LAN Guy Update
It seems like the LAN guy is nowhere in sight. Is he on summer vacation? Or could he have been run over by the crazy bicycles? (see Via's entry) I am very tempted to plug my computer back into the LAN. God help me.
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July 29, 2004
Munich Realizations
1. "They wear the same color palette as the US, more or less." - Noel
Usually pastel and some neon-y hues as well.
2. "German dogs are very well-behaved." - Katya
You can just leave them unleashed and they will follow their master. A look from the master is enough for them to understand.
3. "People do help strangers."
There was this man that offered to help this woman carry her companion up the escalator in the U-Bahn (subway). Her companion was in a wheelchair. A German lady offered to take our photo when we were on our Royal Castles Tour.
4. People from Munich are generally nice.
5. Seeing people supported by crutches, especially older ones, is a common sight. (I asked Noel if he thinks they were hit by a bicycle)
6. The bike lanes are dangerous. They are everywhere in Munich. Bikers are the gods here. Respect them.
July 23, 2004
Friday Down Time
It seems like I only get a chance to write during fridays. Work somehow decreases significantly during this day. And no, I'm not complaining that I feel like time is wasted, at least I get to write some stuff, read on..
I Can't Get Late
...even if I wanted to.
Last night we watched "The Day After Tomorrow" at one of the few cinemas here that show english movies. It started a little after 10pm. We enjoyed the movie and maybe put some of our thoughts into perspective.
But it was a wrong decision watching it on a weeknight. We got home at around 1am and had to wake up at 7am the next day. I was really tired when we got home (not to mention bruised after falling down a step while trying to get out the hot cinema) and I decided that I will be late today. I woke up at a little before 7:30am, leisurely had breakfast and proceeded doing our daily routine of tram-metro hopping on the way to work.
Public transportation here is so precise and very reliable that I can never get late even if I wanted to. I got to work at 8:55am, I know this because I log my time in a card. I am expected to be in the office at 9am.
The tram that we ride just in front of our pension-hotel was there exactly when we got out. We then hop to the U-Bahn (underground trains), switch from one line to another, then voila! I'm at work.
It takes me a little over 30 minutes to get to work and it is always precise. I wish manila's public transportation was as convenient and effective.
July 18, 2004
Our First German Tour
Yesterday we were up bright and early for a Saturday to make it to our bus, by Neptune’s Fountain, 20 minutes before 830am. So we could get good seats. Well, it seemed like all the other tourists were given this same tip, as the lines (yes lines!) were already serpenting at 810am. Nevertheless, we were able to get seats next to the stairs- it was a double-decker bus- across one another. We each had stranger seatmates, but it was ok as they were quite silent and were quite neutral-smelling.
Our first stop was the Linderhof Castle, the castle King Ludwig II dedicated to the French Absolute Kings whom he admired. We were quite quick on this tour as we had to adhere to a tight schedule and a very strict but extremely organized tour guide. He definitely kept us on our toes, but we didn’t like that he singled out his Asian tourists each time he emphasized promptness.
Next we visited a very charming town called Oberammergau where one could find lots of very cute souvenir shops. (Though I heard one of the Germans call the first store we all entered kitch- which I think can be translated as “baduy” or “tacky”) We some delicious Italian (ha we’re still not sick of it!) gelato in some cool flavors. Noel had Blue Smarties.
Our final visit was to the apparently the main castle attraction in Munich, called Neuschwanstein. It involved a 30-minute, steep, uphill hike so we fuelled ourselves first at the Hotel Muller, where our group had reservations. We decided to opt for the horse-drawn buggy up the castle as it started to rain- and it’s good we did. Our guide wasn’t kidding about the 30minutes! (We still had to push ourselves for 10 more minutes on foot after getting off the buggy). The castle was quite pretty on the outside, but kind of disappointing on the inside as it was already quite modern. One of you reading this may have the interiors of your homes done similarly- in a way. Ludwig II was really an eccentric king, as he even had an indoor cave. Quite creepy! And he dedicated that castle to his good friend, composer Richard Wagner. The king was rumored to be a homosexual, which was at that time really quite scandalous. Noel and I think that Wagner could have been more than just his really good friend… which was probably why he was such a recluse and never married. We got home quite exhausted and hied off to our trusty near-by Asian hole-in-the-wall called Lemon Blatt for some delicious Nasi Goreng. I zonked out soon after lying down while Noel still did some work on his computer. (I think I dreamt I was a princess or something. Haha!)
