I came to Barcelona and IESE with plans to start my own business. Then as I struggled in a new culture and country, I thought I wanted to go into Industry and take a break from Banking. Then, after the banking sessions started, I felt a strange pull to what was comfortable.
The fact of the matter is, I like being in a bank. It feels like home. It is what I´ve wanted to do for so long. I actually get excited about discounted cash flows. But really what is it that I want to DO with my life??? You know careers and dating are alot alike. If you were dating someone for so long, you might be scared to leave him for someone else because you are scared of taking risks. BUT on the other hand it might be that you are with the person you are meant to be with all along.... As the saying goes "If it ain´t broke, don´t fix it."
But on the other hand they say that what you really want to do can stem from what you wanted to do when you were 5 years old. When I was 5 I wanted to be an Emergency Room doctor. Hmm.... this Healthcare industry might have something there.
So I was dabbling with the prospect of going into the Healthcare/Pharmaceutical industry. I want to have a set schedule. I want to have a social life. I want to get out of the spreadsheets and into lunching with clients. And if I go into Pharma, most likely I will be lunching with doctors ;-) Just joking. But the thing with Pharma is that I´d be taking a big risk. Most of the banks hire from summer internships. I will be interning with a Pharmaceutical company. The things I worry about are these: 1) Will the job be boring, AKA too slow for me? It is said that everyone who gets out of banking get so bored easily with the pace of regular industry 2) Is it really my dream job? What IS my dream job? 3) What the %$/&% would I do??? I don´t want to sell medical supplies. Is there anything else out there?
I think another indication of what you are supposed to be comes from what others think of you. For instance I constantly have people asking me how to manage their finances, or their children´s finances, or you get the point. And I say to them "I´m an Investment Banker. I raise money for corporations. I put stocks and bonds in the market. But wait.... if you put 25% in this large cap index and 40% in the Russell 2000, mitigating this risk with some treasuries and money market funds..." yeah you get the idea.
So after some freaking out, I came up with this conclusion: I believe that ultimately, I am a banker through and through. I look impeccable in a suit. I like meeting clients. I am an advisor. I know the financial markets, so that you don´t have to. I will manage your money, and look damn good doing it. So this summer, I will "break up from my boyfriend Investment Banking" per se and fool around with the Pharmaceutical Industry. If I like it and feel it is for me, I will look for a full time job in that Industry. Most likely will be in Houston, Barcelona or Switzerland (lots of hospitals). If I don´t like it, I will fall back on my extensive finance experience and work for a bank somewhere. Most likely in Asset Management or Equity Research and most likely in Spain or the US. Because I speak English & Castillian and I don´t want to live in the UK. And the thing about Finance is that math is the same in all languages!
jueves, 27 de septiembre de 2007
Opus Dei
There is a lot of mystery surrounding Opus Dei. Luckily for me I have not read the Da Vinci code, and I don´t have an opinion one way or another surrounding the topic. What I do know is that I feel glad that our school is an initiative of Opus Dei. In fact, the Universidad de Navarra was created by the originator of Opus Dei himself which I find is quite amazing. As a Catholic, I find some comfort in this, but it is also a bit to get used to.
Coming from America, we have an obsessive compulsion of dividing church and state. (And school..) It is definitely different to see crucifixes in every classroom, even though I always have one above my bed. And I find that the classes here are a lot stricter than in the US (well, I DID come from New Orleans), and are from what I´ve seen, similar to those "Catholic school" stereotypes.... barring that infamous Britney Spears video....
I went to mass yesterday, and I felt inspired. All in all I find our school incorporates a deeper meaning in developing business leaders, and I feel that involving this religious aspect helps in having students recognize the importance of developing society and being less selfishly profitminded, at least, as a trickle down method from the professors. The goal of any business leader should be to improve society first and foremost. Although I don´t consider myself especially religious, this I do agree on.
Coming from America, we have an obsessive compulsion of dividing church and state. (And school..) It is definitely different to see crucifixes in every classroom, even though I always have one above my bed. And I find that the classes here are a lot stricter than in the US (well, I DID come from New Orleans), and are from what I´ve seen, similar to those "Catholic school" stereotypes.... barring that infamous Britney Spears video....
