After a whole month being on beach doing nothing but occasional training, I became so anxious that I would even do volunteer work. I volunteered to help with an internal project in Singapore for which I wrote a short movie script, I was having so much fun especially because the movie is going to be outsourced to an external movie producer, and we've decided to use one famous male actor from Singapore (whoever he might be, they will have to decide after the audition). Just after I finished my movie script and was so excited to join the effort in deciding the actor, my staffing coordinator decided to put me on a different project! I was completely uninterested in the content of the new project but I couldn't say no.
So this new project is in a tiny, remote village in Netherland, there's not even McDonald in the village. There are only 2 people in my team, the team leader (let's call him TL) and me, the rookie. TL is a happy newly wed German guy, very nice and easy to get along with. The only thing is -- among all the remaining pleasures one could find from this tiny village, eating is not one of them because TL is on diet! Imagine we eat cold sandwiches from the vending machine (a Dutch sandwich vender, not a Japanese one!) for lunch, then on our way back to hotel we drop by a gas station and I get another cold sandwich and TL gets a bottle of water.. TL said he would be fine if he just watches me eat in a restaurant (since we need to work together till around 10p every day) and I hadn't been so cruel to that yet. However, there are still 5 more weeks to go and I think I'm going to do so from this week onward.
As a new rookie, basically I know nothing. At the first time we visited the production plant, TL looked at his cell phone (the cell phone clock) and said something about the bottleneck of the cycle time and I thought to myself: My God! Where is he looking at??
Basically I couldn't even tell which one is the real machine which one is not. It was the first time in my life to walk into a production plant, and believe me watching machines work is not one of my hobbies. And I'm not a very concrete person, for example some people prefer having a product that they can touch... I never have a problem of not touching any product.. I'm always perfectly fine with abstract thinking. I actually prefer not touching any product. :P
But it turned out to be an extraordinary learning experience for me -- learning something that I neither know anything about nor having any interest, but I'll have to learn in a short time. In just 2 days the machines are like my pets already. I know exactly where they are (I'm not kidding, it's hard to remember!), how they work, and what they're making. I also enjoy talking to the workers (imagine the on whole floor I was the only female.. I get all the attention that I ever deserve! :P)
TL is so lucky to have me in his team because someone like me comes only 1 in a 1000 times. I'm entitled as an "associate", but I have no business background, no mini-MBA training, I can't even do excel sheet! (I do have a phD in statistics but we used professional softwares, not as dummy as excel..) This means anything I need to do for this job, I need to learn from scratch. I didn't know EBIT, I didn't know how to build pivot table either. The good thing is TL is also 1 in 1000 type for Germans, he is the most patient guy I've ever worked with, and whenever I have questions for him, he literally dumps all he knows to me. Now I really believe when this project is over, I will be nowhere near rookie anymore.
I had thought a new rookie like me would only add little value to the project. However, I think so far I've added great value already because although I literally know nothing, I can handle client relationship very well. The important source of information that they weren't able to get in the previous week before I joined the project, I got them all within 4 hours. According to TL, I'm very good at "motivating the clients". Well, the truth is these people who are struggling in a dying company (the company burns money 10 times faster than it can make) need very little motivation from anybody.. they know their whole future depends on this.
One funny thing that let me fully realize how Germans think -- TL decides that the team (he and me) will have a good no-work life style for weekends (because we work very hard Mon-Thur). So Friday afternoon after only 20 phone calls (he's from Hamburg office and I'm in Frankfurt) he said: you should go home at 5pm. I said ok fine. Then there's a party in my office and I went away from my desk to the party. By the time I went back to my desk it was about 5:40pm and there was a missed call from TL at 5pm. I called him back and asked him what's up. He said "I just wanted to check whether you left the office already and I was happy you were not there!". It made me laugh.
So despite the project is about boring production and the village is too tiny, it is a fun project that I can learn a lot. I mean, compared to my other colleagues -- eg, one colleague is doing a project in a village in UK now, there's nothing but McDonald. He told me every day he faces a touch decision: to eat at McDonald or to skip lunch. Another colleague has been doing a long project in Lybia, during the Ramada he could only eat bananas in the toilet.
The timing is also very good. It will finish right before the Christmas holiday. Officially I can't take any personal holiday during my first 6 months, but what else I can do if I can't get on any project? (there are no projects startig in dec). So I have very legitimate reasons to take holidays.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Rio de Janeiro
On July 7, 2007, Rio de Janeiro became even more exciting by winning one of the new 7 world wonders: Christ Redeemer statue. I was sitting in my office, staring at the photo and said to myself: Geez, I've got to see that place. On July 17 I shot an email to Lily, asking her to meet in Rio de Janeiro for Christmas.2 weeks later I went for an job interview in Germany and received the offer. According to the Germany law, the new hires are not allowed to take personal holidays within the first 6 months of employment, which put me in deep doubt of the feasibility of my Christmas holiday. 2 months later after I joined the company, I found out the new company works a lot and parties even more, in fact the company Christmas party has been arranged to take place in Austria, although they "claim" the attendence is not mandatory, I think I'd better be there...
So I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't have a chance to see the statue this year, but not for very long. During my first week in the new company I was informed that I need to go to Brazil for a training, this time they said my attendence is mandatory. However, the training would be in Sao Paulo from Mon to Fri and they've booked the ticket for me to come back on Sat evening. Seemed that it's impossible to visit Rio since Rio is an hour flight away from Sao Paulo and it takes a long time to get to the airports due to traffic plus the flights are almost always delayed.
But it turned out during the training one of the colleagues is from the Rio office and he talked us into going to Rio with him. So a colleague from my office, and a colleauge from the Delhi office and myself rushed to the airport and jumped on a plane and landed in Rio! I saw the statue even before the planed landed, it is so prominent and it can be seen from everywhere!
The city has a stunningly spectacular landscape. I loved it so much for the great food, blue ocean, passion and heat. If only I could spend a year on the beach and get a nice tan as the local people...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
My New Home
My first month on the new job has been very leisure. Everyday it was either training or nothing to do. Some of my colleagues who are also new went golfing during office hour whereas I devoted most of my time doing yoga. My goal is to be able to bend backwards with my both hands on the floor within the next year... (sitll a long way to go and hopefully it's not next 10 years) :P I'm staying in the company accomodation at the moment but will need to move into my own apartment next month. I had been working with the company relocation agent but it had not been very fruitful. When we made appointment to see an apartment and the landlord would call and cancel it because it was rented out already.. and it happened to us 4 times! So much frustration.
There was one apartment that is everything I ever dream of: old-styled building (built in 1900), high ceiling, it even has a winter garden and a private garden outside of the winter garden. It was so hard to get an appointment and we had to wait for a week before we could go have a look. When we finally went there I fell in love with it immediately: it has a beautiful chandelier in the living room, fully equipped kitchen with washer and dryer.. etc. The ceiling of the bedroom is made of wood.. and the house is in mint condition.
The landlord was not there so we only met the tenant. We called the landlord as soon as we got into our car, but it was only his voicemail! All we could do was to leave him a message.. and wait anxiously because we were not sure whether someone had decided to take it or not. My agent called back an hour later and found out actually many people have decided to take the apartment! The landlord said he would decide the next day. We waited till the end of the next day and nothing happened.. (I'd been telling my colleagues about this apartment and they joked that if I didn't get this apartment, I would get furious.. and in fact I believe I would!)
So I kind of felt that it's not very likely that I'd get the apartment and I started looking for new ones on the web.. but nothing was nearly half as good as this one. Just when I was about to get furious my agent called and told me I got it!!! Oh thank you dear God! I probably felt more excited than the moment I knew I was accepted to graduate school, or my new job...
my new home:
There was one apartment that is everything I ever dream of: old-styled building (built in 1900), high ceiling, it even has a winter garden and a private garden outside of the winter garden. It was so hard to get an appointment and we had to wait for a week before we could go have a look. When we finally went there I fell in love with it immediately: it has a beautiful chandelier in the living room, fully equipped kitchen with washer and dryer.. etc. The ceiling of the bedroom is made of wood.. and the house is in mint condition.
The landlord was not there so we only met the tenant. We called the landlord as soon as we got into our car, but it was only his voicemail! All we could do was to leave him a message.. and wait anxiously because we were not sure whether someone had decided to take it or not. My agent called back an hour later and found out actually many people have decided to take the apartment! The landlord said he would decide the next day. We waited till the end of the next day and nothing happened.. (I'd been telling my colleagues about this apartment and they joked that if I didn't get this apartment, I would get furious.. and in fact I believe I would!)
So I kind of felt that it's not very likely that I'd get the apartment and I started looking for new ones on the web.. but nothing was nearly half as good as this one. Just when I was about to get furious my agent called and told me I got it!!! Oh thank you dear God! I probably felt more excited than the moment I knew I was accepted to graduate school, or my new job...
my new home:
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Choose a career path that makes you scared of failure (by Penelope Trunk)
A nice article to help you figure out what you want to do:
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/07/22/choose-a-career-path-that-makes-you-scared-of-failure/
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/07/22/choose-a-career-path-that-makes-you-scared-of-failure/
Friday, August 24, 2007
Moving advice from a friend
BD(my friend): have you already found an apartment yet or is the company gonna giveyou corporate housing for a while?
me: the company will pay for a serviced apartment for the first month. I'll need to find an apt from Oct.
