So this whole thing with Nestle baby formula and developing countries and tainted water has been going on for over thirty years now.
No matter what Nestle might do, I can't quite get my head around how they can possibly prevent tainted water from getting into the formula.
As much as I'd like to think it's possible, education is not the answer. They're dealing with people living in poverty, which implies a level of desperation. If you have the choice of whether to feed your baby possibly tainted formula or feed your baby nothing, I am pretty sure the choice is pretty clear.
And as much as I think they could theoretically supply pre-mixed formulas, that cost factor would have to be passed along (Nestle isn't a charity) and the people would likely end up either not buying it at all, or buying and diluting it with potentially tainted water.
And as much as I like the idea of them providing clean water, there's a cost to that as well, and Nestle isn't a market leader in the H2O business.
And as much as I like the idea of them investing in infrastructure, that really isn't where they have competitive capacity. (As a classmate of mine mentioned: when cars in a remote area of Venezuela start crashing because the country didn't invest in proper roads, nobody expects Ford to rebuild them.)
Thing is, I just don't see an alternate solution. Yes, the business has continued to exist there, so it's obviously profitable. But is it fair? Is it right? Does it promote long term social objectives? Is the corporation making a commitment to positive global citizenship?
I would venture to say no to all of these things.
So why the eff does Nestle keep selling its wares there?
Well, what about the mothers who are unable to breastfeed? What about babies who won't latch, who need alternate nutrition to thrive? What about the fact that illnesses like AIDS are rampant and can be passed through breastmilk? Where's the alternative? Isn't Nestle filling a legitimate need?
It seems to me that it's not Nestle's obligation to fix the structural problems, per se. The company shouldn't take a loss to provide its product. But it also seems like it's incredibly irresponsible to provide what is effectively half a product to consumers, knowing full well that they're unlikely to have the capacity to safely obtain the other half. And the risk inherent to the second half isn't just a bad taste or an allergic reaction -- it's toxicity and death.
So what can be done? I think the answer is a partnership of some sort, but I'm not sure what.
Just so I don't forget:
- Germans love spargel (asparagus). Every restaurant has a spargelkarte (asparagus menu) in addition to the regular menu. It's in season, and they just can't get enough.
- Germans love Lionel Richie. The Hoff is dead to them.
- No German person I met fit that loud-talking stereotype at all. In fact, I found them to be a rather soft-spoken group. I had to lean in to hear the professors speak at all times and had to be super attentive even in bars to ensure that I wasn't missing words.
- Germans love mixing things! The Radler is beer + lemonade (or soda pop or grapefruit juice or whatever, just a beer mixed drink). There are ten zillion schorles, i.e. apfelsaftshortle (apple juice with mineral water), kirschesaftshorle (cherry...), weinschorle (like a spritzer), and a gazillion others.
- Spundekรคse is to die for, especially with pretzels. I will make it the next time people come over.
- Germans have a particularly hilarious sense of humour. They love to laugh and do so very frequently.
- If I could eat a ham and cheese croissant every day for the rest of my life, I would.
- The European approach to doing business is that numbers support concepts, as opposed to the Anglo-Saxon approach which suggests that numbers lead concepts. This worked incredibly well with my personal approach to strategy.
- Squirrels here have faux-hawks!
- German dogs seem to be cuter than dogs anywhere else.
- Comprehensive transit systems make the world a better place.
- The claim about Americans being highly individualist in terms of culture measurement seems to me to be false. No doubt a small portion is, but it seems to me overall to be highly inaccurate.
- The Red Cat rules.
- The European approach to valuation of business includes both emotional and financial figures.
- Learning languages is crazy fun.
- The education system here is seriously out of this world in terms of both accessibility and quality.
- If Frankfurt is truly (as reported!) the most dangerous city in Germany, the country is doing something very, very right.
I'm sure there's more but I must head out.
Three of the best weeks ever, no questions asked.
So at about 2AM last night, all adrenaline resources died within me. I nearly fell asleep at a bar WHILE DANCING.
I was not even remotely wasted, being entirely committed to water during the huge wine party so that I could make the most of my last night.
But yeah. 2AM. Dead to the world.
Anyway, regardless, I had to meet up with family friends for a day of sightseeing.
I think I fell asleep in their car on the way back. I seriously hope they didn't notice.
