Trip to Berlin The Unexpected Beautiful Memorabilia

Trip to Berlin The Unexpected Beautiful Memorabilia | My trip last year from 10 Mar - 16 Mar 2005 which I never even thought of it. Wow, that is surely a very long flight time and the farthest destination in my life. It was a great pleasure and surprised when Norlynne urges and told me that I have to travel to Berlin for ITB, well think she was feeling guilty as I was supposed to be sent to WTM in London last December. 

Why Germany, coz I speak Deutsch (maybe hehe but my Deutsch is bad too) as we are taking the LADA official who will be attending the same too so I will become the tourist guide to help them around Berlin when needed. 

Talking bout travelling to Europe that point of time, Gosh! its winter and lots of things need to do from finding things to bring, sales kit, products, contract to prepare and winter coats or else I will be dying in the cold!

Trip to Berlin The Unexpected Beautiful Memorabilia

ITB is a short form for Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin is a yearly travel event that will take place at Messe Berlin, the largest world travel fair when buyers and sellers meeting in exchange.  It is the world’s largest specialist convention for the industry. More details are available at www.itb-convention.com. ITB Berlin is the leading trade fair for the worldwide travel industry.

A hectic yet unexpected business trip where I have tasks in dealing with new clientele, meeting new client, meeting to maintain the business relationship with our Dutch client, the Prague agent, the European client which is not easy too.  

Imagine that you have to convince your client of your company's services and get their trust in you! Not easy but I finally did it! More business means more money but when there is more money the management will have to be a good and wise spender.

Trip to Berlin The Unexpected Beautiful Memorabilia

Tour Around Berlin

We roam around Berlin, photo stops in front of The Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDaWe), posing at the well known Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, getting souvenir for remembrance, longer stop at Hard Rock Cafe for shopping of course, stop at the morning market trying the hot potato in the cold weather, stop at the most popular shop for guys, Beate Uhse (haha) which I am quite embarrassed to step into and told them I would just want to stay outside. 

Anyway, I did went in as I saw a nice sling bag that I thought I should get for the girls and then the guys came to me and Dato asked me if I would buy something special to take home. hahaha. What an embarrassment huh? Another funny thing is that I wanted to use the ladies which then they salesgirl gave me a key for the toilet. hehe for the security of course!

Among the best moment is I met Erwin in Berlin after so long! Good to see him and Amy who at the same time had the opportunity to do food catering in Malaysia podium. So there is no worries on Halal food then. 

Erwin as always so fatherly then arrange to pick up from the event to Amy's restaurant then took me for a night tour to the collapsed Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, and explaining this and that, about the red lights area that I should avoid, etc.  

Erwin wanted to send me off to the airport on my departure but told him that arrangement has been made for car pickup yet he told me I should have opted A and B in case the car doesn't turn up that I should call him. So fatherly and caring but definitely I try not to since he stays far away from the hotel.

Trip to Berlin The Unexpected Beautiful Memorabilia

Estrel Hotel Berlin - The Hotel

The hotel that I stayed, Estrel Hotel Berlin is a 4-star hotel located in Sonnenallee 225, Neukölln which is about 30 mins to Messe Berlin. Yes, it's far but had to take this hotel since all hotel near to event place are all fully booked and the price is triple than usual but I love the view from my room which overlooked the Neuköllin canal and the building is elegant. From the hotel, I just have to walk about 2 minutes or more to the Sonnenale S-Bahn station but in winter the walk seems longer for me especially since I have brochures and my heavy winter coat!

A great opportunity and exposure with good experience meeting clients all over the world. The best are able to communicate in Deutsche even my accent and not fluent but yet managed to travel on my own to certain places without a huge problem. There was this one evening I went for dinner somewhere in Berlin in a friend hotel room but my lady boss did not turn up so I have to travel back by cab on my own and she was so worried as I arrived very late.  The fact is I took the cab not straight back to Estrel Hotel but asked to send me to the nearest train station to save cost. I then took the train from there back to the hotel but Alhamdulillah I safely arrived even though it was really almost past midnight.

The journey

A tiring one way 19 hours flight journey from Kuala Lumpur to Schipol, Amsterdam then another 1 hour 1mins from Amsterdam to Tegel airport and having the same long flight on return. Only if I don't have luggage, think surely I will take a few hours' tours of Amsterdam!  I used to say to myself that my ex-boss Sandy Richardson and other engineers are so lucky to travel here and there, between Malaysia and Europe, etc but then I experienced it myself the duration makes me think twice LOL

Look forward to the next trip to Berlin and others destination for marketing and selling Malaysia to the world!