THE END...and A NEW BEGINNING

So finally...the primary objective for the existence of this blog...my traineeship and my experience throughout, has come to an end. But it doesnt mean this blog shall end too...cuz sure it was THE END...but who knows where the NEW BEGINNING will start. My traineeship...as coordinator responsible for the MBA Internship Program and covering the marketing and HR aspect of it, a job which I totally love and was so engaged in (despite the shitty salary), ended last Tuesday, May 8th. Here are the ups and downs of my overall experience...professionally, socially and everything in between.

Professional
- In short, the past 6 months have been a professional downfall. It all begun with the change of my dept head...which didnt see eye to eye with my former boss, whom has left the dept and company since. My new boss was a total bitch who doesnt care bout me and was full of bullshit...not to mention a wicken penchant to back stab. And then she left...good riddance. And my last few weeks on the job was left waiting who my new boss would be...and not surprisingly it was another bitch, whom till i left, wasnt even officially working yet.

- Everyone says I shouldnt have bothered anymore bout the my MBA Program at all...but i loved my job so much that i was so bloody engaged in it (maybe foolishly even). But my successor wasnt even here yet, and its such a one-man show job that someone had to be there always! But well apparently dept didnt bother...so why should i right?

- Anyways, starting this job last year...i wouldnt have in a thousand years imagined it to be such a shit hole...but the last 6 months, unfortunately have been a huge shit hole!

- 3 bosses in a year...no professional support in my search for a full time...a dept head that doesnt support the AIESEC program...replacement bosses were bitches and a half...i just pity my successor. Good luck to her...

So whats next...
- Will hope something does come up during my remaining weeks here. Be it interviews or meetings...i would like to stay here professionally before returning home. Guess I would see myself as a failure if I dont get anything as my primary objective of coming here in the first place was to start my career from abroad.

- I do have an offer back home...within the same company. But I still think the time isnt right for me to head back just yet.

Social
- Well, if you remember, 3 PILLARS for A GREAT TRAINEESHIP would be job satisfaction, salary and social life. For the past 6 months its the social pillar thats supporting my experience here. Friendships strengthen, more was created, countries visited...like everyone always mention when they return from a traineeship...its the friendship forged that builds a lasting experience!

- Malaysians a plenty! Thats cuz Shooks came...my good friend and team mate back in those AIESEC days...put the both of us and we fill the room with our crazy horselike laughters! Thank god the people here like us still...they think we re cool, funny...and (gasp!) horny!
Theres also another Malaysian trainee, a mixec Malay girl named Merlyna Kraal (no relations to Diana). Very baik-baik and goody two shoes type. It definitely puts the word MUHIBBAH (means along the lines of DIVERSE) to our Malaysian trainees here! I think she was God sent as she made us nasi lemak...home made!! Gosch it was awesome!! These are the 3 Malaysian trainees. There are also several others; two who works at the company and one who lives nearby. So we kinda have our own Malaysian gathering these days...but quite bored with it as the conversations always never fail to go away from FOOD!! WE ALL MISS IT TOO!! But lets not bring it up always... ;) But all in all...nice bunch! Me and Shook will always go away bitching bout something for sure. So who would ve guessed...i thought Bon will be the only Malaysian in Bonn, apparently theres more as well. I say its already a crowd ;)

- Lets not forget the farewells. Beginning June, the trainee community will see a mass exodus of all the old farts like me. So we re expecting a FAREWELL SEASON again. I never expected myself to be one...but i guess its meant to be. I bought my tickets home for the 29th of June. Its weird that everyone here says that they'd never think i was one to go...and they re sooo right! My intentions were clear from the moment I arrived, and everyone knows it! And poor Shook, she ll be the one going through the depression as most of her close ones are leaving. But somehow...I dunno...I have this feeling that I ll be back.

- Travelogy. Besides the same old places that I ve visited again, namely Belgium and Amsterdam, thanks to the Malaysians in Europe trip, new places covered were Copenhagen and Prague. Next up, Serbia....! And Copenhagen again, this time for the WEDDING OF THE YEAR...part 1! Its a bit unfortunate that I didnt include any mediterranean / latin countries in my first year of visits...simply cuz i thought I'd do this once I get something permanent. Still crossing my fingers that I do...

- Goodbye Bronx of Bonn! Yep...finally have moved out of my flat which I ve grown to affectionately love. No more Tannenbusch for me as I ve moved in to Segala's room....which I am forever grateful. I save money...but I ll miss the neighbours whom I got close with, the Chinese dude that doesnt wash his plates and never takes out the rubbish (and you think why China is sooo poluted), that asshole (possibly German) who peed on the floor rather than toilet bowl, the Palestinian who thought I was gay cuz I cook and hang out with hot girls (he's just jealous!), the Polish girl whom Shooks think has the hots for me (I didnt reciprocate, which is why she also thought I was gay!), the other Polish girl who always gives me chocolates and watches movies in my room (but has a boyfriend), the Cameroonian that plays 50Cents and blast it along the whole floor (awesome!) and many more! I will also miss the trainees that got sooo unlucky enough to stay there. Last time round, its always me alone going back there after clubbing (freakin 40mins bus ride). Now its always fun cuz its a bigger group...heck you could share a cab even! Most importantly...I ll miss Shooks!! She played the mummy role soooo well that I nearly thought I wouldnt mind paying 180euros for another month just so she can make me dinner or supper, make coffee, asked if i needed medicine when i was sick, gave me chinese medicines, smses me if I am alright...she was indeed one of my best Bonn and Tannenbusch moments!! I regret that she came later and I ll be leaving her soon... :(

Anyways, this may seem rather short for a last 6 month review. But I could go on and on about the negative aspects which I do sometimes blurt contantly...but lets not make the negatives highlight what was to be an experience of a lifetime. I know for sure I will always remain bitter with what happened professionally...it just highlights the very fact that culturally, (and not to stereotype ALL Germans!) Germans do have a problem with accepting changes and embracing shifts of paradigms. The stupid politics and bureaucracy will always pollute the efficiency and effectiveness of how an organization can work...its so bad sometimes its childish and laughable!

But I would like to take into heart that no matter which bitch was my boss or whatever rumors that were going around about non performing interns...I was always very engaged with my job, although never satisfied financially or given the due credits. I get plaudits from all stakeholders that I worked with (managers from everywhere, business schools and MBA students) but never the people that mattered, the colleagues from my dept. So what now if I do a good job? I guess I question my principles a lot when it comes to playing the politic game...but one needs to learn the game to know hows its been played...so you know when you re been played as well! I could put this as one of the few things I ve learnt professionally in the last 6 months.

Now, I just want to relax....enjoy my last few weeks here...say proper goodbyes and take what the best of Bonn can offer. Lets hope if theres more opportunities for me to stay longer professionally, otherwise I guess working in KL again aint that bad (ok I am kidding myself!). To my traineeship...its THE END.

Looking forward to the NEW BEGINNING.