I went to mass yesterday, and I felt inspired. All in all I find our school incorporates a deeper meaning in developing business leaders, and I feel that involving this religious aspect helps in having students recognize the importance of developing society and being less selfishly profitminded, at least, as a trickle down method from the professors. The goal of any business leader should be to improve society first and foremost. Although I don´t consider myself especially religious, this I do agree on.
miércoles, 26 de septiembre de 2007
To be in Investment Banking, or not to be in Investment Banking? That is the Question.
There was a voluntary Investment Banking seminar in the auditorium. When I came in, I sat down in the front row, and I was looking straight at one of the speakers in the panel. I knew that look. Only investment bankers have that demeanor: extremely elegant with a touch of arrogance… a tired look from working all night…. but if you look into his eyes, it’s like staring into the eyes of a shark.
I was used to this look; I worked with it for the last 2 years. It was funny, but when I came into the seminar, and sat across from this guy, I felt strangely comfortable, but at the same time I felt this incredible hatred for this profession, because it stole 2 years of my life, and my soul.
I felt like the main character in Monkey Business: a guy who returned to banking after his MBA because he was mindlessly trapped in the recruiting process of Banking. You see, Bankers trap you early: right when you arrive, so that you have no other options. They say that a high percentage of Bankers who say they will never come back ultimately do. I felt that I could be one of those people. I felt weak.
The character in Monkey Business, his name was Troob. He wrote that Investment Bankers love to trap fresh unsuspecting souls from MBA programs, the weakest ones. They trap them with their promises of glamorous traveling jobs with lots of client interaction and money. The Bankers know that those who have already done Banking never want to return. But they also know that after Banking, a person has become defeated from years of being beaten down, and are therefore easily persuaded to return…
That is my problem. I came to business school to get as far away from Banking as possible. I wanted to get into Industry. Most probably the Healthcare industry. Possibly hospital administration. I wanted to actually have a work life balance. I wanted to have time for family, friends and salsa, and hopefully my own family someday. But then the Bankers arrived and I got confused. Did I want to go back to a bank? Banking, Trading & finance are the only things I know. I could do Wealth Management or Equity Research, I thought. Not as many hours, maybe only 12-14 a day. I am financially savy. I am comfortable with the markets. But if I wanted to do that, or any line of banking career, I had to act now. And that meant work work work and competition competition competition. There was no time to think about new careers. That was the Bankers’ plan. Industry was for slackers. But I came to business school to take a chance. Why was I afraid?
It is like you are in a dream, and you see yourself doing something really stupid, that you know is bad for you, but you can’t stop yourself. You watch yourself do it. I have already committed myself to attending the rest of the Investment Banking sessions, and most likely applying for an internship at a bank. But it feels like I am that person in the dream...
Now what should I do?
I was used to this look; I worked with it for the last 2 years. It was funny, but when I came into the seminar, and sat across from this guy, I felt strangely comfortable, but at the same time I felt this incredible hatred for this profession, because it stole 2 years of my life, and my soul.
I felt like the main character in Monkey Business: a guy who returned to banking after his MBA because he was mindlessly trapped in the recruiting process of Banking. You see, Bankers trap you early: right when you arrive, so that you have no other options. They say that a high percentage of Bankers who say they will never come back ultimately do. I felt that I could be one of those people. I felt weak.
The character in Monkey Business, his name was Troob. He wrote that Investment Bankers love to trap fresh unsuspecting souls from MBA programs, the weakest ones. They trap them with their promises of glamorous traveling jobs with lots of client interaction and money. The Bankers know that those who have already done Banking never want to return. But they also know that after Banking, a person has become defeated from years of being beaten down, and are therefore easily persuaded to return…
That is my problem. I came to business school to get as far away from Banking as possible. I wanted to get into Industry. Most probably the Healthcare industry. Possibly hospital administration. I wanted to actually have a work life balance. I wanted to have time for family, friends and salsa, and hopefully my own family someday. But then the Bankers arrived and I got confused. Did I want to go back to a bank? Banking, Trading & finance are the only things I know. I could do Wealth Management or Equity Research, I thought. Not as many hours, maybe only 12-14 a day. I am financially savy. I am comfortable with the markets. But if I wanted to do that, or any line of banking career, I had to act now. And that meant work work work and competition competition competition. There was no time to think about new careers. That was the Bankers’ plan. Industry was for slackers. But I came to business school to take a chance. Why was I afraid?
