study break

So the students enrolled in the pre-program were divided up into various groups. Several groups, including mine, had their pre-program courses last week (Oct. 18-22). Others only started this week (Oct.25-28). I’m really glad that mine were last week because that means this week I have had another “break” before starting the MBA! Although I have hardly taken a break…

Monday morning I was up early to join other 50 or so non-EU students at the police station to take our fingerprints for the NIE immigration card. Having the NIE number (although we still have to wait another month to get the actual card) means I could start shopping for my iPhone! I really want an iPhone! For the last 5 years in Europe, I’ve had a simple, pay as you go phone. I decided it was time to upgrade. While I’ve handed over all my data to get the long-awaited Apple merchandise, I still have to wait a week for them to switch my number and get my hands on my new iPhone! Here’s to hoping it goes smoothly…

On Monday I also attended an event at the Casa Arabe where I’m taking bi-weekly Arabic lessons. This event, called “The Tunisian Solar Plan,” was part of the Casa Arabe’s Forum on Economic Events with the Arab world. It was really interesting and motivating. As I listened to the Director of the Tunisian Society of Energy and Gas (STEG) present to potential Spanish investors, I was thinking, yes, this is what I want my transition into the private sector to be – I need to work on issues that are important to me and that stimulate me intellectually. Corporate social responsibility regarding the environment and the increasingly popular green movement are issues that businesses can no longer ignore. A man in the audience from the Spanish bank Santander asked the Tunisian businessman when they would know the outcome of the latest round of bids… probably to know if one of his clients would be getting the job, for example, of building a photovoltaic plant, and thus, his bank would be doing the financing. It’s all about money in the end, but isn’t it great that the money is trying to promote renewable energies?! I learned that between Italy and Tunisia there are underground cables that cross the Mediterranean to supply Europe with Tunisian energy. Fascinating. Tunisia wants to become a leading Arab exporter of renewable energies to Europe… I could go on and on with the interesting facts and numbers I wrote down, ask me if your interested.

On a related note, Wednesday I got my electricity bill from Iberdrola. In each bill, they include a little display of where “my” energy comes from and of how much carbon dioxide they emit. Apparently, in 2009, in the whole “Spanish Electric System” 27.9% of energy produced was from renewable energies. Seems like a rather larger percentage! In the same period (I think, I don’t quite fully understand the little info sheet yet), Iberdrola’s mix of energy included 12.5% renewables. When I have more time, or hopefully for one of my classes, I will be able to look into this further and have more accurate comments and reflections….

I spent the rest of the week going over some of the material we went over in the pre-program. Unfortunately for my studying, but fortunate for my social life, I had three visitors arrive Thursday from Italy, so I’ve been busy with them seeing the city all weekend. Updates on that Monday before school starts!

I’m a little nervous! I’m taking a break from my visitors Monday to catch up reading everything the school has posted online this weekend about our first week. I kind of wish we had all of the information sooner than 5 days before the program starts, but I will manage!

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!

beer and tapas belly... and other extracurricular activities

A beer and tapas belly... that is what is going to grow on me if I keep up my lazy version of the Spanish lifestyle! Especially since a lot of the yummy tapas are fried, and especially since I can handle beer a lot better in this dry climate than my drink of choice, a good glass of red wine. This is how it's going to be for me in Madrid - beer (always chilled to perfection) to cool me down in the summer, and red wine (that deserves more international recognition) to heat me up in the winter!

