Europe Tour : Germany - Day 4

Today is the last day I will be in Germany and tomorrow I will be in Amsterdam alone for extending my holiday trip for another 3 days. We took a cab to the station at about 8.30 am. Look what I discovered in the cab. The fare was actually shown at the rear mirror in the car. Wah, first time I see it and so damn 'canggih'.

We had our breakfast at McDonald's in the station that early morning. I was at the ticket counter to purchase my train ticket to Amsterdam for the next morning and GM helped me to order this breakfast set. He knew it I don't like sandwiches so he ordered the omelette and bacon set for me. This is my breakfast set for so many days in Germany.

McDonald's Breakfast Set - Omelette, Bacon and Muffin

We covered those halls that we have not covered on the first two days. The first stop is at the fine food section. Some random pictures taken and I won't elaborate much.

From Middle East Country - Candies, Dried Fruits, Nuts

Candies, Gums and Liquorice

This is so cute - Little Piggy make from marzipan

Another set of fruits make from marzipan

This is the best - Belgian Chocolate

Famous Shortbread from Walkers

This is interesting. A vending machine selling Nibble Time peanuts and rice crackers. I told BIG BOSS this item got potential here. We can sell into cinema, bus station, train station, tourist centre, etc... but when we enquire about pricing ..... in Netherlands they are selling at EU1.00 in the retail outlets. If we were to bring into Malaysia, the whole can of 45gm will cost something like RM5.00 ! Really crazy who will buy then. Got to drop this idea.

Anyway took 2 cans of sample back for my Dearie Suki to try out. He finished up within 10 minutes. He is a real junk food kaki.

Some of the booths we visited - Singapore, Hungary, Korea, Chile

We left Koelnmesse at about 3 pm and BIG BOSS mentioned since me and GS first time visit Cologne, he would like to bring us to try out one of the famous restaurant for the Pork Knuckles again and also visit the DOM ( Cathedral ) in Cologne, right next to the train station.

We took a train there and it is about 10 mins journey.

The DOM is amazing. A must see when you are in the city.

Oops ! It is not a statue. Its a real human.

Floor drawing. It is fantastic.

This is the famous restaurant - FRUH. BIG BOSS has been mentioning to me for the past 3 days and it is a must try. True enough, at about 5 pm, people already queueing for a place.

Roast Pork Knuckles and Boiled Pork Knuckles

Pork Sausages

The whole table full of BABI finished up by 6 of us. What a coincidence we met one of our supplier with his wife there so they joined us for dinner at the FRUH.

Dessert we had Apple Strudel.

Sis was lucky cos there is a LV boutique next to the Cathedral. While having dinner at the FRUH, I ask BIG BOSS whether can he give me 20 minutes cos I need to go to LV to get some handbags for sis. Then he started to ask me, izzit cheap here and I told him it is supposed so. So the 3 uncles followed me there. Guess what happened ? All of us bought the LV bags and wallets there.

My BIG BOSS asked me to help him to choose the handbags for him.... please ah not for me ah don't misunderstood... hihihi... for his wife la. Rich man really rich man.... bought 2 handbags and 2 wallet and lagi keng no need to see the price one. GM bought one too for his wife .... but Ah Neh uncle got bad taste and I think the handbag very ' lou tou'.

Me.... wanted to get the NEVERFULL but sis and Joe say its a cheapskate one not evergreen one. So only get for sis and her friend Jane... the Speedy 30 ( EURO 430 ) and Damier Zippy Wallet ( EURO 405 ). After second round of thinking... end up I also get one Monogram Zippy Wallet for EURO 405. I still prefer COACH la, going to get sis to get for me a handbag when she is going to US next Feb'08.

After 1 hour in LV boutique, we walk along the shopping street and get some souveniers and some interesting cooking items at the supermarket whereby you can't find here in Malaysia. Will blog later on what I buy there.

Its time to go back to the hotel. In the train both BIG BOSS and GM are making fun with the LV bags. In total, 3 of us spend almost RM30,000 in the LV boutique and off course the most one is BIG BOSS la. Somemore GM told me, if he come back to Malaysia and people say the handbag is fake he is going to taruk that fellow upside down.

Then there is this joke BIG BOSS told us, his friend go to Petaling Street ( Chi Cheong Kai ) to get a fake LV wallet for a ang moh friend from Oz. The fake one ah, come with a LV box plus a note inside stated ..... "If you are not satisfied with the quality, please contact www.louisvuitton.com". All of us laugh like hell in the train.

