Back in June, I interviewed a couple of times with a small trading house in Zug. I liked everything about the company - the people, the office, the environment, their philosophy, the casual dress-code and the role itself! To add the icing on the cake, one of the women there was actually allowed to bring her sheep dog to work, so it meant that I could play with the "company-dog" everyday!
I was subsequently offered the position and given a contract. Unfortunately, the timing was simply awful as the offer came just a couple of days after Azrael was made redundant. We were just beginning to think about plans for our break and I really was not ready to go back to work at that stage.
Being practical, I weighed the pros and cons. The terms of the contract were not bad, but I was really hoping for more, especially given the daily commute to Zug. I then decided that I would be happy to accept the position, as long as they could offer me an additional CHF 20K base salary.
I then set up a meeting with them and tried to negotiate the terms. Unfortunately, they just would not budge. I later wrote them a final email to explain that I could not accept the role on their proposed salary, and to ask them to reconsider. Alas, it turned out that there was no way they could offer me any more as that would put my earnings above that of my immediate boss. After some heavy consideration, I decided that I should not just "settle", and that I should strive for exactly what I want, and what I think I am worth. We then parted ways on a nice note, agreeing that they would keep my details on file and that they would keep me in mind should a more suitable role turn up.
Two weeks ago, I started my job hunt in earnest. As we will be going for a 5.5 week holiday in 3 weeks, I decided that it would be ideal if I could have a job in the bag now, all ready to start when we get back in October. This would also keep my unemployment counsellor happy, and leave me free for the holiday.
The job hunt is going quite well. I had quite a positive interview today and a couple of meetings with headhunters next week.
I could not believe my luck when I received an email from the company in Zug yesterday evening, asking if I would be interested in a new role which they are creating within their team. The role sounds really good and should be pretty challenging. They have already seen me 3-4 times, so they should already know me by now, and they should know if I would be suitable for the role. Most importantly, they know exactly how much $$$ I am after, so perhaps they are now more prepared to fork out. How exciting!!!
I will meet with them next week to find out more about the role, and we will see how it goes. I may not get the job after all, but I just feel so happy and satisfied with myself that I did not just settle! Perhaps that is also a trait which they found to be positive?
Will keep you posted.
Friday, 21 August 2009
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Burning in Venice
We were in Venice for a long weekend from 14-17 August. Venice had been on our "to-visit" list for a long time and we were really looking forward to the trip. The weather forecast was also very positive, with sunshine, clear blue skies, 28 degrees temperature.
However, when we got there, it was clear that we'd done zero research on the best times of the year to visit Venice! It was HOT, HOT, HOT!!! It was more like 40 degrees than 30!!! And it was peak tourist season!
I am generally crowd-averse anyway, but I was really taken aback to find that most of Europe, half of USA and worst of all.... a quarter of China were there!!! I find the China tourists (note not "Chinese" but "China") most unbearable. They tend to be the nouveau-rich and they normally flock in bus loads on their "Europe-in-10-days" tours. They stand in the way of every photo, and they take up the whole street when they walk. It was particularly bad in Venice, as the alleyways are just oh-so-very narrow. Grrrrr......
As a result, we just quickly took a look at the major tourist sights and then ventured out to find the local stuff and to walk around where the locals live. Unfortunately, most of the bars and restaurants we wanted to go to were closed!!! Once again, due to our lack of research...... all the locals were on holiday!!!! So it turns out that we really were just amongst tourists!!!
Taking the Vaporetto (water-bus) was another experience in itself. They are not the newest, not the biggest, but they do work. Unfortunately, getting on one was pretty close to getting on a bus in India, where the people are all squashed in like sardines. It was stifling, even standing out in the open section, facing outside.
Nevertheless, despite the heat and the crowds, I found Venice incredibly fascinating. In this day and age, it is not easy to imagine a car-less city. It surprised me that people did not even resort to using bicycles around the city, but just got around by foot and water-bus. It is this very aspect that fascinates me, more so than the Piazza San Marco ever could!
It was very interesting to see the local traders wheel their goods around in a cart. More intriguing was the way they managed to push their trolley-carts up and down the steps of the oh-so-many bridges with such ease!
