It's appropriate that I'm writing this on Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. - or as President Obama called it, the most "quintessential" of American holidays.
Umm, ok.... Canada celebrates Thanksgiving too. Only it falls on the second Monday of October, not the last Thursday of November. And granted, it's not nearly as big a deal in Canada as it is here. I've had some classmates ask me why Canada has a different Thanksgiving and I tell them that I'm not certain, but I believe it has to do with the earlier harvest. After all, late November is practically winter in Canada. Hopefully I'm not perpetuating a myth!
Anyway, I'm the "go-to" person for questions on Canada namely because, well, I'm the only Canadian in the first-year class. Given Canada's proximity to the U.S., this at first seemed odd. There are about 10 Indian students here and 6 or 7 Chinese/Taiwanese. Now, we have a small class size (about 120), so perhaps there are more Canadians in the larger programs, though proportionally they still might be insignificant.
I have a few theories for why this is the case: (1) Canada has some excellent MBA programs; and (2) those programs cost much less than they do in the U.S. Canada's most expensive program is probably about half the cost of a comparable program in the U.S. - which is not to say that the quality of the programs in Canada is lower. The U.S., of course, has the public-private divide between universities. A state school is much less expensive than a private institution, but is often (but not always) seen as second tier. GW, a private school, is actually one of the most expensive schools in the U.S. for undergraduates.
Being the sole representative of the Great White North is an interesting experience. You really become shorthand for the country as a whole. Whenever Canada is mentioned in class, people tend to look at me to see my reaction or to see if I have anything to say. Though I'm not much better! When a prof mentions Mexico, I immediately wonder what Harry (the sole Mexican with the decidedly "un-Mexican" name) thinks about that. Of course, I field a lot of comments/questions on stereotypes. One of my favourites is: "You don't sound like a Canadian!" By this, they generally mean I don't say "a-boot" for "about", nor stick "eh" at the end of my questions. I haven't spent enough time on the mainland to know whether mainland Canadians do this a lot, so I generally just say that I'm from Newfoundland, where people have a different accent. Few Americans are familiar with Newfoundland, so they don't really appreciate just how different the NF accent is - or that I don't have a Newfoundland accent either!
On the subject of Americans not knowing Newfoundland: I occasionally meet one who does and that's usually when I get the "Newfie" label attached to me. For instance, this past weekend I went to a club with a friend. We got IDed (as apparently anyone under 40 does here) and I showed my NL driver's license, as usual. The bouncer made a comment about not having seen a "Newfie" in a while. He used it very innocently, I'm sure, not knowing the mixed feelings Newfoundlanders have about the term. For too long, "stupid" has preceded "Newfie". I generally don't like it, and I don't refer to myself as a "Newfie", but my feeling is that if you do use it, you should at least be a Newfoundlander. It's like how a woman can call refer to herself as a "b*?@*" but God help the man who calls her that. The same applies to pejorative names that have been "re-claimed" by minority groups - there's a certain empowerment in taking back a term that was once used to oppress.
Back to me being the only Canadian in my class.... it's not even just my class. I can count on one hand the number of Canadians I've met since moving to the U.S. Again, surprising, given the proximity of the countries. In fact, I think I've met no more Canadians here than I did in China. I joined an expat meet-up group, but haven't had the time to attend any of their events. Life here is very similar to life at home, so I never felt any culture shock - but still, it would be nice to meet others who know what "loonies and toonies" are and miss Tim Horton's.
Now, It's possible I've met Canadians and not known they're Canadian. This is the difference with China. Foreigners are so rare in China, that when you meet them, of course you talk about where you're from. That's the cool thing about being here: We are the only nationality who can pull off being American. Joel, the only Brit in our class, opens his mouth and everyone knows where he comes from. I go to the Career Center to ask for paperwork for my part-time job, and the receptionist immediately hands me the domestic student package. When I tell her I need the international package, I get the double-take. Yes, I'm international!
