tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50774901555841849292024-03-05T10:48:46.558+01:00Learning ParisianMC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-30370265853799019572010-03-01T22:36:00.009+01:002010-03-02T09:12:33.353+01:00Representing Asians Part 2: Jimmy ChooToday was <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_0" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" leohighlights_keywords="jimmy%20choo" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Jimmy Choo</leo_highlight> presentation day. For our presentation, we had to focus on the brand's co-branding strategy and retail strategy in Asia. Given that I'm Asian (the professor loves when an Asian speaks about Asia), I decided to tackle the Asian retail strategy portion.<br /><br />We finished the presentation with time to spare. Unfortunately for us, the professor wanted to make the most of the class time, so he decides to pepper me with questions about Asia.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">him</span>: "What is your name"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">me</span>: "Teena" (professor looks disappointed I do not have a more Asian sounding name)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">him</span>: "Have you been to China?"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">me</span>: "To Shanghai once, and to Hong Kong several times" (another look of visible disappointment)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">him</span>: "Well, I'm sure you have Asian roots."<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">me </span>(jokingly and incredulously): "enh, somewhat"<br /><br />The professor starts big, asking me what my recommendations for <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_2" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_2')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_2')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_2')" leohighlights_keywords="jimmy%20choo" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Jimmy Choo</leo_highlight> would be in Asia. Given that this question was ridiculously open-ended I counter with a question. The professor then narrows it down and asks me to comment on the number of stores in Shanghai. At this point, I'm thoroughly confused as to what he wants and I ask: "Are you asking me what I think is the maximum number of stores <leo_highlight style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_3" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_3')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_3')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_3')" leohighlights_keywords="jimmy%20choo" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Jimmy Choo</leo_highlight> could have in Shanghai? Are you asking me to comment on what <leo_highlight style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_4" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_4')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_4')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_4')" leohighlights_keywords="jimmy%20choo" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Jimmy Choo</leo_highlight> should do operationally?"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />him:</span> "Yes, you can also ask your classmates to help you with this question."<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">So I respond: </span>"I'd like to then open up this question to my fellow Chinese students. (Point to an Asian student) Bing, what do you think about this?"<br /><br />For a fleeting second, I considered calling upon Yinka, my Nigerian friend, to help me answer this question since she likes to joke that she's part Japanese. She just wants to see the professor face when an African woman makes sweeping comments about the Asian market. Yinka is also worried (only slightly) about receiving class participation credit since we never talk about luxury brands in Africa.<br /><br />Regardless of the odd Q&A session, the presentation was a <leo_highlight style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_5" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_5')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_5')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_5')" leohighlights_keywords="home%20run" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dhome%2520run%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dhome%2520run%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="false">home run</leo_highlight>. The professor really enjoyed our analysis and even remarked that he would have liked for us to present in front of <leo_highlight style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_6" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_6')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_6')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_6')" leohighlights_keywords="jimmy%20choo" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Djimmy%2520choo%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="false">Jimmy Choo</leo_highlight>'s management <leo_highlight style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_7" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_7')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_7')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_7')" leohighlights_keywords="team" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dteam%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dteam%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="false">team</leo_highlight>. Gold star? I think so.<br /><br /><leo_highlight style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_8" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_8')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_8')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_8')" leohighlights_keywords="kellogg" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dkellogg%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dkellogg%26domain%3Dwww.blogger.com" leohighlights_underline="false">Kellogg</leo_highlight> represent.<br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session 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</script> </span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-58718791363276015692010-02-26T20:47:00.001+01:002010-02-26T20:47:01.173+01:00Mr. and Mrs. Sprat"Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean<br />
And so between them both, you see<br />
They licked the platter clean."<br />
- nursery rhyme<br />
<br />
Anyone who has ever traveled with friends knows it isn't always everything it's cracked up to be. You may love someone, but find yourself on an overnight bus, or inadvertently withdraw enough Hungarian florints to buy the whole country and you may find your friendship on the outs. I actually just read an article about a couple that took a three month long honeymoon, which nearly ended in divorce. I, on the other hand, am living the above nursery rhyme. <br />
<br />
Despite never having traveled together Teena and I are like Mr. Sprat and his wife: she likes dark meat, I like white; I bring the conditioner, Teena has the eye makeup remover; Teena tripadvisor plans all of our travels, I make dinner and find killer flight deals. We're even complimentary bloggers: She tells you all about the beauty and culture of our travels, and I share the side story adventures in which we find ourselves. We're two peas in a pod. <br />
<br />
