I started at IBM Research Zurich today. My commute takes just under an hour each way, which is kind of a pain, though not too terrible in that it's via the trains. While one might think that a long commute by train is a God-awful way to start a morning, one might change their mind in Switzerland, where by the magic of the Swiss, the trains just aren't loud, even in the smoke-filled main train station, the Hauptbahnhof.
After arriving, I learned that my would-be manager has moved to China, and my new manager is currently out of town. So I met with three other members of my group (none of whom are Swiss) to discuss my upcoming project. More details on that as it opens up.
Apparently in Switzerland (and all of Europe, I'm told), it's a law that every office must have windows, or for jobs in which windows are undesirable (think dark room work, meat freezers, etc.), workers must be given access to windows or outdoors during the day. What that means for me is that I get a desk in a big office (once populated by 10 grad students, now by merely 5) with an entire wall of windows. The view is nothing spectacular, but it sure beats no window at all.
After arriving, I learned that my would-be manager has moved to China, and my new manager is currently out of town. So I met with three other members of my group (none of whom are Swiss) to discuss my upcoming project. More details on that as it opens up.
Apparently in Switzerland (and all of Europe, I'm told), it's a law that every office must have windows, or for jobs in which windows are undesirable (think dark room work, meat freezers, etc.), workers must be given access to windows or outdoors during the day. What that means for me is that I get a desk in a big office (once populated by 10 grad students, now by merely 5) with an entire wall of windows. The view is nothing spectacular, but it sure beats no window at all.
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