Day 7: The Bed

Hallo!

Today got a bed and can finally sleep in my flat. Branimir helped me to buy it from a big shop, part of IKEA chain of shops. It was very crowded. Obviously it's the most popular place for buying things for home.

Spent around 300 euros for bedframe, matrasses, chair, 2 lamps, 6 hotdogs, 2 cokes, 2 coffees, 2 icecreams, transport to home/food not included :))/.

At first I wanted to buy much more stuff but later decided to concentrate on things of "first need", so that I can start to live in that flat.

At 17 was at home and started to wait the bed to be transported. I even didn't have a chair where to sit :)) No furniture - only nice kitchen and bathroom.




After spending a few hours in assembling the new chair and learning very well the schedule of the buses and trams that stop next to my house/that was the only thing I could do :))/ the delivery came. The man took off the bed and matrasses from the truck, asked me to sign and said he couldn't help me because he was not payed for that and still have much work to do.

Hopefully Anna-Marie/?25-28?/ appeared from somewhere. She said "Good evening" and went upstairs. After a minute or two she came back, looked down from the second floor and asked "Do you need help?". I replied from the parter "Yes, thanks, I do need help but doubt that we two can manage with this :))". /the stairs are so abrupt that I don't see a way how my grandma will climb them when she'll come in summer to visit me :))/.

After talking for a few minutes who was who Anna-Marie said "Shall we sit on the stairs all night?" :)) I said: "Ok. Lets try it. I think it would be easier for you to be 'down'" ... After 20 seconds the matrasses was in my room. "Thanks a lot Anna!".


So far so good. I think I was lucky to get this appartment. I like the sight from it, it's 10 minutes away from office and some other colleagues live next to me. Have to learn how to use the dish washing machine :))



At 20:30 went to the railway station to get the train back to Haarlem. Have you seen so many bicycles in one place :))






At 1 o'clock at night we went to Amsterdam to take Branimir's mother who was coming from Bulgaria. Could'n see anything interesting in night Amsterdam but the car navigation system we used was impressive.

Day 6: Already 1 week!

Good evening!
Lol, one week at Tam Tam! Impressions? I haven't seen such a smiley company :)) and the most important - the man who laughs and makes fun all day is the big boss. It's really good to see him joking and drinking beer with the others after work and finally getting on his killing Porsche and going home :))

I'm very happy I came here. It's really a great experience. "Every minute" I learn something new, maybe later it would change to "every weekend". It's very interesting to talk with colleagues from Portugal, Iran and China :)) The guy from China is called Kwoh-ho. The Portuguese one is Duarte. He was born in Madeira, an island next to Morocco, later moved to Portugal, worked as a teacher in IT, then came in Holland at Tam Tam. The Iranian guy is called Shahin. He spent one year in Baku. Baku? Ups, did you say Baku? /Salam Gulka!/ Yes I did, his father is Azeri and Shahin studied one year in this /as all say/ beautiful city.

I have to solve a wicked bug till next Tuesday. I tought it was only a bug ... but the project appeared to be a big mess. As far as I could see for a week I can proudly say that developers in Bulgaria and BSH are really good. The different thing here is people's attitude towards work in general - all are very calm and polite, work from 8 to 5 and everything seems fine ... although the project might be going wrong.

At 18:00 got the keys from my flat. I like it but there is no furniture in it - tomorrow have to buy a bed, lamps and the so called "starter kit".

Finally, we reached the party. Branimir and colleagues arranged a small party because he is leaving next week. The "unit manager" addressed a short speech, thanked "Brani" for his 1 year stay and gave him a basket full of traditional Dutch stuff - tulips, wooden boots, ceramic windmill, a knife for cheese, Tam Tam cup. Do you need to tell you who smiled most? :))

Day 5: Nothing special

Good evening. Today went to Delft by train and could see the scenery - only grass, sheeps, channels and windmills :))

Finally got some serious task at office.

Tonight's dinner - pizza and beer.


Typical night at Branimir's flat - staying in touch with the rest of the world.

Day 4: Branko's stakes!!!

Today can only talk of the most important thing - Branko's stakes. We all know what a cook his ex room mate is but I didn't expect he could make such a tasty dinner.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

As you can see it's a kind of competition and every day we are getting better. May be tomorrow we'll have Chinese Imperial Chicken. :))

Day 3: That's Holland!

Goedenavond!

Good night! Finally the famous windmills :) I had to come in Holland to understand that these things are not only part of Don Kihot's stories or for making flour/brashno/ BUT for pumping water and preventing from flooding. This one on the photo is an old version :))

Now the traditional bicycles. I think they get on them even before they learn to walk. Is it culture, is it keeping the environment clean, is it for saving money ... don't know but they are crazy about them. I have colleagues who come and go from work with them, overall about 25 km.

At lunch time Branimir and I went to the center of Delft - he to buy medicines, me - prepayed GSM card(by the way my Dutch number is +31624787534).

Can you see people on the square?

All Holland is in channels. I can't understand where they start or finish, who uses them or makes them. There are bridges everywhere that can lift up and a boat passes beneath them.




Our dinner :)) This time I was the cook - some chicken stakes, potatoes and yellow cheese. Cheers!

Day 2: First day at Tam Tam

Hi there! Today Branko came at 6:50(to escape Monday traffic jams) in the morning to drive me to the office for my first working day at Tam Tam. It took us about 40 minutes on the highway to get at Delft. Parked the car and went on the second floor of a nice building. The office is super - 4 shiny big rooms for different departments, a place for lunch, a few toilets, small kitchens and places for discussions. All that separated by glass.

Already my new colleagues knew about me and were smiling and presenting themselves ... and trying to understand what that "Lu .. Lyu .. Lo ... mir" means :)) I could remember a few names. I was surprised Tam Tam had 70 employess.

I had my new workplace and super laptop(DELL 620, Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, 2GB RAM, 80 GB). At 9:13 began the traditional meeting. The big boss Paul started to talk something in Dutch. He gave flowers and a bottle of champagne to a colleague - she is a sprinter and won some race. Then he said "we have a new member and asked me to say something ..." when another colleague added "... in Dutch" and smiled wilily. Branimir warned me before that not to talk in Dutch too early coz it's owngoal :)) but I decided to make some fun and said:

"Hallo."
"Ik heet Lyubomir."
"Aangenaam kennis met u te maken."

... which means "Hello. My name is Lyubomir. I'm very glad to get acquainted with you.". All started to shout and whistle :)) and joked that I already know more Dutch than Branimir :))

Right at 12:00 all rushed to lunch to the big kitchen. You have to be very careful and quick coz someone may take the food from your plate if he/she likes it. It was very strange.

At night Branimir made a traditional Bulgarian dinner. Cheers!
/on the photo our friend Nikola/

Day 1: "Hallo van Nederland!"

Privet. I'm already in The Netherlands. /a big pardon for my Bulgarian fellows that I'm writing in English but this blog will be followed by friends in all Europe - from The Kaspian Sea in the East to the UK in the West/.

So. Holland met me with rainy weather and empty towns. Yes, empty. I came on Sunday and it happened to be a super rest day - no people on the streets, no open shops, no cafes ... only ghosts, Gothic churches and weird black birds :)

I'll sleep one week in Haarlem - a town next to Amsterdam - and travel every morning to Haaga.

Uf, I got very late, have only time to say thanks to Branimir who helped me a lot to start here.

See u tomorrow when I'll put more funny images. Sweet dreams.