For those not familiar with my assignment, I am working with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (http://www.gmfus.org/). Started in 1972, the GMF began with a gift from the German people as a thank you for all of the aid and support supplied to their country through the Marshall Program. That money has grown through investments, and today the GMF has expanded from its original headquarters encompass 12 offices, headquartered in D.C., with branches throughout Europe and MENA. The Warsaw office is the second newest, being only 2 years old, but it is making waves in the increasingly popular Eastern European capital.
The GMF Warsaw office
My "home base" at GMF. My office is the one in the foreground.
It turns out my first week was an unexpectedly hectic one in the office. The director of the Warsaw office recently decided to leave to explore other opportunities, so his farewell gala was the first night of my arrival (good thing I leaned towards being "overdressed" on my first day). I spent 10 hours in the office that day (10 wonderful hours)! I had the privilege of having coffee and speaking with Ivan Vejvoda, Vice President of Programs for GMF followed by an evening of welcoming foreign dignitaries to the office...I even managed to do some research in between! The office is now overseen by Michal Baranowski, and does an incredible amount of work with only 4 other full time employees.
Since my first day, things have calmed down a bit, but I am certain it is going to be a busy summer. The events just seem to keep coming in waves, and the office needs all hands on deck. Warsaw has gotten increasingly "trendy" in the Euro scene recently, and for good reason. The capital is a manageable size, is close to Russia while still being in the EU, is capable of hosting English as a working language, is affordable, and plays home to as many think tanks, NGOs, and IGOs as Paris, London, or Berlin--at the same time offering more opportunities among a more tight-knit community.
One thing I'm still trying to get a grip on is the Polish sense of time. Everyone in my office is very friendly, and very helpful. I was told my hours would be 9-5, and one of the guys in my office discussed how important timeliness was to the Poles. So, I've been showing up just prior to 9 A.M., only to discover I'm the first one there. The other intern, Matt, also an American and from Rhodes University, gets there just after me, and the rest of the office rolls in sometime between 9:15 and 10. My supervisor mentioned that when I'm done at 5, I should go ahead and leave, so yesterday I left at 5 and today at 5:15, and I was the first person to leave. Does my being early make up for that? I haven't decided, but it's certainly one of the issues when trying to figure out office etiquette.
Time aside, I really think I'm going to enjoy my internship. The verdict is so far, so good!
In other news, we're still discovering some oddities in our Communist-era apartment. For instance, my roommate Julie discovered the unfortunate way that, if you lock the door and leave, and someone is still in the apartment, that person is locked in the apartment. Luckily I got her message and got her out in time for her to make her internship, but it was definitely a not-so-fun experience (and only a minor fire hazard). Otherwise, the living situation is good. Our apartment isn't fancy, but it's comfortable, and the Wi-Fi is great!
This first week is already flying by, though I admit I'm quite ready for a reprieve (and maybe the opportunity to catch up on some sleep) this weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment