"The one who does not know where to go, it´s better that he/she does not take any passenger"

"There is something you should understand about the way I work. When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go. It's rather sad, really, but there it is". (Nanny McPhee)

British vs American English

I´ve to say that I do not really understand some kind of management and some ways of working (including management and not management).

Also, I do not understand why it´s said that people from Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, UK and this kind of countries work better than Spain, Italy or Portugal... 

Why? Why are they more productive than Spanish? Why do Spanish have the fame of being lazy people? Do you really think that Spanish sleep siesta every day?

If you think like that... you are wrong.

1) The most lucky Spanish people work 8 hours/day. They are the minority. The most of us work more than 8 hours/day.

2) Normally, Spain has a nice weather which wakes us up the feeling of going out after work and drink/eat something with your friends, colleagues, family, etc. It´s done when we finish hour laboral day.

3) Spanish people have the same working time as the rest of the Nordic and "super-mega-productive" countries (from now "cold countries"): enter at 8:00 and leave at 15:00 (public jobs - depend from the State. Even, some of them more sometimes: doctors, teachers, researchers, etc.). Or more than 8 hours the most of the days for the most of the private companies. 

4) Spanish people know the meaning of "deadline". 

5) Spanish people do not quick at 14 or 15 in the afternoon to go home for sleeping siesta. No. We normally don´t have siesta. We work. (In some companies, the working hours are longer in winter to "try" to make possible to leave the office at 15:00 in Summer (enter time: 8:00) because in some cities is quite hot). "Try" because at the end, in the most of the cases, is not possible.

6) Overtime?? Sure!! Paid? No in the most of the cases. 

7) Breaks during work? No more than people from other countries.

Now, having a look at what I see in Switzerland, and according to my experience working with people from almost 18 different nationalities, I can say. 

1) No Spanish people are not productive than us. There are excellent workers, good workers, right workers, bad workers, mediocre workers, and workers that are a waste of space (like in Spain).

2) Despite of the weather, Swiss people go out as much as Spanish do. The only difference is that they start drinking at 16:30 in the afternoon, and Spanish start about 20:30-21:00 or even 22:00.

3) No Spanish people, the most of them, at least in the "cold countries" "work" exactly 8 hours. If they come in the office at 7:30 and have an hour for lunch, they leave at 16:30 religiously. 

4) If the deadline cannot be achieved... Don´t worry. The fault is always from someone else. The planning is delayed and that´s it. Maybe it´s true that in Spain we take easy, at the beginning, the things... but although if it´s at the last minute, we understand deadline. And if you don´t have it, you are the unique responsible.

5) They think more in the siesta than Spanish people. Even, in Manila, they have a pillow in the office to take a short nap after lunch and then continue with their work.

6) They don´t know what´s the meaning of "overtime". And if they do, it´s because it´s compensated (holidays/paid).

7) The "Break" here is quite funny. They make break for: breakfast, lunch, sport, afternoon snack and some coffess between all of them. For someone who arrives to the office at 8:00, this means: 

- 8:00 - 8:15 (minimum): Breakfast --> 8:30 if you smoke

- 8:15 - 9:00: Read your emails and organize your job (???). It´d be nice, but the most of them read the news, surfing a little bit in google...

- 9:00 - 9:15/9:30: Take one more coffee with the people who come in the office at this time and comment the last news that they have read --> 9:30 if the cigarrete is included

- 9:15/9:30: time for working, have some meetings, some conference, check with workmates some issue that bothers them...

- 10:30: Time for one more cigarrete or going to the kitchen to check who is there and chat a little bit.

- 11:30/12: Time for going lunch (1hour minimum) or jogging (almost 1 hour). 

- 13.15: Coming back from lunch and smoke and then, try to work a little bit. OR time for lunch for the people who was jogging.

- 14:15/14:30: Traditional coffee after-lunch and some more chatting.

- 14:45: A little bit stress because the day is almost off and there are almost 2 hours to finish some tasks...

- 15:30/15:45: One more coffe/cigarrete to have the last conversation of the day with your colleagues.

- 16:45/17: Time for leaving (dinner time!!).

----- Can you now, please, tell me how many real hours this people work?

Yes... you will tell me that they should do something that Spanish don´t do to be productive, to have the country in super-perfect conditions, to have a very good quality of life, etc. etc. etc. 

