M.B.A.

Mission Accomplished

2008-09-17T00:01:00.001-07:00

The year in review has truly been a great one.

Friday, September 12 marked the momentous occasion otherwise known as commencement.

After one year of hard work, writing many many papers, sitting through ridiculous exams and mind-boggling classes, traveling the world, making friends from around the globe, and experiencing ups and downs...the year has come to a close. It's a bit hard to believe that it is all over.

The friendships we've made and the life experience we've gained will be carried with us for the rest of our lives. While this year has been unforgettable, remaining eternally forged in my memory, the time has come to be forward thinking and for all of us to seek our dreams and destiny wherever life may take us.

Auf Widersehen friends.

Photos:
1 - Me receiving my hard-earned Diploma
2 - Class picture
3 - Hats off!
4 - Me in cap and gown
5 - Me and Frances
6 - The Americans (Drew, Me and Meredith) minus Philip
7 - Dad, me and mom, just graduated
8 - Me and Naz
9 - Mom and I
10 - Me with my Best Electronic Communicator Award i.e. Most Annoying Emailer!! :)
11 - Me and Oli
12 - Some of the Mannheimer ladies

Final Term, Team Project

2008-07-25T04:50:00.000-07:00

July 1 - September 5

I worked on my final dissertation project with Maria, a colleague from Warwick Business School. We are working on a project with Deekeling Arndt Advisors (DAA), a communications consulting group on a project at their Berlin office.

The dissertation was based off of our work with DAA and focuses on the logistics industry with a marketing twist. It ended up being about 24,000 words (the most that I have ever written) and was entitled: Forecasting Customer Needs and Prepping the Supply Chain for 2020 and Beyond. Maria and I are now officially expert futurologists - if interested, inquire within! The project was very interesting, but a bit scary as well focusing in on the possibilities of what the future holds. We finished right in time and I jetted to turn it in and to graduate!

Our time in Berlin was short (two months) and we were jam packed with the dissertation. However, we still made some time to see some of the eclectic style that Berlin has to offer. I would recommend this up and coming city to all - its supposed to soon replace London as the hot spot of Europe! Oh but I will indeed miss the local Dolores the California style burrito place at Alexanderplatz, it was so yummy - imagine an amped up Chiptole with a habenero salsa option.

Photos:
1 -3 - the Building
4 - Maria in our office
5 - Maria and I at dinner
6 - Henrick and Maria at a library outing day
7 - Maria and I and the DAA team (Christian, Anja, Tobias)
8 - Maria and I with our finished product

Last week of the Official MBA

2008-07-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Week of June 22

Hurrah, we ended our last week of MBA classes with global information systems! Only the final project now and our MBA program is officially over - the feeling is ever so bittersweet.

Photos:
1 - MBSers Me, Masaru (Japan) and Boris (Germany) hanging with the CBSers Chris (China) and Pall (Iceland)
2 - Pretending to work, class is over! Ahmad (Egypt), Katsu (Japan), Me and Sekou
3 - Me and Nazih (India) trying to be cool
4 - Yes, we are putting off working on the final that we needed to do
5 - Ahmad and Sekou protecting themselves from the rainstorm in the MBA building
6 - Valeta and AK
7 - Me, Marc, Olivia and Tatjana
8 - Me and Izzie
9, 10, & 11 - Celebrating our last days together before we split off for project work
12 - Katsu and I
13 - Frances (Taiwan) and Sasha

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2008-07-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

June 20 - 22

After Ko Samui, we spent another day in Bangkok and on the way back to Germany we made a longer pit stop in Dubai. We arrive very early in the morning in Dubai, and nothing was open!! We walked around a bit, trying to wait it out until we could check into our hotel. We visited lots of the famous buildings (the Burj, etc.) and saw Jumeriah beach.

The most memorable was the shopping experience at the notorious Dubai mall. The mall is something to write about. We didn't go to the mall with the skiing inside, but another one that was amazing for a gal you likes to shop! It was huge - think Mall of America size - with every store you can imagine. I was so excited to see my American brands of the Gap, Banana, etc. The sales were not that good, but the selection of stores was unique. To get out of the mall was an obstacle, as it is in the middle of nowhere. To get there was easy, to leave was the hard part. The taxi line would have taken 4 hours, I have never seen a line so long ---reminded me of a line to get on a roller coaster except shoppers had carts full of their goods!

While our time in Dubai was limited, here are my initial impressions of Dubai:
-Really freaking hot, feels like you cannot breathe
-Large difference between the wealthy and the poor
-Bad public transportation system
-Money makes Dubai go round and opens doors
-I have never seen so many sky scrappers being built at the same time as I have here
-Chaotic
-Multi-cultural, but separated

Photos:
1 and 2 - Early morning views of Dubai
3 - Exploring the closed Souk area
4 - Dubai Creek
5 - Around town
6 - Rules for entering the mall
7 - Dubai Museum ticket, not overly exciting museum about the history of Dubai
8 - My favorite - Fresh mint and lemon drink
9- View from our hotel window. Those are beds on the roof of the building next door.
10 - The closest you can get to the Burj
11 - The Gulf at Jumeriah beach
12 - The Burj Dubai, it will be the world's tallest building when it is finished September 2009
13 - The pier
14 - Friends hanging out and chilling along the Dubai creek

Koh Nangyuan, Thailand

2008-07-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

June 17

Koh Nangyuan is about a 15 minute ferry ride from Ko Tao and is made up of three small islands that are connected by a sand dune. There are 3 ferries a day there and back from Ko Tao, and the last one comes back pretty early. After this time boats are not allowed to go back and forth. We decided to go over pretty late and brought the snorkeling stuff. I think we had about an 1.5 hours until the return ferry! This turned out to be the most beautiful beach that I saw in Thailand. The sand or lack there of was really rocky, but the water was a amazing. Really shallow coral. I was just sitting in the shallow and could see all the marine life swimming past me. Florian went out deeper to snorkel around, and accidentally cut up his foot. It was a mini-freak out, as this island is tiny with only one resort and one shop. I was virtually running all over the island to find a first aid kit! Alas, I found something and got him on the boat back safely.

Photos:
1 - Ariel view of Koh Nangyuan
2 - On the ferry ride over
3 - Snorkeling
4 - view of Koh Nangyuan as we left

Ko Tao, Thailand

2008-07-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

June 15 - 18

After a little disappointment with Lamai Beach, we decided to go even more remote. We took a 1.5-2 hour ferry to the island of Ko Tao. Ko Tao was originally an island meant for divers, but is now opening up for further tourism. We even stayed at a diving resort that held classes everyday, although we didn't dive.

In Ko Tao, Florian got a little sick from the air conditioning, but Florian was recovered by the end of our time. I had time to wander around the small island and it was a little relaxing for the both of us to be away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Beautification procedures are soo cheap in Thailand, the hardest decision is where to go. I ended up getting some Thai pampering with a massage, pedicure, etc. and n Ko Tao. The Thai massage was painful, but felt great!!

Living the business
I noticed that Thais really live their business. For example, when you go into a pharmacy or a shop, they really seem to live there. They are watching TV, eating or cooking. You have to take off your shoes as a sign of respect, since this is their "house." At a larger restaurant along the main strip I even saw people sleeping and relaxing on the floor of the kitchen - not sure how sanitary this is!!

Photos:
1 and 2 - On the boat to Ko Tao, which was about 2 hours or so from Ko Samui
3 - Ko Tao scenery
4 - Florian at our lunch stop along the harbor
5 - The Ko Tao harbor
6 - Me thinking how are we going to get back up that steep path. We were exploring the more secluded parts of the island where we had to drive the 4x4
7 and 8 - Ko Tao beach scenes
9 - Leaving Ko Tao on an old school propeller plane, which of course we were seated right next to

Ko Samui, Thailand

2008-07-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

June 13 - 15

We were trying to go South straight from Kanchanaburi, but ended up taking the bus back to Thailand and to the airport. We sporadically bought plane tickets at the airport and hopped on a flight that night. We hadn't even really booked a hotel room and we arrived quite late in Ko Samui. From the start it is obvious that Ko Samui is a hot tourist destination with the outrageous taxi prices that you have to take. We took the taxi and I think it may have been the scariest taxi drive in my life, I really had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. It was a very shady cab ride, as the driver made us switch to his brother's country club car to finish our journey. Then he was driving really fast and the curvy, bumpy roads didn't help! Alas, we arrived safe and sound.

We decided to stay at the second most popular beach (Lamai) to avoid crowds and congestion, in Lonely Planet it says it may be the most beautiful. However, we made the wrong decision. The sand was rough and the water was rough and nothing special. Don't get me wrong it was very beautiful with huge rocks, but not what I was expecting at all. However, we ended up checking out the most popular beach, Chaweng Beach, and it was very nice. Crystal clear water and warm. Chaweng was the place to be and we had a very nice dinner one evening on Chaweng beach!

Never Saying No
I realized that in Thailand show the desire to purchase something or request something, the Thais will go out of the way to accommodate you. For example, we stayed at a small nice mom and pop owned place with individual cottages. For breakfast I ordered my usual iced ovaltine, which I couldn't find on the menu. They took the order and 5 minutes later the husband was off on his little scooter and came quickly back with the drink mix in hand. This is also very apparent when shopping. Don't see your size, never fear the vendor will find one for you. Talk about customer service!

Photos:
1 and 2 - the bad beach (Lamai Beach)
3 - the good beach (Chaweng Beach)

Kanchanaburi, Thailand

2008-07-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

June 11-13

We took a 2 hour bus ride to Kanchanaburi, it was recommended from a friend to visit here as it was a little quieter and not as touristy as Bangkok. My friend also recommended a really good cooking school and place to stay here, but when we got there the hotel was all booked and cooking school teacher was out of town. However, all was not lost. It was great to see a smaller town like Kanchanaburi, although there were still the cheesy touristy places. I also wanted to go here to see the infamous Bridge over River Kwai, known from the movie.

Here is the story behind the Bridge over River Kwai:
The black iron bridge was brought from Java by the Japanese supervision by Allied prisoner-of-war labour as part of the Death Railway linking Thailand with Burma. Still in use today, the bridge was the target of frequent Allied bombing raids during World War II and was rebuild after war ended. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. A daily train is still following the historical route from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok Railway Station.

You can walk across the bridge and it was a little scary as you are just walking along the wood planks with the river below you. There were little safety platforms where you could stand if a train started to come down the tracks. I thought this was a joke, but later we saw a train pass.

We didn't do much sightseeing here, but explored the area a bit and relaxed! Of course, continued to shop and eat tasty Thai!

Food. Cuisine.
The Thais can really cook any cuisine. Not only did I have amazing Thai food, but also American and Italian. I think I already mentioned the french toast that I had every single morning with honey! I had the best pasta arrabiata, because it was actually spicy. When you say spicy in Thailand it is a whole new ball game, unlike in Germany when you ask for spicy, it really is. I can't count the number of times my mouth was on fire, but ohh so tasty!

Photos:
1 - Kanchanaburi sign near the train station
2 - Bridge over River Kwai
3 - Danger sign of trains that pass on the bridge, is this a joke?
4 - Me facing my fears and walking across the bridge
5 and 6 - Bridge from a far while at a floating restaurant
7- Trains actually do run on the bridge
8 - PongPhen was probably the best place we stayed in Thailand, which we accidentally stayed at because nothing was available at Apple's Guesthouse

Bangkok, Thailand

2008-07-15T04:48:00.001-07:00

June 8 - June 11

With a stop over in Dubai, We arrived in Bangkok late on June 8th. We stayed on Khao San road at a place that Florian had been to before. Arriving first on Khao San is this indescribable feeling because of all of the chaos that surrounds you...it is a combination of excitement, energy, anxiety, intrigue and confusion, oh yes and tiredness from jet lag.

