplicate processes, different ways of working and many employees doing the same or similar work.  Some businesses have typically been slower and some businesses have typically been quite faster.  So it's the joining of these German companies into one large company that is currently under pressure to work itself out into a new culture.  And boy, I bet that is going to be interesting to see that play out!  And while we're at it, Germany spends quite a bit of money with typically a small return on the investment, according to the telecom industry.  So Germany will start doing more with less money.  Or so that is what was indicated today that may have surprised employees and is making them nervous.  Sounds like they will be counting pennies and will want to see big results coming back on their penny investment.  I can't blame them at all.  Just interesting that it took the German company this long to figure out.  I really think they should have sold off the US T-Mobile a few years ago while it was starting to take a dive downwards.  Either that or put in a new CEO sooner to turn it around (Just my opinion). 

However, the most interesting part of the day was attending the CTIO speaking to his entire team/dept of employees, which now includes me.  I got to hear about the goals to achieve, what they have achieved, the new direction they want to take within the company and of course, the most interesting part is to see the response of the employees on how they interpret this change and how will they handle that.  It seems to be a BIG change of culture happening here in "The Big T" (it's no longer called T-Mobile) and I have this feeling that some Germans do not do well with change.  I have to admit, it seems like it could be a very interesting time as the company is shifting and going through change.  In a way, I feel like I've already been through this phase in the US with T-Mobile.  Doing more with less money.  How will the company stay alive, grow and perform in order to stay or become a leader in the business. 

However, the most interesting piece was the discussion about the tough decision of Germany facing about selling the US T-Mobile business.  What a mess the US company has been in and their decision to either fix it or sell it.  Obviously the choice to sell was selected.  Also by selling the US business, they are losing half of their procurement size, so that pushed them to be proactive to address that too. 

It was really quite interesting and I'd like to see how this plays out.  How will processes be streamlined by combining companies into one company?  How will they reduce redundancy in employees (very hard to do in Germany).  Will The Big T achieve this or will it at some point just be too much change for the employees and company?  I'm very curious!

So, after the employee meeting with the CTIO, there was a BBQ in the park across the street.  Although, there were a few sprinkles of rain here and there, it did get a bit cold and to drink a cold beer or ice cream just seemed to add chills on me without a coat.  I sat with a few employees and chatted with them about what they thought on the speech and how this has been done in the past.  All so interesting!

So, stay tuned and let's see how this all irons out to become streamlined and simplified.  And how long will this take?  Will people reject the change and if employees reject to cooperate, which I hear is happening, what will the outcome be for that employee?  Hmmmm....yes, as you can see, I'm curious on how this will be handled.  Especially as I'm familiar with the US side, but the Germans handle this differently. 

I can't type!

Okay, so I've come across one thing that I find difficult in Germany.  Would you believe it's the typing?  Yes!  I received a laptop to use in the Bonn office.  And I would like to think that I'm a fairly good typist, however, on the German laptop, they've moved some of the keys around and have added a few more.  I have to admit, I don't adjust well to this keyboard.  The letter Y and the letter Z have been switched.  So, I'm constantly spelling incorrectly now.  This will be fun to switch my fingers around.  LOL

Day 3 – Monday July 11, 2011 - First day of school, I mean work!

Today feels like the first day of school.  I have my backpack loaded and I’m walking to find my shuttle van to go to work.  I feel like someone should take my picture on this eventful moment!!!  LOL 

I made it to the T-Mobile office and found Starbucks waiting for me.  Ah yes, this feels so normal.  However, since I'm in Bonn, Germany you wouldn't think that I would run across a coworker from Bellevue, now would you?!  Yep, I'm randomly standing next to this guy as I'm digging through my backpack and all I hear is "Jennifer?"  And sure enough, I turn around and there is David!  Surprise!  David has been in Bonn for 3 years now but I use to work with him in Bellevue.  Small world!  

So, while I'm at Starbucks I try the T-Mobile Hotspot and of course, it doesn’t work.  I have had no luck getting connected to the internet with my work laptop or my iPad.  So frustrating!!!  Will have to work on that part later. 