Note: Though I will not make any estimations about who's the Mr. and who's the Mrs. I will tell you that Teena went to the restroom marked "Caballeros" (translation: gentlemen) last night.MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-22238099395862984912010-02-23T18:12:00.001+01:002010-02-23T18:12:00.598+01:00Representing AsiansI love that professor here are down-to-earth and very open to hearing people's thoughts on different issues. I'm taking two luxury marketing classes as well as a services marketing class, and all my professors seem to be quite interested in Asia, particularly China, Japan, and India. For luxury goods and luxury services (e.g., hotels), Asia represents a huge market. However, there is a certain comfort professors have with being politically incorrect and I wonder if this is abnormal, or if Americans are just too sensitive. For example:<br /><br /><ol><li>Asian students are constantly singled out to speak on behalf of their entire ethnic group: "So what do Chinese consumers think of this?"</li><li>When making points about Armani in Asia, the professor stares at the Asian students</li><li>The professor remarks "too bad there is no Japanese person in this group" when a group is about to present on Burberry's Asian expansion, particularly into Japan. Apparently, only Japanese people can credibly determine how Burberry is faring in Japan. </li><li>One professor, who is trying to make a point about China, points to an Asian student and says "Let's hear what the Chinese students think." The student replies quietly "I'm Japanese." The professor continues. He points at 3 more students asking "Are you Chinese? Are you Chinese? Are you Chinese?" He gives up on the fourth try. I stay silent.<br /></li><li>For a group project, my teammate reaches out to the professor to find out if he has insider industry information (which he tends to have since he meets with executives often) on how successful Jimmy Choo is in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asia</span>. He does not have any data. Instead, he suggests that we conduct a survey among the school's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chinese</span> students to see if they are aware of Jimmy Choo, and to use awareness as a gauge for success. Hmm......... We are being asked to make conclusions about the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian</span> market based on brand awareness from a sample of ~30 Chinese students who decided to study at a school known for its luxury marketing program. Biased self-selected sample group? Statistically insignificant sample size? Sweeping conclusions about Asians using only an ethnic group? Mckeon would be proud of me.<br /></li></ol>My poor roommate fears that she is not getting any participation points in class because she isn't Asian. I, on the other hand, have decided to embrace my Chinese heritage and to take advantage of the enormous amount of credibility I have from just looking Asian. I will speak confidently about how all Chinese people love Louis Vuitton even though I've only been to China once (discounting Hong Kong). I will tell my classmates what Bottega's future is in Japan. I will make claims about what makes Jimmy Choo successful in Asia, without using any data to support my points. Personal stories should be enough.<br /><br />At least my participation credit is skyrocketing here.<br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-21033707873987838252010-02-17T18:51:00.000+01:002010-02-17T21:17:08.213+01:00Budapest & Prague - A Bit of History and Good LuckWe only had 1 day of classes this week because the other two days of classes were canceled due to a career fair at ESSEC. Thus, MC and I decided to jet off to Budapest and Prague for a few days.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Budapest, Hungary</span><br />Early morning on Tuesday, MC, Dana and I stumbled off our plane. We were exhausted from getting little to no sleep the night before, but we were all troopers and excited to explore Budapest. First things first, getting to an ATM to withdraw cash. Two hundred Hungarian Forints is approximately equal to one dollar. Easy enough. We calculated how many Forints to take out since we each wanted to withdraw $100 for our short 2 day stay. I withdrew my Forints from the ATM thinking "that's a lot of bills for just $100. Oh well." MC stepped up to withdraw money, punched in a few numbers and suddenly feels uneasy. We all re-calculated the conversion and at the exact same time, we realize that there was an extra 0. MC hit the cancel button furiously, but the Hungarian machine ignored her request, spitting out $1000 worth of Forints instead. We had a total of $2000 worth of Forints for 2 days. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip #1: Get a good night's sleep before you approach an ATM. </span><br /><br />The rest of the trip was thankfully uneventful. One of my favorite parts of Budapest was the House of Terror (see below), a museum dedicated to those whose lives were lost during the Nazi regime (1944-5) and the Communist regime (1949-89). It was a multimedia experience which challenged almost all my senses and it really gave me a sense of the tragedies Hungary has gone through in the last 100 years. Check out the "Terror" word filtering through at the top of the building.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibji0RaKCjavOQbT3LOdFMtZeZTpBIEDYGgrhYVQpAOi9HR85hxJi0kvaLoCvBJ43fFyIfSpGY54iD90fWyuEM0TSZLkaQjUaI-vSaSxTx1EvV0rVhJyPD4OlTPukhV6Wqm1lhcWjcdTo/s1600-h/Budapest+-+Terror.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibji0RaKCjavOQbT3LOdFMtZeZTpBIEDYGgrhYVQpAOi9HR85hxJi0kvaLoCvBJ43fFyIfSpGY54iD90fWyuEM0TSZLkaQjUaI-vSaSxTx1EvV0rVhJyPD4OlTPukhV6Wqm1lhcWjcdTo/s320/Budapest+-+Terror.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439292339591376946" border="0" /></a><br />Other things we did in Budapest were a walking tour, a tour of the opera house, and a visit to the Jewish Synagogue (see below). This beautiful synagogue is the largest in Europe and the 2nd largest in the world. In the gardens behind, there are also several memorials to those that were killed during the Nazi regime. It was sobering to think that these terrible things only took place a mere 70 years ago.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM6gsuxxM37m868AO5i83TIh65Sqy_AICpCL7hkZmJSH3hZZCqpqMoDtlGbgX8NRkE1pYnyqfvKS1aRkuAldQnXFyAjgT6DySEtLiVpqKEb2pkqjxuRKJMaOtfzleljou0JTt6sG2USY/s1600-h/Budapest+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM6gsuxxM37m868AO5i83TIh65Sqy_AICpCL7hkZmJSH3hZZCqpqMoDtlGbgX8NRkE1pYnyqfvKS1aRkuAldQnXFyAjgT6DySEtLiVpqKEb2pkqjxuRKJMaOtfzleljou0JTt6sG2USY/s320/Budapest+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439292652032661682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdHdlHQFNhTloQNub7IaLKf7BBv9oEBDJvrnavZIplrMMk92UPXXwkn3HCWOu_fLefmY9huuPkZXUkXilKZUQnQBJ2YQ63vksF1qzgqIaP5MkmYWK8-9k1fg-eZ5Xdxz6GY2_1pRTmEg/s1600-h/Budapest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdHdlHQFNhTloQNub7IaLKf7BBv9oEBDJvrnavZIplrMMk92UPXXwkn3HCWOu_fLefmY9huuPkZXUkXilKZUQnQBJ2YQ63vksF1qzgqIaP5MkmYWK8-9k1fg-eZ5Xdxz6GY2_1pRTmEg/s320/Budapest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439292463147491794" border="0" /></a><br />Overall, Budapest was much harder to navigate because few people spoke English. The letters were so foreign, we couldn't even pronounce the words we wanted to ask, so it was quite difficult to get around. It didn't help that I was slightly sick andn medication. I have to say though, a smiling face and a Thank You goes very far. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip #2: Learn how to say Thank You in the local language. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prague, Czech Republic</span><br />We began our Prague trip with a visit to Kutna Hora, a small town just 1 hour outside of the city. Wonderful and friendly elderly women helped us figure out how to take the local bus in the town since it was not a very tourist friendly time of the year. It helped that all three of us had strong charades skills.