Tag: workplace

Valo Co-working

Each time I work from Valo in Helsinki, I like it even more (if it is possible :)). I’ve mentioned a couple of times that my only challenge with working there is the uncertainty about exactly when a room will be assigned to me on any given day. The standard reservation time is from 9 AM to 5 PM, and I rarely start working before that, but until my room is assigned, my key button doesn’t open the gym door, and I love using the opportunity to work out before work.

On Monday, I saw that the room had already been assigned at 6 AM, so I happily departed for Valo. When I saw Jarko at his usual place at the “catpatin deck”, he greeted me and said that he saw that I had reserved the rooms for three days, and he made sure that for all three days the rooms would be assigned starting from early morning, so that I would have time to go to the gym and have breakfast. I can’t even describe how touched I was!

There are very few people working at the beginning of July, and the entire staff at their main cafe is on vacation for six weeks. Lunch is being served in a smaller cafe, and breakfast time is extended until 11 AM, because most people are staying in the hotel rather than co-working 🙂

Pride Celebration

We had a Pride Month celebration in all of my company’s offices last week, and I was disappointed with what we had in the Chicago office. Here are the pictures that all other offices shared:

The Montreal office had a cookie decoration activity:

I assumed that our cookie decorating class would also be Pride-themed, as advertised, but it was not! They didn’t even have the right colors 😦

These are the cookies that I decorated. I could make the rainbow and the heart pride-themed, but they didn’t supply us with the proper color icing!

I feel left out! (Although I learned some decorating techniques, which I will use for my Christmas cookies)

And I missed the Chicago Pride Parade and the whole weekend of North Pride celebration in Rogers Park, and the next year will be even more challenging schedule-wise.

VALO Pictures

By now, Jarco, who oversees all the technical side at Valo, is my good friend, and happily greeta me when I arrive. This time, he told me: now we have a proper app, and you can make reservations there, and you can also get your morning porrige for free. Do you like porrige?

Unfortunately, for some reason, I was unalbe to find the app in the App Store, which I reported to him later that day. Next day, when he saw me walking down for breakfast, he asked meL are you eating a proper breakfast today, or just porrige? That was, in fact, the day when I ate fruits and protein at home before heading to Valo, so I said – I was thinking just a porrige today. He said: OK, let’s go! He walked down to the cafeteria with me and told the cashier: she is booked for today, she just doesn’t have the app, can she have porrige?

That was very sweet, and although it looked like I could get the same porrige for free just showing my QR code, I was very thankful to him for taking care of me 🙂

And I can’t miss this opportunity to show VALO Works one more time. I never read the inside of the cards which are placed on the shelves in each room:

On Friday, I was in a corner room – the view from the window
Continue reading “VALO Pictures” →

The End Of Work-Life Balance?

As everyone knows, I love the co-working space Valo, and all the staff know me and go out of their way to do the best for me. Back in January, a funny thing happened, and since then, I use it as an excuse to get out of work by 5 PM or 5:30 at the latest when I am in Helsinki. Otherwise, I am caught in things that are just starting to happen in the office when people start their work day in Chicago.

Last week, when I started to reserve rooms for the upcoming work week, I accidentally reserved two rooms for October 28 instead of One for 28th and one for 29th, and when I realized I made a mistake, I couldn’t cancel either of these reservations. When I came to Valo on Monday, I asked Jarko, a person who is responsible for all tech support, and who helped me many times before, to move this second reservation from Tuesday to Wednesday. He told me I should be able to do it myself, and showed me in the app how to proceed. I was able to cancel, and make a new reservation for October 29, but unfortunately, there were no rooms with extended display available, and I really need this second display for work.

I mentioned it to Jarko when I was in the co-worker’s lounge for my next cup of coffee on Tuesday, and I told him I will check the next morning whether there will be more rooms available. He replied that even if there won’t be any rooms, he should be able to bring an additional display to my room, and asked me whether I was going to come around 8:30. I told him that sometimes, I come earlier and work out before I start the working day, and that was it.