BD: Remember don't move in the senior community though. 哪儿年轻帅哥多往哪儿搬，或者等到上班后在同事中做个年轻男性人口普查然后有的放矢得搬，哦？咱们干统计的嘛，就要干一行象一行。
me: 天哪，怎么想得跟我一模一样。。。真不愧咱俩是同班同学，老师不是白教的。。。
me: the company will pay for a serviced apartment for the first month. I'll need to find an apt from Oct.
BD: Remember don't move in the senior community though. 哪儿年轻帅哥多往哪儿搬，或者等到上班后在同事中做个年轻男性人口普查然后有的放矢得搬，哦？咱们干统计的嘛，就要干一行象一行。
me: 天哪，怎么想得跟我一模一样。。。真不愧咱俩是同班同学，老师不是白教的。。。
远走高飞
远走高飞
说再会，是否就是离别。
我有一项绝技。每逢离别的时候，我总是会对所有的人说：我很快就会回来的！等我下次走的时候再告别好了。这样轻松愉快地告别，没有失落，没有眼泪，仿佛是一次周末旅行。然而从中国到美国，从美国到日本，从日本到瑞士，那些我亲爱的亲口答应过要回去看的朋友，没有一个再见过面。我想人生应当是这样的吧。当车轮启动，时光一去不复返。各人将有各人的缘分，所以迈步向前是好的，悲伤没有必要。从什么时候，我就练就了这样薄情的本领？也许是父亲去世的时候。情深不寿，懂得放手的人才是真正懂得世间之情。况且世间一切都有尽头。人活百年并不长久，十年也并不短暂。人与人的缘分也是一样。
这次又要走了。我打算再次将我的看家本领拿出来演习一遍。并非是不留恋，只是顺服生命的轨迹。我的生命要去到哪里，我无力操纵，只得谦卑地跟从。然而情感是我可以控制的，我可以选择要快乐不要悲伤。要微笑说再见，不要含泪说再见。
所以不要说是流浪四方，要说是远走高飞。那未来未知的旅途，如同神秘的没有人去过的海洋，静静地等待我去掠过。没有人知道会发生什么。我不知道会遇到谁，在我未来的海洋。所以我现在就展翅飞去，我自由的，蓝色的海洋，没有边际的海洋。再大些，远些，好让我飞翔。
这一首歌，仿佛我此刻心情。但是我的安慰并不是在任何人里面，而是在我心中永恒的神里。因为天地都要废去，唯有神的话不会废去。
"Time to say goodbye"
quando sono solo
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
si lo so che non c'e luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole
se non ci sei tu con me, con me
su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada
when i'm alone
i dream of the horizon
and words fail me
there is no light
in a room where there is no sun
and there is no sun if you're not here with me, with me
from every window
unfurl my heart
the heart that you have won
into me you've poured the light
the light that you found by the side of the road
time to say goodbye (con te partiro)
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
it's time to say goodbye (con te io li vivro)
time to say goodbye
places that i've never seen or
experienced with you
now i shall
i'll sail with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
e io si lo so
che sei con me con me
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
mia solo tu sei qui con me
con me con me con me
when you're far away
i dream of the horizon
and words fail me
and of course i know that you're with me, with me
you, my moon, you are with me
my sun, you're here with me
with me, with me, with me
time to say goodbye (con te partiro)
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li vivro
con te partiro
time to say goodbye
places that i've never seen or
experienced with you
now i shall
i'll sail with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
i'll go with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
i'll go with you.
i'll go with you.
当我独自一人的时候
我梦见地平线
而话语舍弃了我
没有阳光的房间里
也没有光线-------
假如你不在我身边
透过每一扇窗
招展著我的心
我那已属於你的心
你施予到我心中
你在路旁
所发现的光
是该告别的时刻了
那些我从未看过
从未和你一起体验的地方
现在我就将看到和体验
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起让它们再通行
是该告别的时刻了
当你在遥远他方的时候
我梦见地平线
而话语舍弃了我
我当然知道
你是和我在一起的
你---我的月亮，你和我在一起
我的太阳，你就在此与我相随
与我、与我、与我----------
是该告别的时刻了
那些我从未看过
从未和你一起体验的地方
现在我就将看到和体验
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起再让它们通行
我将与你同航
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起再让它们通行
我将与你同航
说再会，是否就是离别。
我有一项绝技。每逢离别的时候，我总是会对所有的人说：我很快就会回来的！等我下次走的时候再告别好了。这样轻松愉快地告别，没有失落，没有眼泪，仿佛是一次周末旅行。然而从中国到美国，从美国到日本，从日本到瑞士，那些我亲爱的亲口答应过要回去看的朋友，没有一个再见过面。我想人生应当是这样的吧。当车轮启动，时光一去不复返。各人将有各人的缘分，所以迈步向前是好的，悲伤没有必要。从什么时候，我就练就了这样薄情的本领？也许是父亲去世的时候。情深不寿，懂得放手的人才是真正懂得世间之情。况且世间一切都有尽头。人活百年并不长久，十年也并不短暂。人与人的缘分也是一样。
这次又要走了。我打算再次将我的看家本领拿出来演习一遍。并非是不留恋，只是顺服生命的轨迹。我的生命要去到哪里，我无力操纵，只得谦卑地跟从。然而情感是我可以控制的，我可以选择要快乐不要悲伤。要微笑说再见，不要含泪说再见。
所以不要说是流浪四方，要说是远走高飞。那未来未知的旅途，如同神秘的没有人去过的海洋，静静地等待我去掠过。没有人知道会发生什么。我不知道会遇到谁，在我未来的海洋。所以我现在就展翅飞去，我自由的，蓝色的海洋，没有边际的海洋。再大些，远些，好让我飞翔。
这一首歌，仿佛我此刻心情。但是我的安慰并不是在任何人里面，而是在我心中永恒的神里。因为天地都要废去，唯有神的话不会废去。
"Time to say goodbye"
quando sono solo
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
si lo so che non c'e luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole
se non ci sei tu con me, con me
su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada
when i'm alone
i dream of the horizon
and words fail me
there is no light
in a room where there is no sun
and there is no sun if you're not here with me, with me
from every window
unfurl my heart
the heart that you have won
into me you've poured the light
the light that you found by the side of the road
time to say goodbye (con te partiro)
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
it's time to say goodbye (con te io li vivro)
time to say goodbye
places that i've never seen or
experienced with you
now i shall
i'll sail with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
e io si lo so
che sei con me con me
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
mia solo tu sei qui con me
con me con me con me
when you're far away
i dream of the horizon
and words fail me
and of course i know that you're with me, with me
you, my moon, you are with me
my sun, you're here with me
with me, with me, with me
time to say goodbye (con te partiro)
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li vivro
con te partiro
time to say goodbye
places that i've never seen or
experienced with you
now i shall
i'll sail with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
i'll go with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
i'll go with you.
i'll go with you.
当我独自一人的时候
我梦见地平线
而话语舍弃了我
没有阳光的房间里
也没有光线-------
假如你不在我身边
透过每一扇窗
招展著我的心
我那已属於你的心
你施予到我心中
你在路旁
所发现的光
是该告别的时刻了
那些我从未看过
从未和你一起体验的地方
现在我就将看到和体验
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起让它们再通行
是该告别的时刻了
当你在遥远他方的时候
我梦见地平线
而话语舍弃了我
我当然知道
你是和我在一起的
你---我的月亮，你和我在一起
我的太阳，你就在此与我相随
与我、与我、与我----------
是该告别的时刻了
那些我从未看过
从未和你一起体验的地方
现在我就将看到和体验
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起再让它们通行
我将与你同航
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起再让它们通行
我将与你同航
Friday, August 17, 2007
My interview tips
I did all the interviews I've ever done in my whole life in the past 6 months. In these 6 months, my interviews covered three completely different industries: pharmaceuticals, finance, and consulting. Finally now I can take some rest from being interviewed! But honestly speaking I've come to enjoy the interviews a lot and quite experienced. Are you also looking for a new position? Then please read on for my 2 cents to help you become the "killer" candidate.
Before the interview: motivation and vision
Yes baby first you need to get your goals straight. If you know exactly what you want for your life and when to get them, lucky you! You are probably among the 0.1% smartest people in the world. I was unfortunately among the rest 99.9% and as you can see from my interview patterns I absolutely had no clue. However as I was trying out different opportunities I worked out my priorities by considering:
1. background
This includes language and education background, age, gender. According to your background, what advantages and disadvantages you have towards each opportunity. Cut straight in with your advantages and avoid disadvanges.
