What a weekend

One Friday night my dear friend Sascha came to Oslo to visit me. As she finally arrived at 2am (I couldn’t barely keep my eyes open) we happily clinked glasses, because of my passed exams from last semester and had thrilling girl talks. It took her about an hour from airport Gardermoen to Storgata by car (usually it takes 40min). Without problems she managed to arrive in Oslo, but within the city the problems arose. That’s why she started to ask people and came to good old Spanish Nelson, who coincidentally also lives in the same house like me.

Nevertheless…For the next day we had big plans, going dog sledging in Norway.
After about 3 hours sleep we had to get up, we had a strict agenda for that day. We had the appointment with the dog sledging lady at 11am and that’s why we had to wake up at 6. The ride took 3 hours, but they were totally worth it. We enjoyed it driving through a foreign country, laughed about old stories and had breakfast during our trip consisting of an uncut loaf of bread, 1kg bucket of strawberry jam and cheese. It was just amusing watching Sascha, cutting the bread with a crappy Ikea bread knife.

Having arrived in Varland, where we’re picked up from a snowmobile, we had some time left and decided to explore the region. It seemed as a park and ride place, where lots of vehicles were standing and not a soul to be seen. On our way to this place we wondered if there is still enough snow to have a pleasant and exciting dog sledge, because in Oslo everything began to melt already, but yeah believe me, there was more than enough. We stood until our knees covered in snow. Both equipped with moon boots and Sascha additionally wore plastic bags around her feet, because her mom told her that they might be leaky. Funny story. She got only 1 plastic bag and forgot the other one. But thank god we had the plastic bag from the 1kg -bucket- strawberry jam. So she took that, to cover her foot in a plastic bag with jam leftovers.

Dog sledging is so much fun. Each of us had her own sleigh with four dogs in front of it. For one day we were in winter wonderland, surrounded by snow-covered mountains, frozen lakes and waterfalls, lonesome wooden huts and the silence of the nature.

The standard equipment for each person who lives on the island is a boat for the summer and a ski scooter in the winter.

Silvia our guide for the day is from Cologne and moved to Norway 2 years ago. Now she lives with her husband and kid on an island with another family. Every time when they wanna go to the city they have to cross the lake, another island and a lake again then they finally reach the mainland with roads. It takes almost 2 hours to get to the next supermarket, just to give you an impression of the distances here. Of course they also have the possibility to take the 4-wheel-drive and ride through the forests, but on the land where they are living, there do not exist roads and then it takes even longer to reach the civilization.

We enjoyed this day with the dogs very much. We listened to exciting stories of a “husky” racer, had home made lunch and a marvellous day in the nature.

So when you decide to come to Norway, don’t miss dog sledging!

Norway in a nutshell

Quick review of last weekend:

We’ve spent our birthday weekend in the picturesque UNESCO heritage city Bergen and enjoyed it a lot. After the “Norway in a Nutshell-Tour” we finally reached our final destination for that day, subsequently having passed Myrdal, Gudvangen, Voss. It was an almost 7 hour ride by train, ferry and bus where we had wonderful views of mountains, frozen waterfalls, coloured fishermen houses and just experienced the silence of the nature by having stops at certain places.

I suggest to do the tour once again in the summer time, when Norway turns out to be a green paradise and the waterfalls are just running.

Having arrived at Bergen main station, we got to Hotel Grand Terminus where I booked us a double room 2 days before. I got a very good rate and to our surprise we were situated in a historic building that seemed unimpressive from the outer fassade.

The tour is recommended to everyone who travels to Norway and has only a limited time frame. It represents one of the most impressive tracks of Scandinavia and could also be extended and individually organized when you’re not on time pressure. It is good to have a change in transport means, therefore the 7 hours ride seems not that hard and long to overcome.

Bergen is just wonderful, I love the city which is surrounded by 7 montains and fjords. Definitely a city of character!

Must see: take the Floienbanen up the mountain and enjoy the beautiful view of Bergen, the Fish market from Mondays-Saturdays, where you have a huge variety of fresh fish for direct consumption, the harbour promenade at Bryggen and try the small, but cosy cafe Pingvinen where you can order deli fresh food of the day.

news from Oslo

Today’s news from work:
Now I also managed the second week at Scandinavian Image.
I am looking forward to seeing Jay today, as he will arrive at around 23pm.

And I got my own computer today and also my own email adress and stuff…pretty cool, he.

Today we visited the Grand Hotel for a sight inspection and of course we also saw the Nobel Suite, where our good old US president Barack Obama stayed, uhhhhh ya I know !!!!
All nobel prizes will be assigned in Stckholm, Sweden except the Nobel Peace Prize that is assigned in OSLO at Grand Hotel. Mr. President didn’t sleep there due to unsufficient security reasons, but he was in THE room, as well as Nelson Mandela and other renowned personalities.
The room Itself was very old room, you could smell it and not that modern anymore, but the hotel doesn’t want to refurbish it, because it is characterized with all this historic moments and memories.

