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Wien bleibt Wien
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Post by Austria on Jan 18, 2013 22:11:44 GMT -5
Even with reflector glasses providing ample lighting at three o'clock in the afternoon, Roderich's office still looks quite dark.
And messy - well, half of the room.
The left hand side of the room is organised neatly with monster reference books standing in the black built-in bookshelves, a desk full of stationery, a jar of grounded coffee beans next to a coffee brewer, stacks of beautiful china cups and plates, utensils, and most importantly, a round, pre-sliced chocolate cake at the corner. It is tidy - in fact, too symmetrical to think that it has ever been used. Yet the coffee brewer is running, and drops of coffee flow into the pot. The left is well maintained.
The right - or the dark side - consists of the U-shaped work station with science journals forming the landscape of Alps next to the printer, while the printer keeps throwing out research papers that fly on the air like snowflakes. There are 24 tabs on the chrome, with LaTeX and matlab running in the background. Next to the PC laptop is an iPad, and its only purpose in life is to play music from Spotify, Mozart's IQ boosting music to be specific. Next to it is a resignation letter and a pile of dead pens, which are freebie crap distributed by other organizations during orientation week. There is also a built-in bookshelf on the right side of wall, except the books are all beaten up and collapsed into different piles. With the dim lights and scent of manuscripts, the room really looks more like a humanities grad student's office than an engineer's.
Next to a demotivational Einstein poster on the wall is a gigantic white board filled with fancy cursive writing, engineering equations (Bernoulli, Navier Stokes), random sketches that look more like Picasso's drawing than some practical graphs, office hours rant, and Ludwig Beilschmidt's appointment time (3:30pm).
He'd better be punctual, Roderich mumbles as he finishes his second slice of cake and stores the plate into the refrigerator. He will wash them later.
It is barely a month since school officially started, and Professor Richter-Gebert is already pushing Roderich to meet a first year to team up for the engineering competition coming up in December. The Austrian is quite glad to be reminded again of his unpopularity among students of the same year, simply because no one would like a person who is producing tons of research papers while being loved by the faculty. Since undergraduate friendship is maintained mostly through alcohol, whining about how difficult classes are and talking bad about professors, it makes sense for Roderich to not able to team up with any talented fourth years for competition. And the second and third years are not too brilliant, neither.
Roderich doesn't really care. He has so many ideas in his brain, and he absolutely loves the idea of researching to make his ideas come true. The only problem is that Roderich is not quite good at translating his proposals into actual movable gadgets, so he always have a team of interested second years or companies to materialise the product (and it always works). Yet he won't be able to hire extra help during the competition, so he must rely on a diligent partner with solid foundation on mechanical engineering with hands-on experience, or at least, amazing learning curve.
How much can a first year student do? Roderich have high doubts on this person named Ludwig. And how much can he stand Roderich's uninteresting personality and work ethics? If the first year dislike working with him, feel free to pack and go, Roderich doesn't beg. Roderich does not feel like accommodating to others' needs unless he find them competent and respectful, then he will probably yield considerably to them.
The clock is ticking, approaching 3:20. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Roderich picks up the pile of papers on the ground and throw them above the printer (while it is still printing), then leans back and stares at the screen.
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Post by Germany on Jan 22, 2013 15:13:31 GMT -5
No questions had been asked when Ludwig had essentially been forced to take part in this annual competition that he vaguely knew anything about. He had heard some talk, read an article or two in his senior year of high school but he hadn’t put that much attention to it finding his part time job at one of the garages in his village to be much more interesting. It was there he had learned everything he needed to know about vehicles; inside and out. It was also lucky that his grandfather had been more than willing to promote this interest, although, if anyone were to ask him, he’d say Ludwig had fascinations with vehicles since he could walk.
And so, this complete passion for what he was doing was the sole reason he stood out in his class of first years. It was also for this, that the dean of his faculty had noticed him and pushed his name onto the President of the University. Whereupon the man had personally come out to spy on the tall German as he worked quietly after hours, taking a part and re-assembling motors as if it were a piece of cake.
