- The highest percentage of workforce working by telecommuting (working from home) is in the US - 24.6%. On average in Europe, it's 13%. However, the Netherlands is an exception - here 26.4% of people work by telecommuting.
- It's the world's third most densely populated country (after Pakistan and ???)
Monday, 24 November 2008
Curious Facts about the Netherlands
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Adidas CFO Guest Lecture
Today was the first time in my life to shake hands and have a personal discussion with a top manager of a large multinational corporation - Chief Financial Officer of Adidas Group AG was giving a lecture for Master students of the university. Don't ask me how come I was there although I'm not a master student:-)
Did you know that up to now Adidas has been opening 2-3 new retail stores in Russia EVERY WEEK? Did you know that the company has been experiencing double-digit profit growth in the last decade? Impressive, right? Guys are doing their job excellently.
One of the advice that the CFO gave me on how to reach success was being flexible and internationally oriented, developing your communication skills.
Besides the CFO, we could talk to the head of HR department of Adidas Group The Netherlands, and get to know that "nothing's impossible" (Adidas' slogan) within the company.
Although it's tough time now with upcoming exams and a lot needs to be done within strict time constraints, I am exceedingly glad with today's experience.
Did you know that up to now Adidas has been opening 2-3 new retail stores in Russia EVERY WEEK? Did you know that the company has been experiencing double-digit profit growth in the last decade? Impressive, right? Guys are doing their job excellently.
One of the advice that the CFO gave me on how to reach success was being flexible and internationally oriented, developing your communication skills.
Besides the CFO, we could talk to the head of HR department of Adidas Group The Netherlands, and get to know that "nothing's impossible" (Adidas' slogan) within the company.
Although it's tough time now with upcoming exams and a lot needs to be done within strict time constraints, I am exceedingly glad with today's experience.
Monday, 27 October 2008
The Inspirational Seminar
Today something great happened in my life...
I shook hands with a person who has been on North, South and both magnetic poles of the Earth. I have been given advice by a man owning three Ferrari's, two Lamborgini's and second biggest footwear company in the world. I have been impressed by a Dutch woman running the most powerful publishing house in Russia.
All these incredible things happened due to my chance to attend Enterpreneurial Seminar - one of the events in frames of Star Management Week at the University.
As you has probably guessed, at the seminar, we had a bunch of outstanding people giving speeches - sharing their experience, advice and inspiration with us. Above, you can see just a part of the achievements of some of them.
Unfortunately, I was forced to skip a couple of lectures to be able to attend the event. However, there's no room for regret. Apparently, advice of such people carries much more credibility rather this of academicians and researches we normally have as lecturers. One of my study-mates compared the impact and usefullness of this single seminar to a whole year at college. Needless to say that his assumption holds water.
The impact produced by the Enterpreneurial Seminar was beyond any expectations. I have been inspired by those people to the utmost meaning of this word. My ambition, purposefullness and passion have been fueled for months, if not years, to come.
This is one of the things I like so much about my University - the brilliant opportunity to meet face-to-face the strong of this world, those minds and hearts who make a true difference on the planet.
Now, I am looking forward to the Academic Conference, which is due to be the day after tomorrow, where we will be able to see even more outstanding people.
P.S. Shit, still 12 min beyond schedule!=) But I'm making progress!
I shook hands with a person who has been on North, South and both magnetic poles of the Earth. I have been given advice by a man owning three Ferrari's, two Lamborgini's and second biggest footwear company in the world. I have been impressed by a Dutch woman running the most powerful publishing house in Russia.
All these incredible things happened due to my chance to attend Enterpreneurial Seminar - one of the events in frames of Star Management Week at the University.
As you has probably guessed, at the seminar, we had a bunch of outstanding people giving speeches - sharing their experience, advice and inspiration with us. Above, you can see just a part of the achievements of some of them.
