I found myself thinking about the previous posts...
Interesting that some participants have found some cumbersome administrative weight. The people that I mainly had to deal with on the administrative front:
- Campus Switch, Exam Procedures, various certificates, Pascale, etc.. have always presented a smiley face, asked no questions and delivered more than adequate swift service. so experiences vary greatly from one participant to the next.
- number-loaded courses: it is important to note that diversity is key in an MBA. People with no math background are as much needed to the course as number crunchers. It is true in general that P1 and P2, with the highest percentage of core courses are m ore difficult than the rest of the year. The workload is still big but since people have selected their courses, it seems easier. Courses are pitched in such a way that people can develop the intuition for the subject, then practice with problems and tutorials. Students also help each other greatly. Whether marketing should be in P1 or in P2 is not a subject that I can answer. It is also probably hard to say whether the fact taht one is thrown into a new enviromnent, must learn to manage his or her time in a different way, must put up with all sorts of new people AND learn all these new aspects does not alter the psychological reaction of most students. Even the engineers and the bankers have loads of work to do in P1. There is plenty of learning for everyone, INSEAD sure keeps you busy. Then, there are so many other factors which can affect someone's learning experience: do you live 5 min or 45 min away from campus? Are you involved in one club or in three? How fast do you read in English? Do you have a family with you or not? It sounds much more complicated than what the students in that class made it sound.
In a well-balanced group (and INSEAD does balance working groups), and from my own experience, it sounds like a balance INSEAD MBA participant can certainly enjoy the experience. P1 and P2 are certainly the periods which are more difficult to get through. They are also the periods of innocence...when one does not think yet too hard about the harsh realities of the life to come, feels comfortable about all this time of fun, learning and sharing with other INSEADers for three more periods!
Thursday, January 22, 2004
In one of our classes, we were asked to give positive and negative images of INSEAD - as well as come up with associations of images. For instance, if INSEAD were an animal, a day of the week, a sports, etc...
The results were interesting. Applicants, this might well be of help to you during your application process. See if you can identify with these values, challenge them, talk to alumni, talk to the administration, find out for yourself. And test them against your priorities and personal quest. Note that these are opinions voiced by a very small number of participants and by no means represent the consensus on campus, nor the official view of INSEAD.
Top Three Good Points:
- Diversity and International Mix: INSEAD was the most exotic campus anyone had ever spent time on, although culture clashes did not occur as expected. One reason could be that most MBA participants have chosen INSEAD to be with like-minded people when it come to cross-cultural issues and tolerance matters. Definitely for all a source of endless surprises and enlightment.
- Entrepreneur: INSEAD is widely recognized as one of if not the most innovative B-School. Not only does it have a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship in its curriculum, it also displays a pioneer spirit. Especially here in Singapore.
- Quality: not only of the participants, but also of the faculty.
Top Three Improvement Points:
- Bureaucracy and Administrative professionalism: accumulated weight over the years might have rendered certain administrative processes less efficient than they could be.
- Advertising: INSEAD has sharply decreased its ratio of Europeans in the program. No single nationality exceed 10% as a rule in general, but since Europe has so many countries, and since France, the UK and Germany are well represented, the overall proportion of European students is among the highest on campus. In fact, the concentration of French people is higher in Singapore - not surprisingly. However, it could beef up representation of the African continent (minority at INSEAD, although represented)
I do not know the exact stats but they are available on the school website.
One thought was that INSEAD was not advertising itself as effectively among these business communities as in other environments.
Another example of brand management was about cases: INSEAD, after Harvard Business School, is one of the business schools that writes the highest number of cases. In fact, apparently, it has received awards of excellence for this achievement. Most of these cases are quite unique as they will present a cross cultural environment, another national sensitivity, in addition to the standard MBA course content. We would love to see more of them used in class here.
Another interesting comment was made about the school sometimes being shy: participants noted that INSEAD keeps growing and has achieved fantastic results in over 30 years matching the best programs, that have been around for over 100 years, in creating a name for itself and in pursuing its vision of a global village. INSEAD brings the world at your doorstep. It has a clear vision and a strong track records. Some of us felt that it was too shy about claiming what its values, its accomplishments were, too shy to unleash its full potential. Maybe it is just a North American view - because INSEAD is such a unique place, what is excessive to one might sounds too little to others.
Apparently INSEAD's mascot is a Salamander: how did this happen?
Examples of Associations and their rationale given in class:
- Seasons: Spring because of a Renaissance in your life: Fall because as soon as you start to like the shades of colors around you, it will fade as you graduate.
- Plant or Tree: Sequoia, because you live in your little sphere up there, detached from the rest of the world. Sunflower because it follows the sun throughout the day, wakes up at the beginning of the program and some of it dies at the end. Jungle because it is wild, there is competition for light, survival matters but also because it is extremely rich and diverse
- Car: 2CV because it is one of the most durable cars (since 1948!!!), small and fun, original and at the time a very advanced design!; BMW: not a jaguar but has a great deal of class
- Musical Instrument: bagpipes because the bloody assignments never seem to end! Piano because you must synchronize many different activities and keep one finger on different notes; a symphonic orchestra because of the need to bring together in harmony so many individual sounds
- Feeling: rush, enthusiasm, hope
The results were interesting. Applicants, this might well be of help to you during your application process. See if you can identify with these values, challenge them, talk to alumni, talk to the administration, find out for yourself. And test them against your priorities and personal quest. Note that these are opinions voiced by a very small number of participants and by no means represent the consensus on campus, nor the official view of INSEAD.
Top Three Good Points:
- Diversity and International Mix: INSEAD was the most exotic campus anyone had ever spent time on, although culture clashes did not occur as expected. One reason could be that most MBA participants have chosen INSEAD to be with like-minded people when it come to cross-cultural issues and tolerance matters. Definitely for all a source of endless surprises and enlightment.
- Entrepreneur: INSEAD is widely recognized as one of if not the most innovative B-School. Not only does it have a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship in its curriculum, it also displays a pioneer spirit. Especially here in Singapore.
- Quality: not only of the participants, but also of the faculty.
Top Three Improvement Points:
- Bureaucracy and Administrative professionalism: accumulated weight over the years might have rendered certain administrative processes less efficient than they could be.
- Advertising: INSEAD has sharply decreased its ratio of Europeans in the program. No single nationality exceed 10% as a rule in general, but since Europe has so many countries, and since France, the UK and Germany are well represented, the overall proportion of European students is among the highest on campus. In fact, the concentration of French people is higher in Singapore - not surprisingly. However, it could beef up representation of the African continent (minority at INSEAD, although represented)
I do not know the exact stats but they are available on the school website.
One thought was that INSEAD was not advertising itself as effectively among these business communities as in other environments.
Another example of brand management was about cases: INSEAD, after Harvard Business School, is one of the business schools that writes the highest number of cases. In fact, apparently, it has received awards of excellence for this achievement. Most of these cases are quite unique as they will present a cross cultural environment, another national sensitivity, in addition to the standard MBA course content. We would love to see more of them used in class here.
Another interesting comment was made about the school sometimes being shy: participants noted that INSEAD keeps growing and has achieved fantastic results in over 30 years matching the best programs, that have been around for over 100 years, in creating a name for itself and in pursuing its vision of a global village. INSEAD brings the world at your doorstep. It has a clear vision and a strong track records. Some of us felt that it was too shy about claiming what its values, its accomplishments were, too shy to unleash its full potential. Maybe it is just a North American view - because INSEAD is such a unique place, what is excessive to one might sounds too little to others.
Apparently INSEAD's mascot is a Salamander: how did this happen?
Examples of Associations and their rationale given in class:
- Seasons: Spring because of a Renaissance in your life: Fall because as soon as you start to like the shades of colors around you, it will fade as you graduate.
- Plant or Tree: Sequoia, because you live in your little sphere up there, detached from the rest of the world. Sunflower because it follows the sun throughout the day, wakes up at the beginning of the program and some of it dies at the end. Jungle because it is wild, there is competition for light, survival matters but also because it is extremely rich and diverse
- Car: 2CV because it is one of the most durable cars (since 1948!!!), small and fun, original and at the time a very advanced design!; BMW: not a jaguar but has a great deal of class
- Musical Instrument: bagpipes because the bloody assignments never seem to end! Piano because you must synchronize many different activities and keep one finger on different notes; a symphonic orchestra because of the need to bring together in harmony so many individual sounds
- Feeling: rush, enthusiasm, hope
Heard in class and faithfully reported:
- "When you go to China, always assume that the Chinese are out there to get you. Nothing personal, they want to screw everybody" - Strategy for Asia Pacific Professor
- "Italy has the lowest mobility rate in Europe with 0.6%" - Professor in Macro Economics
-"that's because when you move, you have to take la mama and all the kitchen props with you!" - Italian student
In our IT Management class - about IT Investment Decisions:
Student showing two pictures of two beautiful Asian women on the screen:
-"do you find them attractive?"
(everyone says yes)
-"which one do you prefer?"
(everyone indicates their preferences)
-"well, indeed she is beautiful and HE is handsome. Bottom line: when you make IT investment decision, take your TIME. Don't jump to conclusions"
- "When you go to China, always assume that the Chinese are out there to get you. Nothing personal, they want to screw everybody" - Strategy for Asia Pacific Professor
- "Italy has the lowest mobility rate in Europe with 0.6%" - Professor in Macro Economics
-"that's because when you move, you have to take la mama and all the kitchen props with you!" - Italian student
In our IT Management class - about IT Investment Decisions:
Student showing two pictures of two beautiful Asian women on the screen:
-"do you find them attractive?"
(everyone says yes)
-"which one do you prefer?"
(everyone indicates their preferences)
-"well, indeed she is beautiful and HE is handsome. Bottom line: when you make IT investment decision, take your TIME. Don't jump to conclusions"
In macro, we had a very interesting discussion around the various labor markets in the world. We listed some of the differences between Europe and the US: high labor rates, high firing and hiring costs, low mobility across sectors and countries despite free flow of labor, stronger inside power with trade union - who represent the interest of the employed - higher unemployment benefits (3 years in Europe vs days in the US), incentives for early retirement (larger percentage of people over 55 have left the workforce in Europe, which combined with pay-as-you-go pension systems add a tax burden on the active population), regulation of the number of hours worked, etc...etc...
The whole class seemed to try to understand how the French could get away with so little work during their lifetime...
The whole class seemed to try to understand how the French could get away with so little work during their lifetime...
Work is back. I get up at 7am and go to bed at 2am. I had a lot of preparation work to do for most of my classes (and not just readings...) and I am getting started on the various papers and project work.
There is also this National Week and various official events that I am helping out with.
So I missed out on Chinese New Year celebrations last night, although I could very clearly hear fireworks from my room.
I am working late tonight too since I am away for the weekend. Catching a flight at some ungodly hour in the morning, only to return two hours before classes start on Monday.
I am going to Yogyakarta on the Island of Java. I am visiting temples: Borabadur and Prabanam if I remember correctly. There is also an active volcano. Saturday night we will hike all the way to the top (leaving the town at around 10pm). We should be reaching the top in time to see the sunrise. I have taken readings and macroeconomics practice problems with me, to kill time at the hotel. Should be a lot of fun. This will be my last trip before long as assignments are piling up. I will be content with the proximity of the pool for some rare expression of leisure. I will be planning a trip during the P3 and P4 break though.
gong xi fa cai
There is also this National Week and various official events that I am helping out with.
So I missed out on Chinese New Year celebrations last night, although I could very clearly hear fireworks from my room.
I am working late tonight too since I am away for the weekend. Catching a flight at some ungodly hour in the morning, only to return two hours before classes start on Monday.
I am going to Yogyakarta on the Island of Java. I am visiting temples: Borabadur and Prabanam if I remember correctly. There is also an active volcano. Saturday night we will hike all the way to the top (leaving the town at around 10pm). We should be reaching the top in time to see the sunrise. I have taken readings and macroeconomics practice problems with me, to kill time at the hotel. Should be a lot of fun. This will be my last trip before long as assignments are piling up. I will be content with the proximity of the pool for some rare expression of leisure. I will be planning a trip during the P3 and P4 break though.
gong xi fa cai
I had coffee today with a professor at INSEAD. We talked about whether the way the courses are laid out at the school makes sense from a student perspective. That is the order in which the core courses are proposed. It certainly makes sense from a logical progression on the ladder of knowledge.
The question that we debated was whether it was good for the student from a psychological perspective. Now, this is one of these discussions in which people can do and redo the world, lacking all the data that they would need to really make up your mind.
The debate centered around P1. The P1 courses are more math-oriented on average than P2's or P3's classes. The participants with no math background must find P1 very difficult. Bankers and engineers must find P1 very easy. Apart from OB, all of the courses are fairly number loaded.
The great majority of group work is finance-related. Bankers have it easy but others might struggle. It is plausible to assme that the people struggling in finance might be the same people in need to dedicate more time to the other courses.
Actually, I very well remember some "poets" as INSEAD nicknames them tell me that P1 was definitely hard on them.
The first period is key to anyone's impression of the course. Although one could argue that the whole MBA program is a very intense year and that everyone should expect to work like crazy, it is possible to make an argument for a swap between core courses in P1 and P2. Perhaps bring some Marketing or something similar.
INSEAD does provide math courses before the start of the course for anyone who wishes to brush up their skills. There were also numerous tutorials available. They do take time but they certainly ensure that participants can pass the exams.
The question that we debated was whether it was good for the student from a psychological perspective. Now, this is one of these discussions in which people can do and redo the world, lacking all the data that they would need to really make up your mind.
The debate centered around P1. The P1 courses are more math-oriented on average than P2's or P3's classes. The participants with no math background must find P1 very difficult. Bankers and engineers must find P1 very easy. Apart from OB, all of the courses are fairly number loaded.
The great majority of group work is finance-related. Bankers have it easy but others might struggle. It is plausible to assme that the people struggling in finance might be the same people in need to dedicate more time to the other courses.
Actually, I very well remember some "poets" as INSEAD nicknames them tell me that P1 was definitely hard on them.
The first period is key to anyone's impression of the course. Although one could argue that the whole MBA program is a very intense year and that everyone should expect to work like crazy, it is possible to make an argument for a swap between core courses in P1 and P2. Perhaps bring some Marketing or something similar.
INSEAD does provide math courses before the start of the course for anyone who wishes to brush up their skills. There were also numerous tutorials available. They do take time but they certainly ensure that participants can pass the exams.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Probably popular before exams - I received an e-mail about meditation sessions offered on campus:
Please note the details for the meditation sessions scheduled as follows:
#1- Tue, 20 Jan - 1200 to 1300, amphi R
Finding the balance between doing and being - making yourself more effective by learning how to quiet the mind and organize your consciousness.
#2- Tue, 10 Feb - 1200 to 1300, amphi R
How to use personal power and the development of appropriate boundaries in our mind and actions, both with ourself and others.
#3 - Mon, 16 Feb - 1400 to 1500, amphi R
Self-love and the development and balancing of the inner child / inner parent within self.
#4- Wed, 25 Feb - 1200 to 1300, amphi R
Overcoming inner enemies - learning to deal with negative emotions and feelings.
Each of these classes will present the themes based around specific practical exercises that you can then start to apply into our daily life. After the class there will be a follow up email giving a synopsis of what has have covered, detailing how we can continue to integrate what we have learned into our life.
Please note the details for the meditation sessions scheduled as follows:
#1- Tue, 20 Jan - 1200 to 1300, amphi R
Finding the balance between doing and being - making yourself more effective by learning how to quiet the mind and organize your consciousness.
#2- Tue, 10 Feb - 1200 to 1300, amphi R
How to use personal power and the development of appropriate boundaries in our mind and actions, both with ourself and others.
#3 - Mon, 16 Feb - 1400 to 1500, amphi R
Self-love and the development and balancing of the inner child / inner parent within self.
#4- Wed, 25 Feb - 1200 to 1300, amphi R
Overcoming inner enemies - learning to deal with negative emotions and feelings.
Each of these classes will present the themes based around specific practical exercises that you can then start to apply into our daily life. After the class there will be a follow up email giving a synopsis of what has have covered, detailing how we can continue to integrate what we have learned into our life.
Pffff. It just rained in the past hour as much as it has in Fontainebleau for the past month or so! What a deluge!
And what a weekend. I could not resist the call from the Sea and I spent quite a bit of time on a little boat, sailing away on turquoise tropical waters. The water was so warm that one was tempted to capsize on purpose, just to freshen up. Readings for the first half of the week's classes started at the beach, and finished on the Sunday at school. I cannot decently work on such a heavenly island so I headed back on day earlier and stuffed my Sunday with readings, homework problems and group assignements, which I took me well into the night. Today I am studying all day.
