two months later

I can't believe I haven't written even the shortest post in almost two months! Now I don't even know where to start!

Let's start with work: Work in general is good. I am responsible for application management in the international recruiting at MO'P. Sadly there aren't many open positions so there are also not many applications so I don't really have that much to do. I fill in much of my spare time working on small projects related to personnel marketing, developing assessment centres, etc. However frustrating it may be that sometimes I have nothing to do it has its positive sides as well as it has given me the opportunity to get to know other parts of HR that I would never even have considered doing previously namely payroll and contract management. The processes behind how we get contracts and how we pay out salaries are much more complex than I would ever have imagined and require detailed work with words or numbers, respectively. However from January I am moving from the international into the national HR team where I will still have the same responsibility but a lot more work. On the national level there are more open positions especially as there are 17 internship positions that applications come in for all the time. I am a bit nervous about this mainly because even though theoretically I have been doing the same work in the international team, some things I only had to do once or twice over the whole period I have been here rather than every week. The first week will probably be hard work but after that I am optimistic that it will all turn out well. Other than that I really like my team and am a bit sad that I am leaving them (although only two doors down the hallway but still) but in the new team there is another intern who I get on particularly well with already so that should be good fun. Last week it was the MO'P Xmas Party where many people got very drunk and boogied the night away in front of their coworkers. I danced and danced but the left when everything was stilly shiny and brilliant so no embarrassing stories to tell. This week was our team's xmas dinner, which was very nice too.

Just thought I would mention that the weather here is absolutely f-ing freezing. If it is already this cold now what will it be like in January!! The temperature has not been above 0° in the last week and currently it is about -13°! brrrrrrr. however I have to admit there is something beautiful about this kind of weather - the snow stays white and crystal-like, the air is incredibly clear and it is certainly christmassy. Getting dressed in the morning does take somewhat longer though as layers are a must-have.

Outside of work life is also good of course. During the week I am usually only home at about 6.30/7pm so by the time I have shopped, eaten, chatted to flatmates and checked my emails it is about time for bed. At work I spend all day in front of a computer so quite often I am not so keen on writing emails and stuff in the evening, which is possibly why I failed to update my blog. Anyhow I have also managed to go jogging a few times with Dimitrina (before it got this cold), and borrow a few films with the ladies (Dimitrina, Julia and Nici). Nici has sadly finished her internship and is now back home. At the weekend I usually either do not much or a lot. When I do a lot it is because I have a visitor. This has occurred four times already since I've been here! Incredible! My first visitor was Mike: our adventures included wandering aroudn Rosenheim for hours, going out in Rosenheim in the evening and dancing until the early hours and then heading off to Munich the next day (my first trip to Munich). My second visitor was Ester and the adventures were similar: Saturday in Munich sightseeing, eating and drinking - my first visit to a Rock Café! After a couple of beers and Glühwein we headed back to Rosenheim where we continued with a little pub crawl. Next day the weather was hothothot (yes, seriously, about 20°, tshirt weather) and we went for a long walk along the Inn. Third visitor was Lena. Lena arrived on the first day the Christkindlmarkt (xmas market) was open so we had some Glühwein and then a beer and a long chat at home. Saturday we headed to Munich where before exploring the city centre we headed to Schloss Nymphenburg, a previous summer residence of the royalty. Very impressive as instead of being built high it is built incredibly long. Of course it also includes massive gardens (including a botanical garden), a river, and a few curiosities like the witches cabin. After that we headed into town and did some more sightseeing and eating and drinking and by the time we got back to Rosenheim it was midnight and we were exhausted. The next day also took as for a walk along the Inn before our legs gave up from too much walking. My fourth visitor was Sämi for a Blitz-24h-visit, which obviously didn't allow for a trip to Munich but did allow a visit to the Christkindlmarkt, supper out in the Stockhammer and some wandering around Rosenheim. Oh yes, the only visitor that didn't get a Weisswurstfrühstück was Mike (sorry) so I am now quite expert and baking pre-baked Brezen and cooking Weisswürste (although the Weissbier is usally too much).

When I didn't have visitors I spent most of the time, like this weekend, knitting, walking, shopping, watching tv, sleeping and chatting. This Friday there were lots of people here so we had Brotzeit together, which is basically what we called bread and cheese at home. It somehow reminded me of Roman times as there were about 15 of us sitting at a long table and there was an incredibly consumption of bread, cheese, sausage, salad, etc.

Even if I spend a lot of time doing not much I am never really bored as long as I have my knitting. I am literally becoming addicted to this hobby. I am amazing myself with the fact that I have started something like this and not given it up again within a short time. Currently I am massproducing wrist-warmers. Thankfully there is a knitting shop almost across from my house! I go almost every weekend (it is already shut by the time I am home in the evening).

I think I have already written far too much but I just want to say what my plans are for the next couple of weeks: on Thursday I head to London for Christmas. I am staying with Vicky and Johanna until early on the 27th and then heading to Aunt Emma's where Granny and Grandpa will already be and Dan, Andy and Flora and the boys will also join us. On the 28th I fly out of Heathrow back to Munich. I'm working the 29th and 30th and then heading to Winterthur on the 31st to spend New Years in a Pfadi-hut with no electricity and no running water. Hm, yes, seriously. On the 1st January 2010 (I like saying that) I am going to Basel and then on the 3rd returning from Basel to good old Rosenheim.

That is it. xxx