Our Friendly Neighbors Along Daucher Street
Noel and I frequent an internet café along Daucher Street, which is perpendicular to our pension. It is the closest internet place where we can use our laptops by connecting to their LAN, and it is run by some very friendly people. Our favorite is a man whose name we don’t know but has been very warm to us ever since. When not attending to his customers, he is talking on one of the many phones in French- perhaps attending to one of his other businesses.
On one of the days that I came in alone last week, he suddenly christened me with the name “Miss America”, probably because I speak to him in English, and he’s not too confident in that language. (Heaven knows it’s not because he thought I was in a beauty pageant!) And I laughed, politely telling him I was from the Philippines. But he was distracted by a phone call he once again had to take. So the name stuck. Each time we enter his enter, he says: “It is Miss America.” In his very warm way. I just hope there aren’t any real Americans around to hear that!
July 17, 2004
German at Inlingua
I didn't think I would be enjoying my German lessons. But our teachers are very engaging, and sometimes German can have some type of musical quality to it too- even if it's a bit more like a march than a melody.
Our class is quite well-represented too: three other Asians- one Thai and two Japanese; three Russians, one American and two Italians. I had lunch with the Russian girl yesterday. And we are planning to get together again at the end of the month when her husband gets back from South Africa. It is nice to have some kind of community, if only for a few hours each week.
July 16, 2004
Music of Munchen
One of the things I truly love about Munich (Munchen) is our almost-nightly walks along Marienplatz. This is because people are out in cafes, the weather is quite cool, but most of all, you get to hear string quartets for free, usually teenagers possibly using their free time to rehearse in front of the public in exchange for a few coins. I get so affected hearing the likes of Vivaldi, Mozart, etc. played in the streets. I am transported to the days when Mozart himself used to walk the very same alleys that we are fortunate enough to explore ourselves. In fact, he used to frequent some of the coffee shops that still stand today along Marienplatz! Noel always laughs at me when I struggle to hold back my tears.
Hearing those familiar strains make me remember my Abuelita coax beautiful strains from her trusty Weinstein. And we would just be all in awe of her magical fingers and the way she would smile as she moved with the piano's melody. (And the way she also got irritated with herself when she made mistakes) Visits to my pediatrician also flash through my mind, as his station was always set to the classics. Intense study sessions where I would put on classical music myself, in the hopes of multiplying my brain cells! I am even reminded of our highschool music lessons under Mr. Cruz, who subjected us to music listening exams. We had to name the opus down to the flat/sharp major or minor and the composer of course. I secretly enjoyed those exercises.
A Week of Work
I can't believe that I have been working in Munich for a week now. It is not a glamorous job as Tovi thought it was. I am simply an intern doing small screen based design for mobile phones. I do the dirty work. Imagine doing a hundred screens that illustrate what will happen to the interface of your phone everytime you push a button. Very tedious and time consuming. No conceptualization needed. As Tom said before, it's a icon monkey job.
But I do get some satisfaction of finishing something small everyday. Going home at around 5:30 and saying: "ok, that's it for today." I am ashamed to say this but I do miss doing the dirty work. While I was at school, we did a lot of conceptualization but rarely do we see these ideas developed or produced in the same painstaking detail that I would do here.
So far it has been a fairly uneventful week (except for the "pull out the LAN" incident I wrote about below), something I am almost happy for. I do get really tired at the end of the day as I am still getting used to this regular schedule.
The Perks
It is my first time to work in a big company, designafairs is 100% owned by Siemens but acts as its own company. One of the nicest things in being in a big company is that they have a lot of resources at your disposal.