Bintan is a lovely place, sort of Club Med resort. Nice sandy beach, coconut and palm trees, packed with tanned windsurfers, beach volleyball players and whitish newcomers who leave reddish. It is only 45 min away by ferry from Singapore and offers full-fledged hosting capabilities. The only downside is that for the price of two full meals in a local Singaporean food court, you get half a bottle of water in a Mana Mana beach restaurant.
But no, MBA is not about Mostly Beach Activities. Let us be clear. The program still has this intensity flavor to it, this whirlpool of events that quite completely absorb your time. There were quite a few of us going to Bintan, mostly P3s.
This week I must
- hand in my IT Management final group assignment
- hand in my OB class homework
- get a good grip on my OB class 25-page initial paper
- finalize my Ob project
- Get started on Power and Politics assignment
- organize National Week
- organize entrepreneurship workshop and a professional speaker event for my club
- become a member of the local sailing club and enquire about local license requirements
- finish all my readings for the week and do homework problems in Macro Economics
- figure out where I can move my furniture back home since one of my "hosts" is moving some place else
- find out where the library is
And what a weekend. I could not resist the call from the Sea and I spent quite a bit of time on a little boat, sailing away on turquoise tropical waters. The water was so warm that one was tempted to capsize on purpose, just to freshen up. Readings for the first half of the week's classes started at the beach, and finished on the Sunday at school. I cannot decently work on such a heavenly island so I headed back on day earlier and stuffed my Sunday with readings, homework problems and group assignements, which I took me well into the night. Today I am studying all day.
Bintan is a lovely place, sort of Club Med resort. Nice sandy beach, coconut and palm trees, packed with tanned windsurfers, beach volleyball players and whitish newcomers who leave reddish. It is only 45 min away by ferry from Singapore and offers full-fledged hosting capabilities. The only downside is that for the price of two full meals in a local Singaporean food court, you get half a bottle of water in a Mana Mana beach restaurant.
But no, MBA is not about Mostly Beach Activities. Let us be clear. The program still has this intensity flavor to it, this whirlpool of events that quite completely absorb your time. There were quite a few of us going to Bintan, mostly P3s.
This week I must
- hand in my IT Management final group assignment
- hand in my OB class homework
- get a good grip on my OB class 25-page initial paper
- finalize my Ob project
- Get started on Power and Politics assignment
- organize National Week
- organize entrepreneurship workshop and a professional speaker event for my club
- become a member of the local sailing club and enquire about local license requirements
- finish all my readings for the week and do homework problems in Macro Economics
- figure out where I can move my furniture back home since one of my "hosts" is moving some place else
- find out where the library is
Heard in class and faithfully reported
- The French produce just as much as the American in one hour, if not more, when they work. They just don't work! -Macroeconomics Prof
- Macroeconomics is a Chicken and Eggs science - Macroeconomics prof
- Xin Nian Hau - Happy (Chinese) New Year in Mandarin. - Strategies for Asia-Pacific (prof speaks fluent Mandarin and often interjects some original Chinese phrases in the class)
- The French produce just as much as the American in one hour, if not more, when they work. They just don't work! -Macroeconomics Prof
- Macroeconomics is a Chicken and Eggs science - Macroeconomics prof
- Xin Nian Hau - Happy (Chinese) New Year in Mandarin. - Strategies for Asia-Pacific (prof speaks fluent Mandarin and often interjects some original Chinese phrases in the class)
Friday, January 16, 2004
Well - it is weekend time. Grades have been published and although I went through many ups and downs in P2 - I was pleasantly surprised at my performance, which was in all honesty, quite unexpected. My highest grades are in Strategies for Latin America and Strategy. My lowest grade is in Finance - unsurprisingly...
As I have said before, all this belongs to the past and one must look ahead.
My objective this weekend is multipolar. And very noble at that.
- fantastic time at the Beach (Bintan, Indonesia)
- organize my job search (Bintan, Indonesia)
- get going on the set up of some official club event this term (Bintan, Indonesia, the other club members are going to the same beach)
- do my readings for next week (Bintan, Indonesia)
- prepare my IT and Macro group assignment (Heritage View Residence Pool and BBQ tables)
Going out for drinks tonight at some bizarrely named bar and we are planning a play/theater evening next week sometime. Work has started though...I must also start up my 25-page narrative for the OB class, due mid-term...
Local travel agents and tourist resorts send out emails to the whole campus every Monday to advertise the special offers of the following weekend: my inbox was full of Golfers! Great Fares in Bintan; Bali, Island of your dream for a SPECIAL WEEKEND FARE; DIVERS RUSH and other superfluous items...
Life's tough. Viva la Vida.
As I have said before, all this belongs to the past and one must look ahead.
My objective this weekend is multipolar. And very noble at that.
- fantastic time at the Beach (Bintan, Indonesia)
- organize my job search (Bintan, Indonesia)
- get going on the set up of some official club event this term (Bintan, Indonesia, the other club members are going to the same beach)
- do my readings for next week (Bintan, Indonesia)
- prepare my IT and Macro group assignment (Heritage View Residence Pool and BBQ tables)
Going out for drinks tonight at some bizarrely named bar and we are planning a play/theater evening next week sometime. Work has started though...I must also start up my 25-page narrative for the OB class, due mid-term...
Local travel agents and tourist resorts send out emails to the whole campus every Monday to advertise the special offers of the following weekend: my inbox was full of Golfers! Great Fares in Bintan; Bali, Island of your dream for a SPECIAL WEEKEND FARE; DIVERS RUSH and other superfluous items...
Life's tough. Viva la Vida.
Our IPA class is absolutely fabulous. The prof is my second INSEAD God after M. Brimm.
Heard in class and faithfully reported
- A cow in the EU makes more money than way over 2m people in the developing world. - Professor on inequalities worldwide and what was described as shameful agricultural policies of the Western world.
- I'd have to go and invade you, Mr A., to open this market - Professor to student on the difficulty of establishing free trade
- Excuse me? I sure don't like the idea to be "invaded" - student responded
- I have a tip for your business people: if you want to succeed in the US, make sure you can persuade Congress that your stuff is linked somehow to National Security. Intel did that and got shitload of money. No way anyone else on Earth can compete with them. - Professor on lobbying tactics
- Globalization is reversible. In fact, it has been reversed. The world was much more global at the end of the 19th Century when Britain played such a large role in protecting the maritime ways, with the Royal Navy, in providing efficient credit to the rest of the world through its London financial center.
- Post-war planning for WW II started in 1939 in the US, as soon as Germany invaded Poland. It was quite clear already to Congress that the fascist wouldn't win and they thought that they could get a massive advantage over the true ennemy: communism. - professor on the beginning of the Cold War
Heard in class and faithfully reported
- A cow in the EU makes more money than way over 2m people in the developing world. - Professor on inequalities worldwide and what was described as shameful agricultural policies of the Western world.
- I'd have to go and invade you, Mr A., to open this market - Professor to student on the difficulty of establishing free trade
- Excuse me? I sure don't like the idea to be "invaded" - student responded
- I have a tip for your business people: if you want to succeed in the US, make sure you can persuade Congress that your stuff is linked somehow to National Security. Intel did that and got shitload of money. No way anyone else on Earth can compete with them. - Professor on lobbying tactics
- Globalization is reversible. In fact, it has been reversed. The world was much more global at the end of the 19th Century when Britain played such a large role in protecting the maritime ways, with the Royal Navy, in providing efficient credit to the rest of the world through its London financial center.
- Post-war planning for WW II started in 1939 in the US, as soon as Germany invaded Poland. It was quite clear already to Congress that the fascist wouldn't win and they thought that they could get a massive advantage over the true ennemy: communism. - professor on the beginning of the Cold War
Our Asia-Pac class was a lot of fun today!
Instead of the prof giving a boring lecture on the Asian region, we all had to read up on the countries and come to class armed with memorized political, economic, geographic and historical data. We formed 9 groups and competed in rounds of Jeopardy Around Asia. The prof had actually programmed Excel to play the game for us.
We had several categories
- China
- Japan
- Korea
- NIEs (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan)
- ASEAN (Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia)
And we could pick "answers" worth anything between 100 to 500 points.
It was SO much fun! My group didn't make it to the final round and I usually knew the questions to the answers when it wasn't our group's turn to play...Typical...
The prof also recommended the following reading:
- Gordon, The Modern History of Japan
- Spence, The Search for Modern China
- Fairbank, China
- Eckert et al., Korea Old and New
- Douglas Webber's cases on Indonesia (INSEAD)
- Rodan et al., The Political Economy of South-East Asia
Instead of the prof giving a boring lecture on the Asian region, we all had to read up on the countries and come to class armed with memorized political, economic, geographic and historical data. We formed 9 groups and competed in rounds of Jeopardy Around Asia. The prof had actually programmed Excel to play the game for us.
We had several categories
- China
- Japan
- Korea
- NIEs (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan)
- ASEAN (Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia)
And we could pick "answers" worth anything between 100 to 500 points.
It was SO much fun! My group didn't make it to the final round and I usually knew the questions to the answers when it wasn't our group's turn to play...Typical...
The prof also recommended the following reading:
- Gordon, The Modern History of Japan
- Spence, The Search for Modern China
- Fairbank, China
- Eckert et al., Korea Old and New
- Douglas Webber's cases on Indonesia (INSEAD)
- Rodan et al., The Political Economy of South-East Asia
Thursday, January 15, 2004
A studious day in Singapore with morning classes.
6.45am: wake up call. I reach out for the alarm clock.
7.00am: second wake up call. I finally get up. The sun blaze is waging war with my sleep. The city is roaring, a few hundred meters below my feet. I distractedly open one eye to face an unidentified bug on my wall. I discover another insect specie in the shower. Maybe I should take photos and send samples to National Geographic.
7.30am: I wish I could dip into the pool but I must wait for my torn muscle to heal. So I just leisurely stroll to school, wave good morning at the guards as I walk by the security house.
7.40am: I pick up the Financial Times and a coffee, before I set about reading what happened in the world while I was sleeping. Sometimes I wonder how I could sleep through so many important events, and not even realize that they were taking place. The Internet certainly has increased my ubiquity potential but not quite solved my fundamental desire to be in more than one place at a time.
8.10am: check e-mails from the rest of the world and various news websites.
8.30am – 1.30pm: classes for the day, small coffee breaks. I salute the sun and the heat with dismay. I find tropical weather too humid. Classes are challenging, surprising and entertaining.
1.35pm: I have 25 minutes for lunch. We are sharing stories of some Zouk and Velvet adventures, over a bowl of rice, by the fishpond. The sun is at its zenith and burns our eyes with over-exposed rays.
2pm – 2.20pm: time I allow for administrative matters today, such as paying bills, faxing my Singaporean bank details for the third time to my French bank so that they finally get going with transfer of funds. I also booked ferry tickets for a beach trip to Malaysia this weekend. Quite a few of us are going.
2.20pm – 3.30pm: I must do some work for the club that I am heading here in Singapore. E-mails mainly at this stage, and organize our first gathering. I have a meeting tomorrow with the faculty about the organization of a day workshop on entrepreneurship.
3.30pm – 5pm: I have some more work to do around some National Week organization to which I am lending my support. We have just signed up a major supermarket. These activities get interrupted as friends are passing by. Little stories and questions are flying over the cubes, hands are waving. I still see smiles everywhere.
5pm – 7pm: I am getting ready for next day’s work and future assignments. I must write up a case on the fall of the Lehman Brothers Investment Bank; fill in a personality questionnaire and write two pages about myself; prepare my Macro Economics group assignment on Brazil and read up on Asia for tomorrow’s jeopardy. From time to time, I take a few minutes for a drink with fellow students.
7pm: I meet up with E., my Estonian co-consultant for my OB class. I am sadly thinking that I could be jogging, were it not for a slight but constant pain on my side. Sigh…Muscles take forever to get back into working order.
We cross over to the local food court for a working dinner. Everywhere around us people are reaching home, or waiting nervously around the various counters for their turn. The tables fill up and the place grows increasingly noisy. People eat without looking up. Their eyes stare at their plate as if their life depended on the continuity of the noodle that they are holding up to their mouth. Food courts look like pockets of India, parcels of China implanted in an industrialized city, smuggling in islands of authenticity.
We start talking about our project but soon digress. We are now touching upon spiritual and professional matters. The fact that more INSEAD students are joining us for beers does not help. Working dinners are not part of their repertoire and we finally retreat to campus.
8.15pm: I head back to the school for my evening work. I will post something on this blog. I will start my OB paper and get organized for a job search.
1am: the concept of time is the strangest one I have come across in my short existence. Some days just never seem to have an end. Some days traverse your life like a flash of lighting and leave you with the memory of an instant. I wake to the reality of having worked for hours without realizing it. Enough for the day. I will be heading home, wave good night to the guard, look with envy at the last swimmers, royally ignore the quadrupeds in the elevator and open the door of my suite with majesty, before collapsing onto my bed for a brainless sets of awkward dreams. It is 1.30am. I forgot to buy milk.
6.45am: wake up call. I reach out for the alarm clock.
7.00am: second wake up call. I finally get up. The sun blaze is waging war with my sleep. The city is roaring, a few hundred meters below my feet. I distractedly open one eye to face an unidentified bug on my wall. I discover another insect specie in the shower. Maybe I should take photos and send samples to National Geographic.
7.30am: I wish I could dip into the pool but I must wait for my torn muscle to heal. So I just leisurely stroll to school, wave good morning at the guards as I walk by the security house.
7.40am: I pick up the Financial Times and a coffee, before I set about reading what happened in the world while I was sleeping. Sometimes I wonder how I could sleep through so many important events, and not even realize that they were taking place. The Internet certainly has increased my ubiquity potential but not quite solved my fundamental desire to be in more than one place at a time.
8.10am: check e-mails from the rest of the world and various news websites.
8.30am – 1.30pm: classes for the day, small coffee breaks. I salute the sun and the heat with dismay. I find tropical weather too humid. Classes are challenging, surprising and entertaining.
1.35pm: I have 25 minutes for lunch. We are sharing stories of some Zouk and Velvet adventures, over a bowl of rice, by the fishpond. The sun is at its zenith and burns our eyes with over-exposed rays.
2pm – 2.20pm: time I allow for administrative matters today, such as paying bills, faxing my Singaporean bank details for the third time to my French bank so that they finally get going with transfer of funds. I also booked ferry tickets for a beach trip to Malaysia this weekend. Quite a few of us are going.
2.20pm – 3.30pm: I must do some work for the club that I am heading here in Singapore. E-mails mainly at this stage, and organize our first gathering. I have a meeting tomorrow with the faculty about the organization of a day workshop on entrepreneurship.
3.30pm – 5pm: I have some more work to do around some National Week organization to which I am lending my support. We have just signed up a major supermarket. These activities get interrupted as friends are passing by. Little stories and questions are flying over the cubes, hands are waving. I still see smiles everywhere.
5pm – 7pm: I am getting ready for next day’s work and future assignments. I must write up a case on the fall of the Lehman Brothers Investment Bank; fill in a personality questionnaire and write two pages about myself; prepare my Macro Economics group assignment on Brazil and read up on Asia for tomorrow’s jeopardy. From time to time, I take a few minutes for a drink with fellow students.
7pm: I meet up with E., my Estonian co-consultant for my OB class. I am sadly thinking that I could be jogging, were it not for a slight but constant pain on my side. Sigh…Muscles take forever to get back into working order.
We cross over to the local food court for a working dinner. Everywhere around us people are reaching home, or waiting nervously around the various counters for their turn. The tables fill up and the place grows increasingly noisy. People eat without looking up. Their eyes stare at their plate as if their life depended on the continuity of the noodle that they are holding up to their mouth. Food courts look like pockets of India, parcels of China implanted in an industrialized city, smuggling in islands of authenticity.
We start talking about our project but soon digress. We are now touching upon spiritual and professional matters. The fact that more INSEAD students are joining us for beers does not help. Working dinners are not part of their repertoire and we finally retreat to campus.
8.15pm: I head back to the school for my evening work. I will post something on this blog. I will start my OB paper and get organized for a job search.
1am: the concept of time is the strangest one I have come across in my short existence. Some days just never seem to have an end. Some days traverse your life like a flash of lighting and leave you with the memory of an instant. I wake to the reality of having worked for hours without realizing it. Enough for the day. I will be heading home, wave good night to the guard, look with envy at the last swimmers, royally ignore the quadrupeds in the elevator and open the door of my suite with majesty, before collapsing onto my bed for a brainless sets of awkward dreams. It is 1.30am. I forgot to buy milk.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
We had our first Strategies for Asia Pacific class with a German expert, widely considered one of the best teachers at INSEAD.
The most surprising thing is that we talked about everything but Asia during this first session. Friday’s class will be jeopardy on general Asian knowledge. Need to read up on the subject before making a fool of myself.