2. personality
What do you enjoy doing the most and what do you dislike. Would you be happy to work in this industry or this company? Profession tends to define the professionals' personality (eg statisticians are known to be boring and anti-social, that's why I decide to quit being a statistican :P) It is not hard to figure out what kind of life you would have and what kind of people you would hang out with in your future office. If you think you won't like it, DON't apply, cuz you won't get the job. (most likely your interviewers won't like you either)
3. compensation & fulfillment
Of course we don't work just for money. I'd rather say we work for fulfillment and money (although often money has a positive correlation with your fulfillment). How big of a fulfillment would satisfy you? If you see yourself never being satisfied in a certain position (this is also easy. Look at your boss or the highest positioned person in the organization: do you want to become like him/her one day? if not, DON't apply)
4. time value
Some opportunies expire fast and early some others tend to stay a little longer. If people don't become a super model at 18 for example, or a super footballer at 20, they never will. Time value doesn't just apply to career choices, it also applies to our personal lives. You need to balance work and family and for some people this would be harder than others.
5. career progression
can you see any glass ceiling? is the glass ceiling high enough for you that you simply don't care? Or even worse, is there any positive slope for your career progression curve? would you rather take it easy and stable or are you an ambitious person? When you compare two career progression curves (or in a more straightforward way, the salary progression curves), compare the area under the curve for the next 5 years rather than the starting point.
Now you've dressed up in your best black suit (note: avoid 100% black), you've paid attention to details as well (hair, shoes, finger nails!) and had 2 cups of coffee.
At the interview:
1. be prepared to answer technical questions
which means you need to do all your homework about the industry, the company, the postion you interview for. I recommend you to get a couple of guidebooks and study for 1-2 months before your interview.
2. smile (do not giggle) & steady and friendly eye contact
this goes without saying.. be confident, and don't be shy! Remember, you are among the few chosen ones to come for the interview and the company believes that you must be worth the air ticket and accomodation..
3. firm (but not bone crushing) handshake !!!
I used to think handshakes were not important at all. You want to shake my hand? I would slightly extend my arm and land 2 of my fingers on the person's hand, as if I was the queen and they would like to kiss my hand. That was really aweful! (if not sickening..) Once I started to realize how crucial handshaking is in shaping a first impression I've so far discovered a lot of "queens" (and not just women!) and how terrible I felt when shaking hands with them. Of course you don't want to overdo it either. People rarely overdo it but once I shaked hands with a gigantic german guy and seriously, for one split second I thought he had crushed my bones and I almost fainted..
4. be logical and structured
Think before you speak. You are not doing a casual conversation over a couple of beers. Every movement of yours is being watched not to mention what you say. I found it very helpful to answer interview questions in a "deductive" way rather than an "inductive" way. The diamond head must come out first then you can pull out several gold chains. This is because once the interviewer asked the question, whatever sentence that comes out first was listened to most attentatively. Also time is short and you definitely don't want your interview to become impatient or even worse, getting lost of where you're going.
After the intervew:
Now you've done the interview and they said they'd get back to you as soon as possible. As long as a decision is not made yet, there're still things you can do to improve your chance -- thank you letters.
I know some people don't like writing letters. But hey, I don't like being waken up by my alarm clock every morning and rush to office. Consider this part of your work -- would it make it easier for you?
You must write a thank you letter to your HR, because HR is your contact person and you definitely have the contact info. If you get any name cards at your interview, also write thank you letters to those who have given you name cards.
3 merits of writing thank you letters:
1. even if you have received an offer right after your interview, then you'd better start socialize with these people soon, this would get you a more friendly start in the company.
2. if they're considering your case in a favorable way.. your thank you letter would help them send out that offer a couple of days earlier and maybe with 10% more salary.
3. if they decide to turn you down -- maybe after seeing your letter, they would change their minds! or they could recommend you to a different position, you could apply next year, etc.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!
Before the interview: motivation and vision
Yes baby first you need to get your goals straight. If you know exactly what you want for your life and when to get them, lucky you! You are probably among the 0.1% smartest people in the world. I was unfortunately among the rest 99.9% and as you can see from my interview patterns I absolutely had no clue. However as I was trying out different opportunities I worked out my priorities by considering:
1. background
This includes language and education background, age, gender. According to your background, what advantages and disadvantages you have towards each opportunity. Cut straight in with your advantages and avoid disadvanges.
2. personality
What do you enjoy doing the most and what do you dislike. Would you be happy to work in this industry or this company? Profession tends to define the professionals' personality (eg statisticians are known to be boring and anti-social, that's why I decide to quit being a statistican :P) It is not hard to figure out what kind of life you would have and what kind of people you would hang out with in your future office. If you think you won't like it, DON't apply, cuz you won't get the job. (most likely your interviewers won't like you either)
3. compensation & fulfillment
Of course we don't work just for money. I'd rather say we work for fulfillment and money (although often money has a positive correlation with your fulfillment). How big of a fulfillment would satisfy you? If you see yourself never being satisfied in a certain position (this is also easy. Look at your boss or the highest positioned person in the organization: do you want to become like him/her one day? if not, DON't apply)
4. time value
Some opportunies expire fast and early some others tend to stay a little longer. If people don't become a super model at 18 for example, or a super footballer at 20, they never will. Time value doesn't just apply to career choices, it also applies to our personal lives. You need to balance work and family and for some people this would be harder than others.
5. career progression
can you see any glass ceiling? is the glass ceiling high enough for you that you simply don't care? Or even worse, is there any positive slope for your career progression curve? would you rather take it easy and stable or are you an ambitious person? When you compare two career progression curves (or in a more straightforward way, the salary progression curves), compare the area under the curve for the next 5 years rather than the starting point.
Now you've dressed up in your best black suit (note: avoid 100% black), you've paid attention to details as well (hair, shoes, finger nails!) and had 2 cups of coffee.
At the interview:
1. be prepared to answer technical questions
which means you need to do all your homework about the industry, the company, the postion you interview for. I recommend you to get a couple of guidebooks and study for 1-2 months before your interview.
2. smile (do not giggle) & steady and friendly eye contact
this goes without saying.. be confident, and don't be shy! Remember, you are among the few chosen ones to come for the interview and the company believes that you must be worth the air ticket and accomodation..
3. firm (but not bone crushing) handshake !!!
I used to think handshakes were not important at all. You want to shake my hand? I would slightly extend my arm and land 2 of my fingers on the person's hand, as if I was the queen and they would like to kiss my hand. That was really aweful! (if not sickening..) Once I started to realize how crucial handshaking is in shaping a first impression I've so far discovered a lot of "queens" (and not just women!) and how terrible I felt when shaking hands with them. Of course you don't want to overdo it either. People rarely overdo it but once I shaked hands with a gigantic german guy and seriously, for one split second I thought he had crushed my bones and I almost fainted..
4. be logical and structured
Think before you speak. You are not doing a casual conversation over a couple of beers. Every movement of yours is being watched not to mention what you say. I found it very helpful to answer interview questions in a "deductive" way rather than an "inductive" way. The diamond head must come out first then you can pull out several gold chains. This is because once the interviewer asked the question, whatever sentence that comes out first was listened to most attentatively. Also time is short and you definitely don't want your interview to become impatient or even worse, getting lost of where you're going.
After the intervew:
Now you've done the interview and they said they'd get back to you as soon as possible. As long as a decision is not made yet, there're still things you can do to improve your chance -- thank you letters.
I know some people don't like writing letters. But hey, I don't like being waken up by my alarm clock every morning and rush to office. Consider this part of your work -- would it make it easier for you?
You must write a thank you letter to your HR, because HR is your contact person and you definitely have the contact info. If you get any name cards at your interview, also write thank you letters to those who have given you name cards.
3 merits of writing thank you letters:
1. even if you have received an offer right after your interview, then you'd better start socialize with these people soon, this would get you a more friendly start in the company.
2. if they're considering your case in a favorable way.. your thank you letter would help them send out that offer a couple of days earlier and maybe with 10% more salary.
3. if they decide to turn you down -- maybe after seeing your letter, they would change their minds! or they could recommend you to a different position, you could apply next year, etc.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Schengen visa
I love the Chinese culture, especially the language. I think the Chinese language is the most beautiful, complex, powerful language that ever exists. One Chinese character projects to you a story, two characters a movie, four characters contain the whole universe. I'm so much in love with this language that I feel thankful I was born a Chinese.
Very rarely do I feel frustrated being a Chinese – when I apply for visas.
Switzerland is a small country located in the heart of the Europe. Basel is a city right at the border of Switzerland, Germany, and France. More than half of the Basel population do their regular grocery shopping in Germany or France, because the price is less than half and they get the tax return. The border of France and Switzerland cuts right through my company campus, so half of the campus is located in France and there's a custom in the campus. If I forget to get off a train or tram that I'm riding on, I end up in Germany or France.
However I need to be careful not to override because I don't have a Schengen visa to go to these Schengen countries.
Half of my friends live and work in Germany or France and come to Basel every day for socializing. The other half go to Germany or France daily to socialize. I'm probably the first person they've met in their lives with such a "special situation". The YAG bible study group in my church used to meet occasionally in Germany but now we meet in my apartment instead. My friends have to change their life style to accommodate their dear new friend Mindy, by organizing all the activities to take place in Switzerland only.