A writing sample is the only thing that would give me away. As the title of my last post reveals, I haven't given up my "u"s. After more than 20 years of spelling a certain way, it's hard to give them up! I love "colour" and "favourite". And in Statistics, I learned how to do a "zed-statistic" - not a "zee-statistic". It will always be "centre", not "center"! I Americanize my spelling for papers and exams because I figure there are benefits to downplaying differences with profs when it comes to your mark (oops, I mean "grade"). Plus, I am in the States, so I figure I should conform to their spelling rules for anything official.
That's it from here on this Thanksgiving Day. In less than three weeks, I'll be one of many Canadians when I cross the border and see those six beautiful English/French words: Welcome to Canada / Bievenue au Canada.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
The weather here has been bizarre - maybe it's not just Newfoundland that has wacky weather. It was cold all last week. On Friday night, it even dipped just below the freezing mark. Today, Sunday, it's more than 20 degrees C. It was a beautiful day. At least I managed to get out and enjoy some of it. I met a friend who had invited me to have brunch with a group of her girlfriends. It was a nice afternoon. I'm starting to see the importance of developing a social network outside the MBA program. The people in my class are fantastic, but I want to get to know people outside b-school as well. Sometimes you don't want to "talk shop"!
When I came back, I settled back down to Accounting. It might be boring, but at least this is the view that I have from my desk:
It might not look like much from the photo, but there are beautiful old townhouses across the street. It's a beautiful neighbourhood and the fall colours make it even more so. We're even on a tour bus route. Today from my window I could see tourists taking photos. I have to say, it's wonderful to live in a neighbourhood that people want to capture in photos.
When I came back, I settled back down to Accounting. It might be boring, but at least this is the view that I have from my desk:
It might not look like much from the photo, but there are beautiful old townhouses across the street. It's a beautiful neighbourhood and the fall colours make it even more so. We're even on a tour bus route. Today from my window I could see tourists taking photos. I have to say, it's wonderful to live in a neighbourhood that people want to capture in photos.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Part-Time Job
I'm wondering if I'm crazy for having taken on a part-time job - like I'm not busy enough! A few weeks ago I saw a posting on MBA WebZone for a research assistant for a professor in the International Business department. It's 10 hours a week scheduled at my convenience and - here's the key part - it pays! It will help defray some of my huge living expenses. Most importantly, it'll help me build a relationship with the international business department. I got in touch with the professor and met her today. It was all very informal and I don't think anyone else expressed interest (maybe I'm the only glutton for punishment??). She said it's mine if I wanted it. I took it.
This type of campus job is familiar territory for me - in fact, it takes me back to being an undergrad, when I worked for a number of professors at MUN. I'll be helping her with some emerging markets research, but I'll also help with planning international business events. This would probably involve outreach to speakers from the corporate/international development world, which is certainly a plus on the networking side.
Me being all academic brings me to another point... now that I'm actually doing my MBA, part of me is thinking, "Hey, after this, what's to stop me from doing my PhD?" I'd be just one degree away! When I was small, I used to say that I was going to get my doctorate. But things changed in b-school when I opted for the corporate route. But obviously business professors have PhDs.... and they are sometimes "real-world" practitioners as well. Anyway... something else to think about!
This type of campus job is familiar territory for me - in fact, it takes me back to being an undergrad, when I worked for a number of professors at MUN. I'll be helping her with some emerging markets research, but I'll also help with planning international business events. This would probably involve outreach to speakers from the corporate/international development world, which is certainly a plus on the networking side.
Me being all academic brings me to another point... now that I'm actually doing my MBA, part of me is thinking, "Hey, after this, what's to stop me from doing my PhD?" I'd be just one degree away! When I was small, I used to say that I was going to get my doctorate. But things changed in b-school when I opted for the corporate route. But obviously business professors have PhDs.... and they are sometimes "real-world" practitioners as well. Anyway... something else to think about!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Apartment Progress
Finally our apartment has started to look more like a home. We've been here 2 1/2 months, but only last week did we get a coffee table. It's mine, as Anuja had just bought a coffee table earlier this year. A coffee table that her movers ended up "losing" (much like they "lost" her printer). She was ok with not having one, but I thought it was a shame to have a big, beautiful living room with lots of light - and not even a coffee table to put your drink on.
