first week@work

Just before I open the mozilla firefox, I see the i-tunes button in the taskbar, and I suddenly realize that I haven't listened to any music on my laptop here in Groningen so far. I am wondering if it is because I was too busy or because I just didnt feel like listening to music and double click on "Serani-romance" while I start my 2nd post.

The music has already switched too some shuffled Dirty-Dancing song I once downloaded for the 60ies party at LK, while I upload a picture of PromoBears. Unfortunately my internet-connection is very bad here, so that I already hear Beenie Man and later on Akon and Eminem when reflecting about the first week at work. Well at PromoBears I am as a sales rep responisble for the UK market and also supporting the german-speaking market. Moreover I will have diverses tasks like market research or creating a sales-plan. My collegues at PromoBears are all really nice (I totally enjoy playing table soccer in the lunch-breaks ;)) and so has also been my first week with different tasks in generally. The main purpose so far was to get a detailed understanding of the products and service we are selling. I am really looking forward to this one year of working there.
As I got as a feedback from my application interviews especially at the Graduat Management Programs, constantly working on a full-time basis is exactly what has been missing in my CV and what I can now add in Groningen.
For more information on the company and my tasks: http//www.promobears.de or http://www.promobears.co.uk !
 
During this first week I also read some Sales books and for some side thoughts (although "alors en danse" is probably not the right music for such thoughts) here a quote that really stayed in my mind:

"Das, was sie auf dem Weg zum Erreichen Ihres Ziels lernen und erleben werden, ist wertvoller als das Erreichen des Ziels" [Umberto Saxer - bei Anruf Erfolg]

While Lady Saw sings about "thug loving", I feel supported and confirmed as the above statement somehow reflects the ideas that I had in the previous months. I am a little afraid of setting too precious goals and making plans as I dont want to get to concerned (and I tend to do so) about achieving this goals, and thereby forgetting that the way to achieve this goals should be enjoyed - cause you never know what happens tomorrow.

Okay, after this side-thoughts, back to real interesting issues: My first week of work did of course not discourage me from going to a pool-party in the "flat bar" in the basement of our studenthouse for playing some different version of "Mäxchen" (max).  My flat-mates were impressed how far I was able to learn about their drinking game - well I am looking forward to play the Ziehrer-Creeks-Version of KingsCup soon x). A strange guy from another floor really jumped in the little pool, which they put in the pub - haha - reminds me of the HelloKittyPool-Party in our WG and in Somo last summer ^^

While Chico sings about "thug life", Danny English about "Michelle" (Williams? Dawsons Creek rulez! ^^) and Buju Banton about who will be his love tonight I remember my first going-out in Groningen-city yesterday. Lucky for me within the last days there was a big festival in Groningen: Eurosonic Noorderslag (this should mean sthg. like North-punch in englisch - hahah xD )Festival - http://www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl/en/.
I heard some cool dutch bands and had some beer in diverse Pubs in the city.

What else has happened in this week? I had a great dinner with the ICX team of Aiesec, I started learning Dutch by listening to an Advanced-Audio-CD, I finally signed my contract at the company, Albert Heijn died (rip) and I, when buying grocery, intelligently went exactly to the cashier where I can only pay with special AH-card which I of course dont have yet - so big emberassing scene - haha - and I had do change the cashier :D.

Vybez Kartel sings about a Gaza Girl and I am already starving thinking about tonights dinner with my Aiesec-"Family" in a Mexican Restaurant... they also mentioned sthg about "having some drinks later" - looking forward to that as well ^^

Plans for next week:
finally registering at the groningen-city council, buying a bike, opening a bank account, getting a dutch mobile phone number and registering at a Fitness Club (yay Sevi - I will be a "Viech" when I come back)

Damian Marley's "road to zion" as a final song, because I realize the length of this post. No place for my goals here again, well - as long as they are not written, it's anyway easier to excuse later on if I havent achieved them ;)

Dadj

take-off & landing

So here I am, in the room that shall be my home for the next year. Lying in the bed and reflecting about the last 2 days...
I am just glad, that I had a pen and paper with me at the airport, so that I could write down some thoughts I had at the probably most emotinal moment, shortly after saying good-bye to my mum - while I received so many lovely sms - and shortly before entering the plane. This also was the moment that I realized an amazing happening in me. Despite my difficulties in making decisions, my usual uncertainty and the sentimentality I felt in this particular moment, I totally, for 100% knew that this would be the right decision to make. At this particular moment, waiting for the boarding and watching all these strangers that somehow - made by destiny/karma/god/etc - where sharing this minutes with me, within me the question arose if this is end, a certain part or actually just the real beginning of my adventures?!
Speaking of adventures, I can totally include my journey to this concern. After landing in Hannover and waiting for my luggage I missed my first train to Leer (yeah - I know for german-speaking ppl. this city really sounds funny, I am wondering if the DeutscheBahn always writes "Leer (Ostfriesl.)" to make sure everybody understands that this really is a city :D) by 3 minutes and had to wait for 2 hours then in Hannover. At a really crowded central station, the DB-guy told me that if I am not able to switch in Leer to my train for Groningen within 5 minutes, I would have to spend the night there, I did some Hannover-Sightseeing and ate at McDonalds.
4 hours, and a interesting conversation concerning the train-doors later, I saw 3 lovely people running at me at the Groningen central station, realizing that Aiesecers are awesome everywhere in the world ;)

Three wonderful girls (including my supercool buddy Claire) then brought me to my studenthouse. The room (1E9 - if you wanna visit me) was already equipped with everything I need, and additionally with an austrian flag on the wall, although I am still not sure if that is not a little bit too patriotic?! Moreover it provides an amazing view over Groningen. In the living room I have so far met approx. half of my 25 roommates and I somehow have the feeling that I will need loads of self-discipline in order to not party too much in here.
After a good first night - in which only my neighbour who started watching a dutch-tv-show at ~4.30 was a little bit annoying I had breakfast at McDonalds (yeah I know its lame, but it was a Sunday -> stores closed). BTW why is there no Tomato + Salad in the QuarterPounder here in Groningen??
A cool room mate who studies something like neurology (somehow I remember what my roommates study better than there names) helped me setting up the internet so that I could do my first Groningen-facebook-post - yaaaay. As almost all my roommates are from the Netherlands it is just a matter of time, until you will also read my first post in dutch :)
In ther afternoon I had my only little cultureshock as I realized that doing sightseeing in Groningen (thanks to the Aiesecers guiding me around) just takes about 45 minutes, instead of 4 hours that I needed in Vienna to show some Munich-girls the main sights a few weeks ago.

So lying here in the bed, even more confirmed that the decision I made is the right one, I am just excited but also nervous about the last big uncertainty that expects me here: Tomorrow I will have my first day at PromoBears.

As I dont want to overlength this post I will tell you about my plans for Groningen the next time - so be excited to hear what my goals for my personal development are...

Dadj