In return they get all the entertainment from the discussion about the ways to smuggle me cross the border. My friends are very creative and adventurous and they've come up with thousands of ideas, some of which are indeed quite feasible I have to say. They've taught me all the access points along the border where there's no custom, I should be able to cross freely in theory. They've also suggested me to go jogging in the forest and accidentally "get lost" in the German side. I could also just walk through the French custom after \n8pm, because "French don't work after 8pm". I could cross the custom on a bike with helmet and sunglasses on, etc. Usually 80% of the topics are centered around smuggling. They also sometimes threaten me by saying they'll have a party in Germany.
Since I'll have an interview in Frankfurt I went to apply for a Schengen visa. The interview takes place July 26-27. The visa officer at the German Consulate looked at my brand-new passport and said: "ok, I'm going to be very generous to you. You will have a Schengen visa July 25-28. " I wonder what he would have been like if he had wanted to be nasty. Nevertheless my visa fee for 4 days is the same as those of 6 months.
There is a unique point which is the border of 3 countries: Switzerland, Germany and France. There is a restaurant built upon that point. My friends suggest me to go there and I'm really tempted to circle that point many times so that I cross the borders many times – just to make my visa fee worthy of the money…
Very rarely do I feel frustrated being a Chinese – when I apply for visas.
Switzerland is a small country located in the heart of the Europe. Basel is a city right at the border of Switzerland, Germany, and France. More than half of the Basel population do their regular grocery shopping in Germany or France, because the price is less than half and they get the tax return. The border of France and Switzerland cuts right through my company campus, so half of the campus is located in France and there's a custom in the campus. If I forget to get off a train or tram that I'm riding on, I end up in Germany or France.
However I need to be careful not to override because I don't have a Schengen visa to go to these Schengen countries.
Half of my friends live and work in Germany or France and come to Basel every day for socializing. The other half go to Germany or France daily to socialize. I'm probably the first person they've met in their lives with such a "special situation". The YAG bible study group in my church used to meet occasionally in Germany but now we meet in my apartment instead. My friends have to change their life style to accommodate their dear new friend Mindy, by organizing all the activities to take place in Switzerland only.
In return they get all the entertainment from the discussion about the ways to smuggle me cross the border. My friends are very creative and adventurous and they've come up with thousands of ideas, some of which are indeed quite feasible I have to say. They've taught me all the access points along the border where there's no custom, I should be able to cross freely in theory. They've also suggested me to go jogging in the forest and accidentally "get lost" in the German side. I could also just walk through the French custom after \n8pm, because "French don't work after 8pm". I could cross the custom on a bike with helmet and sunglasses on, etc. Usually 80% of the topics are centered around smuggling. They also sometimes threaten me by saying they'll have a party in Germany.
Since I'll have an interview in Frankfurt I went to apply for a Schengen visa. The interview takes place July 26-27. The visa officer at the German Consulate looked at my brand-new passport and said: "ok, I'm going to be very generous to you. You will have a Schengen visa July 25-28. " I wonder what he would have been like if he had wanted to be nasty. Nevertheless my visa fee for 4 days is the same as those of 6 months.
There is a unique point which is the border of 3 countries: Switzerland, Germany and France. There is a restaurant built upon that point. My friends suggest me to go there and I'm really tempted to circle that point many times so that I cross the borders many times – just to make my visa fee worthy of the money…
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Order of the Phoenix
In Swiss cinemas, movies are paused in the middle so that people can take a break.. (but I don't need a break!) The stopping point is chosen exactly at the middle of the movie so most of the time the line got cut just as the characters were speaking... nevertheless I enjoyed my first movie experience in Switzerland, with my favorite Harry Potter now the 5th story.
They have terribly grown up a lot.. now Harry had a girlfriend not sure whether the story will continue into Harry's getting married (can't imagine!). Fortunately seems that the author has decided to end the whole Potter story.
I like this one the most because Harry has grown more mature and he was facing more challenges. When he was a kid his only danger was his enemies who were much stronger and powerful than he was, while now he sometimes has to struggle with himself. Welcome to the adults' world Harry! Human hearts are not just as simple. Realizing the angry dark side in his heart Harry said to Sirius "I'm afraid I'm a bad person", and I like Sirius' answer "we all have good and bad sides in our hearts it is which side you choose to act on". This reminds me of how we live our lives as Christians. We were all born with sins that never go away from us until the day we die. Even the most faithful Christian sometimes has the desire to sin, if not everyday. The desire to sin does not make us sinners, as long as we fight with it and choose not to act on the desire. However, if this world did not have a God that is righteous and almighty, like in the movie if Voldemort the dark Lord was the highest and most powerful being, how desperate would it be then -- in fact I think if that was the case, there would have been no need to fight with our sinful desires.. why not just go with them and we would have all gone to hell in the end anyway.
If there was no such God, Harry wouldn't have won the battle with Voldemort in the end. Seems that love and joy had defeated Voldemort. But love or joy are emotions that can be controlled by human beings -- "we want to defeat the dark lord? we just need to love each other. " It doesn't sound too hard to accomplish, at least it is not entirely impossible, even without any extraterritorial help. We, as human beings the created thing, still believe in our own abilities so much that we think somehow our intrinsic potential, if being stimulated to the highest extent, could defeat anything. This is the so-called "self-righteousness".
It is just a movie and still, I love the scene when Harry was possessed by Voldemort and finally Harry won by going through all the lovely memories in his mind. He said to Voldemort "I have friends and love and I feel sorry for you". I've never thought this way before. If the dark lord is indeed someone completely deprived of love, joy, all the beautiful, pure, good, just things that ever exist, I really do feel sorry for him. What is the use of his power? Even powerless human sinners like us sometimes do feel all the beautiful things and think our life is worth living.
I praise our God for being the righteous, loving, sovereign God that is above all power, higher than all kings and eternal in time. It is within Him that we have all our hopes.
They have terribly grown up a lot.. now Harry had a girlfriend not sure whether the story will continue into Harry's getting married (can't imagine!). Fortunately seems that the author has decided to end the whole Potter story.
I like this one the most because Harry has grown more mature and he was facing more challenges. When he was a kid his only danger was his enemies who were much stronger and powerful than he was, while now he sometimes has to struggle with himself. Welcome to the adults' world Harry! Human hearts are not just as simple. Realizing the angry dark side in his heart Harry said to Sirius "I'm afraid I'm a bad person", and I like Sirius' answer "we all have good and bad sides in our hearts it is which side you choose to act on". This reminds me of how we live our lives as Christians. We were all born with sins that never go away from us until the day we die. Even the most faithful Christian sometimes has the desire to sin, if not everyday. The desire to sin does not make us sinners, as long as we fight with it and choose not to act on the desire. However, if this world did not have a God that is righteous and almighty, like in the movie if Voldemort the dark Lord was the highest and most powerful being, how desperate would it be then -- in fact I think if that was the case, there would have been no need to fight with our sinful desires.. why not just go with them and we would have all gone to hell in the end anyway.
If there was no such God, Harry wouldn't have won the battle with Voldemort in the end. Seems that love and joy had defeated Voldemort. But love or joy are emotions that can be controlled by human beings -- "we want to defeat the dark lord? we just need to love each other. " It doesn't sound too hard to accomplish, at least it is not entirely impossible, even without any extraterritorial help. We, as human beings the created thing, still believe in our own abilities so much that we think somehow our intrinsic potential, if being stimulated to the highest extent, could defeat anything. This is the so-called "self-righteousness".
It is just a movie and still, I love the scene when Harry was possessed by Voldemort and finally Harry won by going through all the lovely memories in his mind. He said to Voldemort "I have friends and love and I feel sorry for you". I've never thought this way before. If the dark lord is indeed someone completely deprived of love, joy, all the beautiful, pure, good, just things that ever exist, I really do feel sorry for him. What is the use of his power? Even powerless human sinners like us sometimes do feel all the beautiful things and think our life is worth living.
I praise our God for being the righteous, loving, sovereign God that is above all power, higher than all kings and eternal in time. It is within Him that we have all our hopes.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Finding the place where you should be
Paul Potts
"My dream is to do what I feel I was born to do."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA
A little lump of coal is turning into a diamond
A frog is turning into a prince
semi final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDB9zwlXrB8
final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwkVnyfdGYQ
Connie Talbot
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MndLRdPsuJE&eurl
"My dream is to do what I feel I was born to do."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA
A little lump of coal is turning into a diamond
A frog is turning into a prince
semi final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDB9zwlXrB8
final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwkVnyfdGYQ
Connie Talbot
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MndLRdPsuJE&eurl
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Swiss BBQ
I went to a BBQ party yesterday. The party was organized by my friends' son's kindergarten. The invitation was written with instructions: as indicated in the map, park here, then follow the colorful balloons to get the the BBQ spot.
So we drove there, found the parking place, and identified the balloons. We unloaded our food and started to follow the balloons.
Soon we realized that we were actually ascending a mountain. We had thought the BBQ spot would be right by the parking but now it seemed not very much so. We ended up spending 30 minutes in hiking and finally reached the designated spot, at the top of the mountain.