Look at the fair hand. Dun play-play ah that one is my BIG BOSS and he is wearing a "LOLEX" hihihi... I mean "ROLEX" worth RM20,000.

It's time to pack my luggage, tomorrow morning I am going to catch the earliest train to Amsterdam. GS will be flying off from Frankfurt back to Malaysia, me to Amsterdam, GM and BIG BOSS going to Vienna to meet up a potential principal.

***** Amsterdam -Day 5 coming up soon *****

once I am back from my JB business trip on Saturday

Europe Tour : Germany - Day 3

After a good rest yesterday night, morning woke up fresh and get ready to go to the train station. The itinerary for today is more relaxed and we had our breakfast at the station. I love hot chocolate and ordered a cup and we ordered the English breakfast.

Hot Chocolate with Mini Raisin Muffin

English Breakfast - Egg, Croissant, Ham, Salami, Cheese, Tomatoes, Jam, Honey & Butter

In the train I am a bit of nervous cos I am meeting up with my Unilever principal at 11.00 am at the British Business Centre for the business review meeting. Meet up with D.Leach and this young British man, always MIA and never ever reply my email since we last met in October'06. The meeting goes well although we won't be able to hit their purchases target cos I think it is just too high.

After the meeting, we started our excursion again and visited few halls. The first one we went was the chilled meat section and there are so many sampling going on and I love the cold meat like ham, bacon and salami. You can eat as much as you like. Some of it I could say is very,very good.

The HUGE and LONG Salami. BIG BOSS was making fun of me... and told me " REALLY HUGE AH"

It is almost lunch time and we went over the Japanese exhibitor hall and 4 of us had our lunch there. We wacked the SUSHI since it is FREE for sampling.

The Sushi making machine. Rolling the sushi is so easy and fast with this machine.

At about 3 pm, BIG BOSS and GM met up with Sanitarium principal for a chat since he is also over there at the fair. Me and GS didn't join them and we took some fresh air outside the hall. The weather is so lovely with bright sunlight and cool weather. But the thing I hate most is that a lot of people not only man but woman smoke outside the open area. The air is filled with cigarette smell.

I love this maple leaves

From what I observed, I think Europe has a big market for drinks. There are so many company exhibiting drinks like smoothies, juices, energy drink, beer, soft drinks, flavoured sparkling water and many more.

Look at the picture below, the way they promote their energy drinks and beer. I think they really put in a lot of money to make it BIG.

BIG BOSS saw this and interested in it. It is a 100% Smoothie drink with shelf life 12 months and it is stored in ambience temperature. This product is from Sweden and the smoothies is so nice. I even took 2 packets of the sample back for Dearie Suki to try it out. The packaging is so innovative and I was assigned by BIG BOSS to follow up with this company.

While waiting for the 3 uncles to go to the toilet, I had 3 of this fruit ice lollies. This are manufactured in Indonesia. Wah so nice. The 3 uncles dont't know where they sesat to and I waited for them about 1/2 hour.

The next meeting is scheduled at 5.30 pm with Tchibo principal at the German Business Centre. Meet up with Christian the new Export Manager who handled the Asian and Middle East market also another 'leng chai ang moh' but with no hair ( BOTAK ). It is an unformal meeting and after the meeting he brought us for dinner at Cologne town in one if the Bistro & Pub.

Dinner for tonight is good and it is more relaxed as compared to yesterday night. There are 6 of us including one of his customer from Middle East. We start off with Beer, and I had a bowl of Oxtail Soup and the rest ordered Pumpkin Soup for starter.

Clockwise from top left : Beef Steak & Grilled Prawns, Pan Fried Fish & Salad, Weiner Schitnzel.

For main course, I had the Weiner Schitnzel. It is the veal meat from the young calves coated it with breadcrumbs and deep fried till golden brown. They have some smashed potatoes to go along with it. I am actually sharing my main course with my BIG BOSS and he ordered the steak so I gave him half of mine and he gave me half of his steak. But I still prefer the fish. It taste so good and fresh but I don't know what fish is that. Looks like Ikan Bawal Hitam to me.

For dessert we had the Strawberry Tiramisu and I forgot to snap a picture of it. Too busy talking to Christian. Basically we didn't talk much about business, we talk about the lifestyle of the German people, what they eat, what they do, where they hang out and he is a German staying in Hamburg and driving a PORSCHE. Must be having good life but one thing he told me in German, the more you earn the more you need to pay the tax. That is why a lot of German people move out from German to other EU country to work in order to avoid the high tax.