Of course, Ludwig had been so absorbed in his work, and the music playing around him that he had not once noticed the President, who had been watching from the bridge that overlooked the entire work studio. And, it wasn’t until the man was upon him, startling him a bit from his work that he even acknowledged the slightly shorter man.
A frown had creased his features as he left the garage that night, having honestly wanted to keep to himself through his schooling and not get involved in huge projects such as the one he know founds himself in. and even if he had wanted to participate, he would have preferred working alone so he knew the work would get done and it would get done in the manner he wanted it too.
The slip of paper that he had carefully filed in his binder held a time and an office number for a meeting he was expected to show up for as a get to know your partner. There was also a name scrawled on the top that took him a bit of time to decipher but when it didn’t, he couldn’t say he hadn’t become slightly curious to the identity of this individual.
So, when the next day rolled around, Ludwig had arrived early to the building to find the location of this office, so that when his last lecture ended he’d be able to find it with minimum trouble and still arrive on time.
3:20 PM
Ludwig had taken the stairs up to the third floor, exiting through the light coloured doors and taking the first right that lead him through a corridor of offices from his department. There was only one door that was slightly ajar and from the crack he could hear Divertimento in D, K136, Allegro, or something that sounded close to one of his favourite pieces by Mozart.
However, even if this prospect of a partner was listening to Mozart, it didn’t make him any happier to be forced into this competition. Ludwig glanced at his watch noting that it was only 3:25 pm and decided to wait a bit before knocking on the door. He liked to be right on time, not a minute before and especially not a minute after. And so, he flipped through his folder, to make sure everything was in order for the meeting that was scheduled in less than five minutes.
Right when the clock hit 3:30 PM, his hand rose and he gave the door a powerful knock, waiting patiently on the other side of the door.
(( Sorry this is a little late. I honestly had to re-start it a few times. But, finally, here it is. ))
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Post by Austria on Jan 27, 2013 19:02:41 GMT -5
Roderich frowned deeper and deeper as minutes passed by without any visitors, and the thought of the Erstsemester getting lost in the building or forgetting the appointment grew more realistic and irritating such that the Austrian decided to refill himself the fourth cup of coffee of the day to ease the tension. Among the chrome tab chaos he managed to find his gmail tab, quickly typing his advisor’s email address and drafting a letter to explain how the young student’s unpunctuality made him an unqualified team member for the upcoming science competition, which was done in a matter of minutes.
Setting up the alarm at 3:31 to be reminded to send off the excuse letter, the Austrian returned to the flying pile of research paper and started skimming through them for more ideas for his thesis- there were clouds of vague ideas that flew on top of his head, but there were too intangible to be caught for further development…
Then, the door was knocked on exactly at 3:30pm. Raising his eyebrows, Roderich quietly turned off the alarm and deleted the letter before replying the knock. “Kommen Sie doch rein.”
“Grüß Gott, Herr Beilschmidt.” As the student came in, Roderich opened the drawer and took out a folder of documents containing the details of the competition, the qualification, and FAQ without looking up, until the blond settled himself did the Austrian took a quick glance over this appearance of the young blond student. “Setzen Sie, bitte. Bedient Euch selbst mit Kaffee.”
He did look quite proper and reliable, judged by his firm eyes and posture. His CV did look quite impressive too – but nothing would be revealed until he showed full commitment to the competition itself.
He started explaining in a pragmatic, emotionless voice. “Let’s be frank here – you do not entirely wish to be here, nor to join the competition; so am I. You are probably half forced by the professors from one of your elementary engineering classes to come see me because your passion and diligence showed great promise on this field. Please correct me if I am wrong.”
After sipping the coffee, he continued. “As much as I, or you, are unwilling to represent for this university, there are some benefits that might make you reconsider your decision.” He handed Ludwig the documents and directed him to page 2.