As I'm too tired to even write out all the hilarious stories from the last few weeks, I will just leave the pictures. Suffice it to say, I go home tomorrow afternoon and am already dying to come back. Not just the silly stuff, but not being in school daily is really going to be hard to switch off again. Ah, but it was amazing while it lasted.
This is a photo I took by the Kurhaus the night I arrived, and it's how my silly, dreamy girl-heart has felt the entire time I've been here.
Berlin: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22411&l=1158d&id=887940095
Frankfurt: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23383&l=2c539&id=887940095
Mainz: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21783&l=8ad88&id=887940095
Munich: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24399&l=f0ac8&id=887940095
Oestrich-Winkel: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25886&l=51214&id=887940095
Other: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22797&l=26c35&id=887940095
Wiesbaden: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21722&l=81880&id=887940095
Boo. Saddy sad.
So I ate, slept, ate, studied, and slept yesterday. Ohhhhhhh, the excitement!
Today was all classes with a nice lunch in between lectures. Not a ton of excitement, but I got to wear my cute new mini-sundress.
It's ridiculously short, I know. I should've gotten short brown leggings to go with. But I didn't, and I'm wearing it anyway.
Tomorrow we go business formal for our day trip to the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. I'm bringing a change of clothes, as we'll be doing a city tour in the afternoon. More pictures, baby!
That's right. Here's a quick overview of what's happened thus far.
Day one, Sunday: I arrive. I barely slept on the plane. Red eye. Tired. But the country smells good. Like fresh cut grass, but even better. My hotel room is the tiniest of the tiny, but it oozes charm and sustainability and sweetness.
The owners are incredibly kind, I can hardly believe that I'm here. I learn that I don't have the right power adaptor for my laptop and my stupid thing dies. I meet my exchange classmates, from America, Austria, China, Denmark, and Canada. I eat Che's Delight, which is delicious chicken with a creamy yogurt sauce, fairly Indian. I go to bed at 9:30, only to wake up at 10:30, convinced that it's the war all over again and we're being bombed. Turns out it's just mother's day fireworks that happen to be right outside my hotel, which I discover after frantically throwing on clothes and glasses and running outside. They're pretty and I take pictures, even though I'm mad. This is me before sleeping, all dreamy and happy and tired...
And here I am being mad about the wake-up call:
Day two, Monday: I discover classic German breakfast, which is possibly the most delicious thing of all time. Fresh buns, meats and cheese, a latte, and eggs however you like them. I am in heaven. I find my way to hauptbahnhof, the main train station, and learn about the German love of apfelsaftschorle, which is a yummy mix of apple juice and soda or mineral water. We study the EU political systems all day and I'm in heaven again. This is me being a little German girl in my sweet little room.
Day three, Tuesday: The butter with breakfast is so soft and creamy, it's like I've never tasted butter in my life. After classes, we go to a pub in Mainz and share metres of beer. I enjoy the brauhausschmauss for dinner, which is a classic German dish of ham, roasted potatoes, and eggs all mixed together. Sounds weird but is actually to die for. Spend the evening chatting with my professor's awesome girlfriend, who vows to be my German BFF if I ever move here. Ridiculous fun is had.
Day four, Wednesday: Very tired, but still thrilled by the learning. International business is fun. Figure out how to get to the main Frankfurt airport by myself for my weekend in Berlin. Have lunch without speaking a word of English, aber ich spreche nur ein bisschien Deutche. Am thrilled with myself. Encounter the Frankfurt airport and ignore all English signage, finding my way around entirely using minimal German skills. Feel extra thrilled with myself. Get off the Berlin plane to be encountered by my beloved undergrad professor. We share a beer at my hotel and make plans for tomorrow. He leaves and I chat it up (minorly) with the locals.
All my pictures are here if you are interested:
Wiesbaden!
Mainz!
I just booked my flight for a long weekend in Berlin during my trip.
Ich bin ein Berlinerin!
ETA: And the jelly donut thing is a legend!
Alrightie, with less than two weeks to go before I head to Dreamy Deutschland, I have not really prepared anything. What do I still need to do?
* Drop off course paperwork and get required Rotman stuff at school.
* Pick up new contact lenses and solution.
* Make copies of passport photo page and birth certificate for all bags.
* Print travel itinerary copy with contact info for the boy, in case I go MIA.
* Make emergency contact cards for wallet and bags, including consulates (Canadian, British, American), local hospital, hotel, and the boy.
* Pick up some more fun summer stuff to wear.
* Grab a German translation guidebook.
* Find new headphones that don't drive me crazy.
