ToT Groningen

My first training course where I went as a participant rather than as the organiser, was a train the trainer's course in Groningen, NL. It was nice to go, both because it means that my boss finally seems to take some interest in providing me with more experience and hence a chance of actually doing some more interesting work and to get somewhere at work, and because I was curious to be in receiving end again. On top of it, I was, as always, excited about seing a new place. Especially since Groningen is a city I would most probably never visit on my own choice. This is something I really like with my work - the fact that it has taken me to places like Skopje, Podgorica, Zagreb, Belgrade, Garmish-Partenkirchen and now Groningen - all places I would probably never think of going to on my own. Well, exception perhaps of Zagreb and Belgrade.

The ToT course went well. There were 11 participants and 2 trainers for a 2.5 days of extremely stuffed schedule, leaving me with a headache at the end which it took me more than 3 days to get rid off (and I hardly ever get headaches!). I learned a lot - both about training but also about myself. Before going I was quite worried about the first day when we had to hold presentations/trainings with the group - something I had never done before (outside of Uni) and which I wasn't that sure that I was able to do.... However, I realised after a few hours that 1) I did indeed manage to hold a training, and with people who some of them were quite experienced trainers already; 2) and that I did it quite well :))

It is always nice with a self-esteem boost :)

As already mentioned, I did manage to find some time on the second evening to walk around first in the city and then in an outdoor festival that was on that week in a park and where there was a mixture of organised concerts, spontaneous small ones, small theatre shows, different kinds of food and all other kind of happenings. I tried to local specilities, although I have forgotten the names now. The first is a kind of tiny pancakes that pop out of the wholes on the first picture - really yummy. The second was ordinary vanilla ice-cream served in a different way between two thin pieces of waffle - this ice-cream was pushed out of plastic tubes that reminded me of sausages... but it was nice was well. Or perhaps this was due to the sugar overload that night ;)

Local food stuff and happenings in pictures:














Other Groningen pics:

Me a globetrotter?

Well although I still haven't set out on my trip around the world (when will this ever happen, when will I manage to put enough money aside to leave, to forget everything and just take off?) this summer I have still been a bit of a globetrotter, if I can say so myself.

Following on a visit to Stockholm as usual during the summer to spend some time with family and friends, and a few weeks back at work in Geneva, I took off for an approximate month of travelling to more or less new places. First on the list was a 3 days visit to Groningen in the North of the Netherlands - the Northern Capital if they may say so themselves. This was a nice and interesting stay, but an exhausting one as I was there for a Train the trainers’ course. Although we spent most of the time with the group, I did have time to walk around a bit on the second night and to see not only the city but also an outdoor festival that was going on that week which was a real nice change to the classroom.

From Groningen, via a train ride to Amsterdam, I then directly flew down to Lisbon to meet up with my love for a day in the city before we took off to the South of Portugal where I had never been before for a 5-day beach-jumping event :), finishing by one day back in the centre for a crab-eating yummy lunch a bit north of Sintra and then back to Geneva for a few days. Although I did not travel myself during a few days, my friend M who lives in Zambia was visiting at this time so my mind went travelling a bit more following all her stories and pictures of her life over there. My friend J who is finishing her position in Angola was visiting just before I went off to Groningen and took me for another Africa mind-travelling event at that time.

And then suddenly, before I had time to unpack my bags really, I realised it was time to pack and leave for 11 days of Paris followed by Beijing. Took the afternoon TGV to Paris to spend two nights and days visiting V who has been living there since April. A great time going for dinner with her in les Marais, walking around together and then by myself, and doing Paris both by day and night before heading off to Charles de Gaulle airport to meet up with my mum, aunt and 3 cousins for a flight to Beijing!! This was the most exotic and exiting trip of the year, although the one to Portugal bestows as many memories. Beijing was just great!! The people nice, the food mostly good, the possibility to see all those things I'd only read about before thrilling - the closest trip to a real world trip that I have made in years.

And do you think this scared me off a future life as a globetrotter? well, except for the huge cockroach we saw in the last evening which scared me off going back for a swim in the hotel's pool although it was the last night so not possible anyway, the answer is a clear big NO! If anything I long even more to pick up my bags and leave!!! Seeing a little bit more of the world only increased my hunger - so the world, watch out, because soon I'll come for real :)) In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy a few more shorter trips to make me survive some more months of work. Next stop Barca to see my dear A, and then a romantic weekend in Budapest.

Although to enable my dream to come true I should probably stop doing all these shorter trips and start saving for the big thing.... soon soon soon...