My Life - So Far

"Unbounded ambition makes an obscure existence simply impossible for me"
Lucien de Rubempré

Monday, May 21, 2007

Spring VII

Where should I begin my post? Maybe two weeks ago, when an exibition called Polymesse was held at ETH. It's an annual event, where famous and less famous companies present their industry and actually recruit potential experts among us students. Even if I don't even have my Bachelor yet, it's a good opportunity to get a glance at what you will expect after you've got the Master. Besides most of the stands have some chocolates or some other candies as freebie. I went to a very interesting presentation of Nestlé, the world's largest food company, and I talked to several guys of the marketing staff of Unilever.

Two days later we went to another excursion to PanGas, a gas producing company in Dagmersellen/LU. I really enjoyed it, not only because the first thing we did was having coffee and cookies. We did some cryocooking, where you cook with liquid nitrogen whit a temperature of -196°C! Yeah, pretty cold, and I wouldn't put a finger into the bottle... So we made our own ice cream within a few seconds. Why not open the first Cryo-Bar in Zurich?

Last week I only had classes on monday and tuesday so I had plenty of time to do sports. On saturday I even made Sushi and then watched the japanese movie Laputa - Castle in the sky which I first watched in New Zealand together with my japanese friend Shinsuke. Yesterday me and my friends spent half of the day at the Lindli as it was a hot day. I even went to take a bath in the Rhine...
As completion of the day we watched the swiss movie Snow White.
The pictures shows something I discovered on a wall. I don't know what it is but I guess these are some kind of insect eggs.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Spring VI

What a freakin weekend! It actually started already on friday morning when I had to get up at 5:15AM as I had an excursion to Bell AG, the biggest meat manufacturer in Switzerland. We actually saw everything from slaugther to the complete product ready for sale. It was very interesting except of the blood which was everywhere ;-) We even were invited for lunch with the CEO of Bell. Funny, almost everyone eat up the meal which included a piece of meat...
At around 3PM the excursion was over and so I seized the chance to have a coffee at Starbucks at Steinenvorstadt, before I walked back to the mainstation. Then I was invited for a BBQ. But for the first time for weeks it started to rain...
And the rain continued until Saturday where I once again had to get up at 6AM as I had to run 6.2km with a difference in altitude of 420m. It was the same stretch as one year ago and I was even faster as 2006 even though I had the feeling of a perfect race. I needed exactly 33:45 min to get to the top of the Uetliberg. Next years goal is already fixed: Below 30:00 min ;-) !

I went home to sleep a bit and then I once again returned to Zurich, as I went to drink something with a teammember. Then we went to the italian restaurant Santa Lucia at Marktgasse to eat Pizza.

Further that evening we had some drinks at Edi's Weinbar before we went to the SOLA-Party at Uni Irchel. Actually I wanted to get back to Schaffhausen at 10PM but, you know, I didn't made it... Then I decided to get home at 1AM but then they were no trams anymore so I had to walk and time was getting short, so I decided to take the last train at 3AM. I had to dash to the trainstation at Oerlikon cause it was already late. Unfortunately I had run out of money and couldn't pay the nightbonus.

And it happened what had to happen: the conductor came. So I could decide to pay CHF 80.- or disembark at Glattbrugg. I chose the second thing. To my regret, the next train to Schaffhausen should come at 5:15AM... I was alone and the only thing I could do was listen to my iPod which was running out of battery as well... and a particular thank goes to Sophie who supported my by phone during this difficult time!

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Spring V

It's already May 1st. Unbelivable. April was just great! I think it never rained a single day the whole month. And the temperature was about 6 degrees above the average. And so it was time for Ice Cream! I spent more than CHF 50.- for Ice Cream and over 120.- for Coffee last month... Maybe because Starbucks is now selling the marvellous Banana Java Chip Frappuccinos for CHF 8.40 (medium size). Today Perrine and I took a train to Zurich only to have a Frappuccino at the lakefront. Crazy, isn't it? But an elderly woman said what I was thinking: The possibilities are endless, as long as you're young! (and pretty and have plenty of money in your pockets)
She's right...

Another thing about Starbucks. I met my cousin a few days ago and he said he's going to quit his job at Starbucks as it's too hard to balance job and studies. And another fact: I've been at every Starbucks in Zurich except the one at Rindermark and the recently opened store at Sihlcity. But I wouldn't call me addicted... :-)

The weather forecast for saturday predicts rain and right then I once again run for our SOLA-Team. I was training hard the last weeks, been in the gym, biking and jogging and even sprinting again. I feel in shape as I had kind of a nutrition plan (including my ice cream) and I'm prepared for the race!