On Monday I departed for my first business trip in the new position. I am spending the week in Spain. We have more than 2000 employees in Spain with most of the population in Barcelona and Madrid. Purpose of the trip is to review the business and meet people.
I arrived in Barcelona via airplane on Monday morning. If you've never flown into Barcelona I highly recommend it, but be sure to have a window seat on the right side of the plane. It is so pretty coming in for the landing. On the left side is the Medteranian Sea and the right is the port and city of Barcelona. The city is surrounded by mountains that provides a magnificent backdrop leading to the sea. I only spent the day there but learned a lot about the special part of Spain called Catalonia.
After 8 hours of meetings we got on a high speed train and traveled to Madrid. Now I agree, I'm biased for public transportation, but riding on a train at 300 km/hr is pretty impressive. You have such freedom and comfort. Because we were traveling late, we traveled in Premium Class. Not sure if that is the same as First Class, but they treated us well. We were able to have a Spanish wine (Rioja) with dinner and nice single malt scotch afterwards. As you can tell, the meal was nothing to write about.
On Wednesday night I had the chance to do a little sight seeing. I had never been to Madrid so it was my first time to experience the old city. It was fantastic. The temperature is ~65F this time of year and sunny/clear. I went with Jose-Antonio, he works for me and lives here in Madrid. We went to the old town via taxi and walked around for three hours or so. We saw the king's palace, the center of Spain, we went to a market where you chose your food and drink and consume it on the spot and many, many little restaurants that are in little caves. We stopped every now and again for a beer or glass of wine to ensure we stayed hydrated. In Spain they serve the beer ice cold in 5 or 6 ounce glasses. Because the summer's are so hot the beer gets warm very quickly. Thats the theory, but mine never got warm.
We ended the night with a dinner outside in a large courtyard. In Spain the restaurants don't open until 8:30 PM. It was dark, yet still warm. We had the famous Spanish ham that comes from southern Spain, were the pigs are black and eat acorns, very lean (for the most part). The food was good, environment was pleasant and company was enjoyable.
If you ever get a chance to visit Spain I highly recommend a stop in Madrid. The Spanish people are great host!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Meeting People
As I mentioned in the previous posting, on Friday night I went to the Frog XVI to celebrate my small triumph over the Internet/phone connection. For a number of reasons this is a nice place to go. The wait staff are predominately English and very friendly, they have a happy hour Monday - Friday featuring microbrewed beer and free Internet access with my iPad.
While sitting at the bar waiting for my bowl of chili, the couple next to me started to ask questions about the iPad. They had an accent I have heard before, they are from South Africa. My last two bosses in the U.S. were South African. We talked for ~45 minutes. They were a couple about my age. He was on a business trip and she was accompanying him. They spent 3 days in Barcelona, Spain and had just arrived in Paris for an extended weekend. Knowing we plan to do the same it was interesting to hear how it was going for them.
Saturday was market day. I was excited to go back to Marche de Passy and buy my weekend supplies. I went to the produce stand to say hello with the man I met last week. Unfortunately he was busy, but a younger guy (18-20) worked with me. The produce guy did come over a say hello and to ensure the other guy was taking care of me. There may be some that have better prices, but I like the people.
After the produce I walked over to the fromagerie (sp?), the cheese maker. Now my true quest begins! I truly enjoy cheese and I have made it personal goal to become a connesuier of the cheeses I will get to try in France, Spain, Italy and the other countries I'll have the good fortune to visit. I explained to the lady that was new to France and about my quest. She seemed very happy to assist me in my initiation into the French cheeses. She asked if I preferred hard or soft, mild or strong, cow, goat or lamb. My reply -- bring it on, I like all kinds and textures. She proceeded to instruct the apprentice to get 3 different kinds - a hard, a strong soft and a goat cheese. With each cut, he provided me a small sample, told me the name, wrapped it and wrote the name and age of the cheese on the paper. I thanked them both and vowed to visit next Saturday to try 3 more.
