Tag: Computers

Working for Apple

Originally, this post was a draft from September 29, 2008, named “About the new Apple Store in Glattzentrum”, never finished, never published. It’s the oldest draft I have, so I’m gonna start with this one.

Below is the what I wrote.

As you might have guessed from the photo earlier, I was there last Friday when the second Apple Retail Store in Switzerland opened in Glattzentrum. (Geneva “Rue de Rive” was the first on the day before.)

I didn’t go there like super early and wait in line, but I visited the store about one hour and twenty minutes after it opened, so about at 11:20 AM. And I still was among the first 1500 customers, so I even got the free t-shirt ^^

The applauding and cheering that was going on was pretty much predictable, at least for me, because I’ve seen videos of Apple Stores opening and people buying iPhones on the launch day. There are usually clapping Apple employees all over the place. But the people passing by the store…

I didn’t even finish the sentence! I think I wanted to say: “But the people passing by the store have no idea what’s going on, they think it’s some sort of celebration (which it is!) and deriving from the crowds that form, they think there must be a chance to get something for free or at a reduced price.

No. (Except for the free t-shirt)

It’s just a store opening. But what a fabulous one! I don’t know any other retail store that attracts so many enthusiastic people on opening day like an Apple Store! Correct me if I’m wrong!

As you know from my earlier posts, I then began working for Apple. First at the Apple Store Glattzentrum, then helped the Apple Store Rosenstraße for opening and first two weeks, and also experienced the Apple Store Rue de Rive before finally opening the Apple Store Bahnhofstrasse and staying there. Working for Apple is awesome, although sometimes exhausting, nerve-wracking and frustrating, but always enriching. By the way, if you work for Apple too and are reading this, let me say this (as a matter of fact, let me say this to everyone):

Working for Apple is my dream come true. Literally.

It’s not picture-perfect, but nothing in life is. Anyway I’m not gonna go into detail here. Not because I’m not allowed to, but because there is no need for it. The only thing that gets on my nerves from time to time are narrow-minded customers (that’s what I meant by “sometimes exhausting, nerve-wracking and frustrating”). If there were any unpleasant circumstances within the company I work for, I would rant about them of course; I am not afraid of speaking my mind freely while being monitored. There. I said it.

Of course, like I said, there is nothing to rant about, except for certain customers who do not understand and simply accept certain things (insert noise of grinding teeth here). I don’t blame them for anything, I’ld get mad too if certain things don’t work out as I expected them to. But please, people, chill out. Or sign up for Yoga classes or something.

I could go on and on, but that’s beside the point. By the way, the thankful customers overweigh. I especially like Americans. “Awesome”, “I appreciate it”, “I really appreciate it” is what you hear the most. I love ’em! And then there are the really thankful customers who bring you sweets like chocolate as a token of their appreciation.

Bottom line: it’s a rollercoaster, depending on the day and the customers. But it definitely builds character.

Finally some time for blogging

 

Since my last entry, a lot of time has passed and a lot of stuff has happened. I hope my faithful readers are still with me! Here goes a summary of the last 2 months.

 

October

So you pretty much know the story of all that happened in October. I stayed in sunny California for 5 weeks, visited San Francisco a couple of times and worked at the Valley Fair Mall. It was an exciting time and I gained a lot of friends. Thanks to the wonders of E-Mail and Facebook, we stay connected.

But before and after I went to California, I stayed in New York City for the weekend. Since my flight to and from San Francisco International both went through Newark Liberty, I said to myself: “Hey, why don’t I take the plane a few days earlier (on my way in), respectively hop off the plane and stay for a few days longer (on my way out)!” So I spent two wonderful weekends in NYC together with my heaven-sent Angel who keeps amazing me every time I see her. On one day, we took the train to Beacon and visited the Dia art gallery there. You can see the photos here. On other days, we went to a party, saw Margaret Cho at the Radio City Music Hall, went to the movies, and saw a crazy show called Fuerza Bruta, which was simply mind-blowing. And of course we spent countless wonderful carefree hours together. In three simple words: I ♥ NY.

 

November

As soon as I got home, I started working at the Apple Store Glattzentrum, at that point the only Apple Store in the German speaking region. I must say, I think I found the job I was made for. The job I was born for. This might sound strange considering the fact that I only just turned 24, but at least for now it feels so right, it’s like I turned my hobby into my profession.

Not much more to tell you about November. Except that I bought Guitar Hero 3 (maybe I should have bought Guitar Hero 4 right away, but I settled with getting that later maybe as a Christmas present to myself).

 

December

And now, I’m in Munich, where the second Apple Store in the German region but at the same time the first Store in Germany itself opened on Saturday, December 6, at 10 AM.

IT WAS AWESOME. Simply amazing.

We were sent here as reinforcements to this flagship store at the Marienplatz, which is pretty much the heart of Munich (the Store itself is called Rosenstraße). We arrived on Friday and helped in getting the store ready for the grand opening, and then on Saturday, we were actually there inside the store and part of the team, cheering and clapping like crazy, welcoming and high-fiving the first visitors. I have never seen such a happy and cheerful crowd before, and have never felt so cheerful myself.

If you have never been to an Apple Store opening before, either find out where the next one is gonna be, or search for “Apple Store München Eröffnung” on YouTube.

 

So to sum it all up (trying not to sound not to much like an Apple fanboy): New York is the most exciting city in the world, even more because the most beautiful person on earth lives there, and working for Apple is simply great. Now if I only could combine those things and bring them together all in one place… rest assured, I’m working on it.

 

Stay tuned and may the Force be with you!