<br /><br />The morbid side of me wanted to see this famous church, which is decorated with human bones, in Kutna Hora. These bones came from an estimated 40,000 people who died during the plague. Oddly, I wasn't as creeped out as I thought I would be. It was more artistic than I imagined. Dana and MC were thoroughly disturbed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VDwyO1Q9LHf40j3f2-COQZGxNWB9EpaIHicyNbVY0xWcd6r01R5UUMZvwsNUOOh4RIZPV1kVa0Ymu0_2w19nAOglTap2ux0e7Nw50gmCdix1ACz_1y6S4WYJHFQjVonolFDncxpDzqQ/s1600-h/Prague+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VDwyO1Q9LHf40j3f2-COQZGxNWB9EpaIHicyNbVY0xWcd6r01R5UUMZvwsNUOOh4RIZPV1kVa0Ymu0_2w19nAOglTap2ux0e7Nw50gmCdix1ACz_1y6S4WYJHFQjVonolFDncxpDzqQ/s320/Prague+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439292919241495170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5F_kgL5ibVLwp7Uat1t_CcJtHjNl2WqVMxQt5ZGVpD7hE_9z0RS2u5PzRfbxBAtHNX_uIF01Gfo_VF0eQzPosXyb0967ZZ15OTHwsXkYVaoA2Jz_WbhhkCDnXpJ_VHd4bZHAtMugw-s/s1600-h/Prague+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5F_kgL5ibVLwp7Uat1t_CcJtHjNl2WqVMxQt5ZGVpD7hE_9z0RS2u5PzRfbxBAtHNX_uIF01Gfo_VF0eQzPosXyb0967ZZ15OTHwsXkYVaoA2Jz_WbhhkCDnXpJ_VHd4bZHAtMugw-s/s320/Prague+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439293134300422066" border="0" /></a><br />For the next two days in Prague, we wandered the cities, visiting the Prague castle, taking a boat cruise, and going on another walking tour. Prague is definitely one of the most gorgeous cities I've visited and words don't do it justice so I'll let my pictures do the talking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Old Town Plaza - where we ate most of our lunches<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YdO-syCFX1cbchyphenhyphenKo5pT4QKjvP2GjyG0-2kzOdCOixo7gtENhd-vm2EsQYLxmjr2kbrPyLDGHJgaIeDQLtyyV9oDUXglnx1wOCCGQRjapKzztU5xAQRjtH4TMIKGfSQeYcCUOJo-gGA/s1600-h/Prague+%284%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YdO-syCFX1cbchyphenhyphenKo5pT4QKjvP2GjyG0-2kzOdCOixo7gtENhd-vm2EsQYLxmjr2kbrPyLDGHJgaIeDQLtyyV9oDUXglnx1wOCCGQRjapKzztU5xAQRjtH4TMIKGfSQeYcCUOJo-gGA/s320/Prague+%284%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439293326223295618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUJfjPazfcpvI3Jg7xOPOCBdrdQxa6yPHEhQ55lhbFbsRyedLl7lV4feEqm0xgl3IxS2mAYxbnT70TK5_2PW84MRQHRa7IQ-fpFbKXEwSggQeXgfj1qrsmASP73hCxo8n-6pdS_EiVM0/s1600-h/Prague+%285%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUJfjPazfcpvI3Jg7xOPOCBdrdQxa6yPHEhQ55lhbFbsRyedLl7lV4feEqm0xgl3IxS2mAYxbnT70TK5_2PW84MRQHRa7IQ-fpFbKXEwSggQeXgfj1qrsmASP73hCxo8n-6pdS_EiVM0/s320/Prague+%285%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439293516291294994" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Charles Bridge at Night<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkEP_xAgmdhY0BUqgkiEwpo-UfOQwN6Bxbljl-1pVY6ZvaIk-CRI5MelXdisQQRDELTqPE_GwDZbqB9OJ8ArUmqzlcjqWwD7X2tNqU7dvcBl60kVKDrXDiAME0zFMCXra45OubTD6m2E/s1600-h/Prague+%286%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkEP_xAgmdhY0BUqgkiEwpo-UfOQwN6Bxbljl-1pVY6ZvaIk-CRI5MelXdisQQRDELTqPE_GwDZbqB9OJ8ArUmqzlcjqWwD7X2tNqU7dvcBl60kVKDrXDiAME0zFMCXra45OubTD6m2E/s320/Prague+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439293739262653154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A scupture by David Cerny, a controversial Czech sculpture. Here you see two statues peeing famous quotes into a pond. If you text a message to a number, the statues will stop and begin peeing your message into the pond. David Cerny has another art "piece" where you climb a ladder and stick your head in the sculpture’s arse to see a video of two Czech politicians feeding each other slop to a soundtrack of "We are the Champions." Gotta love him sense of humor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JgGtBgsf0bnD8EWB8V-oPQ9ek3V_idCRGLO7U-Yp8LTUcfannwF6xJYmx5RifcIdj-AwTmng4yVgaUqDNKLT2Z3g3aQpd9TOX7Vd0M460mFk1_BymixQXA4BFaP3qS4dImMw_bYWkBQ/s1600-h/Prague+%288%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JgGtBgsf0bnD8EWB8V-oPQ9ek3V_idCRGLO7U-Yp8LTUcfannwF6xJYmx5RifcIdj-AwTmng4yVgaUqDNKLT2Z3g3aQpd9TOX7Vd0M460mFk1_BymixQXA4BFaP3qS4dImMw_bYWkBQ/s320/Prague+%288%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439294913270537602" border="0" /></a><br />Last but not least, I must comment on the luck factor. It seems that people in both Budapest and Prague are in need of a lot of luck. This isn't surprising given their similar history of Nazism and Communism. After visiting both cities, I've come across 6+ statues that you can rub to obtain good luck. This includes sculptures of a lady, the knees of a child, and the belly of a policeman (this will give you luck in the pregnancy department).<br /><br />You can tell which parts of the statue you should rub since these areas are usually golden from being polished so often. I am befuddled though, by these two statues below and who exactly decided that it would be good luck to rub these body parts. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip #3: Think before you rub. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Yes, she is holding the underside of the horse.<br /></div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWZSJxQ8xKKzfQEkYeZFhKy2Gt21R2l0WHHYz-ICfyxvzWwLUK37dUcL3vvfpBunioV3kVWlghqUEbodP7MXnZvRjSip5rlVFjorlFZOGATnozwdCzKnY8SyQDgH0yTxJfTMT7_-bQCg/s1600-h/IMG_4808.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWZSJxQ8xKKzfQEkYeZFhKy2Gt21R2l0WHHYz-ICfyxvzWwLUK37dUcL3vvfpBunioV3kVWlghqUEbodP7MXnZvRjSip5rlVFjorlFZOGATnozwdCzKnY8SyQDgH0yTxJfTMT7_-bQCg/s320/IMG_4808.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439308544177100850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3pmWHyiV6KIURn5TZeleH-PWAGTYZl8Pw-hv_rxgjq53aKQrs6JnlUyzxYdw6B-jxwCrg2mA7o82XnRkjW9QHK4seyZg1w7n8ZOQQhjtvRQhkQhWZe9YwQiXo_4KqGoinIrkHUb1sj4/s1600-h/Statues.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3pmWHyiV6KIURn5TZeleH-PWAGTYZl8Pw-hv_rxgjq53aKQrs6JnlUyzxYdw6B-jxwCrg2mA7o82XnRkjW9QHK4seyZg1w7n8ZOQQhjtvRQhkQhWZe9YwQiXo_4KqGoinIrkHUb1sj4/s320/Statues.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439295410179700722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-68328515958566670902010-02-14T21:29:00.003+01:002010-02-14T21:31:38.621+01:00Marketing 101After one and a half months in Paris I should probably be posting pictures of Parisian sites - Sacre Coeur, the Eiffel Tower, the shoe store by us where I covet nearly everything. Instead, I thought I'd put my Kellogg marketing training to use and dissect a sign which has amused me the whole time we've been in Paris.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPTwb_vJI19jhMC2YQWFoWd3cOOjYZn4-oe9KIujmTsqvy14NoBsB2Hkoew0uCbd8931xfdQdicybDJWN71DITKn8tLRxS5BVVPw5kZcoZm072s-uBDxOTwG945jobqVKckgTfm_1qz0/s1600-h/Wall+Street+English.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPTwb_vJI19jhMC2YQWFoWd3cOOjYZn4-oe9KIujmTsqvy14NoBsB2Hkoew0uCbd8931xfdQdicybDJWN71DITKn8tLRxS5BVVPw5kZcoZm072s-uBDxOTwG945jobqVKckgTfm_1qz0/s320/Wall+Street+English.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Ok, let's start with the circles in the center, which I've helpfully linked with a line for you. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong> - Left center circle:</strong> Union Jack on tongue</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong> - Right center circle: </strong>Wall Street reference</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I guess the Wall Street Institute is so busy teaching English that they can't be bothered with geography.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Let's move down to the tiny circle in the center of the same ad. That is a footnote. Why does an ad need a footnote you may wonder. Well, if you are trying to reach an audience that is looking to learn English, then perhaps running your ad in English is not the best idea. Consequently, the Wall Street Institute has had to add a translation at the bottom of their ad...thus the footnote.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now let's head right to the ad that has likely been distracting about 50% of you. In this case the lingerie model is actually selling lingerie, but I understand if you're confused. Here in France lingerie models are used to sell everything from diet pills to toilet cleaner. (Note: If you are thinking that this happens in the US as well, I can assure you that it is much more egregious here in France.) Heck, when you have grandparents making out on the Metro you have to do something to catch people's attention. Actually, I guess all the loving going on in the Metro makes the placement of this lingerie ad pretty fabulous.