I have been in Paris for 3+ weeks now. I haven't met the rude inconsiderate French person that is normally portrayed on TV or movies. In fact it is quite the opposite for me. From the waiter at Le Passy who brings me my favorite wine, to the Priest at church who shakes my hand after mass, to the hotel staff at the B&B and Regina, to the produce guy or the cheese lady - all have been nice people, tolerant of my American ways and very poor French.
By the way, I had the cheese for dinner that night with a bottle of Burgundy wine and a baguette. The cheese was fantastic!
While sitting at the bar waiting for my bowl of chili, the couple next to me started to ask questions about the iPad. They had an accent I have heard before, they are from South Africa. My last two bosses in the U.S. were South African. We talked for ~45 minutes. They were a couple about my age. He was on a business trip and she was accompanying him. They spent 3 days in Barcelona, Spain and had just arrived in Paris for an extended weekend. Knowing we plan to do the same it was interesting to hear how it was going for them.
Saturday was market day. I was excited to go back to Marche de Passy and buy my weekend supplies. I went to the produce stand to say hello with the man I met last week. Unfortunately he was busy, but a younger guy (18-20) worked with me. The produce guy did come over a say hello and to ensure the other guy was taking care of me. There may be some that have better prices, but I like the people.
After the produce I walked over to the fromagerie (sp?), the cheese maker. Now my true quest begins! I truly enjoy cheese and I have made it personal goal to become a connesuier of the cheeses I will get to try in France, Spain, Italy and the other countries I'll have the good fortune to visit. I explained to the lady that was new to France and about my quest. She seemed very happy to assist me in my initiation into the French cheeses. She asked if I preferred hard or soft, mild or strong, cow, goat or lamb. My reply -- bring it on, I like all kinds and textures. She proceeded to instruct the apprentice to get 3 different kinds - a hard, a strong soft and a goat cheese. With each cut, he provided me a small sample, told me the name, wrapped it and wrote the name and age of the cheese on the paper. I thanked them both and vowed to visit next Saturday to try 3 more.
I have been in Paris for 3+ weeks now. I haven't met the rude inconsiderate French person that is normally portrayed on TV or movies. In fact it is quite the opposite for me. From the waiter at Le Passy who brings me my favorite wine, to the Priest at church who shakes my hand after mass, to the hotel staff at the B&B and Regina, to the produce guy or the cheese lady - all have been nice people, tolerant of my American ways and very poor French.
By the way, I had the cheese for dinner that night with a bottle of Burgundy wine and a baguette. The cheese was fantastic!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Internet -- Stikes -- Smoking
It's been awhile since I've had the opportunity to connect to the internet to blog about my thoughts and observations. This post will be in 3 parts so you can skip a section if you're not interested.
Internet
As part of the relocation company's service, some one from their office is assigned to assist me with the process. Unfortunately they do not come and setup the equipment for you.
Last Saturday I walked to the Orange store to pick up my equipment. I then had to wait for Orange (the provider, similar to RoadRunner) to establish the electronic connection. This typically takes 7 to 10 business days and a service technician (ala Geek Squad) is scheduled to assist in the process. When they connect you, they send a text to let you know you're good to go. In my case the text is sent to Sophie, the internet coordinator at the relocation agency. On Tuesday I get a note from her that my system should be activated. Of course I can't wait to come home and start the connection. In the U.S. it is usually a simple process of connecting a few obvious cables, plugging in your PC and accessing the website. Here, it is much more elaborate. I was scheduled for a service guy on Friday, but being the patient person I am, I started to do it on my own. First issue, everything is in French. Second, I don't follow directions very well. Third, my laptop doesn't have a CD drive so I can't load the software. I kid you not... for 3 straight nights I came home from work, messed with the connections, software, etc from 7PM to midnight. I went to Le Passy where there is free internet to read all sorts of "how to" on the internet (again, all in French). It was so frustrating. After awhile I found myself praying for help to figure it out. On Wednesday, I got access to the TV (yeah!). On Thursday, I was able to see the wireless router on my laptop but I couldn't access it (dang!). Finally on Friday I took the CD to work to put the contents on a thumbdrive. Of course my laptop at work had a problem with the CD drive. Fortunately our IT department was able to get it working and I put the CD contents on the thumbdrive. Friday night... I'm so excited to get home because I'm sure I have it figured out. There is no doubt that God had pity on me and finally granted me access to this incredible thing called the internet! Everyone should now jump up and high five anyone near year, because that is what I wanted to do.