Furthermore I’ve sent out my third own offer, which was actually a big one, to clients; and got already my fourth request =)

Ahh and by the way I received my company assignment from my supervisor. I should research the Dutch market to extend the market share, therefore it is important to know everything about their booking behaviour, favorite destinations, expenses, length of stay and so on and so on…
That’s gonna be my after-work duty when I don’t have my beloved guests around me.
But I am looking forward doing it (that’s how I think about it NOW!) .

Further plans for the following two weeks: sightseeing Oslo, tobagganing in Holmenkollen, weekend trip to Bergen, and weekend trip to Lillehammer for the ice hotel and bobsledging.

daily activities and perceptions

You cannot imagine how many Filipinos are around here in Oslo. Seems almost like Vienna here…
I was already twice at Ikea by taking the Ikea shuttle bus and on every ride (so in total four times) I saw or heard Filipinos. Atypic for such a “cold” country I thought, but good to have the warm and cozy malls where they can scrimmage.

Just today my supervisor and me went on a personal tour at certain venues for meetings and conferences, which were historical buildings from the 16th century. Very impressive and the prime minister of Norway also lived there.
The sales manager who gave us the tour, guess what…was Filipina. Born in the Philippines and came with one year to Norway when she was adopted by Norwegians. Very nice and like me regarding speaking Tagalog – beeing worse than useless =) Anyways we got excellent lunch at their café and of course dessert for me – chocolate cake! The first I had, since I am here. Everything was home made and even the kind of apple juice was awesome. I was so impressed that the Filipina said I can have the rest in the bottle. Now I am the proud host of an empty apple juice bottle, because I already drank it when we got back to the office. I have to find out in which supermarket I can get it, it’s from RINGI by the way.

Futhermore I’ve send my first own offer to clients in France, yay. Hope they respond positively, soon.

After work I treated myself and bought two pairs of pants, pretty cool and stylish I have to say. One of the pairs was even a good snap =) Both Swedish brands =) It’s my one and only treat!

Very soon you also get some pictures to see. Unfortunately I left my USB cable at home, but I’ll get it soon and then I will upload super photos.

how filipino are you?

Funny story this morning.

I went to 7/11 to get my monthly transportation pass and the guy behind the counter asked me from where I am. Because of my outer appearance obviously and I answered from the Philippines. Then he said something like Cebuano or Tagalog? My answer “tagalog” with a questionable intonation didn’t seem very quick and I had to decide at that moment and just had to choose one or the other, 50/50.

Because everytime I am asked that question I am thinking way too long or asking myself what should I answer…?! Maybe from Germany, the Netherlands or the Philippines?! Long story…

Nevertheless my answer took too long for him and that’s why he asked in a doubtful, but funny way “how filipino are you really?”.

And then it was my turn to reveal all stuff that I am born and raise in Germany and blablablabla..

wtf.

Welcome to Oslo, Norway

Hey my friends,

I am back..this time from Oslo.

At the moment I am absolving my fourth semester in this lovely country. This semester is about gaining practical experiences, thats why I am doing my placement here at Scandinavian Image, an incoming tour operator.
I arrived last week at Friday night with two friends of mine. Thank god they accompanied me, otherwise I would still pulling my luggages from Oslo S to Storgata 59, which is about 10 minutes walk. But when you allow for all the snow bulks on the streets and sidewalkes it takes a while. And guess what the ticket for the airport express costs us converted 20 euros for a 19 minutes ride. We were in a hurry to get the last train to Oslo S and thats why we just pushed on the buttons of this stupid automat. Insane, he…almost an euro for a minute..

Since these are representing my first week at Scandinavian Image I am already very impressed about the work. My daily working hours are Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.

On my first day at work I was warmly welcomed by my supervisor and the team. I was already introduced to all the other departments in this office, such as Terra Nova Norway, Haman and so on. Ah and by the way..my supervisor looks like Fergie from Black Eyed Peas =)

Afterwards I got a presentation from my colleague about the general position of Scandinavian Image in the entire Terra Nova Scandinavia AS group, about daily activities of the departments and variety of offers they sell to their clients.

The rest of the day I sat beside my colleagues to get an better insight of what they are doing practically. Which includes getting in touch with the systems, how to make offers, completing a booking, calculations, how to write contracts/agreements and getting an insight into current requests

I like the atmosphere of the office very much. Employees are addressing their supervisors by their first names and in general the ambience is very informal. Every week two people of the office are responsible for the kitchen (duties are rotating), which means that they buy everything is needed for lunch and prepare it in the kitchen. Then at lunchtime the entire office sits together and has lunch at one big table. Another positive experience is that every 2nd Monday you can put your name on a list and then get a massage from a professional.

My colleagues are very nice and helpful when I got questions.