It's cute, but high-end furniture it is not. For $80, I got a coffee table and two end tables - you can see part of one of the end tables in the photo below. Now all I need is a lamp to put on it. Then we'll finally be able to stop turning on the awful overhead light. The other end table replaced the cardboard box I was using as a nightstand. Moving up in the world! Ah, the joys of living on a student budget. The living room is still a little bare, but I plan to bring some more things back with me after Christmas.
The new coffee table: Cheap chic
It's cute, but high-end furniture it is not. For $80, I got a coffee table and two end tables - you can see part of one of the end tables in the photo below. Now all I need is a lamp to put on it. Then we'll finally be able to stop turning on the awful overhead light. The other end table replaced the cardboard box I was using as a nightstand. Moving up in the world! Ah, the joys of living on a student budget. The living room is still a little bare, but I plan to bring some more things back with me after Christmas.
The new coffee table: Cheap chicThursday, October 8, 2009
U2 Concert
Ok - so I don't have nearly as much time to write as I did in China. If this is the regular program, I can't imagine the Accelerated MBA program. This feels pretty accelerated. I'm writing finals for Module 1 in less than two weeks.
To keep my sanity, I'm trying to do something social at least once a week. Last week was a biggie.... I saw U2 play at Fedex Field in Maryland! It was an amazing show. One of the perks of finally living in a large metropolitan area is that big names come through. I went with a number of other students from our program. Our seats weren't great - Bono was a speck on the stage - but it was still incredible to be there. They played a lot of their oldies and the crowd went crazy! Although we had seats, we were standing up and singing along for much of the concert.
Here are some snaps (courtesy of Mihaela, as I forgot my camera)....
To keep my sanity, I'm trying to do something social at least once a week. Last week was a biggie.... I saw U2 play at Fedex Field in Maryland! It was an amazing show. One of the perks of finally living in a large metropolitan area is that big names come through. I went with a number of other students from our program. Our seats weren't great - Bono was a speck on the stage - but it was still incredible to be there. They played a lot of their oldies and the crowd went crazy! Although we had seats, we were standing up and singing along for much of the concert.
Here are some snaps (courtesy of Mihaela, as I forgot my camera)....
Show time....
Bono singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday" with an Iranian protester
All smiles after the show
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Grad School Tech
As I download articles from the Gelman library website for my Global Perspectives class, I'm struck by how much technology has advanced in just the 5 years since I finished my undergraduate program. We have an e-book for Global Perspectives. One of our professors maintains a leadership blog that we're encouraged to read and comment on. I've signed up for GW Alert, which means that in the case of an emergency on campus, I'll instantly get a text message about the situation. Announcements, syllabuses (syllabi?) and lecture notes are made available via BlackBoard, an electronic system for students available through myGW. I've joined multiple GW groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.
When I started undergrad in 1998, Facebook founder Matt Zuckerberg was 14 years old. Google was still in its infancy and had yet to become synonymous with "research". Writing a paper still meant climbing up and down the musty book stacks on the third floor of the MUN library. What a workout! Being vertically challenged, it sometimes felt like I spent half my time dragging around a ladder. Then I had to carry the heavy periodicals to a photocopier.... oh, the hardship ;-) Changes did occur during my time at MUN: By the end of my program, I was doing far more research online, as the library started subscribing to more and more databases. It also stripped out many of its bookshelves to make way for more (and better) computers. But still - none of my professors relied on the Internet to communicate with their classes. At best, they had a website and an email address.
What a difference 5 years makes. Granted, I'm at a different institution, but I wonder to what extent GW was using technology 5 years ago. I don't think I'm "old", yet the fact that I can recall a world without the Internet is starting to make me feel that way! During orientation, we had entire sessions devoted to how the GMBA program's electronic systems work. A technologically-challenged person would probably have left feeling quite intimidated. But the fact is that the mean age of our class is 26.6 - at 29, I'd guess I'm amongst the oldest 25% of the class. We're Generation Y or the Net Generation, or whatever you want to call us - and now we're aspiring business leaders. Of course they expect us (and rightfully so) to have a solid grasp of technology. And I can't help but wonder - what technologies will MBA students be using 10, 20 and 30 years from now?