Once I was connected, I went to the Frog XVI (it was happy hour with 5 Euro pints of microbrewed beer) for 2 pints of beer and a bowl of chili. I quickly came home, called Jill and we proceeded to Skype. I think it was the first time we saw each other for 2 weeks +. What a glorious moment. All the frustration and sleep deprived nights were worth it.
Strikes
Now I'm sure everyone has heard of the infamous strikes that have occurred in France the past few weeks. The French government has submitted a bill to increase the retirement age among government workers. It wasn't a big increase, but definitely a social change that split the nation. I understand from Jill and the kids that the news has numerous articles and commentaries on the local union strike actions. I have repeatedly said, other then the metro strikes that put more people on fewer trains, I have not seen any signs of the social unrest.
That is until Friday morning at work. We were sitting in our offices when we heard someone on a bull horn and a banging drum outside. Being on the 5th floor we all went to the window. Looking down we saw a small parade, maybe 75-100 people with one small truck with a banner on it. In the front was the bull horn and the drummer. People followed as they walked around our 3 buildings. No one was harmed or felt threatened, no property was damaged and it was over in 15 minutes.
My feeling on it all... the U.S. news likes to sensationalize these things (as do most countries looking at other countries problems) AND the rioting will be worse in Philadelphia if the Phillies win the World Series.
Smoking
No, I'm not a smoker and I've never smoked anything legal in my life. However, I can't help but notice how many French people smoke. Similar to the U.S. there is no smoking in public places. But if you sit outside at a cafe, people can smoke (and they do). Over the past 3 weeks I've conducted a non-scientific study and I've come to the conclusion that ~75% of the women and ~50% of the men smoke here. I've seen people who can hardly wait to come out of the metro station before they light up. What is more alarming is the number of young girls (16-25) who smoke. I'm sure France's social medical system will face a large expense in the near future if they don't do something more drastic.
It reminds me of the early 70's (and probably well before that) when the U.S. was a heavy smoking population. In the late 70's there was a great amount of energy put into education of young people about the hazards of smoking. Finally in the late 80's and early 90's laws and heavy taxes were put into place to truly effect the habit. My prediction... this could be the next wave of decisions that cause social unreast / strikes in France.
Internet
As part of the relocation company's service, some one from their office is assigned to assist me with the process. Unfortunately they do not come and setup the equipment for you.
Last Saturday I walked to the Orange store to pick up my equipment. I then had to wait for Orange (the provider, similar to RoadRunner) to establish the electronic connection. This typically takes 7 to 10 business days and a service technician (ala Geek Squad) is scheduled to assist in the process. When they connect you, they send a text to let you know you're good to go. In my case the text is sent to Sophie, the internet coordinator at the relocation agency. On Tuesday I get a note from her that my system should be activated. Of course I can't wait to come home and start the connection. In the U.S. it is usually a simple process of connecting a few obvious cables, plugging in your PC and accessing the website. Here, it is much more elaborate. I was scheduled for a service guy on Friday, but being the patient person I am, I started to do it on my own. First issue, everything is in French. Second, I don't follow directions very well. Third, my laptop doesn't have a CD drive so I can't load the software. I kid you not... for 3 straight nights I came home from work, messed with the connections, software, etc from 7PM to midnight. I went to Le Passy where there is free internet to read all sorts of "how to" on the internet (again, all in French). It was so frustrating. After awhile I found myself praying for help to figure it out. On Wednesday, I got access to the TV (yeah!). On Thursday, I was able to see the wireless router on my laptop but I couldn't access it (dang!). Finally on Friday I took the CD to work to put the contents on a thumbdrive. Of course my laptop at work had a problem with the CD drive. Fortunately our IT department was able to get it working and I put the CD contents on the thumbdrive. Friday night... I'm so excited to get home because I'm sure I have it figured out. There is no doubt that God had pity on me and finally granted me access to this incredible thing called the internet! Everyone should now jump up and high five anyone near year, because that is what I wanted to do.
