Day 75, 76, 77: Three’s a Company
Busy Week
Like I mentioned on Day 74, activities at work are starting to conclude/align, which is simultaneously amazing to see things get completed and at the same time stressful as things are hectic prepping reports, defining roadmaps, and figuring out what are the next steps. I had to spend a few late nights getting things done, which meant that I couldn’t keep up on my daily writing schedule.
Time to catch up on the week.
Day 75
My morning started by visiting the ADAS & AV Technology Expo at the Stuttgart Messe (translation: industrial fair). The Messe is right next to the airport, which is convenient as a destination as some very large conventions in Germany and more globally take place there.
I arrived a bit too early, so I posted up on a bench to knock out some work before the convention actually started. Given that it was Day 1 of the expo, things were still being setup through the convention halls. I was told Day 2 is usually peak, which I can only imagine what that would be like. A vehicle technology convention in Germany, that too in the birthplace of the automobile, is likely to attract a big crowd. Plus it’s free to the public (at the expo, which I find more interesting anyways).
Eventually, the convention hall opened up. After spending the morning meeting with industry contacts, I headed over to the office for the rest of the day. Hilariously, whatever free time was available in the afternoon on my calendar was taken up by an influx of last-minute meetings. I had no choice but to attend, so the work I had to finish got pushed to the evening after my last call at 7:00PM.
Day 76
For some strange reason, I naturally woke up at 3:00AM, and I just couldn’t fall back asleep. I felt completely refreshed when my eyes opened, and after failed attempts, I just gave up and jumped onto my computer. It was a good chance to sync with folks back in Sunnyvale who were still online. The 9-hour timezone difference is not easy to accommodate. I underestimated this when I first joined the company.
After a long, but productive day, I made my way back to Marienplatz where I met up with some work friends. We spent the evening visiting a Biergarten (Tschechen & Söhne) at the top of a nearby hill (the Karlshöhe), overlooking Stuttgart below. The city was bathed in evening sun, which was really beautiful.
Descending the hill, we then took an evening stroll through the city. It was to go on a “tour” of Stuttgart. There a lot of buildings and odd things here and there I wasn’t aware of, so it was nice to have it explained by a local. We eventually took a big loop, ascending to the other side of Stuttgart (remember, it’s in a valley) and walked along the top. The views of the city were beautiful. The warm evening weather made me regret my decision to wear pants. It ended up being pretty late by the time I got back home, but it was a very memorable evening.
Thank you, Fabian, Greta, and Mark ❤️!
Day 77
Waking up at suddenly at 3:00AM the previous night took its toll on me. I felt like a zombie for almost the entire day. Staying focused on work was a challenge. I needed a few coffees to keep me going. Eventually, things worked out alright. I finally felt like I woke up at around lunch time.
The timing was great, as my afternoon was spent going through detailed stakeholder discussions and prepping for an important management update in the evening. No matter how much money one put its in setting up a good video-conferencing system, there will be times when it does not work. In my experience, it’s always been in important meetings with management when the system doesn’t work. Today was no exception. We had to compromise and deal with it somehow. Things worked out eventually, which was great.
By the time I got home, I was a zombie. I plopped myself on the couch, and looked through my personal messages and email. I bolted to attention when I read an email about my bike bag. The delivery service apparently tried to deliver the package today unexpectedly. The previous notification told me it was supposed to be delivered on Friday. The package could not be delivered. I think this is most likely because my name is not on the address box outside the entrance to the apartment complex, so they didn’t drop it off. I now have 10 days to organize a delivery with them. All of their emails and correspondence is in German. Fingers crossed this works out 🤞🏾
All in all, this was a pretty busy week. I’m glad certain work topics wrapped up nicely. I’m now looking forward to the weekend.
Frieden und Liebe ❤️ (translation: peace and love)