When I started undergrad in 1998, Facebook founder Matt Zuckerberg was 14 years old. Google was still in its infancy and had yet to become synonymous with "research". Writing a paper still meant climbing up and down the musty book stacks on the third floor of the MUN library. What a workout! Being vertically challenged, it sometimes felt like I spent half my time dragging around a ladder. Then I had to carry the heavy periodicals to a photocopier.... oh, the hardship ;-) Changes did occur during my time at MUN: By the end of my program, I was doing far more research online, as the library started subscribing to more and more databases. It also stripped out many of its bookshelves to make way for more (and better) computers. But still - none of my professors relied on the Internet to communicate with their classes. At best, they had a website and an email address.
What a difference 5 years makes. Granted, I'm at a different institution, but I wonder to what extent GW was using technology 5 years ago. I don't think I'm "old", yet the fact that I can recall a world without the Internet is starting to make me feel that way! During orientation, we had entire sessions devoted to how the GMBA program's electronic systems work. A technologically-challenged person would probably have left feeling quite intimidated. But the fact is that the mean age of our class is 26.6 - at 29, I'd guess I'm amongst the oldest 25% of the class. We're Generation Y or the Net Generation, or whatever you want to call us - and now we're aspiring business leaders. Of course they expect us (and rightfully so) to have a solid grasp of technology. And I can't help but wonder - what technologies will MBA students be using 10, 20 and 30 years from now?
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Career Management @ GWSB
I haven't even started classes yet, but already feel completely immersed in the GW MBA program! We just finished two weeks of MBA Institute - international students had one week of orientation prior to that, so I've had the chance to get to know many of my classmates.
Relative to other MBA programs, GW's MBA class is small. There are about 120 of us doing the full-time program, which is tiny compared to, say, Harvard's average class size of 1,000. There are some drawbacks to the smaller class size (e.g., smaller alumni network), but on the whole, I feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. How can you possibly get to know 1,000 classmates?? But it is quite feasible that after two years I will know everyone in my class - and know them pretty well at that, especially those in my "G" cohort (we've been divided into three cohorts - G, W and - you guessed it! - U). I sense that I won't be just another cog in the wheel at GW. With such a small class, one's impact is amplified.
As some know, in coming to DC, I chose between GW and the higher-ranked Georgetown MBA program. It wasn't an easy choice, even with GW's award of a full-ride scholarship. Ever since graduating from Memorial, I held the dream of going to a top-ranked U.S. school for my MBA. So Georgetown's top-30 ranking (versus GW's top-100) was a strong pull. It was a decision that required a lot of "soul searching", if I may be so cliche about it.
Of course, it's still far too early to say whether I made the right choice - but I'm getting some positive signs. We have a few people in our program with significant others in the Georgetown program. Apparently GW has been much more impressive in its orientation career development sessions than Georgetown; the GT significant others are amazed at how much career guidance we're getting. I'd estimate that 50% of orientation was devoted to career topics - how to do a stellar resume, how to network, how to do informational interviews, where to look for internships, etc. Second-year students came in to talk about how they landed their internships last year. The F. David Fowler Career Center has recently grown from a couple of staff to more than 15, including full-time career coaches with extensive private sector experience. This is obviously a good sign - especially in this economy. Post-MBA career prospects are a huge part of B-school rankings.... with GWSB trying to move up the rankings, I think it's a very smart move for them to put more resources into the Career Center.
Speaking of career management, I'm off to New Orleans next month to attend the National Black MBA Association career fair. To answer the obvious question - no, you don't have to be African American to attend! MBAs from all different racial and ethnic backgrounds will be there. Many students in our class are going. We've been told by career center staff and second years that this is THE career fair to attend. It's where many Fortune 500 companies recruit for internships and post-MBA positions.
Classes start tomorrow! More on that soon...
