Today is my last day of a three-month internship for BILD.de.
It has been a very mixed experience. I have learnt a tremendous amount about the web 2.0 world (the future of the internet), found a host of new blogs which I am following, and realised some hard lessons about my own working style.
Although I did sometimes struggle with working for a tabloid that many see as xenophobic, homophobic and sexist (a lot of my friends were deeply surprised that I of all people would work for such a company), but then again, it has taught me much.
The way teams function, the role of management - but more than anything - that I am an utterly hopeless employee if I'm not passionate about something. And that corporate life is not for me.
This was made all the more obvious when I found out about my voyage to the Arctic. With such an exciting, important experience coming up - my mind was totally focused on how I was going to use it to combat climate change - and I found doing research projects about navigation systems on newspaper websites a real struggle!
I'm glad I've had this experience, and I think I've managed to bring something to my colleagues and bosses (a little bit of laughter at least!), but I am also glad that its over.
I can now move forward, knowing what I want to do - and figuring out how I'm going to do it.
Friday 16 May 2008
Friday 2 May 2008
May 1st
Berlin loves May 1st.
As Labour Day, the old GDR used it as an opportunity to put on the big parades, and celebrate the victory of Socialism.
Well, after singing Chaka Khan's 'Ain't nobody' at choir yesterday, a few of us went to the street party around the corner - the traditional MeiFest (now renamed MyFest to keep up with the 21st century).
After wondering past the various music stands (one changing from Fat Boy Slim's 'Praise You' to some kind of punk/brass mix with 10 German Turks playing their instruments as if on speed), we saw the HUGE numbers of police.
Shipped in from all over the country, they stood in position, like a Roman army. It looked extremely aggressive. In full riot gear, with (what looked like teargas, but turned out to be fire extinguisher) on their backs, batons, helmets - the lot.
No wonder there was trouble.
By standing there in such large numbers, they were practically inviting confrontation.
My friends and I approached one of them and put this to him. What followed was a 30 minute conversation about the nature of policing, and ended with him sharing some of his gum - and countless others walking up to other police and asking questions. It looked like some sort of hustings at one point!
As Labour Day, the old GDR used it as an opportunity to put on the big parades, and celebrate the victory of Socialism.
Well, after singing Chaka Khan's 'Ain't nobody' at choir yesterday, a few of us went to the street party around the corner - the traditional MeiFest (now renamed MyFest to keep up with the 21st century).
After wondering past the various music stands (one changing from Fat Boy Slim's 'Praise You' to some kind of punk/brass mix with 10 German Turks playing their instruments as if on speed), we saw the HUGE numbers of police.
Shipped in from all over the country, they stood in position, like a Roman army. It looked extremely aggressive. In full riot gear, with (what looked like teargas, but turned out to be fire extinguisher) on their backs, batons, helmets - the lot.
No wonder there was trouble.
By standing there in such large numbers, they were practically inviting confrontation.
My friends and I approached one of them and put this to him. What followed was a 30 minute conversation about the nature of policing, and ended with him sharing some of his gum - and countless others walking up to other police and asking questions. It looked like some sort of hustings at one point!
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