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And finally, moving all the way to left to the lovely woman standing against the half wall. She has absolutely nothing to do with either of these ads, but since she happened to be in my picture I thought I'd point out the Parisian uniform du jour:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> 1.) Black tights with boots</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> 2.) Mini skirt (typically jean) / short shorts</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> 3.) Intricately wrapped scarf</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I'm certain that in that large purse she is carrying around the requisite pack of cigarettes. Sadly though, if she's looking to learn English I'm guessing the sign in front of her is of no use.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-33087296010294376342010-02-08T23:00:00.000+01:002010-02-17T18:49:45.315+01:00La Vieux Belleville, a French Chanson BarGoing to a French Chanson bar is probably a parisian activity that most people living in Paris will never do. The concept is simple: dinner and drinks at a small restaurant. Afterward, a French musician, with an accordion, lyric sheets, and eccentric glasses, leads the group in joint singing which becomes louder and louder as the night proceeds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjA7VlPlLRF9hjAju9eldvW46k9WRX6VwVK9qC7G6XxrRfJy34GD4UhtkLQ4-0-RAGNy0KuaJEccMiscpYMAu9LuDw5ZEGwVCId1N8SjaC1k3hyphenhyphenueIXwBXvlZXqOmeFHvJd7F4tA0nX4/s1600-h/IMG_4693.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjA7VlPlLRF9hjAju9eldvW46k9WRX6VwVK9qC7G6XxrRfJy34GD4UhtkLQ4-0-RAGNy0KuaJEccMiscpYMAu9LuDw5ZEGwVCId1N8SjaC1k3hyphenhyphenueIXwBXvlZXqOmeFHvJd7F4tA0nX4/s320/IMG_4693.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439245378898211138" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT4R0441lE1-zsM7kzqVEv2KI0eIxecGdK6vlBdLYOcknSXi4F5KfCrntB6STI4xwiYVpEbBow5g9Jtgkle94p0pPV-L8Or6gZiwgDQl4vCQOZSBUAPppCu3BkWWVEXHjchi8aJej39Q/s1600-h/IMG_4696.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT4R0441lE1-zsM7kzqVEv2KI0eIxecGdK6vlBdLYOcknSXi4F5KfCrntB6STI4xwiYVpEbBow5g9Jtgkle94p0pPV-L8Or6gZiwgDQl4vCQOZSBUAPppCu3BkWWVEXHjchi8aJej39Q/s320/IMG_4696.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439246091149821074" border="0" /></a><br />MC, Maria and I heard about "La Vieux Belleville" through a friend and decided that this would be be the perfect place to spend a Saturday evening. As we wait for our dinner to arrive, we read through a mini-postcard to get a sense for what to expect. It says:<br />- "Chansons (singers), accordeon (accordian), and <span style="font-weight: bold;">orgue de barbarie</span> (???)"<br /><br />What is an orgue de babarie? My initial thought is - an organ of barbarism. But what type of musical instrument would that be?! After fits of giggling, we decide that my translation is NOT correct and proceed to use a dictionary to look up each word. On a side note, yes I brought a dictionary to the Chansons Bar. According to my dictionary:<br />- Orgue = Organ<br />- Barbarie = Barbarity<br /><br />Was my translation really correct? But what in the world is a barbaric organ? Refusing to believe this, MC looked up the combined phrase instead of the individual words, turning up with the definition "a musical instrument that is part of the organ family." This definition make a lot more sense now. However, it's still beyond me why anyone would name a beautiful instrument "organ of barbarity."<br /><br />Our night continued with some loud, off-tune singing to "La Vie En Rose" (Life in Rose) and "Emmenez Moi" (Take me). The lead singer frequently came by our table to ask us if we could understand since we were the only foreigners at the bar. Later in the night we sang an upbeat song about a man who was sent to work off his crime on a boat. When she asked us what we thought about the song, I replied "we liked it but it was rather sad. " With a huge grin on her face, she said "But it's gay!" before skipping off to the next table.<br /><br />I spent a good portion of the night chatting with the old French man sitting next to me, who was there with his family. Grandpa seemed to enjoy drinking wine and felt the need to pour us glasses of wine when ours were empty. Maria declined, explaining that she was not drinking that night. Grandpa found this very difficult to comprehend. As the night wore on, Grandpa's French became difficult to understand and I realized that he was slurring his words. He also jokingly told us that his was "gentile" (friend) but his nephew, who was across from him, was "dangereux." I think this was our cue to leave and head home.<br /><br />We headed home, full , happy and humming new songs. J'adore la France.<br /><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-34702901437319238812010-02-07T08:39:00.012+01:002010-02-15T00:31:16.693+01:00Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten...I am still struggling with the concept of lines in France...or, more appropriately, the lack thereof. I think I learned how lines worked in kindergarten. One person got to be the "line leader" - this usually involved wearing a paper crown - and everyone in the class followed after them. It is not a hard concept.<br />
<br />
Last week, during one of our 30 minute class breaks - everyone needs time for "une smoke" - I ran over to grab a much needed cup of "cafe au lait." Apparently, everyone else in school had also decided to grab a snack as I found myself further back in line than ever before. But no matter, there is no such thing as being late to class here in France. After waiting in line for a few minutes a group of students arrived and hopped into line with the people directly in front of me. Now, if perhaps you have gotten the only professor here who cares about timeliness, and you desperately need a cup of coffee I am more than happy to let you step in, but when you act as if I'm too dumb to notice that you just appeared out of nowhere it simply insults my intelligence. Wanting to avoid a fast-paced French altercation, I just stared at the people in front of me and hoped that they would get the message. This did not work. Eventually, one of the guys in front of me turned back and snootily said to us in French, "that is just how things are done here in Fr-ah-nce." Tired of being the lone rule follower I walked past, joined a friend in front of him, turned around and in my most perfect French said, "well when in France..." <br />
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I felt proud that I was finally<em> learning parisian</em>, until I realized that while I stood there feeling guilty - this is what happens to us rule followers - they simply couldn't have cared less. Perhaps I'm going to start walking around with a paper crown.MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-77433307929338901442010-02-06T22:30:00.004+01:002010-02-06T22:30:00.231+01:00"Lousy French"Ok, so our French isn't really that terrible. It is also not really that good. But we can get by even if at times it is a bit of a tag-team effort. One of our biggest challenges is that sometimes things in France just don't make sense to Americans. So while we may be in fact understanding something quite clearly, our American brains are telling us that this is not possible. Instead of assuming cultural differences we often assume that the misunderstanding is due to our lousy French.<br />