You are right... they do something that Spanish people don´t do... THEY LOVE THEMSELVES!! THEY KNOW TO SELL THEMSELVES!!! However, in Spain, the big problem is that we value more the "International product" than the "National Product". And I am 100% convinced, that "cold countries" are not much better than we are... There are good Spanish workers, and bad Spanish workers; people who go to the office to spend the time during 8 hours and stay in the office until 22:00 at night just to show that "they have a lot of work" (sorry? You don´t have a lot of work. You have not done your work in 8 hours and because of that you must stay longer to do something and justify that you came to the office). And in the same way, all this people are in all the rest of countries. Managers? Good and bad managers. Way of management? Do what I say but not what you see from me... I have found it here as well... and I am proud of the managemente that I have known in Spain. Spanish are very well trained people and WE WORTH IT! And because of it, we are really appreciated abroad.

 

  

All of them have been my workmates/bosses in Spain. All of them, great professionals

No time for cutting your feet neals?... Do it in the office!!

Today I became in shock when I went to one of my workmates to ask him something and I saw that he was cutting his foot neals with a paper clip!!!!!! Disgusting is not enough to describe the feeling that I´ve had!!!

First thing that I did was asking: "Are you cutting your foot neals in the office?" "Are u really cutting them with a paper clip?"

I could not believe it!!! Then I asked if I could take a picture to show it to my friends. And without hesitation and any problem, he asked me why?!!!! Heeeee asssskkkeeeddd mmmmeeee WWWHHHYYYY????!!!!!

I answered that it´s not normal for me (either for my friends!!) to cut the neals in the office... He and his workmates (they are external people that are temporally working in my office) told me that it´s very normal to do it in the office. It helped him to think....

OMG!!!! I cannot believe it!!! Even after I took the picture and I see it!! Never ever I will let him (them) use my keyboard or say "yes" to some food offer from them! And if it´s necessary the first thing, I will ask before what they touched and clean if afterwards!!!!

Here the proof.... :(

"PUZZLE"

Today was the first time that I listened to someone to pronounce this word: "Paaassssshhhheeelll". Of course, I didn´t get it and I started to ask... and not once or twice... at least 4 or 5 times until that they spelled it to me.

When I say "they", I mean: 3 of my officemates + one guy that was sat in front of one of them. Meanwhile, 2 women (they were sitting in front of the rest) were laughing about it. When I understood the word, obviously, my reaction was (with surprised and proud face): "Aaaahhhhh, PUZLE" (Spanish pronounciation, of course). Then, they laughed again.

The story did not finish there... I continued talking about that I´m losing the few English that I´m able to speak mixing with the un-existing words that I know in German and even I make lately important mistakes about some Spanish words. It´s definitively sad. Very sad. Then, I said that German is more difficult because here in Switzerland, the most of people speak in the Swiss dialect.

They unknown guy who helped me to understand the "paaaasssshhhheeellll" word, told me that "paaaasssshhhheeelll" was pronounced like that in the Swiss-German. Then I said, super happy, that I was able to build a full sentence in Swiss-German: "Ich möchte dru paaassshhhheeeellll". He + the 2 Swiss/German women speakers started to laugh again (we didn´t know them) and detailed me that it´s not "dru" but "drü" with the famouse umlaut that I´m not able to say.

Summary:

1) English - I´m losing it!
2) German - Impossible to know it
3) Swiss - More than imposeible to know it
4) Spanish - Be focused on it or otherwise I´ll be mute sooner as I expect!!

... You see how easy is making friends in the train ;)

Monday Nights

Mondays is the day when I can download my two favourite series: "Revenge" and "The Beauty and The Beast". I started with Revenge but last Summer, my sister introduced me "The Beauty and The Beast" and since then, I have had a marathon to update me.

Revenge is top top top!! 1st season was the best without any doubt! I finished in tension EVERY episode and was looking forward to watching the next one. 2nd season and next ones are also great but not so intense as the first one.

However, The Beauty and The Beast is more "love-love" serie. I like it of course, and it´s also a good one but if I would have to choose between them (and pay attention, I´m a big fan of both series), I would choose Revenge :D

Dear readers, it´s time to go and watch them :)

Good night! xoxo