I wonder if this is the Swiss lifestyle -- that hiking is just as common as walking to the subway stations in tokyo. It wasn't even mentioned in the invitation that we're supposed to do some hiking after we park our car.
However it was all worth the effort, the view from the top of the mountian was fantastic! We were overlooking a wide valley, green with trees and grass and lots of pretty houses. A family live in the valley and they have a stable there with 2 horses.
The Swiss government sponsors all the public BBQ spots, they were all nicely built and prepared. The government even provides the firewoods for free. BBQ is a very important part in Swiss lifestyle, especially in summer, there are BBQ everyday and everywhere. Even the air smells like BBQ.
The Swiss way to do the BBQ is rather natural.. nobody brought forks or plates, etc. The kids (these are still in kindergarten) collected many tree branches and the fathers took out their Swiss army knives and made spears out of the branches. Then we ate from these handmade forks... so handy and useful! The kids liked it too, they lit up the sharp ends of the branches and tried to use it to kill each other.
So we drove there, found the parking place, and identified the balloons. We unloaded our food and started to follow the balloons.
Soon we realized that we were actually ascending a mountain. We had thought the BBQ spot would be right by the parking but now it seemed not very much so. We ended up spending 30 minutes in hiking and finally reached the designated spot, at the top of the mountain.
I wonder if this is the Swiss lifestyle -- that hiking is just as common as walking to the subway stations in tokyo. It wasn't even mentioned in the invitation that we're supposed to do some hiking after we park our car.
However it was all worth the effort, the view from the top of the mountian was fantastic! We were overlooking a wide valley, green with trees and grass and lots of pretty houses. A family live in the valley and they have a stable there with 2 horses.
The Swiss government sponsors all the public BBQ spots, they were all nicely built and prepared. The government even provides the firewoods for free. BBQ is a very important part in Swiss lifestyle, especially in summer, there are BBQ everyday and everywhere. Even the air smells like BBQ.
The Swiss way to do the BBQ is rather natural.. nobody brought forks or plates, etc. The kids (these are still in kindergarten) collected many tree branches and the fathers took out their Swiss army knives and made spears out of the branches. Then we ate from these handmade forks... so handy and useful! The kids liked it too, they lit up the sharp ends of the branches and tried to use it to kill each other.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
NANA
March 2006, I was crazy about a movie "NANA". In fact I think the whole Japan was crazy about this movie, it was such a great hit. It hit every girl at least.
The story was originally written as a Japanese manga. Two girls met by chance in a train to Tokyo. They were both about to start a life with their own dreams: Nana, after leaving the man she loves, struggled to become a vocalist and Hachi was eager to marry the man she's in love with. They became good friends and rented an apartment together.
The dreams of these two young ladies didn't come so easily. It could have been a typical "dreams won't come true" story but no, behind all the disappointments, broken hearts, loneliness, the two girls still managed to stay the way they are, the way they always have been. They lost the men but didn't lose their dreams. True that being in love is most pleasant, most satisfying, most precious, most comforting. But being herself is her soul. A soul does not live for anyone else. When her love for him hurts her soul --- She'll look away, walk away.
恋よりプライドを選んだと事.
I watched the movie again today. Some of my friends here are going to have a "japanese" party tomorrow at my place, and we are supposed to make japanese, speak japanese, etc. (Funny none of us is japanese). Someone suggested that we make sukiyaki so I went to her home to get a sukiyaki pot for tomorrow. She literally has a library of Japanese movies and dramas at her home. I immediately put NANA into her DVD player with great excitement, but just as the music started to play, it all reminded me of everything in Tokyo and it almost made me want to cry.
Didn't I forget to say sayonara when I left? Even when Lily sent me off in the Narita Express, even when she was wiping her eyes, I didn't say sayonara. I felt the word was too much for me to handle and I would rather say it in my heart.
Sayonara all my dear friends in Tokyo.
フラッシュバック
君は CLEVER
AH, REMEMBER
Endless Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94SZYWYQc9A&mode=related&search
The story was originally written as a Japanese manga. Two girls met by chance in a train to Tokyo. They were both about to start a life with their own dreams: Nana, after leaving the man she loves, struggled to become a vocalist and Hachi was eager to marry the man she's in love with. They became good friends and rented an apartment together.
The dreams of these two young ladies didn't come so easily. It could have been a typical "dreams won't come true" story but no, behind all the disappointments, broken hearts, loneliness, the two girls still managed to stay the way they are, the way they always have been. They lost the men but didn't lose their dreams. True that being in love is most pleasant, most satisfying, most precious, most comforting. But being herself is her soul. A soul does not live for anyone else. When her love for him hurts her soul --- She'll look away, walk away.
恋よりプライドを選んだと事.
I watched the movie again today. Some of my friends here are going to have a "japanese" party tomorrow at my place, and we are supposed to make japanese, speak japanese, etc. (Funny none of us is japanese). Someone suggested that we make sukiyaki so I went to her home to get a sukiyaki pot for tomorrow. She literally has a library of Japanese movies and dramas at her home. I immediately put NANA into her DVD player with great excitement, but just as the music started to play, it all reminded me of everything in Tokyo and it almost made me want to cry.
Didn't I forget to say sayonara when I left? Even when Lily sent me off in the Narita Express, even when she was wiping her eyes, I didn't say sayonara. I felt the word was too much for me to handle and I would rather say it in my heart.
Sayonara all my dear friends in Tokyo.
フラッシュバック
君は CLEVER
AH, REMEMBER
Endless Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94SZYWYQc9A&mode=related&search
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
It's time to learn German
I go to a Chinese bible study every weekend. The hosts live in Reihen. To get to their house from my apartment, first I take tram #8 and transfer to tram #6 at Claraplatz, and vice versa on my way back home. I've done quite a few times already so I thought I could go without a map.
Last time when we finished the study, it was almost 11pm. I got on tram #6 as usual, just as I was settling in my seat, the conductor uttered a long long sentence in German. Since all my neighbors seemed extremely composed, I decided to ignore the announcement.
A short moment later, I discovered the tram was crossing the Rhine River --- but it should have stayed in this side of the river until I get to Claraplatz! I hurried to get off the tram, since I was standing in the pouring rain so I got on another tram heading the opposite direction without knowing where I was heading.. finally arrived home by taxi.
The miserable experience forced me to bring my German study into agenda. So yesterday, for the first time in my life, I opened a German book and thought I would like to at least memorize some vocaburary. The first word came into my eyes was "frau", meaning "woman", or "Mrs/Ms".
I praise God that this was indeed a very blessed day in my life --- because I had thought this word means "to". I've seen it many times on the envelops of the mails I received: "Frau Mindy Fang". I took it for granted that it means "To Mindy Fang", and for the past entire month, I had been comfortably and confidently "frau"ing everybody on my outgoing mails... including:
Frau: British Consulate Geneva
....... (speechless)
Last time when we finished the study, it was almost 11pm. I got on tram #6 as usual, just as I was settling in my seat, the conductor uttered a long long sentence in German. Since all my neighbors seemed extremely composed, I decided to ignore the announcement.
A short moment later, I discovered the tram was crossing the Rhine River --- but it should have stayed in this side of the river until I get to Claraplatz! I hurried to get off the tram, since I was standing in the pouring rain so I got on another tram heading the opposite direction without knowing where I was heading.. finally arrived home by taxi.
The miserable experience forced me to bring my German study into agenda. So yesterday, for the first time in my life, I opened a German book and thought I would like to at least memorize some vocaburary. The first word came into my eyes was "frau", meaning "woman", or "Mrs/Ms".
I praise God that this was indeed a very blessed day in my life --- because I had thought this word means "to". I've seen it many times on the envelops of the mails I received: "Frau Mindy Fang". I took it for granted that it means "To Mindy Fang", and for the past entire month, I had been comfortably and confidently "frau"ing everybody on my outgoing mails... including:
Frau: British Consulate Geneva
....... (speechless)
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Between Heaven and Earth
Ok, I confess -- got this one from the web. This is the lake I passed yesterday, I didn't have a chance to take any photo.
Views from Jungfrau: Top of Europe -- the highest train station in Europe
At the bottom of Jungfrau
View from the balcony of my hotel room
A passenger sitting in front of me on my way to Jungfrau
Friday, April 27, 2007
The Lord of rain
Ever since I arrived Basel the weather has been sunny every day. There hasn't been even a single drop of rain from the sky and the temperature reaches 30 c almost everyday. Swiss people are complaining that just right before the Easter, weather was miserable that they were wearing winter jacket, suddenly after the Easter weather has become so warm and dry and now the government has prohibited outdoor BBQ.
I couldn't help but relate to the word "Easter" because I left Tokyo on the Easter Sunday.
I feel sorry for those who love BBQ but no, nothing could stop me from wanting that beautiful sunshine 12 hours a day!
Since I was leaving Basel today for Interlaken, I thought, well, now I don't mind if it rains in Basel.
There is a direct train from Basel to Interlaken West, which takes about 2 and half hours. Since the lastest one left at 5p and I missed it already, I would have to make at least 1 transfer.