Unfortunately, I was forced to skip a couple of lectures to be able to attend the event. However, there's no room for regret. Apparently, advice of such people carries much more credibility rather this of academicians and researches we normally have as lecturers. One of my study-mates compared the impact and usefullness of this single seminar to a whole year at college. Needless to say that his assumption holds water.
The impact produced by the Enterpreneurial Seminar was beyond any expectations. I have been inspired by those people to the utmost meaning of this word. My ambition, purposefullness and passion have been fueled for months, if not years, to come.
This is one of the things I like so much about my University - the brilliant opportunity to meet face-to-face the strong of this world, those minds and hearts who make a true difference on the planet.
Now, I am looking forward to the Academic Conference, which is due to be the day after tomorrow, where we will be able to see even more outstanding people.
P.S. Shit, still 12 min beyond schedule!=) But I'm making progress!
Friday, 24 October 2008
The Dutch Stuff
There are three most horrible things in the Netherlands: the weather, the language and biking when it's raining and windy like hell.
The weather. You never, ever, ever know what it's going to be like. In fact, weather forecast in the Netherlands doesn't make much sense. It changes literally within minutes. The most remarkable time to witness it was when we were going from one lecture to another, and we had to go through one of the campus buildings. On the slowest pace, it takes no more than 15 seconds. As we were entering the building, it was drizzling - those 15 seconds were enough for the drizzle to vanish comlpetely.
The language. The most prevalent sound in Dutch is "g". In order to pronounce it, you need to imagine as if you were going to spit, and breath out sharply. Sounds good, hé?:-) And it sounds even better when it's repeated several times in one word, and when it's pronounced by a good-looking girl.
Biking is much fun. Saves time and money, and makes you much more flexible. However, when you are taken aback by severe rain and wind on the go, you would prefer taking the most shity tram with 102 sweaty miners inside to gradually getting soaked to the skin and helplessly struggling with your umbrella (if you're lucky to have one).
However, it's all not that bad! The Dutch cheese and the way they organize stuff is indeed beyond any praise.
The weather. You never, ever, ever know what it's going to be like. In fact, weather forecast in the Netherlands doesn't make much sense. It changes literally within minutes. The most remarkable time to witness it was when we were going from one lecture to another, and we had to go through one of the campus buildings. On the slowest pace, it takes no more than 15 seconds. As we were entering the building, it was drizzling - those 15 seconds were enough for the drizzle to vanish comlpetely.
The language. The most prevalent sound in Dutch is "g". In order to pronounce it, you need to imagine as if you were going to spit, and breath out sharply. Sounds good, hé?:-) And it sounds even better when it's repeated several times in one word, and when it's pronounced by a good-looking girl.
Biking is much fun. Saves time and money, and makes you much more flexible. However, when you are taken aback by severe rain and wind on the go, you would prefer taking the most shity tram with 102 sweaty miners inside to gradually getting soaked to the skin and helplessly struggling with your umbrella (if you're lucky to have one).
However, it's all not that bad! The Dutch cheese and the way they organize stuff is indeed beyond any praise.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
The First Entry in my Diary
My mind has been fostering the idea of keeping track of events taking place in my life for quite a time. I finally decided to turn this idea into life.
There has been several major reasons behind this decision. Firstly, it is a great tool for self-insights and learning from mistakes. Secondly, it's great way to let emotions out. Thirdly, so many people have been asking me to tell them about my life here, and I am really eager to share my experiences with all of them.
The decision of keeping my diary in English has been dictated by solely practical considerations - I would like to make it available to the widest audience possible.
Another pronciple I decided to stick to is keeping my records short. Otherwise, the whole idea of the diary would fail, since I would get too much into details and spend redundant of time geting my writings to perfection. Therefore, I limited my time for each record to 15 minutes (although now it took me more than 30 - I'll forgive it to me for the first time). It's all about time-management.
Finally, I strongly encourage all comments - positive as well as critical, so that I my intrinsic motivation for keeping the diary could be fueled by extrinsic one.
And now to the point itself.