On Wednesday morning, I checked whether to room for the day was already assigned, and I saw that it was. The room number was 328, so when I came in, I dropped my stuff in the room, changed into gym clothes and went to the gym, being pretty happy with the fact that the room as assigned early, so I had time for a workout, and breakfast with no rush, and then I could check with Jarko the monitor situation.

After my workout, I came back to room 328, and my key was not opening it – it flashed red! I looked and the app on the phone and saw that the room number had changed, and now I had room 284 instead of 328, and it was a room with external display. I realized what happened, and went down to reception hoping to ask them to open theold room and letting me to take my stuff. They said that Jarko has changed my reservation, but then he realized that I was already in so he switched it back.

I knew that nothing was switched, so I went to see Jarko (all in my gym clothes, mind you). he was very apologetic, but I told him everything was great, and I am very thankful for his thoughtfullnes, I just need to get my stuff out :). He went to the third floor together with me, helped me to pick up everything and move it to the new room. After the move was completed, he asked: would you like me to extend your hours today? We usually do not rent the rooms with extended display for the evenings, but I want to make sure! I said: thank you, no need today, but in general – I might need it. He replied: any time!

… I didn’t share his response with my Chicago co-workers 😀

Seen In Helsinki

Partially obscured, because I was in a hurry and didn’t want anyone seeing me taking pictures of the bathroom, but I still wanted to take a picture of a gender-neutral parent changing a diaper 🙂 .

Two-level bike parking at the train station
And yet anothe ice cream!
Lindonberry season – I got a box in the store, and ate it with rahka, and there is still some left – I will take it ho

On Monday, I worked at Valo again (the staff is saying “Nice to see you again :)).

And in addition to breakfast and lunch, they now have afternoon coffee:)

And finally, here is a mystery photo of the day – any guesses where I took it?

Tenant Lounge

There was construction going on on the second floor of our office building, and a couple of weeks ago, a new tenant lounge was finally opened.

Just showing off 🙂

Office Events

This week is packed with multiple office events. On Tuesday, our firm hosted a workshop organized by 100 Women in Finance. Rebecca Malotke-Meslin talked about negotiationg strategies. I was hoping for more generic negotiation techniques, but it was mostly about salary and promotion negotiations, although very well done!

Today, we had a Women Networking Breakfast at our rooftop. A little piece of irony: our regular breakfast is/was much better! We had a fruit salad, Greek yogurt, spinach and onion scramble, and proscutto and pesto scramble. And an apricot-raspberry topping for oatmeal. And freshly baked croissants. And the networking breakfast had iced coffee, chocolate croissants, and donuts. So I had a “normal breakfast” and then went to networking!

Tons of great conversations, new connections and catching up!

Charcuterie Board Class

We often have interesting office events after work, and I try to attend when I do not have a conflict. These events often conveniently fit between the end of my workday and some later evening activity.

On Thursday, we had a charcuterie board class. I missed the original sign-up, but signed for the waitlist, and once in a lifetime, I was lucky to be the only person moved from the waitlist to the actual event participant.

If nothing else, all of us could take our delicious boards home (I still have a little bit left in the fridge), but I also learned something new (and that’s me thinking I have these skills). One of the revelations: never do cubes! Cubes are boring 😂! I also learned why you want to cut in wedges – the cheese tastes differently close to the rind, so you get the full palate if you cut in wedges. I also learned how to make salami flowers, and why breaking cheese into pieces “naturally” is good. And – all these goodes were for me to enjoy!

Office On Friday

Most people prefer to work from home on Friday, especially when the weather is as nice as it was yesterday, but then you miss out on all of the Friday food!

More Pictures Of Valo Coworking

I posted tons of pictures in October when I worked in Valo for the first time, here are more.

On Friday, I was in a room in a different wing, and it turned out that there are more coworking spaces which I didn’t see before:

A view from the first-floor coworking space into the cafe. I love that you can sit anywhere, and there are electric plugs everywhere!
On my short walk
In the gym
Breakfast:)