Germany

Berlin, Oxford & Co. - Some Insights From My “Berlin” Life

(by Laura Kuehn)

Hello, bonjour, Tach och!

Back again! The past 2 weeks were full of traveling, enjoying good  food&music. But have a look yourself!

Have you ever heard about the “Karneval  der Kulturen” (Carneval of cultures) in Kreuzberg? If not, it’s definitely worth a trip! There was delicious food from all over the world, stages with drummers, people dancing around. To make a long story short – it was a unique culinary & multicultural experience!

Speaking of culinary experiences – I really  fell in love with Berlin’s gastronomy. Fresh flavours with cinnamon, anise,  coriander, mint & lime leaves…Simply delicious!

Oxford calling! Felt as if Harry, Hermine, Ron & Co. were about to come by every second. With its lovely and historical colleges and the typical English lawn this lovely town is a  must see when visiting London & its surroundings! 

Aaand lucky me! Already heard a lot about the famous rivalry between Oxford & Cambridge boat races. This weekend I  was in the midst of an Oxford intern boat competition. Really impressive  & fascinating this old aristocratic tradition…

All good things come to an end…This time  from London Heathrow Airport…with this red lady walking in front of me…Perfect snapshot!

With a smile I passed this drink vending machine…Coca-Cola is really omnipresent! :)

Time to move…again!  I have to admit that I have stopped counting how many times I have already done this the past year. But this time I had a very warm welcome. My new “home” for the next 2 months was welcoming me with these gifts and a lovely letter from my landlords.

Finally!!! My first Berlin Döner for this year :) How I missed this! Honestly, if you ever want to fall in love with this simple dish, best chances = Berlin!

Apart from this “gourmet” intermezzo I discovered the best bread I have eaten so far! Really! I bought it in one of the only 2 self-baking bakeries in Berlin. No  pre-prepared dough, all homemade. My favourite: Coriander, anis-spelt bread!

Speaking of homemade!  I finally made my first self-made marmalade.  Strawberry-lime-rosemary :)

Time flies! Next weekend – next trip!

Home is where the “currywurst pommes” is!! The “Ruhrpott”!…and have a look!  My Coca-Cola colleagues in my hometown were as hardworking as we in Berlin & Leipzig…Coca-Cola Life everywhere! 

Weekends are always too short… back to  Berlin. But accompanied by 2 nice food magazines.

Having a relaxing dinner with friends and  trying out new recipe ideas that came to my mind :) Voilà – bruschetta with a sweet potato-goat’s cheese cream pesto  and caramelized salvia/ almond crunch as an entry. Followed by the main dish, a Moroccan coconut, chicken, mint, saffron served with lime-Madeira Bulgur :)

Culinary again! After work-dishes with some friends at “Markthalle 9"

Have you ever been to 5 cities in 2 days?

Well…until now I haven’t either… The menu for the weekend: A marathon!

Berlin - Mülheim an der Ruhr - Stuttgart - Frankfurt - Mainz - Frankfurt - Berlin

3rd train ride for the weekend: Frankfurt! What a lovely day with great weather, a  rhubarb drink, waffles & bagels!

Finally! After a busy but amazing  weekend, tired but happy to could have seen my family & closest friends… on  my way to Berlin.

For a change, the upcoming weeks I will stay away from planes & trains - I promise. Let’s see what Berlin is up to the next weeks!

Coffee break in Cologne

(By Tessa Balg)

The first half of my internship at Deloitte is already over and it seems like time has just flown by due to the many things I have learned, the new people I have met and my awesome team. I used my leisure time to explore Cologne and thus want to show you two favorite places of mine.

If you ever visit Cologne, you can’t miss the Cologne Cathedral, probably the most popular spot in the city. Here you can see it illuminated at night. In the day time, you can also climb the stairs to the top.

As for my favorite place, where you can find me most of my weekends, and one of the most beautiful places in Cologne: The Salon Schmitz, a former butchery where they serve the best Café Latte in Germany and the most delicious Quiches. On the weekend it is so crowded, you hardly get a free spot without reservations.

Bis zum nächsten Mal!

Tessa

The first days - Magenta greetings

Caught in the reintegration phase of my master studies in Bangkok, I was willing to dare another adventure before my study time ends and real life starts. Via an advertisement on Facebook, I took note of the project Blind Applying and was absolutely delighted by this new approach to personal recruitment.

By uploading only your CV, you have the chance to be picked for one of the 21 internships of various employers – scattered all around the world.

In late December I got a phone call from Deutsche Telekom AG where they invited me to an interview for an international internship in the HR department of T-Systems in Chicago. After scanning over 14,000 applications it seemed like my qualifications and Deutsche Telekom’s values and expectations fit perfectly together. I was given the internship offer and for sure - how could I reject this great offer - I agreed!

I started my first days in Germany to gain an insight into the upcoming projects before moving to the U.S. The onboarding days were well organized, I got to know many team members, could get a first impression of all the exciting tasks in my department and also got a feeling for the magenta spirit.

From the very beginning I was exploring an appreciative atmosphere and was integrated in various projects. During my stay in the US I will mainly be charged with the implementation of the global job board in North America.

So I can’t wait the journey to start, just a visit at the U.S. consulate and the positive answer for my visa holds me back from Chicago!

Meet Yoshiki, the Blind Applying champion of Merck

Yoshiki has been studying Chemistry and Management and is now getting ready for his internship in Inhouse Consulting in Darmstadt, Germany.

Which prospect of working at Merck seems the most exciting to you?

I am excited to get an insight of how Merck is developing drugs to fight diseases such as cancer, MS, etc.

You’ve been in a professional swimming club for 10 years. What is your most valuable learning from this activity?

I learned how to deal with failures and how to improve myself constantly for becoming a better swimmer.

Which book/ movie will you take with you?

“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman.

Follow the adventure...