Our first day in Thailand we at this Irish Pub around the corner that had pretty good food, while in Bangkok we ate here everyday for breakfast. It was heaven for me as I consistently has french toast with honey and iced ovaltine to drink! Being in Europe, I have missed good American breakfast!! There was a torrential downpour and parts of Khao San was literally flooded. So not a good sightseeing day, however it was a day well spent as we did "sight-seeing" in a local mall. We shopped a lot, as you can get name branded apparel really cheap and they will even alter it for you right then and there. We ended up seeing Sex in the City this night, as going to the movies in Thailand is an experience as well. Before the movie begins, a short video montage of Thailand's King Rama IX (he has reigned since June 9, 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-serving monarch in Thai history). Everyone stands and watches the video as a salute to the King, watching a reel of the greatest moments in his life as King I suppose. It was kind of like the pledge of allegiance, with a song in the background, although no one sings really. We also visited Sukhumvit Road, which according to Wiki is the center of modern Bangkok and not only one of the longest roads in Thailand, but one of the longest roads in the world.

We went sightseeing around Bangkok and took the river boat taxis along the Chao Phraya River to get around easier. We went to see the palace in Bangkok, but it was already closed for the day. Afterwards, got hit by another torrential rainstorm (did I mention that it was almost the start of the rainy season in Thailand) and visited a Wat (temple). We also saw the reclining Buddha in a Wat. It is huge, although the way that it is displayed (columns in front) makes it hard to see the entire statue. We also bumped into a Buddhist ceremony going on and it was very interesting to watch. There was maybe about 10 monks you mediate together and a small area for worshippers. The mediation was almost melodious. It felt as though we were invading and not supposed to be there, but the doors were wide open.

Prostitution
So, it is quite apparent from the moment that you land that prostitution is quite legal in Thailand. It is everywhere, especially in Bangkok, but also very prevalent in the smaller cities we visited along the way. It was also not high season, so it was also quite apparent because many women were always hanging around and lingering around the bars and restaurants. If you are a white guy and are into Asians, this is the place to be. White European or American men with a Thai mistress in tow was a common scene. I found this culture to be quite disturbing, but realize the role it play into Thailand's economy, according to wiki "organized sex work in Bangkok alone involves a minimum of many thousands of workers, and possibly in the tens of thousands." On the other hand, prostitution is somewhat legal in Germany as well, however, I think it was more distributing in Thailand because the sex trade is on a much grander scale.

Photos:

1 - Me with the infamous backpacker's backpack
2 - Florian in one of the shopping malls
3 - Riding in a tuk tuk
4 - Me enjoying a wonderful Thai meal
5 - View of the Chao Phraya river
6 - On the ferry boat
7 & 8 - Taking the ferry boat around Bangkok
9 - Temple (Wat) stop
10 - Florian and I at the renowned Oriental Hotel
11 - Another view of the 3-wheeled Tuk Tuk, taxi driver
12 and 13 - Wat pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha
14, 15, 16 - At a Wat, the colors were so amazing
17 - We came across a Buddhist service that was in session. It was funny during the mediation one of the monks was on his cell phone, ah how times change.
18 - Bangkok chaos, I think we were on the way to the movies
19 - Me on the chaotic Khao San Road
20 - Leaving Bangkok, backpacks in tow, for more adventures around Thailand

Grades. Marks.

2008-06-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

Do grades matter during an MBA or graduate program in general? Or is it just passing and obtaining that one piece of paper that legitimizes your time spent on an MBA, otherwise known as a diploma? Well during my MBA, I have been to three very different schools in three very different countries with three very different education and grading systems. It is always a bit confusing on what is considered good or not so good and not always wise to translate back to the American grading system.

General
There is no curve!

England
The education system at Warwick was semester-long classes, and first term we had six on-going classes. I really enjoyed this set up, because if you fell behind in the readings there was always time to catch up before mid-terms or finals. Also, if you favor one subject more than the other, you could reward yourself and study what you like for a bit...for example after some heavy accounting, I would like to read the interesting articles in our binder as bedtime stories. Furthermore, I want to point out here that I think that at WBS expectations were very clear first term, it was specified what was required to do well...which was not the case everywhere.

At Warwick, the grading system was based on percentages. 70% is considered distinction, so comparable to an A. Anything higher than 70% is superb comparable to an A+ or an A++. You then need a 50% to pass, as anything lower than a 50% is failing. This system was easy to adapt as I just had to re-adjust my thinking from 100% to 70%.

I would say that I like many was the most motivated at Warwick, being the first term, we were all fresh and committed to learning! Surprisingly, after a shaky midterm performance, I pulled it together for finals and made the Dean's List for first term. It was a really nice start to the new academic life.

Copenhagen
At CBS the class set up was not constant. We had some classes that stretched for a few weeks and then had some where we only had 2-3 sessions. We were actually there for two terms for a total of six classes. Furthermore, after coming from WBS, the limited or virtually no direction of expectations on papers or exam was half of the battle at CBS. For example, write about something from the course, make a point, ask a question...oh yeah and be able to talk intelligently about it. Yes, we had oral examinations in Copenhagen. We had one for corporate branding and the dreaded Corporate Finance. That is not a typo, we had an ORAL corporate finance exam that was worth 100% of our grade. We had to choose two questions at random (supposed to be one qualitative and one quantitative), prepare for 20 minutes with our class materials and then present / essentially teach the two professors on the topic and have discussion.

The grading system at Copenhagen was rather confusing. Here we go:
12 - A+
10
7 - C
4
2 - Passing
0
-3

Yes that is a -3 on the scale for extremely poor performance! It was never clear how many points achieved correlated to the number you received. For example, missing only ten points off is a 12?? I want to know what happened to the 1,3,5,6,8,9, and 11 in the scale!

After an intense schedule at WBS, lots of free time and duplicate classes impaired my motivation a bit. However, my performance remained constant plus I was able to travel a bit, learn a differing angle on a topic and actually started to like Accounting (thank you relax a little bit. I was very nervous about Finance and got two easy questions that the average Joe would have aced, but I choked a bit. Spend too much time trying to grasp the more difficult topics than the easy ones, but that is what happens when you have to study the entire text book!

Germany
The third term at Mannheim, we have to take a minimum of six classes each a week long. I do not like this system, as it doesn't give you the time to go in depth on a topic, nor does it give you time to reflect on what you are learning...and of course no time to catch up on readings. Most of the classes were similar to seminars or workshops because of the lack of depth. And of course because they emphasized the global factor, so we talked a lot about cultural differences, Hofstede, etc. Also, the work load during the week was intensive! Moreover, I think one week classes try to cram too much in with too little content.

In regards to the grading, here is the scale:
1 - Almost unattainable
1.3
1.7
2
2.3
2.7
3 - Average
4
5 - Fail
6

A 1.0 is highly unattainable, I think the German feeling that there is always room for improvement (as I have been told) comes out in the grading and the reluctance to give a 1.0. With this system, you have to think in the reverse since 4.0 is usually the best score possible and a 1.0 is very bad in the American system.

Not all of the Mannheim grades are in yet, but so far the grading is okay. The rounding that happens usually hurts the student in this grading scheme, as I myself have fallen victim - why is there no 1.5!! We had the choice between papers or exams and mostly I choose exams, because papers are so time intensive. However, cramming on Thursday for a detailed exam after class on Friday can be a bit arduous, so I think I will fare better with the classes that I wrote the paper for.

To answer my initial question from above, I personally think grades are important as that is a characteristics that I have always had stemming from grade school I guess. Grades are traditionally very important in Germany, and I have heard of instances of when even grade school transcript grades are asked for. Also, given the state of the economy in the U.S. I wouldn't be surprised if grades become more of an important factor in the hiring decision process to weed out candidates as there are fewer jobs.

Photos:
1 - Comparison of grading systems

Week Four - Supply Chain

2008-06-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

Week of May 25

I had two friends from Warwick stay with me the week of the supply chain management course: Sabbir (Bangladesh) and Ben (South Africa). Many other friends from Warwick came in for this class as well, and we had a great week of sight seeing, dinners and of course stimulating class sessions.

Photos:
1 - Sabbir, Ben and I in Heidelberg
2 - Ben as the cat
3 - Me, Ben and Sabbir on a boat cruise in Heidelberg
4 - Me, Bisi and LB from Warwick
5 - Ben, Shabbs, Singean (England) Me, Fernando (Brazil), Tuan (Canada) at a company reception
6 - Meredith (US), Sekou (Ivory Coast), Deepak (England), Singean, Fernando and Me
7 - Shabbs and I on the way back home
8 - Me and the famous Matai prawns
9 - Shabbs on dish duty
10 - The beer game during supply chain clas
11 - Me and the boys
12 - Me and Shabbs on the way to class
13 - Ben and Sekou at our after class get together
14 - Ahmad all dressed up and I at the party
15 - WBS goers: Maria, Irinia, Olivia, Katsu, Fuyuoko, Me, Tuan and Aila
16 - Mr. Matai and I at the end of the week party

Speyer Tour

2008-05-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

May 25

A classmate Marc is from Speyer and gave us a tour of his home town. Speyer is near the river Rhine and is about 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Speyer is lovely town, and is known for its Cathedral where tombs of German emperors and kings are buried underneath the high altar.

Photos:
1 - Omo (Nigeria) and I in Speyer
2 & 3 - Sights from Speyer
4 - Just part of the group that enjoyed the trip to Speyer
5 - Valmiki (India), me and Jake (India)

Road Trip Week

2008-05-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Week of May 18

I did not have class this week and we were planning to maybe travel around Europe. We decided to spend some time travelling around

Germany

and ended up visiting

France

as well. We went to Strasbourg,

France

; Tubingen and Metzingen, Germany; Weinheim,

Germany

; Ladenburg,

Germany

; and Dilsberg, Germany.

Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg is located in the Alsace region in

France

, close to the German border and less than 2 hours one way from Heidelberg. It was once part of

Germany

, but was returned to

France

after WWI. Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament, although sessions are only held once a month here. We sporadically decided to drive to Strasbourg, thus were not prepared for the rainstorm that was happening when we arrived. Nevertheless, we took a boat tour around the city and got to see its lovely sites between the smear of rain drops. We had an interesting dinner before we left at this charming little restaurant. They were serving what we thought were pastries with different fillings - cheeses, or meant and cheese combination. What turns out is that they were essentially toast pieces of small bread with these toppings. While the meal was scrumptious, we were wondering what happened to the rest of the meal...you would have to eat about five of these to curb your hunger. Maybe this is the secret behind the book, why French women don't get fat. Anyways, the best part of the trip besides the lovely scenery was our desert at this restaurant...pear and chocolate chip pie. It was indescribable!

Photos:
1 - On our rainy drive in
2 - Florian and I on the boat tour
3 - Sights of the city

Tubigen and Metzingen, Germany
I had been hearing about this amazing outlet center in Metzingen, Germany about 1.5 hours away from the Mannheim-Heidelberg area. Of course, with my love of outlets especially in Florida, I had to check it out. I was particularly interested in the BOSS outlet, which later turned out to be a bit disappointing as they didn't have a large selection for women. The outlet center was okay, not as many deep discounts as those in the U.S. If your a guy, the BOSS outlet is golden. After Metzingen, we headed to nearby Tubigen for dinner before we drove back to the Mannheim-Heidelberg area. The area is known for its universities and was very lovely. We found a great mexican restaurant that was really yummy - if we see Mexican the dinner choice is automatic!!