“Most importantly, you will enjoy the privilege of owning a semi-private laboratory, shared by the entire team, to work on any projects, not limited to the competition one. You receive full faculty support, and they cannot refuse any of office hours appointment from you. Feel free to claim anything – from coffee to lunch boxes – as your research expense and it will be paid for. You may skip 75% of the classes and not getting penalised. Depending on the research project you ultimately decided on, you may also claim credits for the relevant classes…”
“In short, this is a full excuse to get away from redundant classes and work on something that you are truly passionate for... if we can win the award. More information is on the FAQ sheet.” Roderich leaned back against his chair and reexamined the blond, wondering if he was tempted or not.
“And I apologise for not introducing myself – This is Roderich Edelstein, 4th year mechanical engineering focusing on acoustics. Pleased to meet you.” He loosened his grip on the coffee cup and extended his hand.
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Post by Germany on Feb 6, 2013 4:48:49 GMT -5
“Kommen Sie doch rein.”
Ludwig could immediately tell where his work partner was from as he quirked a brow before pushing the door open to step inside. His gaze flickered over the study noting the untidiness of half of the room. If this had been his work station, he would have never allowed it to get so untamed. He was surprised the Austrian, because it was clear the accent was from Vienna specifically, was even able to find anything in this disaster. However, he kept his thoughts mostly to himself as he let his gaze fall on the slightly shorter male.
“Hoffentlich nicht so bald, Herr Edelstein.” He replies as he watches the man pull out a folder. When he was instructed to sit, he pulled up ( a surprisingly clear chair ) to the desk and took a sit. He sat with perfect posture as he placed his own folder onto his lap. He was good, he didn’t really drink that much coffee seeing as it was quite unhealthy and did more damage than help when it came to studies.
Ludwig always kept himself presentable, well, except when he was in the garage working on cars. But, during those times, he never expected to run into anyone who he would have to look presentable for and it was also the only time he could actually relax and do something he enjoyed. Nonetheless, it was the obvious contrast in Roderich’s clearly immaculate appearance to his very chaotic office that struck Ludwig as hard to read. It could have easily meant that Herr Edelstein had problems balancing certain things in life or it could have also meant his inability to prioritize what was important over what wasn’t. Then again, Ludwig would have to get to know the other better before really coming up with an opinion on the other.
If Ludwig was to say he was surprise with the way everything was explained to him, he would be lying, when he had read the Austrian’s name on the post it note that the president had written for him, he knew mostly who he would be dealing with. He took the paper with a quirked brow as he let his gaze run over the written work. He had this exact document in his folder. He had made sure to get one from the president before he had left the man’s office.
He had kept quiet for the entire explanation figuring it would be better to let the other say everything he had to say because it didn’t look as if he were going to relent in his explanation. It was all stuff he already knew and if Roderich had actually asked him rather than assume he was incompetent this meeting may have gone much quicker. If only the roles had been reversed.
Ludwig grasps Roderich’s hand shaking it firmly before nodding lightly at the introduction. “I’m Ludwig Beilschmidt, 1st year mechanical engineering focusing on vehicle engineering. It’s very nice to meet you.” He pauses for a few seconds before releasing the others hand.
“There are actually a few things I need to correct you on.” He says his gaze fixing on the others’. “I was actually referred to you by the President of the University and although I appreciate your hand out, I have one of my own.”
Ludwig places the offending document on Roderich’s desk as he gets up from his chair. “I actually have one concern and it’s in regards to your work ethics. I like to get things done in a timely basis and with minimum delays. I just want to be assured that you’ll be able to meet the deadlines we’ll assign for each part of our project? I have low tolerance for excuses and even less tolerance for people who don’t put in one hundred percent.”
His gaze roams over the office a second time. “The president spoke highly of you so I expect you to have no difficulty in meeting my work requirement. I believe we should meet a minimum of four times a week to start off with until we figure out what we want our project to be about. Then afterwards, when things are planned out and we both have our individual work load, we can minimize it to two times a week so we have things to report on our progress.”