Looks like my professor panel this term is formed of the following nationalities: American (living in France), Bulgarian (living in France), Indian (living in Singapore), French (educated in the US and having lived in Japan) and German (educated in the US at Stanford and Harvard, fluent in Mandarin and Japanese...).
The most surprising thing is that we talked about everything but Asia during this first session. Friday’s class will be jeopardy on general Asian knowledge. Need to read up on the subject before making a fool of myself.
Looks like my professor panel this term is formed of the following nationalities: American (living in France), Bulgarian (living in France), Indian (living in Singapore), French (educated in the US and having lived in Japan) and German (educated in the US at Stanford and Harvard, fluent in Mandarin and Japanese...).
Heard in Class and Faithfully reported:
- “This guy obviously work a la L.B. Johnson. He uses a kiss and kill strategy.” – student in Power and Politics class
Since we discussed that the international system was an anarchical system, one proposed the need for alliances to seek protection.
"- but what is the problem with C. protecting you?" - International Political Analysis professor
-"He is French. He won't go to war" - student responding
"- I am just wondering how representative you lots are, of the public opinions in the world" - IPA professor
"- we are the elite of the future economy - what we think matters more than what the public thinks" - student responding
"-this is bullshit" - student arguing in IPA class
The IPA professor apologized profusely in class, indicating that he very rarely pushes his ideas forward.
"- I have little time for people who use discourse to divide us, to make us violent. I don't care who does it but I find it despicable"
- “This guy obviously work a la L.B. Johnson. He uses a kiss and kill strategy.” – student in Power and Politics class
Since we discussed that the international system was an anarchical system, one proposed the need for alliances to seek protection.
"- but what is the problem with C. protecting you?" - International Political Analysis professor
-"He is French. He won't go to war" - student responding
"- I am just wondering how representative you lots are, of the public opinions in the world" - IPA professor
"- we are the elite of the future economy - what we think matters more than what the public thinks" - student responding
"-this is bullshit" - student arguing in IPA class
The IPA professor apologized profusely in class, indicating that he very rarely pushes his ideas forward.
"- I have little time for people who use discourse to divide us, to make us violent. I don't care who does it but I find it despicable"
We have handed in our first group assignment.
I was told that I had one of the most brilliant students at INSEAD in my new working group. GPA nearing 4.0, entered university at age 13, graduated with a Ph.D. at age 20, worked as VP for a bank in China. Well connected with the government, financial or private sector in Asia. He is currently doing his MBA, at age 23…He works a bit like a tornado in our group, storming into the meeting with astonishing remarks, miles above our normal reflection level.
My group (there are double nationalities, and beside me) would be a mix of German, French, British, Canadian, Thai, Indian, Chinese.
A little different from my P1/P2 buddies.
In terms of backgrounds (and in addition to mine), we now have a strategy consultant, banker, project manager, manager of small companies in emerging economies, genius.
I love my new group and the easygoing atmosphere that we have already created. 15 min for our Macro Economics assignments, which we all had previously prepared, goes down as a record in my INSEAD history book.
I was told that I had one of the most brilliant students at INSEAD in my new working group. GPA nearing 4.0, entered university at age 13, graduated with a Ph.D. at age 20, worked as VP for a bank in China. Well connected with the government, financial or private sector in Asia. He is currently doing his MBA, at age 23…He works a bit like a tornado in our group, storming into the meeting with astonishing remarks, miles above our normal reflection level.
My group (there are double nationalities, and beside me) would be a mix of German, French, British, Canadian, Thai, Indian, Chinese.
A little different from my P1/P2 buddies.
In terms of backgrounds (and in addition to mine), we now have a strategy consultant, banker, project manager, manager of small companies in emerging economies, genius.
I love my new group and the easygoing atmosphere that we have already created. 15 min for our Macro Economics assignments, which we all had previously prepared, goes down as a record in my INSEAD history book.
I love our International Political Analysis class. The professor is awesome. He is American and specialist in the field of international economic relations, author or editor of eleven books and many articles for professional and policy journals, and he is a frequent contributor to the International Herald Tribune. He has held positions at Harvard University, the Council of Foreign Relations, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. He also served in the US Navy where he held the rank of Commander. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Guests will be coming to lectures, such as the US Ambassador to Singapore and the Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bound to be interesting. The professor realizes that we don't have enough time for debates in class, so he has opened lunch/coffee sessions to talk about world affairs.
This class is likely to be my big time favorite for this term. Needless to say that it is particularly lively in an INSEAD atmosphere.
The professor started off his first lecture with the following question to the class: “President Chirac in his New Year’s address to his country stated that the world had become multi-polar. Do you agree?”
After the whole class clashed in its various opinions, he went on. “Do you think that it is a desirable thing for the world to be multi-polar?”
Over to you.
Guests will be coming to lectures, such as the US Ambassador to Singapore and the Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bound to be interesting. The professor realizes that we don't have enough time for debates in class, so he has opened lunch/coffee sessions to talk about world affairs.
This class is likely to be my big time favorite for this term. Needless to say that it is particularly lively in an INSEAD atmosphere.
The professor started off his first lecture with the following question to the class: “President Chirac in his New Year’s address to his country stated that the world had become multi-polar. Do you agree?”
After the whole class clashed in its various opinions, he went on. “Do you think that it is a desirable thing for the world to be multi-polar?”
Over to you.
Monday, January 12, 2004
We have had a few classes by now
- Managing Information Technology with an Indian professor
- Macroeconomics with a Bulgarian professor
- Power and Politics with a French professor, which I am thinking of replacing with another elective
I am really longing for International Political Analysis.
I would like to quote Irving Kristol (part of our readings for today) to see whether it arises thoughts in any of you. This was published in The National Interest of summer 1989, as a response to an article by Francis Fukuyama.
"The only way I know to liberate oneself from the Hegelian sensibility and mode of thought is to go back to Aristotle, and to his understanding that all forms of government - democracy, oligarchy, aristocracy, monarchy, tyranny- are inherently unstable, that all political regimes are inherently transitional, that the stability of all regimes is corrupted by the corrosive power of time. It is no accident-and here Aristotelian rhetoric is in accord with Hegelian- that the 20th century has witnessed a whole series of rebellions against secular-liberal-capitalist democracy. These rebellions have failed, but the sources of such rebellions remain. Which is to say that our American democracy, though seemingly triumphant, is at risk, and it is at risk, precisely because it is the kind of democracy it is, with all the problematics - as distinct from mere problems - that fester within such a democracy. Among such problematics are the longing for community, for spirituality, a growing distrust of technology, the confusion of liberty with license, and many others besides. We may have won the Cold War, which is nice -it's more than nice, it's wonderful. But this means that now the enemy is us, not them."
At the time of the article, Mr Kristol was publisher of the National Interest, and a distinguished fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
- Managing Information Technology with an Indian professor
- Macroeconomics with a Bulgarian professor
- Power and Politics with a French professor, which I am thinking of replacing with another elective
I am really longing for International Political Analysis.
I would like to quote Irving Kristol (part of our readings for today) to see whether it arises thoughts in any of you. This was published in The National Interest of summer 1989, as a response to an article by Francis Fukuyama.
"The only way I know to liberate oneself from the Hegelian sensibility and mode of thought is to go back to Aristotle, and to his understanding that all forms of government - democracy, oligarchy, aristocracy, monarchy, tyranny- are inherently unstable, that all political regimes are inherently transitional, that the stability of all regimes is corrupted by the corrosive power of time. It is no accident-and here Aristotelian rhetoric is in accord with Hegelian- that the 20th century has witnessed a whole series of rebellions against secular-liberal-capitalist democracy. These rebellions have failed, but the sources of such rebellions remain. Which is to say that our American democracy, though seemingly triumphant, is at risk, and it is at risk, precisely because it is the kind of democracy it is, with all the problematics - as distinct from mere problems - that fester within such a democracy. Among such problematics are the longing for community, for spirituality, a growing distrust of technology, the confusion of liberty with license, and many others besides. We may have won the Cold War, which is nice -it's more than nice, it's wonderful. But this means that now the enemy is us, not them."
At the time of the article, Mr Kristol was publisher of the National Interest, and a distinguished fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Friday, January 09, 2004
I was taken to a restaurant near Chinatown. Some Ginger Something Restaurant or something like that. Very nice and a little bit of a mix. Some Thai/Malay type mix.
My dessert featured some very smelly fruit of unknown chemical composition. Some delicious sweet paste and blurry soup. The most incredible part of the experience was around -I am not kidding- flashy green noodles. Same colors as these cookie decorations for kids. Fluorescent. They looked liked some big, artificial, tortuous and glutinous worm. Never seen anything like that before. Beats the live larvae of Ecuadorian jungle.
They were quite inoffensive in that I am struggling to remember any taste.
My dessert featured some very smelly fruit of unknown chemical composition. Some delicious sweet paste and blurry soup. The most incredible part of the experience was around -I am not kidding- flashy green noodles. Same colors as these cookie decorations for kids. Fluorescent. They looked liked some big, artificial, tortuous and glutinous worm. Never seen anything like that before. Beats the live larvae of Ecuadorian jungle.
They were quite inoffensive in that I am struggling to remember any taste.
Sing Dog Day
I took the elevator to climb up to the 18th floor from which I largely dominate the city of singapore. As the doors were about to close around their precious cargo, a noisy quadrupede followed me into the elevator. As the doors were about to close around their cargo, the value of which is now unknown, the owner of the dog followed with a broken leash.
A few minutes later, I took the elevator to climb down from the ethearal heights of my 18th floor suite with panoramic view over the country of Singapore. On the 14th floor, a couple of people entered the elevator cage, with two little barking boxes. Surprised to find such behavior in otherwise peaceful looking objects, I ventured a look. I found myself face to face with two hairy quadrupedes.
As I exited the building to meet a few buddies at a local club, I noticed on my left-hand side, a sign marked "Dog Poo Pouch". Next time, I will take this sign with me into the elevator cage.
I took the elevator to climb up to the 18th floor from which I largely dominate the city of singapore. As the doors were about to close around their precious cargo, a noisy quadrupede followed me into the elevator. As the doors were about to close around their cargo, the value of which is now unknown, the owner of the dog followed with a broken leash.
A few minutes later, I took the elevator to climb down from the ethearal heights of my 18th floor suite with panoramic view over the country of Singapore. On the 14th floor, a couple of people entered the elevator cage, with two little barking boxes. Surprised to find such behavior in otherwise peaceful looking objects, I ventured a look. I found myself face to face with two hairy quadrupedes.
As I exited the building to meet a few buddies at a local club, I noticed on my left-hand side, a sign marked "Dog Poo Pouch". Next time, I will take this sign with me into the elevator cage.
Came back to my apartment the other day. Something was not quite right. In fact, it looked like a typhoon had just visited the whole place, sat on the sofa, bamboozed into the kitchen, swept the table, washed away my room.
Everything was clean. Not one piece of dust, not one piece of paper out of place.
The cleaning lady had come for her weekly round.
Everything was clean. Not one piece of dust, not one piece of paper out of place.
The cleaning lady had come for her weekly round.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Trip to Yogyakarta, Indonesia booked for the long weekend that we are granted to celebrate Chinese New Year. After that, it will become quite impossible to travel. Whoever chooses to go to Singapore for constant weekend travels is in for a bit of a disappointment. Similarly, do not go to Fontainebleau thinking that you will be going out in Paris every night.
MBA = Mostly Busy with Academics.
But then again, you can do the travelling or the clubbing for much much cheaper if this is where your interest lies.
MBA = Mostly Busy with Academics.
But then again, you can do the travelling or the clubbing for much much cheaper if this is where your interest lies.
Paris limits the number of its urban taxis, thereby creating a shortage of supply and driving all the prices up and the customers nuts. Not surprinsingly, all taxi drivers zip around in Mercedes. During the day, the Metro competes harshly with the 4-wheeled official cartel but if you are wandering in the streets of the City of Lights after 1am, you are on your own in a jungle of scarce drivers who will refuse to take you on if you are not going far enough for them to make the ride worthwhile!
Singapore has a free and open system. The longest I ever waited for a taxi was 4 minutes. Rides are cheap, drivers are courteous and knowledgeable. They drive well, ask you to buckle up, respect their load allowance and give way to pedestrians. And some of them also drive a Mercedes. In a city where owning a car must set you back a gzillion $$.
For an extra 1.5 euros, you can call ahead and reserve in advance. The central reservation system has a positioning system, based on the signal transmitted by your satellite mobile phone and a synthesized voice whispers to your ear: "You are located at 43 Holland Drive - you will be picked up in 2 minutes".
Singapore has a free and open system. The longest I ever waited for a taxi was 4 minutes. Rides are cheap, drivers are courteous and knowledgeable. They drive well, ask you to buckle up, respect their load allowance and give way to pedestrians. And some of them also drive a Mercedes. In a city where owning a car must set you back a gzillion $$.
For an extra 1.5 euros, you can call ahead and reserve in advance. The central reservation system has a positioning system, based on the signal transmitted by your satellite mobile phone and a synthesized voice whispers to your ear: "You are located at 43 Holland Drive - you will be picked up in 2 minutes".
Opened a bank account today. It took exactly 7 min and I already have a working ATM card. It tooks ten days to obtain a credit card in France. The clerk also took the initative to print out all the details needed for an international transfer. I must quote the person who helped me with the operation:
"- I am sorry, I ask you to take a few minutes on your own to think about a 6-digit pincode for your ATM card? I really need to go to the bathroom. We have been so busy all morning that I never managed to escape for more than 2 seconds."
It is the first time that I am on the right side of an exchange rate since the beginning of my studies. Previously I was holding dollars and requested to settle bills in Euros. Now I hold Euros and I am paying in Sing$. There is a justice.
"- I am sorry, I ask you to take a few minutes on your own to think about a 6-digit pincode for your ATM card? I really need to go to the bathroom. We have been so busy all morning that I never managed to escape for more than 2 seconds."
It is the first time that I am on the right side of an exchange rate since the beginning of my studies. Previously I was holding dollars and requested to settle bills in Euros. Now I hold Euros and I am paying in Sing$. There is a justice.
Other differences -
Fonty: all students live in different houses, usually reachable by car, through a picturesque ride through the forest. Most students will not have dinner together on a regular basis and lose sight of their classmates for the day, if nothing is planned for the evening.
Singy: 80% of the students live in two condominium complexes, right next to each other, with a pool (or pools) around which most students informally gather for talks. All students tend to shop at the same places, go to the same bars, eat out at the same restaurant or food courts.
Fonty: flying out anywhere is tricky as airport access it tricky. Driving anywhere is tricky as it takes a long time. Parking in Paris is a nightmare.
Singy: flying out from Singapore is trivial. Airport access is 10 euros away, that can be split between 4 students. There are cheap and regular shuttles to Kuala Lumpur, boats to Indonesia on a regular basis and cheap flights to more remote destinations. Local activities such as diving, sailing, farniente in the sun, tennis, jogging in the parks are very easy and at your doorsteps.
Fonty: very crowded
Singy: very informal, very flexible
Fonty: parties are organized at someone's place. DJ's are hired. A theme is proposed, most of them are costumed. They start around 10.30pm, finish in the early hour in the morning. National Weeks are big and varied.
Singy: informal parties are organized around the pool barbecue tables, then move into a bar or club downtown. It is not as intimate, have no theme, have no costume. We get to a club around 11.30pm and leave in the early hours of the morning.
Frequency of parties is similar. Attendance similar. And no, we do not party every day. And yes, there is a rotation in terms of attendance.
The library at Fontainebleau is large and offers a quiet working environment.
The library in Singapore is much smaller but there are many more closed and quiet working rooms.
Workload at Fonty and Singy is similar.
Based on my initial impressions of class interventions and private conversations, students here are just as bright, diverse and interesting.
Phone calls across campuses are considered internal calls and are free. There is a video link between the two campuses, which I have seen used - although at times switched on and sitting idle.
Still, the campus in Singapore is fairly new and some inconsistencies arise.
However, someone must explain to me how a school that is global, that has campuses across two continents completely integrated, that operates in the era of the Internet and seamless connections has to delete students' e-mailboxes on one campus in order to open an account on another campus. On top of that, WE are given a class on IT Management and how to align information technology with business strategy.
Fonty: all students live in different houses, usually reachable by car, through a picturesque ride through the forest. Most students will not have dinner together on a regular basis and lose sight of their classmates for the day, if nothing is planned for the evening.
Singy: 80% of the students live in two condominium complexes, right next to each other, with a pool (or pools) around which most students informally gather for talks. All students tend to shop at the same places, go to the same bars, eat out at the same restaurant or food courts.
Fonty: flying out anywhere is tricky as airport access it tricky. Driving anywhere is tricky as it takes a long time. Parking in Paris is a nightmare.