Photos:
1 - In Tubigen at Florian's namesake, a flower store

Weinheim, Germany
To get up to Frankfurt from where I live, I could go to Weinheim...thus I have only seen it from a tram perspective. However, it is a lovely little German town with a cute center. We took a hike up the mountain...it was quite strenuous. I don't know how I made it up and down!!

Ladenburg, Germany
I also pass through Ladenburg on my daily commute to Mannheim, but of course only get the view from my bus window. It is a small, charming German town as well. However, it still has the ancient ruins of the cities fortifications.

Dilsberg, Germany
Dilsberg is close to Heidelberg, and is not the typical German town set down in a valley, but the old part of the city is built on top of a little mountain and is still surrounded by its old town wall. The old part of the city is really tiny and the paths are narrow and wind around the old town. It wasn't very touristy when we went and had some nice crepes on our stop there.

Photos:
1 & 2 - Views of Dilsberg

Where I Live - Mannheim Term

2008-05-09T01:08:00.000-07:00

April - July

During my third term in Mannheim, I decided that I was done with the community living lifestyle and lived in Schriesheim, which is just north of the Heidelberg city center. This was Florian's old apartment when he was in college, so after some fixing up, the apartment became quite homey! The area is quite charming, one of those small German towns, but is also a weinstadt (a city that produces its own wine). It was definitely a cozy home to come back to after spending the day in bustling Mannheim.

Out of the three schools that I have been to this year, I noticed quite a difference in academic living style and there has definitely been advantages and disadvantages of all three living set ups.

Warwick dorm style living
Advantages:
-Having friends close
-Fully equipped for student life (i.e. comfortable desk and desk chair)

Disadvantages:
-Sharing kitchen facilities with up to 10 others
-Located in the middle of nowhere
-Lack of character (like living in a box) can be rather depressing
-Noise

Copenhagen shared apartment style living
Advantages:
-Having friends close (roomies)
-Only sharing a kitchen with two others
-Great location

Disadvantages:
-Not fully equipped for student life (i.e. barely had desks and no desk chair)
-Noise
-No community vibe as students commute to school and live all over the city

Mannheim off campus
Advantages:
-Quite
-Homey
-Great atmosphere
-Own kitchen, bathroom, etc.

Disadvantages:
-Not having friends close by
-Lack of community feeling
-Having to commute

I cannot say which set up I liked the best, but all were memorable and great experiences.

Photos:
1 - My castle that I could see from my bed (the vineyards are being redone, but there is normally grape vines growing on the mountain below the castle)
2 - Front view of the apartment
3 - Bedroom
4 - Kitchen
5- Living room

Salon Treatment

2008-05-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

May 6

In preparing to leave the U.S. I wanted to keep my hair hassle free i.e. limit the amount of styling and coloring needed. So in anticipation of leaving, I grew out all of my highlights so I wouldn't have to worry about the up keep. At my Aveda salon, I asked for an easy cut that will look good as it grows out and loses its shape!

However, usually I get a haircut/style change every couple of months or so and the lack of change has been driving me crazy.

In England, it was way to expensive and didn't really see any good places, so I kept growing it.

Then in Copenhagen, I planned to get a haircut for my birthday and thought it would be a good salon experience as with their great English, I could explain exactly what I wanted and have some salon chit chat. However, I think I had the only stylist in CPH who didn't speak English. So I ended up with a half way cute cut, but with straw thin hair. She had thinned it way too much.

Now in Berlin, Florian had went to a place that he thought I would like. So I decided to give a try, because the summer is coming up and I miss my shorter, hassle free style. When he made the appointment he was sure to convey that I don't speak much German and that I would need someone who spoke English. However, when I got there and into the chair of my stylist, the first thing she says is that sorry, her English isn't that great. At that moment, I had a sinking feeling and knew that a nice salon experience this time was out of the question. Through the experience I was quite tense, unsure of how the cut was going to turn out given our limited ability to understand each other. So again, like in CPH, I tried to explain what I wanted/didn't want through the assistance of many to my stylist. Words like layers, blended and bangs didn't seem to easily translate and I didn't know them in German. But I think my stylist did a very nice job!

Hence, I think in these experiences I learned that you sure can convey a lot of information without understanding and usage of actual words! But I will say that it is irritating when businesses say they can accommodate an English speaker and in reality they cannot!!

Photos:
1 - Before: long, lifeless, all black (too stark I think, especially for the summer) and grown out bangs
2 - 3 - After: sassy hair is back!! I think this is the most bangage that I have had since I was a teen!

Week Two - International Management

2008-05-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

Week of April 21

The second week of class Yuko (WBS, Japan) stayed with me.

In this class we talked more about global relations and international joint ventures/M&A. We had the delightful Professor Perlitz, who was full of interesting stories from his career and company. I think there is a facebook group that voted Perlitz's classes as the most un-PC classes at Mannheim. He is retiring this summer and it was a pleasure to be in one of his last classes.

Photos:
1 - Yuko and I in Heidelberg
2 - We randomly met up with more WBSers in HD. Irina (MBS, Russia), Olivia, Ele, Me, Yuko and Mery in front of the HD gate
3 - Group case work
4 - Yuko, Viktoria (MBS, Belarus) and Boris (MBS, Germany) at a nice bier garden along the Rhine River
5 - Marc (MBS, Germany) and I at the bier garden

Night at the Museum

2008-05-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

April 19

A few of us went up to Frankfurt for Night at the Museum, where the museums are open from 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. and one entry fee gets you into all of them. There are also big parties when it gets late in the museum and in the backyards, reminded me of house fraternity parties. We didn't have the chance to hit all museums but I did get to see a few. It was quite crowded and a bit chaos to meet up with friends. But all in all, it was a fun event.

Photos:
1 - Me, Ele, Mercy, Dee (MBS, British) and Irina against the river
2 - Me in front of the Frankfurt skyline
3 - Museum advertising on the bridges
4 - Group of friends that stayed for the late-night museum experience

Week One - Cross Cultural Managment

2008-05-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

Week of April 14

It was our very first week of class after two weeks of workshops and seminars.

Tara, a friend from Warwick, came in for the class and stayed with me off-campus. The great thing about these courses is that students from the schools that the Mannheimers studied at for the first two terms have the chance to come take a course at Mannheim. Therefore, I'll get to see and hang out with many friends from Warwick and Copenhagen again!

The class was about learning and realizing cultural differences. We had presentations on the British, French and Japanese cultures. Since being in this multicultural environment, it was the first time we had an open forum to discuss our beliefs and stereotypes about other cultures. Lesson learned: understand the culture people come from and don't take yourself/national culture too seriously.

The one-week courses I've discovered can be very tricky....its about balancing company presentations, class group work, entertaining guests and showing them around town, oh yes and studying for the class. With each course we can choose to take an exam at the end or white a paper (3,000 words). For this class, I decided to write the paper (which I am avoiding doing at the moment as I work on this blog entry)!

Photos:
1 - Tara (WBS, British/American) Tatiana (MBS, Ukraine) and me at lunch
2 - Tara, Allen (MBS, China) and myself at the pianist concert in Heidelberg
3 - Tara, Aila (MBS, Germany), Linda (CBS) and me at lunch
4 - Ricardo (WBS, Portugal), Tara and myself again at lunch on our last day of class
5 - The WBS girls in Mannheim: Mercy (WBS, Nigeria), Ele (WBS, Ghana), Tara and myself
6 - Ele and I at dinner
7 - Tara, Josep (WBS, Spain) and Olivia (MBS, Mexico) at dinner
8 - Tara and I as the fun week comes to an end

Berlin Career Fair

2008-05-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

April 7

The first weekend we went to a career fair in Berlin organized by the leading MBA schools in Germany. My first thoughts of having a career fair so soon after we arrived was that I am not ready to get full swing on the job hunt!

The fair was interesting, as I haven't been to a job fair in over five years. It was much smaller and more intimate than the ones that I have been to in the U.S. However, it was basically the same spiel as those in the U.S. Are you in the OK CV pile or the REJECT CV pile?? The main difference was that although this was an international career fair with many international MBA candidates, many of the companies/positions offered required German language skills. Also, I did like the mini-company presentations that were given every hour, which gave you a chance to learn more about the companies and the opportunities that they have available.

Personally, I have never been a fan of career fairs and in my career history have never had good / fruitful experiences in attending them...I am a firm believer of the network. On the contrary, the career fair has provided a catalyst to jump start the process i.e. the realization that the MBA program will be over soon and the real-world is lurking just around the corner.

Photos:
1 - Night before dinner at a very nice restaurant near the Brandenburg Gate
2 - At the career fair: me, Allen (China), Sekou (Ivory Coast), Biju (India/Germany) and Alexander (Germany)
3 - Tuan (Canada), Sujay (India) and Sekou relaxing on the couch with some Sekt and pretzels after a long day of networking

Wilkommen en Deutscheland

2008-05-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

April 7

I am now officially in Germany for my last two terms!

I will take 6 one-week courses at Mannheim from April until June. Here is what I am taking: cross cultural management, international management, international marketing, supply chain, HRM and information systems.

After I am done taking classes, I will work on a group project dissertation for my final term. Mannheim usually finds the projects for us and we apply to work on them in teams. However, thinking that I want to work in Berlin afterward I have been working to find my own! So if all goes well I will be in Berlin July 1st!

I am looking forward to cheap food here, after living for 6 months in the most expensive countries for food!!

Photos:
1 - Sign made by Florian's family to welcome me to the apartment in Schriesheim.

CPH...The Last Days

2008-05-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

April 3

Our ending of Copenhagen was also quite an adventure. We had to move out of our apartment on April 1st as that was the end of the contract. However, we still had finals to take, thus we had to stay in Copenhagen for a few more days. So, we had to pack up and clean the apartment in the middle of finals week and move to a hostel.

We took the train to Germany directly after our finance final on Thursday. I was nervous that the oral finance exams would run late and they did! I was the last one of the day and not only did I get to hear how the earlier exams went (benefit but also negative) they ran an hour late. I was so drained and literally had to run to the train station!! But alas, this was the end of the term at CBS.

In retrospect the three months in Copenhagen seemed like a vacation after Warwick: we didn't have regular classes, the workload wasn't as demanding, we didn't really have graded teamwork/team projects (now against the law in Denmark), I got to travel extensively (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, around Denmark and Germany three times, and I lived off campus in Frederiksberg, a very hip area of Copenhagen!

But time has come to say Farvel and Hej to Copenhagen.

Photos:
1 - Last roommate photo in our apartment
2 - 3 - The chaos of moving, I think it took us over an hour to get a taxi. This is after we had pre-ordered one as well.
4 - A note in our hostel room, very interesting.
5 - The MBS gang at CBS (missing Jalal) at the train station...the five of us took the train from Copenhagen to Germany

Praha

2008-04-20T04:02:00.000-07:00

March 22-23

Prague is a city rich with history, here is a very brief snapshot: For most of its history Prague had been an ethnically mixed city of Czech, German and Jewish populations. WWI ended with the creation of Czechoslovakia with Prague as its capital. Then from 1939, Prague was occupied by Nazi Germany. While Prague was mostly undamaged by WWII, it still suffered from air raids (US air strikes meant for Dresden). After WWII, Germans were driven out of the city and Prague came under the Soviet influence, and ultimately freeded itself from Russian ties with the fall of the wall in 1989. Then in 1993 Czechoslovakia split and Prague became the capital city of the new Czech Republic. In 2004 Czech Republic joined the EU and removed its border controls with neighboring countries in 2007.

