Германия

One lottery ticket for your career luck

/ russianladyabroad / Leave a comment

And here I am.. fashionably late with the new style of the website, but I hope that you will enjoy it on your mobile devices as well 😉

I guess, you know that I never reappear without a fresh container with motivation. I would never disappoint you, so, here I am, packing my things to get a Lobbyist training with the European Parliament.

What a Russian soul has to do with the European Parliament, you would ask. Everything and nothing: during an exchange semester in Germany in 2010, I got a student excursion to the European Commission in Brussel. I was very excited when we were offered to seat in the seats of the Commission officials, you know 😉 Many important decisions are made there, decisions, which affect the world politics. So, I was happy and I wished very deep in my soul to be able to work in the European politics one day. Just for a bit. Just for life experience. A strange wish to a non-European person, isn’t it?

9 years later, whole 9 years later I was invited to get an intensive Lobbyist training – but not in Brussel, in Strasbourg. All costs covered. I still have my Russian passport, I have just applied for the German permanent residence permit, and I was wondering at first, what gave me this opportunity. Talent? Motivation? Strength? Nope. Curiosity. Because I applied for a place in the program one day before the deadline, the same day I found it. Just for fun, just because I was curious if I have any chance.

There is one popular joke in Russia. A man dies and asks the God: “My whole life I wanted one thing: to win a lottery. God, why didn’t you give me just that?”. And the God answered: “Actually, I was going to. But you did not buy a single lottery ticket”.

Buy your lottery ticket very much in advance, dear reader.

Kind regards,

Your Russianladyabroad

First look from the window to the sun: refugees crisis in Europe

/ russianladyabroad / Leave a comment

I had an interesting call with one of the organizations responsible for funding jobs for refugees yesterday.

Actually, one of our clients had an interest in helping out several qualified people by filling positions in his innovative projects. Therefore, I took the phone without knowing anything about neother HR processes nor visa regulations for refugees in Germany.

Somehow, I expected an excited voice on the other side of the phone – because we were going to do a big thing. We were going to help people out. We were ready to talk about integration opportunities and language courses.

Instead, I got about 10 minutes of a structured professional phone consultation. There ARE language courses, and most refugees who wanted to integrate ALREADY HAVE a B1/B2 level of the German language and are preparing for the next exam. At the same time, they are registered by the unemployment agency like all unemployed Germans are. The only difference is, there are some kind of “state headhunters”, who help companies to find the right profile within the database. No drama, no “saving the day” – just work. For everybody.

I am known for criticizing Germans for overregulating everything – but nobody creates structures like they do. I am glad to see people who suffered getting their window in the local bureaucracy. I hope that Europe will find it’s way through the integration crisis very soon. I don’t want to see talented people in a ghetto.

Sincerely yours,

Russianladyabroad

Business dinner in Europe

/ russianladyabroad / Leave a comment

As I told you before, dining culture is extremely important, if you wish to progress in your career in Europe. Unlike casual lunches with colleagues, described in the previous article, dinners might be more of a problem.

In France, the main problem for me was that all the waiters wanted to speak only French, even though they were perfectly able to speak English. Just because they love their native language. One might look strange, showing with his hands that he would like to have a dish with a swimming fish during a business dinner.

In Spain and Italy, I had difficulties to hear my colleagues, because many good restaurants are very loud.

In Netherlands, I had to go for some business breakfast to a cafe next to the trade fair building. Honestly saying, I was ready to cry while paying for my simple “bio” croissant with ham and a small cup of coffee. It was the most precious croissant in my life..

In Germany, you can eat well for a small price or eat so-so for a very high price. It depends. In Hamburg, for instance, one can find 11 Michelin restaurants, and some more, which had a Michelin star before and still have a good kitchen (but much lower prices). As in Germany, some professions require having dinners and lunches with your clients, many companies pay the bills back to their employees if they invited an important client to a dinner – therefore, feel free to accept an invitation from your German business partners.