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For example, just last week Teena and I decided to walk through Montparnasse cemetery (don't judge - this is such a normal thing to do that the guard at the gate happily gives you a map as you enter). Not 5 minutes into our "sightseeing" we saw a sign on a badly neglected grave that we thought was saying that the grave was going to be repossessed. I read it, Teena read it, I read it again...we looked at each other, pointed to the words, decided that this was not possible...how could a grave be repossessed? "Lousy French." Why didn't Berlitz teach us the verb "to repossess?" We read this sign on various unattended graves hoping for clarity, but we kept coming to the same conclusion: It is not saying that the graves are going to be repossessed, that's simply not possible. We just aren't reading it correctly. <br />
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Stumbling upon a groundskeeper I decided to ask him what the sign said. With a cigarette dangling from his lip we had the following rapid-fire French conversation:<br />
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<em><strong>Me:</strong> "I was hoping you could explain what the sign on those graves says?"</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Groundskeeper:</strong> "There is a lot of room to bury people. Sometimes 12-15 people in one spot." </em><br />
<em> {{Repeatedly stacks one hand on top of the other to indicate that many bodies can fit into one grave}}</em><br />
<em> "If you don't take care of it, well it is good business to re-sell...oui?" </em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em><strong>Me:</strong> {{Internal thought}} Uhhhhh....no, not oui....how do I ask this politely? </em><br />
<em> "But, and I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, what do you do with the people that are already there?"</em><br />
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<em><strong>Groundskeeper:</strong> "Well it is very easy, we dig them up to make room for the new bodies....oui?""</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em><strong>Me:</strong> {{Internal thought}} Uhhhhh...no, not oui...I think I'm misunderstanding this...</em><br />
<em> "You take them out of the ground? The dead people? And you bury new people there?"</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em><strong>Groundskeeper:</strong> "Yes...but only if you have 25,000 Euros to buy the spot. You see it is good business....oui?"</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em><strong>Me:</strong> {{Giving up}} "Oui."</em><br />
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Note: "reprise" = to take back; to repossess<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrgem0IeIoSHam8lvjc8OuQm2gMpLdXLvDOoQBafo8Tm6dDRZe9abK6Bwm47JBSVlLfw1BJ_qR40KCE1DVxMZ50nnJsguv2kVqw-UVmJhHa-HHxznqPSCVhzTAGyUA7nadyNepn7Pj_Q/s1600-h/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrgem0IeIoSHam8lvjc8OuQm2gMpLdXLvDOoQBafo8Tm6dDRZe9abK6Bwm47JBSVlLfw1BJ_qR40KCE1DVxMZ50nnJsguv2kVqw-UVmJhHa-HHxznqPSCVhzTAGyUA7nadyNepn7Pj_Q/s320/IMG_3850.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How does this gravestone come to happen?!? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"So honey, I know we may not both die at the same time, but I was thinking..."</div>MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-9273903248587584122010-02-04T22:20:00.004+01:002010-02-07T01:18:13.331+01:00Cheese Cheese CheeseI feel like a cheese baby is forming in my stomach. Tonight, I went to a cheese tasting class where I proceeded to eat 13 types of cheese, along with bread and fruit. Top it off with some champagne, wine, and port...and you get a cheese baby.<br /><br />I found a wonderful lady here called Gerri who teaches a cheese tasting class, complete with handouts, a powerpoint, and a tasting experience. So I organized a tasting class for my new exchange student friends. The 9 of us spent a night indulging in cheese heaven.<br /><br />As with wine, we started out with lighter flavors (Fromage Blanc, goat cheese), then to soft cheeses (Camembert), hard cheeses (Comte), and then more pungent ones like Pont L'Eveque, Fourme d'Ambert (blue cheese), and Roquefort (blue cheese).<br /><br />My observations:<br /><br />- There's no good way to pair wine and cheese when you want to serve several types of cheese. What you should do, is to choose who you want the superstar to be. Superstar wine? Pick a cheese or two that compliments it. Superstar cheese? Pick a wine that goes well with it.<br /><br />- I love Comte cheese. Comte Jeune (aged 12 months) was delicious and smooth. Comte "Fruite" (aged 4 years) was even more delicious with its amino acid crunches. Think of a cheese version of the Crunch candy bar.<br /><br />- Camembert and Brie are very different in France. I prefer Camembert in France, and Brie in the U.S.<br /><br />- I still don't like goat cheese. I keep trying it, hoping that one day I'll learn to enjoy it since everyone seems to love it so much. Today was not that day. My mind thought "You can do it!" but my mouth responded with "No, there's something that repulses me." Maybe next time...<br /><br />- Pont L'Eveque smells like dirty wet socks. I tried not to let the smell interfere with my taste, but I couldn't help it. I even told myself that it was like Taiwanese stinky tofu which tastes better than it smells. Alas, nothing helped, and I decided that I do not like eating dirty wet socks. Even MC (who cleaned her plate) decided that she couldn't eat this cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwIWs7y7jMZA2cPlXbGd9sAkFIzxbpJNJV6wgSisoMiQJxMlz-N8E-scgrzlXGA7qoityeqpfaSz5AVe5cZ4p6t-2ZSzxZhnk0ruLrvSVqX9Nnm6hYCbnZ2NTlvHQgPxvdX4TTJCWcms/s1600-h/02.04.09+Cheese+Tasting+%286%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwIWs7y7jMZA2cPlXbGd9sAkFIzxbpJNJV6wgSisoMiQJxMlz-N8E-scgrzlXGA7qoityeqpfaSz5AVe5cZ4p6t-2ZSzxZhnk0ruLrvSVqX9Nnm6hYCbnZ2NTlvHQgPxvdX4TTJCWcms/s320/02.04.09+Cheese+Tasting+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434878296959391842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-30386336851110797652010-02-01T21:18:00.005+01:002010-02-05T22:17:23.105+01:00Marrakech, MorrocoAccording MC, if you are what you eat, MC and I are: "Tagine, Couscous, Brochette, and Mint Tea."<br /><br />Niiko, MC, Johannah and I had a wonderful 5 day vacation in Marrakesh. What made it even better were the amazing accommodations at Le Meridien. Thank you Starwood points!<br /><br />On Thursday, MC and I attended a private Moroccan cooking class at a local riad (hotel). Aida, a local Moroccan, was our head chef but since she did not speak english, we had a translator called Mohammed. Mohammed asked us "how did you find out about this class?" I replied "On www.tripadvisor.com." Mohammed then mentioned that he gave a ton of advice on tripadvisor to people traveling to Morocco and that his screenname was "TrueBeliever." When I heard this, I gave a little shriek...like I just met a movie star. When I was planning this trip, I read tons of reviews on tripadvisor and "TrueBeliever" was THE Morocco expert. MC had to shush me so I didn't disturb the other guests at the hotel.<br /><br />Other highlights of the trip include: bargaining for taxis. You must determine a price before you step into the taxi, otherwise you will be taken for a ride (figuratively). My french improved dramatically when I was negotiating. To get home one day, MC and I approached a taxi, determined to only pay 20 Dirhams, which was the going rate for a taxi to the Meridien hotel from that location. The taxi driver asked for 30 Dirhams, so in French, I proceed speak rapid-fire: "It's 20 dirhams I know this I left yesterday from the restaurant over there and it was 20 No It's 20 No, I'm only paying 20." The taxi driver agrees to take us to the hotel for 20 Dirhams.