{"id":1639,"date":"2011-05-16T08:53:51","date_gmt":"2011-05-16T15:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rayivey.com\/wordpress\/?p=1639"},"modified":"2011-05-16T08:53:51","modified_gmt":"2011-05-16T15:53:51","slug":"spring-forward-day-58","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.rayivey.com\/wordpress\/spring-forward-day-58\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"rss\"<\/a>\"instagram\"<\/a>

<\/a>Munich
\nMay 9, 2011\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Back in beautiful Munich!\u00a0 This is the last destination on my trip that I have been to before.\u00a0 I was here in 2006 for three weeks when I was doing an earlier project for this same client.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Peace Angel at sunset.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite the internet problems, it\u2019s nice that the hotel is just a ten minute walk from the office.\u00a0 This is a huge improvement over last time, when it was a walk, a subway ride, then another walk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also been a lot of turnover in the Munich office as well, even though it\u2019s the same facilities as the last time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\/\/\/<\/p>\n

I\u2019m frequently astonished at what employees will tell a contractor.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be having lunch with someone and they\u2019ll just start confiding in me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mind, but I think the risk they take when they do this is breathtaking.\u00a0 They don\u2019t know me!\u00a0 They don\u2019t know that I\u2019ll keep my mouth shut.\u00a0 It\u2019s just their dumb luck that I actually will<\/em> keep the things they say in confidence.\u00a0 But if I was a reckless asshole I could cause some real damage.<\/p>\n

\/\/\/<\/p>\n

One of my colleagues from the Brussels office is in Munich this week to help us, and it was good to see him again.\u00a0 We had a very nice Italian dinner that basically took all night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Going to dinner in Europe is a very, very, VERY different activity from going to dinner in the States.\u00a0\"boards\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In America, going to dinner is frequently the first<\/em> part of an evening.\u00a0 You eat, then you go to a movie, or a good hanging.\u00a0 Or it\u2019s something to do because work is done and you\u2019re hungry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Europe going to dinner is<\/em> your evening.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The entire vibe of meals in restaurants in Europe is very different than in the States.\u00a0 The service is much more passive.\u00a0 There\u2019s none of that, \u201cHi, I\u2019m Tamerlane, and I\u2019ll be your server tonight, \u201d crap.\u00a0 On the other hand, the staff at every restaurant here seems to assume that you have all day or night to complete your meal.\u00a0 They seem utterly uninterested in \u201cturning the table.\u201d\u00a0 This is nice ifyou really do have all the time in the world; a bit frustrating if you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"head\"<\/a>So, while I enjoyed our three hour dinner, by the time I got back to my room it was so late and I was so tired I just read a bit and conked out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Things Clients Have Confided in Me Over The Years[1]<\/a><\/h4>\n