Once I was connected, I went to the Frog XVI (it was happy hour with 5 Euro pints of microbrewed beer) for 2 pints of beer and a bowl of chili. I quickly came home, called Jill and we proceeded to Skype. I think it was the first time we saw each other for 2 weeks +. What a glorious moment. All the frustration and sleep deprived nights were worth it.
Strikes
Now I'm sure everyone has heard of the infamous strikes that have occurred in France the past few weeks. The French government has submitted a bill to increase the retirement age among government workers. It wasn't a big increase, but definitely a social change that split the nation. I understand from Jill and the kids that the news has numerous articles and commentaries on the local union strike actions. I have repeatedly said, other then the metro strikes that put more people on fewer trains, I have not seen any signs of the social unrest.
That is until Friday morning at work. We were sitting in our offices when we heard someone on a bull horn and a banging drum outside. Being on the 5th floor we all went to the window. Looking down we saw a small parade, maybe 75-100 people with one small truck with a banner on it. In the front was the bull horn and the drummer. People followed as they walked around our 3 buildings. No one was harmed or felt threatened, no property was damaged and it was over in 15 minutes.
My feeling on it all... the U.S. news likes to sensationalize these things (as do most countries looking at other countries problems) AND the rioting will be worse in Philadelphia if the Phillies win the World Series.
Smoking
No, I'm not a smoker and I've never smoked anything legal in my life. However, I can't help but notice how many French people smoke. Similar to the U.S. there is no smoking in public places. But if you sit outside at a cafe, people can smoke (and they do). Over the past 3 weeks I've conducted a non-scientific study and I've come to the conclusion that ~75% of the women and ~50% of the men smoke here. I've seen people who can hardly wait to come out of the metro station before they light up. What is more alarming is the number of young girls (16-25) who smoke. I'm sure France's social medical system will face a large expense in the near future if they don't do something more drastic.
It reminds me of the early 70's (and probably well before that) when the U.S. was a heavy smoking population. In the late 70's there was a great amount of energy put into education of young people about the hazards of smoking. Finally in the late 80's and early 90's laws and heavy taxes were put into place to truly effect the habit. My prediction... this could be the next wave of decisions that cause social unreast / strikes in France.
Monday, October 18, 2010
A Different Way of Life
I just wanted to create an intriguing title... Seriously, when you move to another country you do it expecting some things to be different, not just language, food and currency. I have traveled internationally for the past 15 years. I always thought I had an appreciation for the host country. Now after being here for almost three full weeks I realize I am only scratching the surface of understanding. I don't think this is unique to France or Paris. When you start doing things the locals do, your eyes get opened. Riding the metro to and from work, buying a fresh baguette every other day, going to church, shopping, sitting in a cafe using the iPad - you name it, it's a different experience from the U.S. You start to see the same faces, you greet people when you meet them, they know what you're interested in.
It has been a great experience so far. It can only get better when Jill joins me. I really miss her company. We talk two times a day, but it isn't the talking that I miss. It's just sitting there reading the paper with a cup of coffee, watching a show on television, having a glass of wine, thinking about what's for dinner and most important, that kiss goodnight. Hopefully it won't be too long. My fist trip back to the U.S. is 30 days away.
It has been a great experience so far. It can only get better when Jill joins me. I really miss her company. We talk two times a day, but it isn't the talking that I miss. It's just sitting there reading the paper with a cup of coffee, watching a show on television, having a glass of wine, thinking about what's for dinner and most important, that kiss goodnight. Hopefully it won't be too long. My fist trip back to the U.S. is 30 days away.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday in Paris
My first Saturday in the new hood. A very busy day, full of good learnings.
The day stared with a trip to Passy Plaza and Marche de Passy. At Passy Plaza I found a wonderful supermarket, like Tops or Wegmans. It has everything you may want. I needed some basic cleaning stuff (Jill already warned me the apartment better be clean when she gets here). The best thing I bought was a shopping bag.