Dinner over at about 8.30 pm and he send us off to the train station. Reached hotel at about 10 pm after taking bath I doze off at about 11.30 pm.

***** Germany - Day 4 coming up next *****

German Pork Burger

GS helped me to take this video shot using my new camera. I am just too full and can't even load in this German Pork Burger. They have a layer of crispy pork skin in it and I am so tempted to take a bit but I am just too full.

Europe Tour : Germany - Day 2

Woke up as early as 3 am in the morning and can't sleep and the my body system still cannot jive in with the timing there. Force myself back to sleep again and woke up again at 6.30 am. Weather in the morning is a bit cold and get ready to meet up with the 3 uncles at the lobby at 8.30 am.

A view from my hotel room

Took a cab to the train station and we had a quick breakfast at the station. Nothing is nice and all sandwiches looks good to me but it is cold. I just had a bite of an egg sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate. BIG BOSS asked me what happen to me and I told him I don't like the cold sandwich and I can't even swallow another bite of it.

The travel distance from Dusseldorf to Cologne by train is about 45 minutes. In the previous year they used to stay in Cologne but this year they booked too late and end up got to stay in Dusseldorf. We catch the 9.15 am train and schedule to reach the Koelnmesse Exhibition Hall at 10 am and just in time to start the first business meeting with the Loacker prinicipal at 10.30 am.

The ANUGA FOOD FAIR which was held every 2 years in Koelnmesse and this year they have about 6,607 exhibiting companies from over 95 countries and total expected crowds this year is about 163,000 trade visitors. Last 2 years, I missed this trip because I was pregnant with Ee-Thern and TCH get the chance to go. This year its my turn liao.

In Koelnmesse they have 10 halls and each hall exhibiting different kind of products category :

1. Fine Food

2. Meat

3. Frozen Food

4. Chilled Food

5. Dairy

6. Bread and Bakery

7. Drinks

8. Catering Technology

9. Retail Technology

10. Organic World

Our main target for today is to source for Organic products.

We before we start of our sourcing, we went over to the Loacker booth and had our meeting first. The Loacker booth is so simple and the branding is so stands out. Took picture with TL's leng chai principal, according to GS he is the Italian version of Slyvester Stallone. hihihi.... and next to me that 'ang moh' lady is his mom.

At about 12 pm we started with our Organic sourcing. Went over to our Malaysian booth and had our lunch at Chef Sun's booth. He is promoting the Organic Mee Suah. The fried mee suah he fried for us is so so so delicious and I had a big plate of it.

Met up with few potential suppliers and we discuss about pricing and the product itself. Looks promising to me but SHIT, the follow-up job is to be done by me. That is why VV told me " there is no FREE lunch in this world ".

The organic spread with 75% fruits and low sugar which is also suitable for diabetic patient.

I love this booth. These are some very innovative organic products. It is a organic vegetables instant meals and you just need to heat up for a minute in a microwave.

Some organic pasta and ravioli

I called this the western pau that caught my attention. The pastry is just like our char siew pau and the difference is the filling inside is Blueberry. Then it is served with some hot custard sauce. It is so nice and I get BIG BOSS to try it cos he loves sweet dessert.

Some vegetarian products from Taiwan which BIG BOSS is interested. It is not chilled nor frozen vegetarian food, but it is stored in ambience temperature. I could say Malaysia is still far behind from other countries in term of producing innovative products and packaging. This is a real eye opener for me to see how advance is the technology in the other part of the world.

Some nice booth display and they are just so creative in exhibiting the frozen puff pastry and some ready to serve dessert nicely display on the shelf.

The fair ended at 6 pm and we still have 2 hours to kill before we head on to the Tabasco Dinner hosted by the principal for their distributors through out the world. The dinner started at about 9 pm after some cocktail session. This is a real torture dinner for me . It is a fine dining and look at the portion of the food, like 'chiak beh pah' one and all are so small portion and the dinner is served damn slow.

At 10 pm, I am too sleepy cos the time difference is 6 hours and Malaysian time should be 4 am in the morning. My eyes really want to close and I kept yawning. Sitting next to me is the distributor from Sweden and he is asking me I should be damn sleepy by this time. Yeah he is right.

The 3 uncles also ' beh tahan' liao and before we could eat the dessert, BIG BOSS wanted to go back the hotel and give the reason to the principal that I am not felling well. Really celaka.

A gift from Tabasco and I have yet to open up to see what izzit inside.

Reached hotel almost 11.30 pm and after taking bath, straight away went to sleep till morning 8 am.

***** Germany - Day 3 coming up next *****