Ludwig pulls out a stapled booklet from his folder. “I took the liberty of writing up a schedule for us, as well as, extra information regarding the competition that was not written anywhere but will prove to be useful. I gave them a call yesterday to assure that all the facts were correct. I made sure to put down my contact information so if you ever did need me you would have no difficulties in reaching me. We start tomorrow at 1600 on the dot. I hope to see you in the room I booked, and that is written on the second page of the booklet, located in the library. Do you have any questions?”
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Post by Austria on Feb 11, 2013 1:07:07 GMT -5
Roderich was going to give high remarks on this first year student for his very presentable appearance and his readiness to prepare himself for the team, particularly since he was, in fact, referred by the President here. He even had a subtle smile hanging on his lips, representing his happiness of having a highly qualified student as part of his team. The high expectation and the smile collapsed immediately, as much as Roderich would like to hold his expressions constant, as Ludwig stood up and started delivering his expectation and demands.
He quietly listened to the German and finished drinking his coffee, scribbling some illegible notes on one of his papers until the German allowed him a chance to ask any questions. Only until then did he make a deep frown, taking his time putting the cup back onto the saucer, resting his chin on his palm, enjoying ten or so seconds of pure Mozart with his eyes fixed on the German, finally raising his voice with a more inflected Viennese accent and an insincere smile. “So, did the President just pass by and order you to stand up?”
Personally he found the question on his work ethnics very offending. If the German inferred that from glancing at his messy workstation, his logic was wrong. Human brains were quite disorganized to begin with. He found it easier to find random pages to read on because it would stimulate Roderich’s thinking better, and it had been working for a couple years. He could be very tidy and organized, too, upon demand. He just chose not to for the following reason.
“Concern on my work ethnics? Read my CV first, if you wouldn't mind. It is on the department’s homepage. And your work requirement? Please do tell me how amazing personal it will be.” His voice started to go through a well-executed crescendo.
“4 days a week - are you aware that this is not your garage or your workplace, and this is not a tech school where you will become a skilled auto technician? If you do and aim to be a programmed car fixing robot, please go home. University is not for you. Do muses schedule themselves to grace upon you? Creativity is not generated by punctual work; many important findings in science are generated by luck. At the beginning after knowing each other’s specialty, two to three times a week for a meeting is sufficient. For the rest, just email each other when ideas hit us, and set a deadline for final ideas.”
“Low tolerance for excuses and 100% percent? Everyone feels the same way in the university. Stop thinking you have absurdly high standards, this is not gymnasium.”
“Define excuses. By the way, I will not make it to your scheduled appointment at 1600 because I have another appointment to go to, and I didn’t receive a notification 48 hours in advance. Is that an excuse? How much did you know about me so that you could take liberty designing the schedule for my life? And also, allow me to correct after planning out the design, meeting twice a week is too little – we will literally be camping in the laboratory days and nights. Seems like you do get your priorities mixed up.”
He took the booklet from Ludwig and skimmed through the schedule quickly, crossing out the times that would not fit his personal schedule, then leaving it on the table for Ludwig to retrieve it.
The all-out condescending sarcasm was probably more than enough, thought Roderich after speaking with the full accent that some Germans might find annoying. It was true that the higher-ups anticipated Ludwig to participate in the competition without any delay, and he wouldn't know what and how to explain if he decided to kick out the first year because of his rude behavior (at least to him). Pondering for a bit as he filled out possible alternative times for meetings, he switched into a less sarcastic but stricter tone, looking straightly into Ludwig’s eyes.
“You also need to work on your communication skills. I would have nodded yes for at least half of your ideas only if you at least phrase your words better, such as “My work requirement, in general, is rather strict, but for the benefit of the team and the school, let’s work together in committing a high standard of work”. I am very concerned that despite of your presentable appearance, your speech is not. Let me know if you want to enroll into any language classes here.”
“Remember, this is a team led by me, and I take liberty in getting rid of members lacking social etiquette – one does not simply walk into an appointment and start demanding the interviewer to meet one’s own standards. Would that be alright for you? ”
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