* Hunt down resistance bands for faux strength workouts in room.
* Figure out long weekend plans -- Berlin?
All I've really done is book my flight and hotel, practiced minor levels of language skills on the BBC site, and gone to the pre-exchange departure session at school. And gotten my hair cut and coloured!
Um.
But the semester is over now, and I still have practically two weeks. Right?
Alrightie, I'm officially done two of the three years of my MBA. I bid a fond adieu to IMC and branding and the wonderful professors I got to learn from this semester. It was, I think, the best one to date, and will hopefully lead to even more cool learnings next year.
I'll be celebrating in style with my charming classmates on Saturday. There will be comedy gold, there will be boozing, and there will be karoke. I kid you not!
I've got a few weeks off, then I'm off to study international business in Germany for the rest of May, then I'm back at Rotman for the rest of the summer.
Please figure out how to help me make school last forever.
Seriously, is there anything cooler ever to exist than the brain?
I was reading some stuff on neuroeconomics today -- basically, a discipline that takes neuroscience and economics and applies them to psychology -- and I nearly lost my mind with the excitement of it all. Neurons and activation and weird words that I had to read fifteen times and multiple processes and decision-making and behaviour. Ahhh!
The brain is flipping crazy. I love it. I will definitely be taking psych electives in the 2007-08 year.
That is all.
Because there isn't a doubt in the world that someone else has already had it. No matter how clever, interesting, and unique you feel that is, it's almost certainly not. Hell, somebody has probably had your second idea too.
We had a guest speaker come in from The Brand Factory this week, and he gave us some great tools for developing and/or re-developing brands. I was compelled by many of the things he said, but this most of all. It's a truly simple concept, but as soon as he said it, I was really struck with both how obvious it was and how dead on it was.
Recently, a promotion we'd been working on with a client and a few of their other agencies for months was cancelled. However, during the midst of our brilliant planning and scheming, we discovered that their competitor was about to launch a promo of their own a few months earlier -- with effectively the exact same name. Naturally, the agency that had done the initial planning came up with a quick change-over to get it all fresh and new again, but we were all kind of taken aback. Was there insider information being leaked? Had one of us accidentally spoken about the promotion at some busy restaurant and been overheard?
You know what? I doubt it. Because it was the first idea.Last week, Jen emailed me at work with another related note -- while on Facebook, she had discovered that our client -- in another country -- had done a very similar promotion. Different name this time, but exceedingly similar concept.
Yep. Another first idea.
I was working on a promotional concept with a classmate last month, and we were all prepared for our presentation. I woke up ultra-early on the morning we were to do it, as it had occurred to me -- every idea we'd put together was an idea that had been done before. It was chock full of first ideas, but whatever had woken me up in my sleep was a second or third or fourth one. I rushed to my computer, revamped the presentation, et voila. Now that was an idea. I later presented it to a client -- she now has us scoping it, as it doesn't appear anything of the sort has been done before.
So yeah. I probably have about ten million actual examples of this happening over the years, but I won't bore you with any more -- as a professor of mine likes to call them -- war stories. I'll just tell you this: First ideas should from here on in be the first things to go.
The good news is in: This May, I'm off to study at the European Business School! After a stressful application process and the most nerve-wracking interview of all time, I got an A for Acceptance Package today.
Wiesbaden (that's last May), Germany is my destination.
I am pumped.
I saw an interesting speaker this week who provided me with a few thoughts that I wanted to remember.
(1) Media is the new creative.
There was a time when the big ideas ran the ad world. Now? Yes, good ideas are essential. But they're not all. We need more information. What are we getting from 'em? ROI, baby. And what ultimately defines the ROI? The media we choose to get the message out.
Ten years ago, media was completely different than it was now. Now we have outdoor, print, radio, television, microsites, advergames, restobars, blahdeblahblahblah. There are a gazillion specialty channels instead of a few big networks. Targeting is theoretically easier -- and practically more complex, more involving, and more confusing -- than it's ever been. People are overwhelmed by the volume of messaging and getting it right is becoming less art, more science.
Every medium has its own measurement tools, and we are familiar with trying to evaluate GRPs and increase the eyes we require on our prize(s). But the new stuff? It's under review, but we can't not be there. Hell, the internet was available even in my wee hometown when I was in high school -- but even a few years ago, it was completely different than it is now (hello, crash). Trying to understand clickthroughs and impressions and what they really mean for return is still up in the air -- neither scholars nor professionals have yet come up with a solid solution. And don't get me started on digital signage -- it's so new, I can barely find white papers on its valuation.
