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-/.