It is like you are in a dream, and you see yourself doing something really stupid, that you know is bad for you, but you can’t stop yourself. You watch yourself do it. I have already committed myself to attending the rest of the Investment Banking sessions, and most likely applying for an internship at a bank. But it feels like I am that person in the dream...
Now what should I do?
martes, 25 de septiembre de 2007
Madrid Trip
What can I say about Madrid?
El fin de semana pasado, fue una fiesta en Barcelona, el Merce. Sin embargo, mis amigos y yo fuimos a Madrid. Me fue bien en el viaje, creo que Madrid es un cuidad muy elegante. Tiene mas espacio que Barcelona, es mas limpio tambien, y el servicio en los restuarantes son mucho mas rapido que Barcelona. En todo caso, mis amigos y yo son de acuerdos que nos gusta Madrid mas que Barcelona.
El primer dia, el sabado, tomamos el tren de Barca a Madrid. Nos quedamos en el Hotel Husa, un hotel con cuatro estrellas, pero nos recibieron un descuento. El ambiente era muy agredable. Tomamos tapas en la Plaza Santa Ana y bebimos muchas cervesas. Despues, dormimos una siesta. Por la noche, fuimos a un restaurante llamada "Los Huevos De Lucio" (The Devil's Balls). Los precios eran muy caro, pero un cantante espanol muy conocida nos invitio. Que suerte!!! Se me olvido su nombre, pero creo que se llama "Daniel Martin, el canto de loco..." Pues, en fin, fuimos a unas discotequas con el, y un amigo de Madrid, Nico.
Dani Martin y yo y mi amigo Alejandro en Madrid:
Nico era muy agradable y hablo ingles muy bien. Cuando oyimos una cancion de Flamenco en el club, Nico comienzo a bailar. Estaba muy impresionado con el. Aunque Nico era amable, su novia era un poco... dificil. LOL. Ella me dijo que no podria hablar muy bien espanol porque siempre hable en ingles. Ni hablar! Ella no sabe nada... Solo tenia celos de mi, por alguna razon de no-se-que.
En fin, bailamos hasta las 6 de la manana. Fue temprano para Madrid. El sigiente dia, fuimos a comer unas tapas y bebimos unas copas. Vimos un bar de tango, y visitamos un bar de Jazz. Fue muuuy divertido, el jazz. No queria salir de Madrid. Entonces, el lunes, regresamos a Barcelona...
El fin de semana pasado, fue una fiesta en Barcelona, el Merce. Sin embargo, mis amigos y yo fuimos a Madrid. Me fue bien en el viaje, creo que Madrid es un cuidad muy elegante. Tiene mas espacio que Barcelona, es mas limpio tambien, y el servicio en los restuarantes son mucho mas rapido que Barcelona. En todo caso, mis amigos y yo son de acuerdos que nos gusta Madrid mas que Barcelona.
El primer dia, el sabado, tomamos el tren de Barca a Madrid. Nos quedamos en el Hotel Husa, un hotel con cuatro estrellas, pero nos recibieron un descuento. El ambiente era muy agredable. Tomamos tapas en la Plaza Santa Ana y bebimos muchas cervesas. Despues, dormimos una siesta. Por la noche, fuimos a un restaurante llamada "Los Huevos De Lucio" (The Devil's Balls). Los precios eran muy caro, pero un cantante espanol muy conocida nos invitio. Que suerte!!! Se me olvido su nombre, pero creo que se llama "Daniel Martin, el canto de loco..." Pues, en fin, fuimos a unas discotequas con el, y un amigo de Madrid, Nico.