So, yes. The incumbent is no longer starring in this show. Media is ultimately what will drive our numbers -- it's just a matter of putting together a formula that defines where those came from.
(2) There is nothing more freeing than a tight brief.
Creatives tend to be really -- how do I say this nicely? -- challenging. They spend so much time crafting their best ideas that they kind of fall a little bit in love with them. And if cliches have taught us nothing else, we know this: when you love something, sometimes you have to let it go. I don't want to deal with sulking or moping or general childish attitude when my client isn't all that into your beloved -- albeit not necessarily sense-making -- concept.
To be fair, this irritation is also what makes great creative people really freaking good at their jobs. The more attached they are to the ideas that actually do get through the door, the better and more solid these ideas tend to be, and the stronger the project ultimately becomes. So how to combine the good with the bad?
A tight brief.
Creative briefs are a bit of a pain. They're time consuming, require at least seventeen approvals, and rarely end up really providing much but some administrative work. That said, a really tight brief provides the creative people with direction so solid that they can't help but fall into the freedom of only being able to create on strategy.
A tight brief doesn't let the terrorists win.
So here's something weird about me: I have always thought that I hated change.
It seems strange. I have no aversion to trying new types of food, going to new places, figuring out new ways of doing things more efficiently, nor learning things I've never thought about before. In fact, I love all of these things. A lot.
But I've always found a strange dilemma in the fact that, as much as I love new things, I appear to hate change. I don't wanna think about it. I just want things done when they can just be done and it's over. I hate the transition and the time involved and I'm just effing lazy about it.
As it turns out, I just prefer to avoid going through certain mental processes when I'm facing low involvement situations.
Example: I like my schedule to be very consistent. I get up at the same time every day, go to the gym, put on coffee and the exact same breakfast (Red River Cereal), get in the shower, make my lunch (usually some minor variations on the same thing every day), and go to work. Work is all crazy, all the time, and requires constant problem-solving. I finish up, drive home, make dinner, and do school stuff. This is my every day routine, and I adore it.
Example: I call the same sushi place every time we order in, and the person on the other line knows my order (and my credit card number, oops) off by heart. I prefer going to the same place every time a client suggests we have a lunch meeting. I always order the spinach dip. I love nachos -- maybe not because I love them, but because they require no thought.
So what's up with that? According to a little research on consumer memory today, I've learned that this isn't nearly as uncommon as one might suspect.
Basically, the literature suggests that we all have needs, and that we satisfy these needs by creating goals, or targeted end-states. We use both conscious and non-conscious processes to assess how we might get about achieving said goals. Conscious learning, memory retrieval, and evaluation are explicit -- we know that we have to use our cognitive resources to calculate 21*72. But 2*3? That's six. What animal barks? A dog. What's the capital of France? Gay Paree, friends.
The second set of questions (hopefully) used no conscious mental resources. They're so ingrained in our minds that we just jump there. We have a feeling, we have a conclusion, whatever.
Like the nachos.
Basically, when faced with decisions, we come up with a set of options. The set of choices that automatically enter our minds are known as the evoked set. Companies spend millions upon millions of dollars just trying to increase the accessibility of their brands in our minds. Because, hell, if we don't even think of 'em, they don't stand a chance of being our ultimate choice.
So yeah. My evoked set is ever-so-small. I'm a marketer's wet dream if they can get all up and in there in the first place, but I'm not as easy as one might think.
Note: I am not a psychologist, but a marketer with an interest in consumer behaviour. If my understanding is lacking valuable detail, please feel free to correct me!
Yes, I am official finished yet another course in my never-ending MBA program.
I was thinking the other day that it will be really exciting to be done, but also kind of sad. I am a losah who maybe just wants a break.
What do I do with all the hours that I have been devoting to classes, reading, paper-writing, and studying for the last two years? I know, I know -- there are always other classes to take, but I think I'll really miss the specific perspective I've been getting in this program.
My school is a dream -- the faculty is inspiring and interesting and really gets me feeling so engaged. I think it'll be weird to not be thinking about so many new things anymore. Don't get me wrong -- I am so looking forward to getting that degree officially under my belt and am trying to fast-track the rest of the program so that the obligation part of the education is done, but I don't want to stop learning this stuff or being around people who share these interests and goals.
