09/08/2010 My first training in Japan

Today, I give my frist training hour in Japan. I am very proud that I have the chance to provide a training in Japan & Japanese language. Of course I do not speak appropriate Japanese, therefore they arranged a simultan translator.
I take the train from Kyoto to Akashi. First, I was afraid, that it will take long and willbe expansive. But it is not like that. I can go with the local train for 15 Eur the way in 40 minutes. Perfect. In the train I use the time for wrapping my gifts. First, I bought some gifts in China to give out for the members. But than, I heard there are 12 members coming and I have only 10 gifts. So I went again for shopping in Kyoto. I found some nice heard shaped locks in the 100 Yen shop. So I bought them and some giftbags and I hope they will like it. It are cute locks for luggage or so. Maybe 10 centimeters, read, heard shaped and with a number combination. For my host, I have some belgian pralines. When I arrived, they are already waiting for me and the translator and the other trainer. I just recognize, how big the blow it all off. Wow... It is not a simple casual taining, we have an official session with press and 3 trainers coming. Wow. The other trainers are really good. And one of them I know already from singapore, where I met him in the Japanese headquarter. Such a funny hasard :) All is very formal. While my friends in Kyoto were very relaxed, those here are different. A lot of bowing, 90 degree bowing, a lot of formal words and streight sitting. But they are also very nice and after the training we went for a wonderful Chinese restaurant.

14/03/2010 Trashy weekend is over

It is Sunday noon. A trashy weekend face its end.
Normaly this weekend should be awesome. My friends from Latvia were comming and we decided to party as hard as possible. Well. I guess I am getting too old for that.
First their train was much too late, so they arrived somewhen rfiday night at 3 o'clock. And we were too tired to go out. Than on Saturday I was on a birthday from an other friend, before I wanted to meet with them at midnight. Unfortunatly, my taxidriver was not as nice as I wished and we discussed a very long time, and finaly, he droped me out somewhere in the streets, not willing to drive me longer. There a person come to me and had had an accident with his alcohol on my coat. The next taxidriver refused to open the windows. My coat was smelling from that alcohol, the whole taxy was smelling, I felt more and more sick, he was driving very curvy (? is there such a word?) and ... it happend.... I was too sick to meet up with my friends. (and they would not let me in a club in this condition). So, I went home, going to sleep, without having seen my nice friends :-( At all :-(((((((.
Next morning (=today) I wake up and puhhhhh! the whole room is smelling. bääääääää. I ask the girls for a laudry service... but as usual, they have no idea. I ask for a nice breakfast place and as usual.... no idea. Sometimes it is really hard for me not to think they are stupid.
I am sure they are smart, but they have often a completely different view on their city. Completely different interests. Therefore, there are a lot of questions they cannot answer (nice bars, cool clubs, gym, laundry, restaurants, jewelery shops, tailors, hairdressers, waxing service, grosseries, ...) Which frustrates me. This morning, I was very frustrated. I started to have some "fcking Poland" thoughts in my head. Very bad words and thoughts connected with Poland, and people living in this country. (And Poland is normaly one country I like very much. I spent here all my holidays for years. I always applied for projects in Poland and I have had always a great time. Especially in Warsaw.) So my anger shifted from Poland to bad thoughts about my room mate. Knowing Warsaw beeing a cool city, I blamed her (in my thoughts) to be stupid. Too stupid to know her own city, too yokel to have the nice live.
Of course I know it is not true. And as you can see it above, I have an approach to explain it. But in this morning, I felt like that.

So what to do? Of course, I am not rational, I am getting more and more exiting about it. So I searched my favorite song: "Heimweh" from Plüsch (Home sick) and played it and played it and sang my favorite line with it and played it again.

i ha ke luscht me ds bliibe i ghöre eifach nid da hi ha zwar alls probiert doch
das isch eifach nüt für mi u i ha heimweh nach de bärge nach em schoggi und em
wy nach de wälder nach de seeä

Meaning: I do not want to stay here anymore, I just do not fit here. I tryed everything, but it doesnt fit me. I am homesick for the mountans, for the chocolate and the wine. Missing the forrests and the lakes.

Than while hearing I start writing my blog from friday and watched the nice pictures from the olympia swimmers and springboards.... Feeling good now.

