P&G office

P&G office

Lunch at P&G

Greetings from Brussels!

I realize it has been a while since the last post, so let me fill you in!

We left Rome for Florence, where we climbed the Duomo. We had a great video of us taking the 647 step trek, but unfortunately our videos are not loading as we had hoped. After Florence we spent a couple of days in beautiful Venice, where we randomly encountered a friend we had met in Florence... Overall it was a great trip, but alas we had to bid ado to Italy.

We were very excited to move on to Belgium where we would begin our internship with P & G. Once here we met the great Lieven, who quickly schooled us on why Belgium is famous for beer. We began our internship on Monday, the 16th, where we worked out some details and got familiar with SNIC at P & G... SNIC is an innovative group within the organization that looks at problems in a unique way. Our project is to find creative ideas for solving the problems associated with "the last mile" in online product delivery... So far things have been great and we will keep you updated as we continue on our journey..

So far in Belgium, we have tried to experience everything Brussels has to offer: dancing, parades, waffles, gardens and kebabs are just the tip of the iceberg. This weekend is my birthday, so here's to hoping we have great stories that we can't post here!!

Cheers!
Amber

Bad hotel

The hotel rooms are soooo bad. The carpet is dirty, and we have to sleep almost on the floor (the white and red thing is the bed). The blanket looks so old with those fuzz balls! And people at the hotel are not helpful. The only good thing about the hotel is the good location.

Corfu Island, Greece

I finally made it to Corfu!! Corfu is a place I always want to visit since I was 14! My favorite writer Gerald Durrell spent his childhood in Corfu. The experience made such a mark in his life that he subsequently wrote some books about this childhood years. I'm so glad that I finally have the chance to visit this island and see everything he mentioned in his books.

The Mediterranean is as blue as I thought, even better!

Corfu Old Town

I rented a bike to explore the island.

I ran into an once a year local religious ceremony.

I'll meet some zoologists from Durrell School of Corfu next week. I will update the pictures soon!

Vatican Surprises!

Did you know that if the average visitor were to spend 3 seconds in front of every piece of art within the Vatican that it would take them 4 years to see everything!

Truth be told, I wasn't really excited about seeing the Vatican. However, after listening to our tour guide and viewing the magnificence of the pieces themselves I happy to say that I was not only pleasantly surprised but now I can't wait to go back! For those of you who like myself were hesitant or skeptical about viewing the Vatican I am here to tell you that it is without a doubt a MUST SEE! The various pieces of art are very impressive and thought provoking. In addition, there is a ton of variety in terms of artists and styles of art. No picture within a text book can do any of the pieces of art justice. In addition, our tour guide (via Presto Tours) was very knowledgeable, especially since she is pursuing her PH.D. in art. Thus, the background and insights she provided on the various artists was vast in terms of both breadth and depth. According to her, if a visitor were to spend 3 seconds in front of every painting, sculpture, and architectural wonder within the Vatican they would need to be there for a total of 4 years! Hence, what we saw today was just the tip of the iceberg and honestly I can't wait to go back.

Below are some of my favorite pictures from our trip to the Vatican:

Want to see more? Click on the link below to view the rest of the photos:http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100179089485154.2599751.12312611&l=b254d084c9

Always Stamp Your Ticket.....

While in Rome, this has been the most important (and expensive) lesson I've learned. Trying to be frugal and live life like a true Roman, we thought the bus, at a cost of 1 Euro, would be the best transportation to take... Unfortunately, not the case.

We navigated our route and unsuspectingly boarded our bus. Like good travelers we purchased our tickets for a single Euro and reveled in our cheap success.... Two stops later, three gentleman, dressed officially, boarded the bus and asked to see our tickets... No problem! We have them right here sirs... We received a frown. The man pointed at a sign, yet all I understood was 75 minutes. Apparently, there was a second box where we were supposed to stamp our tickets the minute we boarded... Great.

I offered up a Euro to purchase a new ticket and we received requests for our documentation.. They hurriedly ushered us off the bus and told us we would be fined... Confusion doesn't begin to express the looks on our faces. We were told 100 Euro each if he wrote us a ticket, 50 each if we paid now... Awesome. We argued as much as possible, assuming we were being scammed. Alas, we were late for our tour and finally settled on 50 Euro total... Moments later we were running down the street, cursing the men in official uniforms.

But wait! We were still late for our tour, we needed to find a taxi stat. I poked my head in a restaurant to find a smiling server and asked him for the nearest taxi stand (you can't catch a cab just anywhere).... He laughed and pointed right down the street... I turned to leave when he grabbed my hand and asked my name.. I explained we were in a rush and he promptly kissed my hand goodbye... So charming.

We finally reached the taxi stand to be interrupted by a parade.... Luckily, a cab came through at just the right moment and we made our tour on time... At which point our tour guide informed us that what happened on the bus was proper law and we had received a deal... Good to know.

So the lesson here is: always stamp your ticket, but even if you don't you might get your first kiss on the hand from a handsome Italian...

PS... I'm still in love with this city.

Bonjourno Roma!

Less than 24 hours since we arrived in Rome and I am already in love with this city. The weather is beautiful, the food is amazing, and the culture is everywhere. We are still getting used to the time, but all in all are adjusting well.. Today we embark on a mission to explore some of the city's most famous sites... Pictures coming soon. :)

Tomorrow we're off....

Here it is 1:30 am the night before we leave and I still haven't finished packing... Shocker... The good news is, between final exams, last minute purchases, and general preparation I have finished everything else on my list. Now if I can manage to get one suitcase below fifty pounds.. We'll see. I am sad to see everything end so quickly, but am excited to start with Proctor and Gamble.

Our assignment at P&G will be to work with their supply chain during "The Last Mile". We have finished our prep work and are looking forward to getting started... But first, a journey to Italy.