When we encountered the first couple of bridges, we wondered to ourselves, how a wheelchair-bound person would get around. "Logically", my answer was that a wheelchair-bound person would not live in Venice, but rather move out to the mainland. Strangely enough, in the 4 days we were there, we saw more wheelchairs than I'd ever seen in any other city before! Clearly, their aides had a method for pushing chairs up and down the steps.
I found myself imagining what it would be like when a 14 year old boy from Venice meets a boy from elsewhere.
Mainland-boy: "Oh I can't wait to turn 17 and get my driving licence. My dream is to have an Aston Martin/ Ferrari/ Porsche".
Venice-boy: "Huh? What's that? Why would you want that? My dream is to have a Blöhm & Voss yacht!
In spite of everything, I did have a great time. We were lucky to have a B&B in the Dorsoduro area, which is further away from Tourist-Central. There were lovely squares in our neighbourhood, where we could just get away from it all.
For the moment, I am totally Venice'd-Out, but I would really like to go again another time, perhaps in November, when it is cooler. Perhaps there would be less people then?
However, when we got there, it was clear that we'd done zero research on the best times of the year to visit Venice! It was HOT, HOT, HOT!!! It was more like 40 degrees than 30!!! And it was peak tourist season!
I am generally crowd-averse anyway, but I was really taken aback to find that most of Europe, half of USA and worst of all.... a quarter of China were there!!! I find the China tourists (note not "Chinese" but "China") most unbearable. They tend to be the nouveau-rich and they normally flock in bus loads on their "Europe-in-10-days" tours. They stand in the way of every photo, and they take up the whole street when they walk. It was particularly bad in Venice, as the alleyways are just oh-so-very narrow. Grrrrr......
As a result, we just quickly took a look at the major tourist sights and then ventured out to find the local stuff and to walk around where the locals live. Unfortunately, most of the bars and restaurants we wanted to go to were closed!!! Once again, due to our lack of research...... all the locals were on holiday!!!! So it turns out that we really were just amongst tourists!!!
Taking the Vaporetto (water-bus) was another experience in itself. They are not the newest, not the biggest, but they do work. Unfortunately, getting on one was pretty close to getting on a bus in India, where the people are all squashed in like sardines. It was stifling, even standing out in the open section, facing outside.
Nevertheless, despite the heat and the crowds, I found Venice incredibly fascinating. In this day and age, it is not easy to imagine a car-less city. It surprised me that people did not even resort to using bicycles around the city, but just got around by foot and water-bus. It is this very aspect that fascinates me, more so than the Piazza San Marco ever could!
It was very interesting to see the local traders wheel their goods around in a cart. More intriguing was the way they managed to push their trolley-carts up and down the steps of the oh-so-many bridges with such ease!
When we encountered the first couple of bridges, we wondered to ourselves, how a wheelchair-bound person would get around. "Logically", my answer was that a wheelchair-bound person would not live in Venice, but rather move out to the mainland. Strangely enough, in the 4 days we were there, we saw more wheelchairs than I'd ever seen in any other city before! Clearly, their aides had a method for pushing chairs up and down the steps.I found myself imagining what it would be like when a 14 year old boy from Venice meets a boy from elsewhere.
Mainland-boy: "Oh I can't wait to turn 17 and get my driving licence. My dream is to have an Aston Martin/ Ferrari/ Porsche".
Venice-boy: "Huh? What's that? Why would you want that? My dream is to have a Blöhm & Voss yacht!
In spite of everything, I did have a great time. We were lucky to have a B&B in the Dorsoduro area, which is further away from Tourist-Central. There were lovely squares in our neighbourhood, where we could just get away from it all.
For the moment, I am totally Venice'd-Out, but I would really like to go again another time, perhaps in November, when it is cooler. Perhaps there would be less people then?
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Magnificent Musical Fireworks @ Fêtes de Genève
This year, to escape the madness of the Street Parade in Zurich, we headed to Geneva to see the famous Musical Fireworks, which is regarded as one of the most impressive displays in Europe.
We arrived in Geneva early in the afternoon and had a chance to walk along the promenade on both sides of the lake, taking in the atmosphere and sampling the delicacies offered by the hundreds of stands. We finally settled on a spot at about 9pm with our wine and waited for the show to begin.