<br /><br />MC and I decided to buy some 30 Dirham ($4) sunglasses since we forgot to bring any. MC tries to negotiate the price down...unsuccessfully. To my surprise, the shopkeeper starts to braid my hair, into what he calls a "Berber style." For those of you that know me, I have a personal aversion to people touching my hair. I was also disturbed that he was touching me, especially in a Muslim country where men are more respectful of women. Being the amazing negotiator that she was, MC asked the shopkeeper for a discount, for the rights to braid my hair. My roommate just pawned me off to get $1 off sunglasses.....I'm worth much more than that.<br /><br />Throughout my time in Marrakesh, I was constantly referred to as "Japan" or "China." At first, I gave into this and introduced myself as "I am Japan" whenever people asked. At some point though, I decided that I needed to educate people about Taiwan. So I started to say "I am Taiwan, not China. We make cell phones." When a shopkeeper asked me if I was Taiwanese (without prompting), I was so excited I purchased overpriced items from him.<br /><br />Other highlights of my trip include: a 2-day overnight desert trip, a camel ride, a guided tour of the souk markets, steam baths, a night out at a local club, and lots of meals on the roof terraces. Overall, Marrakesh gets two thumbs up. Wait, according to MC, in Arabic countries, giving someone a thumbs up means "GO **&^%*&" (translation: something highly offensive).<br /><br />Overall, Marrakesh get 2 gold stars.<br /><br /><br />Photo: Camel Riding<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hgroL77lpe5K9hYwznH9zfvq72RM5PTnrdrhRwQlQZ041i_cMxAIQWn6AtFJG7M4JAAjgj1bw5gkWupjSEDVM0HdMMnf5JFYKScfK_zGoPhPcULoNsFesAWwKP-LgImHg4w3u0deQQc/s1600-h/Camel.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hgroL77lpe5K9hYwznH9zfvq72RM5PTnrdrhRwQlQZ041i_cMxAIQWn6AtFJG7M4JAAjgj1bw5gkWupjSEDVM0HdMMnf5JFYKScfK_zGoPhPcULoNsFesAWwKP-LgImHg4w3u0deQQc/s320/Camel.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434867754465548338" border="0" /></a>Photo: Gorgeous plate store at the Souk markets<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4_9zU-7Oi0jGtW2PVMTU8nF8i5TUk1IQJxIJjOniz9nvD7KyZJYbek5VWBefz9iYEX23Qev4027RygjLOkhy3U8iqiYPkh1hQPTKKQTDy_NsMKXj_YL80T9zurvC7X2KatWbDYEojf4/s1600-h/Dishes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4_9zU-7Oi0jGtW2PVMTU8nF8i5TUk1IQJxIJjOniz9nvD7KyZJYbek5VWBefz9iYEX23Qev4027RygjLOkhy3U8iqiYPkh1hQPTKKQTDy_NsMKXj_YL80T9zurvC7X2KatWbDYEojf4/s320/Dishes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434868495312534754" border="0" /></a><br />Photo: Morrocan men wear this traditional Jalaba which comes in all colors and sizes. Notice the pointy hood - it was a bit creepy when I first saw it.<br />By the way, I chased this man halfway around the Souks trying to secretly take a picture of him.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMUvl-EsBWzGQS0j0T8d7iHeYPeqdbbNJECDQQt-Q6HwzL4NXhNJ6Xwr6_izNN1OAyLF00qiTybjGGYmDgq6chmPqOJ-OVDLav0ZaAuTRW4f9EtMyXO2xR-vmkAs9n-32d3o1Vweska0/s1600-h/Pointy+Man.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMUvl-EsBWzGQS0j0T8d7iHeYPeqdbbNJECDQQt-Q6HwzL4NXhNJ6Xwr6_izNN1OAyLF00qiTybjGGYmDgq6chmPqOJ-OVDLav0ZaAuTRW4f9EtMyXO2xR-vmkAs9n-32d3o1Vweska0/s320/Pointy+Man.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434870148707697074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-82288824206716764342010-01-27T20:32:00.003+01:002010-02-05T22:53:41.207+01:00Mistakes of a NoviceI've been doing fairly well, getting around with my mediocre french. Having an international data plan and my trusty blackberry helps because I'm able to look up words I don't understand. Even so, there are times when my roommate and I clearly made mistakes.<br /><br />1) "Nous sommes finit" says MC, hoping to relay to the waiter that we have finished eating. She quickly realizes that she just told the waiter that we are finished...in a dead sort of way.<br /><br />2) At a brasserie, we decide to order a salad because we needed some greens in our life. We choose a "salade <span style="font-weight: bold;">de </span>gruyere" which we think is a a salad with some gruyere cheese. Or so we thought. Out comes a plate full of grated cheese in salad dressing. Note to myself: prepositions are important. Next time, I should order a "salade <span style="font-weight: bold;">avec </span>gruyere"...a salade <span style="font-weight: bold;">with </span>gruyere cheese, instead of a salade <span style="font-weight: bold;">of </span>cheese.<br /><br />3) MC and I are at the french train station trying to purchase a ticket back to Paris, but none of our credit cards seem to work. We step back to observe what the frenchies were doing. It seemed simple enough, press a few buttons and stick the credit card in. Then why didn't our card work? I read the message on the screen and all I see is that my credit card is "muette." I look this word up on my phone....apparently, my credit card is "silent, deaf, stupid." The french machine is telling me that my US credit card is handicapped. Great.<br /><br />4) MC grabs me and asks "Did that LCD sign just say that people of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">devil </span>should call this number?" It's hard to believe that there are enough people of the devil in the small town of Colmar (France) to necessitate a toll-free-number. So MC proceeds to stare intently at the sign waiting for the sign to change so we could double check what she saw. After 10 minutes, the same message comes up and we notice that the "V" was really a "U." People of <span style="font-weight: bold;">deuil</span> (mourning) should call this number. I knew there weren't that many devlish people in Colmar.<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-15618032735584652742010-01-26T22:16:00.000+01:002010-01-26T22:16:17.778+01:00Loving (and a little hating) in the "City of Love"I have a love-hate relationship with the Parisian Metro system. I love that even when I don't know exactly where I'm going, I do know that the Metro will get me there (please keep any philosophical and/or practical comments about getting somewhere when you don't know where you're going to yourself). I love the art nouveau Metro signs that make public transportation seem glamorous.<br />
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On the flip-side I hate that my beloved Metro regularly smells like a public restroom. I keep hoping they will come in and bleach those lovely white subway tiles into germ-free, non-smelly oblivion, but I'm not holding my breath...except for when I'm in the really stinky places.<br />
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There is no doubt, that Paris really is the "City of Love." It's actually inspiring to see elderly couples holding hands as they walk down the street together. (Random note: I keep telling my roomie that I'm going to "steal" one of the well-dressed Parisian babies I see on the street. I think she is going to steal a cute set of hand-holding Parisian grandparents). Couples are, generally, more demonstrative than we are in the US and typically it's pretty cute...but not always.<br />
<br />
Paris is oozing with places to have a romantic moment: lighted bridges, quaint little bistros, heck steal a little kiss in a beautiful church...God is a big fan of love. So why in the world would one choose to have their romantic moment in the afore-mentioned public restroom smelling Metro!?! Seriously friends, this is not something I have seen once or twice, and it is not limited to hormone-afflicted teenagers, you can regularly see those cute Parisian grandparents mid-makeout in the Metro. In my attempts at <em>learning parisian</em> I am really trying to understand this, but I'm too busy holding my breath to be able to concentrate for long.<br />
<br />
My personal favorite happened this weekend as Teena and I took the Metro home from Montmartre. Squeezed into the train with us was a middle-aged couple that was certainly in Parisian love. She had slightly frayed hair and was wearing hot-pink/purple-hued lipstick that looked to be the same color as my French tutor's in the US. I am sure it was quite popular at some point. He had hair that is just slightly too long and pierced ears (plural) a la "Pirates of the Caribbean." I couldn't help but notice, as I dodged getting caught in their googly-eyes, that he too was wearing the lovely hot-pink/purple-hued lipstick; not only brightly on his lips, but also brightly in his mustache. It must have been quite the makeout session! <br />