Anyway. I know I'll always find something to fill any void -- where one door closes, another opens and all that stuff. But the area in which I'm studying right now? It's what I love and what I want to be doing. I love the idea of having less stress and avoiding the thousands upon thousands of tuition dollars and not going to class on the nights when I just want to watch junky TV. But I don't love the idea of learning about this stuff being a lesser part of my life.
You know that episode of Arrested Development where the Bluth kids all start mocking their mom and the ever-charming little Buster says, "Yeah. Mom's awesome. Maybe we should call her!"
That's me with school right now.
I am freaking loving this class. It's called Advanced Negotiations and Conflict Resolution. The professor is hilarious and engaging, the subject is incredibly useful, and I love all the psychological tidbits I'm figuring out about myself and those around me. Far from being encouraged to "win at all costs", we're learning how best to approach problems, extract information from our counterparts, and use the whole shebang to create solutions that works best for all involved. It's very cooperative and positive and cool. All good things.
But why do I ultimately love it so?
Mock negotiations.
That's right. In each and every class, we are given a role in a case. We have specific information about our character's feelings, interests, and positions. We are expected to take this information, get together with our counterpart(s), and resolve whatever issue is at hand. Everyone looks forward to this part of class, because we get to hone our skills, etc., etc., etc.
Me? I like playing the part.
As the advertising editor of a newspaper, I was understanding about my editor's journalistic integrity. As a union representative, I wanted to help my management to cut costs without damaging the standard of living of my membership. As a VP at a technology company, I wanted to share information about potential new CFOs to find the best fit for the whole team. As the owner of a woodworking facility, I was more than willing to pay off my client's loan to ensure payment of a questionable invoice.
But is it too much?
Here's how the situation goes, each and every time.
Me: So wonderful to see you, [counterpart role]. I'm so sorry our last discussion didn't go well. I am truly embarrassed that I resorted to hurling expletives your way!
Counterpart: Um, so I have all the papers here, I just need to check my numbers before we get started...
Me: The paperwork from your accountant? I understand, I also met with mine before we get together. The numbers can get so confusing...
Counterpart: [Confused.] Wha? No, the stuff in the case...
Me: Your briefcase? Not a problem, [counterpart role]. So how's the wife?
Counterpart: [Uncomfortable.] Um...
Or something like this!
Me: Are you kidding me? We can't accept this deal, how are we supposed to sell this to the union?
Team member: Well, it's already 12:30, and I have stuff to do this afternoon...
Me: You'd put personal commitments ahead of our union? I can't listen to that -- we were elected to protect their best interests at all costs. If you have a dentist appointment or your kid has a piano recital or whatever...
Team member: [Confused.] Wha? No, I have class...
Me: Pilates? Don't even start with that yuppie stuff. We are not here to let management walk over us because we have pilates...
Team member: Huh? I just mean, we don't have to win all of them, we're out of time...
Me: Let's get back in there and fight for our people!
You get the picture.
I don't know why, but I find the whole thing freakin' endlessly hilarious. It's so embarrassing and totally idiotic, but it really makes me laugh. Me being one person. Because nobody else is.
It's no wonder the people with whom I study think I'm a complete losah.
Alrightie, I got into a class in the upcoming intensive term today. This means? I can finish up early.
This semester:
Intensive - one elective
Standard - two electives
Summer:
May - one elective (if something that isn't finance is available)
Standard - three core courses (required)
Fall:
Standard - two electives
Winter 2008 intensive:
One or two electives (depending on whether I get a summer one in)
And then? I'll be done. If all continues according to plan, I could be finished the MBA in mid-January 2008. And then I'll post this awesome graphic.
Excitement.
I was so pleased to just discover that I wrote my 2006 resolutions here, and I'd met all of them. Yay! So in hopes of meeting these new aspirations, I will continue the public, incredibly vain blogging of the 2007 goals.
(1) The Toughness Conundrum. Find a happy medium between trying to be more tough and trying to be more sensitive. I used to have a really hard time being tough (i.e. asking for what I want, not letting myself be taken advantage of, being too soft to avoid hurting people's feelings, etc.), so I worked really hard on that for the last few years -- I think with a pretty decent level of success (though certainly not perfect, hah). That said, I often find myself trying so hard to be more frank that I find myself feeling like a bit of a jerk, like I'm being unnecessarily demanding. I don't know if there is a happy medium, but I'm going to keep working on it.