Singy: flying out from Singapore is trivial. Airport access is 10 euros away, that can be split between 4 students. There are cheap and regular shuttles to Kuala Lumpur, boats to Indonesia on a regular basis and cheap flights to more remote destinations. Local activities such as diving, sailing, farniente in the sun, tennis, jogging in the parks are very easy and at your doorsteps.
Fonty: very crowded
Singy: very informal, very flexible
Fonty: parties are organized at someone's place. DJ's are hired. A theme is proposed, most of them are costumed. They start around 10.30pm, finish in the early hour in the morning. National Weeks are big and varied.
Singy: informal parties are organized around the pool barbecue tables, then move into a bar or club downtown. It is not as intimate, have no theme, have no costume. We get to a club around 11.30pm and leave in the early hours of the morning.
Frequency of parties is similar. Attendance similar. And no, we do not party every day. And yes, there is a rotation in terms of attendance.
The library at Fontainebleau is large and offers a quiet working environment.
The library in Singapore is much smaller but there are many more closed and quiet working rooms.
Workload at Fonty and Singy is similar.
Based on my initial impressions of class interventions and private conversations, students here are just as bright, diverse and interesting.
Phone calls across campuses are considered internal calls and are free. There is a video link between the two campuses, which I have seen used - although at times switched on and sitting idle.
Still, the campus in Singapore is fairly new and some inconsistencies arise.
However, someone must explain to me how a school that is global, that has campuses across two continents completely integrated, that operates in the era of the Internet and seamless connections has to delete students' e-mailboxes on one campus in order to open an account on another campus. On top of that, WE are given a class on IT Management and how to align information technology with business strategy.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
My team building day was in the middle of the Fontainebleau forest for a pale imitation of The Visitors, and the wildest animal that we came across was a colony of ants.
The Singapore P1 students go to a local tropical island for a friendly remake of The Beach.
Coffee's free in Fontainebleau, at a charge in Singapore.
Quality of meals in Singapore campus cafeteria higher than in Fontainebleau cafeteria for a lower price.
There was only a couple of storeys to handle in Fontainebleau. In Singapore, there are 6 floors. 3 for MBA students' day to day activities (typical space management in town). My locker is on the 3rd floor and most of my classes take place in the groundfloor amphis. If I forget 1 pen, I lose 30 grams.
To illustrate the kindness of the local staff at INSEAD: my fork fell from my tray over lunch. Before I had time to realize it, one of the cashiers had left her post and was bending down to pick it up for me. She handed it over to me with the most fantastic smile.
There is no Pascale in Singapore.
I used to cycle for 25 min to reach campus. I now walk for 6 min.
Driving for 20 min would only take me from INSEAD to Samois Sur Seine. Here, a 20 min drive takes me to Malaysia.
Fontainebleau's closest link to the outside world in the Orly airport, 20 min away without traffic. Triple this time during peak hours.
Singapore's the busiest hub in South East Asia.
Tried the Sound Bar. Super cool.
I have not tried a cool bar in Fontainebleau.
Fortunately, Carrefour is available in both cities and IKEA's a 20min taxi ride away. All is well. I am not lost.
The Singapore P1 students go to a local tropical island for a friendly remake of The Beach.
Coffee's free in Fontainebleau, at a charge in Singapore.
Quality of meals in Singapore campus cafeteria higher than in Fontainebleau cafeteria for a lower price.
There was only a couple of storeys to handle in Fontainebleau. In Singapore, there are 6 floors. 3 for MBA students' day to day activities (typical space management in town). My locker is on the 3rd floor and most of my classes take place in the groundfloor amphis. If I forget 1 pen, I lose 30 grams.
To illustrate the kindness of the local staff at INSEAD: my fork fell from my tray over lunch. Before I had time to realize it, one of the cashiers had left her post and was bending down to pick it up for me. She handed it over to me with the most fantastic smile.
There is no Pascale in Singapore.
I used to cycle for 25 min to reach campus. I now walk for 6 min.
Driving for 20 min would only take me from INSEAD to Samois Sur Seine. Here, a 20 min drive takes me to Malaysia.
Fontainebleau's closest link to the outside world in the Orly airport, 20 min away without traffic. Triple this time during peak hours.
Singapore's the busiest hub in South East Asia.
Tried the Sound Bar. Super cool.
I have not tried a cool bar in Fontainebleau.
Fortunately, Carrefour is available in both cities and IKEA's a 20min taxi ride away. All is well. I am not lost.
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Work is slowly starting to develop but I still have time for trivia.
The air conditioning on the Asian campus was the object of a debate of the utmost importance: what temperature should be set in all rooms?
Outside temperature varies from 28 to 35 degrees Celsius during the year.
Professors wanted a low temperature as they gesticulate a lot more than students.
Participants wanted a higher temperature as they typically sit still for the entire duration of a class.
An international summit was immediately created to deal with matter at hand. A ferocious negotiation took place with mediators of the two bodies. Both sides stood their grounds. Long conversations establishing the various arguments ensued.
A temperature of 23 degrees Celsius was agreed upon.
I find it too cold for my 30 degree outfit. I bet that most professors still find it too hot. The beauty of compromise leaves no one truly satisfied with the actual result but content with the discussion and the idea that a common ground could be identified.
The air conditioning on the Asian campus was the object of a debate of the utmost importance: what temperature should be set in all rooms?
Outside temperature varies from 28 to 35 degrees Celsius during the year.
Professors wanted a low temperature as they gesticulate a lot more than students.
Participants wanted a higher temperature as they typically sit still for the entire duration of a class.
An international summit was immediately created to deal with matter at hand. A ferocious negotiation took place with mediators of the two bodies. Both sides stood their grounds. Long conversations establishing the various arguments ensued.
A temperature of 23 degrees Celsius was agreed upon.
I find it too cold for my 30 degree outfit. I bet that most professors still find it too hot. The beauty of compromise leaves no one truly satisfied with the actual result but content with the discussion and the idea that a common ground could be identified.
Heard in class and faithfully reported:
Power and Politics Class
The class was asked to come up with various sources of personal power:
Under "emotional and physical ability", do you include sex? I mean, as a way to get things done? - student commenting on a previous proposal
"Do not abuse me. You can do this once or twice, but not every week." Power and Politics teacher
Power and Politics Class
The class was asked to come up with various sources of personal power:
Under "emotional and physical ability", do you include sex? I mean, as a way to get things done? - student commenting on a previous proposal
"Do not abuse me. You can do this once or twice, but not every week." Power and Politics teacher
Epiphany Day. The three Kings bring present to the Holy Child.
In France, families and friends gather around the Galette Des Rois, some almond based pie. A seed is hidden inside. The youngest of all goes under the table. The host picks each share and asks the youngest to determine who will get it. The person who has the seed in his or her share is crowned king of the day. Each king picks a queen and vice versa.
In Provence, they call it the Couronne Des Rois apparently (I tried both types). It is a crown-shape Brioche, with loads of fruits, sugar coating and other various fillings. It has a micro earthenware santon hidden inside, to help children construct their micro crib. The ritual is completely identical.
In France, families and friends gather around the Galette Des Rois, some almond based pie. A seed is hidden inside. The youngest of all goes under the table. The host picks each share and asks the youngest to determine who will get it. The person who has the seed in his or her share is crowned king of the day. Each king picks a queen and vice versa.
In Provence, they call it the Couronne Des Rois apparently (I tried both types). It is a crown-shape Brioche, with loads of fruits, sugar coating and other various fillings. It has a micro earthenware santon hidden inside, to help children construct their micro crib. The ritual is completely identical.
Functional, clean...and picky.
This morning, I was very politely told off by a guard because I was not walking on the little yellow footsteps, carefully painted on the sidewalk. This is to keep pedestrians out of the way and protect them from cars. It was 7.30am, there was not one car in sight.
The other day, I asked a taxi driver to stop in front of the store that I needed to go to. He said that he would not stop because he had to stop on the white lines, in front of the taxi stand. That was 800m further down.
On the other hand, taxis are a great way to get around the city/country. They are cheap, fast and numerous. You can just hail them, or reserve them ahead of time and pay an extra S$3, about 1.5 bucks.
I had to undergo a medical check for the student visa, including a lung X-Ray for SARS prevention. This was down in about 10 minutes, with a 5 minute wait time by a charming lady doctor. I booked the appointment yesterday. I will receive the results within two days, ready to be taken to the immigration office. That is what I call efficiency.
This morning, I was very politely told off by a guard because I was not walking on the little yellow footsteps, carefully painted on the sidewalk. This is to keep pedestrians out of the way and protect them from cars. It was 7.30am, there was not one car in sight.
The other day, I asked a taxi driver to stop in front of the store that I needed to go to. He said that he would not stop because he had to stop on the white lines, in front of the taxi stand. That was 800m further down.
On the other hand, taxis are a great way to get around the city/country. They are cheap, fast and numerous. You can just hail them, or reserve them ahead of time and pay an extra S$3, about 1.5 bucks.
I had to undergo a medical check for the student visa, including a lung X-Ray for SARS prevention. This was down in about 10 minutes, with a 5 minute wait time by a charming lady doctor. I booked the appointment yesterday. I will receive the results within two days, ready to be taken to the immigration office. That is what I call efficiency.
Monday, January 05, 2004
To be honest, if I did not know that Singapore was located in South East Asia, I could not tell.
The entrance of my residence with flowery fountains, a royal bridge over the various pools, decorated palm trees and clean alleys remind me of a Las Vegas hotel.
The large avenues with a grassy strip and a cement sidewalk reminds me of California.
The downtown area with loads of shopping malls plagued with overused air conditioning, large tropical looking parks and a wide hotel populated beachfront reminds me of Florida.
Traffic lights and little islands remind me of England. The circulation system reminds me of England.
The high percentage of Indian and Asian looking people reminds me of the West coast of the US with little islands of Asian life.
The high tech metro system reminds me of Japan.
Obviously, all this would be transposed a few degrees above the Equator and suffer from high levels of humidit and a 12-hour days all yaer round.
The entrance of my residence with flowery fountains, a royal bridge over the various pools, decorated palm trees and clean alleys remind me of a Las Vegas hotel.
The large avenues with a grassy strip and a cement sidewalk reminds me of California.
The downtown area with loads of shopping malls plagued with overused air conditioning, large tropical looking parks and a wide hotel populated beachfront reminds me of Florida.
Traffic lights and little islands remind me of England. The circulation system reminds me of England.
The high percentage of Indian and Asian looking people reminds me of the West coast of the US with little islands of Asian life.
The high tech metro system reminds me of Japan.
Obviously, all this would be transposed a few degrees above the Equator and suffer from high levels of humidit and a 12-hour days all yaer round.
My wish list for this period's classes.
- Strategies for Asia Pacific
- Power and Politics
- Information Systems and Management
- International Political Analysis
- Macroeconomics in the Global Economy
- Self Assessment and Career Dynamics
- Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions
- New Business Ventures
- Applied Corporation Finance
- Negotiation Analysis
I had to pick 5 of them...
- Strategies for Asia Pacific
- Power and Politics
- Information Systems and Management
- International Political Analysis
- Macroeconomics in the Global Economy
- Self Assessment and Career Dynamics
- Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions
- New Business Ventures
- Applied Corporation Finance
- Negotiation Analysis
I had to pick 5 of them...
Christmas in France. I was asked to post a typical Christmas menu. I was told that there was no such thing as each region of France will have a culinary specificity for the occasion. In fact, the reason why France has no national dish is because each region has a whole different set of recipes and picking one among all would be in conflict with one of the three governing principle of the Republic: Equality.
Nimes' dish was the Brandade de Morue, in Alsace, the "Saur kraut" French style is a typical dish, in Marseille, the Bouillabaisse, in Toulouse, the Cassoulet, in Brittany, the crepes, in Montelimar, the nougat, in the Bethmale Valley in Ariege, you can try a Croustade, in Savoie: tartiflette, cheese fondue or raclette, in Burgundy, meat fondue, in Grenoble, a Gratin Dauphinois, in the Gers, foie gras...Even wines, spirits and cheeses are specific to regions. Roquefort comes from the town of Roquefort, Champagne from the champagne region, Cognac from the town of cognac, Munster from the town of Munster, etc...etc...
However, it looks like there is some common factors to a Provencal Christmas meal. I can certainly talk about what I was served on that day.
The aperitif would be served with some pastis, muscat or port wine. At times, a kir.
There would be toasts with tapenade (salty olive paste); others with butter and anchovies, some olives with herbs and cheese cubes. Grilled sardines in the fireplace could complete the picture.
The starter would be served with a white wine from the North: Pouilly Fouisse. In our case, it consisted of a humongous tray of seafood, fished earlier during the day. Sea urchins, oysters, "violets" - whatever that is, prawns, and other various shells. Served with lemon and buttered bread.
We then continued onto the Foie Gras distribution, with another type of bread and no butter and a glass of Sauternes.
Courageously moving onto the main course: lamb with rissolees chestnuts, warm apple compote and green beans with herbs. Wine is now a red northen wine, from Burgundy. A Pommard for instance or a Gigondas.
The Cheese tray is served with lettuce and contains a least a dozen of different types of cheeses. Wine is a red Bordeaux, a Saint Julien.
I heard about the Buche Glacee as a typical mix between cake and ice cream for Christmas but in Provence, there were 13 desserts.
Dried fruits (figs, dates, prunes), fresh fruits: Christmas white grapes, two types of nougat (white and black with caramel), oranges, almonds, hazel nuts...
Among these 13 desserts was the typical Provencal cake, sold only on Christmas day: The Pompe. Ours had a slight taste of anisede.
Wine is champagne.
Quite a feast. Bon Appetit.
Nimes' dish was the Brandade de Morue, in Alsace, the "Saur kraut" French style is a typical dish, in Marseille, the Bouillabaisse, in Toulouse, the Cassoulet, in Brittany, the crepes, in Montelimar, the nougat, in the Bethmale Valley in Ariege, you can try a Croustade, in Savoie: tartiflette, cheese fondue or raclette, in Burgundy, meat fondue, in Grenoble, a Gratin Dauphinois, in the Gers, foie gras...Even wines, spirits and cheeses are specific to regions. Roquefort comes from the town of Roquefort, Champagne from the champagne region, Cognac from the town of cognac, Munster from the town of Munster, etc...etc...
However, it looks like there is some common factors to a Provencal Christmas meal. I can certainly talk about what I was served on that day.
The aperitif would be served with some pastis, muscat or port wine. At times, a kir.
There would be toasts with tapenade (salty olive paste); others with butter and anchovies, some olives with herbs and cheese cubes. Grilled sardines in the fireplace could complete the picture.
The starter would be served with a white wine from the North: Pouilly Fouisse. In our case, it consisted of a humongous tray of seafood, fished earlier during the day. Sea urchins, oysters, "violets" - whatever that is, prawns, and other various shells. Served with lemon and buttered bread.
We then continued onto the Foie Gras distribution, with another type of bread and no butter and a glass of Sauternes.
Courageously moving onto the main course: lamb with rissolees chestnuts, warm apple compote and green beans with herbs. Wine is now a red northen wine, from Burgundy. A Pommard for instance or a Gigondas.
The Cheese tray is served with lettuce and contains a least a dozen of different types of cheeses. Wine is a red Bordeaux, a Saint Julien.
I heard about the Buche Glacee as a typical mix between cake and ice cream for Christmas but in Provence, there were 13 desserts.
Dried fruits (figs, dates, prunes), fresh fruits: Christmas white grapes, two types of nougat (white and black with caramel), oranges, almonds, hazel nuts...
Among these 13 desserts was the typical Provencal cake, sold only on Christmas day: The Pompe. Ours had a slight taste of anisede.
Wine is champagne.
Quite a feast. Bon Appetit.
Aix-en-Provence is a lovely little city near the Mount Sainte Victoire, painted for eternity by a painter of colors: Paul Cezanne. In fact, what struck me in Provence was the incredible intensity and palette of colors. The sky seems to have a unique blue color, the hues are everything but timid and the acute contrasts hurt the novice eye. It is not surprising to me that Vincent Van Gogh was attracted by the beauty of the region.
The markets full of fruits and vegetables push out shades of yellows and reds over to everyone's basket, the sunburt faces of the fishermen of Marseille cut through the palor of the fresh fish lying in front of them. The eyes of the farmers and their arms open wide in front of their apron seem to invite everyone to the most delicious meal.
The region offers a splendid rocky coast, as if carved by the hand of God. The sea is so blue with deep turquoise patches and the cliffs are so powerfully colorful.
Food is fantastic too: go for a Bouillabaisse in the Panier quarter in Marseille, enjoy a pastis on the Canebiere, fill your memories with the most stunning view over the Bay from Notre Dame De La Garde, discover the castle in which the Iron Mask and the Count of Monte Cristo were imprisoned on the island of the Chateau d'If. Get a taste of the succulent Calissons d'Aix...