If you are looking for a very special place to eat with your clients or partners, I would opt for this website:

https://www.viamichelin.de/web/Suchen_Restaurants/

Is will not only show you the Michelin restaurants with a very special kitchen (a good place for a very special date, a proposal, a crucial contract-related business meeting), but also very good restaurants with the approximate price ranges for a meal.

As food is a brilliant opportunity to unite with people and progress in business, I wish you to find just the right place for your occasion.

Kindly yours,

Russianladyabroad

 

 

International TO DO list as it is

/ russianladyabroad / Leave a comment

As a woman in an international context, one has some additional responsibilities to the casual cooking and ½ of the cleaning (my BF does another half, as it is usual for Europe), and those sometimes consume the whole weekend. As for today:

  • How to buy a saree for a wedding
  • Which gift to buy for a modern Indian family for a wedding
  • Were to buy the eBook 하루5분 내손으로 성형하기, taking into account that I have no clue about the Korean language
  • How to bake the traditional Russian cookies “nuts” under the condition that there is only 1% fat condensed milk in Germany (as if the lower amount of fat can save your body and soul from THAT amount of sugar..)
  • How to transfer money to a Russian bank account after the government started to freeze most of international transfers
  • Do I need a visa for a flight via the London airport???
  • How do I get a German tax refund exactly

It’s not like I have no problems since I moved here, there are just..different.

Have a great weekend,

Your Russianladyabroad

Thought for the day

/ russianladyabroad / Leave a comment

DSC_2060DSC_2061

Cities are what people create – cities are what people inside are. Some cities, just like we all, take, some give, some offer you people in exchange for a small fee of experience. While Barcelona always GIVES, Frankfurt immediately takes away. Most people come here for work, but never make their home here – therefore, you meet this very special “office city” without any expectations.

I paid for this visit with my time – a month, which disappeared right before my eyes. It’s time to get back to work!

Coming soon, starting tomorrow:

  • Why confident talented Russians get fired in Europe
  • 10 reasons why your education and work experience have no value abroad – and what to do with it
  • Shopping time: which things people from CIS-countries do not value at home?

etc.

Kindly yours,

Russianladyabroad

Sneaky photographer – Bamberg in Germany

/ russianladyabroad / Leave a comment

Today I would love to share with you a short photo story about a UNESCO city Bamberg in Southern Germany, about 1 hour from Nurnberg and 2 hours from Munich by train. This is an amazing opportunity to spend a day (and a night) enjoying the fleur of the old Germany.

The buildings in the old town were built between 11th and 19th century, therefore the city looks like a cartoon village from Hansel and Gretel. Bamberg was far away from any military point, therefore you will see many original facades. It is not overpopulated by tourists, and after 22 you will find almost no foreigners on the streets. There are an old town, a castle and a monastery open to you in Bamberg.

If you look for a magical experience in an old German city – this is a place to go!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

More information in this video (in German):

Kindly yours,

Russianladyabroad

 

Аптечка переселенца: что взять с собой в Европу и Азию

/ russianladyabroad / Leave a comment

This article is dedicated to Russian medicines, which one can buy without a recepie only in Russia. As the application of such medicines requires good knowledge of the Russian language, there will be no translation of this article for your own safety.

Эта статья вдохновлена подругой, которая выходила замуж во Франции. Её жених отравился в свадебном путешествии, и поиск подходящих медикаментов превратился в ад. Русскоговорящие путешественники часто не учитывают, что сильнодействующие лекарства в большинстве стран ЕС можно купить только по рецепту. Причём сильнодействующий, в понятии европейцев, – любой медикамент, дающий больше, чем просто снятие симптомов.
Безусловно, самолечение – не альтернатива похода к врачу. Но есть ситуации, в которых к врачу попасть сложно. Например, если вы на кемпинге в Баварии. В крохотном домике вдали от цивилизации в Швейцарии. На рынке в Азии, где у вас резко прихватило живот.

Continue reading →