Dani Martin y yo y mi amigo Alejandro en Madrid:
Nico era muy agradable y hablo ingles muy bien. Cuando oyimos una cancion de Flamenco en el club, Nico comienzo a bailar. Estaba muy impresionado con el. Aunque Nico era amable, su novia era un poco... dificil. LOL. Ella me dijo que no podria hablar muy bien espanol porque siempre hable en ingles. Ni hablar! Ella no sabe nada... Solo tenia celos de mi, por alguna razon de no-se-que.
En fin, bailamos hasta las 6 de la manana. Fue temprano para Madrid. El sigiente dia, fuimos a comer unas tapas y bebimos unas copas. Vimos un bar de tango, y visitamos un bar de Jazz. Fue muuuy divertido, el jazz. No queria salir de Madrid. Entonces, el lunes, regresamos a Barcelona...
viernes, 21 de septiembre de 2007
BOW (Bar of the Week)
Que interesante el dia en Barcelona. Ayer me levante a las 6 de la manana para ir a la oficina de policia para hacer mis hueltas dactiles para el NIE… sorry. English. Yesterday morning I awoke at 6AM to visit the Police Station for fingerprinting for my residence card. After that, I had to go to a gubernatorial office to obtain a letter stating that I can re-enter Spain on my student visa (until I get my residence card) because I need to go to London in a month for a Banking presentation (that’s right, working in a bank is my back-up plan). This process was a bit of an administrative pain in the ass. As the Spanish call it, “Que lio!” or “Que rollo!”
After that I had a nice lunch at IESE. Did you know there is a traditional Spanish dish where it is basically seafood paella dowsed in calamari ink? It is completely black!! Bueno pues… despues de clases de castillano, me fui a casa en el moto de Felix. I absolutely love the feel of traveling in Barca by moto. It makes everything feel uniquely more European. We got home and quickly changed to visit the Roman Ruins museum, in the Gothic area of Barcelona.
It was a fun event. As we toured the stone passageways Marco seemed unimpressed. “In Italy we have tons of these things,” he said. Felix jokingly imitated his Italian accent; it was hilarious. After some Roman wine, we decided to visit a tapas bar en la esquina. Apparently in this Basque establishment, you take the “pinchas” you want and you pay by the number of sticks you have in the end, indicating the number of pinchas you had that night. Well my first thought would be that this is too easy to just throw some sticks out. Alejandro (from Peru) said that I was more Latin than he was…. Many beers later…. We headed out to BOW.
At Bilbao Berria
In IESE we have a tradition called BOW, or Bar of the Week. (We also have another IESE tradition where if a student forgets to log off a common computer, someone sends a mass email from his address saying something inappropriate to the entire student body..) The BOW this week was at OTTO, a dance club downtown. We all arrived around midnight and had a great time. There was samba music playing all night, and despite not knowing samba, Alejandro and I started to dance. Really no one else was dancing in that room but us. So one guy pointed to us and said “South Americans….” Me? Mistaken for a South American? Wow. There were other rooms at the club, mainly those that played hip hop. I had forgotten how to American dance, so I was a little awkward at first, but having lived in New Orleans I picked it up fast. It was a great, great time. I left early with my Spanish flat mate around 3AM. We had class in the morning…
I am excited about tonight. There is another Latin Party at Café Noir and I am excited to dance to more salsa, merengue, bachata & vallenato. It will feel like home again. And tomorrow morning, we leave for Madrid… and will be drinking on the train….
After that I had a nice lunch at IESE. Did you know there is a traditional Spanish dish where it is basically seafood paella dowsed in calamari ink? It is completely black!! Bueno pues… despues de clases de castillano, me fui a casa en el moto de Felix. I absolutely love the feel of traveling in Barca by moto. It makes everything feel uniquely more European. We got home and quickly changed to visit the Roman Ruins museum, in the Gothic area of Barcelona.
