The Service Engineer Journey

A travel blog in four acts to track the steps towards achieving the International Master in Service Engineering, an Erasmus Mundus Master Course, during the class of 2014-2016.

[theservicengineerjourney]

An update to emergency systems

As technologies evolve, and adoption in a country follows, it makes sense for different aspects of life to  adapt. It seems obvious for every day issues such as texting friends to hang out or googling how to get to a new place instead of asking over for directions. There are however other not so obvious, long-term ways in which this transition happens. In a way the true differentiators when it comes to technology evolution.

I discovered this when back in the Netherlands ( more on that coming soon) i got an unexpected notification from NL-Alert. My usual curiosity led me to find out that it is an emergency system used by the Dutch government to send messages to everyone inside the country in case of emergencies such as fires, floods or heavy storms. It is free, anonymous and works on cellphone networks even when they are overloaded. In other words, it does the job that once only the radio could perform.

And after all it makes so much sense. Everyone carries a cellphone nowadays, not a radio. 

At least in the Netherlands.

I wonder how many other countries could adopt such a thing...

[theservicengineerjourney]

Exactly how we felt at some point during this course.

Business ain’t no bed of roses, at all.

[theservicengineerjourney]

At the end, this effort towards integration through standardization also sets the foundation for the implementation of communication channels with the patient thanks to the simplification of information preparation among stakeholders.

[theservicengineerjourney]

Writing an additional paragraph of assumptions on the report to avoid changing a model.

Lazy me

[theservicengineerjourney]

When did all this happened?

We are used to time going fast. If you have to move out every six months, you know that by the moment you start to feel familiar with stuff you should probably check the dates and start packing. Yet this semester has lasted more or less the same as the blink of an eye. Probably it's because of the rhythm business schools follow, maybe it has to do with the particular location of the Netherlands on the globe (being more up north translating into more rapid passing of time), maybe it's just the sheer amount of things we need to get done. Assignments, papers and exams. Everything is due asap. After the countless meetings and coffees from the nearest machine to pull off all that we only have vague memories of nicer times. It is all now a continuum of lectures, library and screens. By the way, i now hate screens, maybe that's why this blog has been so scarcely updated. Next to what we may call the "regular" study load of the semester, a new more challenging task approaches steadily: the Master Thesis. This glorious piece of scientific work expected to be produced by us has to start somewhere, and that place is called "application". With very different degrees of intensity, everyone is looking for the ideal opportunity to prepare the grand finale. Resumes are polished and updated, social media presence is fine tuned to the extreme and applications are sent all over the web. How will all this end? Our once united cohort now shows significant traits of fragmentation because of interests that begin to head to different directions. We didn't realise when did this tunnel of obligations started, and we certainly don't know how far it will take us before it ends.

[theservicengineerjourney]

Food from the Dutch cafeteria. Costs three times more than the regular menu in Greece. Also looks slightly fancier.

[theservicengineerjourney]

So in the first team we have the Spanish guy, in the second we have the German already but we miss the Dutch-speaking one and for the third of course we can take our Syrian friend, but the professor wants us technical guys to mix with the management guys...

Us while forming teams. Again.

[theservicengineerjourney]

The Magic of an International Environment

When being abroad you don’t really realize when does the international “magic” starts happening. It just does. When you least expect it, and in curious ways. For example when you wake up with very limited time to have breakfast, change clothes with whatever you find first and grab the bike to try to arrive at the first lecture on time.

So in less than 15 minutes the whole thing happens. I go to the kitchen, grab a pan and go for the only safe and nutritious recipe that i know by heart: scrambled eggs with ham and peppers. I cut the ham and pepper in stripes, warm the pan with oil and as I get ready to crack the eggs, my Chinese neighbour opens his door and mumbles a “morning” as greeting. I get him, we are there for the food.

He asks me if I am using a wok standing on the stove next to my now busy pan. “No, no, go ahead.” i say as i pour the peppers along with some salt.

“Ok” He picks the wok, fills half of it with water, puts it back on the stove so it boils and leaves.

I have to stay to look after the eggs. It has happened to me before that if i leave for just a couple minutes, the mix of ingredients starts burning on the surface. I also have to stir it every now and then to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.

My neighbour comes back with a bag of Asian noodles (the white semi transparent ones, not instant noodles) and puts them inside the now boiling water. He leaves again.

Now its time for the truth for me. While they are still slightly liquid, i have to add an spicy tomato sauce so it blends with the eggs, turning them reddish. A few seconds after that i will need to take them out the pan, serve them next to some cucumber salad and a slice of bread. It feels like just-in-time logistics.

As I carry out my grand finale my chinese pal comes back again with a bowl of what seems to be sauted vegetables. He looks at the noodles and adds the new ingredient as he stirs.

A couple minutes later we were both with our breaskfasts ready. Our interpretations of quick and tasty. Now we just had to pick our fork or chopsticks and eat as fast as we could.

[theservicengineerjourney]

After serious training I finally managed to record while cycling. The result is far from perfect, but I think the landscape compensates for it.

[theservicengineerjourney]

Apparently mixing cheese and nudes is cool in the Netherlands

[theservicengineerjourney]

Autumn is all upon us.

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The perks of being in a business oriented university. You can't complain about facilities. Two screens, power outlets, wireless printing, enough space. I could get used to this.

[theservicengineerjourney]

Learning how to bike and shoot video. At least I didn’t fall this time.

[theservicengineerjourney]

If University of Crete felt like “Extension University”, Tilburg University is “Reschedule University”.

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As beautiful as things are while on a bike, it is still difficult to get a good picture of them.

[theservicengineerjourney]

You know you are in a business school when the professor says "intermezzo" instead of "break" or "pause".

me

[theservicengineerjourney]

Surprises of the city. Going downtown in a random night and you find this. I’m getting to like you Tilburg.