Last days in Serbia – my learning about business and culture

So here is it. 2 monts are over and I am about to leave Serbia – again with lots of learning and new experience:

Culture

People – nice and helpful. The best is to find smart people who will help you to understand the culture (Thanks a tones Vlada and Sandra)

History – Turks till 19th century. Tito. Milosevic. War in 1999. Murder of prime minister in 2003. Montenegro bye bye from Serbia in referendum last year. Kosovo question – still somebody who does not let Serbian`s sleep.

Kosovo - you still have to have permision to go there. Anyway you would not. Anybody goes there unless they have still some family relatives there. Albanians bought almost everthing during last years and Serbians do not have almost any rights there. It is dangerous for Serbian people to be there, to travel trough Kosovo and as it seems there is no way back to have Kosovo as real part of Serbia.

Sea. Serbia "lost" sea by "loosing" Montenegro. Nobody cares. Opusteno.

Living standards. Nobody cares. Yet. People are happy to work and earn money – 300 – 500 Eur – normal salary. Renting a flat in 300 000 city – 200 eur. People will start to take care about living standard in about 5-10 years I think. Today it is enough just to go to the work, back, sometimes out to kafanas and bars and sleep during the weekend. And have summer holiday.

Kafana – best place in the evening. Outside, live band music that everybody knows.
Environment – lets talk about something somebody built in the past and now nobody cares so much.

Sport – Tenis in time of US open (my honour to Serbian players)

Serbia is in Balkan and those of you who know Balkan have to love it. Relax, no hurry. Exactly this is mirrored also in business.

Business (case of the big company)

• Still mind of “state-owned company” even it was privatized – you CAN leave at 4pm. There is NOBODY staying after 4.
• To make a list of customers (kind of CRM) or to have HR department is luxury – does not bring a money so why to have it?
• Things are more promised then delivered (“you can not say NO to customer” attitude)
• If company is not known – not easy to cooperate with potential customers without previous experience of some of their friends
• Aluminum business – hard but potential for the future
• You can not sell without knowing and trusting the product you sell (invest your time into get to know every small detail of product you will be selling and build the trust into the product first)
  
  THANK you SERBIA, NISSAL and AIESEC in NIS for making my life richer!

Moravska svatba

S ocakavanim moravskej svatby sme sa uz 24. augusta vydali do Buchlovic. Ako to byva so silvestrovskymi prednocami aj my sme dali zabrat piatku pred svadobnou sobotou. Toz rum a vajecny konak za 15 – padlo 30 panakov (prvych 20 pre Milu a Standu – gratulace).

Mila si v sobotu zahral falosnu nevestu, rano padlo uz par panakov 28-rocnej slivovice a mohlo sa nastupit na svadobny obrad do Buchlovickeho zamku. Po 20 minutach sa vsetci este nestihli spamat z posobivej basne sledny prednasatelky a uz boli Kubickovi svoji. Do siene sa hrnul dalsi svatobny par a 120 hosti mohlo zasa z chladnej, obcas detskym krikom ruseneho ticha obradnej siene na horuci vzduch.

Tradicie ako unasanie nevesty, hadzanie kyticou

alebo polnocne cepcenie nevesty neprebehlo, ale rozbitie taniera, prvy tanec a prejedanie a prepijanie nechybalo.

Nasledujuci vecer sme este travili kostovkou vina u nevestinho oca. Kto to kedy videl, chlastat 3 dni po sebe a nie je vam z toho zle!Hold kvalita moravskeho vinka a slivovicky na vlastnej kozi potvrdena ;).

Oslava 30tky

Tento rok uz tretia, este ma caka 4. – trochu nepomer k mojmu veku (nenadarmo som vzdy najmladsia na kazdej z poslednych oslav), ale na moje prekvapenie ani starsia generacia nezaostava v divokosti oslav. Len viac ludi prinesie cosi na jedenie, pitie, jednoducho viac organizovane ako oslavy 20tok :).

Party na domceku, sobotne odpoludnie, pivo, vino, gril, sauna, hudba. A ze ste neplanovali kupat sa v bazene? Tak ja som tam skoncila hned 2x – ano, to na dne bazena su slnecne bryle najdene rano po akcii (sorry Mirdo). A akcia sa nezaobisla ani bez zranenia – Radek pri pokuse utopit dalsiu obet rozdrtil sklo na dverach. Suma: 8 cm jazva na predklati, 2 cm do hlbky, 10 stichov. O 2 dni odchadza na mesiac do Pakistanu – poucenie: hold radsej morky ako zraneny.