Once and once again, I get surprised by Holland. One can hardly think of a better place to broaden one's mind rather than this weird little country, sandwiched between Germany, Belgium and the North Sea.
After an intensive day of studies, I went swimming today. But since it was my first time to do so on Tuesday, I went to a wrong swimming pool. After a exhaustive training I was amazed to find out that it was a swimming club for gays. I got acquainted with a man, a CEO and owner of a consultancy company, working all over Europe. After the training we talked with him a little, and I got some useful info about making business with CEE countries. I just went swimming this night! How unpredictable our life is, though...
Seemingly, nothing special in this today's experience. I just sometimes have a look back and get amazed about how life can change and where it can get us. I believe that it is crucially important not to forget who we were, not to lose our roots, and keep in mind the people who contributed to us becoming who we are today.
There has been several major reasons behind this decision. Firstly, it is a great tool for self-insights and learning from mistakes. Secondly, it's great way to let emotions out. Thirdly, so many people have been asking me to tell them about my life here, and I am really eager to share my experiences with all of them.
The decision of keeping my diary in English has been dictated by solely practical considerations - I would like to make it available to the widest audience possible.
Another pronciple I decided to stick to is keeping my records short. Otherwise, the whole idea of the diary would fail, since I would get too much into details and spend redundant of time geting my writings to perfection. Therefore, I limited my time for each record to 15 minutes (although now it took me more than 30 - I'll forgive it to me for the first time). It's all about time-management.
Finally, I strongly encourage all comments - positive as well as critical, so that I my intrinsic motivation for keeping the diary could be fueled by extrinsic one.
And now to the point itself.
Once and once again, I get surprised by Holland. One can hardly think of a better place to broaden one's mind rather than this weird little country, sandwiched between Germany, Belgium and the North Sea.
After an intensive day of studies, I went swimming today. But since it was my first time to do so on Tuesday, I went to a wrong swimming pool. After a exhaustive training I was amazed to find out that it was a swimming club for gays. I got acquainted with a man, a CEO and owner of a consultancy company, working all over Europe. After the training we talked with him a little, and I got some useful info about making business with CEE countries. I just went swimming this night! How unpredictable our life is, though...
Seemingly, nothing special in this today's experience. I just sometimes have a look back and get amazed about how life can change and where it can get us. I believe that it is crucially important not to forget who we were, not to lose our roots, and keep in mind the people who contributed to us becoming who we are today.
Monday, 4 February 2008
My Impressions
Itak, obo vsem poporjadku.
Dni nakanune otjezda sej4as vspominajutsa v nekoj tumannoj dymke - del nevprovorot, ku4a pokupok i minimum vremeni. Predposlednuju no4' ya spal 3 4asa, no4' pered otjezdom voob6e ne lozhilsa.
Otpravilsa ya v 6:25 utra s zh/d vokzala. Exal, sootvetstvenno, poezdom, pricepnoj vagon 'Minsk-Amsterdam'. V doroge povezlo - exal vse vremja odin v komfortabel'nom kupe, rass4itannom na troix. Do Niderlandov doexal ya odin iz vagona - vse vy6li ran'6e. Tak prikol'no bylo prosnut'sa i obnaruzhit', 4to v vagone li6' ya odin i 2 provodnicy:) (v Arnhem, gorod, v kotorom ya zhivu i u4us', poezd pribyl okolo 9 4asov utrom 1.02).