Prague was quite beautiful with old architecture and living history all around. When we went it was also quite cold, but I think it would be a very romantic city to visit in a warmer climate. I heard its very touristy and was indeed very crowded when we visited. It is also more expensive in Praha 1 (the main touristy district) than in other parts of Prague (they still have the Czech Koruna, but have the intention to adopt the Euro by 2010ish or so). With all of the walking, Prague was a bit tiring, but I thoroughly enjoyed our visit there - I cannot imagine how crowded it gets in its high season!!

Photos:
1 - 2 - Sights on the drive down from Berlin to Prague, we passed many small poor villages and Communist looking/prefab buildings once we crossed into the Czech Republic
3 - It looks like Venice, but it is Prague
4 - The long escalators in the Prague metro stations, I heard that the stations doubled or can be bomb shelters as well since they are so deep
5 - Cathedral
6 - Around Prague
7 - Florian and I up on the castle walk with the city behind us
8 - The Prague castle
9 - The water way on the bridge over to the Prague castle
10 - In the metro, just in case you weren't aware you are supposed to buy metro tickets while in the train area
11 - 12 - The old town square of Prague
13 - 14 - The Original Budweiser!
15 - Prague at night from across the Charles Bridge
16 - The old border control checkpoint, everyone gets very confused here if they need to stop or should keep going

Tropical Islands

2008-04-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

March 23

No we didn't stop at the beach!! On the way back to Berlin (36 miles southeast of Berlin), we stopped at the Tropical Islands Resort...it is an artificial tropical resort and is said to be the world's largest tropical indoor pool which can accommodate up to 8,000 visitors a day and the world's largest indoor waterpark at 710,000 sq feet.

The structure was orginally built as an airplane hanger - 360 meters long, 210 meters wide and 107 meters high. At 194 million ft³ it is one of the largest buildings on Earth by volume, and is the world's largest single hall without supporting pillars inside. The hangar cost €78 million, but the airship it was intended to house was never built.

When we went it was incredibly packed, couldn't find a free place to sit on the sat or the seats near the beach. This park isn't quite equipped for children nor adults, with only a few slides and water toys. However, it was a sight to see! Also it was very warm and after a chilly Prague this was a tropical delight!!

Photos:
1 - The structure from the parking
2 - Inside view, notice the half sky
3 - 4 - On the crowded beach

Dresden

2008-04-05T03:05:00.000-07:00

March 21

Over the second weekend of Easter, Florian and I drove to Prague and stopped to visit Dresden on the way. Dresden is a charming little city along the Elbe river that spent 40 years in the Soviet bloc and is known for the controversial allied bombing right before the Germans surrendered. The rationale behind the bombing was fuzzy: defeat German morale, make a point to the Russians, take out the than 7th largest Germany city because of its industrial importance. Nonetheless, the historical center of Dresden was destroyed in 1945, but has now been rebuilt to its old glory. Curiously enough, Dresden's sister city (twin-town relationship) is Coventry (where Warwick University is) since it had suffered a similar fate in the hand of the Germans.

The Zwinger Palace (rebuilt in 1964) was formerly part of the Dresden fortress of which the outer wall is conserved. Zwinger means outer ward of a concentric castle - the cannons placed between the outer wall and the major wall. It is an enormous palace that was restored nicely. It's one of Dresden's main attractions.

Photos:
1 - 3 - the Dresden Zwinger
4 - Florian and I at the Zwinger
5 - The Dresden Frauenkirche (The Church of Our Lady)
6 - Views of the bridge over the Elbe
7 - View of Dresden historical city center
8 - Dresden at night...I risked my life on the road to get this pic

Helsinki

2008-04-01T05:04:00.000-07:00

March 15-16

We took a Tallink ferry from Tallin to Helsinki, Finland and it only took about two hours. We had to literally run almost a mile to get to the boat, because the salesperson sold us our tickets too late and they did a last call even before we three had our tickets.

Helsinki was very cool and you could see the difference in the attitude of the people. We were helped even without asking on numerous occasions. And of course, the Finns speak amazing English! Additionally all the bars/clubs were packed, the Finns like their nightlife. Also, heavy metal/Goth is big in Helsinki!

One of the funniest moments in Helsinki is when we were on the tram in route to the hostel. The Finns have a trusting society and you don't have to really buy a train/bus ticket...but of course we did. At one stop almost 10 ticket checkers get on the street tram (they all wear the same green jumpsuits) and block all of the exits to stop people for jumping off.

Helsinki itself was pretty and you could see some Russian influence however, I look forward to seeing St. Petersburg one day!!

Photos:
1 -The ferry was great, but it was freezing outside
2 - Tallink ferry boat was huge and could transport cars
3 - Me in our hostel, my first community hostel experience...and it may be my last :)
4 - Pizza in Helsinki, fine-dining!
5 - Isa and I at our hostel
6 - The Finns are very much into keeping the environment clean
7 - 10 - Scenes of Helsinki
11 - The Lutheran Cathedral - one of Helsinki's symbols
12 - Ekberg cafe, the oldest cafe in Helsinki, which we didn't know at first when we went in the cafe and saw the 16E breakfast buffet....then found out why it was so expensive and crowded later on our city tour

Tallin

2008-04-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

March 14-15

I wanted to explore all of the Scandinavian/Baltic countries but of course there are time, financial and visa considerations. Wanted to get to Russia and Iceland, but my roomies and I ended up going to Tallin, Estonia and Helsiniki, Finland for a weekend.

Estonia became communist and part of the USSR after WWII, but gained its independence again in 1991 and also a part of the EU. We flew into Tallin on a Friday and this was evident right from the start with the attitude of the people that we encountered. We stayed near the Old Town, which is the nicest part of Tallin from what I saw.

The weather was awful while we were in Tallin, cold and rainy!! However, Tallin was an interesting spot and maybe going in better weather would make for a better experience.

Photos:
1 - Rocio and I at our first dinner on our weekend away. It was here that we learned that ordering the cheapest item on the menu is not the best idea - sometimes you get what you pay for.

2, 3, 4 - The old town of Tallin at night

5 - Me in front of the gate of the old town

6, 7, 8 - Views of Tallin from our city bus tour. The buildings have that old commie feel and the circle windows are typical of Estonia.

Touring CPH

2008-03-09T01:31:00.000-08:00

March

One weekend - two days of touring. Lots to see, so little time. Although, I traveled a lot while in Copenhagen, I wanted to make sure I saw the local sights!! Copenhagen is a great city, reminds me a bit of Chicago. Nice people. Pretty city. Nice harbors and waterfront. Clean.

Day 1 - Touring around a sunny day (rare during this time of year) in Copenhagen. We went to see Rosenborg Castle and Christiania.

Rosenborg Castle is very close to the city center and very beautiful. It was built as a country summerhouse and is home of the oldest royal garden. The gardens were so beautiful, and as I have usually said during my time in Scandinavia "It must be so beautiful here in the summer"!!
Also, the crown jewels showcased here.

Christiania aka the freetown of Christiania is a partially self-governing neighbourhood of about 900 residents, covering 85 acres and is in the borough of Christianshavn in Copenhagen. It has a semi-legal status as an independent community, but has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971. There are major drug and violence problems here. It looked like a nicer ghetto than one that you would see in the U.S. However, it was also a bit frightening as well. People that live there aren't as nice as the Danes, and you feel as though you shouldn't make eye contact with anyone on the street. There are signs everywhere that cameras are forbidden, but our bold Isa got a few shots - who knows what would happen if we got caught in this land free from law.

Photo set #1
1 - Rosenborg castle
2 - An example of the strollers all around Copenhagen. You cannot walk down the street without seeing about two or three strollers with babies and children! I loved seeing these classical strollers, very lovely.
3 - You are now entering Christiania - Be Ware!
4 - The town center - notice the NO PICTURES sign
5 - Some of the old barracks
6 - I was so happy to see this sign and glad to be back in the lawful Danish city of Christianshavn

Day 2 - Natural History museum, Glypotek and Carlsberg Brewery

The Glypotek is an art museum, across from Tivoli gardens. The collection is built around the personal collection of the son of the founder of the Carlsberg Breweries, Carl Jacobsen. The museum collections include classical Egyptian, Roman and Greek antiquities, Romanticist sculptures, and paintings, as well as Golden Age Danish art. Lots of sculptures and a very random collection.

Carlsberg was founded by J.C. Jacobsen in 1847 and owns many global and regional brands. We took a tour of the old brew house and did some tastings. It is hard to drink any other kind of beer in Copenhagen besides Carlsberg or Turborg!

Photos:
1- Jalal, myself and Sujay in front of the history museum
2 - The Glypotek
3 - The lion
4 - Jalal, me and Sujay about to enter the Egyptian exhibit
5 & 6 - Carlsberg brewery
7 - Copenhagen Business School students, I think us three MBA students were some of the oldest on the tour trip!
8 - Old beer crates
9 - Carlsberg beers from all around the world
10 - Carl is one of the many horses living at the brewery - the horses used to carry and deliver Carlsberg beer in wagons back in the day
11 - Me in front of the old elephant icon of Carlsberg. I look like I am an explorer on an expedition.

Hanging out in CPH

2008-03-07T02:56:00.000-08:00

February, March, April

Hanging out with friends around Copenhagen!

Photos
1 - Me and Isa at the MBS boy's apartment for a dinner party
2 - Jalal, my CBS study buddy, and I
3 - Sujay, Boris (Germany), Isa and I
4 - Roomies at the girl's night dinner...we were the waitresses
5 - The CBS ladies
6 - One of the funnest nights out in Copenhagen..when some old Mannheimers came to visit - Stefan, Alexander and J.P. It was a great study break!

CBS School Days

2008-03-02T02:41:00.000-08:00

February/March

Pics from and around school.

Our school facilities were very nice, and very beautifully designed! However, I think a bit focused too much on design rather than building school facilities that were meant for studying! For example, the library was great and right across the street from the Metro with lots of places to eat and go shopping. However, if you wanted to get a seat at the library, especially around busy times, you had to go early and scope out a spot and put your things down to save it.

Photos
1 - Front entrance of Copenhagen Business School
2 - One of the many back entrances of CBS
3 - The train and dorms that are right behind CBS
4 - Jalal (Iran) and Linda (Sweden) in our classroom
5- Sculpture at school
6 - Jalal and Isabell
7 - Me and my nameplate
8 - My row at CBS - Wasmi (India) , Patricia (Uganda) , Stefan (Iceland) and Me

Helsingor and Helsingborg

2008-03-01T02:17:00.000-08:00

February 23

Helsingor is about 40 minutes or so from Copenhagen and is the home of Kronborg Castle. Shakespeare's Hamlet was set in Helsingor and Kronborg is known as Hamlet's castle. The castle has for centuries been one of the most important Renaissance castles in Norther Europe and was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list in 2000.

The castle is on the extreme tip of Zealand at the narrowest point of the Oresund, the sound between Denmark and Sweden. In this part, the sound is only 4km wide, hence the strategic importance of maintaining a fortress at this location.