It was a fun event. As we toured the stone passageways Marco seemed unimpressed. “In Italy we have tons of these things,” he said. Felix jokingly imitated his Italian accent; it was hilarious. After some Roman wine, we decided to visit a tapas bar en la esquina. Apparently in this Basque establishment, you take the “pinchas” you want and you pay by the number of sticks you have in the end, indicating the number of pinchas you had that night. Well my first thought would be that this is too easy to just throw some sticks out. Alejandro (from Peru) said that I was more Latin than he was…. Many beers later…. We headed out to BOW.
At Bilbao Berria
In IESE we have a tradition called BOW, or Bar of the Week. (We also have another IESE tradition where if a student forgets to log off a common computer, someone sends a mass email from his address saying something inappropriate to the entire student body..) The BOW this week was at OTTO, a dance club downtown. We all arrived around midnight and had a great time. There was samba music playing all night, and despite not knowing samba, Alejandro and I started to dance. Really no one else was dancing in that room but us. So one guy pointed to us and said “South Americans….” Me? Mistaken for a South American? Wow. There were other rooms at the club, mainly those that played hip hop. I had forgotten how to American dance, so I was a little awkward at first, but having lived in New Orleans I picked it up fast. It was a great, great time. I left early with my Spanish flat mate around 3AM. We had class in the morning…
I am excited about tonight. There is another Latin Party at Café Noir and I am excited to dance to more salsa, merengue, bachata & vallenato. It will feel like home again. And tomorrow morning, we leave for Madrid… and will be drinking on the train….
miércoles, 19 de septiembre de 2007
Holidays In Barcelona
Today I woke up to David Bisbal’s “Silencio" on my IPOD stereo… Danced around a bit. Sometimes when I walk through the city my play list surprises me with Tom Jones’ “Secret Agent Man” and by the looks of Barcelona it almost seems hilarious. Most days I hitch a ride on my flat mates’ moto to school (awaiting the precious moment I can buy one to call my own), and when I get to class I struggle to deal with helmet hair. It is all very sexy indeed. But all is well in Barcelona.
A few notes: Spanish bureaucracy sucks! Just give me my forms so I can get a Residence card. And just give me my Residence Card right away without having to go to several police stations to get fingerprinted and city council offices to wait in line all day. And internet guy, please install my wireless because I am not good with following directions and I cannot read Spanish instructions. Plus in America they do it for you… And buses please arrive on time. And Microsoft Office, please magically appear on my computer.
Life in Barcelona isn’t all about parties and holidays. Right. 2 Mondays ago were the birthdays of fellow students Jake from California and Marco di Italia. Jake’s event was at a Jazz Club at Placa Reial. Marco’s was at Café Berlin. Ended up staying up all night and going to a chupito (shot) bar because Barcelona closes down after 6AM. Walked home at sunrise Tuesday morning, a holiday at Barcelona, el dia de la Diada. Slept til 5PM.
Last Saturday attended a housewarming party on Balmes. Place was packed with IESE students like sardines in a can. Could not move. Drank tons. Stephan (from Germany of course) explained how German parties ended up with people stripping and pouring beer on themselves. Ja… ja…
Speaking of Germans and beer, I was supposed to go to Munich this weekend for Oktoberfest. This Monday is another holiday in Barcelona. But since I don't yet have my residence card, I can only leave the country once (and I need to go to London for a banking event). So I took it upon myself to spend this weekend in Madrid with a few IESE compadres. Hey, if I can’t leave the country, might as well party IN it. Viva Espana!
A few notes: Spanish bureaucracy sucks! Just give me my forms so I can get a Residence card. And just give me my Residence Card right away without having to go to several police stations to get fingerprinted and city council offices to wait in line all day. And internet guy, please install my wireless because I am not good with following directions and I cannot read Spanish instructions. Plus in America they do it for you… And buses please arrive on time. And Microsoft Office, please magically appear on my computer.
Life in Barcelona isn’t all about parties and holidays. Right. 2 Mondays ago were the birthdays of fellow students Jake from California and Marco di Italia. Jake’s event was at a Jazz Club at Placa Reial. Marco’s was at Café Berlin. Ended up staying up all night and going to a chupito (shot) bar because Barcelona closes down after 6AM. Walked home at sunrise Tuesday morning, a holiday at Barcelona, el dia de la Diada. Slept til 5PM.