Take your meal to the beachfront. Sit in the sun and watch it die behind the horizon line.
In a word. Enjoy.
The markets full of fruits and vegetables push out shades of yellows and reds over to everyone's basket, the sunburt faces of the fishermen of Marseille cut through the palor of the fresh fish lying in front of them. The eyes of the farmers and their arms open wide in front of their apron seem to invite everyone to the most delicious meal.
The region offers a splendid rocky coast, as if carved by the hand of God. The sea is so blue with deep turquoise patches and the cliffs are so powerfully colorful.
Food is fantastic too: go for a Bouillabaisse in the Panier quarter in Marseille, enjoy a pastis on the Canebiere, fill your memories with the most stunning view over the Bay from Notre Dame De La Garde, discover the castle in which the Iron Mask and the Count of Monte Cristo were imprisoned on the island of the Chateau d'If. Get a taste of the succulent Calissons d'Aix...
Take your meal to the beachfront. Sit in the sun and watch it die behind the horizon line.
In a word. Enjoy.
Sunday, January 04, 2004
Outside temperature today is 28 degrees Celsius with 79% humidity, scattered clouds and a nice breeze. I live at the very top of a tower with a stunning view over the Singapore skyline, pools and fountains, lazy parks, a barbecue area, a karaoke center, a Home Theater room and a gym. I am sharing with a German January student and an American student on an exchange program. Quite a change from a vast old house in the woods.
Everything is clean. Everything is modern. Everything if functional. Everybody is polite. In fact, even the security guards seems to be there only to wave graciously at us and bid us a good evening.
INSEAD campus is smaller than the Fonty one, although you can easily recognize it as it's got the same couple of cranes and construction work.
I heard that chewing gum is a crime here and that the police don't like kidding around with the law. So we all are avoiding crossing outside of zebra crossings, when the light is green, walking on grassy patches...I smile at our ignorance but there is always a question in the back of our mind: is this allowed?
The city feels very safe. Crime rates are among the lowest in the world.
Most of the residence is full of INSEAD students. Everyone was reading tomorrow's case at the pool. We are all meeting for a barbecue party tonight. Professors teach in shorts.
Food is fantastic - and cheap. Mc Donald's is on the upper hand of the price range.
I feel like I have booked myself on some Club Med package. The reality of school has not hit hard yet and the whole place looks like a dream.
Everything is clean. Everything is modern. Everything if functional. Everybody is polite. In fact, even the security guards seems to be there only to wave graciously at us and bid us a good evening.
INSEAD campus is smaller than the Fonty one, although you can easily recognize it as it's got the same couple of cranes and construction work.
I heard that chewing gum is a crime here and that the police don't like kidding around with the law. So we all are avoiding crossing outside of zebra crossings, when the light is green, walking on grassy patches...I smile at our ignorance but there is always a question in the back of our mind: is this allowed?
The city feels very safe. Crime rates are among the lowest in the world.
Most of the residence is full of INSEAD students. Everyone was reading tomorrow's case at the pool. We are all meeting for a barbecue party tonight. Professors teach in shorts.
Food is fantastic - and cheap. Mc Donald's is on the upper hand of the price range.
I feel like I have booked myself on some Club Med package. The reality of school has not hit hard yet and the whole place looks like a dream.
I will write more about holiday in Southern France but I must also begin to report about my Singaporean experience.
After eating nice perlardon cheese, with a local Pain de Campagne, accompanied by a lovely local wine; loosely dressed in T-shirt; facing the immensity of the Mediterranean sea and the surreal landscape of Marseille bay; cosily warmed up by a gentle winter sun, I threw myself into the harshness of a cold, misty and snowy Paris for one evening before taking off to Singapore.
I had mentioned that my original flight got cancelled. I was re-routed on a Singapore Airline direct flight from Paris. I spent my last evening in France eating out with a friend. Asian food for a pre-viewing of what awaits me. I will be arriving shortly before the Chinese New Year celebrations.
I had never flown Singapore Airlines but if my flight is anything to go by, I'd happily recommend it to anyone. The place was elegantly decorated for the holiday, the flight attendance wore delicate and colorful Asian dresses and were extremely helpful. The food was plentiful and nice - that is by airline standards. There was a choice of 29 movies, non stop for the entire duration of the flight (compared to an average of 6 with United...) and they were all on demand: one can pause, rewind, fast forward at any time. Blockbusters, favorites, showcase and international were the four movie categories. Music choices were extremely good and varied as well.
I got to Singapore at 7.30am, Singapore time. I would have to stay up for another long day.
It is time for a deep comment.
Fontainebleau was cold and cloudy when I left. Singapore is hot and sunny. Both places were humid.
After eating nice perlardon cheese, with a local Pain de Campagne, accompanied by a lovely local wine; loosely dressed in T-shirt; facing the immensity of the Mediterranean sea and the surreal landscape of Marseille bay; cosily warmed up by a gentle winter sun, I threw myself into the harshness of a cold, misty and snowy Paris for one evening before taking off to Singapore.
I had mentioned that my original flight got cancelled. I was re-routed on a Singapore Airline direct flight from Paris. I spent my last evening in France eating out with a friend. Asian food for a pre-viewing of what awaits me. I will be arriving shortly before the Chinese New Year celebrations.
I had never flown Singapore Airlines but if my flight is anything to go by, I'd happily recommend it to anyone. The place was elegantly decorated for the holiday, the flight attendance wore delicate and colorful Asian dresses and were extremely helpful. The food was plentiful and nice - that is by airline standards. There was a choice of 29 movies, non stop for the entire duration of the flight (compared to an average of 6 with United...) and they were all on demand: one can pause, rewind, fast forward at any time. Blockbusters, favorites, showcase and international were the four movie categories. Music choices were extremely good and varied as well.
I got to Singapore at 7.30am, Singapore time. I would have to stay up for another long day.
It is time for a deep comment.
Fontainebleau was cold and cloudy when I left. Singapore is hot and sunny. Both places were humid.
I mentioned earlier on the automatic system for speed control in France, which systematically checks every single vehicle on the road, measures quite accurately its speed and mails you a fine within 48hrs, asking you to pay within 3 days.
The system locates your address using the registration number of your car.
According to national news, a farmer in central France received a fine for speeding (150km/h - the limitation on the highway is 130km/hr) and linked to his tractor!!!! I know that John Deere does wonders but I certainly had not heard of this model!
The system locates your address using the registration number of your car.
According to national news, a farmer in central France received a fine for speeding (150km/h - the limitation on the highway is 130km/hr) and linked to his tractor!!!! I know that John Deere does wonders but I certainly had not heard of this model!
I talked to some locals in France, and pending any misunderstanding on my part, since the conversation took place in the language of Moliere, I can report about what Southern France's specimen nicknamed the "Luberonisation". While most economists agree on the benefits of trade liberalization, open frontiers and globalization, it is worth noting its impact on a certain class of people.
The Luberon is a lovely region, in the back country of Southern France, with gentle slopes, green woods, picturesque stone villages, engaging bell towers. All in all, a pleasant countryside. Most of its characters stems from the dominant agricultural activity. Most of its charms comes from the climate and the laid back way of life that characterizes this region.
This was not to go unnoticed. Most of the wealthier German, English and Dutch nomenclatura had heard of the beauty of the place, the peace of the hills and the happiness of its peasants. In search of tranquility, of authenticity, or of memories, these people bought out old houses, renovated them, turned them into mansions. They now spend a lot of vacation time in the region, and some of them are planning to retire there.
This had other consequences. Prices of houses sky rocketed, driving out all of the locals who could not afford them. It also drove out the peasants, small "artisans" and all the people who largely contributed to the cultural specificity of the place.
The Luberon now almost completely lacks professional activity as most of the houses belong to people that are either retired or come there for vacation. Its growth propescts are slim since prices are very high and drive out most businesses. The fun part is also gone as it has become a dull place to live in. The smiles on the local faces went away with their bearer.
The Southern coast of France, which I once visited many many years ago was very wild, colorful and noble. As the French Riviera got overbuilt, construction companies extended their reach to the entire coastline. I came back to hotels, resorts, and loads loads loads of villas, not always well designed, not always lost in vegetation. In many cases, they cut access to the sea, although all beaches are meant to be accessible and public, as the first 6m beyond the sea is what is called "Le Chemin Des Douaniers", the path of the custom officers. Tourism and residence building has become a major industry in the region, driving out locals from Aix en Provence and Montpellier. The TGV allows people to work in Lyon and even Paris and live in the South of France. A country with two development speeds? A nature in trouble? A great opportunity for highly paid Parisian bankers? Good news for the French tourism industry?
Sad reality or necessity of our time? I welcome your comments.
The Luberon is a lovely region, in the back country of Southern France, with gentle slopes, green woods, picturesque stone villages, engaging bell towers. All in all, a pleasant countryside. Most of its characters stems from the dominant agricultural activity. Most of its charms comes from the climate and the laid back way of life that characterizes this region.
This was not to go unnoticed. Most of the wealthier German, English and Dutch nomenclatura had heard of the beauty of the place, the peace of the hills and the happiness of its peasants. In search of tranquility, of authenticity, or of memories, these people bought out old houses, renovated them, turned them into mansions. They now spend a lot of vacation time in the region, and some of them are planning to retire there.
This had other consequences. Prices of houses sky rocketed, driving out all of the locals who could not afford them. It also drove out the peasants, small "artisans" and all the people who largely contributed to the cultural specificity of the place.
The Luberon now almost completely lacks professional activity as most of the houses belong to people that are either retired or come there for vacation. Its growth propescts are slim since prices are very high and drive out most businesses. The fun part is also gone as it has become a dull place to live in. The smiles on the local faces went away with their bearer.
The Southern coast of France, which I once visited many many years ago was very wild, colorful and noble. As the French Riviera got overbuilt, construction companies extended their reach to the entire coastline. I came back to hotels, resorts, and loads loads loads of villas, not always well designed, not always lost in vegetation. In many cases, they cut access to the sea, although all beaches are meant to be accessible and public, as the first 6m beyond the sea is what is called "Le Chemin Des Douaniers", the path of the custom officers. Tourism and residence building has become a major industry in the region, driving out locals from Aix en Provence and Montpellier. The TGV allows people to work in Lyon and even Paris and live in the South of France. A country with two development speeds? A nature in trouble? A great opportunity for highly paid Parisian bankers? Good news for the French tourism industry?
Sad reality or necessity of our time? I welcome your comments.
Saturday, January 03, 2004
There is this thing about the French and food...The French always seem to have some sort of wine or food celebration going on. Recently it was the Beaujolais nouveau, then Christmas comes with its shares of gargantua-like meals, then the New Year with rivers of champagne flooding dining room floors, followed by the Epiphany with its gateau des Roix, the Chandeleur with a crepes only evening and much much more to come, I am sure...
My globe trotter habits led me to Nimes, nicknamed the French Rome because of the presence of 7 hills around the gaullic city founded some 3000 years A.D.
Nîmes most prestigious history dates from the time when it was a colony under Latin law. The Emporer Octavius, who later became Augustus, defeated Cleopatra and Marc-Anthony at Actium in 30 BC. He ordered a special coin to be minted representing his victories in Egypt and the accession of the emperor to the colony of Nemausus.
The crocodile and palm tree became the symbol of the Roman town of Nîmes at this time as they represented this victory and the battle fought on African land at Actium.
He took the name of Augustus and became Emperor. Instead of marching into Rome through a newly erected gate like all his predecessors, he entered Nimes through the Augustus' Gate - still up in the city, close to the Eglise des Carmes. This caused a bit of a stir in Rome, and a big scandal at the Senate and Augustus only used Nimes as his main gaullic residence, which in turn upset everyone with an official title in Laugdanum (Lyon), the Roman capital of France at the time. There is another statue of a Roman Emperor in Nimes, which if my memory does not betray me is Constantin.
The status of colony under Latin law, gave the town its own authority. Ramparts were constructed and from the 1st century AD, prestigious monuments were built :
the Maison Carré (main temple on the forum, still visited today and host of many exhibitions), the theatre, the Temple of Diane, an aqueduct for channelling water from the Eure spring near Uzes (Pont du Gard).
At the end of the first century, the amphitheatre (Coliseum) was built, asserting the regional importance of the Roman colony. This Coliseum is still in use today for many concerts and bullfights as Nimes now has a hispanic character and offers Ferias with abrivados, bullfights, bodegas, etc...
The city is full of Roman remains (in fact whenever something new is built, all construction work is blocked for a good year to allow ample time to study ruins below the city) and artefacts and definitely offers an impressive palette of monuments. Every stone seems to have a story.
In addition to this, the Jardins de La Fontaine, large Renaissance gardens, designed by Le Notre, the same architect as the one drawing the map of the Versailles castle park, and its surrounding hills gives the traveler a glimpse of Tuscan Italy. The cathedral is carved out of a wonderful Roman style. In general, as one wanders in the street, one is bound to bump into some architectural wonder, a beautiful garden, a splendid church, a small and engaging latin-looking street.
This region was largely protestant and became a prime spot for the Sun King's army: The Dragons, sent out to exterminate the "Huguenots" after the revocation of the Edit de Nantes (previously signed by Henry IV who converted from protestantism to catholicism when crowned King of France, as the French Law only wanted catholic king). A famous protestant family from the region (Cevennes) who emigrated to the United States roundabout that time is the Roquefeuille family. The Anglo Saxons could not pronounce this name properly and deformed it into Rockefeller.
What Nimes seems to lack is the strong presence of a future-looking industry, which some people argue is beneficial as it prevented exponential growth which would have destroyed this spirit of small town. The city shares its universities and schools/lycees with neighbouring Montpellier which is demographically and economically exploding.
A stop that I can recommend to anyone in love with old stones impregnated with stories.
Nîmes most prestigious history dates from the time when it was a colony under Latin law. The Emporer Octavius, who later became Augustus, defeated Cleopatra and Marc-Anthony at Actium in 30 BC. He ordered a special coin to be minted representing his victories in Egypt and the accession of the emperor to the colony of Nemausus.
The crocodile and palm tree became the symbol of the Roman town of Nîmes at this time as they represented this victory and the battle fought on African land at Actium.
He took the name of Augustus and became Emperor. Instead of marching into Rome through a newly erected gate like all his predecessors, he entered Nimes through the Augustus' Gate - still up in the city, close to the Eglise des Carmes. This caused a bit of a stir in Rome, and a big scandal at the Senate and Augustus only used Nimes as his main gaullic residence, which in turn upset everyone with an official title in Laugdanum (Lyon), the Roman capital of France at the time. There is another statue of a Roman Emperor in Nimes, which if my memory does not betray me is Constantin.
The status of colony under Latin law, gave the town its own authority. Ramparts were constructed and from the 1st century AD, prestigious monuments were built :
the Maison Carré (main temple on the forum, still visited today and host of many exhibitions), the theatre, the Temple of Diane, an aqueduct for channelling water from the Eure spring near Uzes (Pont du Gard).
At the end of the first century, the amphitheatre (Coliseum) was built, asserting the regional importance of the Roman colony. This Coliseum is still in use today for many concerts and bullfights as Nimes now has a hispanic character and offers Ferias with abrivados, bullfights, bodegas, etc...
The city is full of Roman remains (in fact whenever something new is built, all construction work is blocked for a good year to allow ample time to study ruins below the city) and artefacts and definitely offers an impressive palette of monuments. Every stone seems to have a story.
In addition to this, the Jardins de La Fontaine, large Renaissance gardens, designed by Le Notre, the same architect as the one drawing the map of the Versailles castle park, and its surrounding hills gives the traveler a glimpse of Tuscan Italy. The cathedral is carved out of a wonderful Roman style. In general, as one wanders in the street, one is bound to bump into some architectural wonder, a beautiful garden, a splendid church, a small and engaging latin-looking street.
This region was largely protestant and became a prime spot for the Sun King's army: The Dragons, sent out to exterminate the "Huguenots" after the revocation of the Edit de Nantes (previously signed by Henry IV who converted from protestantism to catholicism when crowned King of France, as the French Law only wanted catholic king). A famous protestant family from the region (Cevennes) who emigrated to the United States roundabout that time is the Roquefeuille family. The Anglo Saxons could not pronounce this name properly and deformed it into Rockefeller.
What Nimes seems to lack is the strong presence of a future-looking industry, which some people argue is beneficial as it prevented exponential growth which would have destroyed this spirit of small town. The city shares its universities and schools/lycees with neighbouring Montpellier which is demographically and economically exploding.
A stop that I can recommend to anyone in love with old stones impregnated with stories.
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Saturday, December 20, 2003
I have finally made it to the South of France - relaxing mild temperatures. The entire country was supposed to go skiing this weekend but the highways were surprisingly empty.