After seeing many castles now, I officially do not pay entry to see the inside of castles. The beauty for me now is more of the outside. However, the interesting part of Kronborg is that it is a fortress with casemates. A casemate is a "fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired, originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress". Underground where the casemates are is what is to be seen at Kronborg. During battle, solidiers would live in the underground part of the castle and food and weapons were stored here for easy access.

Photos:
1-3 - Views of the outside of the sprawling castle
4: Me in the ballroom
5 - Statue of Ogier the Dane, who, according to legend, slumbers here until the day Denmark is in grave danger, at which time he will arise and save the nation
6 - My classmate Sujay (India) who went castle exploring with me in front of a huge door
7 - The coastline was amazing...rocky and crashing waves
8 - Me and some funny statues outside of the castle
9 - On the ship to Helsingborg, Sweden (less than a 30 minute ferry ride)
10 - Me with Helsingborg in the background

My Birthday

2008-02-27T01:17:00.000-08:00

February 19

With already one month in Copenhagen, my birthday came up very quickly. It was very quite birthday this year. The weekend before Florian treated me to a trip to Berlin to celebrate! Then, The MBSers in Copenhagen surprised me at midnight with a little celebration in our apartment. Thanks to my Shure earphones, I didn't hear a peep and was really caught off guard. I blew out my 27 candles on top of my favorite apple cake (Danish style)! No big celebration as we had an intense week of long days of finance. So I got to spend my blessed day in all day long class. However, my roomies took me out for a nice Mexican fiesta!!

I think my birthday was the largest wave of homesickness that I have had thus far on my MBA journey. Missing celebrating with my sister, our annual Florida trip to my parents to escape the grip of winter and the birthday month long dinners with close friends. However, my dear friends and family made sure not forget me on my special day. Thank you for all of your birthday wishes!

Some interesting related birthday tidbits/cultural differences that I've learned includes: it is bad luck to wish someone happy birthday before their birthday i.e. happy early birthday and in Germany (Europe??) the birthday person buys everyone drinks. Personally, I think a happy early birthday is better than someone forgetting entirely. Also, I think the birthday person should be treated not the other way around - its their day!!

Photos
1 - Me, Jalal, Rocio, Isabell and Sujay surprising me at midnight
2 - The ladies taking me out for a Mexican fiesta night
3 - Me on my birthday with the lovely flowers from the Mannheimers

Train Excursion

2008-02-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

1/21

I took an overnight train from Copenhagen to Frankfurt for a couple days when we didn't have class. It was a very interesting journey...a 12 hour journey that is! Normally, from Copenhagen you have to switch trains in Hamburg and take the ferry (yes the entire train goes on the ferry) - but with the overnight trains they are direct and you don't have to switch at all.

This was definitely the longest train ride I have ever taken. However, it wasn't that bad. The price was cheaper than flying, and I had the time to make the journey. I left CPH around 7pm and arrived in Germany at promptly 7am. So for a few hours I worked on school work, slept and when I woke up we were there. Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well I was in a 6-person compartment, which I had all to myself - I traveled on a Monday night! However, we any more than 2-3, the compartment would be dreadfully cluttered. On the way back, also had the full compartment to ourselves....although the train was three hours late getting back to CPH. And sometimes the train just lingers at a station for 20-30 minutes and it makes you wonder "why the heck aren't we moving."

But overall very cool experience, and I would do it again. Would recommend off times and to only book with specials though.

Because at the end of the day it is nice to get to your destination in one hour versus 12!

Photos: all of my train compartment

Oslo

2008-02-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

1/19-1/20

I took a short trip to Oslo with my roommate Isabell and two classmates Mi (from Mongolia) and Chris (from Shanghai) and met two other classmates there.

Oslo is about an hour flight from Copenhagen, and is the third largest city in Scandinavia (#1 CPH #2 Stockholm). On the way to Oslo once we reached Norway, we were taken back by the snow-covered vast wilderness - no human life, only nature. The airport is located about 50km/30 miles from the city centre.

Oslo is at the northernmost end of the Oslofjord and there are 40 islands within the city limits. A fjord/fiord is a long, narrow bay with steep sides. "A Fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley through abrasion of the surrounding bedrock by the sediment it carries."

Fun facts:
-Norway is not a part of the European Union, because they are reluctant to give up its fishing and oil rights and be regulated by the EU.
-Oslo is at the same time the 3rd most expensive city also the 3rd richest city (2006)!

Views of Oslo from the plane window - all wilderness

At our hostel: Mi, me and Chris

The Royal Palace was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of Norwegian and Swedish king Charles III and is now used as the official residence of the present Norwegian Monarch.

At the sea: Mi, Chis, Isabell and me

Out in Oslo: Svenja, Mi, Chris and me

Vigeland Sculpture Park is a part of Frogner Park, and is about 3 km northwest of the city centre. The park covers 80 acres and features sculptures created by Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland. The theme of the sculpture park is the circle of life and the happenings of life or "typical human pursuits" of daily life such as two couples in love or fighting, a group of boys playing and an old couple clinging to life together. The most vandalized statue is of the screaming baby - and he has been stolen a few times.

The Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy is hosts grave finds from Tune, Gokstad, Oseberg and Borre. The museum has three ships that were excavted from the late 1800s and early 1900s. When you first enter, you immediately face the Oseberg Ship and the sheer size of the ship leaves you speechless.

Other sight that we saw on our bus tour:
The Holmenkollen ski jump, is the world's second oldest ski jump competition still in existence. It has hosted nine different nordic skiing and biathlon world championships, including the 1952 Winter Olympics The ski jump will serve as host to the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships after the ski jump gets rebuild according to safety standards. The views from this area are amazing, you can take in the beauty of the Olsofjord.

My overall impressions of Oslo:
-Very small and can see the sights in one day
-Charming
-Expensive
-Don't really go there to experience the city, it's all about nature and snow
-Booming nightlife, we ended up having to go to many bars to find a place that the 6 of us could fit

Around CPH

2008-02-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from around town:

Me in full biking form

Some classmates out and about in this cave-like bar

Me and my two roommates (Rocio and Isabell) at the train station

Jeff, our financial accounting professor, Rocio, myself and Isabell at our goodbye lunch for Jeff

Rocio and I at an Irish pub in the city center

Where I live - CPH

2008-02-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

Around my new hood....

We live on Henrik Ibsens Vej - who according to WIKI

"Henrik Johan Ibsen was a major Norwegian playwright and is often referred to as the "father of modern drama." Ibsen is held to be the greatest of Norwegian authors and one of the most important playwrights of all time, celebrated as a national symbol by Norwegians."

Our building

View down the street

My room - pretty large, wooden floors and high ceilings!

My room

Nice kitchen

Tja Malmö

2008-02-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

1/6

We headed to Malmo, Sweden - only about a 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen.

Malmo began in what was once Denmark, and during this time the Malmöhus Castle was built.
This was the first Scandinavian castle that I have seen, and at first I didn't even notice it was a castle.
The Malmohus castle has been turned into a museum - a random combination of a castle museum, natural history,
and an aquarium.

Malmo is  now the third largest city in Sweden.

Unfortunately, we went on a Sunday and not much was open - as is the story of Sunday life in Europe!

However, from what we were able to see of the city, Malmo is a quaint, Swedish town. We had lunch in the
city square and we ate outside - it was amazing, I have never eaten outside in the middle of January with my coat off!
Many places offered blankets and huge heaters so guest could sit outside and enjoy the "wonderful" winter
weather!

Photos:
1 - Malmo sign
2 - Jam and I in front of one of the centers
3 - 5 Malmo caste
6 - Giant lamp in the middle of Lilla Torg
7 - Jam and I basking in the cold (under the heat lamps) at Lilla Torg at the Moosehead (really yummy)

Vilkommen København

2008-02-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

1/4

Jam and Jim came up with me to Copenhagen for the weekend to get me settled...well and of course to do some sightseeing. Felt like I was in undergrad again!

We did a city bus tour and it was freezing!! I started wonder how I was going to survive the winter in Copenhagen and how I was going to bike to school in this weather. We learned all about King Christian IV who moved Copenhagen from a fishing village to a vibrant city marked on the map.

The city of Copenhagen is divided into several municipalities. The central and largest is Copenhagen municipality, the second largest is Frederiksberg municipality which is an enclave inside Copenhagen municipality - I live in Frederiksberg and that is where Copenhagen business school is located. Photos will come shortly.

My first impressions of the city are very good - Copenhagen is a very small city and has a population of 1.7 million. The city is very beautiful with lots of very historic structures and Nordic culture. The people are very friendly and speak amazing English - most don't even hesitate when you address them in English. They start to learn English in the second grade, have English channels on the TV and even show movies in the original language!

However, right now the city is gray and cold. It rains almost every day here, but a light gentle (COLD) rain. The days are bleak and short. Sunshine is a rarity. Must soak it up as much as possible when it shows itself. Oh yes, and it's VERY expensive here. Besides the dollar continually falling, food and drink is uber expensive - for example for a bunch of bananas it was 20DKK (danish krone) which is about 4 USD!!

On another note: You'll be happy to know that Starbucks hasn't taken over Copenhagen, I think there is only one and that is in the airport!!

Last fun fact: The Nordic region pays the world's highest taxes - Denmark following Sweden for the highest amount. The top-taxed Dane pays 68% of their hard-earned crowns (basic tax rate begins at 42%). Meanwhile, surveys show that Danes are the happiest people in the world and that Copenhagen is among the world's best cities to live in.

Photos:
1 - My roomate Isabell with her boyfriend Matthias and Jim at our first night's dinner - yummy Mexican food
2 - View of the harbor
3 - Jam and I in front of the Amalienborg Palace (home of the Danish royal family)
4 - The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen harbor
5 - Nyhavn's colorful buildings like the waterfront - would be great in the summertime
6 - Rodin's Thinker statue near the Tivoli Gardens

Ich bin ein Berliner

2008-02-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

1/2-1/4

Berlin was soooo cold!!!

On the evening of 1/3, we saw Carmina Burana Beethoven 9 Symphonie at the Philharmonie Berlin from an orchestra from Prague. Carmina Burana is a collection of 1,000 poems and songs written in the early 13th century. Around the 1930s, German composer, Carl Orff, set the poems to new music - the most famous movement is "O Fortuna." Orff's composition has been performed by countless ensembles - which is what we heard. The venue reminded me of where the Chicago Symphony plays. They melody of the symphony combined with the booming voices of the singers was utterly enchanting.

We also did some sightseeing around the city - Sony Centre, the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag (where the German Parliament sits, the Bundestag)!

Photos:
1 - Us at Florian's mom's place
2 - Jam and I in front of the Brandenburg Gate
3 - The Philharmonie orchestra
4 - Me in the Philharmonie
5 & 6 - Carmina Burana
7 - to commemorate where the Berlin wall once stood

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

2008-01-16T03:53:00.000-08:00

1/2

On our way to Berlin, we visited the Sachsenhausen concentration camp located in the Sachsenhausen quarter, part of the town of Oranienburg, which is north of Berlin.

The camp was in operation from 1930-45 and started by housing policitcal prisoners, then run by the Nazis and from 1945-50 ultimately taken over by the Soviets. Many structures survived or have been reconstructed, including guard towers, the camp entrance, crematory ovens and the camp barracks. Also, after Germany re-united, museums were opened on the premises.

