wow! a year already?

Almost a year since my last post.

Working hard and learning a lot. Please bear with me.

Hugs form the UK. Enjoy your holidays.

Birgit

this is going to be interesting

Got a call on Friday.

My service provider on the line, far far away.
My service provider team (yes, I am a project manager) in the far away place calls to tell me that the CTO of the company I work for had visited them on the before.

Apparently, they have been singing my praises in front of the CTO. Apparently, they were so pleased with my managerial style, they had to tell him and subsequently me.

My projects always have consisted of getting the job done. I am very much aware of the customer - service provider trenches. To me that means:

- get real every minute
- treat absolutely everybody in the team as if they were part of my company
- we have fun whilst working really hard
- cultivate a culture of trust and success
- make sure the right people are on board (which can suck but needs to be done)
- if I have the right people, support them in every possible way.

I have gotten the best results with the big players in the markets, at some points paybacks when they did not deliver. To be honest, my project was challenging from the first day. 8 weeks ago I thought we were not going to make it. The aforementioned service provider exchanged a key player. And from there on out, we worked our sweet behinds of. We are now in safe waters.

My boss gave me a real feedback yesterday that he was impressed with my approach and results.

The question to you guys out there is:
- would anybody interested in understanding my project approach, i.e. the integration part?

Does any of this make sense to the world out there?

I apologise in advance for stating what is obvious (at least to me). I am painfully aware of the fact that I am overworked and what have you.

Hence, feel free to ignore this.
More stuff to come.

Hugs, Happy Holidays and keep the spirit!
B

It´s all good - Thanks to the UK and Gwyneth Paltrow

A lot has happened!

Can you believe it - I moved to Cambridge, UK one year ago!

One of the perks of moving within your own country or abroad seems to be the following for me.

Reinvent yourself
Seriously, it´s a beautiful thing!

You meet so many new people. They have no idea of your past and you are literally in the moment, writing or short or long story of life together (if we take the time, that is).

The UK is growing on me. I haven´t left the country since February. Still raiding the supermarkets and discovering new stuff. Working my way through the nuances of British English. Finding so many new people on the way but sometimes actually being shy.

Yesterday, a bundle of Swiss teenagers were really going to town by checking girls out and commenting on their goods. Being in stitches at some point, I told them in German that some people do understand what they are saying and we all had a good laugh about it. It was one hilarious bus ride when one of them said: are you actually German? and do you live here?

On another note, and here comes the boring part, I am finally fed up with my eating habits.
I think that stuff has been bugging me for years. And, who knew! Gwyneth Paltrow with her love for food and cooking brought me back to the hob, the oven and food blender. On top of that, I am working my way through her second cookbook and she actually inspired me to try the concept of elimination diet. (I told you, this would be boring). It´s not diet to lose weight. It´s a diet to recalibrate your body first by leaving out a lot of typically damaging stuff (dairy, gluten, sugar, processed food etc). Once you have a base line, it is about re introoducing food and check whether one feels foggy, with indigestion, rashes or whatever). within a couple of months, I should be feeling better.

Being on the second day, I feel low on energy, but it this seems to be normal.

I would like to thank the UK for allowing me to reinvent myself and Gwyneth for guiding me to rediscover my love for cooking.

Can you keep finger crossed for me?
All is good.

Bless all of you out here,
Birgit

Oh Simon

How do great leaders inspire please? how do we buy, start businesses, hire people.

Simon says: it´s based on our brain activities, the WHY is the trigger
Simon Sinek TED talk, watch also out for the law of diffusion of innovation, awesome!

my ver cryptic notes:

-what am I buying: based on neo cortex, rational, language

-how and why am I buying: limbic system. cause for emotions, behaviour, gut decisions, not language. the mother of "it doesn´t feel right".

-how do you drive people to buy something. how do you hire. not the best people on paper who come in for the pay check. not the most rational product.

It goes deep into the WHY that triggers.

Watch the video and be in awe, hopefully. I need to rummage on this.

