tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59184762011-12-08T18:50:08.291+01:00INSEAD MBA BLOGImpressions and Stories from an INSEAD MBA Student. Life at school, classes, life abroad...Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.comBlogger6021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-57665868175737703422007-11-13T02:03:00.001+01:002008-01-27T20:48:39.882+01:00Fertility Preservation and CancerIt looks like I have gone from an extremely big to an extremely small opponent as I was diagnosed with cancer over a year ago now - and my encounter with the sperm whale leading to my sinking in the middle of the Pacific was just a few months before that.My cancer grew so attached to her reproductive tract that it decided to keep it as a souvenir. As I had not planned on being a tourist ground Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-87395926948675818492007-09-27T21:16:00.000+02:002007-09-27T21:20:44.154+02:00BeatSarcomaHello hello hello -We have launched the BeatSarcoma website - looks all shiny at www.beatsarcoma.org. Feel free to pass this around of course.There are links to a summary of the Alien story as well as the Pacific Cup blog. The full Alien blog is not public (or at least not yet, debating whether it should ever become public or not) but like I said, I will be happy to send you an invite if you Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-72563088080494763772007-09-24T01:51:00.000+02:002007-09-24T01:52:21.109+02:00Pacific Cup Blog Launchedand available at this location.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-86046821517103686262007-09-06T21:18:00.000+02:002007-09-06T21:20:42.954+02:00Update on fight against cancerThis is a repeat post from the Alien blog."Hi everyone -Sorry for the delay in posting an update. I am actually maintaining a private blog and it took up a lot of my time. I am still in treatment and still chatting with a bunch of doctors, fighting off the nasty Alien but I have some news. I also founded a non-profit to help with sarcoma research since it currently gets less than 1% of funds Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1170740015948134252007-02-06T06:32:00.000+01:002007-02-06T06:33:35.966+01:00http://financemonkeyvsalien.blogspot.com/I keep receiving a lot of emails asking me to keep blogging...So there you are! Talk to you soon!My email address is still valid!Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1125794805009129962005-09-04T02:37:00.000+02:002005-09-04T02:46:45.016+02:00I have not written much about the application process - which is a tough one since it is a process where you must relegate control of your "destiny" to a 3rd party. However, if you take a look at life circumstances, there is only so much you will be able to control, and that's ok.I have been asked several times about this application process. It may be worth a post.There are excellent blogs on Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1125433193708945842005-08-30T22:19:00.000+02:002005-08-30T22:19:53.716+02:00I have received a few timid enquiries - yes I am still alive and happy to take questions! You can just email me!Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1108688047022796992005-02-18T01:40:00.001+01:002005-02-18T01:54:07.026+01:00It's been a while since my last post...I am on a business trip. I went running the other day. Chose the biggest city park, conveniently located a few blocks away from my hotel. Left at 6.30am, half awake. I was planning on doing a 5 mile/45min loop, full of fresh morning intentions - and I paced myself for this dynamic morning re-adaptation to life.I got totally lost. I did two or three loops Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1100764483564146562004-11-18T08:53:00.000+01:002004-11-18T08:54:43.563+01:00Aaaaaaaaaah...the joys of work....completely swamped...no time to breathe.... so let me look back at my situation I was working a lot. Then I did an MBA and I worked a lot. Now I am working a lot again. How do I measure the return? Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1099301698724999952004-11-01T10:27:00.000+01:002004-11-01T10:34:58.723+01:00I will be starting work on November 15th - a dream company but not in my dream location. I am in Asia right now. I will spend some time in Europe too before I start. I am talking to a lot of friends from my promotion, from other promotion, from businesses in general. Some people have argued that Insead is a mirror of the world. Only a positive reflection then. Reality hits you hard in the face Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1097411808023154802004-10-10T14:35:00.000+02:002004-10-10T14:36:48.023+02:00A personal project - before I start work - has taken me back to Singapore for a few weeks. Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1096846578012283722004-10-04T01:17:00.000+02:002004-10-04T01:36:18.013+02:00I just had a conversation with an Algerian friend. She is a truly formidable woman in my humble opinion. There is a common stereotype about the Arab world, which associates Arabs with the typical carpet salesman, the "bargain" type. Even negotiation professors use this example as the ideal negotiator. Some people argue that well conducted negotiations make for nearly perfect market as there Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1095983606571727882004-09-24T01:49:00.000+02:002004-09-24T01:53:26.570+02:00We still have not received our deposit back for our house in Fontainebleau (and we did not have any hot water for the last two months). So if anyone of you decides to live North of Fontainebleau, across from Barbizon, let me know. I can tell you if you will be dealing with our dreaded landlady... No news from France Telecom. I bet they forgot me. But SBC Pacfic Bell conned me into paying for a Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1095983310160251012004-09-24T01:43:00.000+02:002004-09-24T01:48:30.160+02:00I talked to someone last night at a dinner - She's Canadian, lives in the US and spent a few months in Paris. I thought I should post this as it might be a useful lesson for anybody trying to "Frenchise" their English. This lady was walking around Paris telling people that she didn't like American bread because she didn't like preservatives (too much in American bread according to her). She was Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1094966271911740002004-09-12T07:16:00.000+02:002004-09-12T07:17:51.913+02:00Just in case anyone's still listening. I may have a job in my dream company...More soon... Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1092698523139980692004-08-17T01:21:00.000+02:002004-08-17T01:22:03.140+02:00How strange - it seems that the blog URL gets redirected to some weird Linux page. I can't access it. I hope that you aren't experiencing too much inconvenience. Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1090891713831523402004-07-27T03:24:00.000+02:002004-07-27T03:28:33.830+02:00Some people have enquired about France Telecom. I did manage to get them on the phone - as I put pressure on the law people to get access to their service directly. They indicated that the law office never passed on any of my letters (great...). It took me two phone calls to get them to realize that I never had a phone line. They passed the enquiry to their customer service department (I was Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089380398240526572004-07-09T15:22:00.000+02:002004-07-09T23:04:47.896+02:00Welcome to this journal, offering to the world the lunatic mood of an MBA ape participant. This journal is about living and studying in France, and living and studying in Singapore at INSEAD – an international business school. It started at the beginning of the first term, in August 2003 but because the primate could not figure out the technicality of Internet posting, it was brought online a Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089378689532147772004-07-09T15:11:00.000+02:002004-09-12T07:21:33.646+02:00Our Global Strategy Management professor gave us the most inspirational lecture to conclude is inspirational course. “The successful companies are the ones that manage to achieve profitable and sustainable growth – however, the most admired companies, the ones that will go down well in history are the ones that are also the most ethical and that have had a positive impact on their ecosystem and Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089378648030029672004-07-09T15:10:00.000+02:002004-07-09T23:01:24.060+02:00Heard in our BBQ last night “I now understand why the French don’t travel – I went around the country and it is just amazing – so varied and beautiful” – South African MBA graduate Heard at my last dinner at Ty-Koz "there is an obvious equity agency cost at the school. There are some key shareholders: faculty, participants, alumni, staff and the power seems to reside totally in the hands of oneFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089377750700692442004-07-09T14:55:00.000+02:002004-07-09T14:55:50.700+02:00One last time, I would like to encourage INSEAD MBA participants to share more and more of their stories. Writing this journal has been a fantastic experience for me – and the more independent voices the better to minimize any biased opinion. New applicants have indicated that the blog was informative, helpful both for their application, and for their decision to apply to INSEAD (or not). RecentFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089329453909540582004-07-09T01:29:00.000+02:002004-07-10T11:46:25.073+02:00When Deans are Finance teachers, we already know what it is like: - Z-curve - tuition fees rising with appreciation of the euro - 18% women last year (fortunately up now but the Dean is moving to economics;-) ) - high bidding scores for electives - no Finance elective would clash if you want to take them all, which will not be the case for all other electives - A name that no one Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089329287190741632004-07-09T01:19:00.000+02:002004-07-09T01:28:07.190+02:00I really like our yearbook - I cannot post here anybody else's profile without permission but I can give samples of the ones I wrote, taking out the names. Our classmates write profiles about each and everyone of us... Here is X profile Some argued that X was a power fanatic with an International Tech hat on, much like his president, except for the style of hat. In reality, he pushed the conceptFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089325237094730432004-07-09T00:06:00.000+02:002004-07-09T00:20:37.093+02:00Ooops, I have seriously increased my speed of typing in the past few months... The quality of my grammar and number of typos have become inversely proportional and both have experienced changes conditional to this F1 writing style...for the worse. If I was really serious about this blog, I'd have to read again all the posts and correct all of that. I apologize for the inconvenience, ask for Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089217450310443172004-07-07T18:23:00.000+02:002004-07-07T18:24:10.310+02:00I was intending to offer the insights from our Global Strategy Professor and a general wrap up post - anything I am forgetting or that you need to know at this point and that I have not covered?Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089217410774982732004-07-07T18:17:00.000+02:002004-07-08T00:01:16.943+02:00Now that this blog is coming to a close, I invite you, readers and beneficiaries, to provide some feedback. Not to me anymore but to INSEAD with respect to this kind of information, blogs in general, this blog in particular (I have graduated, it's ok to do so now), or with respect to the school. INSEAD is desirous to make things change when it matters to applicants and participants and they want Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216878220450092004-07-07T18:14:00.000+02:002004-07-09T21:45:43.556+02:00If the Dean of Insead was an economics teacher, tuition fees would be agreed after a day long bargaining process in the September promotion and seats would be auctioned for the January intake. All classes would be made up of curves and they would all have to intercept somewhere. Text solutions would be banned. All cases would be