Last Saturday attended a housewarming party on Balmes. Place was packed with IESE students like sardines in a can. Could not move. Drank tons. Stephan (from Germany of course) explained how German parties ended up with people stripping and pouring beer on themselves. Ja… ja…
Speaking of Germans and beer, I was supposed to go to Munich this weekend for Oktoberfest. This Monday is another holiday in Barcelona. But since I don't yet have my residence card, I can only leave the country once (and I need to go to London for a banking event). So I took it upon myself to spend this weekend in Madrid with a few IESE compadres. Hey, if I can’t leave the country, might as well party IN it. Viva Espana!
domingo, 9 de septiembre de 2007
My First Latin Party
I am not going to lie. Adjusting to Spanish life has been hard. I have been quite homesick since I got here with missing my friends at home and longing for the convenience of the States. What was once a 7 minute commute in my car to work now turns into a 1 hour commute to school by bus. Sometimes the bus takes half an hour to arrive. Shitty buses. Well, in a few months I will have a new moto (hopefully red!) Just as soon as I can get my international driver’s licence and Spanish residency card (the bureaucracy here takes so long to process anything…) and my days of public transportation will be limited to taking the metro home trashed at 7AM…
Last Friday was my first Latin party in Barcelona. Before the party was a rugby game between France & Argentina at an Irish bar downtown. But when we arrived at the party at café Noir the sounds of pop vallenato sensation Fanny Lu filled the room. Vallenato! I couldn’t believe it! It finally felt like home. Although it took a while and many beers before people would get up and dance, I’ve found that most European guys dance like Americans! (Albeit, with a bit better rhythm.) Danced some nice merengue songs and simple salsa songs with some South Americans. But then there was one guy who really knew how to dance -- a 17 year old Austrian! The things you find in Barcelona!
Although it has taken me a while to become accustomed to European lifestyle, all I had to do was find a local salsa spot…. (Pales in comparison to Houston though…)
Last Friday was my first Latin party in Barcelona. Before the party was a rugby game between France & Argentina at an Irish bar downtown. But when we arrived at the party at café Noir the sounds of pop vallenato sensation Fanny Lu filled the room. Vallenato! I couldn’t believe it! It finally felt like home. Although it took a while and many beers before people would get up and dance, I’ve found that most European guys dance like Americans! (Albeit, with a bit better rhythm.) Danced some nice merengue songs and simple salsa songs with some South Americans. But then there was one guy who really knew how to dance -- a 17 year old Austrian! The things you find in Barcelona!
Although it has taken me a while to become accustomed to European lifestyle, all I had to do was find a local salsa spot…. (Pales in comparison to Houston though…)
sábado, 1 de septiembre de 2007
Overview
Bienvenidos a mi nuevo blog de mis experencias en Barcelona. En cuanto a mi: Estudio en IESE Business School, la Universidad de Navarra, tengo dos flatmates de Europa, y deseo montar un negocio algun dia.
The lobby…
The middle hallway… tanto espacio!
El comedor (dining room)
I have excellent flatmates. Felix is from Germany, and he is the efficient, responsible one. Plus he's a computer expert who loves to have a good time. And nice & easy to talk to! Guillermo is super sweet and from Spain. He gives me everything! He gave me a desk, lamp, mirrors, fan, air conditioner, he fixes things… and he cooks for us! Wow! When Felix and I had our first day of Spanish classes, Guillermo was supposed to be on a plane to Madrid for a wedding. But when we came back, we found a note he left on the fridge -- he had cooked us dinner and stored it in Tupperware for us so that all we had to do was heat it up!!! WOW! Who does that??? Spanish guys! And that’s not all -- we have a maid, Diana, que viene cada jueves.