Zhivu ya v plastikovom domike - tut v 6utku tak nazyvajut zhili6e dlja studentov, dvuxetazhnye stroeniya, v kazhdom okolo 20-30 blokov-kvartir. Kak-nit' sdelaju fotki i vylozhu na vseob6ee obozrenie. U kazhdogo svoya komnata, vse ostal'noe ob6ee. Komnata neskol'ko bol'6e, 4em moya v Minske, tak 4to ya dovolen. A vot s flatmates mne ne o4. povezlo - eto 2 kitajca (male & female) i odna pakistanka, no ona e6e ne priexala. Ne povezlo, t.k.: 1. kitajcy ne4istoplotnye, grjaznuli, pro6e govorja (xotja moi, vrode by, ne samyj xud6ij variant - ya ix tut postroil, sobludajut porjadok vse); 2. moi kitajcy priexali na IEC (Intensive English Course) i s anglijskim u nix bol'6ie trudnosti - vot s etim ya uzh ni4ego ne mogu podelat'. Ya e6e nikigda na protjazhenii stol'kogo vremeni tak malo ne govoril - voob6e pytajus' koe-kak, no ne o4 uvlekatel'no govorit' so stenkoj, kotoraya, koga ty prosi6' ee zakryt' okno, kivaet golovoj, govorit 'OK' i vyklu4aet televizor.
Poroj kazhetsa, 4to krugom odni aziaty i ne aziatov pokazyvajut tol'ko po teliku - to po dvoru 6astajut, to k moim kitajcam zaxodjat, blago poka nenadolgo. Na dveri yasno napisano "Take off your shoes". Neuzheli eto tak slozhno? Mozhet na kitajskom nado napisat'?
Ya voob6e o4en' terpelivyj, no menja skoro sto6nit ot odnogo zvuka pesni Avril Lavigne 'When you're gone'. Nu kak mozhno kazdyj ve4er, CELYJ ve4er slu6at' odnu i tu zhe pesnu?! (eto kitayanka tak delaet) Mozhet ya 4ego ne ponimaju...
Laptop poka ne kupil - pi6u s onogo svoego Chinese flatmate, poetomu translitom. Mot kto mozhet posovetovat' xoro6ij nout v raene $1000?
U4eba e6e ne na4alas', na4netsa 11.02. Tem ne menee, ya uzhe poznakomilsa s neskol'kimi xoro6imi tovari6ami - byvalye (kotorye u4atsa tut uzhe paru let) studenty-nemcy, svezhepribyv6ie bolgary nu i, kone4no zhe, kitajcy, tozhe byvalye (druzja moix flatmates - nadejus', oni tozhe ni4ego rebjata, ina4e ya to4no stanu rasistom/:=(
Moj universitet naxoditsa v 5 min ezdy na velosipede ot doma. 4to mne nravitsa, tak eto to, 4to zdes' vse peredvigajutsa na velosipedax. Eto udobno, de6evo i polezno dlja zdorovja. A takzhe ekonomit mesto - v Niderlandax na territorii v 3 raza men'6e Belarusi prozhivaet 15+1 mln (1 mln - unofficial illegal immigrants) 4elovek, poetomu esli by vse peredvigalis' na ma6inax, strana prevratilas' by v splo6nuju stoyanku, posemu zdes' sozdany vse usloviya dlja togo, 4toby ludi ispol'zovali velosipedy - special'nye dorozhki, stoyanki, magaziny, tovary v nix, servis i dazhe svetofory.
Ya voob6e nikogda ne smotrel televizor, no kogda idet CNN, BBC i Euronews na anglijskom, to pered isku6eniem posmotret' ix za zavtrakom ne ustoyat'.
E6e klassno, 4to tut vse IKEA: i mebel', i lampy, i posuda, i kuxonnye prinadlezhnosti, i postel'noe bel'e. Tak 4to v bytu - to, 4to mne nravitsa: prostye ka4estvennye stil'nye ve6i. Udobno i esteti4eski priyatno.
Na6a ob6aga ni v kakie vorota ne lezet po sravneniju s etoj: svoya komnata i polnaya svoboda peredvizheniya (nikakix propuskov, vxoda do 23:00, zlobnyx komendantov i t.p.)
Odnako, kone4no, za vse eto udovol'stvie i sootvetstvuju6ie ceny - takoe zhili6e stoit ~300 evro/mes po sravneniju s na6imi 4-5 evro:). No k s4astju, vse moi rasxody pokryvaet stipendiya, poetomu moya du6a spokojna.