The country has put in place a very sophisticated speed radar system. Logs your speed and mails you a fine within 48 hrs. Highly accurate and completely automatic. Beware.
I still have a ton of things to do before I head off to Singapore - and I need to worry about Xmas organization now.
Happy Sunday everybody!
The country has put in place a very sophisticated speed radar system. Logs your speed and mails you a fine within 48 hrs. Highly accurate and completely automatic. Beware.
I still have a ton of things to do before I head off to Singapore - and I need to worry about Xmas organization now.
Happy Sunday everybody!
Friday, December 19, 2003
Thursday, December 18, 2003
Fascism:
you have two cows. the government take both, hire you to take care of them and
sell you the milk.
***************************************************************
Although whenever I update my To Do list, I seem to increase its size. I am slowly getting ready to leave Fontainebleau. Glancing over the low sun beams pouring a timid touch of light across the trees of the forest, the thought of the end of P2 is slowly sinking. I feel sad and ecstatic at the same time. Sad to leave so many good friends, so wonderful and extraordinary people. Sad at not been able to phone them up for a quick drink at the creperie in Rue Grande, for a long walk in the forest. Ecstatic at the idea to discover a whole new world, to open the door to more possibilities, more faces and more stories.
My travel agent called. My flight to Singapore got cancelled. The airline is trying to find me another flight, leaving after the 1st of January. My ticket is obviously unchanged. I already have a train booked at some ungodly hour in the morning to return to Paris on New Year's Day but I will just hang out with friends in the capital. A lot of people from INSEAD will celebrate the New Year on the Champs Elysees. Hopefully, in the process, I will get a direct flight instead of some clumsy Paris-Amsterdam-Hong Kong-Singapore hula hoop.
Nice goodbye party - even professors were attending it, playing around like the rest of us, happy bunch.
Nice Christmas decorations.
A time to recoil in peace, take a deep breathe before plunging again into the magic of the program.
I have a couple more meals to go with my mates before I can officially say that P2 is over.
I am also quite shameful frankly at not having yet taken the time to visit the Chateau in Fontainebleau, a marvellous piece of architecture. Something that I must remedy before I leave. Tomorrow will be as good a day for a bath in culture as any other day.
you have two cows. the government take both, hire you to take care of them and
sell you the milk.
***************************************************************
Although whenever I update my To Do list, I seem to increase its size. I am slowly getting ready to leave Fontainebleau. Glancing over the low sun beams pouring a timid touch of light across the trees of the forest, the thought of the end of P2 is slowly sinking. I feel sad and ecstatic at the same time. Sad to leave so many good friends, so wonderful and extraordinary people. Sad at not been able to phone them up for a quick drink at the creperie in Rue Grande, for a long walk in the forest. Ecstatic at the idea to discover a whole new world, to open the door to more possibilities, more faces and more stories.
My travel agent called. My flight to Singapore got cancelled. The airline is trying to find me another flight, leaving after the 1st of January. My ticket is obviously unchanged. I already have a train booked at some ungodly hour in the morning to return to Paris on New Year's Day but I will just hang out with friends in the capital. A lot of people from INSEAD will celebrate the New Year on the Champs Elysees. Hopefully, in the process, I will get a direct flight instead of some clumsy Paris-Amsterdam-Hong Kong-Singapore hula hoop.
Nice goodbye party - even professors were attending it, playing around like the rest of us, happy bunch.
Nice Christmas decorations.
A time to recoil in peace, take a deep breathe before plunging again into the magic of the program.
I have a couple more meals to go with my mates before I can officially say that P2 is over.
I am also quite shameful frankly at not having yet taken the time to visit the Chateau in Fontainebleau, a marvellous piece of architecture. Something that I must remedy before I leave. Tomorrow will be as good a day for a bath in culture as any other day.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Some of the Januaries are already here for math courses so it feels like I should drop a note about ythe first week. You will be completely swamped with administrative things to do, although the school is extremely helpful and will direct you into all sorts of directions. You will be surprised at the weight of your course pack, the weight of knowledge.
Most importantly, you will start to get a feel for what INSEAD is about. You will be amazed at the international diversity around. Make sure that you do not miss out on this fantastic aspect of the school. THIS is what you cannot replicate anywhere else in the world. This is UNIQUE. What INSEAD gives you is much more than a mark on a piece of paper with the Dean's signature at the bottom. It is much more than a set of tools. INSEAD is an open door to the world. It gives you the wildest ride around the globe.
Do step into this community. Be mad. Be bold. Use the network.
As for me, I am stepping out for a little while. After our FANTASTIC section champagne party yesterday, a very short night, numerous drinks, lunches and dinners that I have gone through in the last 24 hrs or so, it is time for a break.
Most importantly, you will start to get a feel for what INSEAD is about. You will be amazed at the international diversity around. Make sure that you do not miss out on this fantastic aspect of the school. THIS is what you cannot replicate anywhere else in the world. This is UNIQUE. What INSEAD gives you is much more than a mark on a piece of paper with the Dean's signature at the bottom. It is much more than a set of tools. INSEAD is an open door to the world. It gives you the wildest ride around the globe.
Do step into this community. Be mad. Be bold. Use the network.
As for me, I am stepping out for a little while. After our FANTASTIC section champagne party yesterday, a very short night, numerous drinks, lunches and dinners that I have gone through in the last 24 hrs or so, it is time for a break.
I have had an unexpected conversation with someone whom I respect greatly. Someone notorious in his field. Someone who has opened a new field of opportunities for me to get lost in. Has anyone ever felt in possession of something precious, something easy, something that you hold in your hands but that the wind wants to blow away. A permanent gift that you must make available to everyone.
A writer is like a painter who paints figures for ever. Every minute of his life, a writer goes to the simplest word, to a field to cut some grass. A house is not four walls nor a fence but the book of a day, of an hour. Where something, where anything can disappear - where anything can come back. When your eyes leave the book, they should go out and meet somebody else's eyes, feel surprised in a garden, bite into some fruits.
Words have a voice that you can hear from far away.
I have lit a few candles. I am all concentrated in the smoke of these little fires.
What would I do in a world where questions wage war in cold hotel rooms, where faces are damped by the neon lights? What would I do in a world where nobody ever ponders at the moon, where no inner agitation comes forward? I can't dwell in a silent ravine, home of hectic whispers. Ugliness must end like the crackled song of a word with no history. Voices can confidently kill its echo away.
A writer is like a painter who paints figures for ever. Every minute of his life, a writer goes to the simplest word, to a field to cut some grass. A house is not four walls nor a fence but the book of a day, of an hour. Where something, where anything can disappear - where anything can come back. When your eyes leave the book, they should go out and meet somebody else's eyes, feel surprised in a garden, bite into some fruits.
Words have a voice that you can hear from far away.
I have lit a few candles. I am all concentrated in the smoke of these little fires.
What would I do in a world where questions wage war in cold hotel rooms, where faces are damped by the neon lights? What would I do in a world where nobody ever ponders at the moon, where no inner agitation comes forward? I can't dwell in a silent ravine, home of hectic whispers. Ugliness must end like the crackled song of a word with no history. Voices can confidently kill its echo away.
Monday, December 15, 2003
Finance down.
It felt like I was writing a dissertation rather than pumping up numbers through my calculators. I could do the maths and I am supposed to be good at blah blahbing but I am not sure that I can tell which way share prices are supposed to go if you mess up with some arbitrary data. This exams was a lot about intuition. If you lack intuition, you had better be a good politician.
Finance exam was OB Re-loaded:
Structural Lens: please price this two-year European Call Option using some blah blah nuymbers, and tell me whether you can fight back OPEC using forward contracts to hedge against oil price variations
Cultural Lens: if you were an investment banker, how would you value this? What would you suggest in terms of capital structure? If you were an investor, by how much do you think you would be exploited if the firm raises equity for this new investment? If they go for a debt more senior to the one that you are currently holding? When should you start jumping out of the boat and run for your life?
Political Lens: how many words can you use to talk your way through a subject you have no clue about while managing to sound interesting, concise and clear - and oh so intelligent that even your expert audience cannot get to your point.
Apart from that, I vote it the most creative exam of this series in terms of name invention: Mr Entrylevel does not qualify for Executive Stock Options (poor guy, he has to go through the trouble of calculating the replicating portfolio using company stock and riskfree borrowing), the company Vidivendi (in a lot of trouble right now) was in desperate need of your help as it tried to alter its payout policy and introduce some dividend payments, before the CEO heads off to jail, you need a statistics tutor to deal with the up and down factors of call options on the shares of Heteroskedasticity Inc and Nofrills airlines was facing tough competition from Fixedwing.
The most unimaginative name was Start Up Inc, an "entrepreneurial company" contemplating the most common problems to all startups: raising funds. How about "launch pad", "Fresh Start", "Naive Illusion", "Short Lived Hope", "Apply for an MBA"...ok. Maybe not.
So, keeping all options open, if the cum-dividend price of the share of you debt remains at $43,000 / 5 periods, how many drinks can you buy at the local bar to drown your disappointment at receiving an INSEAD warrant calling you again, in the futures, to buyback your pride and put up a fight against equity again. Alternatively, you are proposed to issue a tender cash offer to smooth the edges and hedge your bet.
This cash offer will be fairly priced as a forward contract with a finance professor to agree on a strike mark beforehand, at the beginning of the period. Or used to buy a call option on grades and exercise it only if it falls above 2.5. After all, the assumptions for BlackScholes states that the expected returns of stocks are normally distributed, our z-curve will nicely do the job.
Maybe I just straddled, making grand plans about being a finance wizard and not doing enough about it...
It felt like I was writing a dissertation rather than pumping up numbers through my calculators. I could do the maths and I am supposed to be good at blah blahbing but I am not sure that I can tell which way share prices are supposed to go if you mess up with some arbitrary data. This exams was a lot about intuition. If you lack intuition, you had better be a good politician.
Finance exam was OB Re-loaded:
Structural Lens: please price this two-year European Call Option using some blah blah nuymbers, and tell me whether you can fight back OPEC using forward contracts to hedge against oil price variations
Cultural Lens: if you were an investment banker, how would you value this? What would you suggest in terms of capital structure? If you were an investor, by how much do you think you would be exploited if the firm raises equity for this new investment? If they go for a debt more senior to the one that you are currently holding? When should you start jumping out of the boat and run for your life?
Political Lens: how many words can you use to talk your way through a subject you have no clue about while managing to sound interesting, concise and clear - and oh so intelligent that even your expert audience cannot get to your point.
Apart from that, I vote it the most creative exam of this series in terms of name invention: Mr Entrylevel does not qualify for Executive Stock Options (poor guy, he has to go through the trouble of calculating the replicating portfolio using company stock and riskfree borrowing), the company Vidivendi (in a lot of trouble right now) was in desperate need of your help as it tried to alter its payout policy and introduce some dividend payments, before the CEO heads off to jail, you need a statistics tutor to deal with the up and down factors of call options on the shares of Heteroskedasticity Inc and Nofrills airlines was facing tough competition from Fixedwing.
The most unimaginative name was Start Up Inc, an "entrepreneurial company" contemplating the most common problems to all startups: raising funds. How about "launch pad", "Fresh Start", "Naive Illusion", "Short Lived Hope", "Apply for an MBA"...ok. Maybe not.
So, keeping all options open, if the cum-dividend price of the share of you debt remains at $43,000 / 5 periods, how many drinks can you buy at the local bar to drown your disappointment at receiving an INSEAD warrant calling you again, in the futures, to buyback your pride and put up a fight against equity again. Alternatively, you are proposed to issue a tender cash offer to smooth the edges and hedge your bet.
This cash offer will be fairly priced as a forward contract with a finance professor to agree on a strike mark beforehand, at the beginning of the period. Or used to buy a call option on grades and exercise it only if it falls above 2.5. After all, the assumptions for BlackScholes states that the expected returns of stocks are normally distributed, our z-curve will nicely do the job.
Maybe I just straddled, making grand plans about being a finance wizard and not doing enough about it...
Sunday, December 14, 2003
Sunday afternoon. Studying finance at the library with a bunch of other monkeys. Not much to write about. One last little effort. Exams are coming to a close. Break is looming up on the horizon. I have decided to spend Christmas in Southern France before heading off to Asia. I heard that they eat 13 different desserts on Christmas Eve to symbolize Christ and his 12 apostles.
Section Champagne party planned on evening of last exam - everyone that is caught with a cell phone ringing in class must donate a champagne bottle to the section, including professors. We all get together at the end of every period to drink them all! Was invited to dinner last night but found myself so crunched with revision work that I could not attend. Pity because it was organized by one of the students that I most admire in the school for his breadth of experience, his audacity, his width of knowledge, kindness and pure brain power. He won't be going to Singapore and isn't in my section so he'll be heading off to another section champagne party. That dinner would have been a great way to say goodbye.
Section Champagne party planned on evening of last exam - everyone that is caught with a cell phone ringing in class must donate a champagne bottle to the section, including professors. We all get together at the end of every period to drink them all! Was invited to dinner last night but found myself so crunched with revision work that I could not attend. Pity because it was organized by one of the students that I most admire in the school for his breadth of experience, his audacity, his width of knowledge, kindness and pure brain power. He won't be going to Singapore and isn't in my section so he'll be heading off to another section champagne party. That dinner would have been a great way to say goodbye.
Friday, December 12, 2003
Speaking of creperie, we met with a friend at Te-Koz, a tiny creperie downtown Fontainebleau. It is run by a couple of elderly people, out of their living-room. I really like this kind of restaurant. Profits clearly are not the main motivation for these people, as I doubt that they are making much money with the few scattered tables around the lot. However, the atmosphere was so warm that it transported me into rural Brittany at the beginning of the century. Yet, the charm was broken by the loud conversation roaming in English over the vapors of Cidre Brut and of crepes flambees. Back to INSEAD - joyful faces, wild smiles, brilliant minds. Gossips.
How hard will it be to get back to a real life?
How hard will it be to get back to a real life?
Where I stand now can be summarized in one word: WEEKEND.
During the MAC Exam, there must have been some really tricky word because a whole continuous string of French people walked down to check something in the dictionary made available by the proctor. They probably also all got to that question at the same time. At times, the MAC Exam felt like MacDonald's as I was surrounded by munching and crunching noises. Some people just cannot get away without food for three hours.
What else can I say about this exam? I finished it - although I am totally unsure about the validity of any numerical result that I have written down. Like the Price and Market exam, I must have swum in ignorance dressed up in realistic thinking. The general feeling is that it was quite bad for most people, so I am not too hopeful. One peek at the newspaper reminds me that it is only an exam. Nothing to really worry about.
On the surface, it was a very fair exam, all questions addressed points that we had covered in class; some transfer pricing decisions to achieve goal congruence, some product portfolio decision and an illustration that product profitability cannot be completely assessed by just any costing system. Some activity-based, practical capacity, proportonality and death spiral inter-twined with a touch of subtility in how the numbers were presented to get to actual capacity, Overhead rates, etc...
OB Exam: I will not spend any time mulling over it, as my condition of facilitator, random help and conclusion writer did not allow for all perspectives. One of my groupmate has perfectly summarized this exam in the e-mail header that she fired to all of us:
I quote: "final copy - nice one team. never enjoyed an exam so much"
It brought back vivid industry memories though...
PoM Exam: from everybody's account, it was an easy exam - which is no good news for anyone worrying about the z-curve. There again, only what we covered in class in its plainest form. Quality Control, Supply Chain and Inventory Management and Process Improvement, Little's Law, Wait Times, etc...etc...
As my housemate would put it, the most important characteristic of this week's exams is that they are all past.
Finance and Strategy left over for me. I got invited to an accreditation dinner on Monday night, whatever that is...The section is meeting for drinks tonight. I might extract my brain from heavy option payoff diagrams and pay a visit to this creperie.
During the MAC Exam, there must have been some really tricky word because a whole continuous string of French people walked down to check something in the dictionary made available by the proctor. They probably also all got to that question at the same time. At times, the MAC Exam felt like MacDonald's as I was surrounded by munching and crunching noises. Some people just cannot get away without food for three hours.
What else can I say about this exam? I finished it - although I am totally unsure about the validity of any numerical result that I have written down. Like the Price and Market exam, I must have swum in ignorance dressed up in realistic thinking. The general feeling is that it was quite bad for most people, so I am not too hopeful. One peek at the newspaper reminds me that it is only an exam. Nothing to really worry about.
On the surface, it was a very fair exam, all questions addressed points that we had covered in class; some transfer pricing decisions to achieve goal congruence, some product portfolio decision and an illustration that product profitability cannot be completely assessed by just any costing system. Some activity-based, practical capacity, proportonality and death spiral inter-twined with a touch of subtility in how the numbers were presented to get to actual capacity, Overhead rates, etc...
