Frankfurt > Oct 2008

Arbeit zieht Arbeit nach sich
[German Proverb - Translation: "Work involves, well, work" ]

I am in Frankfurt (Frankfurt am main) Germany since the Monday - spending working hours at the Messe - and the nights hanging around / meeting old customers in sports bars in the old part of town - Niederrard - and other places just near the Messe -

Small place, frankfurt, really - much of the financial sector / big offices of the Banks/services/i banks etc are in just within,say, a 2 square kilometer area downtown - its all glass, gleam and American style, tree lined avenues.

The other actual life - for much of the working folks is spread out - pretty much like France i guess - in small communities within, say, a 50 mile radius or so - all connected by gleaming autobahns, zippy trains, trams and pakistani cabbies driving top of the line Mercs. [ Taxis cost like from 3-4 Euros minimum to like 40 Euros for a 50 mile ride ]

Costs in Germany are *suprise* lower than french or UK costs - in terms of rooming, travelling - well atleast not higher definitely. 2/3 Euros for Burgers and the likes, about 10 Euros for like full orders even at pricey places like tradefair grounds - the bars i went to with customers both my previous nights were pretty cheap - like 3 euros for big orders - 1.30/1.50 euro for drinks etc - cheaper than the Uk definitely.

The biggest surprise for me was how wrong my perception was about German people i guess - i know a lot of germans - some of them behave / at least reputedly so - like pricks - they speak loudly, rudely, have ugly, dirty teeth :) - they have a pretty serious Language problem with English - I have spent a day in the past once at Dusseldorf - where i remember we had trouble finding taxis etc.

Frankfurters are warm, jovial and nearly every1 - Hotels, taxis, hostesses / the girls who work in shops and stuff, bar maids - speak, well, good english. I chatted with several people - it appears that frankfurt was the central base for american forces in Europe after world war II - to until recently - that - and that frankfurt also is home to lot of asians - pakistanis mostly - so it is reasonably mutlicultural.

I went into Mannheim / Ludwigshafen - the other day - its about an hour's drive from Frankfurt - just driving around - and mostly indoors meeting people - It is probably THE most important chemical industry center in the whole world - BASF employs, like, 60,000 people or something in just this one site (Ludwigshafen). Wow ! - Germany is a shining example of how manufacturing has gone High tech and efficient - costs are rising everywhere in the world - but German manufacturing has gone from one level of efficiency to another - and i am sure in like 5-10 years - Germany will be so advanced & India/China so expensive that there will again be a bullish case for manufacture inside Germany.

All in all - i am having a ball here - works wonderful - because im very relaxed and did not do hectic appointments - i am getting a lot of time to bump into old friends, new ones, go out for dinners with special customers and the likes - gr8 in every sense - give you a perspective of what you are doing vis-a-vis others - whats other people's perception of your work - etc.

Um, not too many photos - im afraid - but theres still a day or two left - lets see

Enough boring crap - i have lunch tomorrow with the delectable Isabelle - (she is my friend's booth receptionist hired for this week) - she is a college student in languages, looks like Claudia Schiffer's little sister and claims to know 'all about' bombaii, madrasse and dilli :)