9 January 2009 - One workweek complete already!

The sun seems to be in hiding over here as it is dark when I am driving both to and from work. But this BlackBerry photo is the beautiful view that greeted me when I walked into my office this morning -- the sun rising and spreading its warmth and pinkish-orange hues with the skyline of the city and the trails of jets in the sky overhead. Much more pretty in person. But then again, every morning I'm alive is beautiful to me. Maybe they're just even more beautiful in Germany.

I have now finished my first workweek here. I think I'm going to like it. (And that's not just because three of these five days we've lunched at the Italian restaurant in the office park and where the older Italian waiter teases and unabashedly flirts with me. Love it!) I really like my colleagues at the office who have been so welcoming and patient with my nascent German skills. I was concerned after the cultural sensitivity training that I would have to keep my personality a bit under wraps, but they have made me feel welcome just as I am, with my odd expressions, stories of my naive experiences here, and incessant questions.

Today my new boss, Stefan, took the train down to Frankfurt from Dusseldorf to meet with me, talk about the practice, our challenges, and the best places I may be able to contribute. How many bosses would make that trip instead of asking me to show up there, especially on a Friday? Near the beginning of the meeting, he said that while he didn't know me very well, based on what he'd seen of me in our previous meeting, how I had interacted with his team on an engagement last year, and what his people had reported back (ruh roh?), he likes me and believes in my contributions. There was just something about the way he said it that makes me even more intent than I may have been before on making sure his faith in me is not ill-placed. I think I will learn a lot from him on leadership. Always helps to like the people you work with, right?

Meanwhile, I have received my firm-issued BlackBerry. Alas, it is the 8800 model, so no camera, but get this -- the firm pays for the device, allows me to use it for personal use (domestically, don't get any ideas of me making unlimited cell calls to the US!) for only EUR 5/month, AND (oh yes, there's more) it, my eFax, and office phone all share the same five digit extension!! Way cool. But I'll miss being able to take photos wherever I am.

I also got a FedEx with my desk files from the US today. I had had a Mark Shale bag in the office the day that I packed and recalled the re-use of bags in Europe and had thrown that in the box. Imagine my amusement at shopping for groceries (yes, the same grocery store from a few nights ago) with a Mark Shale bag. Bringin' a little bit of home with me. If only I could pick up some value-priced, high-quality attire here whenever I have the bag!

Bonnie and I continue to bond. Yesterday was the first time I made it to work and back without a wrong turn. Today I was confident enough with knowing the route that I played around with the iDrive while I drove instead of being glued to the navigation screens. I also figured out how to change the language to English and hated it so much that I switched it back within about a minute. It was like Bonnie was possessed and it was wrong. Unlike Drescher, Bonnie didn't hold it against me. I think I may engage in the German past-time of a Saturday car wash for her tomorrow. She deserves it.