After visiting Dachau (near Munich) and Ravensbruck (a women's work camp also near Berlin), my impressions of this camp were similar but very different at the same time. This camp, being in the former east, has a twisted history with the camp remaining open after WWII under the Soviets. You are able to witness experience the history of the camp under the Nazis and under the Soviets. I also thought this camp was restored very well and had a remarkable amount of information.

I would recommend to visit when the weather is nice and you have ample time to really get the full experience.

Photos:
1 - Entrance
2 - "Work for freedom"
3 - A large Soviet-style memorial obelisk was erected in 1961
4 - Quote from a prisoner

Hansestadt Hamburg

2008-01-02T04:48:00.000-08:00

After the holidays, I headed up to Hamburg for a few days. I have been to Hamburg before but only for one night, so this trip provided a lot more perspective on the city. After this trip Hamburg has become my number one Germany city!!

12/30
My sister and her husband came to visit me in Europe for a week and we explored Hamburg. We went to the Baltic Sea in Timmendorfer, about an hour or so from Hamburg. The crystal-clear sea was amazingly beautiful in a stark manner - the endless sea stretching as far as the eye can see, combined with the chill in the air, gives you a little shiver when standing on the pier gazing into the nothingness. The town of Timmendorfer was bustling although its in the middle of winter, it seems like the playground of the affluent with seasonal cottages. On the way back we stopped in Lubeck - the second largest port in Germany. The city center was very charming. Jam and Jim got to experience their first traditional German meal!

12/31
We started off the day with a wonderful breakfast in Blankensee. Blankenese started out as a small fishing village along the Elbe river to the southwest of Hamburg. It has developed into a quaint and beautiful part of Hamburg with beaches, winding small streets, charming houses and a city of stairs to get up and down the rugged terrain. Quite picturesque.

We spent new year's eve in Hamburg at a friend's party. Equipped with hot yummy drinks, Feuerzangenbowle (like mulled wine with sugar burned over it) and Honigwein (honey wine), we spent new years shooting off fireworks. This couldn't compare to any July 4th fireworks - it was so smoky you couldn't even see across the street!!

Last time I was in Hamburg, I only saw the red light district - so I got to see so much more of Hamburg during this trip. I will be back!!

Karting/car racing in Hamburg. I have never done this before, but it was really fun. Kept getting whipped around while in the car. While I didn't come in first, I didn't come in last. I have no idea why we had to wear this face masks!

Timmendorfer Beach

Me at the beach in Timmendorfer

Jam and Jim against the Timmendorfer beach sunset

Dinner in Lubeck

Me and Florian in Lubeck, drinking some Gluehwein

Blankenese

Blankenese

Florian making the Feuerzangenbowle

Jam and I New Year's Eve at Andi and Tine's apartment

Firework fun on New Year's Eve

Yes those are fire torches!
Definitely not a legal firework in the U.S.

Xmas in Germany - Weihnachten

2007-12-31T04:03:00.000-08:00

12/24

I spent Christmas at Florian's dad in Heidelberg. We celebrated Christmas on the evening of the 24th December, a day called Heiligabend ("holy eve") not on the 25th. Florian's dad plays the guitar and we sang a few carols before the kids opened their presents. There was even a light snowy layer on the trees to complement the Christmas mood.

While I know that I like most German sweets, the Christmas cookies are really tasty! And I had my fill for sure!

Overall, very nice evening.

Photo 1 - The Xmas Tree
Photo 2 - Florian's dad singing to the kids - Hannah and Daniel
Photo 3 - Florian's family in front of the Xmas tree
Photo 4 and 5 - Schriesheim lightly covered in snow

Egypt. Ägypten.

2007-12-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

12/16/07 - 12/20/07 Hurghada

For some warm sun, I went to Egypt for a few days after the term ended in England. It was only a 4 hour flight and relatively inexpensive for holiday. This was my first time in Africa, but somehow it didn't seem like a big deal. Maybe because of the short flight and cheap flight!

It was warm in Hurghada, but a desert climate so it there was a somewhat chilly wind at times, especially at night. Much warmer than England and Germany at the moment, so it was nice not to bundle up with heavy jackets! While the Red Sea was tempting, I was too cold to take a dip, but it was very clear and clean.

There is an old city and new city in Hurghada. The old city wasn't as developed as the new city, but the shopping was better! However, it did take some adjusting with shop keepers constantly calling out to you to get you to come into their shop. Some thought I was Egyptian and called out to us in Arabic.

Hurghada was once a small fishing village but is very touristy, you could tell from the Souk and from the masses of hotel resorts along the Red Sea. A ton of Germans go there - because almost all of the Egyptians we met spoke German! However, it was unlike any other city I have experienced before...so still very enjoyable.

It wasn't all fun in the sun though as I still had to work on my economics final paper - well I had to write the entire paper! Especially, when I realized the hotel's internet was not working!! I ended up submitting from the McDonalds in the new city that had free WIFI. I am still amazed that I pulled this off, I am usually rigid in set up of studying - I think this means I am becoming more flexible. Let's see the grade first though!

Photo 1 - A scenic view from our hotel's pier
Photo 2 - Florian in front of the hotel. Notice the metal detector in front, all of the hotels had this. Whether they were working or not is another story.
Photo 3 - The police lookout stations. These were scattered around the city.
Photo 4 - The outside door of a mosque
Photo 5 - Me in the old city on the main street
Photo 6 - View of the old city and an old mode of transportation
Photo 7 - Down the street view with the mountains in the background
Photo 8 - Florian and I sitting outside at a cafe

The Master List

2007-12-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Nicholas Bate came in several times to speak to the WBS class. The first time he spoke about the "New World of Work" and the class wasn't sure what to make of him. Was he a motivational speaker, was he a comedian? He could say something incredibly funny and not crack a smile. And on the other hand, he could say something that makes you instantly take a step back and examine the life you've lead and the decisions you've made up to this point. With this formula, Nick could tell you like it is and you respect what he has to say. Nick would say that his profession is changing the lives of others and he does just this. He became an inspiration for us all and we looked forward to when he would come speak to us.

One topic that hit home was the idea of a To Do list versus a Master List. I am a list lover. It is so satisfying to make a list to clear your mind of things you need to get done and ultimately to cross things off that you've completed. I have lists and the lists have lists on them! However, the Master List that Nick discussed was more of a list for life - goals, dreams, wishes, etc. It is a list to not lose sight of things you want to do or see in life. This list isn't one that gets done quickly, it could take a lifetime to cross items off of your list. This list is never-ending and is always growing as it encompasses your desired life experiences.

I am starting to work on my master list - it's been on my to-do list for some time now!

Maina's Master List:

Travel
-Africa (Egypt = a check, but lots more to explore): Ghana, South Africa, Morocco
-Japan and China
-Prague
-Barcelona
-Budapest
-Granada
-Greece
-Istanbul
-Monaco
-India
-Russia
-Portugal
-Ireland
-Poland
-Croatia
-See the natural wonders of the world (Yes, I was in Egypt and didn't see the Pyramids, just warrants a second trip!)

Recreation
-Go skydiving
-Go skiing
-Learn how to swim properly
-Go to a Pro soccer and cricket match

Other
-Master a second language (Spanish didn't work out, but there is potential for German)
-Write a book (maybe continue the one I had started during my teens)
-Learn to play piano
-See an Opera (going to see Carmina Burana in Berlin 1/3)
-Learn to cook like my mom (is this possible?!?)
-Retire early
-Live abroad (in progress)

The Master List is to be continued...

Last days at Warwick

2007-12-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

The last days and memories of Warwick in photos - reverse chronological order (somewhat):

The farewell party!!

The Mannheimers at Warwick - don't forget us guys!

Syndicate group 1 ladies: Tara, Ele and myself.

Vasso and Amr.

Study group: Ben, the dancing Omo, the Fab LB, myself and Ele.

Mr. Matai and I post-dinner in Leamington.

Our Row: Allen, Singean and Yuko.

The rest of our row: myself, Tara and Dee
(not pictured as he took the photo).

Between Kong, Gabriella, myself and Cristiano -
we have officially converted folks into
fellow Mac lovers!

Me presenting our Google story for marketing.
My first and last presentation at WBS.

Me and Ele - can't wait to go visit Ghana!

Myself, Tara, Ele and Dee with the infamous,
Ben Knight, our Economics professor.

Studying at Tara's or attempting to anyways.

My funny Valentine - one of Tara's babies.

The volleyball crew.

Eli and Allen around campus sporting their jerseys.

There is NO "I" in TEAM

2007-12-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

I have already introduced you to my syndicate team for my first term, but there is such emphasis on teams - it warrants a separate entry...and I had to write an analysis on the topic! Teamwork has become synonymous with business. During job interviews teamwork is stressed and interviewers inquire about times when you've worked on a team or experience you have leading a team, etc.

Warwick focused heavily on developing our teamwork skills through usual coursework and various workshops. In every class we had some sort of group work and in three class we had major group projects, worth 40% of our overall grade. Half of the battle was learning how to navigate through and juggle the various group projects, the practice of management group project, individual learning/reading, and personal interests! In my team we ended up splitting the projects amongst the team. So what it comes down to is a few responsible for the entire group's grade/mark.

Additionally, workshops focused on helping us understand ourselves and how to utilize this understanding in working effectively with others. We did MBTI, Belbin Team Roles and the Carl Jung's personality colors. It is said "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a greater understanding of ourselves." I have found this to be sooo, unbelievable true at times within our teams. For example, the various tests confirm *surprise, surprise* that I am an organized, detailed planner, so it is easy to see the potential clash with the opposite type of personality.

Sidebar:
It was my first time since undergrad to work on teams structured for group accountability. In my limited work experience, while I have been a part of various teams (client teams or product launch teams), I have always had individual accountability. Also, it was my first time working on such diverse teams, while I was exposed to international teamwork during my time at Shure - this team took it up to the next level.

Here are some of my lessons from the teamwork trenches:

1. Culture shock
As aforementioned, our teams were diverse in regards to culture and gender. I've learned that where you come can shape how you expect teams to function and how you act on a team/what role you assume. For example, some cultures may not be as comfortable with strong female team members or have different comfort levels of how and when to ask for guidance. Also, there were many times when the team was in discussion about the same point for hours, but what it came down to was we were on the same page and thinking the same things, but just the language - the words - were different.

The lesson here from Mr Nick Bates (more about Nick in an upcoming entry) is since we are all from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences it is important while working together is to "Seek first to Understand not to be Understood" before judging behavior/actions.

2. Internal marketing
It is unrealistic to love everyone on your team and be best friends. But what is realistic, expected and necessary is to cultivate an effective working relationship. How can we accomplish this? The answer is that team members need to be internally motivated. I wrote my organizational behavior exam about motivation - ask and I'll give you a historical theory lesson about motivation. There are so many theories. Some are scientifically proven, some have no empirical supporting research. Some are centuries old and some are within the new schools of thought.

The general basic idea here is to get everyone on board, allow them to have a front row seat in the process (whatever it may be) and foster high team cohesion. This means work as a unified team with all team members involved and participating. Mean while, investing time into team relations. Throughout the course, I noticed the fatal mistake of team bonding/outings mistaken as a waste of time - it is INVESTING. I believe that folks who get along socially, work better together whether it is in the classroom or the workplace.

3. Growth via Feedback
Giving each other feedback in the team was emphasized, and the appropriate way to give feedback. For example, pick an appropriate location (not in front of everyone), focus on the behavior and not the person, etc. However, we still didn't take the time to reflect on team happenings. Again, this is INVESTING and is worthwhile...not only just when things are going wrong. It is only through this feedback that we are able to grow as team members.