Entering on my first day, I was handed my own designafairs branded notebook/sketchpad. Ultracool. The building is huge and they have their own shower rooms. There is also a lounge that has a coffee bar. Press here for cappuccino... its free! Tables are very large and spacious. On a sunny day, you see people meeting outside at the lawn on the wooden tables and benches.
Food is also cheap. I get to eat at the Siemens caffeteria and this is no ordinary caffeteria. It is huge and can probably fit 1000 or more people at one time. When you enter on the second floor, you are greeted with the Soup and Salad counter. To the left is a juice bar which serves fresh exotic fruit mixed juices like avocado-kiwi-orange-lemon juice. A huge oven in behind it introduces the pizza section. Beside it is the meat grill area. And as you move forward you meet the next 3 rows of main dishes, usually serving some meat or fish dish, an array of sausages, and a wide variety of side dishes. And because I am a student, I get all of this at a 50% discount! An average meal of a fruit juice, salad, main course and side dish costs me around 3.30 euros. What a steal!
Pull Out That LAN
Probably the highlight of my first week as an intern was being scold at by the System Administrator/Helpdesk. It was hard for me to use the office PCs right away because the operating system was in German! So I decided to work on my Powerbook instead, using the wireless network to access the internet.
All was well until last Wednesday, the wireless network was down. I saw an open LAN cable and stuck it in my mac. Minutes after, while I was still downloading my email, this big German guy started running towards me like a mad bull. Imagine a 6-foot, heavy built, blonde spiked, mustache and goatee, dressed like a punk-rocker coming towards you at 60 miles an hour! Gosh was I scared. He was shouting at me "Pull out that LAN cable!!" (I didn't know how he managed to speak so loud without even moving his upper lip)
Scared as I was, I pulled out the cable immediately from my computer. I was trying to explain to him that I couldn't connect to the wireless network and that was my only choice. He wouldn't hear any of it and just went on saying "This is your last warning, if you do that again.. kaput!" These guys take their work too seriously.
So now I am working on the office PCs, trying to figure out how to do a "File, Save as.." in German. Now I know that it's "Datei, Speichern unter.."
July 12, 2004
Saved by an Anke
So we finally made it to the Immigration building that Noel had to go to this morning at Poccistraße. We pried our eyes open, heavy with sleep at the ungodly hour of 6am (we are not used to this time anymore), swallowed our cereals and bread and made it to our tram stop- conveniently just a few steps from our pensione. This led us to the underground which they call U-BAHN here, and after one switch in stations, we were at the place we needed to be. Already there was a line at quarter to eight. (The place is open from 8am to 12nn, Mondays through Fridays) Unluckily, we found this out after trying to enter Thursday last week.
Once inside, it wasn't difficult to figure out where we needed to go. These Germans certainly know their directions, they know their stuff period. We were awed by the digital display, indicating your number and the room you had to go. We were in and out of that room before you could say Marienplatz! The interpreter woman (who reminded me of the woman side-kick in Austin Powers, the one with the super slicked hair and kiss-me) very matter-of-factly told us that they could not process Noel as he lacked his original permesso di soggiorno (permit of stay) proving that he is indeed a student in Italy. She said that this was a prerequisite to his work permit in Munich. Oh my God, we are going to get deported! :(
So we consoled ourselves with hot chocolate and cappuccino at a nearby cafe. Outside, it was threatening to pour- with matching strong gusts of wind. We were very down and did not know what to do. Could this be a sign to go home already? Was it another test? So philosophical, so early in the morning. We were almost at our wits' end. It was too early to call Anke, the very nice woman in charge of HR, Noel's main contact. We waited until 9am and then decided to go see her in person.
Anke very graciously offered to accompany us, to sort things out- German to German. My that really did wonders! She was able to get to the one in charge of these things and was able to speak to him without an appointment. I waited outside in one of the lounge chairs while Noel and Anke explained the situation. (It was after a lot of trotting up and down escalators- they decided to stop on us!- and very brisk weaving in and out of corridors that we found the right person thanks to Anke!) While outside, I was seated in front of another woman's office who entered with a tiny, furry dog following her obediently. She blurted something to me in German and when she saw the utter blankness that I responded with she said: "I am closed today." I tried to explain that I wasn't in to see her, I was just waiting for my husband...
