Praktikum in Köln 2023

He said me haffi work, work,  work, work, work, work Before showing up in Cologne I had very little idea about my tasks at the company. On arrival, I got the idea that   this is going to be some proper internship.  While still in Finland we had a teams meeting with the people from Actemium .  They company  finds it important for the whole team to meet possible additions before any decisions are made. Although I don't know what could I have done to mess it up.  They didn't really ask much, mostly everybody introduced themselves and told what falls under their responsibilities at Actemium. We agreed to figure out all the details, like my tasks after I got to Cologne.  Meeting up with the team was a good idea, I'd recommend doing it if you get a chance. It was nice to have some kind of idea of where I was going and who else might be there.  Oh, let's set the mood for this post. Thank you Rihanna! Jürgen from the German school arranging the internship...

Sunday Blues  It's Sunday and my first night in the city. Tons of people go to restaurants and bars but the supermarkets are closed. All of them.  I can be a bit of a bullhead sometimes but even my determination was put to test. I don't even know why I was so decided on finding a store since I don't really enjoy cooking. And eating the outcome is normally even less enjoyable.  This time my determination was rewarded though. I found a BALKAN SHOP that Google promised would be open until 8pm. And dude maaan this thing was right for once!  Elena from Bosnia takes care of the shop while her sons run a CEVAPI RESTAURANT next door. I was almost crying, it's been so long since I've been in touch with these people and music and food and that atmosphere. It's something special.  Bosnia is one of my favorite places on this earth. I can't believe the luck of walking into a tiny Sarajevo in the middle of Cologne by accident.  I didn't even eat because of my relent...

The big travel day VOL 2 Here’s a travel song to find the right mood for reading this post. I don’t want any trouble so got to mention I don’t own this. Willie, are we cool? In Tallinn I headed straight to a hostel in the city,  LAI 22  where a friend has been working for a while now. After ditching the backpack we went for a walk by the sea and enjoyed a lovely cup of the cheapest coffee we could find at a gas station. In Estonia, the previously abandoned areas have been taken back into use. The prison  PATAREI  close to the center is now a museum. Makes sense in my opinion to sell tickets to the area instead of throwing money at trying to keep people out.  LINNAHALL  is an ex-Olympic hall close to the harbor and is now used by families for walks, kids for breaking and spraying things, bigger kids for taking photos of cars owned by their dads, and some businesses as a more memorable location.  I wouldn't skip lunch at the  KOMPRESSOR  if the...

The big travel day VOL 1 I used to love airports as a kid. Now there's nothing that could make me go into one, except for a strict time limit between the agreed start date of the trip and the beginning of the internship.  If I was to do this again, I'd leave more time for getting settled before starting work.  However busy it would be while packing and arranging things at home I think I'd prefer that over trying to get to the destination in a hurry.  It is a shame to leave my personal trainer (in the pics) and all the others but at the same time I'm ready to get going. The best part of leaving is that you get to come back. Masterplan The plan is to go to Tallinn by ferry, take a flight from there through Riga to Frankfurt, and then a train to Cologne.  I'm not sure what my problem is, but I have to wait until the last possible minute so I can start packing.  Normally that means some poor choices I regret later. Doesn't matter how many times  I'm packing at ...