Retrospective: My day job in Vienna for the last five months - an overdue mention

One might easily get the impression from this blog that I spent all my time in Austria tripping the light fantastic and going to the theatre. I did in fact spend 30 hours per week in the office...

I was an intern in the Centre for International Relations (read Erasmus/international office) of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna (BOKU). This involved being on reception in the afternoons, general admin work relating to the various exchange programmes offered at BOKU, planning and running of events, student advice, etc.

It was excellent work experience and an interesting insight into the work that goes into keeping a large educational institution up and running. The working language of the office was German, but I also had the opportunity to do some proofreading and translation work into English. Inevitably, not all tasks were highly intellectually stimulating, but my lovely co-workers more than compensated for the occasional monotonous morning.

The whole team, including my successor as intern, with one notable exception...

namely Manuel! Chocolate runs in his veins. Or possibly wine.

For most of my tenure there was a second intern, Manuel, a fellow literature student from Belgium. We got on very well, his only flaw being that he abandoned us in mid-December. The picture gives you a little view of the kitchen at my flat, as a bonus.