Sunday, September 27, 2009

Orientation Week

After a fully packed summer, which included a U2 concert in Dublin while having lots of Pints of Guinness; 2.5 weeks of just doing nothing in one of the hottest (in terms of temperature) cities in the world: my hometown Maracaibo, which is by the way the cradle of unhealthy, LDL cholesterol-ful, greasy and delicious fast/junk food in South America; a week on an incredible cruise ship with my family through caribbean destinations such as San Juan, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Croix and Antigua, while eating four times a week as if the were no tomorrow (the motto was "I eat, then eat again, then feel excessively full and then I exist); a great Coldplay concert in the Olympic Stadium of Barcelona; incredible amounts of walking and crazy picture taking in London; amazing strolls around the rainy but unbeatable New York City, while losing a US Open ticket due to "inclement weather" ...; and biking around the streets of astonishing Chicago while having TWICE in four days the most wonderful pizza in history of humankind (stuffed pizza), and attending a second U2 360 Tour show this summer; I am back to Barcelona to write about "Galán in Catalán".

September 21st marked the beginning of an era. First day of Orientation Week at IESE Business School.

Since I arrived from the US on friday evening and I forgot to send my suit to clean before, I wouldn't have it ready for monday morning ... like Jack Bauer would say: "Damn it!" ...

However, I was lucky enough to have an emergency suit stored in my closet which did not look as unclean as the main suit.

The problem? ... I had three years without wearing it!!! ... and of course, according to Murphy's Law, I had gained quite some weight since and the pants were QUITE tight ... and so I spent the whole morning speaking like Marlon Brando in the Godfather (breathless) and wearing a smile in distress (while suffering on the inside).

There are three sections: A, B and C. The two first taught in English, and the last one half English and half Spanish. I am in section A. There are 75 people per section.

My team is A4. We are supposed to meet every morning before classes to discuss the "cases" that will be discussed in class. We come from Russia/Canada, US (Illinois), US (California), Portugal, Brazil, Italy, Philippines and Venezuela/Spain.

During this week we also had several lectures by Career Services (the guys helping us find a job) and even a cocktail with one of the potential employers.

Not to forget is the weekly BOW (Bar Of the Week). Every thursday evening there is a place to go to have a drink (at student prices) with your classmates.

The week ended with an "80s Aerobics" party. Almost everyone in very funny Aerobics outfits from the 80s ...

So far so good :)

That's all for now folks.

Cheers (Adeu)!

Friday, August 7, 2009

How did I get here?: A brief summary

SEP 1998: I knew I wanted to do an MBA but had not even begun my undergrad yet ...

JAN 2004: Finally I finished my major but I just had no working experience, so an MBA plan had been sketched ...

OCT 2007: After lots of thinking I had finally identified my target bschools!

NOV 2007: I bought my GMAT study guide

JAN 2008: I opened the damn book for the first time

MAR 2008: I did my first GMAT simulation and I sucked at it!

APR 2008: I delayed the GMAT D-DAY for the second time! ... too much work? ... or just plain fear?

JUN 2008: I did six GMAT simulations already! ... One good score and five disgusting ones ...

JUL 2008: GMAT's D-DAY ... kinda disapointed with score, but good enough not to do it again! ... I would never want to sit for a bloody GMAT ever in time! ... it is the most disgusting ever computeratized torture ... it would be an ideal tool to extract information from enemies during wars ... where's the bomb??? you don't want to sit for a GMAT, DO YOU???? ...

JUL 2008: My MBA consultant destroys my dreams and makes me choose a different set of schools ... I came up with three TOP choices and three BACKUP schools ...

OCT 2008: First bschool application sent!

OCT 2008: I visited the first bschool campus ... GOD!!! ... This is the place where I MUST spend the next two years!!!

NOV 2008: Second bschool application sent! ... I am like an MBA-application industrial machine!

NOV 2008: I visited the second bschool campus ... Did I really wanted to go to the first bschool?? ... Well the campus is OK but the city is just AMAZING!

NOV 2008: First bschool REJECTION! ... OUCH! ... UNEXPECTED LOW PUNCH! ... My "dream" school gone with the wind ... just like that!

NOV 2008: Re-design of Essays ... doing an MBA to be an astronaut seems not to be convincing enough ... it is at this time that I also take a moment to search for other options and suddenly I find TWO very interesting options that end up appealing more to me than the three BACKUP bschools ... who said that I had to leave the country to pursue a top notch MBA???

DEC 2008: So third and fourth bschool applications sent!

DEC 2008: Third and fourth bschool interviews on campus ... I flew Blantyre - Johannesburg - Zurich ... I go into a bathroom change my clothes into a more handsome suited-up executive and fly to Barcelona to run then straight into both interviews without much eating or sleeping ...

JAN 2009: Third AND fourth bschool ACCEPTANCE EMAILS arrived! ... Business School seems more like a reality now ... Who's your daddy?

JAN 2009: I was bound for Barcelona, Spain, but ... IESE or ESADE?

JAN 2009: After much mind breaking down in a small western african country (Benin) ... ESADE deposit sent in! ... ESADE here we gooo!!!

FEB 2009: I tell IESE that I chose ESADE (so, no thanks!)

FEB 2009: IESE immediately contacts me and offers me a second chance ... what should I do?

MAR 2009: IESE mini OPEN DAY @ campus ... great couple of classes, very interesting people and a GREAT environment!

MAR 2009: Second bschool WAITLISTED! ... not really going to send anything else to support the application ...

APR 2009: After more mind breaking in Malawi and South Africa ... a sudden CHANGE of direction ... IESE deposit sent in! ... I tell ESADE that now I chose IESE

JUN 2009: Second bschool REJECTED! ... SO WHAT? ... a little punch to the self-esteem but not really caring about it ...

JUN 2009: Enters depression mode after remembering the money spent on the other bschool's deposit ...

JUL 2009: Exits depression mode after finally getting over it

JUL 2009: Became UNEMPLOYED ... a scary feeling has been haunting me every day ever since ...

JUL 2009: I left MAD on a cargo van full of stuff bound for the beautiful and coastal city of Barcelona ... my home for the next two years ...

AUG 2009: Writing this blog opener and getting ready for a exciting summer!