Hugs to all of you.

Bridget

shifting

OMG what is happening!

 not sure if the Marie - training session boost is showing even before the training starts. Or something real is shifting. My life becomes enjoyable.

 I am an utter brat these days and it is getting worse by the minute. My surroundings are going nuts. The funny effect - people take me more seriously by the minute.

Also - it is bothering me for some time now that I have no other topic than yes - me. I am getting bored listening to this myself.

Talking about others close to me is a no no.

What's a girl to do?
-- Dating - check!
--Getting to know more and more expats - check!
--Listening where listening is needed - check (hopefully) hhm. Interesting. let's see where this journey is going.

 Can't wait.

You are awesome, Marie!

I just and finally enrolled in a training with my Business Coach whom I followed for ages.

Could not be more thrilled :)

And no, work-life-balance is not in danger :)

frying tea

This excitement is different. New flat. Old and strangely familiar country is my new one. New colleagues, my team is amazing. the frying kettle While I am posting this, the my new washing machine is taking its first spins. The new frying pans takes over for the kettle and tea pot being on their way to my new home. Living in the United Kingdom is colourful, everyday life is as everywhere else. Work and week end alternate. My friends have shown their true and beautiful colours. My language skills have shown me that everyday life leaves me speechless, literally. I learn work top, chaps, frying pan, landing, washer dryer, a stone as a unit of measurement, the thingies equally applicable to walls and floor: tiles. Don't say mob when you mean bullying. Do say apologies a hundred times (which my nearest and dearest recognize as innate already). Currently, the word grooming is politically incorrect. Learn the nuances of saying no even though you are not using the actual words. Flirt shamelessly outside the office. Drive people nuts with your German accent. Don't ever cut the line. In Cambridge, cycling is fun, but tends to have cyclists on edge. enjoy driving a car on the wrong side. Find the nuances of pastries, sweets, dessert and all the forbidden things. Don't get me started on Indian food, yummy! Re discover old friends. Enjoy the joy of having them here or visit them in London. The German word Pudding translates into dessert. Custard translates into the German word for pudding. When in doubt curse in Spanish. Enjoy chatty taxi drivers. Make new friends with really helpful people at the bank, a shop that lost and found shoes for you, a muffins stand in the Arcade. Meet your hair dresser in the bus. Be careful, as everywhere, but probably even more here, to avoid people who talk too much about class. Be happy about super helpful people. avoid the grumpy ones. For the moment, a big hug to all of you out there. Bridget

women only

A woman should have enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to. A woman should have something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour... A woman should have a youth she's content to leave behind A woman should have a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age.. A woman should have a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra. A woman should have one friend who always makes her laugh and one who lets her cry. A woman should have a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family. A woman should have eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored... A woman should have a feeling of control over her destiny... Every woman should know how to fall in love without losing herself. Every woman should know how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confort a friend without ruining the friendship Every woman should know when to try harder... and when to walk away. Every woman should know that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents. Every woman should know that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over. Every woman should know what she would and wouldn't do for love or more. Every woman should know how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it. Every woman should know whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally... Every woman should know where to go… be it to her best friend's kitchen table... or a charming inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing... Every woman should know what she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year... Carina - Maya Angelou

paper bag

so happy and excited about all the changes, I could use the one or other proverbial paper bag into. just on a separate note. check out Banksy, a UK street artist. fantastic.

