Getting used to (feat. coffee)

This week it was the third time to move to another place. However, it wasn´t so much of a change this time. The computer is the same, only a monitor is different. A decent LCD screen changed to an old CRT. Not a big deal, except the fact that this crappy monitor started to die out once in a while. Closes itself down without any visible reason. Luckily Luis who sits at the next desk, used his magic hand and woke the monitor just by touching it. Pretty amazing I think!

Now it´ve been exactly one month since I started to doing internship here. In one month I have learned more or leas the workflow, how the things are done here and of course to know my fellow workers. When I have a certain kind of problem, I know who to ask to help. And even my computers are changed and programs to use (all computers aren´t equipped with the same software) with them, I have survived so far. Of course I could do things more quickly and efficiently with certain software and so, but most of the time we don´t have a such hurry anyway. Sometimes yes, but so far they have been rare exceptions.

Yesterday I found out something strange but great. The coffee machine seem to think that 2 cent coin is a coin of 2 euros! All this time here I´ve put only 10 and 20 cents, because a one cup costs 30 cents. Wholy crap! Until now I always hated those tiny 1 and 2 cents because in Finland we don´t use them (prices are rounded off to the closest 5 cents). Now I have some great place to spend them all! Just in case you didn´t know, Finland occupy the top spot with a per-capita consumption of coffee with in excess of 10 kg per year. At least in some areas I can show up as a general Finn.

Some of the first notions

The last day of the third week is going on. I should have written much more here, but eventually the moment for writing always moved on to the future. Well, I guess that the future is here right now.

As I expected, the pace of work isn´t as exhausting than it often is Finland. Don´t get me wrong, this place doesn´t have any siestas and people don´t party at the work, but the difference is that there is no stress. At least not most of the time. Sometimes occurs something that needs to be done quickly, but it´s nothing that will change the overal rhythm of working. I can´t be sure why stress won´t feel here in the same way than in Finland, but I have a one idea. Hiring people is more expensive in Finland and level of payment is generally much lower here. This might mean that the same company would try to survive with less people in a country like Finland. Here it´s more economic to have more people to do same kind of things. And yes of course, some foreigners who want to do their internship outside of home country...

Unlike in Finland, here isn´t exact time for a lunch hour. Everyone goes when they feel like it. Most of the people are eating somewhere between 3 and 4 a.m. Usually I started to feel hungry some hours earlier. Pals at the same room tought it´s strange, too early to eat. Some of those guys don´t eat almost anything during the whole day and go to eat home at evening.

The most frustrating thing yet is changing of working place and computer. It disturbs my concentration and breaks workflow when I have to regularly change the place where I work. This has happened twice. Last time I had to move to another room too and computer I work with is a lot worse than others before. Definitely not originally for graphic design, which can easily seen from lack of certain type of programs. I also used to work with two monitors. Now I have to survive with only one. Sob.

Overally I´m pretty satisfied with the place and work. The tasks in the beginning were more simple, like small changes to web pages etc. Now I´ve got more complicated and design related tasks to do. Currently I´m designing a menu for a dentist firm. It was about time. This is what came here for!

Introduction

This is a blog about doing 4 months long internship in Galicia (Spain). I am Finnish student of graphic design (university degree) and doing my internship in one design company in Vigo. This blog is about my experiences during the time, mostly related to the work itself and the culture of Galicia.

I have already lived here in Galicia about nine months, from October 2006. I lieved in another, a lot smaller place, at the town of Pontevedra where the faculty of fine arts of university of Vigo is located. Because of my previous experience about Galician culture, I want to make the difference between Spain (overally) and Galicia (autonomous pronvince). Galicia is located north west coast of Spain, just top of Portugal. Because of this, climate, history and other things many cultural details aren´t found other areas of Spain. So don´t think that everything I tell in this blog is applicable for example in Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla etc...Actually thinking so, could be a big mistake.

In my opinion everyone should know that Spain isn´t just about bull fighting and flamenco. Those things are difficult to find here. Which I think is more good than bad. Especially because here are a lot other things to discover...