Already on my 2nd day at work, I worked on a request to help my supervisor with her work including supplier contact by phone and email. Additionally I did some data maintenance, by adding clients from Italy into the data base. A very standardized task, but as a starting trainee I had to do it.. That’s why I already finished it by Thursday and my colleagues were pretty much impressed, that I was that fast. From my perspective I only wanted to get rid of this shit.

From day 3 on I luckily got my first own group booking,yay =)

During working time my colleagues take me to particular restaurants, sights and hotels for about an hour, so I get a better insight of items we are going to sell most to our clients. To gain a better knowledge about it, by getting a guided tour of the responsible sales manager of the hotel for example.

I easily get along with my colleagues and it makes fun to work with them.
More difficult it is to get in contact with students who are also living in the student house. Thank Ariana, agirl I met at the hall, I found out that Norwegians do like to be by themselves and are not that open to others. Knowing this helps me not to understand it as rude, rather as a mentality of the country. That’s why nobody was reacting to my “Hi’s” , strange folks…

Ah and I already got my tickets to Copenhagen, of course everything paid by the company. By the end of March we’re attending for a weekend a big kiff-off from haman group. I am already curious about Denmark and its activities we are going to do.

One last advise. When you get the possibility to travel, you should come here and experience that country. It is just awesome what you can do here. From tobagganing in Holmenkollen to dog sledging in Lillehammer.

For winter and ski experienced buddies the perfect thing.

Regards from Oslo,

xoxo NiC

Feasting @night

What if you’re starving and want to go out for eating something delicious such as Thai cuisine, Sushi, Steak or even cheesecake?! And not those effing fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, Döner and so on.
That question popped up to our mind when were hungry and sitting at home (Duisburg) the other Sunday night (10pm).

In other countries (USA, Canada, Brasil, Netherlands, Philippines…) this situation wouldn’t have turn into a real problem.
But in Germany it does, on working days AND on weekends!!
We called up diverse restaurants in contiguity and everyone told us that their kitchen is closed at 10pm – and just that you know it’s not that we are from the countryside.

Too bad that we don’t have the possibility to eat cheesecake at the best cheesecake place ever…but that’s another story…

Likes Flash mobs!

A Flash mob is short and seems to be a spontaneous crowd of people on public places. Normally participants do not know each other personally. These Flash mobs were organized through online communities, webblogs, news groups and E-mail chain letters. Those are mostly special actions of virtual or online-communities who utilize communication media such as mobile phones or Internet to organize collective actions including a deep meaning.

I recently watched the Jacko – Flash mob in Stockholm on YouTube and found it is really fun to see it. As all participants are doing the same moves to the old “Beat it” – song on this huge square in the middle of people who are unaware and at the same time baffled.

Just fantabulous!!!

This tribute to Michael conveys a meaning and shows that people loving the unforgettable songs of the “King of Pop”.

Watching it was great and can affect somebody emotional due to the power of the entire crowd.

Love it!!

G1 vs Apple

Since Tuesday I am a proud owner of the G1 in white. Of course it is not the latest HTC with google, as it is the Magic, but I was looking for a new awesome cell (with mobile Internet) that is equipped with a keyboard. The G1 has a combination of a keyboard, touch screen and additionally is fitted with a joystick where you are able to scroll to the applications more quickly.
I always wanted to have a cell that you can slide open =)

From my previous experience of the iPod Touch I know that the handling is convenient and the processes are more smoothly. Writing on the touch screen with hitting the letters exactly is advantageous to somebody who has not stubby fingers. I get along with it, but when I was chatting, I wished I had a keyboard that enables you to type faster.

Thus buying the new iPhone was beyond debate for me and saved me a lot of money at the same time. Naturally you also have to pay for design and brand, but for me it was not worth it to invest in such a trinket.

In comparison with G1 processes and applications are at least just the same as the one’s from the iPod Touch or even more.

I am highly satisfied with my G1 and keep looking for more useful apps =)

What are your experiences with your G1 or iPhone? Can you recommend useful apps for the G1?

Carl Duisberg Centren, customer service of high quality

Last year I went to Vancouver, Canada to be part of this particular programme (combination: language school + internship).
I found it too risky to organize everything on my own in a foreign country, so I decided to let an organization prepare everything for me. I made some price comparisons via Internet and choose Carl Duisberg Centren.
Of course I had to pay an additional fee, but it was totally worth it.

They organized everything before my departure, such as transfer from the airport, accommodation and school. Although I had no personal contact besides the phone, I was satisfied that everything worked out very well at the end. They kept me well informed by Emails and thereby were extraordinary friendly and helpful.

That showed me that they really care about their customers and that they want to provide an unforgettable service of good quality so that the client is satisfied and happy at the end.

Even after six month when I came back from Canada, they contacted me and asked for my impressions and wellbeing. Furthermore I had the opportunity to immortalize experiences and impressions in their yearly brochure, which I did =)

Excellent customer experience – check!