The spectacular display started promptly at 10pm, and boy was it worth wait AND the 6 hours travelling time! It was the most incredible fireworks display I have ever seen in my life and there is no way I can possibly begin to describe it. It was a "musical" fireworks show, so the fireworks had been choreographed to music, which had the theme 1001 Nights.
The show lasted for almost an hour, with various Pyrotechnic companies trying to out-do each other with their choreography. The fireworks were launched from 15 launch pads on the lake, so they were really coming from every which direction.
The display at the end of the second song was like the big finish in a "normal" fireworks. I could not believe that there would be more, and bigger, and better! I found a highlights video on YouTube, so check it out if you get the chance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VY1nX9KYk8
Simply magical!
We arrived in Geneva early in the afternoon and had a chance to walk along the promenade on both sides of the lake, taking in the atmosphere and sampling the delicacies offered by the hundreds of stands. We finally settled on a spot at about 9pm with our wine and waited for the show to begin.
The spectacular display started promptly at 10pm, and boy was it worth wait AND the 6 hours travelling time! It was the most incredible fireworks display I have ever seen in my life and there is no way I can possibly begin to describe it. It was a "musical" fireworks show, so the fireworks had been choreographed to music, which had the theme 1001 Nights.
The show lasted for almost an hour, with various Pyrotechnic companies trying to out-do each other with their choreography. The fireworks were launched from 15 launch pads on the lake, so they were really coming from every which direction.
The display at the end of the second song was like the big finish in a "normal" fireworks. I could not believe that there would be more, and bigger, and better! I found a highlights video on YouTube, so check it out if you get the chance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VY1nX9KYk8
Simply magical!
Hamburg Highlights
I found Hamburg to be a thoroughly enjoyable city. Not too big and not too small, perfect for a long weekend trip. Here are the highlights of our trip:
- Perfect weather all four days of our trip, scorching 26-34ºC during the days.
- Beautiful view of the city from our 22nd floor hotel room in the Planten und Blomen park.
- Walking tour of the Altstadt (Old Town). The Rathaus is a magnificent structure, made all the more impressive by the fact that it survived intact, through 7 days of bombing by the British and Americans during WWII.
- Azrael's birthday dinner at Doc Cheng's Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten was one of the best meals I have ever had. The food was fantastic and the service was faultless. The only better meal I have had was at Jun Tanaka's Pearl Restaurant in London.
- Boat Tour around the Hamburg Harbour - who would have thought that a harbour could be so interesting! The ships, cranes, containers and warehouses along the river were a sight to behold. The sheer size of the ships and cranes were just unimaginable. Don't underestimate their size based on these photos!
- We did not manage to complete the entire Harbour Tour as they found a bomb in the Elbe and the river was closed off as they recovered the bomb.
- Roman Abramovich's mega-yacht is still being constructed and can be seen at the Blohm & Voss shipyard. It is gigantic (555ft long), complete with 2 helipads, military grade missile defence system and its own submarine! Won't he feel slightly lost in the yacht?
- Boat Tour around the Alster - Hamburg is probably the only city where one can tour the city from the water. The villas along the riverside were interesting, especially with detailed information from the tour guide.
- There is so much water around Hamburg that it is the city with the most bridges in the world. There are more bridges in Hamburg than London, Amsterdam and Venice combined!
- World Infamous Reeperbahn - it was quite disconcerting walking past rows of hookers. It is one of those really awkward moments, where you are just not quite sure where to look. Looking at them could illicit a "whatcha looking at, bitch" reaction, but totally avoiding them could result in a "ya think ya so much better than me, bitch?!" reaction. I was glad when we got past that street... and it wasn't even Herbertstrasse!
- Herbertstrasse is a street where there are prostitutes waiting behind windows, like in Amsterdam. The difference is that there are large gates on both ends of Herbertstrasse and women are "strongly discouraged" from entering the area. Apparently the prostitutes will react towards women, by spitting, jeering and throwing filled condoms at them. Azrael did not dare venture alone into the Herbertstrasse, but we did catch a glimpse inside from the upper deck of our open-top bus.