Last night I enjoyed a tour of the local cervecerías (beer joints) in my neighborhood with a new friend. Here's the story... so yesterday I'm out on my balcony collecting my dried sheets from the clothes line and down on the ground floor of my building's courtyard is something speaking some American-accented English! And his face is familiar! It was someone I saw at the Dems Abroad meeting last week. What a small world, he lives in my building! I immediately introduced myself and suggested we go get a drink... but he was off to visit the Casa Arabe. "Casa Arabe? As in, 'House of Arabic?' Are you studying Arabic?" I asked. He was! I studied classical Arabic intensively during my three years of undergrad at Georgetown. When I moved to Italy to work for an NGO, the only lessons available in the city I was in cost more than what I was paying weekly for groceries, and so I had to give it up. Just earlier yesterday afternoon, wanting to take advantage of being in a big, international city, I emailed a few language schools around Madrid to see what they offered. And the perfect solution found me! I went with him to the Casa Arabe, got their matriculation information, and visited the lovely little museum and bookstore. The Casa Arabe is part of a Spain-wide initiative organized by the Agencia Española de Cooperación para el Desarrollo (AECID) (Spanish Agency of Cooperation for Development), part of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to appreciate and spread the knowledge other cultures. For example, in Madrid there is also a Casa Africa, Casa America, and Casa Asia.

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with a current IE student and one of my main objectives of the encounter will be to determine how much "free" time I'm going to have outside of school. Then I'll be able to determine whether or not, or when, I can fit in gym time for the beer belly issue and Arabic time for my love of languages!

informational interviews and moving around the world

Today I started my draft email to send out to those lucky industry experts I will be requesting an informational interview with. Oh networking... I think it's actually a really good skill to cultivate, not just for business, but for life in general. Building up one's self confidence by reaching out to the seemingly unreachable, or learning to ask for what you want are not things most people can actually do. I ask myself so many times why I always have to decide on the most difficult and complicated paths... but in the end, I know it's the only way I feel challenged and happy with my life, because I've truly taken advantage of every opportunity I could, even if it's been lonely or demanding.

Within the various consulting firms I'm interested in, as I decide to who or to which country offices I want to make a contact with, I have to ask myself a lot of questions about my future. At first, the MBA seemed like a little breather - I'd have a bit of time to just learn and casually network before I had to decide my whole future. Au contraire! some of these internship applications for next summer are supposedly due before the IE November intake even begins! Even though I already started to outline some of these decisions in my b-school applications, I feel like I have to make so many decisions again too soon!

The first thing that comes to my mind is: I want to keep exploring! 

I am enthralled by China and its huge investments in solar energy and how its and other BRIC countries' development will affect the world economy, and natural environment... and so, how cool would it be to be where it's happening now, work a few years in China - yes please! I took a summer course in Chinese. While we only got through four basic chapters, it's a start! 

I also would love to re-learn Arabic... I was really good, I swear!!, at the end of undergrad. But then I decided to go work for an Italian NGO and I was paying more weekly for Arabic tutoring than for groceries and I had to give it up to survive my professional adventures in Italy. So what about working a few years in the Middle East? Where I could see how the energy industry is changing... But, will these offices even take me if my language skills need major work? 

Or will I want to stay in Spain? I'm afraid of falling in love like I did with Italy (although after actually living in Italy for awhile, and having to deal with their postal system and many other inconveniences, shall we say, I decided I'm only going back on a permanent basis with a much better salary). Spanish was the first foreign language I ever learned. And, I love siestas! My mother's family is from Sicily, and the last few years I've been able to go visit our cousins there in August, and nothing is more delightful than mare, mangiare, dormire, mare e mangiare di nuovo, e dormire di nuovo (translation: seaside, eat, sleep, seaside, eat again, sleep again). Taking a nap after lunch is truly a luxury everyone should experience. Spain's also a big investor in wind and solar energy. And speaking of energy, Madrid is just full of it! I can't wait!

So, I guess that I want to intern in places that I don't want to live in forever - I want to take advantage of the opportunity to move around the globe while I still don't have anything like a house or car to look after. But I do eventually want my own vegetable garden, and a library with room for a piano... in other words, to call a city home and maybe plant some long-term roots. I think ideally I'd like to work in a firm's offices in China, or Spain, or the Middle, or even South America for a few years, and then relocate to their San Fran office and travel out of there around the world. 

Good luck to myself in making this work! The first step in achieving anything is wanting it as my boyfriend says!