<br />
So why do the subway makeout sessions happen? I haven't quite gotten to the bottom of this yet, but I have noticed that there are Durex condom machines all over the city...including in the Metro. Apparently, after much market analysis, Durex has decided that Parisians are open to a little "romance" anywhere in the "City of Love." Our Metro encounters strongly confirm this. I'm just hoping anything we witness in the future stays PG-rated...I don't know enough French yet to tell grandma and grandpa to get a room.MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-19660239233455790022010-01-19T22:57:00.005+01:002010-01-19T23:15:23.323+01:00Story Time in ParisJust before coming to Paris I spent a day with a friend and her two little girls which included story time at the library. This, I've found to be a good foil for my MBA classes.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Prof. French*:</strong> "Boys and girls it's story time..."</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Students: </strong>{{Silence}}<silence></em><br />
<em>(students chug coffee while walking in to class late) </em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Prof French: </strong>"Today I will be telling you the story of Neiman Marcus"</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Students:</strong> {{Silence}}</em><em> </em><br />
<em> (continue chugging coffee and make loud conversation with each other) </em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Prof French:</strong> "Once upon a time there was a man named Mr. Marcus..."</em><br />
<br />
At Kellogg, you read cases and are expected to come to class with in-depth insights ready to discuss. Here, I find myself having story-time on a daily basis. The cases (read: stories) even come with pictures...dozens of PowerPoint slides full of pictures (including some that test the Puritanical Americans in the class). This works well for our sight-seeing adventures, but in terms of academics I miss Kellogg. It is abundantly clear to me why an MBA isn't often valued by companies in Europe. You could, instead, visit story time at your local library. I most definitely will not be <em>learning parisian</em> in class.<br />
<br />
* Note: Names have been changed to protect the innocent.<br />
<em><br />
</em>MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-53849319358888482872010-01-17T23:20:00.003+01:002010-01-19T23:37:10.553+01:00A Romantic Weekend in Alsace: Strasbourg and Colmar<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKellogg%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKellogg%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKellogg%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> 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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; color:windowtext;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">This past weekend, MC and I planned a romantic weekend getaway to the western part of France (oh-la-la) which included visiting the quaint town of Strasbourg and a night in a Chateau (castle) near Colmar. Early Thursday morning, after a 2.5 hour TGV train ride, we arrived in Strasbourg, a gorgeous/confused little town. Strasbourg has been annexed by quite a few times since the 1600’s. First it was annexed by France, then Germany, then Alsace/Lorraine declared itself to be an independent republic, but was annexed by France again in a few days, Germany, France (after WWI), then Germany (during WWII), and finally France. This might explain a lot of the little things that we noticed.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Many of the menus here are written in both French and German. A popular local dish is called Choucroute which is essentially sauerkraut and potatoes. The buildings are also a mix between Germanic (think a white house, with bold dark brown outlines) and French styles (think balconies, pots of plants, more romantic). In the Place de la République, there is a statue of a mother holding her two dying sons: one who fought for Germany and one who fought for France. MC and I spent the entire day sipping coffee, eating pastries, walking around and exploring. Since it’s winter and rather cold (not Evanston cold), we had to keep running inside stores to warm up when our fingers and toes started to freeze. I now understand how easy it is to get frostbite.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Day 2 – We took the train down to Colmar to check into our romantic Chateau. We started our charming night cozying in the Jacuzzi and de-toxing in the steam room. After, we spent the rest of the time sitting by the crackling fireplace nibbling on dessert, and drinking delicious white wine in the salon. After getting appropriately “happy,” we decided to call it a night.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Day 3 – Wine tasting in Alsace! First thing in the morning, we walked to the 2 closest vineyards. Typical Alsatian wines are white and include: Gewurztraminer, Rieslings, and Cremant – the region’s sparkling wine. Because MC and I were drinking first thing in the morning without breakfast, we started trapzing through these little towns a little too “happy.” I am convinced that my French becomes much more fluent and bolder when I’m a bit tipsy! Bien sur. I can’t wait to pop open the bottle of Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive (a much sweeter wine) we bought; it’ll be perfect with some stinky French cheese and a French movie. Date night with MC!</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A couple things to note:</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">1) Almost all vineyards are closed between noon and 2pm for lunch. Even if your guidebook says that a vineyard is open, don’t go. You’re likely interrupting the vineyard owner’s lunch and he will be very grouchy as he pours you wine (that is if he decides to even open the door for you).<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">2) Lunch ends at 2pm. Everyone goes back to work and restaurants shut down. Basically, eat from 12-2pm and wine taste from 2pm-5pm.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was quite an adventure for us but we succeeded in using our French to make our way around eastern France. Overall, MC and I gave Strasbourg and Colmar a big thumbs up!<o:p></o:p></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-84066901491813143582010-01-06T23:24:00.104+01:002010-01-20T00:16:00.086+01:00Fight or Flight...Parisian Style<strong>Fight:</strong> <br />
<br />
After Teena and I climbed the 387 steps to the top of Notre Dame I decided to go to mass to pray for the strength to make it up the six flights of stairs to our apartment. Sitting through the service, that was part French and part Latin (as if one foreign language isn't confusing enough), in the grand church I felt like such a good Catholic. Regardless of language, we stand, we sit, we stand some more; I have this down. And then it was time for communion. Apologies in advance for my change in religious reference here, but "Oy Vey!"<br />
<br />
For those of you that are not Catholic, let me explain how communion works "aux Etats-Unis":<br />
<br />
1.) The priest(s) blesses communion and walks towards the mass attendees<br />
2.) The first row gets up and in an orderly manner gets communion from said priest<br />
3.) As the first row sits, the second row gets up and also goes for communion in an orderly manner<br />
4.) Repeat for all remaining rows<br />
<br />
Let me now explain to you how communion works in Paris:<br />
<br />
1.) The priest(s) blesses communion and walks towards the mass attendees<br />
