Meeting subjects

I figured what it means to be on the other side me the planet: what we found trivial in Europe these people can argue about hours long and what we would found worthy to discuss they don't even mention.

Detroit

I'm on the i96 sign says Detroit downtown left. The lane was empty...

Meetings

Meetings are funny. I learned there is a huge difference having and attending a meeting. Apparently if you are only attending a meeting you are not supposed to bring up topics nor opening your mouth unless you are not to answer a question asked from you (this is only client side).

Decisions cannot be made without meetings, but meetings make it impossible to make decisions. As said by the client: "The purpose of this meeting is not to make decisions" instead of (obviously what he wanted to say was) That is not the purpose of the meeting to make decisions. Huge difference.

At meetings people talk. This is the way the express how important they are. Even if they say the very same thing rephrased (even more than 10 times buy 10 different people). You don't speak, you are not important. And it is not a problem having a meeting (even though there is time pressure) without business owners or anyone who has any kind of knowledge about the topic to answer even the simplest questions. We'll just put the topic or parking lot, and will have another meeting. Wasting everyone's time and money...

I freaked out the first day after working for like 2 hours... :D

This week

So yeah, I was busy. Meetings all day, an hour before having dinner with the team, after that team discussions till midnight, and the next day getting up early, since the meetings at the client start between 8:30am and 9:00am. I'm exhausted, but this is the last day. I end my week living from a suitcase and I'm going home.

This week however was great. I got to know my colleagues better, I learned a lot about the project, and my role in the whole process is getting more defined. I like those questions: "In your experience, what is your professional opinion on..."

Anyway the project will be interesting even though the client is difficult. Difficult in the meaning that they don't have too much idea what they really want. Anyway this week was fun, even though it was really exhausting.

Language

Colleague: - So was that your last cigarette?
Me: - No f*cking way!
Black lady, driving the hotel shuttle: - Language!

Yepp, I was disciplined by a chauffeur...

Flying first class...

... will make you to never go back to economy again. Wow. Comfortable HUGE seats, great service. It is the steward's pleasure to give you a beer, not even mine! ;) Anyhow, in that way flying 5 hours is not a problem at all. Once everyone should have a chance to experience that! It should be in the constitution!

Soda guy

Every morning when I'm in the gym of the apartment complex where I'm staying running on the ellipse trainer, there is a fat guy coming by. The gym is next to the pool. So is the soda vending machine. Each time he comes with a funny smile on his face to fetch his morning soda. Sits at the pool drinking it, and when he finishes his face turns sad.

Weather

Actually it is a disappointment. I was looking for something really hot. It is California after all! But basically before noon it is always cloudy. After noon the sky turns amazingly blue and the sun shines. It is always about 22-25 degrees (Celsius) and under the sun it feels really nice. In shadows or in the morning or evening it is rather cold.

This doesn't stop however anyone from using their air conditioners all the time. In the office in the car in a restaurant, shop you name it. And it is always turned to the one and only existing level: Alaska / Tornado.

Wow

Monday was my first day in the office. It was great. People were really friendly and nice. It will take a while to remember everyone's name. But people are friendly in general. If you wait on the platform for your train to arrive the person next to you will try to chat with you. Even if you are complete strangers. Now this is something that is far far away from what I got used to. In Hungary if some does so want spare change. In Germany, well, it cannot happen :D

People are sentimental. They like their old stuff. Yesterday I saw people using CRT monitors. I didn't use one for 6-8 years. The cleaning guy had a vacuum cleaner that was at least 40 years old. Looked like the stuff from Tom&Jerry. Kitchen appliances can also be old. Like 20-30 years judge by the look. All of them in great condition. The things that have to be new: car and cellphone. Saving energy and therefore buying newer stuff is not in fashion here.

Like air conditioners. If there is one, it has to be switched on. A/C has two state: Off or North Pole / Tornado. Another way of waste is plastic: plastic cup for drinking water, Styrofoam cup for coffee, plastic disposable coffee stirrers. You could use glass or ceramic cups with spoons... Strange. Coffee is not so saint as in Europe. There all my companies had great coffee with really expensive coffee makers. Here instant. Like everything else. Well it does its stuff, but doesn't taste that good.

Do you know the way to San Jose

So on Sunday we went to San Jose. No big reason, just not to sit at home. And it was only two stops with the Caltrain. A Jazz Festival was going on, but we rather chosen to take a walk in the city. It is beautiful. Sun was shining, but it was not hot, clean street, nice buildings.

We had lunch in a Johnny Rockets diner. It was an experience! The food was great (burger, coke) and so very much :) I felt like having a rock in my stomach in the next 2-3 hours :)

I love old American vehicles, so I was really glad that I met some

And a couple of well known companies have their headquarters here

The streets of San Francisco

Amazing. It is a really beautiful city. Went to visit it on Saturday. Took a walk to the Powell Street cable car turnaround, then took a ride after an hour long waiting. Tourists ;)

Cable car

The city is so European it has electric buses. White and not red unlike in Budapest :)

Electric bus

The sky was amazingly blue, and the hills were really beautiful. Now I understand unlike in my neighborhood why there are no fat people in SF. They have to walk on those hills!

Since we didn't really prepare we just walked around without any destination. We went to the end of line of the cable car to the ocean. Watched how people swimming and kids playing in the sand with only a speedo on while my wife and i freeze to death :) We didn't have the energy to walk to the Golden Gate Bridge, but next time!

The historic tram also seems to be a nice ride:

And finally: not everyone speaks English :D

Everything is BIG and SWEET and LOUD and never expires

Milk 4L, dish liquid 2L, orange juice 4L crazy.