Relative to other MBA programs, GW's MBA class is small. There are about 120 of us doing the full-time program, which is tiny compared to, say, Harvard's average class size of 1,000. There are some drawbacks to the smaller class size (e.g., smaller alumni network), but on the whole, I feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. How can you possibly get to know 1,000 classmates?? But it is quite feasible that after two years I will know everyone in my class - and know them pretty well at that, especially those in my "G" cohort (we've been divided into three cohorts - G, W and - you guessed it! - U). I sense that I won't be just another cog in the wheel at GW. With such a small class, one's impact is amplified.
As some know, in coming to DC, I chose between GW and the higher-ranked Georgetown MBA program. It wasn't an easy choice, even with GW's award of a full-ride scholarship. Ever since graduating from Memorial, I held the dream of going to a top-ranked U.S. school for my MBA. So Georgetown's top-30 ranking (versus GW's top-100) was a strong pull. It was a decision that required a lot of "soul searching", if I may be so cliche about it.
Of course, it's still far too early to say whether I made the right choice - but I'm getting some positive signs. We have a few people in our program with significant others in the Georgetown program. Apparently GW has been much more impressive in its orientation career development sessions than Georgetown; the GT significant others are amazed at how much career guidance we're getting. I'd estimate that 50% of orientation was devoted to career topics - how to do a stellar resume, how to network, how to do informational interviews, where to look for internships, etc. Second-year students came in to talk about how they landed their internships last year. The F. David Fowler Career Center has recently grown from a couple of staff to more than 15, including full-time career coaches with extensive private sector experience. This is obviously a good sign - especially in this economy. Post-MBA career prospects are a huge part of B-school rankings.... with GWSB trying to move up the rankings, I think it's a very smart move for them to put more resources into the Career Center.
Speaking of career management, I'm off to New Orleans next month to attend the National Black MBA Association career fair. To answer the obvious question - no, you don't have to be African American to attend! MBAs from all different racial and ethnic backgrounds will be there. Many students in our class are going. We've been told by career center staff and second years that this is THE career fair to attend. It's where many Fortune 500 companies recruit for internships and post-MBA positions.
Classes start tomorrow! More on that soon...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Beginning a New Life (Again)
Finally! My first blog entry since moving to Washington, DC. I’ve been here now for almost a month. It seems appropriate that I’m writing this exactly two months after returning from China. It’s time to get back into blog-writing mode....
My DC Digs
Since arriving here, I’ve met my roommate, found an apartment, attended international orientation, met an impressive group of international students, started MBA Institute and met an impressive group of American students.... so just a few things have changed in my life in the last month :-)
My roommate, Anuja, and I found an apartment close to Dupont Circle, which is one of the livelier parts of DC. I’m happy we’re not right on Dupont because I think it would be quite noisy on Friday and Saturday nights. We’re a few blocks away in a residential neighbourhood (opps, that should be “neighborhood” .... doh! Have to get used to spelling like an American.)
As I travelled here by plane, I brought zero furniture with me. Thankfully Anuja moved her stuff here from New York, so I’m not living in a completely empty apartment. That said, the living room is quite spacious and is rather lonely looking with just a sofa and a TV. It’s not top priority, but we’re eventually going to get a coffee table, some plants, etc. to make it homier. I had to buy a bed and mattress for my room, but that’s the only furniture I’ve purchased so far. I currently have an upside-down cardboard box for a night stand. For $15 I got a collapsible storage unit that hangs in my closest and can function as drawers. I’m torn about buying nicer pieces for my room, even though two years is much longer than I spent in China. I’m cognisant of my student budget and what if I can’t/don’t want to stay in DC after graduation?
Room to work with....
My DC Digs
Since arriving here, I’ve met my roommate, found an apartment, attended international orientation, met an impressive group of international students, started MBA Institute and met an impressive group of American students.... so just a few things have changed in my life in the last month :-)
My roommate, Anuja, and I found an apartment close to Dupont Circle, which is one of the livelier parts of DC. I’m happy we’re not right on Dupont because I think it would be quite noisy on Friday and Saturday nights. We’re a few blocks away in a residential neighbourhood (opps, that should be “neighborhood” .... doh! Have to get used to spelling like an American.)