Next stop was Marche de Passy. This is the place I described last weekend. I went in, a bit intimidated as my French is very basic and I lack confidence to use it. Nonetheless I approached the veggie/fruit stand. I quickly made friends with one of the workers. He was given to me once I told them my French was so-so. His co-workers said he needed to practice his English. So we both shared a language lesson. 10 Euro worth of fresh veggies and fruits. We agreed we would try it again next week. My other purchases were less exciting, but I got some good stuff. Can't wait until next Saturday.
Next I had to walk to Champs Elyssee to the Orange store. I had to pick up my cable box and wireless Internet box. Of course it can't be connected today. They say it takes 10 days from the time you sign the contract. Hard to believe you can't flip a switch and the thing works. Oh well, I'll wait the ten days. I knew from the beginning this was a test of my patience.
On the way home I found a very cool pub. It's called "Frog XVI". It is on avenue de Kleber, not too far off the Trocadero circle. It has microbrews and free Internet access. Hence my multiple postings. They serve a full pint (56 cl) for 7 Euro. Better yet, Monday to Friday they have happy hour until 8 PM - 5 Euro pints! What more could you ask for. Oh yea, it is staffed with English people and the food is good. It is about 10 minutes from the apartment. This could become a favorite hangout.
At the end of the day I decided to get my first French haircut. Of course the lady didn't speak English. My French was better then her English. So after the initial awkward beginning, she washes my hair and starts cutting. I think this is the first time I have had someone wash my hair since Mom used to do it when I was 4 or 5. It cost me 24 Euro cash, no debit cards. Of course I only had 20, so i had to run to the bank for cash. The washing was nice, but the purple colored mohawk haircut will take some time to get used to. I really have to learn better French.
The day ended with a nice dinner at the apartment and a call with Herb. I really look forward to when friends and family are able to visit. The apartment is very nice, but I think it'll be better when more people are here.
Oh yea, I was kidding about the purple hair and mohawk.
The day stared with a trip to Passy Plaza and Marche de Passy. At Passy Plaza I found a wonderful supermarket, like Tops or Wegmans. It has everything you may want. I needed some basic cleaning stuff (Jill already warned me the apartment better be clean when she gets here). The best thing I bought was a shopping bag.
Next stop was Marche de Passy. This is the place I described last weekend. I went in, a bit intimidated as my French is very basic and I lack confidence to use it. Nonetheless I approached the veggie/fruit stand. I quickly made friends with one of the workers. He was given to me once I told them my French was so-so. His co-workers said he needed to practice his English. So we both shared a language lesson. 10 Euro worth of fresh veggies and fruits. We agreed we would try it again next week. My other purchases were less exciting, but I got some good stuff. Can't wait until next Saturday.
Next I had to walk to Champs Elyssee to the Orange store. I had to pick up my cable box and wireless Internet box. Of course it can't be connected today. They say it takes 10 days from the time you sign the contract. Hard to believe you can't flip a switch and the thing works. Oh well, I'll wait the ten days. I knew from the beginning this was a test of my patience.
On the way home I found a very cool pub. It's called "Frog XVI". It is on avenue de Kleber, not too far off the Trocadero circle. It has microbrews and free Internet access. Hence my multiple postings. They serve a full pint (56 cl) for 7 Euro. Better yet, Monday to Friday they have happy hour until 8 PM - 5 Euro pints! What more could you ask for. Oh yea, it is staffed with English people and the food is good. It is about 10 minutes from the apartment. This could become a favorite hangout.
At the end of the day I decided to get my first French haircut. Of course the lady didn't speak English. My French was better then her English. So after the initial awkward beginning, she washes my hair and starts cutting. I think this is the first time I have had someone wash my hair since Mom used to do it when I was 4 or 5. It cost me 24 Euro cash, no debit cards. Of course I only had 20, so i had to run to the bank for cash. The washing was nice, but the purple colored mohawk haircut will take some time to get used to. I really have to learn better French.
The day ended with a nice dinner at the apartment and a call with Herb. I really look forward to when friends and family are able to visit. The apartment is very nice, but I think it'll be better when more people are here.
Oh yea, I was kidding about the purple hair and mohawk.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Move In Day
Monday was move in day to the apartment. What an interesting experience that was. Our appointment was scheduled for 2:30 PM. My relocation consultant shows up on time but, In typical French fashion the agent was about 20 minutes late. I've come to realized it isn't because they really want to be late, but parking in Paris sucks!