5:00p Left office building with my small luggage. Put on the pair of sunglasses I got during the lunch break when I sneaked into a nearby department store.
5:35p Arrived Basel SBB train station. There was a long line at the ticket window, so decided to venture to one of the ticket vending machines.
5:40p Great, it has English instruction. But could not find "Interlaken West" station, only "Interlaken Ost". Fine, let's just take "Ost" as the German word for "West", got the ticket. Tickets says I need to go to Olten --> Bern --> Interlaken Ost.
5:45p Checked the departure info, next train for Olten departs at 6:00p. Rushed to a shop in the station to do last minute shopping, got a shoulder bag for hiking, several pairs of socks.. (very important since I didn't pack enough when I moved here)
6:00p Train departed, I turned on my ipod. Suddenly noticed that it had started to rain... (now, please take a second to imagine how I felt)
6:30p Got off at Olten, looking for trains going to Bern. Couldn't find any. Asked someone who seemed to work there, he told me the train I left actually goes to Bern. But don't worry, he said, there is another train... now his coworker who's on a moving train asked him: are you getting on the train? He shouted: Hold the train! Then explained to me: you should go to the next platform, there's a train departing at 6:36 for Bern...
6:36p Headed on to Bern. Though there was a 6 minutes delay due to my mistake, now I had a window seat!
7:20p Got off at Bern, discovered next train for Interlaken Ost departs past 8p. Planned to kill some time by looking at the map in the station. Found out the train route is Bern --> Thun --> Spieltz --> Interlaken Ost, and there's another train that goes Bern --> Thun --> Spieltz --> somewhere else departing at 7:30pm. Decided to play wild and got on this train.
8:15p Got off at Spieltz, so shocked to see the next train that goes to Interlaken Ost departs in more than 30 minutes! Wandered around, saw a bus sign. Read the bus schedule, it seems there's a bus that goes from Spieltz to Interlaken West at 8:14p. Disappointed, walked to the platform for the 8:45 train, saw the bus, ran!
8:17p Bus departed. It turned out the bus route is much better than the train route, since it goes right by the lake. Lake is so beautiful with moutains around it. There's snow on the mountain top.
8:50p Arrived at the hotel. Hotel is so close to the train station.
9:00p Went to a Chinese take out restaurant hoping they're still open. There's only a Korean chef in it and he told me I could eat there. While eating debated with him about Christianity (because he asked me first). Bought tomorrow's daily train pass from him (it seems that it's also part of their business) and he explained to me in every detail what to do tomorrow.
10:00p Headed back to hotel. In my last minute's conversation with the Korean chef, I suddenly realized that there are indeed two stations "Interlaken Ost" and "Interlaken West", and my hotel is right next to "Interlaken West". So after all the craziness including buying a wrong ticket, I unknowingly arrived at the right station!!!
11:00p Shower, wrote this blog, and PRAISE GOD. I can never stop praising God.
I couldn't help but relate to the word "Easter" because I left Tokyo on the Easter Sunday.
I feel sorry for those who love BBQ but no, nothing could stop me from wanting that beautiful sunshine 12 hours a day!
Since I was leaving Basel today for Interlaken, I thought, well, now I don't mind if it rains in Basel.
There is a direct train from Basel to Interlaken West, which takes about 2 and half hours. Since the lastest one left at 5p and I missed it already, I would have to make at least 1 transfer.
5:00p Left office building with my small luggage. Put on the pair of sunglasses I got during the lunch break when I sneaked into a nearby department store.
5:35p Arrived Basel SBB train station. There was a long line at the ticket window, so decided to venture to one of the ticket vending machines.
5:40p Great, it has English instruction. But could not find "Interlaken West" station, only "Interlaken Ost". Fine, let's just take "Ost" as the German word for "West", got the ticket. Tickets says I need to go to Olten --> Bern --> Interlaken Ost.
5:45p Checked the departure info, next train for Olten departs at 6:00p. Rushed to a shop in the station to do last minute shopping, got a shoulder bag for hiking, several pairs of socks.. (very important since I didn't pack enough when I moved here)
6:00p Train departed, I turned on my ipod. Suddenly noticed that it had started to rain... (now, please take a second to imagine how I felt)
6:30p Got off at Olten, looking for trains going to Bern. Couldn't find any. Asked someone who seemed to work there, he told me the train I left actually goes to Bern. But don't worry, he said, there is another train... now his coworker who's on a moving train asked him: are you getting on the train? He shouted: Hold the train! Then explained to me: you should go to the next platform, there's a train departing at 6:36 for Bern...
6:36p Headed on to Bern. Though there was a 6 minutes delay due to my mistake, now I had a window seat!
7:20p Got off at Bern, discovered next train for Interlaken Ost departs past 8p. Planned to kill some time by looking at the map in the station. Found out the train route is Bern --> Thun --> Spieltz --> Interlaken Ost, and there's another train that goes Bern --> Thun --> Spieltz --> somewhere else departing at 7:30pm. Decided to play wild and got on this train.
8:15p Got off at Spieltz, so shocked to see the next train that goes to Interlaken Ost departs in more than 30 minutes! Wandered around, saw a bus sign. Read the bus schedule, it seems there's a bus that goes from Spieltz to Interlaken West at 8:14p. Disappointed, walked to the platform for the 8:45 train, saw the bus, ran!
8:17p Bus departed. It turned out the bus route is much better than the train route, since it goes right by the lake. Lake is so beautiful with moutains around it. There's snow on the mountain top.
8:50p Arrived at the hotel. Hotel is so close to the train station.
9:00p Went to a Chinese take out restaurant hoping they're still open. There's only a Korean chef in it and he told me I could eat there. While eating debated with him about Christianity (because he asked me first). Bought tomorrow's daily train pass from him (it seems that it's also part of their business) and he explained to me in every detail what to do tomorrow.
10:00p Headed back to hotel. In my last minute's conversation with the Korean chef, I suddenly realized that there are indeed two stations "Interlaken Ost" and "Interlaken West", and my hotel is right next to "Interlaken West". So after all the craziness including buying a wrong ticket, I unknowingly arrived at the right station!!!
11:00p Shower, wrote this blog, and PRAISE GOD. I can never stop praising God.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
YAG bible study at BCF
I went to the YAG bible study in my new church last night. It was their first session of a new study material so my timing was just perfect. The study material they use this time is quite unusual: We were studying the "Westminster Shorter Catechism", you can find details here:
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
There were 6 people last night, it seemed that many others are taking vacations around this time. We met in the apartment of the YAG leader, a Swiss American guy. By the time I arrived another American girl was there, and the host was offering drinks to us and he asked the other American girl: Would you like some mugi cha?
And I thought to myself: Did he say "mugi cha"?
It turned out all three of us had stayed in Japan for at least a year and we all speak broken Japanese to some extent. This Swiss American guy has a kitchen full of Japanese spices, soy sauce, etc. Soon later Kim arrived and the four of us started to talk in funny Japanese and for a moment I felt I was still in Japan. It was actually Kim's first time to join the YAG bible study and that Amercian girl has been in Basel for only two months, so last night was also their first time to discover their common Japanese connection. The whole thing was amazing.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
There were 6 people last night, it seemed that many others are taking vacations around this time. We met in the apartment of the YAG leader, a Swiss American guy. By the time I arrived another American girl was there, and the host was offering drinks to us and he asked the other American girl: Would you like some mugi cha?
And I thought to myself: Did he say "mugi cha"?
It turned out all three of us had stayed in Japan for at least a year and we all speak broken Japanese to some extent. This Swiss American guy has a kitchen full of Japanese spices, soy sauce, etc. Soon later Kim arrived and the four of us started to talk in funny Japanese and for a moment I felt I was still in Japan. It was actually Kim's first time to join the YAG bible study and that Amercian girl has been in Basel for only two months, so last night was also their first time to discover their common Japanese connection. The whole thing was amazing.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Long weekend
I suddenly discovered that this weekend is going to be a 4-day holiday (sat - tue) so today during my worktime, I was very busy making some last-minute booking for my holiday. Since I'm staying in a hotel in Basel anyway, I might just quit this one and stay in some other hotels in the lakes or the Alps. I found some information from this website last night:
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/travel/trips
And the short movies of the trip planning plus the exciting music made me feel I want to run to the train station immediately.
For this weekend, I'm planning to go to Interlaken and Zermatt first. My friend Hattie will be coming from Germany again and join me in Interlaken, we'll stay there for two nights, she heads off back to Germany and I keep traveling to Zermatt and stay for another two nights. People say the scenaries there are like Switzerland postcards. I'm really looking forward to it.
I found a very nice apartment just a block from where I live right now, it will be available from May. It's on the 4th floor of a 5-floor building, the building is more than 100 years old with a very historical look from outside, nice thing is that it has been recently renovated so the interior is pretty new, with all the necessary appliance in my own apartment, including a washer&dryer (yes! very important, since in Switzerland if you're sharing a laundry room with others there's usually weird rules, such as you can only do laundry one day in a week, and no laundry on sundays..) The apartment is unfurnished and I'll need to buy some furnitures. I had thought about renting a furnished apartment but the price is usually doubled and I'll get stuck with several pieces of ugly old furnitures which I can't get rid off. So it's quite funny that even though I'm staying here for only several months, I'll need to get furnitures.