graphical and could be explained with Italian food and German drinksFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216839011346342004-07-07T18:13:00.002+02:002004-07-07T18:13:59.013+02:00As usual, here is a wrap up about classes in P5 Managing Entrepreneurial Growth My first impression was very positive as the professor was energetic, funny, with a lot of experience and seems to be truly interesting in making the whole experience a very unique one. If I look back at the course, I am not sure that I have learned so much. What he taught in this class had been previously taught in Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216822563789942004-07-07T18:13:00.001+02:002004-07-07T18:13:42.563+02:00I have said it before and I will say it again. There are many good business schools out there. All different and all similar in some ways. All have some sort of specialty – tech, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship. All have a culture, that’s what makes them so special. Be proud of the path you chose for yourself and curious about the others. Whichever way you go, once you have engaged on thatFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216787746169302004-07-07T18:13:00.000+02:002004-07-08T00:46:03.656+02:00Some of my classmates have been offered jobs, some are still looking. Regardless of what people will choose to do, remain humble and always remember how fortunate you are. Your MBA does not replace experience. Learn from whoever you will work with, accept that you will not have all the answers but trust that you have everything in you to advance you well on the quest to the solution. Pick your Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216770765854282004-07-07T18:12:00.001+02:002004-07-09T22:13:26.110+02:00If the Dean was an entrepreneurship professor, the Director of the MBA program would be asked to make coffee and every manager would be called Vice President. More seriously, there would be high innovation levels, as student projects, companies and faculties would often work together to improve the program, the visibility of the school in the financing and small enterprise business but also to Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216742402049462004-07-07T18:12:00.000+02:002004-07-07T18:12:22.403+02:00Our graduation ceremony was ok – I say ok and I mean good. On the one hand, it was GREAT to be around all my classmates, thinking back on this fabulous year and to share one last moment of joy with them. It felt good to finally be able to handle this piece of paper, the results of all these efforts and late nights. We all grew sad, as people left the club for new skies… Here is the feedback I Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216697420045412004-07-07T18:11:00.000+02:002004-07-09T21:48:38.146+02:00If the Dean of the MBA program was an Accounting professor, everything will be oh so organized. Whenever you’d take a class, you would receive an automatic ticket that would indicate the number of credit left for you to graduate, the number of classes of that same course are left for you to take, the place and time of the next class and a summary of the homework due next class. You could print Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089216502827629912004-07-07T18:08:00.000+02:002004-07-07T18:08:22.826+02:00Had coffee with our old MBA coordinator in Singapore – she is moving onto another role within INSEAD. She is the most efficient person I know. She was sharing with me her first impression of France. Heard in this discussion and Faithfully Reported “- when I got to Charles de Gaulle airport, it took sooooooo long to get our luggage!” “- we wanted to get food in Fontainebleau at 6.30pm on Sunday Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089205626240610982004-07-07T15:05:00.000+02:002004-07-07T15:54:54.806+02:00I thought I could share with you one of my most recent decisions. Aside my full-time industry job, I have decided to be a writer. I have been writing for a very long time - although this is my first attempt at cyberjournal and digital thinking - and an increasingly large number of people have encouraged me to contact people in the publishing industry. So I will continue to be a writer, and I Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089205226061564462004-07-07T14:29:00.000+02:002004-07-07T15:55:15.123+02:00Well, I have moved out and I am now staying with friends - which is likely to be the case for the next few months. My old place has no hot water but now it does not affect me anymore. The landlady or her representative have probably not told us anything that resembled the truth (you must check the fuel level at the gauge, but then there is no gauge, etc...) but it does not affect me anymore. Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089104127017608172004-07-06T10:54:00.000+02:002004-07-06T15:55:32.026+02:00In February, the CEO of a leading French company came to INSEAD to address the MBAs. The following morning, he was on the first page of the Financial Times as he had just been fired.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089103931861675222004-07-06T10:46:00.000+02:002004-07-06T10:52:11.860+02:00I went to a Chinese restaurant yesterday with a group of INSEADers still in Fontainebleau. We met three other groups of INSEADers. It is nice to see that a few days after graduation, we will have an overwhelming presence in this town. One of the groups we met had a funny adventure. They were all invited by an Asian participant to have a typical Asian dinner. Her parents are over and they had Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089103578741410832004-07-06T10:45:00.000+02:002004-07-06T10:46:18.743+02:00The friend who bet on Greece winning the UEFA cup is now rich and has taken off for the summer to exotic places.