London and Cambridge

The last few days were amazing but tiring. Switching countries is a challenge. Administration issues until you drop. After some activity in the respect, London to visit a dear friend, veg, slow down the pace and give myself a break. It works. I am moving to the UK, Cambridge to be more precise. Ok, I should maybe start this story a little earlier. -Cologne feels kind of deserted since a lot of people left -I don´t thing I spent this much time in the same town ever -I miss being abroad that simple. but what´s a girl to do? -get my sweet behind off the couch. -let go of everything, literally everything. before I did, life was difficult. i do have a plan and I am not becoming a hippie. it´s rather to know where you are going, have faith, stop doubting and start walking. and within a couple of weeks, everything fell into place. ever since then, life is easier. there will be moments when I will hit the roof when I get mad. I will doubt myself, everybody does. but it´s easier to unwind now. things just are. so, once the german bureaucracy is done and the british one continues, I will be starting my new job in October. in cambridge, this is a done deal since my last post. I am happy, excited and I do sometimes need the proverbial paper bag. but it will be fine. Bear with me!

one of those incredible days

Yesterday, 3 in one. Accept a new contract with a company, give notice, start a major teeth treatment. I am so excited I could squeak like clapping seal. I will be leaving Germany to live the truly european life I am supposed to live. no further comment.

Cambridge

foto session in Wrozlaw, Poland

All, so much catching up to do. Big soonissimo worthy changes. standing still to prepare for something big. My life never saw me coming :) Hugs, B

this is Sam

To my dear friends,

Today I finally got my paws on the keyboard.

FIrst of all; I am appalled! B! What were you thinking, the last entry is OLD :D

So, I am proudly stepping in for you, no shushing allowed :)! I will talk to you about new friends, the places B saw, small disasters, happiness and grumpiness:

First of all, B met old friends in London and we made new ones! The munchkin family introduced B to Buzz and comisario Woodie, I saw them on DVD later on and they are awesome, if only they could come by to our home!!!

places:
- B has been travelling and working a lot, I barely saw her here at home
- what I DO know: she saw a lot of musicians in Rotterdam, there is house that has no rect angels and a museum almost completely made of wood. there is a beach club in Cologne called km 689 (yes, people count the rhine kilometers from the source and my home town is on kilometer 689, there is a stone saying that!!!!!!!!!)

Disasters & grumpiness:
- she can´t seem to find my white scarf!
- I can´t seem to find the red one
- Snookles looks funny, what happened to my ever-snoring friend the sheep?

Happiness:
- B got finally rid of the sofa she hated so much!
- B looks happy because she is getting to know so many nice and open-minded people out there
- I finally got a bath
- Emilia is happy

Hugs and kisses,
Sam

FOTOS!!!!

our new friends!!!!


Rotterdam


B, I don´t get it, where are the angels?
I have copied this from Marta´s official homepage!

km 689, I have copied this from koeln-deutz.de :)

NPR car talk

I know that Keren is familiar with the above, is anybody else?
It´s HI-LA-RIOUS!

I remember listening to my first NPR car talk show when driving to Frankfurt. I had no idea what was ahead of me, cracking up over the stering wheel and I still cannot believe those guys. They were making fun of themselves with the dumbest things they ever did to cars, losing their eyebrows to combustible substances, a motor falling out of it´s frame because they removed something substantial, etc.

The presenters are brothers and manage to explain any car problem to non car connoisseurs. Never imagined that bolts, dashboards, a greater variety of noise any car can make could be so much fun, Whilst writing this, they are discussing with a priest the worst car on the planet EVER and its resistance to any deer confronted with it. I am really bad at reporting situational comics. Oh God, right now they are talking to a reformed hippy discussing how to manage a shift gear. Is it better to release the clutch quickly or slowly? You won´t believe the fun they are making around all of this turning it into an analogy of the relationship the girl was originally discussing the clutch question with.

Just love it.

Now Is All, ain´t it

It has been ages since you guys heared from me here.

So much has happened, I am impressed, amazed, tired, and happy.
First of all I realized how much I miss my friends out there, and throughout the last weeks, I understood taht I must be a little bit clearer on it.

Before I do: be happy out there, tell your loved ones you love them. All that exists IS in this very moment. The last sentence is already written in the past, and whilst I am writing these lines, I am in the present. It makes us who we are. With all of our experiences, joyous moments, awful memories, yes they are there too. In an every single second that is, we redefine what we are, how we think, if we want to take a turn or stay in the road we are right now.