The lesson here is to give constant feedback while working in or with teams. It is through this process we can increase our personal learning about our team skills and determine what we need to improve. But this is only effective if the individual is open to this personal learning and will use the feedback to improve themselves, because at the end of the day only you can change yourself. After all different environments require different skills and approaches. Effective teamwork is not one size fits all.

Hope these tidbits from some of my experience are helpful!

Thank you to my two teams for the experience and good times:

Syndicate group 1 aka OCEANS 9: Ben, Tara, Vasso, Karthick, Mukul, Sabbhir, Ele and Kong

POM group 2: Vin, Mario, Nitin, Yuko, Adnan, Gabriella and Ayo

Photo 1: Syndicate group 1 in action post-presentation, answering questions regarding our Operations Management assignment
Photo 2 and 3: Synd group having some fun in our team room after the close of two big projects
Photo 4: Last synd group 1 photo - last day of term.
Photo 5: POM group out at some country Pub in the boonies
Photo 6: The POM group last day of the term. They will continue working together without me on the Way of the Goose community project.

World of Warwick

2007-12-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

In essence I lived in England, but I lived on campus which is its own little world with nothing else around (similar to U of I minus all of the shopping in Champaign).

My observations are based on campus living and my visits to various towns in England. It should be noted that London as a major city would obviously be more diverse.

Weather

For the majority of time during the three months, the weather in England was okay. I was prepared for the worst with my long, down serious winter jacket - but I only used it once or twice. I only remember a few instances were it was very foggy and it snowed once (barely, didn't even last until the morning).

Food and dining

Food labels
The food labeling is great in the UK. This may sound strange but as a semi-vegetarian I always have to turn the can over to check the ingredients, for example, with soup - beef or chicken broth. The UK system clearly labels food with icons - so you know instantly if something is vegetarian friendly. Also the key attributes are also clearly stated i.e. how many grams of fat, fiber, protein, etc.

The Pub
The pub is central to life in England. I've already written about my first night on campus and how the pub stops serving food so early, but the beer is always flowing. Another funny factor is that there are no movies on campus on Saturday - why not you ask? Because everyone is at the pub.

While I am not a dark beer fan, my pub favorite was Strongbow cider!

General Food
I had a general issue with campus food and perhaps British food. Every time I would try to eat on campus it was a disaster. Now I know I am a picky and finicky eater, but it wasn't just me who had this issue!! The food constantly tasted bland and unseasoned. I even tried the expensive campus food at a place called EAT, alas the result was the same.

The only rejoice I found was in Nando's, and I can't count the number of times that I went. Nando's serves only chicken and vegetarian food. The best part is that you can control the amount of spice in your dish. There are a variety of sauces that you can add that range from HOT to mild. My mouth is watering just thinking of the HOT chicken pita and fries.

On another note, many of the places I went to on campus and Nando's, it doesn't ever feel like you are out to eat or dining. Like a fast food place or casual dining like Panera, you order your food and pay then they bring it to your table.

Dress

Boot Dilemma
I have been trying to find a pair of black boots like my kenneth coles. Simple, black, low heel, pointy toe. I have not been successful in Germany nor in England. I finally gave in and purchased a pair in England though. It's funny though, because in comparison to my usual boot style, they are very country, hardcore outdoorsy - British!! Nevertheless, they are the American Hush Puppies, but a design not sold in the U.S.

British Fashion
I for one do not really like the fashion in Warwickshire (Fabulous London is exempt). I didn't even really buy any clothing in England, nothing caught my eye. The women's fashion I generally saw on campus was interesting...It's the "I have on half of my wardrobe and going for the mismatched look that really took me hours to put together look." Interesting. Additionally, I do remember my freshman days when we tended not to wear jackets in the dead of winter, but at Warwick I was astonished...do these folks get cold. I am wearing a few layers, jacket and scarf and others wear shorts or short skirts with no tights or nylons!!

Other

Driving
The cars on campus drove me insane. There was a road that cut through campus that was always busy. Like I said we are on a campus in the middle of nowhere, but the drive as if they were city driving. Warwick is a campus, which means lots of students walking around. Fast drivers that don't stop or slow down + lots of students = obviously hazardous. This coupled with the cars coming from opposite directions that I am used to - I really thought I would get hit by a car before the end of the term. I almost did too, but a friend saved me.

Charity
Last but not least, the Brits are very conscious and involved in charity. For example, they are cognizant of ensuring the disabled being able to get around and participate in society. Also, the charity holiday cards are big. As are re-sale shops that benefit different charities.

To accompany my Warwick/England observations, here are some around campus random photos:

Photo 1 & 2 - My practical, outdoorsy British boot versus my stylish, pointy-toe KC's
Photo 3 -Rootes building, the main administration center
Photo 4 - Fellow Mannheimer, Deepak and I en route to campus
Photo 5 - The geese and ducks. Friends to some who choose to eat them. Foe to others who lie awake all night from their noise or step in their feces (which are everywhere)
Photo 6 - Me on the stairs in front of the Rootes Social Building and a regular hang out for students. Imagine the Spanish stairs in Rome.
Photo 7 - random campus shot
Photo 8 - Front shot of our main MBA building

Stratford Upon Avon

2007-11-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

End of November

It has been said that the founder of Avon Cosmetics named the company accordingly after being inspired by the scenic Stratford-Upon-Avon in England - which is most commonly known as the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

Stratford is about 20 minutes from Warwick Uni and it was my last touristy adventure before FINALS time. So much to see, but so little time. It was a cold and rainy in Stratford during our visit, but the town was very festive and decorated. Despite the dreary conditions, the town was pretty, but I am sure it would be much prettier during the Spring or Summer.

We only visited the Shakespeare house, you could visit about 5 or 6 different houses - if you ask me visiting all of them would be a bit too much and a bit boring. At Shakespeares' house there was a mini-museum exhibit about Shakespeare's time in Stratford. Also they tried to show how life was in Stratford during Shakespeare' time - for example how a typical bedroom looked. The gardens were drab and pretty sad looking, but again maybe better in Spring or Summer. Overall, I was not impressed with the Shakespeare house exhibit.

However, the city was charming and had a few nice restaurants besides the usual pubs.

Photo 1 - entrance to Shakespeare's house
Photo 2 - front view
Photo 3 - me at the back of the house
Photo 4 - festive Stratford

Question from a Reader - England vs Great Britain

2007-11-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Reader Question:
"I always thought that the words England and Great Britain meant the same thing. But I just overhead something last week...someone said that GB includes England, Ireland, and
maybe Scotland. Can you confirm this? It would be much appreciated."

I asked a British cohort mate to help clarify:

"England is just one of the countries that make up Great Britain. Great Britain is the actual island we're sitting on and its outliers. The UK is Great Britain and Northern Ireland combined.

See if this Wikipedia def helps:

Great Britain is no longer a country, but simply an island in the United Kingdom. Politically, "Great Britain" describes the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, and therefore also includes a number of outlying islands such as the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides, and the island groups of Orkney and Shetland, but does not include other outlying islands such as the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

The UK became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1922 following the independence of five-sixths of Ireland as first the Irish Free State, a Dominion of the then British Commonwealth, and then later as an independent republic outside the British Commonwealth as the Republic of Ireland."

and the Results are in...

2007-11-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

Midterm grades are officially in., and there is good news and bad news.

The grading system is quite different than what I am used to and it's hard to really assess performance. I am not sure if this is Warwick MBA grading or if grades are usually given in this manner here in England. I will investigate.

The usual grading scale:
90% (A) - 80 (B) - 70 (C) - 60 (D) - 50% and below FAIL

Warwick MBA scale:
70% and above = distinction
50% = pass

So we see the disparity here at 50% - Failing to me = passing here.

The good news is that I passed all the midterms - they were only worth 20%...but still it was my first set of MBA exams. And even received a distinction or two. Exciting.

The bad news is that I have to take FINALS in THREE weeks. Man, how time flies.

Post Midterm Celebration pics:

Being "American"

2007-11-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

Outside of the U.S., everyone has their stereotypes of Americans and an idea of what the typical American is like. The stereotypes are sometimes funny, given the size of the country – how can we all be the same?

I was told that I was a "token" American. I ask myself - how do you define a "token" American? The way we speak, the way we act? What we wear? Defined by what is shown on MTV or other American TV sitcoms?

I definitely do not sound or act like someone from down south Texas or no man's land North Dakota. And I DO NOT wear cowboy boots...I prefer my Kenneth Cole's! I love music from around the world and watch films from around the world. I speak almost three languages...well, okay I've studied 2 additional languages! I have a Midwest Chicago accent - which is a very mild accent in the US - what would someone who speaks with the heavy Boston accent or the southern drawl be tagged as?

All in all -- If I were the "token" American, I wouldn't be in this international MBA program where I have to live outside of my comfort zone in 3 different countries in 1 year.

I think it is fair to assume that many countries are similar to the US - one country, many regions and cities with many different communities of people who may be quite different from one another.

Is there really such thing as a "token" American or a "token" Brit? We all have our different customs and grew up with our own cultures - does partaking in these customs and cultures make us token?

Oxford

2007-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

10/13

Visited Oxford home of the famous Oxford University Press (the largest university press in the world) and University of Oxford (the oldest University in the English-speaking world).

I am currently obsessed with these books from the Oxford University Press: http://www.oup.co.uk/general/vsi/
I have purchased almost a dozen. Read in my spare time, perhaps??

It was very pretty city with a bustling city center a mix of students, tourists and locals. Very nice to walk around and visit the different "colleges" - the University has 39 colleges. The "college" concept is is different than what I had originally thought - i.e. College of Business...but rather a college is really a house of residence. Think Harry Potter and the different houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.

According to Wikki:
These colleges are not only houses of residence, but have substantial responsibility for the teaching of undergraduates. Generally tutorials (the main method of teaching in Oxford) and classes are the responsibility of colleges, while lectures, examinations, laboratories and the central library are run by the university.

Photo 1 - city center
Photo 2 - symbol of Oxford

Music of the Night

2007-10-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of Midterms right now, and one of the few things that is helping me keep studying pace at those off hours - 3am (besides the noise of my neighbors) is musica!

Here is what is on my playlist at the moment:

-Luciano Pavarotti - I only have a few songs and end up listening to "Misere" on repeat

-Gipsy Kings - warms me up on a foggy, dark British day

-Singin' in Rain - "Good Morning" helps me perk up in the A.M. (yes, I still am not drinking coffee)

-Country - Shocking isn't it. While I have always liked pop/country, it is hardly considered country music by real fans. I have been addicted to "Back where I come from" by Kenny Chesney. I do find listening to a little honky tonk rather comforting, especially when I usually hear anti-American/US comments on a daily basis. More on this post-Midterms.

Email or skype me some songs - it was a pain to transfer music to my Mac before I left (don't even have any Xmas tunes to get me in the spirit for the upcoming holiday season). Interested in show tunes (Sound of Music), country (please no - "she likes me for my tractor" type of country) and any Luciano!

Cheers.

Classes.

2007-10-05T01:01:00.002-07:00

They said a one year MBA would be intense. They emphasized that the Warwick curriculum was especially intense. I am learning very quickly that they were NOT joking!