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1089035785535471912004-07-05T15:35:00.001+02:002004-07-05T15:56:25.563+02:00I promised a small post on Cabaret...I must thank the organizers for their creative talent - and the rest of Insead for their contribution. It was a fantastic show. Here are a few excerpts to give you a taste of how funny things were... The introduction unrolled on a big screen, spoken with a very grave and rasp voice, a la Hollywood "I want to sound serious and dramatic". Dramatic Lord of the Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088950570552910612004-07-04T16:15:00.000+02:002004-07-05T16:04:13.613+02:00MBA en Vacances As I said before, a small Insead MBA fleet gathered in the port of Saint Mandrier, in Toulon Bay, for the end of year Sailing Trip. Cruising with MBAs is not the same as cruising. Let me illustrate this point with carefully selected anecdotes that I am extirpating from blurred and fond memories of one of the best trips of the year. It summarizes well the core of the program. Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088944662989732882004-07-04T14:36:00.000+02:002004-07-04T14:37:42.990+02:00It is exciting to find oneself at such a crossroad of opportunities. Many people accepted early offers to limit their downsides. I have chosen a different path to maximize the upside. After such a plethora of change this year, it feels worth spending time to shape up our career paths – if it came down to just finding a job out of necessity, we should all feel confident that it would be possible. Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088870456170802762004-07-03T18:00:00.000+02:002004-07-03T18:00:56.170+02:00Welcome to an Insead PhD Student - See Blog linked on the left hand side of this page! Good luck!Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088869769843307012004-07-03T17:45:00.000+02:002004-07-03T17:49:29.843+02:00Tonight I am having dinner with one of my housemates as he will be leaving on Sunday. Tomorrow, a group of Insead Recent Grads will head up to Paris for the European Cup Soccer Finals and celebration. Next week, I will be having dinner with my Italian OB teammate and probably with a German/British couple before they had off to new horizons. I must also - pack - visit Vaux le Vicomte - finally Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088868784919547042004-07-03T16:32:00.000+02:002004-07-09T22:22:18.723+02:00If Dean of the MBA program was a Marketing professor Seriously, the school would focus on segmenting its customers: small and medium size companies, banks, VCs, Private Equity, Consultancies, Industry - national and global, establish priorities and develop a clear value proposition for each of them: what does an INSEAD MBA as a new hire can bring to them - how USEFULLY DIFFERENT is it compared Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-108886442817503202004-07-03T16:08:00.000+02:002004-07-03T16:20:28.176+02:00Graduation Speech by Guiseppe. Thank you Giuseppe for letting me post the speech on this journal. The whole promotion elected Giuseppe to represent the class and stand up in front of everyone for one last address, based on an outline that he circulated. Giuseppe once told me that he loves organizing shows - and his being the main force behind Cabaret would naturally illustrate one of his many Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088862848964714852004-07-03T15:51:00.000+02:002004-07-03T15:54:08.963+02:00I had lunch one of these days with a Malay, Australian and Italian friend on a lovely terrace in the sun facing the most famous and come to think of it quite unique carousel of Fontainebleau. We talked about differences between Wharton and Insead as two of these friends had gone to Wharton. We picked an example: Cabaret. Cabaret (or equivalent of) at Wharton is a huge production, perfectly oiledFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088862655527190842004-07-03T15:50:00.000+02:002004-07-09T21:54:19.173+02:00If the Dean of the MBA program was a Process Management Teacher, Insead would be run so well… There would be no queue at the canteen which would now serve only one dish per day as a focused factory. Seriously - everything would be thought as the management of the customer and everything could be aligned properly - as everything would be linked. And the customer isn't necessarily what you think.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088862605053081142004-07-03T15:49:00.000+02:002004-07-03T15:50:05.053+02:00Remember the post about the “lift to the toilet MASS email” as a reaction to the numerous mass emails that were sent around? Well, when my friend first sent out this email indicating “MASS: lift to the toilet” in the subject line. Needless to say that everyone took this for a log off and did not open the email. A friend sitting across the table at that time pointed this out to him. So the Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088862549150461702004-07-03T15:45:00.000+02:002004-07-03T15:49:09.150+02:00Last night I went out to Ty-Koz, the famous creperie with a bunch of friends (American/Indian and his wife, a Stanford GSB Statistics Professor and a Dutch guy) for probably one of the last dinners at Ty-Koz. How do you know that some people could really be your friends? They read your mind and pick up the restaurant that you would have picked up. They then choose the one crepe that you would Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088797072316790832004-07-02T21:31:00.000+02:002004-07-02T21:37:52.316+02:00We got our Financial Statement Analysis report and scored very high. The comment for the class presentation (the Charlie's Angels episode, investigating the company's book, in costume, the prof in the role of Charlie, with plastic guns, a script, theme music and loads of original pictures from the TV series) was "best in class". Actually, I really liked some of the presentations that we did. an Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088758047468065022004-07-02T10:40:00.001+02:002004-07-02T21:31:04.103+02:00I have not heard back from France Telecom since my last letter. We have no hot water in the house and it has been so for the past three weeks. My landlady called me at 1am two days ago to tell me that she wants nothing to do with one of my housemates. I look like a negative photo of a racoon with my sailing tan and today the weather sucks in Fonty: Cold Cloudy and Windy. It sucks even more since Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088757858801123102004-07-02T10:40:00.000+02:002004-07-02T10:44:18.803+02:00The streets of Paris last night were full of excited Greek. Portugal Vs Greece... A friend of mine bet money on Greece. He said that it is history repeating itself: France holds the title (like last time) & Greece didn't win in the first round (like last time apparently). I know nothing about football apart from the fact that Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham are kind of cute and that Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1088757369672450542004-07-02T10:32:00.000+02:002004-07-02T21:17:19.736+02:00I have now officially transitioned into unemployment even though I am actually more picky than truly unemployed. I must work on getting more than 3 hours of sleep over 3 nights but here is an idea of what's cooking - End of Year Boating Trip - Reflection on the Future with an MBA - What will I miss (or not miss) - What was so special here? - Graduation Ceremony - Graduation Party - Parking Job Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087988332180596972004-06-23T12:57:00.000+02:002004-06-23T12:58:52.180+02:00For the first time this year - I am not satisfied with what my team has delivered in a couple of subjects. No matter what the reason is, and regardless of the grade, it is important to me to give out the maximum of my capabilities. Either do or not do - don't half do if it does not allow you to reach the "fit for purpose" mark. Frustrating this... Ooooo, I need a drink.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087987920510626802004-06-23T12:50:00.000+02:002004-06-23T12:52:00.510+02:00Yesterday seemed to be the last of a long string of Insead Dinner. I was invited to an Asian dinner, and I was probably the only one at the table who was not either speaking Mandarin, Cantonese or a South East Asian language. We went to a local Chinese restaurant and most of the interactions with the waitress took place in Mandarin. So long friends, see you at graduation I miss Singapore so Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087987719566808582004-06-23T12:43:00.000+02:002004-06-23T12:48:39.566+02:00Ok - we are now heading down South for a week of sailing - actually I am so behind with everything, and I have created such a mess around me that I am not looking forward to this trip as much as I should. I am due to contact people, send out information, etc...So for the first time since I awoke to this world, I am not entirely looking forward to a sailing trip. I feel like I am leaving a fire Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-10879872986640842004-06-23T12:38:00.000+02:002004-06-23T12:41:38.663+02:00why did I say that Napoleon was a bad strategy teacher? Ok - he did some good things process-wise by introducing a civil code and various other details but he divested a strategically placed overseas subsidiary in North America at a huge discount and messed up his cross-border Merger and Acquisitions on the Eastern Market because he never engaged in due process: no Exchange, Explain stuff in hisFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087948715551680102004-06-23T01:57:00.000+02:002004-06-23T01:58:35.550+02:00Speaking of Chateau, another Chateau that is nearby and worth a visit is Vaux le Vicomte. It was ordered by Fouque, superintendent des Finances, some sort of grand Finance Dean for Louis XIII, then Louis XIV. The richest guy in France and probably the most intelligent at the time. He had great taste too. His Chateau was magnificent and offered the most sumptuous sight to newcomers. He was a very Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087947618293614402004-06-23T01:38:00.000+02:002004-07-02T21:15:29.303+02:00On Sunday, a group of insead MBAs (Australian/Malaysia/Italy + me) got together for a noble activity: we decided to visit the legendary Chateau de Fontainebleau. The Chateau was built throughout the years – some parts date from the Middle Ages, some parts are more recent (2nd Empire, or Napoleon III). The Chateau opens at 9.30. We got there at 9.45am after a nice Pain aux Raisins but all the Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087855652348383042004-06-22T00:00:00.000+02:002004-06-22T00:07:32.346+02:00Log offs are funny, the recent proliferation of mass e-mails for people having forgotten their hair spray bottle in cube #574, or asking if anyone could look after their pigeon for the summer has sprung a group of us to write a response to everyone. Thank you very much my Colombian/British and French friends for such an hilarious moment of creative insight. "Guys, The relevance of the recent Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087843129141080152004-06-21T20:21:00.000+02:002004-06-21T20:38:49.140+02:00....and the winners are.... 1. India Pakistan (1117pts) 2. Arab (843 pts) 3. France (766 pts) 4. Canada (738 pts) 5. German-Austrian-Swiss (548 pts) 6. USA (531pts) The email then goes on saying: "The National Week Election results are provided above." Do you think that there was any possible confusion with - Soccer World Cup aggregate scoring? - MTV Music Awards score? - Number of movie Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087813216701810152004-06-21T12:14:00.000+02:002004-06-21T12:20:16.700+02:00France Telecom has sent me a Customer Service Survey. "your opinion matters" Could someone pinch me please?Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087648973879406012004-06-19T14:42:00.000+02:002004-07-09T22:11:32.193+02:00If the INSEAD Dean were a strategy teacher, the value curve would be transformed But more seriously, I would expect a clear strategy and clear steps, with everyone focused on the organization. Like our Global Strategy Management Professor indicated, companies in turn INNOVATE and INTERNATIONALIZE. INSEAD has just INTERNATIONALIZED. Now the focus must be to INNOVATE on the program itself - and Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087647611741072902004-06-19T14:16:00.000+02:002004-06-21T12:22:20.616+02:00I got invited to a BBQ in Bois-Le-Roi by the River Seine on Thursday Evening. The surroundings were magnificent. Royal woods, large mansions and rich gardens overlooked the most peaceful river, embraced by tall trees, gently bending over its bed. As the host was getting the BBQ ready, we all gathered in front of the TV screen to watch France-Croatia. The host made some unsuccessful attempts to Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087647354957606122004-06-19T14:07:00.000+02:002004-06-21T12:21:51.390+02:00Last night, we had a fantastic Insead-crowded dinner at a friend's place in Paris. We all got lost on the way to his place - and his phone kept ringing as people asked for better directions but were compensated with marvellous tequila, tapas and gorgeous desserts - Mmmm this berries crumble....American, French, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Argentine, Romanian, Japanese and hybrid nationalities Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087646832443551552004-06-19T13:55:00.000+02:002004-06-19T14:07:12.443+02:00Singapore Rocks - conclusion. Yesterday, we organized a video link with the rest of the promotion in Singapore. We offered them a video sample of the Singapore Cabaret Act, and they gave us an INSEAD Singapore Video: DASH (or how to get from Heritage View to Campus in less than three minutes). The Director of the MBA program and the super efficient logistics expert, both based in Singapore, madeFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087485988935678112004-06-17T17:21:00.000+02:002004-06-17T17:26:28.936+02:00Outside temperature is 28 degrees, sun's blasting, every National Week Campaign Team has a beautifully laid out booth with loads of food and drinks, most people are asleep on the grass, or with a glass of beer or an ice cream in their hands...The Aussie/New Zealand Week Team is threatening to break Amphi B window panes with their Ultimate Frisbee Game. ...I am locked up in some cubicles putting Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087463617138186182004-06-17T11:02:00.000+02:002004-06-17T11:13:37.136+02:00Yesterday was our last section party - it felt like home! Interesting conversations as usual... Heard at the party and faithfully reported "- well, if you sign up with McK Mediterranean region, you could consider working for the Tel Aviv office. We'd be together, would be nice" - Israeli student "- you're kidding!?!?!? you pay 60% taxes in Israel! This means that I'd be giving away 60% of my Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087409868635332292004-06-16T19:59:00.000+02:002004-06-16T20:17:48.636+02:00Yesterday, I went for a quick bite in town with an Italian and an Australian friend. A common complaint about France is the absence of a customer-oriented mindset, sprung out of bad habits contracted by long-standing state-owned enterprises. Well, yesterday is a day to be marked in my Insead calendar. We picked a pleasant looking venue with tables outside. We indicated that we were in a hurry. IFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087403356895276592004-06-16T18:28:00.000+02:002004-06-17T17:28:39.573+02:00INSEAD seems to be such a forgetful community. Every day, we have loads of MASS emails with a lost phone charger, a lost phone, lost keys, lost binder, lost computer, lost brain parts, etc... Typical log offs after such a series would be a private sale of all lost parts, in the Insead parking lot, after dark - no questions asked, no rebate.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087403204805330162004-06-16T18:21:00.000+02:002004-06-17T17:29:14.586+02:00I had another discussion about the two types of negotiation classes offered at Insead. One based on heavy academic models, decision trees, rich and deep psychological tools. It assumes that enough value will be created anyway and taht most of the action resides in how the pie is split. The other, illustration of the Harvard Negotiation Project led by Roger Fisher is based on the 7 elements of Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087402779649432452004-06-16T18:13:00.000+02:002004-06-16T18:19:39.650+02:00I might make a controversial statement here. Here is the choice that is offered to participants for year end trips. Obviously some people decide to go their merry way, have job interviews planned or will just retire in peace with their family after the hectic end of P5. Croatia - a total cost averaging 1000 euros and limited to 135 people (or be prepared to pay a lot more and have to organize Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087402191936593212004-06-16T18:07:00.000+02:002004-06-16T18:09:51.936+02:00We witnessed final project presentation today in our Global Strategy Management (or the world put in a Quadrant Model). The prof had a "2 MINUTES" sign that he kept putting up to discipline every presenting team. Quite funny. On the other hand, being able to organize a key message in 10 minutes form part of a challenge of any presentation. It is good that people be reminded of this constraints, Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087402068462490742004-06-16T18:03:00.000+02:002004-06-16T18:07:48.463+02:00Before I head off for my daily visit to the on-campus shower services, I thought I could mention that UEFA Cup matches can be seen every day on gigantic screens at Insead. All nationalities gather with beer and cram their carcasses invigorated by the summer sun in some of the smallest amphis on the planet (the big amphi is only for important people such as HBSC CEO, or the Dean) to celebrate the Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087401810873041482004-06-16T18:00:00.000+02:002004-06-16T18:03:30.873+02:00This week is AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND WEEK! We have thousands of kilograms of New Zealand apples to eat before the end of the week. They didn't document the liters of beer and wine that they were able to bring to campus. Heard that there were some oysters at the Friday BBQ. I am facing a dilemna for Friday actually. I am invited to a fantastic dinner in Paris with loads of people followed by a Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087401594747611432004-06-16T17:48:00.000+02:002004-06-16T17:59:54.746+02:00OK - I have only one more project to go and my contribution to Insead's Academics Standards will be over. One project and one day...I am SO late... In fact, most of my work these days qualify as the most minimalist piece of work ever delivered in my entire existence as a cellular aggreggate with basic thinking abilities. There is just so many more things going on that I am finding very hard to Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087329551923390082004-06-15T21:52:00.000+02:002004-06-15T21:59:11.923+02:00Ok - most of my projects are done. This morning we presented our Financial Statement Analysis results. As our professors called our three-female strong group Charlie's Angels, we cast him as Charlie and we become officially Charlie's Angels, in our private equity detective agency. We brought in guns, a loudspeaker and we tried to dress like a Femme Fatale would in the 80s. I spent some 7 years Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087133692414951012004-06-13T15:30:00.000+02:002004-06-13T15:34:52.413+02:00Ok - we have nearly finished our Financial Statement Analysis report. All of what is in the report is based on publicly available information, mostly contained in the company's financial report (the company we studied went public in 2002). We followed our class approach and basically, the report looks something like Company Description I - Industry Competitive Analysis A - The Opportunities BFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087126167926337202004-06-13T13:24:00.000+02:002004-06-13T13:29:27.926+02:00This is to be my last work weekend for last minute rush: - FSA: we have done the valuation I must finalize the report and the presentation - GSM: I have contributed to the report which we must finalize. Someone in our group who has not contributed much so far will then do the presentation. - ICA: I am auditing, I gave my input both verbally in a group meeting and in writing - MEG: done and over Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087125779313858612004-06-13T13:18:00.000+02:002004-06-13T13:23:48.943+02:00On the France Telecom front, not to name them, I did the following - sent a letter back offering to meet so that I understand the charges and make sure there is no mistake. I indicated that I'd be willing to settle all my financial obligations once they appear clear to me and I would appreciate their help in solving the matter. I insisted that I wanted to do this as simply and as quickly as Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087125417262699402004-06-13T12:49:00.000+02:002004-06-13T13:16:57.263+02:00In Singapore I picked the following project for my "non-negotiable" deliverable in the negotiation class: get one of the most expensive restaurant in town to do a home delivery of one meal for one person. First I put on my best suit and walked into the restaurant and asked to talk to the outlet manager. I explained that we really wanted to show our appreciation of our top notch world famous Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1087123783959282042004-06-13T12:33:00.000+02:002004-06-13T12:49:43.960+02:00I realize that I have been silent for a few days now, it is time to remedy this situation. On Friday night, we had a great discussion with a couple of friends. Honest, deep and very human. These people are so extraordinary. We also talked about some aspects of business school that did not correspond to who we were. All three of us were women and this aspect seems to be across business schools, Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086858012320511572004-06-10T10:56:00.000+02:002004-06-10T11:00:12.320+02:00I have been totally inefficient in the past two weeks. The blazing sun and the 35 degrees Centigrade outside might have to do with this. Interesting speakers these days. CEO of HSBC tomorrow, US Ambassador to France (who has been preped on the basis that INSEAD MBAs are a "difficult" audience) tonight and now: "Anthony M. Santomero, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (formerlyFinance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086647980542446812004-06-08T00:36:00.000+02:002004-06-08T00:39:40.543+02:00Status - Financial Statement Analysis project: on track, due to be finished in coming days - Global Strategy Management project: on track, I have completed my input, will have to make the presentation, not the consolidation - Managing Entrepreneurial Growth: all assignments have been handed in and class is over - ICA: I am an auditor and I have to make one slide. Will do it tomorrow with fellow Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086553377620086632004-06-06T22:21:00.000+02:002004-06-06T22:22:57.620+02:00We have no more hot water in the house for reasons that we cannot comprehend. The tank for fuel was refilled a few weeks ago so it is unlikely that we have already run out again. Cold showers only in the past two days. Hopefully, the problem will be solved soon.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086541778542500332004-06-06T18:33:00.000+02:002004-06-06T19:09:38.543+02:00I had a discussion with a couple of Jewish people during this aristocrat wedding in lovely France - you would not believe how great the weather is today and how annoyed I am at having to spend time working on projects at school because the last three days were very unproductive. It turns out that they were offended by a movie that I did not expect to be offensive to them - as quite faithful to Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086539629531932632004-06-06T18:31:00.000+02:002004-06-06T18:33:49.533+02:00On Friday, I had an assessment day. Boy was that exhausting. I left with a stomping headache, a dry mouth and the desire to creep under a fountain of beer. Of course, we ran late, taxi dropped us off bang on time, all I could get was a Danish pastry before running off to the gate (with 5 other Insead participants) where I was served a Ham Sandwich. The leg was considered too short to justify any Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086539460971293222004-06-06T18:21:00.001+02:002004-06-06T18:31:00.973+02:00On