Even tap water is sweet. It has the same taste as bottled water that contains "flavor enhancing minerals"...

People can't speak here. They can shout only. So now I know why there are so many posts on "Overheard in New York" It is far not complicated to overhear anything. People shout on the train, streets, restaurants everywhere.

Things you buy are good for at least a month :)

Walmart

Without car here you are dead. Or at least can't do anything apart from sitting home. I was told that I can call a cab so we went to do some shopping.

Life here seems to be cheap. Cab is - I have the feeling - is cheaper than in Budapest. And Walmart is definitely cheaper then Hungarian Tesco. Our cart was full with food and some extra items we wanted for the apartment and I paid only $120. I think the same amount of stuff at home would cost about 1.5 to 2 times more.

Hungarians are everywhere. 1st day here and there was a couple with a kid at Walmart speaking Hungarian... :)

Shopping there was a real experience. At home isles are dedicated and organised: wines; soda; basic grocery items like flour, sugar salt, rice, spices; beauty care items; household items; electronics; clothes. Well here food is mixed. Basically there are isles, but they are not organised. You find a bunch of junk food items like chips, sugar cakes, instant food, and hidden in between a couple of bag of rice. Or flour. But you have to hunt these items. Unlike junk food. No wonder why Americans are unhealthy and obese. They don't have any other chance. In the freezers we could find some chicken breasts but it was hidden between hamburger patties, ready made food that you have to put in the oven/microwave or you have to deep fry them. And the most interesting thing was: no vegetables and fruits. Not a single peace. But about 100 different kind of soda, candy, cookie etc. I guess we have to find supermarkets with "farmer's marked" in their subtitle :) Crazy.

yummie!

I wanted to buy grounded EU to US AC adapters. The one I got from the company says grounded but I have no idea how they meant it. The US part is grounded but the EU part is flat, so there is no way it is grounded. I asked a lady in the electronics department if they have something like that. She went to check it and came back 5 minutes later that she doesn't have any idea what I would be needing, but they do have a couple of them left on isle 1... Eh? Well they did have power chords :D They just can't say here, sorry no, we don't have any. They say some bullshit, so you might buy something :D Capitalism!!!

Same at Radio Shack. I wanted to buy some pre-paid SIM cards, since roaming is super expensive. I asked the salesman if they have any. He told me they don't sell SIM cards but they do sell phones, and there are SIM cards in them... Facepalm...

Same with the taxi driver. I just told him to get us to the nearest Walmart. When we got out I asked in which town we are, so on the way back I can tell the dispatcher on the phone where to send the cab. Well the response was giving me his direct number and I should call him, he knows where we are... I had to ask again to let him tell us that we are in Mountain View...

The best was the cab driver back (yes it was another one). I asked for a receipt, so I can claim the money back, and he gave me an empty one. I asked him kindly to fill it out :D

This is just crazy. It is sooooo far from the things I got used to.

PS.: The only thing that is not sweet is sugar :) This morning I tried to yogurt we bought. I thought my lips will stick together forever.

First day

A lot happened on Friday too. I went to the office to meet up people. It is about a 15 min walk from the apartment on the other side of the railway tracks. I got my laptop, I was shown around in the office. It was much like in Office Space :) Cubicles... People were really nice. I learned that I don't have to wear fancy clothes. Only rule is not to wear shorts. The office was basically empty. People were at customers and it was rather early (9:30am). I was told that many come in around 10:30. That was also good news.

In the meantime my wife unpacked our suitcases so the apartment now looks more or less as a home :) She discovered that the sink and the dishwasher is leaking. Apartment maintenance came to check things out. Monday we get a new dishwasher and the sink was fixed. Forgot to mention that the latch on the balcony door in the bedroom was broken too. On Monday we have to tell them that as well.

We checked out the pool and the "gym". The pool is great, but the gym basically nothing else but a treadmill, a fitness bike and an ellipse trainer. I will have to look for a gym membership...

My colleagues came by later to bring the stuff I requested and to bring us to open a bank account.

Arrival

Well it was a long trip. More than 15 hours including the transfer (2 hrs) in Frankfurt. Man that airport is dirty! Adventure started in Ferihegy already. It seems anytime I travel to the US something in my bag freaks out airport security. Last time it was my EDT this time it was a USA book under the external HDD. Yeah it seems that these are the items terrorists are using :D Of course just like last time, bags inspected by BUD security can't make it through transfer. So this very bag stayed in FRA. Why not. Fortunately nothing too important was in there, and it was delivered by United the next day.

The flight BUD-FRA was ok, nothing special. Adventure began in FRA :) So first since we couldn't select our seats online, went to the UA check-in desk to modify our seating. Changed to EXIT, yeah. 1.5 meters leg space!!! Boarding was a nightmare. "Unorganised" would not really describe it. Luckily at the check-in desk our passport was controlled and got this little yellow stamp. I have no idea what its purpose might be, but it saved us a bit of trouble at the gate; others had to have their passports inspected and stamped. Loudspeaker at the gate could not be understood neither in English nor in German. So in the end first and business class passengers could board, economy passengers had to form a queue. It was long (the plane was a 747). When it was our turn, one of the gate co-workers started shouting line numbers for people to board; started from behind. Since our was the first line right behind economy plus (already boarded), we boarded the last time. Overhead compartment was huge, leg-space awesome, lavatory not smelly (right next to us), cool.

From the airport to get to Sunnyvale we took a limousine, since our 5 baggage would not fit in a cab. It was a 45 minute ride. The apartment I got from my company is really nice. Fit with all the necessary items and some food to survive a couple of days.

Around 10pm we went to bed. I was exhausted; it was a long day!