Bansko in Daylight
I woke up and immediately looked out the window. I had arrived in pitch darkness and had no idea what my surroundings looked like. It was beautiful! A spectacular mountain range was within touching distance, with snow still on the peaks. The sky was crystal blue without a cloud in the sky and lifted my heart. I couldn't believe that I was going to be paid for living in such a beautiful location.
I quickly got ready and went downstairs and grabbed some breakfast. I asked the receptionist where the Kempinski Hotel was and set off with some vague directions. The minute I stepped out of the door I started shivering. It was freezing! All I had with me were light summer clothes as I'd expected to be posted in a hot country. Despite the fact that I was paying for the cost of the flights, I hadn't been allowed to stop off in the UK en route to pick up some extra clothing. I set off at a brisk rate, in an attempt to warm up.
I walked along the main road, hoping that I was heading in the right direction. A river rang alongside the road and the town was surrounded by mountains on every side. Many of the buildings were stone built and looked wonderful. Bansko definitely felt like a town on the up. Despite the potholes and crumbling edifices in places, there was a buzz and plenty of construction being carried out. This was certainly a place that I'd be happy to sell property in. Who wouldn't want to own a home in such a beautiful location?
Fifteen minutes later, I could see what was clearly the edge of the town. The buildings were thinning out and a forested mountain road could be seen. Had I gone the wrong way? I continued up and finally there it was - The Kempinski Hotel. It was right next to the ski gondola. Wow, it looked amazing! I wandered into the spacious reception and looked around, hoping to spot MRI staff. The place was deserted. I went to check at reception, but there was no joy. It was early still, as I hadn't known how long it would take to walk up, so I settled in to wait.
Meeting the Managers
Around 10:30am (I could have had an extra 30 minutes sleep!) a man wearing a suit walked in. He looked suitable MRIish, so I approached him. I was right. He was the Assistant Manager in Bansko and was called Klaus. He didn't seem very pleased to see me and was incredulous that I'd walked to the hotel. How else did he think I was going to get there?!
We sat down and had a chat. Klaus explained that I'd need to be shown all the properties and obviously learn to find my way to them all. The weekend was approaching so I'd "piggyback" with one of the other staff members and see how things were done. He talked about the plans for Bansko, including the new ski lifts, slopes, road improvements, golf course and airport - all the things we'd also been told about in training. The meeting was quite short and I felt that Klaus didn't warm to me. Not to worry. In my many years experience in sales, I'd found that many managers didn't have very high expectations of me initially, as I don't fit the usual salesy stereotype. Once I started bringing in the deals, that quickly changed. Klaus was just another person to add to the list of people who judges a book by its cover.
Around 30 minutes later, I could see another man approaching us. Klaus introduced him to me as the manager, Richard. Richard looked very young and I placed him in his early twenties. I didn't care what age he was, as long as he was good at what he did. We shook hands and then he basically told me to go away! He clearly didn't want me around and yet again I felt very unwelcome. He suggested that I spend the day getting to know Bansko and that I would meet the rest of the team the following day, as there was a meeting at the office in the morning. It's not the way I would have welcomed a new member of staff as a manager, but I'd been dismissed and there was nothing I could say, so off I went.
Discovering Bankso
I stepped back out into the freezing air and resolved that the first thing I needed to do was buy a warm coat. I wandered back towards the town, this time taking a different route away from the main road. After graduating I spent 5 years leading Adventure Tours around the world and I loved going to and getting to know new places, so felt in my element.
Away from the main artery running through Bansko, the town was even more attractive. Cobbled streets, pretty timber and stone buildings, an abundance of restaurants with smoke billowing from their chimneys and welcoming shops all lead down to the huge, green main town square. Despite the freezing temperatures, the pavement was full of tables and chairs laid out in front of cafes and men sat drinking coffee and chatting. I was blown away by it and it completely beat all my expectations. Having worked extensively in former Eastern Bloc countries I thought I knew what to expect. Apart from the horses and carts, donkeys, cows and goats wandering the streets, I could have been in a hip Western European mountain town. This was just getting better and better. I knew that I was going to enjoy living here. Let's just hope that the rest of the MRI team were more welcoming than the managers. If so, this is somewhere that Paul and I could live happily.
The main square of Bansko is very attractive and a focal point of the town. This is where MRI had their very smart looking offices and I have to admit that I was impressed that they had such a prominent location. It would be a great location to go to work every day.
I spent the rest of the day enjoying and getting to know Bansko. By the evening I was shattered and returned to the hotel. I remained coatless, since as I suspected, I was unable to find any suitable that would fit. I guess I'd just have to put up with the cold.
All Alone
I was hoping to meet some other staff members in the hotel that evening. I presumed that as MRI had put me there, then other staff members would be staying there also. I also wanted to discuss with somebody renting an apartment. MRI's policy was to pay for your accommodation for the first three months. After this you paid for your own accommodation PLUS they then started to deduct the cost of the first 3 months accommodation from your commission. Staying in a hotel that charged €60 per night was going to cost me a small fortune in the long run, plus it would mean that I'd have to eat out every night - not something I wanted to do.
That evening I spent some time in the hotel lobby and had a coffee in the bar, hoping to meet some other staff members. As time rolled on, I became more and more tired, with no sign of anybody and so I called it a day and went to bed. I was looking forward to meeting everybody the following day.