Saturday, I was invited to a French wedding in a Chateau near Chartres. The Chateau was built in 1860 by some Empire Baron and was intended to host parties. It has a beautiful park and can certainly host parties. Everyone was exploring the dark and dusty corners of the place, in search of hidden treasures of the past, but after so many Insead parties in 17th to 19th century chateaux, I have Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086538901829286722004-06-06T18:21:00.000+02:002004-06-06T18:21:41.830+02:00I have received a letter from Maitre S. on behalf of a well-known telephone company. After the initial lovely communication from Maitre S indicated that his clienthad filed a complaint which will turn very nasty ("poursuites") if I did not settle my debt by May d (I received the letter on May d+1). I called the client who said that I should speak only to Maitre S. I called Maitre S who said that Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086206379593588002004-06-02T21:56:00.000+02:002004-06-02T21:59:39.593+02:00Heard in class and faithfully reported In a particularly boring class about China (repeat take 25 for me) from a particularly boring guest professor (where did our EXCELLENT professor go???) "- Your enthusiasm about the country and your dedication to the problems in China has certainly persuaded me of the importance of the matter, and I just wanted to add...(followed a very shallow sentence)" Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086206157294135302004-06-02T21:41:00.000+02:002004-06-02T21:55:57.296+02:00My choices for end of year trips are - status quo in my little village, sitting with a glass of wine in my hand by the empty swimming pool watching the ducks swim by. - see some friends and family I have not seen for a long time - go to Cannes with some Insead people but the house is full (I did not realize that I could actually confirm a space when they talked about the trip so I let that one Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086205267487477682004-06-02T21:07:00.000+02:002004-06-02T21:41:07.486+02:00Jobs jobs jobs... There are people who tell me that they accepted this attractive offer from this attractive consulting firm because they did not really have anything else after 5 days of job search and they prefer not to spend the time looking. There are people that tell me that they really wanted to change sector but this would mean waiting for a job for a long time because it is more Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086203237976285282004-06-02T20:59:00.000+02:002004-06-02T21:07:17.976+02:00The Iberia Week Organizers did things well. There was plenty of food and sangria today for everyone's enjoyment on the Insead's grass! If Fontainebleau knew! The Porron and Wine Making (barefoot and gesticulating MBAs in search of poetic inspiration in wine vapors emanating from a small basin) contests were hilarious! And the Sevillana/Flamenco (I couldn't tell the difference) demonstrations Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086117828892612532004-06-01T21:22:00.000+02:002004-06-01T21:23:48.893+02:00Stephen Green, CEO of HSBC (The world's local bank) will come to Insead next week. He is heading the world's 2nd largest bank and 10th largest company, with 110 million customers, 223,000 employees in 79 countries, with $14.4bn in profit in 2003. A Global Leadership Series initiative.Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086101441727323692004-06-01T16:44:00.000+02:002004-06-01T16:50:41.726+02:00(Proudly Found Elsewhere, thank you F.) Three Insead students were invited to a job interview in England. There is an English test as the job requires fluency in English and the TOEFL results are valid only for university. There is some technical terms that applicants have to master. The test was oral - here is the question "make a sentence with the following three words: Green, Pink and Yellow"Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086090639959860362004-06-01T13:50:00.001+02:002004-06-01T13:50:39.960+02:00This week is Iberia Semana!!!!!! Spain and Portugal forgot that they have an hour time difference between their two countries and are putting together a big show for us: Chorizo, 1000 liters of sangria, wine and other delicatessen, Portuguese music, Spanish dances (show and classes for Sevillana and Flamenco), Bullfight training (with a real Matador!!!!), Ibiza Party on Friday, Spanish movies, Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086090615729910912004-06-01T13:50:00.000+02:002004-06-01T13:50:15.730+02:00Yesterday night, after a late night and a few drinks at a late Fontainebleau bar, I met up with some friends in a late village for a late conversation. The year end trip is being organized to Croatia – it is quite expensive and a whole plane is being chartered. Alternatives are in the works for people who will not put up the cash (including your truly), or who needs some flexibility. Still Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086090595798161292004-06-01T13:49:00.000+02:002004-06-01T13:49:55.796+02:00On Sunday, I got up half-rested early afternoon and I set to prepare the desserts for the 30-odd people who were due to come to dinner in the evening, before freeing up the kitchen floor for my housemate to prepare his wonderful curry. I worked with my hands up in flour until my elbows and courageously baked two strawberry tarts (with fresh seasonal strawberries and a crème patissiere), a cherry Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918476.post-1086090572938483842004-06-01T13:21:00.000+02:002004-06-01T13:49:32.936+02:00Saturday night was the Summerball at the Chateau de Courances (http://www.ac-versailles.fr/arts/Ressource.asp?id=274). It was a marvelous marvelous night. Everyone turned up in décolleté evening dresses and tuxedos. We were greeted by carriage horses and “laquais” in costumes and taken to the entrance gate. Walking up the stairs felt like walking up the Croisette in Cannes in a beautiful evening Finance Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10299286923032828824noreply@blogger.com0