A e6e kruto, 4to u nix vse fil'my na anglijskom, tol'ko s gollandskimi subtitrami - mozhno i nasladit'sa polnocennym prosmotrom, i yazyk podu4it'.
Voob6e mne nravitsa, xotja i nelegko - osobenno sej4as, na pervyx porax. Ya 4uvstvuju, 4to eto to, 4to mne nado, to, 4to ya xotel, to, k 4emu tak dolgo i uporno 6el.
Ne xvataet, pravda, dvux ve6ej - svoego domika, kotoryj ne nado bylo by delit' s aziatami, i moego lubimogo 4eloveka rjadom (ya polagaju, vy ponjali, o kom ya:-))
Poka osobo pisat' ne4ego (sme6no zvu4it posle takogo rasskaza, ne tak li?:)) - sobytij nemnogo: 4istim xatu, ibo ona nam dostalas' o4en' i o4en' grjaznoj, obustraivaju svoj ugol, erzaju po gorodu po raznym delam - tak i proxodjat dni. Kak budut novye vpe4atleniya - objazatel'no budu pisat'. Tak 4to wait for an update! Takzhe ne zabyvajte ostavlyat' va6i kommentarii i/ili zadavat' voprosy.
Dni nakanune otjezda sej4as vspominajutsa v nekoj tumannoj dymke - del nevprovorot, ku4a pokupok i minimum vremeni. Predposlednuju no4' ya spal 3 4asa, no4' pered otjezdom voob6e ne lozhilsa.
Otpravilsa ya v 6:25 utra s zh/d vokzala. Exal, sootvetstvenno, poezdom, pricepnoj vagon 'Minsk-Amsterdam'. V doroge povezlo - exal vse vremja odin v komfortabel'nom kupe, rass4itannom na troix. Do Niderlandov doexal ya odin iz vagona - vse vy6li ran'6e. Tak prikol'no bylo prosnut'sa i obnaruzhit', 4to v vagone li6' ya odin i 2 provodnicy:) (v Arnhem, gorod, v kotorom ya zhivu i u4us', poezd pribyl okolo 9 4asov utrom 1.02).
Zhivu ya v plastikovom domike - tut v 6utku tak nazyvajut zhili6e dlja studentov, dvuxetazhnye stroeniya, v kazhdom okolo 20-30 blokov-kvartir. Kak-nit' sdelaju fotki i vylozhu na vseob6ee obozrenie. U kazhdogo svoya komnata, vse ostal'noe ob6ee. Komnata neskol'ko bol'6e, 4em moya v Minske, tak 4to ya dovolen. A vot s flatmates mne ne o4. povezlo - eto 2 kitajca (male & female) i odna pakistanka, no ona e6e ne priexala. Ne povezlo, t.k.: 1. kitajcy ne4istoplotnye, grjaznuli, pro6e govorja (xotja moi, vrode by, ne samyj xud6ij variant - ya ix tut postroil, sobludajut porjadok vse); 2. moi kitajcy priexali na IEC (Intensive English Course) i s anglijskim u nix bol'6ie trudnosti - vot s etim ya uzh ni4ego ne mogu podelat'. Ya e6e nikigda na protjazhenii stol'kogo vremeni tak malo ne govoril - voob6e pytajus' koe-kak, no ne o4 uvlekatel'no govorit' so stenkoj, kotoraya, koga ty prosi6' ee zakryt' okno, kivaet golovoj, govorit 'OK' i vyklu4aet televizor.
Poroj kazhetsa, 4to krugom odni aziaty i ne aziatov pokazyvajut tol'ko po teliku - to po dvoru 6astajut, to k moim kitajcam zaxodjat, blago poka nenadolgo. Na dveri yasno napisano "Take off your shoes". Neuzheli eto tak slozhno? Mozhet na kitajskom nado napisat'?