I begin the day meeting people whom I will work with for the next month.  Of course, I have no computer, that would be too easy for the first day of work.  So, I’ve written down my meetings for today, old school style.  My badge doesn’t work yet to load money onto it so that I can buy lunch in the cafeteria (they do not accept cash payments).  Luckily, I can borrow from my new coworker in order to get lunch.  I also get introduced to a woman named Linda, who has been in Germany for years and years and is from the US.  Good to meet these connections!

Although, I have no phone and no email, I’m feeling very disconnected from the world.  Hopefully at some point, I’m online again.  I think that will make a big difference! 

After work I stopped into a neighborhood pub and everyone was very excited to have a pretty American in the place.  Did I mention they were all men?  They played some music for me and were so excited to have John Denver on the radio.  That really cracked me up!  Followed by the Rolling Stones!  You can’t help but laugh and have a good time.  The owner also called a guy named Michael for me to speak with and to be honest, I’m really not sure what that was about.  He spoke very good English and I’m not sure if they were trying to set me up on a date or just to speak English to this local guy.  All very interesting and entertaining!

I also took a cab ride home and of course, I don’t know my address and he spoke little English.  Come to find out he did speak French and so a little of my French came in handy from high school.  Go figure!  Life is full of little surprises lately!!! 

Day 2 - Sunday July 10, 2011 - The Day of Walking

Did A LOT of walking today!  Walked along the Rhine River boardwalk in the morning and it was sunny and gorgeous!  Went back in the afternoon and found a restaurant to have lunch in the park, although the afternoon was overcast.  I also stopped at one of the local hotels and picked up a map of Bonn and figured out where the main “Bonn” area was located.  I took another long walk along the Rhine and made it to the main Bonn shopping area.  Yes!  I found the retail shopping center, restaurants, churches and where all the tourists go to take pictures and hang out in the plaza.  I was quite happy with this finding!  Otherwise, it was a day with a LOT of walking.  Must learn how to take the trams soon. 

Another exciting discovery is that I found wifi today in the Bonn Plaza.  The bad part is that my new iPad doesn’t connect to it.  Not so good!  And of course, it’s not free but you can pay for it.  In the plaza it’s $5 for an hour and in a local hotel closer to my apartment it’s $8 per hour.  Maybe I should try the hotel and see if that works.  But first, I want to try the office.  Certainly the T-Mobile office should have wifi to connect too.  Let’s hope!

One big surprise of the day was while I was waiting to cross the street when the road block was down so vehicles could not cross the railroad tracks.  Well, I was standing there and waiting for the train to pass by so we could cross the road.  What I was not prepared for was just how FAST the train approached and holy crap it scared me!!!!  The train comes up on you like a bat out of hell!!!  Trust me.....I jumped and stepped backwards and held onto the fence.  Somehow i just can't get over how fast those trains are and I personally don't like being that close to them as they whiz by you.  Holy Smoke!!!

Day 1 – Saturday July 9, 2011 - My feet are on the ground in Bonn, Germany

Well, I’ve landed in Frankfurt and made my way to Bonn once again.  The flight wasn’t exactly the best on this trip.  There was an unhappy child who screamed and cried.  So there wasn’t a lot of sleep for people on the plane.  On the other hand, I had a great seat which made it better.  Even in economy, I managed to get an exit row in the first row.  Lots of leg room!  Guess chatting with the airline agent upon check in paid off when she was a loyal T-Mobile customer and she found out that I worked with T-Mobile. 

Upon arrival into Seigburg/Bonn at the train station, I’m so thankful that Dosia, my new coworker who moved recently to Bonn greeted me.  She’s a lifesaver for me in just about everything!  She took me to my studio apartment that is mine for the next month.  It's furnished with the basics and an IKEA sofa that folds out to a bed.  And yes, it comes with a kitchenette, meaning small fridge, stove and sink.  Just no microwave or dishwasher.  But I think I will survive. 

Dosia took me on a small tour (via driving) to show me the basics for getting around Bonn.  Where the shuttle is located a block away to catch in the mornings for work.  The shopping area within walking distance, about 15 min away.  And where the tram stop is, which I think will get me around Bonn.  But I’ll learn more transportation on Monday at the office. 