OB Exam: I will not spend any time mulling over it, as my condition of facilitator, random help and conclusion writer did not allow for all perspectives. One of my groupmate has perfectly summarized this exam in the e-mail header that she fired to all of us:
I quote: "final copy - nice one team. never enjoyed an exam so much"
It brought back vivid industry memories though...
PoM Exam: from everybody's account, it was an easy exam - which is no good news for anyone worrying about the z-curve. There again, only what we covered in class in its plainest form. Quality Control, Supply Chain and Inventory Management and Process Improvement, Little's Law, Wait Times, etc...etc...
As my housemate would put it, the most important characteristic of this week's exams is that they are all past.
Finance and Strategy left over for me. I got invited to an accreditation dinner on Monday night, whatever that is...The section is meeting for drinks tonight. I might extract my brain from heavy option payoff diagrams and pay a visit to this creperie.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Two exams down, three more to go. Somehow, the significance of such exams have been extremely reduced by the pressing need to spend time with these people I care about, these people that I admire, these people that I respect. And these people that I might not see again after the three campus policy at INSEAD tears apart the promotion.
I have met with several of my friends, all turning down an offer for a drink - which is likely to be the tip of an unhappy iceberg. Courage friends. Keep your head up and continue to confidently march forward.
It is very difficult to know what to do in such situations. Call or not call.
Because these friends' responses are leaving me with bitter feelings, I will shorten this session to the bare minimum. I will write more about these exams tomorrow. I will finish off my revision with the last past exam paper before tomorrow's exam.
Maybe, I will call.
I have met with several of my friends, all turning down an offer for a drink - which is likely to be the tip of an unhappy iceberg. Courage friends. Keep your head up and continue to confidently march forward.
It is very difficult to know what to do in such situations. Call or not call.
Because these friends' responses are leaving me with bitter feelings, I will shorten this session to the bare minimum. I will write more about these exams tomorrow. I will finish off my revision with the last past exam paper before tomorrow's exam.
Maybe, I will call.
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
An extremely helpful reader has sent me the reference to an RSS feed for this blog. Quite a few people had requested that already so this person is very much echoing a popular demand.
I have somehow tried to include this link in the blog template but I am not quite sure whether this is helpful in any way. Here is the tip from this inspired and able reader.
http://feeds.blogstreet.com/27762.rss
You can also go to
http://blogstreet.com
Then enter the URL of this blog in the RSS Ecosystem tab, ticking the Discover RSS Feed for this blog box.
Many thanks.
If you have any comment about things that you'd like to read about, style suggestions, action suggestions (chats?), drop me a line. As our MAC professor would grandly put it: "I am here for you."
I have somehow tried to include this link in the blog template but I am not quite sure whether this is helpful in any way. Here is the tip from this inspired and able reader.
http://feeds.blogstreet.com/27762.rss
You can also go to
http://blogstreet.com
Then enter the URL of this blog in the RSS Ecosystem tab, ticking the Discover RSS Feed for this blog box.
Many thanks.
If you have any comment about things that you'd like to read about, style suggestions, action suggestions (chats?), drop me a line. As our MAC professor would grandly put it: "I am here for you."
Many e-mails were exchanged between my section mates as we are nearing the time of goodbies. I have selected one that I have received for your enjoyment. Possible exam question. Would the sender consider starting a blog?
"It was a dark and stormy night as O. sat down at his desk and went over his notes again. There was nothing to it... he'd have to retake POM, MACC and OB again. As he contemplated the half empty bottle in front of him, he sighed listlessly:
"Well", he thought, "it looks pretty dire from where I'm standing. I mean all these classes starting at 8:30... just couldn't do it. Then there were all these games, you know... How am I ever going to pass? how will I survive another exciting period?"
In desperation, he opened his designed desk drawer. Listen to the sound of quality... this was a 6-sigma piece of furniture, not this Ikea crap. He started to feel for the gun, a very special weapon indeed; it had been purchased from a multiple division arms dealer, a lean operation applying transfer pricing policy and operating at 80% of excess capacity. The positioning had been perfect: "The gun that won't let you down". The targetting... well... no need to comment. There was no way he was going to miss the shot... Still, he figured, just one more try...
O. calls you and asks for advice. What should he do?
Please provide your answer in font 12, double spaced. Make sure to consider what O's goal is and provide an analysis of his real options at this specific point in time. Examine the situation from all thirty seven perspectives covered in class.
Good Luck ; )"
"It was a dark and stormy night as O. sat down at his desk and went over his notes again. There was nothing to it... he'd have to retake POM, MACC and OB again. As he contemplated the half empty bottle in front of him, he sighed listlessly:
"Well", he thought, "it looks pretty dire from where I'm standing. I mean all these classes starting at 8:30... just couldn't do it. Then there were all these games, you know... How am I ever going to pass? how will I survive another exciting period?"
In desperation, he opened his designed desk drawer. Listen to the sound of quality... this was a 6-sigma piece of furniture, not this Ikea crap. He started to feel for the gun, a very special weapon indeed; it had been purchased from a multiple division arms dealer, a lean operation applying transfer pricing policy and operating at 80% of excess capacity. The positioning had been perfect: "The gun that won't let you down". The targetting... well... no need to comment. There was no way he was going to miss the shot... Still, he figured, just one more try...
O. calls you and asks for advice. What should he do?
Please provide your answer in font 12, double spaced. Make sure to consider what O's goal is and provide an analysis of his real options at this specific point in time. Examine the situation from all thirty seven perspectives covered in class.
Good Luck ; )"
Funny...
Every student has received an e-mail explaining the exam procedures. Exams start tomorrow (Leading Organizations, Managerial Accounting), Friday (Process and Operations Management), Monday (Finance, Marketing) and Tuesday (Strategy).
< beginning of quote>
Your P2 exam number is 1935601837465
Make sure you check which amphi it corresponds to using the table below:
Amphi P N° 1 to 43
Amphi B N° 84 to 153
Amphi C N° 154 to 193
Amphi D N° 194 to 233
Amphi BCG N° 234 to 275
Amphi H N° 276 to 289
Amphi F N° 290 to 303
Amphi O N° 329 to 370
Amphi E N° 371 to 391
Am I to infer that anyone with an exam number greater than 391 will receive a subsequent email pointing to an exam location
- on the Singaporean campus
- on the Wharton campus
- on the moon
The school quickly corrected it. Some people say that this should never have happened. I am not so severe. It is nice to have an opportunity to laugh in such hectic exam times.
Wish me luck.
Every student has received an e-mail explaining the exam procedures. Exams start tomorrow (Leading Organizations, Managerial Accounting), Friday (Process and Operations Management), Monday (Finance, Marketing) and Tuesday (Strategy).
< beginning of quote>
Your P2 exam number is 1935601837465
Make sure you check which amphi it corresponds to using the table below:
Amphi P N° 1 to 43
Amphi B N° 84 to 153
Amphi C N° 154 to 193
Amphi D N° 194 to 233
Amphi BCG N° 234 to 275
Amphi H N° 276 to 289
Amphi F N° 290 to 303
Amphi O N° 329 to 370
Amphi E N° 371 to 391
Am I to infer that anyone with an exam number greater than 391 will receive a subsequent email pointing to an exam location
- on the Singaporean campus
- on the Wharton campus
- on the moon
The school quickly corrected it. Some people say that this should never have happened. I am not so severe. It is nice to have an opportunity to laugh in such hectic exam times.
Wish me luck.
Zipping along the road to the beach...
Got my flight...and a big dent in my budget
Applied online for student VISA in Singapore - very efficient, quick and easy. A marvel of technology, this SOLAR system.
Got about 456 quotes from shipment companies but haven't had time to go through any of them yet
Still looking into housing.
On the housing front - I am proud to announce The Return Of The Plumber!
but we must persuade our cleaning lady to stay with us, as we left her in front of a closed door on Sunday, too absorbed by our revision, stuck in the library and totally oblivious of our obligations.
I was at the bar the other day and this video link with the Singapore campus bar is still active at odd hours (middle of the night in Singapore, I take most students were either -working ; - at the beach; - at a bar in town; - by the pool) and blasts away images of empty seats at some outrageous communication rate. Surely, this is not the best use of tuition fees. Why not keep such precious funds to encourage cross-fertilization between clubs and other cross-campus initiatives?
And kudos to the Sherlock Holmes Septembers who could identify the primate imposter.
Back to PoM revisions. Pretty Ostentatious Mess.
Got my flight...and a big dent in my budget
Applied online for student VISA in Singapore - very efficient, quick and easy. A marvel of technology, this SOLAR system.
Got about 456 quotes from shipment companies but haven't had time to go through any of them yet
Still looking into housing.
On the housing front - I am proud to announce The Return Of The Plumber!
but we must persuade our cleaning lady to stay with us, as we left her in front of a closed door on Sunday, too absorbed by our revision, stuck in the library and totally oblivious of our obligations.
I was at the bar the other day and this video link with the Singapore campus bar is still active at odd hours (middle of the night in Singapore, I take most students were either -working ; - at the beach; - at a bar in town; - by the pool) and blasts away images of empty seats at some outrageous communication rate. Surely, this is not the best use of tuition fees. Why not keep such precious funds to encourage cross-fertilization between clubs and other cross-campus initiatives?
And kudos to the Sherlock Holmes Septembers who could identify the primate imposter.
Back to PoM revisions. Pretty Ostentatious Mess.
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
I have handed in all my assignments. I am currently working on the exams that we have at the end of this week.
OB - after looooooooooaaaaaaaaaads of pizzas, my Italian co-writer and myself organized the essay according to the following structure: 1) present the role of a firm in society, mainly from an economics perspective, define the other actors in society (government, human capital) and stress the interactions between the various parties, all animated by a desire to grow and better themselves. loads of examples. 3) mention the fact that all this would be fine and dandy were it not for the fact that we operate in a close environment and that, humanity, like gas, start to be compressed in this limited volume. This already created the need for various "referees", putting themselves outside of the game and worrying on longer term perspectives. Examples. 4) given the reality of exponential and uncontrolled growth, incompatible with such limited resource, we touch upon another dimension of all the actors' responsibilities, around social and environmental aspects. Examples. 5) conclusion and proposal for the future.
Not much one can say in less than 6 pages but hey! Pizzas were good.
Latam - I benefited from reviews from someone working for the Bolivian government who has been extremely helpful. I met the person while travelling in Latin America for a few months. Our paper (written with a Bulgarian January student) has 4 parts: Background of Bolivia, history/geography/socio-politics (me); privatization of pension scheme: rational, initial results, problems and potential solutions (me); political problems caused by proposed gas exports through lifelong rival Chile to the US and Mexico, stirring a lot of emotions and causing the ousting of a president, problems and potential solutions (partner); problems linked with the Coca Eradication problems, led by the US - which leaves numerous peasants without a living and creates a lot of resentment toward Washington. Some 35 odd pages, quite complete and well documented. It was extremely interesting to take a macro-economics view but it came at the worst possible moment in the year as most of the research was done in the midst of exam revisions.
I also miss to see why this class is called "Strategy in Latam". From the contents, I would have simply said: "Latam".
Strategy - this was a group assignment. It was my turn to do the write up. subject was the new easyGroup venture: easyCinema. Industry analysis was not too difficult and we have become very efficient in working together as a group.
Finance - for efficiency reasons, some "experts" in our group have very largely contributed to this assignment...
I have done most of the past papers in MAC - that is, I have attempted to do most of the past papers in Managerial Accounting - apart from one which I am keeping for the day before the exam. I have prepared my A4 sheet which I might modify to add more examples.
I am working on Process Operations Management today.
We are meeting with the group to discuss how we will proceed for the OB exam, which is a 4-hour long exam, at the start of the series.
I will concentrate on Finance/Strategy after the first wave. Like our Finance professor puts it "I am assuming that you won't get till Finance until late, so I am offering to be on campus on Sunday afternoon to answer any of your questions".
Cold Clear Beautiful Winter Days.
OB - after looooooooooaaaaaaaaaads of pizzas, my Italian co-writer and myself organized the essay according to the following structure: 1) present the role of a firm in society, mainly from an economics perspective, define the other actors in society (government, human capital) and stress the interactions between the various parties, all animated by a desire to grow and better themselves. loads of examples. 3) mention the fact that all this would be fine and dandy were it not for the fact that we operate in a close environment and that, humanity, like gas, start to be compressed in this limited volume. This already created the need for various "referees", putting themselves outside of the game and worrying on longer term perspectives. Examples. 4) given the reality of exponential and uncontrolled growth, incompatible with such limited resource, we touch upon another dimension of all the actors' responsibilities, around social and environmental aspects. Examples. 5) conclusion and proposal for the future.
Not much one can say in less than 6 pages but hey! Pizzas were good.
Latam - I benefited from reviews from someone working for the Bolivian government who has been extremely helpful. I met the person while travelling in Latin America for a few months. Our paper (written with a Bulgarian January student) has 4 parts: Background of Bolivia, history/geography/socio-politics (me); privatization of pension scheme: rational, initial results, problems and potential solutions (me); political problems caused by proposed gas exports through lifelong rival Chile to the US and Mexico, stirring a lot of emotions and causing the ousting of a president, problems and potential solutions (partner); problems linked with the Coca Eradication problems, led by the US - which leaves numerous peasants without a living and creates a lot of resentment toward Washington. Some 35 odd pages, quite complete and well documented. It was extremely interesting to take a macro-economics view but it came at the worst possible moment in the year as most of the research was done in the midst of exam revisions.
I also miss to see why this class is called "Strategy in Latam". From the contents, I would have simply said: "Latam".
Strategy - this was a group assignment. It was my turn to do the write up. subject was the new easyGroup venture: easyCinema. Industry analysis was not too difficult and we have become very efficient in working together as a group.
Finance - for efficiency reasons, some "experts" in our group have very largely contributed to this assignment...
I have done most of the past papers in MAC - that is, I have attempted to do most of the past papers in Managerial Accounting - apart from one which I am keeping for the day before the exam. I have prepared my A4 sheet which I might modify to add more examples.
I am working on Process Operations Management today.
We are meeting with the group to discuss how we will proceed for the OB exam, which is a 4-hour long exam, at the start of the series.
I will concentrate on Finance/Strategy after the first wave. Like our Finance professor puts it "I am assuming that you won't get till Finance until late, so I am offering to be on campus on Sunday afternoon to answer any of your questions".
Cold Clear Beautiful Winter Days.
European Union Organisation Chart
in heaven :
policemen are english
cooks are french
bankers are belgian
dancers are spanish
lovers are italian
and it is all organized by germans
in hell :
policemen are french
cooks are english
bankers are spanish
dancers are belgian
lovers are german
and it is all organized by italians...
in heaven :
policemen are english
cooks are french
bankers are belgian
dancers are spanish
lovers are italian
and it is all organized by germans
in hell :
policemen are french
cooks are english
bankers are spanish
dancers are belgian
lovers are german
and it is all organized by italians...
Monday, December 08, 2003
In response to a comment about grades: see post dated Saturday, November 08, 2003 and Wednesday, October 15, 2003 (archive link) for an explanation. If anyone has any more questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail. I cannot speak for the administration, you would have to ask them directly and they are very clear and open about their position, this is a personal stance.
Grades are relative and normalized. 50% of the students will be below the INSEAD average, which is no reflection on their actual skills. The importance of grades is a very personal thing - and most people are clear about their position in this respect. I have found people very open and non fussy about their grades, and despite the competitive character that such a grading system confers to the school, everyone is being helpful to everyone else. In fact, given the level of excellence at the school, I was surprised at meeting such unassuming and easy-going people.
INSEAD does not disclose grades to the public, unless a student requests it in writing because a job offer is conditional on accessing his or her transcript. Traditionally, it seems that investment bankers have put more emphasis on grades than other sectors. I'd expect a good interviewer to be able to assess a candidate's potential without looking at grades which are a very artificial and poor representation of a complex human reality.
Grades are a useful means for Ithe school to control and monitor "learning" - although to be honest, there can be little correlation between the amount of stuff you learn and how well you do at an exam - which tests how well conditioned you are in responding to MBA-like questions. The Dean's List does provide an opportunity for people who excel at academics - and I stress academics - to put something extra nice on their CVs.
I doubt that people select electives only based on grades - some do choose certain electives based on the workload to balance it out in any given period and to free up some time for some of the "other" stuff, which is also an important part of school life. Especially since the year goes by so fast.
Take a long term adult perspective. Choose the electives that will bring you the mix of learning/fun/work-life balance/interest you are looking for. Decide early what you want to get out of the school - be clear about what you can replicate elsewhere and what is so unique about INSEAD. And most importantly, consume without moderation and enjoy the ride.
