Guys, I can't believe it, another week has already passed by. Time seems to rush here, although some people complain about the people in Singapore to move incredibly slow all the time. For me, that certainly is not true.
The office renovation is complete now, except some fine tuning everything is set up and running. I have my own desk now! My first desk in a company. I like it a lot, even though it is nothing special in particular - it is just the fact that I made a step in the right direction, and it feels good!
Work was a bitch this week, because I did not procede as fast as I wanted to, and not as fast as expected myself to be. I am very serious about this internship: For me it is an opportunity to proof that I am good, that my abilities in "real life" do not solely depend on my grades in university. I am struggeling with the details of a simple task which is not really simple at all, and I hate it to spend an entire day just researching, trying, achieving nothing, researching again, trying again, and have not proceeded the slightest bit. OK, even my Boss said this task is a pain in the ass (he put it in more decent words, of course), but I told him it would be no problem for me - because I actually thought BACK THEN that it really would be no problem at all! Boy was I wrong.
So I just change strategy. On monday, I will ask the people in the office to help me, whoever is there and looks not completely under stress. OK, that might be not the ultimate criteria: Olaf for example - he had a deal to close in an hour, and still not all details were accepted by the customer, and he took his time to have lunch with us and talk a bit with me. No, he's not stupid, and I am sure he made the deal - he just knows his business, the business that I would like to understand much better in the moment.
Please don't see this posting as a complaint, although I am struggeling with a single task. I just have to write down how important this is to me and that I REALLY want to succeed here.

So I spent another saturday afternoon in the office today, without the desired breakthrough, but I tried, and I try to give my best. Tomorrow, I will take a time out anyway, to refresh and get ready for a good next week.

On the way home I strolled through an bookstore that Anke had recommended to me to be cheaper than the one I used to go to. She was right! I got the 25th anniversary-book from Microsoft, which normally costs 45 USD for 15SGD, just a fraction of the original price. And it is so big, you could seriously workout just by holding it. Reading this book took me to thinking about something else - my future, and the company I would like to work for, or do my next internship with. I'd like to work with another "cool" company... and this is my list at the moment: Bain & Company / Apple.
OK, right, a short list. There are many companies more that I am interested in the moment, but these are right now the coolest I can think of (except for Lufthansa Technik, of course!).
Why? Bain & Company, the Consultants, impress me with their "true north" philosophy. They are growing strongest among their competitors, and I liked the way they presented themselves on campus last autumn a lot. The way of how consultants think and act is fascinating to me, I like the idea of "this is an incredibly complex task, we have no time, so let's get it on!" Consultants have to adopt fast, think fast, and they are able to get involved in important decisions. That is what I want to do. In fact, I got a Bain-Cap at that presentation and wear it often, which leads to a lot of "interesting" comments of fellows and friends. But I don't care. It never is a decision for life, but right now I just like that company a lot and I would give a lot to be given the opportunity to get an internship there. Will not be easy, next to impossible, as I am not among the top performers in university. In exchange, I have a wonderful relationship with Tine and I am involved in a lot of extracurricular activities.
And why Apple? I am curious about their products. They produce by far the coolest computers on earth, for years now, and I would like to get to know how the company behind these products works.

So... now I have bored you with all that plans and work and future and stuff...
you will get to see some pictures from last week tomorrow. Then it will get more interesting again, I promise.

Life is great!