In late August, all six developers working for Noria Vietnam left their Facilitated Work Hub workstations and headed north. Destination: Noria HQ in the coastal town of Sandefjord, Norway.
The itinerary included close #tech2tech collaboration with Norwegian colleagues, and kick-starting a new client project. Still, social happenings and exploring different cultures were not overlooked. According to senior developer Tuan, the entire trip turned out to be a great experience.
«I really like the way our CEO Ronny Reppe, of Noria expressed how the developers in both Norway and Vietnam make up ONE team – the Noria team,» Tuan tells us. «Going over there and meeting everybody was good for our relationship.» While working together was integral during the stay, industrial insurance software provider Noria also made sure social aspects were taken care of. A nice apartment within walking distance from the office was provided for the VN team, complete with good kitchen facilities. Anyone who has ever met a Vietnamese person can vouch for their fondness for their own food. The importance of a chance to cook familiar dishes can not be underestimated, and Sandefjord offered two Vietnam
ese food stores which did the trick grocery wise. «Living together, cooking together, working together … we felt more happy and connected!» Tuan reveals.
He also mentions other new experiences. Like strolling on empty Sandefjord streets enjoying the clean air and ocean view, attending the company summer party on a dreamy island, and a guided overnight trip to the capital Oslo. «Noria arranged things and took well care of us.
Getting around by bus and train was easy and efficient. And would you believe it, cars even stopped for us when we crossed the street! That never happens in Saigon» he laughs.
While in Europe, the six developers took the opportunity to discover even more countries. Sweden is only a ferry ride away from Sandefjord, and could not be missed. While being in the vicinity (Europe is pretty compact), the guys also flew for a quick visit to scenic parts of Germany, Czech Republic and Austria. Not surprisingly, Tuan mentions the local Czech brew first when asked for highlights from their continental detour.
While most of the team returned to Saigon after three weeks, Tuan and Ricky stayed three weeks more programming software functions in-house at Noria HQ. «We joined meetings with the new client in Oslo. A UK/US based shipping insurance startup company,» Tuan says. «Ricky and me are in no way insur
ance experts, but by attending, we could clearly understand the project goal. Usually we work with technically complex interface development. It was really interesting to see and explore the whole product chain. This gave me a better under
standing of our whole model.»
Here at Facilitated Work Hub we always encourage a close relationship between the developers and their employers, our clients, who are all top international tech companies with strong presence in the Nordics. Trips like Noria´s do improve key aspects in our model. Like stability, work relationships, and personal growth. And, let´s be honest, no career ever got harmed by flashes of discovery and joy.
Tuan gets the last word: «For me, the highlight was getting this chance to travel outside Vietnam — in my case, for the very first time. I got to learn about European culture, and feel closer to my colleagues. Both in Norway and Vietnam. After this trip together, our team spirit is soaring!»
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