- The Hamburger DOM was also being held whilst we were there. It is just like a big beer fest and funfair in one. They had some really cool rides for the mere price of EUR 1.80!!! Unfortunately, we did not go on any as we were too stuffed from dinner. (I digress, but... the same EUR 1.80 rides cost between CHF 10-13 at the Geneva Festival in Switzerland!!! Can you believe that???)
- To escape from the madness of the Reeperbahn and St Pauli area, we found style, sophistication and tranquility at the Dedon Island bar at the East Hotel. Fabulous cocktails, something very special.
- The Speicherstadt (Warehouse District) is very pretty, with the old warehouse buildings from the 19th century still in use. They use the large "balconies" to lift their wares into the building.
- HafenCity is a new quarter in Hamburg, which is very similar to the Docklands in London. It is still being developed with beautiful modern apartments, offices and hotels. Due to the current lack of public transportation servicing the area, the property prices there are still considered reasonable. I saw an ad for a Philippe Starck designed large apartment for about €750K. A pretty good deal, me thinks.
- HafenCity is also home to the Hamburg Cruise Center, where the RMS Queen Mary 2, largest Ocean Liner in the world, came to dock on our last day in Hamburg. Words cannot describe the grandeur of it. It dwarfed all the buildings around the harbour. We were very lucky indeed that we got to meet her, as it was only a mere coincidence that she was there when we were.
- Another good meal we had was at the Schlacterbörse, which is next to the Meat Market (a real one). Once again, the service was impeccable and the food was wonderful. Unfortunately, this is one restaurant catering to Germans and their portions were just way, way, way too big.
- We adopted yet another 3 Kidz from Karstadt, and have named them Baxter, Woozy and Bubbles.
It was a fantastic trip and a visit to Hamburg is highly recommended. The only drawback about our whole trip is that we did not manage to take very many photos, as the sun was always in the way. But hey, we are definitely not complaining about the sun!
- Perfect weather all four days of our trip, scorching 26-34ºC during the days.
- Beautiful view of the city from our 22nd floor hotel room in the Planten und Blomen park.
- Walking tour of the Altstadt (Old Town). The Rathaus is a magnificent structure, made all the more impressive by the fact that it survived intact, through 7 days of bombing by the British and Americans during WWII.
- Azrael's birthday dinner at Doc Cheng's Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten was one of the best meals I have ever had. The food was fantastic and the service was faultless. The only better meal I have had was at Jun Tanaka's Pearl Restaurant in London.
- Boat Tour around the Hamburg Harbour - who would have thought that a harbour could be so interesting! The ships, cranes, containers and warehouses along the river were a sight to behold. The sheer size of the ships and cranes were just unimaginable. Don't underestimate their size based on these photos!
- Roman Abramovich's mega-yacht is still being constructed and can be seen at the Blohm & Voss shipyard. It is gigantic (555ft long), complete with 2 helipads, military grade missile defence system and its own submarine! Won't he feel slightly lost in the yacht?
- Boat Tour around the Alster - Hamburg is probably the only city where one can tour the city from the water. The villas along the riverside were interesting, especially with detailed information from the tour guide.
- There is so much water around Hamburg that it is the city with the most bridges in the world. There are more bridges in Hamburg than London, Amsterdam and Venice combined!
- World Infamous Reeperbahn - it was quite disconcerting walking past rows of hookers. It is one of those really awkward moments, where you are just not quite sure where to look. Looking at them could illicit a "whatcha looking at, bitch" reaction, but totally avoiding them could result in a "ya think ya so much better than me, bitch?!" reaction. I was glad when we got past that street... and it wasn't even Herbertstrasse!
- Herbertstrasse is a street where there are prostitutes waiting behind windows, like in Amsterdam. The difference is that there are large gates on both ends of Herbertstrasse and women are "strongly discouraged" from entering the area. Apparently the prostitutes will react towards women, by spitting, jeering and throwing filled condoms at them. Azrael did not dare venture alone into the Herbertstrasse, but we did catch a glimpse inside from the upper deck of our open-top bus.
