yes

Yes. Yes, I'm very happy I'm at IE. Yes, I have already met a lot of cool people. Yes, I think it's going to be a great year. And yes, I think I'm going to find a great job at the end. Yes, the first day of school was good! Yes! 

First of all, the "new" Segovia campus is gorgeous. It might be new to IE, but the buildings date back to 1218! 

After a much needed coffee hour, the welcome speeches started with Santiago Iñiguez, President of IE University and Dean of IE Business School telling us to be persistent like Christopher Columbus was when he sought financing to sail west because it's a good entrepreneurial skill. He had to leave before the day was over to go back to Madrid because IE was organizing an event to try and find business solutions to the on-going troubles in Haiti. 

Then David Bach, Dean of Programs, gave not only a great speech on many topics, but also a great looking powerpoint. I'm sure I will see many great powerpoints during my year at IE to develop some great photo, color-matching skills :) One thing he noted was the challenge of living between and working with the contradictions of the modern world, for example, increasing globalization but increasing local focus on marketing, consumption, etc. Just what my "glocal eating" website tried to address...  

I don't have time to write about what everyone said, but one thing I wanted to say generally is that I really like how down to earth IE feels. There is no pompous attitude I felt visiting other highly ranked b-schools. I feel like it's going to be a really practical program that's really focused on creating savvy and creative leaders. 

The last presentation of the day was by a 2005 alumni Giovanni Lo Faro. He talked about his experience working for the Modo eyewear company. It was really great to see half of his presentation dedicated to the new eco-friendly line of eyeglasses they have. I feel like corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues, what I would like to focus on in my future career, are really also going to be a focus at IE. 

I'm very happy with the first day. I met dozens of new people. I just hope I actually see most of them again! It's going to be a challenging, but fun first year! I'm off to eat and then sleep early - tomorrow we have orientation stuff scheduled from 9am to after midnight! 

practicing being a businesswoman / fashionista for life

So I'm back in Italy again! Sorry for anyone reading who thought that this was going to be about Spain - I promise, it will be!

This week I've been helping my boyfriend and his brother design some bijoux for their stores. It was fun to see the immediate turn around. I designed 10 or so pins for women's scarves or coats, and five were sold the next morning! Last spring when I visited Madrid to check out neighborhoods, I also helped the bf buy merchandise from the wholesalers south of Sol. I also went with him a month ago to the MACEF trade fair in Milan. He left yesterday for China to stock up on the newest beads and bijoux. 

Watching my boyfriend and his brother start their jewelry businesses from the ground up motivated me in part to apply to business school. Through their eyes I've learned a little bit about the bureaucracy of opening a business in Italy. More fascinating still, I've seen what they pay for earrings or necklaces that I might have bought for 10 times the price or more if I didn't have them to supply me... It's really interesting to enter the world that goes on behind the small business, to see where they get what gets put on the shelf.

Fortunately, I don't like about 1/2 - 3/4 of what my boyfriend sells, so I don't steal too many possible sales from him :) I've learned to head his advice when going with him to buy wholesale: don't get what you like, get what those "boring, fad-following, tacky" teenagers or ladies like, because that's what's in the market, that's what sells, and that's what's paying the bills! So that's why five of my pins sold yesterday, I didn't make anything I'd actually want (I did that this morning hehe), I made designs I thought would sell, and so they did! Of course there are business where that's not the case, but that's not what my boyfriend nor his brother are currently dealing in.

Too bad I don't want to go into jewelry design... it was just diversion for a day for me. My ideal small business would definitely involve food... This weekend, we attended the local chocolate festival, and thank God I can't find the names of the vendors because I'd be way too tempted to seek them out and buy more absolutely amazing chocolate. Believe me, I've had my fill for awhile.

This morning, I delivered some new merchandise to my boyfriend's shop in Genova and sat down for lunch to enjoy some testaroli al pesto. Genova and the Ligurian region in general is famous for its pesto. While I've been to Genova numerous times, bought fresh pesto in the grocery store in Torino, and even made my own, I had never actually had any in a Genovese restaurant. And... the jury (me) likes my own pesto better! That's the way it goes in Italy, the food is always amazing, but everyone has their own little recipe. What I had for lunch today was a little more garlic-y and a little short on the basil for my preferences. Here's a picture of the same dish I made for my family this summer. I was given the testaroli pasta as a gift from my coworkers before leaving Italy. It came from the specialty "slow foods" store Eataly that started in Torino, but now has several locations, including a brand new one in New York. 

Doing touristy things reminds me of the magic and beauty of Italy... it balances out my love/hate relationship for the country. I tell everyone I never want to live here again, but really, as I'm contemplating what to put as my first choice office for 2011 summer internships with consulting firms, Rome is definitely a very close second right now to Madrid. I think with the right, challenging yet rewarding job, I'd be happy establishing myself permanently in either place... as long as I eventually get to buy my Mediterranean farmhouse with a killer garden... and maybe a small vineyard :) Dreams!