(2) Professional Maturity. I find myself endlessly and incredibly frustrated by stupidity that doesn't even directly affect me at work -- it's a real waste of energy, stupidly juvenile, and I need to learn to better focus on the things that I have control over and be happy with those successes.
(3) Studiousness. I want to see if I can possibly finish my degree a semester early and, if I'm going to make that happen, I need to buckle down yet again. Even if I decide not to fast-track, I still want to be more focused on my classes -- not a grade-obsesso type, just more focused for the sake of enhanced learning.
(4) It's About Me. I generally don't think I'm a selfish person, per se, though I know I'm rather what many likely consider self-absorbed. I don't have a problem with that, as I think it's good to be aware of oneself and as conscious of your kickass attributes as your personal challenges, and I think it's a big part of what helps me do well with the things I'm good at. However, sometimes I worry that I'm taking it too far and I don't want to turn into something untrue to the kid that my parents raised. I really just need to get with Buddha and find the internal zen.
(5) Get into the Dirty 30s. Enter this new era of my life feeling satisfied that I've achieved the key goals my 19 year old self set out for me. Make another list of reasonable but challenging aspirations for my thirties so that I can come back at 40 feeling as great as I do now.
Two things yesterday: I finished my fifth semester of the MBA (finals = done!) and we had our work Christmas party directly afterwards. We had casino games, yummy food (though I am very grumpy about having missed dessert), prizes (we won awesome steak knives which, believe it or not, we were stupidly giddy about -- sure it wasn't the 42" LCD TV, but it was good), a number of drinks, and all kinds of fun.
Naturally, you know what this means. Yes, the only time I update is when I have new pictures.
Ready to go:
Me and Jen:
Boss scandal!
Everyone loves a stole:
Boys being nice:
Cuties:
El presidente:
The big winners:
Cousin, husband, and coworker:
Directors unite:
Their eyes match:
Boys club:
I always hate when the night ends, then promptly fall asleep within five minutes:
So there you have it. Fun!
I haven't updated in forever. I keep starting and then closing the window. In order to get back on the wagon, I must present ten little updates.
(1) The loft is mostly set up. We still have to buy a coffee table, another living room chair, and some artwork, but it's pretty peachy. I can't get over how lovely and quiet it is here -- no jerky upstairs neighbours screaming at each other, no crack pipes in the backyard. Ah, this is the life, baby.
(2) Pam came to visit! The triumvirate of fun -- gossip, libations, and sneaky cigarettes -- came together fabulously for her trip to the city.
(3) Jen and I went to 'ho school (or at least that's what my charming boytoy called it). Please note: that is not -- I repeat, not -- us in the picture to the right. In fact, however, those women are effectively the other twenty or so women who were in our class. You know the ones. They're the professional dancers and athletes who -- instead of making silly faces and doing stupid dance moves when they can't do a flying backwards spin around a pole with one leg gracefully out in front of them -- have the instructor come over to show them said move more carefully, then proceed to practice it for two minutes only to master it as if they'd been on the pole for ten years. I don't think I've ever felt more deflated or taken more of a self esteem beating in my life, but the stories were worth it. Despite the humiliation, I managed to heartily entertain my husband with a few flashy moves when I got home, after which he couldn't stop laughing for ten minutes then followed up with a request that I never, ever, under any circumstances bring these moves forth in the boudoir. Mission accomplished?
(4) We had to replace our new mattress with a second, less fluffy new mattress. The original mattress was pocket coil + memory foam pillowtop. This sounded dreamy, and felt altogether cozy in the store. However, upon getting home, we discovered that said mattress was altogether delicious for lying in, it was not at all made for sleeping. After waking up about ten times every single night for a month then finally sleeping soundly the two nights we spent on a mattress from the 70s at the cottage, we knew a switch was in order. The new baby arrived yesterday and our whole sleeping situation is now conducive to the sweetest of dreams.
(5) I finished my first year (apparently the toughest of the three, in terms of volume and intensity) of my dastardly MBA. It may make me crazy, but I am a sucka for the madness. Last semester was a complete bitch, as our poor little group had dwindled down to three. By some miracle, we still completed everything (no thanks to a boatload of bullets) but I'm relieved to know that the school has reorganized all of our groups so I'll be back in a decent sized lineup next semester.
(6) We booked our trip to London to see a fun band in July. I don't know what we'll do the rest of the days, but I'm pretty sure we'll think of something. I haven't been to the UK since I was fifteen, which was a distressing thirteen years ago. I spent so many years of my life not being able to afford travel, it's just thrilling to finally be able to jet around when I feel the urge.
