Well I am finishing 1 week in Tallinn, Estonia.  By far one of my favorites in Eastern Europe.  It is so cute here!  YOu have to vacation here and check out the amazing old town that is a wole city behind a wall.  Amazing churches, history and the view of the Baltic Sea!  I have spent much time with the Estinian Microsoft Team which is a great group of folks doing so much with very few people.  My hostess Ulle was wonderful and tried to teach me lots.  I experienced an amazing old town Estonian Dinner which was very cool with old spiced wine and a German drunken Pork in Beer. it was delicious.  As I have said in previous Blogs I feel like I am in Kindergarden all over again just absorbing so much information.  Each day I learn something new!  We had an amazing view from the lounge on the 24th floor of the Radisson SAS.  After many late nights of work, sorry for putting you through the ringer Ulle, we are going to enjoy some Estonian Jazz Music tonight. 

 

So we didn't get to Estonian Jazz but had a great dinner and fun conversation with the EPG Lead Kasper and Ulle.  I have to say I really love Estonia and I love the team.  I am looking forward to coming back with my husband this summer.  You will get a hoot out of the bathroom night- see my picture and you will see what I mean.  Even a sign on how to go to the toliet!  Check out my pictures of Estonia in my albums. 

 

 

So after 3 months our Munich Apartment is finally home.  Our rental furniture was removed on Wednesday and then our new kitchen was installed on Thursday.  Then our sea shipment was suppose to come on Friday but got delayed till Saturday.  Long story and I will spare you the details.  The good thing that came from all the drama is the moving company- STERLING (outstandng group if you are a MS employee moving to Germany, I would definately ask to have them!!)  ended up building all of our furniture and helped us put everything away.  We were able to get the whole apartment unpacked and organzied in 9.5 hours.  Of-course I had some organization to do today but that was completed in 3 hours!  One of the fastest moves we have ever had! The team was great, efficent, clean, nice, helpful and fun to be around!  Check out the pictures of our new pad in my album.

 

We will have our house warming party next Saturday.  Excited to finally have a place to call home!  See pictures in my album below is the living room

 

So I had an opportunity to head to Barcelona for Microsoft's IT Forum.  It was my first IT Forum ever and WOW it is an impressive event!  I had a great time meeting with our key Press from Central Eastern Europe Region and having dinner with the customers and partners from Romania.  If you get a chance I highly recommend this conference. 

 

So after IT Form I had a chance to spend some time with husband and enjoy Barcelona!  I would love to live in Barcelona for a time!  So suggestion for a great hotel in a great location.  It is nice small 3 star hotel called Hotel 10 Montcada on Via Laietana.  We had room 803, I would request it!  It is on the top floor and a view directly of the cathedral.  On the 9th floor is a terrace, hot tub, sauane and a bar- with tiny gym.  It was beautiful.  Breakfast is included and the roomrate is only $129.00. 

 

We saw a lot of Guadi, Picasso and had lots of Sangria.  Check out my album- Barcelona for more pictures. 

 

This month we also attended our first German Wedding.  My co-worker Werner got married.  It was a beautiful location out near the Alps and it snowed!  Check-out the pictures in my album-Werner's Wedding.  It was very German in a nice room in the courthouse with a huge desk and the person read the contract, exchanged short vowes and then it was time for the party!  The party location was amazing and the food was scrumptious!  It was a fun event and we felt very fortunate to be invited after only knowing Werner for 3 months. 

 

Well we have had a busy November.  We watched our first Bayern Munchen Soccer Game since we lived here.  We went to a game in 2003 in the old stadium but the new stadium is huge!  Somehow we got on the Bolton U-bahn and got to spend 30 minutes with our closely UK friends yelling chants and listening to drunk Bristish Soccer Fights Songs.  I will never forget this one... 10 Germany bombers come flying by and Bolton shot them down, shot them down, shot them down....

 

Once at the stadium we filed out like cows in a herd.  It was crazy this must be what a school of fish feel like.  As we finally reached the stadium we were joined by 60,000 of our closest German friends and 10,000 loud screaming Brits who were louder than the Germans.  Like good Germans we went to go get our Beer and Brauts but of-course we should have known you need to have your Bayern Munchen Stadium card.  You have to go to a special place on the first floor and load the card with cash then you can purchase in the stands.  So no beer and brauts for our first game we were too lazy to head down 3 flights of stairs and search for it and miss the game.   Of-course Bayern Munchen was ahead all of the game until the end where Bolton tied it up 2-2. 

 

Afterwards it was time tohead back home on the U-bahn.  Imagine the scene when 40,000 of your closest friends also taking the U-bahn and everyone is leaving at the same time; with only 20,000 taking buses, cars and other transportation.  It was crazy!!  madness! So we decided to go the opposite direction two stops and go have a beer and dinner.  Once we were done it was nice a quite and we got home easily.  Check out the soccer photo album for some shots of our great night.

 

We look forward to our next game and next experience.  The next blog will tell you all about our first German Wedding, our trip to Barelona and finally moving into our apartment with our sea shipment finally arriving!

 

 

 

So I have executed my first German Lesson and this week will be my second class.  So all I can say is my tongue just doesn't like to make some of the sounds required in the German language.  I also forgot why I am a Math/Science brain and not a language brain.  So as you travel to Munich some important sayings to learn, that I have learned so far:

 

Guten Morgen- Good morning

Danke- thanks

bitte- please

Kaffe- coffe

bier- beer

rot wein0 red wine

weiss wine- white wine

Ich heisse -My name is...

Buchstabieren Sie, Bitte- can you spell please

Woher Kommt- where do you come from

Ihre addresse?- what's your address

 

and then of course your numbers:

0- null

1- eins

2- zweu

3- drei

4- vier

5- funf

6- sechs

7- sieben

8- acht

9- neun

10- zehn

 

There is your first lesson.  I will be back later this week with lesson two for you.