But there're a couple of second hand furnitures shops just around the corner, and I kind of liked it. I've decided to get a new mattress and everything else second hand. They have a collection of "antique" looking furnitures (meaning, they're really old), and I liked them better than new ones.. :p There's a huge standing lamp that I definitely want to have, and there's a green wooden dining table with 4 green chairs that I hope they'll still be there when I move in (I'm obsessed with green). I'll take some photos once I'm done with furnishing my new apartment. (And I'm so happy that it's a lot bigger than my apartment in Azabujuban!)
Another exciting news is that I'm going to have a phone interview with a hedge fund in London. More excitingly the interview will take place when I'm travelling to Zermatt, in the Alps... I wonder if those people in London would wish they could do it face to face in Zermatt..
Weather is so adorable.. I'd always dreamed of travelling in Europe when the weather was not so miserable, now things seem too good to be true. I need to remind myself to enjoy more of this best season of the year, who knows, my next chance might be many years later.
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/travel/trips
And the short movies of the trip planning plus the exciting music made me feel I want to run to the train station immediately.
For this weekend, I'm planning to go to Interlaken and Zermatt first. My friend Hattie will be coming from Germany again and join me in Interlaken, we'll stay there for two nights, she heads off back to Germany and I keep traveling to Zermatt and stay for another two nights. People say the scenaries there are like Switzerland postcards. I'm really looking forward to it.
I found a very nice apartment just a block from where I live right now, it will be available from May. It's on the 4th floor of a 5-floor building, the building is more than 100 years old with a very historical look from outside, nice thing is that it has been recently renovated so the interior is pretty new, with all the necessary appliance in my own apartment, including a washer&dryer (yes! very important, since in Switzerland if you're sharing a laundry room with others there's usually weird rules, such as you can only do laundry one day in a week, and no laundry on sundays..) The apartment is unfurnished and I'll need to buy some furnitures. I had thought about renting a furnished apartment but the price is usually doubled and I'll get stuck with several pieces of ugly old furnitures which I can't get rid off. So it's quite funny that even though I'm staying here for only several months, I'll need to get furnitures.
But there're a couple of second hand furnitures shops just around the corner, and I kind of liked it. I've decided to get a new mattress and everything else second hand. They have a collection of "antique" looking furnitures (meaning, they're really old), and I liked them better than new ones.. :p There's a huge standing lamp that I definitely want to have, and there's a green wooden dining table with 4 green chairs that I hope they'll still be there when I move in (I'm obsessed with green). I'll take some photos once I'm done with furnishing my new apartment. (And I'm so happy that it's a lot bigger than my apartment in Azabujuban!)
Another exciting news is that I'm going to have a phone interview with a hedge fund in London. More excitingly the interview will take place when I'm travelling to Zermatt, in the Alps... I wonder if those people in London would wish they could do it face to face in Zermatt..
Weather is so adorable.. I'd always dreamed of travelling in Europe when the weather was not so miserable, now things seem too good to be true. I need to remind myself to enjoy more of this best season of the year, who knows, my next chance might be many years later.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Updates about myself
I'm planning to rent an apartment from the beginning of May. It's kind of complicated for me because I may not stay here for long. First of all my contract period is only 6 months initially, and I'm still looking at jobs in UK. My own estimate is that I probably would get an offer in several months, so again I'll need to move. Here in Basel, we need to give 3 months' notice when moving out, slightly tricky situation but I think with God's help, I'll know what to do in the end.
I took a couple of photos on a bridge across the Rhine River. The light was very strong and this was actually almost 7pm. In the second photo, the tall square building belongs to novartis and I live just right behind the red old building right next to it.
The last photo is my new church. (^ ____ ^)
I took a couple of photos on a bridge across the Rhine River. The light was very strong and this was actually almost 7pm. In the second photo, the tall square building belongs to novartis and I live just right behind the red old building right next to it.
The last photo is my new church. (^ ____ ^)
A lazy sunday afternoon
There is a nice inner garden in the place I live right now, and since I always get off work early I'm usually back before 6pm. I enjoy sitting in the sun and dosing off with my new friend the silly cat who's always sun bathing in the garden. She is apparently overweight and she doesn't do any exercise except for rubbing my legs with her round head.
Sunday afternoon is nice and slow and lazy. The church service and the coffee hour finishes around 1pm, then I took a stroll back home. There is a "YAG" in my new church as well, and like in TUC they go out for lunch together after church. I still haven't had a chance to meet most of their members but I've met their leader, a Swiss American guy. When they were going out for lunch today and asked me whether I would like to join, I suddenly realized that I got only 20 swiss francs in my pocket since I did not carry my bag today, and I was too embarassed to tell the truth.. :p
But if it were in Tokyo I would have gone because 2000 japanese yen is most likely enough for a lunch. Or I could always ask Lily to pay for me. :p Here 20 swiss francs is most likely not enough for a simple lunch -- plus the service is bad. Though I ate out only several times after I arrived in Basel, the service was bad every time. The waiters or waitresses acted like I was not planning to pay after my meal. My friend explained to me that this is just a very german thing, people don't smile unless there's something funny.
Of course the food is bad too. Speaking as someone who just made a fresh landing directly from Tokyo. But still it is much better than berlin, so I'm very thankful for the french influence to this border city. During weekdays, I can have lunch from the novartis canteen. It actually tastes better than the restaurants I've been to so far and the cost can be managed to be within 10 francs after the employee's discount. So disappointing that the canteen doesn't offer dinner as well, if they do I'd prefer live in the novartis campus.
Supermarkets and shops close at 5:30p mon-sat, they are closed all day sunday. I think the life style and the business style in this small european city is designed for family life, or retirement life. Only housewives and old people would have a chance to go shopping when the shops are not closed. For me, I found it very frustrating that whenever I need to go shopping, I would need to take a day off from work. In Basel, nice residential areas boast that they have supermarkets that close late -- at 6pm. However on sundays, nothing opens even in the nicest residential areas. If you're unfortunate enough to need anything urgently, you would have to go the the airport, where shops open on sundays. So yes, a lot of new things to learn, a lot of adjustment for me after living in azabujuban for 2 years, for example, remember to fill my frige on Saturdays!
And the groceries are stunningly expensive, they are more expensive than the peacock in azabujuban but the quality is not as good. 1kg of beef cost 40 francs, but these are not kobe beef! eggs cost almost 1 franc each.
Breads are scarily big.. and they don't taste half as good as those from the bakery in front of my old apartment in azabujuban. Well I think maybe I'm a little bit "homesick".. :p
But at least it would be a good start to get used to a life generally deprived of oishii food under a reasonable budget. I heard in UK things could get even worse. I have to remind myself everyday that life is not just about eating, there are things much more meaningful than satisfying my tougue. And best of all, I've come here in the best season! Weather has been fantastic everyday. My apartment in tokyo didn't get much sunlight all year round. Now I'm indulging myself in this beautiful sunshine as much as possible.. since I'm planning to work in UK in the near future, I think this would definitely do me good. Maybe I should come back every year around this time to warm up a bit.
Sunday afternoon is nice and slow and lazy. The church service and the coffee hour finishes around 1pm, then I took a stroll back home. There is a "YAG" in my new church as well, and like in TUC they go out for lunch together after church. I still haven't had a chance to meet most of their members but I've met their leader, a Swiss American guy. When they were going out for lunch today and asked me whether I would like to join, I suddenly realized that I got only 20 swiss francs in my pocket since I did not carry my bag today, and I was too embarassed to tell the truth.. :p
But if it were in Tokyo I would have gone because 2000 japanese yen is most likely enough for a lunch. Or I could always ask Lily to pay for me. :p Here 20 swiss francs is most likely not enough for a simple lunch -- plus the service is bad. Though I ate out only several times after I arrived in Basel, the service was bad every time. The waiters or waitresses acted like I was not planning to pay after my meal. My friend explained to me that this is just a very german thing, people don't smile unless there's something funny.
Of course the food is bad too. Speaking as someone who just made a fresh landing directly from Tokyo. But still it is much better than berlin, so I'm very thankful for the french influence to this border city. During weekdays, I can have lunch from the novartis canteen. It actually tastes better than the restaurants I've been to so far and the cost can be managed to be within 10 francs after the employee's discount. So disappointing that the canteen doesn't offer dinner as well, if they do I'd prefer live in the novartis campus.
Supermarkets and shops close at 5:30p mon-sat, they are closed all day sunday. I think the life style and the business style in this small european city is designed for family life, or retirement life. Only housewives and old people would have a chance to go shopping when the shops are not closed. For me, I found it very frustrating that whenever I need to go shopping, I would need to take a day off from work. In Basel, nice residential areas boast that they have supermarkets that close late -- at 6pm. However on sundays, nothing opens even in the nicest residential areas. If you're unfortunate enough to need anything urgently, you would have to go the the airport, where shops open on sundays. So yes, a lot of new things to learn, a lot of adjustment for me after living in azabujuban for 2 years, for example, remember to fill my frige on Saturdays!