La Universidad - IESE Business School
Student life: We start classes at 945, at least, the Spanish portion. This is where life is easy, before the business classes start. I´m encountering people with names like Michele (like Michael) from Italy, Heiko from Germany, and Florian from France. Of course, there’s also more familiar names like Elizabeth from Australia. We have a 1.5 hour lunch with plenty of time to socialize... I mean... do work. We get salads, but not the kind in the US. More exotic. The main courses are something like rabbit, fried anchovies, beef, trout, man everything. Oh and dessert: sometimes it’s tiramisu, today it was crèma de Catalana. It’s like having a gourmet lunch everyday, for like 5 Euros. We can buy beer and wine with lunch. Additionally, appropriate dress is emphasized here. No flip flops, shorts, sneakers, tank tops… it’s business casual to class. I love it. Our school operates on Opus Dei, asi que en cada aula hay un crucifix. Outside our computer lab is a model of the Virgin Mary. It´s different, but I like it.
However, attending IESE is not all going to be fun and games. This is just the beginning. Right now I am going out, and coming back at 3AM to do my Spanish homework (flashback to Freshman year at Tulane when I used to do my German homework drunk??) I know it will get almost unbearable at times, and the work load is stupendously high. Hopefully I can keep my sanity…
Well, that’s all for now. Please stay tuned for more updates on life as an MBA candidate. Can’t wait to get my new business cards!
Vale, es todo pa’ ahora. Venga pues, mira las fotos! No te preocupes, no es todo en castellano! (Don’t worry, it’s not all in Spanish!)
Nuestro apartamento
View from the street
The lobby…The entranceway… very European!
The middle hallway… tanto espacio!
La sala! (Living room)
El comedor (dining room)
I have excellent flatmates. Felix is from Germany, and he is the efficient, responsible one. Plus he's a computer expert who loves to have a good time. And nice & easy to talk to! Guillermo is super sweet and from Spain. He gives me everything! He gave me a desk, lamp, mirrors, fan, air conditioner, he fixes things… and he cooks for us! Wow! When Felix and I had our first day of Spanish classes, Guillermo was supposed to be on a plane to Madrid for a wedding. But when we came back, we found a note he left on the fridge -- he had cooked us dinner and stored it in Tupperware for us so that all we had to do was heat it up!!! WOW! Who does that??? Spanish guys! And that’s not all -- we have a maid, Diana, que viene cada jueves.
Life in Spain: We eat lunch from 2-4 and dinner at 10. Energy conservation and every type of recycling is HUGE here. Airconditioning is very weak, and is a luxury. Wine & medicine is very cheap. Fresh fruits & vegetables are sold on the street. I´m learning how to use a gas stove and ride public transportation. (The horror!) I’ve got a new Spanish number (area code 34!) and a Spanish bank account. And guess what? Healthcare is completely free here. Whatever you need. No copay!
La Universidad - IESE Business School
The Harvard of Europe
Tan bonita
Tan bonita
Inside
Outside our computer lab. Te lo juro!
Student life: We start classes at 945, at least, the Spanish portion. This is where life is easy, before the business classes start. I´m encountering people with names like Michele (like Michael) from Italy, Heiko from Germany, and Florian from France. Of course, there’s also more familiar names like Elizabeth from Australia. We have a 1.5 hour lunch with plenty of time to socialize... I mean... do work. We get salads, but not the kind in the US. More exotic. The main courses are something like rabbit, fried anchovies, beef, trout, man everything. Oh and dessert: sometimes it’s tiramisu, today it was crèma de Catalana. It’s like having a gourmet lunch everyday, for like 5 Euros. We can buy beer and wine with lunch. Additionally, appropriate dress is emphasized here. No flip flops, shorts, sneakers, tank tops… it’s business casual to class. I love it. Our school operates on Opus Dei, asi que en cada aula hay un crucifix. Outside our computer lab is a model of the Virgin Mary. It´s different, but I like it.
However, attending IESE is not all going to be fun and games. This is just the beginning. Right now I am going out, and coming back at 3AM to do my Spanish homework (flashback to Freshman year at Tulane when I used to do my German homework drunk??) I know it will get almost unbearable at times, and the work load is stupendously high. Hopefully I can keep my sanity…
Well, that’s all for now. Please stay tuned for more updates on life as an MBA candidate. Can’t wait to get my new business cards!
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