(7) My sister's wedding shower is in a few weeks, and I'm making the trip home to enjoy gossip, delicious dips, and mimosas. Strangely, this will be the first trip to Cape Breton since Christmas 2004. My parents have painted my old bedroom for the occasion. My sister and I plan to recreate our famous Three Pub Crawl on the Saturday night.
(8) My beloved little Mini uses just over half a tank a week. Hah! In a world of ever-increasing gas prices, this makes me want to kiss that car every time I get in it. The Saab used just under a full tank a week, and I really felt that was effing awesome. I do a lot of driving (to work, home, to work, to school, home, to work, to meetings outside the city, to warehouses, to suppliers, to meetings downtown, to work, to school, home, etc.) so this freaking rules.
(9) I started meditating to reduce potential for emotional responsiveness. I am generally not someone who responds emotionally, but given how stressful things are with work and school (and given the fact that my MIL -- who has meditated religiously since the 70s -- looks ten years younger than she is), it has to be worth something. Serenity now!
(10) I've worked out for 60+ minutes every day for five weeks. I haven't lost an ounce, but am down 1.5" each in the waist and hips, and 1" each in bust, arms, thighs, and calves. I can't really tell via the eyes, but for every four weeks of commitment, I am nonetheless rewarding myself with a decadent purchase. This time, I won myself a pair of Fidelity jeans.
PS: I should've made it eleven little updates, as I just changed the visuals of this blog. I know you're mocking me in your head, but I think my fourteen-year-old-girl-style rules.
When I started my MBA program, I knew I'd be placed in a group. This group was to be my team for the first four of nine semesters of the program. We would do all collective projects together and be responsible for helping each other keep up if any of us had to miss a day of notes. I was terrified by this prospect -- in the months preceding our program's beginning, I had an impending fear that I'd be stuck with business-y jackasses who felt superior to me, lazy people for whom I'd have to do all the work, or anti-social, competitive maniacs.
Then school started. And my group was -- in layman's terms -- the bomb.
When the school set us up, they did so via some statistical analysis, based on goals, personality, and achievements to date. Most groups had six people, but ours only had five. And what a group of five we were. We had an architect from Columbia, who had the most fabulous sense of humour and tended to look a bit like U2's Bono. We had a computer programmer from the Phillipines -- a little shy and incredibly sweet in his modesty -- with such innate understanding of financials that I was constantly in awe. We had an engineer from India -- currently working as a pharmaceutical consultant -- who played the group father figure with incredible brilliance, diplomacy, and one of the kindest hearts I've had the pleasure to see. We had the adorable marketing whiz-kid from Hong Kong, whose organizational skills and sensibility towards stellar teamwork kept us all on perfect track. And we had me: brand junkie, paper-writing fiend, presentation dynamo, and overall Perky Pollyanna.
We worked exceptionally well together. We had similar styles for putting projects together and highly connected attitudes on learning and teamwork. Each of our skills really complemented those of our teammaters, and I'm certain that we learned as much from each other -- if not more -- than we did during our lectures. We spent time together outside of the classroom, discussing life, politics, entertainment, and aspirations. It was an amazing relationship and I was thrilled to have the lot of them in my life.
Then first semester ended and second semester began. Our architect disappeared. He sent us an email saying he'd withdrawn for personal reasons. It was an unusual exit, but we respected his need for privacy and carried on. We often chatted about him, wondering if his family was okay, hoping the best, but never heard from him again. We went through another semester, reassembled our skill sets to cover what he'd contributed and continued kicking ass.
The second semester ended and third semester began. Next thing we know, we're getting an email from our engineer/consultant. He's been offered a position as associate VP at his company -- a huge honour and a real testament to his talents and kind personality! -- and will have to leave the program, as his new position requires him to live in India and spend a good deal of time in Europe. He met with our classmates for the final post-lecture beer-fest on Thursday night, then met with just our team today for our final post-group-meeting lunch at our favourite cafe by school. We reminisced, laughed, talked. He told us that his wife is newly pregnant and that he expected each of us to come visit him in Delhi.
We really do miss him already. It's quite incredible the close relationships you can form with people when you work so very well together. So to one crazy-exceptional friend: good luck, congratulations, and stay in touch. We all feel lucky as hell to have known someone as fantastic as you!