quality time and strike time

This week I got to spend some quality time with a friend from college visiting b-schools on this side of the pond. It was nice to have an old friend explore my new life with me... and at my side meeting new friends and classmates! Our best adventure of the week was definitely getting tapas at the Mercado San Miguel. We ate really different things that I haven’t seen elsewhere, like croquets with mussels, smoked sardines, cured tuna, and barnacles! Take a look! I tagged along on her visit to IE. I had visited the campus in April, but never taken the formal tour. It was fun to get a sneak preview of the rooms I’m sure I’ll get to know all too well in the coming months. 

This past week, I’ve also spent some quality time getting to know current IE students from last year’s Nov. intake. I met up with members from IE’s Consulting and Net Impact clubs. One of my first questions to both of them was how much free time they really had. I wanted to judge whether or not I would be able to juggle afternoon yoga classes at the gym I’m considering joining and the cheap Arabic classes I’ve signed up for. As I suspected, they suggested to limit non-MBA activities, because even with out them, nearly all students have a hard time even finishing the required daily reading. I figure I’ll give everything a try up till Christmas, and then I’ll be able to better judge what works for me. Meeting up with both of them also allowed me to ask a bunch of questions on the respective clubs’ activities, and to get an idea of the events they put on and the services they offer. I definitely plan to be involved in both to the best of my abilities. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, I really enjoy how all of the IE students and representatives I’ve interacted with so far have been so open to helping new and perspective students. There’s that feeling of “I remember being your shoes.” 

The result of one of my meetings with current students: the birth of THE tapa burger - that's hand mixed burger meat, caramelized onions and pancetta, homemade honey mustard sauce, and a bun with special sauce and melted manchego cheese - credits to Isabelle Chiaradia, Justin Randall, and myself!

On a totally different note, today September 29, 2010 there is a huelga general (general strike) in Spain. It is in response in large part to the austerity measures put in place by the Spanish government since the economic crisis hit. I ventured out around 3pm and didn’t see much more commotion than usual. The stores that close at siesta time were closed, and all the others seemed open as usual. I saw a few more police vans cruising around than usual, and less people going in and out of the metro. All seemed calm except for a brief argument between flag-wavers and police down by the Plaza del Sol (the city center where there are small protests most weekends). Last night when I went out to meet some IE-ers from my intake in Plaza Santa Ana there was a pro-strike concert, and on my way home I saw a parade of protestors, but nothing too rowdy. Apparently there were more protests and riots this morning. Here’s the link to WSJ summary in English of the day. I just hope nothing spills over to tomorrow, because I have to travel early! I feel for both sides of the argument. Austerity measures and disgruntled workers are bad for both the employers’ and employees’ personal and financial lives. Hopefully we’ll have a more in-depth economic analysis of this day in one of our upcoming MBA classes!