And the groceries are stunningly expensive, they are more expensive than the peacock in azabujuban but the quality is not as good. 1kg of beef cost 40 francs, but these are not kobe beef! eggs cost almost 1 franc each.
Breads are scarily big.. and they don't taste half as good as those from the bakery in front of my old apartment in azabujuban. Well I think maybe I'm a little bit "homesick".. :p
But at least it would be a good start to get used to a life generally deprived of oishii food under a reasonable budget. I heard in UK things could get even worse. I have to remind myself everyday that life is not just about eating, there are things much more meaningful than satisfying my tougue. And best of all, I've come here in the best season! Weather has been fantastic everyday. My apartment in tokyo didn't get much sunlight all year round. Now I'm indulging myself in this beautiful sunshine as much as possible.. since I'm planning to work in UK in the near future, I think this would definitely do me good. Maybe I should come back every year around this time to warm up a bit.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
God has guided me to my new church
Right after I decided to move to Basel, some church members (including myself) in the Tokyo Union Church worried that there might not be many English-speaking international churches in Basel since it's such a small town. They were really trying to help me gather information about Basel, some even recalled that there's a Korean lady named Kim who used to be a member of the TUC and later moved to Switzerland. They were not sure which city she moved to and since she moved two and half years ago they were not sure whether she's still in Switzerland or not, they said "maybe you should contact her" but none of them has her contact. I thought: well, this doesn't help really but thanks, at least I'm touched by your kind gesture of caring about me..
So I searched the web and found a couple of small English speaking churches in Basel. One is called "crossroad" and it looks ok. I had planned to visit this one for my first Sunday here then I found another one called "Basel Christian Fellowship", which is located near the city center and I thought this one might be better since I could then take my friend Hattie with me. Hattie is Chinese and she's not a Christian. But she said she's interested to go and we went together this morning, thanks to Hattie's help in reading all the road signs and map written in German.
The congregation is small but quite cozy and friendly. Like what we do in TUC I stood up and introduced myself. The service and the selection of the Hymns were very good as well and I felt very comfortable there. I asked myself: Could this be the church that God has called me to go in Basel, after coming all the way from the far east? (To most European people, Japan, China, etc are simply "far east" that they know nothing about) And I immediately answered myself: of course God will make it clear and guide me to the right church, since church would be the most important aspect of my life!
After the service the lady sitting just behind me came up to me and told me that she used to go to the TUC as well. She looks Asian and her name is Korean, so I asked her a funny question: "are you Kim?"
And she said: Yes! I am Kim! How do you know me?
So everything that followed became very easy and I had no problem in getting to know people around. They have several fellowship groups in the church and I'm going to a Women's bible study tomorrow with Kim. They have a fellowship for young adult every tuesday, unfortunately they meet in Germany right now and I'm still waiting to get my schengen visa. I also met a couple from Hong Kong and they invited me to their chinese bible study group every friday. Things are looking good since I haven't wasted any time to get fully involved in church life again! I haven't missed even one single sunday service..
I'm now convinced it is God's will for me to come here and God has prepared my way even before I came. It is beyond my imagination what exactly God's plan is for me in Basel, but I keep my fingers crossed and look forward to each new day to come.
Here is the website of my new church if you are interested in taking a look:
www.baselfellowship.org/
So I searched the web and found a couple of small English speaking churches in Basel. One is called "crossroad" and it looks ok. I had planned to visit this one for my first Sunday here then I found another one called "Basel Christian Fellowship", which is located near the city center and I thought this one might be better since I could then take my friend Hattie with me. Hattie is Chinese and she's not a Christian. But she said she's interested to go and we went together this morning, thanks to Hattie's help in reading all the road signs and map written in German.
The congregation is small but quite cozy and friendly. Like what we do in TUC I stood up and introduced myself. The service and the selection of the Hymns were very good as well and I felt very comfortable there. I asked myself: Could this be the church that God has called me to go in Basel, after coming all the way from the far east? (To most European people, Japan, China, etc are simply "far east" that they know nothing about) And I immediately answered myself: of course God will make it clear and guide me to the right church, since church would be the most important aspect of my life!
After the service the lady sitting just behind me came up to me and told me that she used to go to the TUC as well. She looks Asian and her name is Korean, so I asked her a funny question: "are you Kim?"
And she said: Yes! I am Kim! How do you know me?
So everything that followed became very easy and I had no problem in getting to know people around. They have several fellowship groups in the church and I'm going to a Women's bible study tomorrow with Kim. They have a fellowship for young adult every tuesday, unfortunately they meet in Germany right now and I'm still waiting to get my schengen visa. I also met a couple from Hong Kong and they invited me to their chinese bible study group every friday. Things are looking good since I haven't wasted any time to get fully involved in church life again! I haven't missed even one single sunday service..
I'm now convinced it is God's will for me to come here and God has prepared my way even before I came. It is beyond my imagination what exactly God's plan is for me in Basel, but I keep my fingers crossed and look forward to each new day to come.
Here is the website of my new church if you are interested in taking a look:
www.baselfellowship.org/
Encountering Paris Hilton
My friend Hattie who came visit me from Germany said she's interested in the Basel Internatioanl Watch and Jewellery Show so we went together on Saturday. The show was held in many locations, with one of the exhibition in the Basel Hilton hotel. As we were wondering around in the exhibition hall in the Hilton hotel, we saw a crowd of media people holding camcorders, cameras and microphone awaiting in front of an elevator. As a Chinese, I usually get excited whenever I see a crowd so I went closer to find out what's going on. The moment we found out that they were only waiting for Paris Hilton, Hattie and I looked at each other, and walked away as quickly as possible.
The day after (today, Sunday) it became a famous local joke what Paris Hilton said at the news press of the show. She said "I really like it here your city of Zurich..." The audience had to boo at her to remind her that the city is Basel rather than Zurich. Well at least she got the country right!
The day after (today, Sunday) it became a famous local joke what Paris Hilton said at the news press of the show. She said "I really like it here your city of Zurich..." The audience had to boo at her to remind her that the city is Basel rather than Zurich. Well at least she got the country right!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Landed in Paradise
Dear friends,
If I walk out from my hotel and walk towards the river, as I do every morning on my way to work, this would be a typical scene in front of my eyes:
The sky is always blue, nearly transparent, and the water is as green as jade. It is as peaceful as heaven, though I can not imagine exactly what heaven is like. :p
I finally arrived in Basel! Weather is so nice here and the city is very pretty. It is my first time to visit Switzerland and I've come to love this small country already. My flight from Tokyo to Basel ended up in Zurich (because Basel airport is shared by France and Switzerland and I happened to fly with Air France, which is located in the French side of the airport) and I took a train to get to Basel. It was the most pleasant train ride I've ever had! I was like Alice in the Wonderland, sometimes I was moving up to a hill, sometimes I was moving down to a valley, with pretty country houses and endless green pastures always in the background. The earth in Switzerland is a vast botanic garden. Just imagine the following photo multiplied by a billion times until the whole earth is covered with it...
I'm still staying in a hotel near my company. In this photo of the city overview, you see the city is divided by the Rhine River. If you can find a bridge in the very right side of the photo, my hotel is located at the bottom side of the river, just right by the river actually. You can also see a white chimney near the bridge, that's where the company campus is, the chimney is for the production plant there. The company campus is huge, my office is located just across the bridge from my hotel, with a nice view of the Rhine.
If I walk out from my hotel and walk towards the river, as I do every morning on my way to work, this would be a typical scene in front of my eyes:
The sky is always blue, nearly transparent, and the water is as green as jade. It is as peaceful as heaven, though I can not imagine exactly what heaven is like. :p
So life here is very different from Tokyo. It is like a silent movie of all the beautiful things rolling very slowly. Sometimes when I walked along the river I felt like dreaming, or dream-walking. It has already become very hard to believe that I used to have a life filled with events in a metropolitan only last week! Tokyo and everyone in it is indeed unforgettable, but now I feel that all my past life is rather a movie I watched, or a book I ever read, that remains in my memory like someone else's experience than my own experience. Nevertheless, I know my experience was real. I know I had been to a wonderful place called Tokyo and had met wonderful people that I'll remembe all my life.
I'd been working under jet lag this week so haven't had many chance to explore the city. People here are very nice and kind. The city is quite international probably because of the two big pharmaceutical companies here, lots of German and French people and of course Swiss as well. I'm thankful that God has again given me such a friendly work environment, all my coworkers are extremely nice. My mentor has started a 6 months training program for me -- even though I'm just a contractor and my contract period is only 6 months..
I'm going to see more of the city during the weekend and I will update more photos. Thank God again that He has prepared my way here, He will never let me be alone. I'm already making friends here and I haven't even been to church yet! A friend is coming from Germany to visit me tomorrow (yes already!) and I'm planning to take her to church on Sunday morning. I haven't decided which church to go though, not many choices of English-speaking international churches here and they are small. But I trust God will give me guidence, as He has never failed to do so.
Missing you all,
YSIC, mindy
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