- The Hamburger DOM was also being held whilst we were there. It is just like a big beer fest and funfair in one. They had some really cool rides for the mere price of EUR 1.80!!! Unfortunately, we did not go on any as we were too stuffed from dinner. (I digress, but... the same EUR 1.80 rides cost between CHF 10-13 at the Geneva Festival in Switzerland!!! Can you believe that???)
- To escape from the madness of the Reeperbahn and St Pauli area, we found style, sophistication and tranquility at the Dedon Island bar at the East Hotel. Fabulous cocktails, something very special.
- The Speicherstadt (Warehouse District) is very pretty, with the old warehouse buildings from the 19th century still in use. They use the large "balconies" to lift their wares into the building.
- HafenCity is a new quarter in Hamburg, which is very similar to the Docklands in London. It is still being developed with beautiful modern apartments, offices and hotels. Due to the current lack of public transportation servicing the area, the property prices there are still considered reasonable. I saw an ad for a Philippe Starck designed large apartment for about €750K. A pretty good deal, me thinks.
- HafenCity is also home to the Hamburg Cruise Center, where the RMS Queen Mary 2, largest Ocean Liner in the world, came to dock on our last day in Hamburg. Words cannot describe the grandeur of it. It dwarfed all the buildings around the harbour. We were very lucky indeed that we got to meet her, as it was only a mere coincidence that she was there when we were.
- Another good meal we had was at the Schlacterbörse, which is next to the Meat Market (a real one). Once again, the service was impeccable and the food was wonderful. Unfortunately, this is one restaurant catering to Germans and their portions were just way, way, way too big.
- We adopted yet another 3 Kidz from Karstadt, and have named them Baxter, Woozy and Bubbles.
It was a fantastic trip and a visit to Hamburg is highly recommended. The only drawback about our whole trip is that we did not manage to take very many photos, as the sun was always in the way. But hey, we are definitely not complaining about the sun!
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Azrael's Not-So-Surprise Birthday Present
Azrael and I are in Hamburg for his birthday!! It is a brilliant city, vibrant and full of life. We are certainly enjoying it thus far.
But first, of course no "surprise" birthday present comes without drama. I'd planned the trip to Hamburg as a surprise for his birthday. I'd booked the flights and hotel, got the travel guides, and even booked a table at a restaurant for his birthday dinner. This was no mean feat, seeing as we are both at home together most of the day!
I'd thought that it was a pretty well-kept secret, me having told only a handful of people about it.
Alas, the secret surprise was blown wide open a couple of days before, when Lufthansa sent Azrael an email detailing his travel itinerary. I still cannot believe how it all happened. I'd been so careful, ensuring that I registered only my contact details with the flight booking.
Who would have guessed that Lufthansa's frequent flyer programme would provide this "extra service"?! He'd received the email because I'd registered his frequent flyer number with the booking!
I am just grateful that Azrael decided to tell me straight away that he'd found out, rather than to keep quiet and play along! I cannot imagine how awful that would have been! Can you imagine if he would have decided to turn the game on me, and refuse to wake up early this morning???
Although I am still annoyed that my surprise was given away, in other ways I am glad that he knew in advance. This meant that he could at least pack his own suitcase without having to go through a mad rush!
But first, of course no "surprise" birthday present comes without drama. I'd planned the trip to Hamburg as a surprise for his birthday. I'd booked the flights and hotel, got the travel guides, and even booked a table at a restaurant for his birthday dinner. This was no mean feat, seeing as we are both at home together most of the day!
I'd thought that it was a pretty well-kept secret, me having told only a handful of people about it.
Alas, the secret surprise was blown wide open a couple of days before, when Lufthansa sent Azrael an email detailing his travel itinerary. I still cannot believe how it all happened. I'd been so careful, ensuring that I registered only my contact details with the flight booking.
Who would have guessed that Lufthansa's frequent flyer programme would provide this "extra service"?! He'd received the email because I'd registered his frequent flyer number with the booking!
I am just grateful that Azrael decided to tell me straight away that he'd found out, rather than to keep quiet and play along! I cannot imagine how awful that would have been! Can you imagine if he would have decided to turn the game on me, and refuse to wake up early this morning???