06/03/2010 - New task: Write a diary

Well, this is not my first time in Poland. I like the country a lot and I have several very good memories connected with the people. So, I am familar with a lot of things. Now, it get complicated, because I received a task to write a diary, in which I describe my cultural shocks and anaylise why I was suprised, what is the differences to my home country and how I could use my international experience to adapt. Hmmmm. Woould this be my first time in Poland, it would be easier. Of course I have had some strange experiences in the last days. Like this really wierd aerobic class, where the teacher was doing 30 minutes just one excercise. And it was not balanced between right and left side, for left side, I guess she was tired. She was not using the international standard movements, but inventing funny new ones- But that doesn't matter for the girls... never seen such uncoordinated girls. They were always crashing in each others... Wierd. But I have had also very professional aerobic classes in Poland, thus, I know, it is not "polish" , maybe it is just this group, maybe just the teacher.
Also, I do not think that all taxi drivers are mad, only because one has had a bad day.
Furthurmore, the infrastructure (Shops, domitories, flats, ..) is different to germany, but not diferent to me.
Thus, to write this diary (minimum 2 posts a day, including pictures) is for me a real challange. But I will try. I thought a long time, to find something which is generic for all the polish. And yesterday night, I recognize: Polish girls are sery beautiful. As a rule. The most of them have beautiful blue eyes, nice faces, and awesome shapes. BUT (also as rule): They spoil all the benefits with the lack of style and class. :-( Maybe this sounds unfair, but they have perfect assets, but than they have yellow died hair, strange haircuts, olod fashion knitted dresses, flat boots, cheap "jewels", plastic purses and so. This matches with the fact, that there is no single cartier or chopard shop in Poland. Also Warsaw, as capital, has no representative high fashion shop. Why is this like that? (Do not come with the argument of Communism... just have a look on the Russian ladies) No idea. Maybe this is the first topic for my research. :-)

02/03/2010 Learning about Cultural Differences

Staying with 2 polish girls in a room is harder as thought. Those girls are completely different to what I have in experience with russian, ukrain or german girls. This is best shown by the care they give to others and how they respect privacy or keep their own privacy.
In some things, there are very generous and open, in other things most close. Funnily, they behaver is complete different to what I would do or expect.
All the things of the others can easily be uses: The PC, the hairthings, plates, kittchenstuff and so on. Very nice. Normal things like changing clothes is a big issue. I have never seen one of the girls half naked, or in underwear. If they change the slip, they put first the other clothers on, than they change the underwear. On the other hand, they have no problems to have some sexy time with their boyfriend, which is kind of disturbing me, if I also want to be in my room to do some work. They also see no problem with drying the hair at 1 o'clock in the night, when others want to sleep, or to ignore the alarmclock at 5:00 in the morning as long as all others are awake. And than to ensure, no one is sleeping anymore: she puts all the lights on and is noisy! I have no clue how long I can rest with 4 hours sleep per night.
Those girls are also very communicative. There are always some friends, so that in average there are 5 people in our 12 sqm room. They are loud discussing, ordering pizza, or and watching movies. That others (I) ight have a need to sleep or the wish to change the clothers, cream myself after a shower, study, watch a movie or something else... I guess there is no awareness.
Also in general life issues, you can see a very different perspective on things:
They are very catholic and we have had long discussions about marriage, loyality and cheating partners. Completely different view! The polish girls think, that a girl can the same work aas a man, and that the couple stay together until the end of their life. Men do not cheat if the wife gets old and fat or uggly, because those men also get old. And if men cheat their women, if they are pregnant, this would be unfair. (jaja, life is always fair - hahahaha)
I really hope the polish life will stay like that... but it is hard to me to believe, this is true :D

05/01/2010 First day back in classes

After waking up with an awfull headage .. too much sweet wine yesterday night with my lovely neigbours... I steped out in the cold and still by snow coveres street of my lovely Oberkassel to get on my way to the classes. (So, this is a german sentence :D)
Ok, the waking up was quiete difficult, but I made it in time and the fresh cold air in the streets waken me up very quick.
Being in Cologne, I was very happy to get in a perfect temperated room and see all the globals again. Everyone looks relaxed and several people used the time at home to get a good shave or a new hair cut :D
Great feeling to see them again...

But strange... today I am thinking a lot of my exboyfriends (no, there are not so many).. with one, which is a closed friend, I have had a bad talk yesterday... maybe he is angry.. This would be bad.. I do not want to loose a friend, this friend. He is very special to me, we have had a lot of good and bad times, and I really value his meanings, his suggestions and I enjoy every minute, we spent together. Especially now, when I am glad for every old known face, acompanying me in physical and mental on that trip. I already wrote emails and so.. Hope he is just busy and everything will be ok before I leave Germany.

But this year shall be the best ever, so not focusing on the sad feelings: a very positiv thing: My neigbour Uli will come to China and travel with me around! We looked (with the 3 bottles of wine) tons of travel guide and picture books of possible destinations. This will be perfect... let's see who else want to join our sporty-party and culture trip! (I hope for Cayee, Johannes, Nathan, Alex, you, you and you! Really... this is no joke, it will be awesome if YOU would join us!!!!!!)