People giving us grief without ceasing don´t have the right to do so. we can chose if that is something we want and most of the time, our inner balance decides if we want to bear that or if we shut it down. And again, we decide this every second, the second, the now, is all there is.

And there are the joyous moments. Like today hanging out with a friend, enjoying each other´s company. The car that smells like coffee because I left the warm coffee in there for a couple of hours whilst I was enjoying life. Finally finishing a killer T&L (three months in my job is a loooong period to collect receipts, trust me). Followed by tax declarations, I am happy to finally being almost done with either of these! I am having two days off to do things. Tomorrow, I will most probably be going to the beach in Domburg. A couple of hours in the car, but I want to see the sun, the water, plunge into the sand and get freckles.

And all of this and so much more I want for you guys. Read the grass harp by Capote if you want to be delighted, listen to music. Knock yourselves out with whatever makes you happy. Try to understand that NOW is all there is. Past is memory and the next minute fiction. It all boils down to this.

And a big hug from my side. Colourful thoughts. Forget being sensible and live. I promise I will try to do that with small things here.

fotos Washington

what is it about the US

When my best friend told me years and years ago that I might like the US, I clearly had no idea.

Having set foot there for the first time in 2005, I can only confirm it more and more.

I do see the discrepancies in society, politics upsides and downsides. Dynamics can be considered being pushy and the smiling and "how are ya" unnecessary. Every country has their people I don´t want to deal with. Also in my own, of course.

I have friends there and I am really lucky to have cool colleagues there to teach me the principles of sarcasm, great presentations and the latest trends in music. such clichees and so subjective, but it´s my little view on this world right now, whilst all the images are sinking in. I like the automatic hi there how are ya. it´s a nice pattern.

I feel privileged to have met all of these people, howdy´s and have a good ones.

Oda - my genius

ok, it´s on.

"Onner" than on. Recently, I discovered TED.com, a website where people choose their topics and have an 18 minute talk about it.

Benjamin Zander on music, Jill Bolte, a neuroanatomist on her stroke, and this one is my favourite so far:

Elisabeth Gilbert - new perspective on creatitivty

Elisabeth Gilbert is the author of Eat Pray, Love. Has anybody out there ever read that book? I haven´t.

She introduces the audience to being terrified by the huge success she´s had with the aforementioned book. She raises the very valid question of "What now!? Am i EVER going to be able to create something equally recognised?" She says herself: probably not.

And here comes the interesting part:

She did some research and found out that the Greek and Romans in their times had a different view on what a genius is supposed to be than we have now. According to romans the genius is something inspiring a person or not. -> A poem looking for the author who hopefully has something to write in that very moment. It´s not the person itself only. Being creative is therefore an effort of an individual AND the genius in collaboration, unless the genius is having a lazy day. Or if the poet isn´t quick enough, the poem looks for the next poet to write it down.

This new perspective on creativity has a soothing effect on me. Our society is looking out for geniuses. We are not supposed to make mistake. Geniuses in our societies pay a high price, I mean who can be perfect ALL the time? I feel sorry for that. Don´t know. I have my infantile artistic minutes and my job from time to time requires having a good genius around. Others may aspire being a genius. I am rathing opting for fun. Whilst wrtiting these lines, I decided to call my insiration Oda.

I you have a couple of minutes to spare, enjoy Elisabeth quoting Tom Waits, scolding herself the unproductive genius in her office and the simplicity of life. For a couple of minutes.

Myself, I am making a pact with Oda. Come on, Oda, let´s get some stuff done and have fun :)

What´s your thought on this?

Steve Jobs - uh huh

All the things I heared about Jobs so far

- tyrant
- genius
you name it.

This speech surprised me today.

I am happy

Happiness is a cool thing to have.
Try to catch a butterfly and you know what I am talking about.

Right now, there is nothing more to do than letting that proverbial beautiful thing fly around my head. I am sure it will sit down on my shoulder and accompany all of us for a bit.

Peace out