Here's my class line up for the first term:
Accounting & Financial Management
Market Analysis - A non-traditional marketing course
Organizational Behavior
Economics of the Business Environment
Operations Management
Practice of Management - a real life client project in the surrounding community - we are tying to assist Way of the Goose Community Center in Coventry

I am enjoying most of my classes, just wish I had time to actually read all of the class books/case studies (so much more interesting now that I have experience to be able to relate to the concepts).

I have few professors who author the class book (and many others in their fields) and case studies, WBS hails some very renowned faculty. Additionally, to my utter surprise, my favorite class is one that constantly haunted me in Undergrad...Economics - what can I say the teacher can "make" the class.

We have teamwork in every module (class) and have a core team (syndicate group) for every class besides Practice of Management - we spend a lot of time together! Just like my undergrad, I am always at meetings (morning, lunch time and evenings) - although this time they are all academic related and not club meetings.

So, it is Week 3, we have midterms (the kind opportunity they offer us, so we can "practice") in Week 5. Stay tuned.

The wise alumni also said once surviving the first term at WBS, you can survive anything....

Ahh, yes better get on to the next meeting....

Photo 1 - my beloved syndicate team during kick off week (we are group #1 - hence the hand gestures)
Photo 2 - the business building all of my classes are in (i.e. the building I see the sun rise and set in)
Photo 3 - I said that classes were interesting, but of course I needed some adjustment time to get back into the swing of things (that was just an introduction to a class)
Photo 4 - Site visit to Way of the Goose Community Center in Coventry (POM). This is a pile of old-school, antique Singer sewing machines - I have never seen so many in my life, this photo just shows a fraction of them they had there!

English 101

2007-10-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes you may think I am getting along just fine language-wise since I am in ENGLAND and my mother tongue is ENGLISH, but everyday I am being re-educated.

Sometimes locals talk so fast, I can't even understand what they are saying! It feels sometimes as though we are not speaking the same language. However, I do fancy the British accent - even the rudest thing you could say always sounds so much nicer in British English than American English.

Here are some British'isms and photos examples:

*Module - classes

*Tutor - teacher/professor (not a teaching assistant or personal tutor) Also, there is a lease Resident tutor in the dorms similar to the RA/resident adviser.

*Blokes & Birds - Men and Women

*Canteen - Cafe or cafeteria

*Trainers - gym shoes

*"Letting" - to rent something or to rent your place

*Car Park - a parking lot

*Queue - a line (i.e. you wait in a Queue)

*Boot & Bonnet - Trunk and hood of a car

*Lorrie - a truck

*Ne'er-do-wells - bums

Cheerio
Mate

Photo 1 - the "car park"
Photo 2 - Post room = mail room
Photo 3 - Cleaning store = a closet
Photo 4 - Resident tutor (I am still looking for my personal tutor)
Photo 5 - From a recycling bin - "No crockery"
Photo 6 - "Offices to let"

All Hail!

2007-09-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Warwick Castle 9/29

Warwick castle is about 25 minutes away from the university and a few of us actually took an organized university group trip to visit the castle.

The castle overlooks the River Avon and is in the town of Warwick of the English county of Warwickshire. The castle dates back to 1088 and is one of the oldest in England. It was the best preserved castle that I have ever seen.

The castle sprawls over the English countryside and you can see the charming town of Warwick and sheep lazily grazing in the distance. The gardens are beautiful, especially the peacock garden - where a multitude of peacocks were just hanging out and basking in the sun (yes, we had sun today!) The atmosphere, besides the business of the tourists, was very peaceful and had a quite beauty.

I just read that the castle was bought by The Tussauds Group at some point - think Madame Tussauds...which would explain all of the wax figures. Using the life-like wax figures, Warwick set the scene of what living in a castle was like and how it operated. It was scary how real some of the wax figures looked.

Overall it was a great day! We had sunshine, saw an amazing castle, had a lot of exercise (over 500 steps) and had the chance to get off of campus and see the sights.

Photo 1 - Irina, Tatiana and me in front of the Warwick Castle
Photo 2 - Up on a look out tower with the castle in the background
Photo 3 - One of the wax figures
Photo 4 - In the castle gardens
Photo 5 - The remains of the bridge over the River Avon
Photo 6 - A view of the English countryside from the castle (can you spot the sheep)
Video 1 - A short video of the Castle

Where I live . . . .

2007-09-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Accommodations at WBS - here's the skinny

I live in a post graduate dorm called Lakeside (sounds elegant, but I assure you that there is no lake nearby). It is on the edge of campus, and only a 10 minute walk to class.

I arrived to a moldy bathroom, but the place is coming together - as good as a one bedroom can with limited resources!

There are 8 apartments in a flat and we 8 share a kitchen. We do have our own bathrooms which is very nice. It feels quite awful to be back in the dorms - I miss the luxuries of my condo!

One of the amusing things is the faucet set up in the bathroom. There is a hot and cold knob, but you can EITHER get one or the other. So washing my face in the morning is always interesting because I either get ice water or water that is much too hot. I have to mix the water to get a decent temperature. The faucets are like this in the kitchen as well. Oh, the little things we take for granted!

Photo 1 - Block 4 of Lakeside
Photo 2 & 3 - the shared kitchen
Photo 4 - the weird hot/cold pipes in my bathroom
Photo 5 & 6 - my messy bedroom and desk area

Royal Leamington Spa 9/23

2007-09-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

No I did not go the spa already!! (but I sense I may need a trip to one after this term)

Leamington Spa is the name of a town in central Warwickshire, England - about 20 minutes from campus.

Leamington was once hailed as a city of healing waters aka spa waters and a favorite spa resort town of the elite. Leamington earned the "Royal" title after a visit from Queen Victoria. The statue was almost destroyed by bomb during, and you can still see that it was actually moved off its base by an inch. The town also has a rather large and beautiful English garden called Jephson Gardens.

These days it is a city of some pretty decent shopping - I spotted a pair of essential winter boots already!

Photo 1 - Queen Victoria statue

Photo 2 - Hanging on this huge tree in the garden - yes I climbed up there!

Photo 3 - Houses that reminded me of Mary Poppins!

England Arrival 9/22

2007-09-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

I arrived via Birmingham airport on Saturday, September 22nd!

I arrived with two duffel bags - and no they did not have wheels. An entertaining image you can visualize is me literally dragging my very heavy (well heavy for me) bags around campus. Why didn't I bring my normal suitcase you may be asking yourself - well, The baggage limit was 20 kilos which is about 40 pounds in total, but you can have as many bags as you would like. How nice! My suitcases have a hard, durable back on them - but this add extra weight! So I arrived on campus with my duffel bags in tow - feeling like I was in the army!

That evening we tried to find something to eat on campus which turned out to be a fiasco. You see, campus wasn't open yet. So there were no decent restaurants open. We trekked to the on-campus pub - but by the time we got there they stopped serving food. However, the beers were flowing! So we ended up back at our dorm still hungry. Luckily three of us had went on a grocery shopping spree (our bags look like a pile of trash) and shared all of our frozen meals and it turned out to be a hearty meal!

I never thought I would go hungry in a country where English is the first language!

Oberservations en Deutschland

2007-09-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

I head out to England this weekend, so here are a few observations so far from my month in Germany:

Shopping
1. The stores have very specific hours. If you are a working professional, Saturdays are your only days to really run any errands. Also forget Sunday was an actual day of the week, because almost nothing is open on Sundays.

2. You have to go to a few stores to get the items you need to run a household. There is no Target-like stores here folks. And Walmart failed here. Say you want aspirin - you wouldn't go to the Schlecker (like a Walgreens, CVS), you would have to go to the Apotheke because it is medicinal. I just recently went to the doctor and they wrote me a prescription. I had to go to the Apotheke to fill the prescription, then bring it back to the doctor to administer it.

3. Shopping malls are few and far between. A law was passed against them, as to not take away business from the smaller, downtown shopping areas - the mom and pop stores.

Food/Eating
1. You can find all sorts of cuisine here, you just have to look for it.

2. I have purchased fake cheese - nacho cheese, I didn't think it was possible. However, I am still on the hunt for canned or jar jalepenos.

3. Food can be really cheap. The essentials can be found at the cheap stores that are ALDI-like.

4. Germans really like their sweets. I think I passed about 20 bakeries on the main road in Mannheim. I was looking for something other than my usual favorite, chocolate croissants - something healthier.

5. Expect bad service in a restaurant, and be pleasantly surprised if it's good. Maybe living abroad will help my pickiness when eating out at restaurants - however, I still won't go near sour cream or mayo!!

6. Choose your dishes wisely. Germans do not waste and will clean their plates entirely. If you take too much or something you don't end up liking - you may feel compelled to choke it down to clean your plate.

Other
I was planning to take full advantage of internet services while in Europe such as netflix instant viewing, online library systems and network sites (abc, nbc, fox, etc.) to keep up on my shows this fall. Having a Mac + being out of the country = NOT possible. Quite Irritating! So I Tunes, may have to be my new best friend - so I can keep up with Greys, DH, Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty, etc.

Documenta 12

2007-09-10T14:47:00.001-07:00

September 9, 2007 - Modern Art Exhibit

The documenta is regarded as the most important exhibition of contemporary art. It is held every 5 years in Kassel (about 2 hours north of Frankfurt). The exhibit is shown for 100 days, and this year was the 12th year of the exhibit. The exhibits are housed all around Kassel in various themed tents and museums.

I am not a big fan of modern art, but thought the exhibits were interesting. It would have been nice to have more time there and do an audio tour that goes into detail about the art pieces. My favorite exhibit was the "FEAR" exhibit, where the artist depicted various human fears. For example - we fear "yes" and "no" "which is why the smartest people choose maybe".

Wedding in Gottingen

2007-09-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

September 8, 2007 - Sebastian & Danni

I went to my first Euro style wedding. One of Florian's childhood friends, Sebastian, got married in the beautiful, old town of Gottingen (about 2 hours north of Frankfurt).

The couple wed at the beautiful city hall (pictured here) with close family and friends in attendance. Then we all went for coffee, snacks, and cake at a cafe in the botanic gardens. Then a larger reception was held in a nice restaurant in a local theater.

New Classmates. New Friends.

2007-09-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Just spent a week at Uni Mannheim team building and meeting my classmates who come from all over the world: Russia, Japan, Egypt, Belarus, Ivory Coast etc.

Mannheim

2007-09-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

September 3 - 7, 2007

University of Mannheim - main entrance. Wirtschaftshochschule = school of Business.

One of the entrances of the castle -it houses most of the universities' classrooms and offices. The size is equivalent to 12 soccer fields and is larger than Versailles.

DIXI

2007-09-10T08:52:00.001-07:00

September 2007 - En route to Mannheim

Funny branded logo on a port-a-potty!

AFRIKA AFRIKA

2007-09-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

September 1, 2007 - AFRIKA. AFRIKA.

This circus-style theater show features performers from all over Africa and is a combination of Cirque du Soleil's acrobatics, Harlem Globe Trotters' stunts, and a usual circus' oddities. My front-row experience was up close and personal - could smell the sweat of the performers!

Wilkommen in Deutschland!

2007-09-10T06:26:00.001-07:00

August 25, 2007 - Festival in Frankfurt

The first night of my new adventure, Florian took me to the Museumsuferfest - a weekend festival. There was arts/crafts and food/drink along with music from all over the world. The festival was on both banks of the River Main. The last night of the festival was celebrated with fireworks.

Here I am drinking my beverage of choice - a Radler = Pils + Lemonade.