Although I am still annoyed that my surprise was given away, in other ways I am glad that he knew in advance. This meant that he could at least pack his own suitcase without having to go through a mad rush!
Monday, 3 August 2009
1 August Farm Brunch
1 August is Swiss National Day. I cannot think of any nation more patriotic than the Swiss. In the weeks coming up to 1 August, all the shops and supermarkets sell a variety of wares bearing the Swiss cross. Even hard-boiled eggs with the Swiss cross painted on!!!
To celebrate the National Day, the farmers across the country open their farms to the public by offering brunch. This is the one time in the year where the farmers serve food on their premises to the general public. This year, we went to participate in a farm in Uetikon, about 20 minutes from Zurich city.
The brunch was quite good. The food was pretty tasty, and hopefully the produce e.g. eggs, milk and cheese were fresh from the farm. For CHF30, the spread was not quite as lavish as something we would find at Imagine or Movie, but it was alright, considering that they used their local farm produce.
Strangely enough, there were more foreigners than Swissies at the brunch. English seemed to be the most common language spoken at the brunch. In fact, Azrael the Swiss did not know about this brunch event until I told him about it!
It was certainly an experience, enjoying brunch amidst the "perfume" of cow-dung and farm animals. Whilst I enjoyed the experience, I do not think I will be rushing back anytime soon :-)
To celebrate the National Day, the farmers across the country open their farms to the public by offering brunch. This is the one time in the year where the farmers serve food on their premises to the general public. This year, we went to participate in a farm in Uetikon, about 20 minutes from Zurich city.
The brunch was quite good. The food was pretty tasty, and hopefully the produce e.g. eggs, milk and cheese were fresh from the farm. For CHF30, the spread was not quite as lavish as something we would find at Imagine or Movie, but it was alright, considering that they used their local farm produce.
Strangely enough, there were more foreigners than Swissies at the brunch. English seemed to be the most common language spoken at the brunch. In fact, Azrael the Swiss did not know about this brunch event until I told him about it!
It was certainly an experience, enjoying brunch amidst the "perfume" of cow-dung and farm animals. Whilst I enjoyed the experience, I do not think I will be rushing back anytime soon :-)
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Back to the Blog
Wow! It has been forever since my last post. I have been doing so much, yet so little. Where does the time go??? In case you are wondering, no, I still do not have a job as yet. Here are my highlights of the last 4 months:
- Took a fabulous 6 week trip to Malaysia, Cambodia & Vietnam in April/May.
- Been attending German language school daily since the second week of May. German school is extremely time consuming, 4 hours in the morning, with a couple hours of homework every day. It certainly requires determination!
- Enjoying the summer days in Zurich - picnics, BBQs, sunbathing, swimming in the lake. Bliss!
- Fabulous long weekend in Ascona, basking in the southern sunshine.
- I have two balconies full of lovely plants, herbs and colourful flowers. My basil is flourishing this year!
- Enjoying the concert season - Stephan Eicher (local Swiss artist) and KODO (Japanese drummers) at Live At Sunset.
- Attended the Montreux Jazz Festival for the first time ever to see Babyface. Man... he was awesome!!!
- Started attending Kickpower classes at the gym. It's really fun!
- My boyfriend Azrael was made redundant last month (hurrah!), so we have just been hanging out and making the most of the summer.
- Took a fabulous 6 week trip to Malaysia, Cambodia & Vietnam in April/May.
- Been attending German language school daily since the second week of May. German school is extremely time consuming, 4 hours in the morning, with a couple hours of homework every day. It certainly requires determination!
- Enjoying the summer days in Zurich - picnics, BBQs, sunbathing, swimming in the lake. Bliss!
- Fabulous long weekend in Ascona, basking in the southern sunshine.
- I have two balconies full of lovely plants, herbs and colourful flowers. My basil is flourishing this year!
- Enjoying the concert season - Stephan Eicher (local Swiss artist) and KODO (Japanese drummers) at Live At Sunset.
- Attended the Montreux Jazz Festival for the first time ever to see Babyface. Man... he was awesome!!!
- Started attending Kickpower classes at the gym. It's really fun!
- My boyfriend Azrael was made redundant last month (hurrah!), so we have just been hanging out and making the most of the summer.
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