2.) Everyone in the church gets up and pushes towards the priest as if there might be, after 2010 years, a shortage on the body of Christ.<br />
3.) American girl gets so frustrated that she fights not to elbow a "cute" Parisian grandmother and wonders whether she shouldn't forego communion after wishing ill on her fellow mass attendees<br />
4.) American girl has communion and thanks God for not smoting her in the middle of church<br />
<br />
*************<br />
<br />
<strong>Flight:</strong><br />
<br />
I am taking a class in French. This is not a French class, but a business class taught all in French. I went to the first class armed with my trusty recorder and was ecstatic to find that I understood about 95% percent of what was being said in class. Unfortunately, the 5% that I didn't understand includes the one time my professor spoke to me. <br />
<br />
During the 30-minute class break (which is devoted to getting coffee and smoking a cigarette by my felllow Parisian MBAers) I was typing an e-mail, in English, to my super-cute roomie Teena. My professor mumbled something to me in French and, unable to change the language I was operating in, I just stood there. I didn't ask him to repeat it, tell him to slow down, or tell him I couldn't understand, I just stood there; like a deer in headlights. Incapable of making words, time passed and I just kept standing there...without saying one word. My professor changed to English and even then I was merely a babbling idiot. <br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure this man thinks I'm sitting in his class completely cluesess as to what's going. I've seriously considered going up to him sheepishly to show him my class notes, or saying hello in the coffee line in the morning, but I'm deathly afraid of another "deer in headlights" moment. 95% isn't that bad, right? MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-73277857784188636492010-01-05T23:00:00.005+01:002010-01-07T17:24:08.949+01:00First Week<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKellogg%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKellogg%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CKellogg%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> 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5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I just finished my first week of ESSEC classes! Yes, it’s only Tuesday and I only have 2 days of classes. It’s common for students here to stack their classes (3 hours, 2 classes a day) so they don’t have to make the 1.5 hour commute out to Cergy from Paris every day. I am loving my Luxury Distribution and Luxury Retail class, both taught by the same professor who happens to be an ex-CEO of Armani. It’s going to take all my willpower not to go broke from shopping after spending 6 hours each week talking about luxury brands. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">*********************<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">When I first got to Paris, I thought I’d be gaining 10 pounds from eating croissants and steak frites all the time. It didn’t help that MC and I decided to substitute hot chocolate/dessert at LaDuree and pomme frites for dinner yesterday. LaDuree, considered the quintessential French macaroon brand, has dark chocolate macaroons worth salivating for. However, I have reason to believe that I won’t be seeing my scale tip anytime soon. One, we live on the 5<sup>th</sup> floor of a walkup (6 flights of stairs since 1<sup>st</sup> floor in Paris is actually the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor in the US). You should have seen me lugging up one of my piece of my luggage. I literally took one step at a time. Two, we walk and take the metro everywhere. Three, ESSEC’s cafeteria gives mini-people sized portions of food. Take the soup for example. Yesterday, I decided to have soup for lunch so I grabbed a large bowl, which equivalent to the small size at Kellogg. I passed the bowl to the server who filled it with one ladle of steaming tomato soup. He holds it out to me, but I just stare at the bowl, hoping for a second ladle or even a half ladle since the bowl wasn’t full. When the server waived it at me again, I realize that that was all I was going to get. I know some of you consider me to be a mini-person, but my appetite has been conditioned to normal people portions in the U.S. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">*********************<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">MC and I couldn’t be better matched as roommates as we’re both intent on making the most of our time here. Our goal is to do something fun every single day. Sunday – Notre Dame. Monday - dessert/dinner at LaDuree. Tuesday – Kellogg dinner Party. Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town this weekend, attending my sister’s wedding in Taiwan. A bientot Paris! I’ll be back soon!</span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">*********************</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">La Duree</span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXyPutOV5DV84DCo1RxCyBT6PvRuThRjGmqS4UWxZhJrPomEPODWnuPQO_ldx1iFBSD_SO7NlomrkDD1rqP8X-k4Po7Q2OGW9IQCvNSxJhKZ4KkXJKbSbg6tlU1glEFdG4W4EUJvZdRw/s1600-h/1.04.09+LaDuree+Macarons+%284%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXyPutOV5DV84DCo1RxCyBT6PvRuThRjGmqS4UWxZhJrPomEPODWnuPQO_ldx1iFBSD_SO7NlomrkDD1rqP8X-k4Po7Q2OGW9IQCvNSxJhKZ4KkXJKbSbg6tlU1glEFdG4W4EUJvZdRw/s200/1.04.09+LaDuree+Macarons+%284%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424032298232065554" border="0" /></a></p><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinYVhPcWjUXf_SNyydL_Wtt-r-oN90wyPxeoh8WEoEKmtSyTc5cmoxBnvewm_hekTh-fuGFtlJlmiz5DTTYDtfRWM9gMclkMZpbZU_rkrwgCHB1z0e_-UEpMeIOTr4ZTp8sfnCdoRr7g/s1600-h/1.04.09+LaDuree+Macarons+%286%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinYVhPcWjUXf_SNyydL_Wtt-r-oN90wyPxeoh8WEoEKmtSyTc5cmoxBnvewm_hekTh-fuGFtlJlmiz5DTTYDtfRWM9gMclkMZpbZU_rkrwgCHB1z0e_-UEpMeIOTr4ZTp8sfnCdoRr7g/s200/1.04.09+LaDuree+Macarons+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424032836164471074" border="0" /></a></p><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> Teenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622828368579948577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5077490155584184929.post-34967579719239143102009-12-31T16:20:00.002+01:002010-01-19T23:05:45.867+01:00Getting to Paris<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm leaving sunny Florida for Paris. It is 32 degrees there, but I don't really care. I've already decided that winter in Paris is better than winter in Evanston. Since I'd already decided that winter in Evanston is better than being anywhere else, at least for the duration of my MBA program, then Paris wins. It's like the math problems you did when you were little: if A is more than B, and B is more than C, then A is more than C. Dorky, yes...this will be one of the challenges of <em>learning parisian.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Checking in at the airport there is a French family next to me. There are some serious communication problems between them and the ticket agent, and though a little voice inside of me is telling me to help I can't seem to make French words. Where did seven years of French lessons go? And what about the Berlitz refresher course I just took? On second thought, I also took several years of calculus...I couldn't do that on command either. Eventually I come up with a mangled way of explaining airline overweight charges. They understand. I am relieved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Upgraded to first class for the US portion of my flight. I'm going to agree with James that this bodes well for the rest of the trip. Perhaps I will actually manage to master <em>learning parisian.</em></span>MC Comingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940585564157522031noreply@blogger.com4