After a bit, Noel and Anke came out and the man explained some more things to Anke in German. He seemed to be a very nice man, thank God. So in the end, Noel is still getting to do his internship. We don't need to leave Germany. Thank you Anke, for making it right.
July 09, 2004
Just visiting
Day 1 at designafairs. After a long metro ride and walk, we finally arrived at our destination, designafairs (no that's not a wrong spelling, I guess that's how the its spelled in german), this is where I will be spending the next 10 weeks for my summer internship. From afar, I immediately saw 3 colorful flags that had their logo. This is it, I can't help but smile.
We tried to find the entrance, at first all we could see was a warehouse with a big gate. Then to the side was the main door opening to the reception area. Wow. It was amazing. We had a quick tour of their warehouse office where there were big neon green and bleach wooden cubicles that can sit 3 people. This was their work area. They also had a small gallery of products and designs they have made, mostly from siemens mobile. The ceiling was high and hanging in the center was a row boat, I believe it was a 'skull fours'.
The short 45 minutes that I was there to get the contract and meet my future boss made me really excited about working there soon.
Munich and Movies
Shrek 2, Before Sunset, Spiderman 2: 3 movies in 4 days!!
That's what we've been busy with here in Munich. Not the tourist sites, except Marienplatz (where the shopping is), but the movie theaters. We have been so deprived of english movies back in Ivrea that here we indulge too much. So much so that its been eating into our budget. A movie here costs 7 euros that's around 500 pesos per person. Yikes. Last time I was in Manila, the most expensive movies were at the new Greenbelt 3 and it costs 150 pesos only. But I guess once I start working, I will be seeing less movies. Showing soon: Riddick, King Arthur, Ocean's 12, The Incredibles, and I, Robot.
July 08, 2004
To grow, one has to change
This is my reply to Via's post to the right: Do people really change?
I believe people do change. How come we never ask if people do really grow? Because they do! And in order for us to grow, some part of us have to change. Like I believe that I changed since I got married. In a good way of course :)
Maybe this isn't the change that Via is talking about, maybe what she meant was that: can we change so much so that others no longer recognize us? What do you think? (please reply by posting on the comments)
July 06, 2004
Do People Really Change?
Noel and I just watched another movie tonight, Before Sunset. It's actually the sequel to Before Sunrise. The prequel was actually about 2 teenagers meeting in Vienna and falling in love, agreeing to meet again 6 months later. Before Sunset picks up from this unfulfilled promise, 9 years later, this time in romantic Paris. An extremely well-written film, which was actually co-written by the main actors themselves, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Very well cast and built up quite well.
One of the main points of conversation is that people don't really change much, something I subscribe to. I believe that people essentially stay the same, but just choose to show different sides of themselves at different points of their lives, to different people. Noel, believes though that people really do change, at times to the point wherein you ask yourself how well you knew them in the first place. I feel that somehow you do know what some people are capable of, but you choose not to see sometimes because of how much they mean to you. Or could be that they kept their true self hidden, afraid they would not be accepted. Any thoughts you guys might have on this? I'd love to know.
Achtung!
One of the few words in my very sparse German vocabulary. We haven't explored Munich that much yet, so it is not easy to describe it. Our pensione is pretty central, so that made up for its being just a room to sleep in. It was actually pretty hilarious last night when Noel moved our little TV (it only speaks German, even American programs are dubbed) and tried to fix the reception with a detachable antenna! It came with a very curious copper braid- like a very skinny Rapunzel. We are lucky that we are only a few steps away from the shared toilets, the seats of which we sanitize each before using. (Thanks to the "hospital complex" I inherited from my Mom) It is the shower area that is somewhat of an adventure. Picture this, Noel and I taking turns, hobbling across the end of the old, red, carpeted hallway in each of our waffle robes (his blue, mine white) with matching hoods! I thought of putting the hood on, mind you, except it doesn't cover my whole face. And I remember thinking to myself, you are almost there! Tiptoeing briskly back to our room with a sink.