We did a quick shopping trip at the grocery market and thank goodness Dosia was with me.  A little difficult to determine exactly what you’re purchasing.  I mean, I can guess the type of lunchmeat, it looks like ham or turkey.  So learning the language will really help for grocery shopping and when someone tells you how much money you owe.  I just hold out some money and they help me get the correct change if I don’t understand their German. 

So, once on my own, I went for a long walk around the shopping area.  I sat and had a coffee in the main area where everyone was sitting outside.  It was about 80 degrees today!  I wandered around and besides the main little shopping area of the two grocery stores and the ice cream store, everything was pretty much closed up since it was after 2PM.  Yes, everything seems to close fairly early on the weekend and most everything is closed on Sundays.  Thus, the immediate grocery store trip upon my arrival was necessary!  I bought a few small pastries at a Turkish Bakery and the man was very nice.  He let me sample a few items to see what I thought.  He also invited me back tomorrow morning, since they are open at 8AM and open all day on Sunday (unusual).  He even invited me back for a drink at 8PM tonight but I didn’t think I would manage to stay awake that long.  In fact, I’ve been napping off and on all afternoon.  I’m trying to stay awake as much as possible but snoozing between reading.  It’s finally 9:30PM and I’ve made it to the evening.  I’m really quite exhausted after the flight to Germany and being up for 2 days for the most part.  It's time for bed! 

The main differences is that I see so far are:  no microwave in the kitchen.  The bed pillow is a large square size but very flat.  No fluffy feather pillows.  I haven’t found any wifi anywhere yet, which is the biggest let down.  One girl suggested that I go into the city, which I assume is Koln.  So, without wifi, no TV and no music in the apartment, it’s REALLY quiet.  And I don’t see many people around in the apartment building area and you don’t often hear people.  It just seems unusually quiet which will take some getting use too.  I can hear the train going by every now and then and the occasional traffic on the closest main road.  I’m really going to have to adventure farther out tomorrow and figure out where all the people go.  And perhaps I will find some wifi out there some where!

Tuesday July 12th - FINALLY online!!!!

It's been a long few days without email and internet access.  However, as of this evening, I'm back and connected to email and the internet!  Thank God!!!  Watch for a few posts coming up soon.......
Ciao!
Jennifer

I'm a believer that signs are given to us. I'm sitting at the airport waiting for my flight and starting to get nervous. Meanwhile, the next table has a travel bag that says "It Can Be Done". Yep, it sure can be and it is happening. I'm gonna forget the worries and I'm going to revel in the moment. The things that I didn't quite finish will eventually get done and I'm not going to stress about what needs to be done when I arrive. It will all work out. I just have to believe and seriously, I have to enjoy this trip! I mean how many times do you get a trip offered to you to travel abroad and to check out a job!? Ah, hello.....must enjoy. Gee, what's gonna be first when I land in Bonn? Stay tuned and I really hope the weather is sunny and warm!

The night before departure!

Well, what a day this is and who would have guessed this adventure for me would be on my horizon.  I leave tomorrow for a trip to Bonn, Germany to work for a month to see how I like working and living in Germany.  Kinda of a trial and who really knows what is on the other side of this 30 day journey.  I really don't know what to expect, but in reality, it's a month for an incredible opportunity!  My plan is to enjoy it all!!!

For those of you who don't know me well.  This is my second international trip, my first one was just a month ago to Bonn, Germany.  I don't speak German and my mind is swirling about this amazing opportunity happening to me.  Yes....ME!!! 

My bags are packed and yes, I'm sure I have over packed.  I just have too many clothes and I enjoy them all!  Gee, is that a surprise to anyone?!  Probably not. 

So, if you have any tips, advice, suggestions for me, I would love to hear from you.  Tomorrow the journey begins with a long flight but that part doesn't really matter.  The cool part is landing with my feet in Frankfurt!

Then......where to begin?!  I'm sure that won't be a problem at all. 

Tschuss! (So Long!)
Jennifer