The first week

I was fortunate enough to not have to go into work last week. I was told it would take about 2-3 business days for my visa to be pasted into my passport. Since I arrived on Tuesday, I figured it would be done on either Thursday or Friday -- so I told my boss I would begin on Monday (Feb 9). Luckily, it was processed immediately and I had the passport back by Wednesday. That gave me some time to get settled.

Wednesday I went to dinner with Denise, former intern at MBUSA, who is now in the same rotational program I am in. We went to an Italian restaurant called Vapiano's. It was different in that you form a line in front of a chef, order what you want, then sit down -- almost cafeteria style but it was all made to order. It was actually pretty good. I had the Penne alla Arrabiatta (check out the link... hysterical).

Thursday I went to the gym. More on this in future posts. I began a new Waterbury workout this week. Big fan of his training methods so it should be interesting. Did I mention it was open 24/7. This is an extreme rarity in Germany.

Friday my friend Matthias took me to Zum Paulaner (like the German bier) and I had a traditional German meal -- lightly breaded pork (I remember what it is called). We then met up with a couple of Expats from Portland, Sao Paolo, and Taiwan for some drinks. We were told of an Irish pub called O'Reilly's that served an excellent pint of Guinness.

Saturday I went to the grocery store (after my workout) and then spent 3 hrs trying to find a place to eat, with Denise. First place was over 1 hr wait. Second place, no parking anywhere. Third place, private party. Finally found parking and only waited about 10 minutes for a table at a Spanish restaurant. I had tapas and a sangria -- I can't wait til summer.

Sunday I met up with some expats, Denise, and two guys she knew -- the M&M twins (Max and Moritz). We went to the new Porsche Museum. It just opened about a week ago and looks like a spaceship landed in Zuffenhausen (northwest section of Stuttgart -- Porsche HQ). It was pretty cool but it does not hold a candle to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. I was at the MB museum about a year-and-a-half ago but for only an hour. I will definitely be going there soon. I plan to post some pics of the museum as soon as I load them onto the computer. Til next time... Ciao!