Cesky raj za 1 den - priklad ceskej turistiky?

Ceska priroda ala Cesky raj cast Sedmihorky v jednom dni...turistov ako na Vaclavaku, cesticky znacene pekne, naucny nenarocny chodnik, trochu sa to tam olupuje - to bude asi tym, ze to je piestkovec. Hospudka s pivkom, kofolou a klobaskou na ceste.Pekne...pre rodinu s malymi detmi a 30tnikov, ktori si potrebuju zaskakat na skalach mimo trasy ;) (uz viem, preco zahuci tak vela ceskych turistov v Tatrach - v backurkach sa kazda trasa hold zdolat neda ;))).

Na Kralovej Holi, stoji strom zeleny?

IMAGINE: 2 mesiace na praxi a z toho povinne 2 tyzdne celozavodna dovolenka! - no nemam ja stastie? (nie, ze by tie 2 tyzdne urcite priniesli learningu kopu, ale predsa len, oddych je fajn).

Tak som sa rozhodla stravit tieto 2 tyzdne mojej dovci chodenim po mojej rodnej hrudi, oslavach, svatbach a pod.

Prvy tyzden vyzeral nasledovne: Svica - rozlucka so slobodou Tomasa Kubicka a Peti Belovskej v Brestku za ucasti 150 ludi, fajnej moravskej slivovicky, vinka, cimbalovky a futbalu - prvykrat sme mali moznost dozvediet sa vsetky info cez web pripraveny mladym parom - vychytavka,co? Mrknite na: tomasapetra.tym.cz

Po riadnom dospani sme s Milou uz nabrali smer Kralova Hola - zdolany po 3,5 hodinach z Telgartu po zelenej(hold vela malin po ceste si ubralo svoju pol hodinku). Ako sa v piesni spieva: "Na Kralovej holi stoji strom zeleny...." tak ako vidite z fotky ziadny sa tam nenaklana. Vo vrcholovej knihe to dokonca jeden cesky turista pekne opisal: "Tak jsme se sem konecne vydrapali, ale ten zeleny strom, co jste nam slibovali, ten jsme nikde nenasli...pekne jste nas oje....Alebo druhy komentar, ktory suvisi s castou zmenou pocasia na vrchole: "Chystal som sa sem tak dlho, az som sa sem konecne vystveral a ked uz som konecne tu, tak hovno vidim"....hold pocasie praje pripravenym a tak sme i my zazili na vrchole mensiu burku, ale v bundickach nam to nevadilo a tak sme mali neruseny zostup dolu po cervenej. Nase auto malo vsetky 4 kolesa a tak sa nepotvrdili varovania mojho otca - pozor na "ciernavu" v juhoslovenskych dedinach, ani nevies a koleso mas prec. Takze odporucanie: Slovaci (najma ti zo social club) su este stale bohabojni - parkujte pri kostole ;).

Na dalsi den sme robili velke NIC -uf, tak to je umenie, vam poviem.A tak sme uzivali chalupku po mojom pradedkovi v Tisovci, kde sme ponachadzali knihy z roku 1846 - ked sa dostane do ruk takyto material - o zabavu postarane ;).

Na to nasledoval pochod Zadielskou Tiesnavou, prehliadkou hradu Krasna Horka, vecerou v miestnej kolibke a prezretim Gombaseckej jaskyne.

Cestou nazad sme navstivili i slecnu Kovacovu, ktora sa "ekonomicky efektivne" pripravuje na zdolanie statnic z verejnej ekonomie (rozumej: no co by som si 4 tyzdne minal, ked to zvladnem i za 2 ;).

A vikend uz sme travili na "sefikovej" svatbe - byvaly Milov sef David Everest Fojtik sa konecne v 35 rokoch zeni - 130 ludi oslavovalo tuto udalost vo ValMeze.

Most asked questions about Slovakia and Czech Republic...

By preparation for the internship you think you do not have to do one thing. Know more about your own country. I realized how I am bad about these things. So whoever is going whereever please be prepared for these kind of questions:

* What are the best products from your country?
** What are the biggest check and slovak companies (without international element)
*** Why your countries were divided without referendum?
**** Why are you not still in Schenhgen?
***** What is your religion?
****** Have you been som abroad? (min. 45% of serbian students were never abroad)

Perlicky na zaver:
** Which czech brands you have in cigarets market?
* How many letter you have in your alphabet? That many? - why you have "ova" in the end of every girls name? What you have long a, e, i, o....

Some of AHA moments in Serbia

So, here they are - cultural challenges even in Serbia for me:

*** put your bag on the floor and you will be always asked to put it on the chair. Reason: bag on the floor means no money for you ;)

*** NIS has no bus schedule. My bus to work goes every 20 min - I already learned this. But no bus schedule was big surprise for me in India and here I was told: Hey, Eva, you are not in Beograde, come on! (...or Serbians are so environment friendly so they do not print bus schedules to protect the nature;)

*** every beginning of the news is about entering of Serbia to EU or Kosovo - first news are similiar to Slovak or Czech news some years ago ;)...I told them: after you join EU, all of the talks will be about EURO ;)

*** Serbians won FIBA ;)

Working in NISSAL...

So, here I work. For 2 months, till 10th of September. NISSAL - the largest company and leader in production of aluminium and aluminium alloys. Yes, exactly - whole week I had to learn what it means, that AW2007= AlCuMgPb, that there is big competition in business of profiles, market with bars is stable. Bars, tubes, extruders, alloys...what a business man.Interesting though. I am first intern in the company. Only foreigner among 600 employees. Working from 10am - 4pm - what a time in comp. with MCP`s 12 hours (I am even having time for swimming in the morning now!)

I am working in Export Department. With other 4 colleagues. My job is to expand market of aluminium profiles to Czech Republic and Slovakia and to find potential dealers....of aluminium scrap. Little bit of pricing and feedback of selling materials. Even it is similiar to TN selling I am learning everything from the beginning. Once you learn how business is working in aluminium you will know how to deal with any business (use to say my colleagues) This is the Export manager Tamara.

Visiting Beograde...

2,5 milion people city. In last 2070 years 40 times bombarded. 2 big rivers, no metro. Rolling Stones concert - 50 000 visitors, 14.7.2007.

My view of Beograde (Belgrade in english). Depends: If you have people to lead you trough really nice parts or if you just travel across the city to Macedonia....

I had the luck to have Vlada and Sandra - MCPs from Nis as great guides - we visited ZOO, some parks and old town of the city on the other side of the river (while I was listening to stories about Balkan culture, conflicts and stories from near history - so important for me to understand all of the things happening here...from some point of view.

Living and eating in Nis...

The most 2 important things for the beginning of every internship - Living and eating.

Living. Whole flat only for me in almost biggest building in 300 000-people-city Nis. 17th floor. Great view, owner is not there for 97.5% of the time. Serbian channels only - does not matter. Many ants - does not matter. After 4 years I AM LIVING ALONE. Enjoying it a lot, too much sometimes (it means sleeping during afternoon and reading book - finaly I can read non-HR-or-Balanced Scorecared-connected book ;) - Segal: Gentlemen from Harward).

And here is the view from my balcony:

Eating. Burek and Pita - you have to come and try this! Oh man especially with joghurt!

Plazma - similar to piskoty but more cool ;). Pleskavica (no clue about spelling) - proclimed as "better hamburger", actually ham part. Lot of meet.

Coming to Serbia

My first 7 days in Serbia. Highlights of the week: visit of Belegrade, lost in the city, company introduction and visit of the factory. Here is the story of the Beginning:

I came to Beograde at half past 4 am (2,5 h earlier than scheduled). After a moment I switch on the mobile (saving battery during the trip) message from Vlada - current Serbian MCP appeared: 3.31 am: Hey, where are you now? Have you already entered Serbia? Check this with the bus driver, buses are usualy coming earlier... Who ho and here is it, 2,5 hours, EXTRA ULTRA EARLIER. But after waiting of 1 hour hero Vlada appeared and rescued me from sitting on the corner of the path at the Belgrade`s bus station, watching 50 of taxi drivers trying to catch some of people coming from buses which came earlier than scheduled.

After amazing tour with my tour guide trough Belegrade (see pictures soon) I catch the bus to Nis. My AHA moment here: you have to pay 1 eur only to enter the bus station (+ ticket of course) - for every trip + 30 eur, imagine to go only to some near village 8-/.