Most of the people seem friendly enough, some are almost warm. But those that cannot speak English will not be apologetic about it all- not that they have to be. We are just so used to the warmth of the Italians, the way they are so chatty with their customers. In fact, we were seated beside 2 Italian men during our dinner last night. One of them reminded me of my Tito Chit. We also caught Shrek2 at the largest cinema I have ever been to in my life-14 theaters! Shrek2 was very funny! Try to watch it, those of you that haven't. You will enjoy it even if you haven't seen the first one- I haven't.
We were supposed to pay a visit to Noel's office this morning, but the woman from HR is ill today. According to her secretary, she can't speak. So we'll just do some more exploring. And we have another movie date tonight, Before Sunset, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Ah, the comforts of city life. :)
July 03, 2004
Photos: Barcelona & Sitges
Click on the image above to see the whole album, this trip happened last june 15-19
We just had to go back to Barcelona the second time around since the first time we were there last september, we only spent ONE day. The tickets from Ryanair were too cheap to pass up: only 30 euros per person roundtrip! This time we spent a day at the beach. Only 20 minutes away by train is Sitges, a decent touristy no that crowded (and popular to gays) beach. We have forgotten how much we missed the beach and the sun.
Back in Barcelona, we indulged in the things we never get in Ivrea: KFC, Starbucks, Haagen-Dazs, shopping malls, english books and magazines. Barcelona's weather is lovely, people are warm and easily gives smiles to strangers when you walk on the streets. I would love to come back again. So, calling any Design firm based in Barcelona... if you are in need of an interaction designer please email me
Via also wrote about this trip in detail a few weeks ago, please read her entry here
Photos: End of Year Party '04
This year's 'end of year' party, celebrating the year 2004 graduating batch, was held in our backyard (literally). There was much debate about having it in the Talponia (our dorm) meadow since last year's party was held at the Ivrea castle. I also had doubts that it would look anything like a real party.
But as the picture above shows, the Talponia meadow was transformed into a -- huge, a bit tacky, but nonetheless successful -- lightshow and party place. At first it seemed like it was going to feel empty but by 10-11pm the lawn was unbelievably packed. It was a lot of fun and everyone's spirits were high. Congratulations to the 2nd years!!
Photos: One Weekend in Genova
During one of the weekends last May, being burned out from school and just needing to get away from Ivrea, Via and I decided to go on a long postponed trip to Genova. We had wanted to bring the family there when they were here but we didn't have the time. So eventhough it was a spur of the moment trip, we were well prepared. Our train tickets were free since we used our bonus certificate from our rome train ride that was delayed. And our hotel was recommended by Via's Italian professor.
The highlight of this trip was Portofino, a small, expensive, cosmetic and "un po snob" port 40 mins away Genova. We also enjoyed Genova's port area which looked suprisingly western, like it was SF's fisherman's wharf or Sydney's port. There we spent some time in Europe's largest aquarium, the Aquario di Genova. We also visited the Renzo Piano (an architect) Workshop where they had wooden scale models in painstaking detail... very inspiring. This was really a much needed break from Ivrea. (click on the picture above to see the album)
July 01, 2004
Pre-Munich Jitters
I have been down with some strange bug for the past 2 days- probably a combination of the arid summer we've been putting up with. Mild fever symptoms from the neck up, general loss of appetite and wanting to be asleep by 9pm! (Only to wake up at 9am the next day!)
So out goes my husband now to take out pizza as we are both worn out. He from some errands at school and starting to pack/store stuff here at home and I from wrestling with the ironing board so he will have some decent-looking shirts to wear to his first few days at work, at least.
Things have been quite challenging around here since we got back from Barcelona. Lots of free time to think about what we want from life, what decisions we'll have to make after Munich. I've been down in the dumps for some days missing home so feeling phsyically unwell just blows everything out of proportion. Thank goodness I have such a caring and loving husband who assures me that we still have options. And going home is always one of them.