Ya voob6e o4en' terpelivyj, no menja skoro sto6nit ot odnogo zvuka pesni Avril Lavigne 'When you're gone'. Nu kak mozhno kazdyj ve4er, CELYJ ve4er slu6at' odnu i tu zhe pesnu?! (eto kitayanka tak delaet) Mozhet ya 4ego ne ponimaju...
Laptop poka ne kupil - pi6u s onogo svoego Chinese flatmate, poetomu translitom. Mot kto mozhet posovetovat' xoro6ij nout v raene $1000?
U4eba e6e ne na4alas', na4netsa 11.02. Tem ne menee, ya uzhe poznakomilsa s neskol'kimi xoro6imi tovari6ami - byvalye (kotorye u4atsa tut uzhe paru let) studenty-nemcy, svezhepribyv6ie bolgary nu i, kone4no zhe, kitajcy, tozhe byvalye (druzja moix flatmates - nadejus', oni tozhe ni4ego rebjata, ina4e ya to4no stanu rasistom/:=(
Moj universitet naxoditsa v 5 min ezdy na velosipede ot doma. 4to mne nravitsa, tak eto to, 4to zdes' vse peredvigajutsa na velosipedax. Eto udobno, de6evo i polezno dlja zdorovja. A takzhe ekonomit mesto - v Niderlandax na territorii v 3 raza men'6e Belarusi prozhivaet 15+1 mln (1 mln - unofficial illegal immigrants) 4elovek, poetomu esli by vse peredvigalis' na ma6inax, strana prevratilas' by v splo6nuju stoyanku, posemu zdes' sozdany vse usloviya dlja togo, 4toby ludi ispol'zovali velosipedy - special'nye dorozhki, stoyanki, magaziny, tovary v nix, servis i dazhe svetofory.
Ya voob6e nikogda ne smotrel televizor, no kogda idet CNN, BBC i Euronews na anglijskom, to pered isku6eniem posmotret' ix za zavtrakom ne ustoyat'.
E6e klassno, 4to tut vse IKEA: i mebel', i lampy, i posuda, i kuxonnye prinadlezhnosti, i postel'noe bel'e. Tak 4to v bytu - to, 4to mne nravitsa: prostye ka4estvennye stil'nye ve6i. Udobno i esteti4eski priyatno.
Na6a ob6aga ni v kakie vorota ne lezet po sravneniju s etoj: svoya komnata i polnaya svoboda peredvizheniya (nikakix propuskov, vxoda do 23:00, zlobnyx komendantov i t.p.)
Odnako, kone4no, za vse eto udovol'stvie i sootvetstvuju6ie ceny - takoe zhili6e stoit ~300 evro/mes po sravneniju s na6imi 4-5 evro:). No k s4astju, vse moi rasxody pokryvaet stipendiya, poetomu moya du6a spokojna.
A e6e kruto, 4to u nix vse fil'my na anglijskom, tol'ko s gollandskimi subtitrami - mozhno i nasladit'sa polnocennym prosmotrom, i yazyk podu4it'.
Voob6e mne nravitsa, xotja i nelegko - osobenno sej4as, na pervyx porax. Ya 4uvstvuju, 4to eto to, 4to mne nado, to, 4to ya xotel, to, k 4emu tak dolgo i uporno 6el.
Ne xvataet, pravda, dvux ve6ej - svoego domika, kotoryj ne nado bylo by delit' s aziatami, i moego lubimogo 4eloveka rjadom (ya polagaju, vy ponjali, o kom ya:-))
Poka osobo pisat' ne4ego (sme6no zvu4it posle takogo rasskaza, ne tak li?:)) - sobytij nemnogo: 4istim xatu, ibo ona nam dostalas' o4en' i o4en' grjaznoj, obustraivaju svoj ugol, erzaju po gorodu po raznym delam - tak i proxodjat dni. Kak budut novye vpe4atleniya - objazatel'no budu pisat'. Tak 4to wait for an update! Takzhe ne zabyvajte ostavlyat' va6i kommentarii i/ili zadavat' voprosy.
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