We get to the building and the agent punches in the code. No sooner are we in the building the concierge comes out of her office wanting to know what we were doing. All in French the two ladies I'm with explain that I'm the new tenant. We introduce ourselves to Fatima, the keeper of the property - the concierge. Now Jill had read about the importance of the concierge so I wanted to be very nice to her. Fatima is probably mid to late 40's, about 4 feet 2 inches and probably half as wide. She is not fat in the traditional sense, but she is solid.
We came into the apartment and the relo consultant, Fabienne, and the agent keep telling me things to remember. When we come in the electric, gas and water don't work. The three of us start turning nobs, pushing buttons and flipping breakers. Finally we realize how clueless we are and call the person who knows the apartment. He shows up in 15 minutes and within 5 minutes we are up and running. Then the two ladies start an inspection of the apartment that was very intense. Every scratch, dent, nail hole or paint scrape was documented. After 1 hour of this, they then inventory every piece of furniture and fixture in the apartment. I just sat in the formal living room and relaxed. So at 6 PM I had the keys and passcodes, the apartment was ours!
It took me 3 trips to and from the hotel to move all my stuff. I stopped at a small market and picked up something for dinner and settled in for my first night in my home away from home.
We get to the building and the agent punches in the code. No sooner are we in the building the concierge comes out of her office wanting to know what we were doing. All in French the two ladies I'm with explain that I'm the new tenant. We introduce ourselves to Fatima, the keeper of the property - the concierge. Now Jill had read about the importance of the concierge so I wanted to be very nice to her. Fatima is probably mid to late 40's, about 4 feet 2 inches and probably half as wide. She is not fat in the traditional sense, but she is solid.
We came into the apartment and the relo consultant, Fabienne, and the agent keep telling me things to remember. When we come in the electric, gas and water don't work. The three of us start turning nobs, pushing buttons and flipping breakers. Finally we realize how clueless we are and call the person who knows the apartment. He shows up in 15 minutes and within 5 minutes we are up and running. Then the two ladies start an inspection of the apartment that was very intense. Every scratch, dent, nail hole or paint scrape was documented. After 1 hour of this, they then inventory every piece of furniture and fixture in the apartment. I just sat in the formal living room and relaxed. So at 6 PM I had the keys and passcodes, the apartment was ours!
It took me 3 trips to and from the hotel to move all my stuff. I stopped at a small market and picked up something for dinner and settled in for my first night in my home away from home.
My First Metro Strike
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week I had the pleasure of experiencing a transportation strike. The French are notorious for protesting against various social changes. This one is actually very sensitive to the country. The French govern,net is trying to increase the age that people can retire and get a full pension from the system. It is an attempt to balance the finances of their system.
The strike itself was relatively quite. Every other metro train was cancelled so you had a lot of riders. I have never seen so many people jammed into a metro car in my life. For the first time in a long time I was happy that I'm as big as I am because people can't easily push against me to gain more space to put more people. I saw some small framed people get jammed into the tightest little laces. We couldn't even lift our arms it was so tight. Nonetheless I made to and from work on time and with very little aggravation. I have observed the ridership the past two weeks and I think I have a good system to ensure easy on / off and maintain some sanity during the crowded moments. Stay near the doors, in the corners and open the windows be open.
To really appreciate Paris you have ride the metro. I have no problem with this, but I can't wait to have my car. Coming in the next. Few weeks...
The strike itself was relatively quite. Every other metro train was cancelled so you had a lot of riders. I have never seen so many people jammed into a metro car in my life. For the first time in a long time I was happy that I'm as big as I am because people can't easily push against me to gain more space to put more people. I saw some small framed people get jammed into the tightest little laces. We couldn't even lift our arms it was so tight. Nonetheless I made to and from work on time and with very little aggravation. I have observed the ridership the past two weeks and I think I have a good system to ensure easy on / off and maintain some sanity during the crowded moments. Stay near the doors, in the corners and open the windows be open.
To really appreciate Paris you have ride the metro. I have no problem with this, but I can't wait to have my car. Coming in the next. Few weeks...
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