Grades are relative and normalized. 50% of the students will be below the INSEAD average, which is no reflection on their actual skills. The importance of grades is a very personal thing - and most people are clear about their position in this respect. I have found people very open and non fussy about their grades, and despite the competitive character that such a grading system confers to the school, everyone is being helpful to everyone else. In fact, given the level of excellence at the school, I was surprised at meeting such unassuming and easy-going people.
INSEAD does not disclose grades to the public, unless a student requests it in writing because a job offer is conditional on accessing his or her transcript. Traditionally, it seems that investment bankers have put more emphasis on grades than other sectors. I'd expect a good interviewer to be able to assess a candidate's potential without looking at grades which are a very artificial and poor representation of a complex human reality.
Grades are a useful means for Ithe school to control and monitor "learning" - although to be honest, there can be little correlation between the amount of stuff you learn and how well you do at an exam - which tests how well conditioned you are in responding to MBA-like questions. The Dean's List does provide an opportunity for people who excel at academics - and I stress academics - to put something extra nice on their CVs.
I doubt that people select electives only based on grades - some do choose certain electives based on the workload to balance it out in any given period and to free up some time for some of the "other" stuff, which is also an important part of school life. Especially since the year goes by so fast.
Take a long term adult perspective. Choose the electives that will bring you the mix of learning/fun/work-life balance/interest you are looking for. Decide early what you want to get out of the school - be clear about what you can replicate elsewhere and what is so unique about INSEAD. And most importantly, consume without moderation and enjoy the ride.
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Alone with my thoughts. Insecurity, soft likeness to flower. Not enough time. Too much time. Anarchy of the seconds. So many wasted. Soft, beautiful, painless silence. So free. Quick it comes, fast it goes.
Clouds hanging over. Interesting. Talkative. Clouds in my eyes. Haze in my looks. Cotton worlds. I like the way they look now.
I am a grain of dust vanishing in winter. The wind mutters inside me, flows over my feet, holds them down, pierces my clothes. The wind is drawing curly figures on the surface of the water. Like a signature. Like an invitation for agile spirits. Infinitely vast. Splendid and blue.
Clouds hanging over. Interesting. Talkative. Clouds in my eyes. Haze in my looks. Cotton worlds. I like the way they look now.
I am a grain of dust vanishing in winter. The wind mutters inside me, flows over my feet, holds them down, pierces my clothes. The wind is drawing curly figures on the surface of the water. Like a signature. Like an invitation for agile spirits. Infinitely vast. Splendid and blue.
My classes next period in Singapore.
- Macroeconomics
- IT Systems
- Power and Politics
- Career Dynamics and Self-Assessment
- Strategies in Asia-Pacific
- New Ventures and Business Models
- Strategic Alliances, Mergers and acquisitions
Well. If I had the time to take them all.
The choice of electives, and the subsequent bidding, can be complicated. Several situations arise:
- You know what you want to do after school and you are picking the technical or "softer" classes that you need in order to complete your toolset
- You have no clue about what you want to do and you are positioning yourself at a high level, acquiring general perspectives which will allow you to adapt to any problem and develop your own set of tools when the time comes.
- You are thinking about the uniqueness of the course and you are taking the electives that cannot be replicated anywhere else. For instance, it is possible to replicate a good Finance professor anywhere else, and the international character of the class is not best illustrated in a finance class. It is difficult to replicate such a high quality international environment and an organizational behavior related class, which heavily draws on individual's experience, would be quite unique at INSEAD
- You want the highest possible grade and you will pick subjects that you are confident about. As a result you might also have a lot of time to dedicate to extra curriculum activities
- You want the maximum level of learning and you will pick subjects that you have no clue about
Most reasons are a mix of all the above.
- Macroeconomics
- IT Systems
- Power and Politics
- Career Dynamics and Self-Assessment
- Strategies in Asia-Pacific
- New Ventures and Business Models
- Strategic Alliances, Mergers and acquisitions
Well. If I had the time to take them all.
The choice of electives, and the subsequent bidding, can be complicated. Several situations arise:
- You know what you want to do after school and you are picking the technical or "softer" classes that you need in order to complete your toolset
- You have no clue about what you want to do and you are positioning yourself at a high level, acquiring general perspectives which will allow you to adapt to any problem and develop your own set of tools when the time comes.
- You are thinking about the uniqueness of the course and you are taking the electives that cannot be replicated anywhere else. For instance, it is possible to replicate a good Finance professor anywhere else, and the international character of the class is not best illustrated in a finance class. It is difficult to replicate such a high quality international environment and an organizational behavior related class, which heavily draws on individual's experience, would be quite unique at INSEAD
- You want the highest possible grade and you will pick subjects that you are confident about. As a result you might also have a lot of time to dedicate to extra curriculum activities
- You want the maximum level of learning and you will pick subjects that you have no clue about
Most reasons are a mix of all the above.
The meeting with Lucky was one of these unique INSEAD moments. I think that the French say "qui se ressemble s'assemble". I found Lucky much more careful in his analysis, much more rigorous in his approach - although our choice of subjects is very similar, our approaches vary greatly. When Lucky graduates, this variety will be missing. Regardless of how unsettling it might be to send off thoughts into the anonymous immensity of the world wide web, voices capturing the essence of the INSEAD experience are essential – as insider’s knowledge is bitterly missing from school documentation. What best conveys the impact of a moment, the extraordinary character of the program, the richness of the diversity of experiences but a number of independent voices, all dipping into the same sources.
Whether you are at INSEAD now, or whether you will be starting soon, either in Fontainebleau or in Singapore, note that writing is easy, a source of endless fun and does not take as much time as people might think. It is also comforting to take a moment to gather thoughts and impression, to let the day fill you up with its magic, to distance yourself for a second from the seemingly uncontrollable stream of events happening around you.
Do not hesitate to drop me (or Lucky) a line if you’d like to discuss this. Otherwise, take a deep breath and plunge into Cyberspace!
Remember that, when you get here, you might be victim of what I have called the INSEAD syndrome: Individual Neurons Suppressed by Excessive Application of Diversity. Writing helps you maintain your strong identity, not feel overwhelmed by a transition to this whirlpool of talents – while at the same time sipping quietly the most enjoyable cocktail of nationalities.
One other item floating around the table was about the relationship between the writings and the readers. In this respect, Lucky is very customer-focused, very conscious of the need that needs filling and systematically addresses the informational gap that persists out there. I would be more torn between the desire to faithfully reports anecdotes or share various thoughts that have sprung out of this environment and the necessity to remain a free thinker and an independent writer. The former aspect is reflected in the choices of subjects covered; the latter in the spontaneous character of the reporting. I am also arguing that as soon as this string of letters is released to the public, it does not belong to the author anymore. It becomes part of the readers’ heritage. Reading is the internalization and personalization of someone else’s story. The more content is suggested in any illustration of reality, the more subjective the recipient’s response in order to complement the account. This can be partially what explains the discrepancy between the idea that we are forming around a reality presented in writing – and the visual experience that it depicts.
The story will be multiplying as people rush back into their lives, with a copy under the arm. All different, all united in the adhesion to the same letters.
It was a privilege to meet Lucky. Thank you for a high quality blog that delivers information to applicants and newcomers, excellent fun for current students and a nostalgic feel for graduates.
Whether you are at INSEAD now, or whether you will be starting soon, either in Fontainebleau or in Singapore, note that writing is easy, a source of endless fun and does not take as much time as people might think. It is also comforting to take a moment to gather thoughts and impression, to let the day fill you up with its magic, to distance yourself for a second from the seemingly uncontrollable stream of events happening around you.
Do not hesitate to drop me (or Lucky) a line if you’d like to discuss this. Otherwise, take a deep breath and plunge into Cyberspace!
Remember that, when you get here, you might be victim of what I have called the INSEAD syndrome: Individual Neurons Suppressed by Excessive Application of Diversity. Writing helps you maintain your strong identity, not feel overwhelmed by a transition to this whirlpool of talents – while at the same time sipping quietly the most enjoyable cocktail of nationalities.
One other item floating around the table was about the relationship between the writings and the readers. In this respect, Lucky is very customer-focused, very conscious of the need that needs filling and systematically addresses the informational gap that persists out there. I would be more torn between the desire to faithfully reports anecdotes or share various thoughts that have sprung out of this environment and the necessity to remain a free thinker and an independent writer. The former aspect is reflected in the choices of subjects covered; the latter in the spontaneous character of the reporting. I am also arguing that as soon as this string of letters is released to the public, it does not belong to the author anymore. It becomes part of the readers’ heritage. Reading is the internalization and personalization of someone else’s story. The more content is suggested in any illustration of reality, the more subjective the recipient’s response in order to complement the account. This can be partially what explains the discrepancy between the idea that we are forming around a reality presented in writing – and the visual experience that it depicts.
The story will be multiplying as people rush back into their lives, with a copy under the arm. All different, all united in the adhesion to the same letters.
It was a privilege to meet Lucky. Thank you for a high quality blog that delivers information to applicants and newcomers, excellent fun for current students and a nostalgic feel for graduates.
Got it all wrong again. Our Managerial Accounting professor was born in Russia...Please correct your geographical map of P2 professor origins…
Bureaucratic Socialism:
you have two cows. the government take them and put them in a barn with everyone else's cows. they are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. the government give you as much milk as and as many eggs as the regulations say that you should need.
Bureaucratic Socialism:
you have two cows. the government take them and put them in a barn with everyone else's cows. they are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. the government give you as much milk as and as many eggs as the regulations say that you should need.
I organized an outdoor trip with INSEAD students. Went shopping with an Indian person. We splitted the list of items to buy. On his list was
-For 8 people and 4 days
- Cucumbers
- Butter
- Biscuits
We ended up with 15 zucchinis, 3 squared butter packs of 1kg each and over 25 biscuit packs.
Long pondering over such a discrepancy between my own purchased quantity and waste conscious shopping habits and this apparent abandon, I found the solution in a suggestion through a discussion with other Indian mates: in India, if guests manage to finish off their food, it is horrible news. It means that there was not enough food. In Western cultures, if guests do not manage to finish off their food, it is a very bad sign. It means that they did not like what they ate.
-For 8 people and 4 days
- Cucumbers
- Butter
- Biscuits
We ended up with 15 zucchinis, 3 squared butter packs of 1kg each and over 25 biscuit packs.
Long pondering over such a discrepancy between my own purchased quantity and waste conscious shopping habits and this apparent abandon, I found the solution in a suggestion through a discussion with other Indian mates: in India, if guests manage to finish off their food, it is horrible news. It means that there was not enough food. In Western cultures, if guests do not manage to finish off their food, it is a very bad sign. It means that they did not like what they ate.
Saturday, December 06, 2003
Heard in class:
"there is a cost of touching the customer" - Managerial Accounting Professor
"I like touching the product" - Strategy Class Student
"this ad was clearly about dating. I mean, it says that you can take a girl for an evening out in this car and it will be ok. Was I the only one to get this message or what?" - Marketing Class: student expressing reaction to Skoda commercial.
Heard after class: 5 male students have shared with me their decision to buy a Skoda.
"there is a cost of touching the customer" - Managerial Accounting Professor
"I like touching the product" - Strategy Class Student
"this ad was clearly about dating. I mean, it says that you can take a girl for an evening out in this car and it will be ok. Was I the only one to get this message or what?" - Marketing Class: student expressing reaction to Skoda commercial.
Heard after class: 5 male students have shared with me their decision to buy a Skoda.
Friday, December 05, 2003
The other day, I had lunch with someone whose writing I admire a lot: the other INSEAD blogger (see link on left-hand side of the page, I haven't yet figure out how to insert a HTML link in this window)
It is strange how words can portray a vivid picture of someone’s beliefs and doubts, while concealing any other real life aspect of this person. On the one hand, one feels familiar with a writer who puts down on paper his heart and soul. On the other hand, one feels remote as all these writings shields out the spontaneity of the moment, and all these little details that make our world so complex and enjoyable.
One of the questions flying around the table was about the choice of my name for this blog – one that I cannot blame on my parents, this time.
I had to find a name that could
- mask my identity
- be stupid enough so that people would remember it
- be somehow related to what I am learning here
I looked at our most creative and insightful professor, our German Finance professor for inspiration. I had the choice between a rocket, a finance monkey, ring ring, matter and anti-matter and poof. Finance Monkey seemed to be the best choice. If I had waited until P2, I could have been Death Spiral.
Must dash off as I have class. I will write more about my lucky meeting.
It is strange how words can portray a vivid picture of someone’s beliefs and doubts, while concealing any other real life aspect of this person. On the one hand, one feels familiar with a writer who puts down on paper his heart and soul. On the other hand, one feels remote as all these writings shields out the spontaneity of the moment, and all these little details that make our world so complex and enjoyable.
One of the questions flying around the table was about the choice of my name for this blog – one that I cannot blame on my parents, this time.
I had to find a name that could
- mask my identity
- be stupid enough so that people would remember it
- be somehow related to what I am learning here
I looked at our most creative and insightful professor, our German Finance professor for inspiration. I had the choice between a rocket, a finance monkey, ring ring, matter and anti-matter and poof. Finance Monkey seemed to be the best choice. If I had waited until P2, I could have been Death Spiral.
Must dash off as I have class. I will write more about my lucky meeting.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
This week is CANADIAN WEEK – pancakes with maple syrup, a hockey match on the Fontainebleau ice rink in town, and of course a big Winter Carnival party at the end. On Friday night, it is also Winter Cabaret – in which students put up some acts. Probably a lot of fun! I have not decided which events I will be going to yet. I am torn between the need to study hard for the exam and the desire to spend as much time as I can with my fellow students before I disappear off to Asia.
A 2002 Wall Street Journal article offered the following interesting views from University of Colombia professors (ex Stanford and ex Harvard)
Point of view #1: Capitalism, American-style had some real problems: it could be a force to enrich people everywhere but in practice it has hurt many of the world’s poorest countries and emerging markets, it has pushed austerity on those countries that needed stimulus, led to huge volatility in financial markets and sometimes is only a proxy for cheap access to the world market for the US. For instance, Africa was made worse by trade liberalization, because trade was opened for services exported by rich countries but remained protected in the areas where Africa could compete, such as agricultural goods, textiles or construction.
Point of view #2: Trade and financial liberalization should be beneficial to everybody as world markets will progressively reach an equilibrium point.
Which side of the fence do you sit on?
Point of view #1: Capitalism, American-style had some real problems: it could be a force to enrich people everywhere but in practice it has hurt many of the world’s poorest countries and emerging markets, it has pushed austerity on those countries that needed stimulus, led to huge volatility in financial markets and sometimes is only a proxy for cheap access to the world market for the US. For instance, Africa was made worse by trade liberalization, because trade was opened for services exported by rich countries but remained protected in the areas where Africa could compete, such as agricultural goods, textiles or construction.
Point of view #2: Trade and financial liberalization should be beneficial to everybody as world markets will progressively reach an equilibrium point.
Which side of the fence do you sit on?
Monday, December 01, 2003
Saturday night was the Winterball at the Chateau des Conde (http://www.chateaudesconde.com/), a beautiful and imposing castle near INSEAD. This was a black-tie event which only reinforced the magical character of the venue. Apart from the very minor detail of a cloakroom located a few hundred meters from the actual ballroom causing many a lady to catch a cold, everything was extremely well organized. From a relaxing drinks in a lavish Moroccan room with a small number of INSEAD student performing low-key quality ambiance music, to the exuberance of the main ballroom with provocative dancers, percussions, saxo man and Funk’n’Bleau INSEAD.
Champagne served all night – with your weight in chocolate handed over to you in large balls by white-gloved waiters walking around the crowd. The food was not fantastic and the vegetarian choice was basically “the same plate but I will remove the meat part” but all in all very acceptable given the difficulty to cater for so many people. It could not tarnish the quality of the company and the setting.
I am leaving for Singapore and I do not know whether I will come back – I am looking at all these people that I will be already missing – and I have not yet been able to meet the great majority of them! Despite the rush for the P2 exams, the workload with the final cases and papers, it is so important for me to spend time with all these friends that I will be missing bitterly at the other end of the world. All of them so incredible – yet so simple in their approach to life.
Champagne served all night – with your weight in chocolate handed over to you in large balls by white-gloved waiters walking around the crowd. The food was not fantastic and the vegetarian choice was basically “the same plate but I will remove the meat part” but all in all very acceptable given the difficulty to cater for so many people. It could not tarnish the quality of the company and the setting.
I am leaving for Singapore and I do not know whether I will come back – I am looking at all these people that I will be already missing – and I have not yet been able to meet the great majority of them! Despite the rush for the P2 exams, the workload with the final cases and papers, it is so important for me to spend time with all these friends that I will be missing bitterly at the other end of the world. All of them so incredible – yet so simple in their approach to life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)