Today was my first day of work. I’m not sure what happened overnight, but the clear skies went away and it decided to pour most of the day. Rain, rain, and more rain. We left for work around 8:45am, and by the time we had made the 15 minute walk to work, I was rather wet. It was perhaps good that we showed up early. We had enough time before our 9:30am appointment for my pants to dry. Dry pants are preferred on the first day.
After showing up to the front desk of a GIANT glass building in FIZ (Research and Innovation Center), we were greeted by our supervisor. It was good to finally meet the man we’d been in contact with for the past five months. He was very laid back and well spoken of by his colleagues. He brought us father into the building and showed us first where the food was and then where everything else was. Priorities are well in order here. Haha! The building is very impressive. It reminds me of something from the Jetsons or Star Trek! It had a very futuristic and ultra-modern feel. Glass doors slip open diagonally with the swipe of an ID badge. A central tower stood in the middle of a hub or outer offices. This was the brain of BMW. This is where the innovations are birthed and new products tested. Our supervisor explained where various departments of research resided, but I was pretty lost in the gravity of the atmosphere. Slimming business suits were worn by the management and darkly died jeans and corduroy by the engineers and researchers. Everyone seemed to be carrying around a cup of steaming coffee as they moved about the main floor like ants in a giant anthill. These were no worker ants though… they were very friendly and the culture appeared to be young, energetic, and embracing. On the ground floor were interesting conveniences for workers. There was a clothing and merchandise store, an I.D. center, a fitness center, a doctor’s office, and a car dealership where employees could buy their own BMWs. What?!? I thought Honda had a good spread. That was until seeing this small park of the entire plant! I CANNOT wait to see more! They informed us that we would possibly receive a free plant tour later in our co-op term.
After our initial showing, we were instructed to begin the paperwork. “Do what you need to do,” were the exact words of our supervisor. This included apartment leases, work contracts, citizen registration, work permits for immigrants, tax cards, tax confirmation, and I.D. badges. These all need to be done in a specific order in offices across Munich which are NOT close to each other. Talk about frustrating... I think a little more prep work on this bureaucratic nightmare would have done me well. In any case, I have it figured out now… I think. The Anmeldung office (citizenship registration office) was closed at noon today, so we’ll have to do that and the other paperwork tomorrow. I’m praying there are no hang-ups. These are fairly important for completion.
When we got back from attempting to complete all this paperwork, we were further shown the research labs where we would be working. Basically, we’ll be placing sensors on cars and observing what certain vibrations or impulses do the chassis, frame, and car panels. They had cars in this lab that weren’t even in public’s eye yet. AHH!!! This is going to be sweet! I didn’t understand most of the technical stuff, but the main purpose of this co-op is to observe and learn. I will be doing both.
We went to lunch with fellow lab workers. Most of them were interns as well. They were very welcoming and they introduced us to the largest cafeteria I’ve ever seen. Two floors of every type of food imaginable. We uploaded cash onto our ID badges and simply waved them past a machine to pay for the meal. Snitzel for me! We spent an hour at lunch and then the next 20 minutes drinking coffee in a separate café. They were not kidding about that 1.5 hour lunch break that Germans take! After eating, we went back to the department for some more instruction and explanation of the work done there. Our second supervisor then dismissed us early since we still needed to fill out certain papers before officially starting. Overall, the first day at work was awesome! …rain and paperwork aside.
Upon returning home, I decided I needed stuff for my dorm-like apartment. I made my way out to a local Flohmarkt (flee market / second hand shop) to purchase dishes and silverware. I struck gold! This is the way to go in Germany! I went to a regular mall at first and immediately decided… not for me. No, I will not spend 15 Euros on two plates… thank you very much. This Flohmarkt had cheap items that were about ten times more valuable (in my mind). Guess how much I spent on this antique dish set and metal cups?? Note the detail on the cups (I think I’ll call them goblets!)…
Five Euros! …and with a few other compulsory items, the bill for my new kitchen set was 15 Euros! I only need a pot and pan now. They lady at the counter was also very friendly. We chatted about living in Germany (she doubled checked the dates for Oktoberfest to make sure I would attend), and spoke in both English and German. She liked talking in English, because she wanted to keep her skills sharp. I’ll be checking out more of these Flohmarkts for future shopping. After this, I was able to make a trip to Pennymarkt for food-stuffs. Finally… affordable food! I went home and immediately made a sandwich. Yes!
So… food is squared away. Kitchen supplies are, for the most part, purchased. AND I was able to purchase internet from a fellow floor-mate for a fair price. I’m now officially connected. A lot went down today, so I’m wiped out. I can’t wait until this weekend and all of these small details are out of the way. I could maybe then think about some actual engineering… that’s why I’m here right? …right?? Well, maybe there is more to it that just that. It will be a great 5 months.
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