As I travelled here by plane, I brought zero furniture with me. Thankfully Anuja moved her stuff here from New York, so I’m not living in a completely empty apartment. That said, the living room is quite spacious and is rather lonely looking with just a sofa and a TV. It’s not top priority, but we’re eventually going to get a coffee table, some plants, etc. to make it homier. I had to buy a bed and mattress for my room, but that’s the only furniture I’ve purchased so far. I currently have an upside-down cardboard box for a night stand. For $15 I got a collapsible storage unit that hangs in my closest and can function as drawers. I’m torn about buying nicer pieces for my room, even though two years is much longer than I spent in China. I’m cognisant of my student budget and what if I can’t/don’t want to stay in DC after graduation?
Room to work with.... Get In Early
After international orientation, MBA Institute started for all students this past week. The schedule is intense to say the least. We have one more week of MBA Institute and then classes start the following Monday, Aug. 31.
One thing has become clear to me right away – there is no room for shyness in the MBA program. In my China blog I alluded to the fact that I used to be very shy and very unwilling to accept change. I don’t know how, but somewhere along the way (perhaps when I made the decision to do business as my undergrad), people started not believing that I’m shy. I’m an introvert by nature, but I’ve forced myself to become more out-going at school and work and in my extracurricular activities. Still – these past few weeks have reminded that I’m still very much the little kid who used to get comments like this on report cards: “Amy is an excellent student, but she needs to participate more in class.” Sitting in our first case workshop last week, I sat silent the entire class as others raised their hands to respond to the instructor’s questions. Funny how I have no problem giving a presentation in front of a roomful of people, but the thought of making impromptu comments in class still makes me shrink back. There’s the fear of being judged by classmates, of having the instructor say you’re completely off-track – though in cases, there is often no right or wrong answer.
At the end of the workshop, the instructor asked those who had spoken up in class to raise their hands. A bunch of hands went up around me, while I sat unmoving. She noted how important it was to “get in early” in cases and just speak. Don’t over-think – just speak. And that was it. As with so many other things I’ve done against my inherent shyness – undergrad business, Toastmasters, Board of Trade Ambassadors’ Team, ESL teacher in China – I went into “change” mode. Immediately following the case workshop, we had a strategic frameworks session and I made a point to sit in the front row because I find it easier to make comments the closer I am to the professor. I spoke up twice and raised my hand a few other times, but wasn’t called on.
Chinese Studies – Part 2
Speaking of China, I’m delighted that there are a number of Chinese-speaking students in the GW MBA program. Already I’ve found one language exchange partner. I feel an affinity with the Chinese students that I probably wouldn’t have felt had I not spent five months in China. I love that I can actually pronounce their names. Sitting with some of them at lunch, I’m happy to pull out some of my Chinese, as rudimentary as it is. My goal is to reach the conversational level by the time I have my MBA. There are a couple of Americans and one Korean in the class who also want to learn Chinese. We’re talking about starting a conversation group to help each other with English and Chinese. Next weekend I’m going to a Chinese language meet-up in the downtown area. DC is a fantastic place to learn a language and I’ll have many resources to take advantage of in the next few years.
After international orientation, MBA Institute started for all students this past week. The schedule is intense to say the least. We have one more week of MBA Institute and then classes start the following Monday, Aug. 31.
One thing has become clear to me right away – there is no room for shyness in the MBA program. In my China blog I alluded to the fact that I used to be very shy and very unwilling to accept change. I don’t know how, but somewhere along the way (perhaps when I made the decision to do business as my undergrad), people started not believing that I’m shy. I’m an introvert by nature, but I’ve forced myself to become more out-going at school and work and in my extracurricular activities. Still – these past few weeks have reminded that I’m still very much the little kid who used to get comments like this on report cards: “Amy is an excellent student, but she needs to participate more in class.” Sitting in our first case workshop last week, I sat silent the entire class as others raised their hands to respond to the instructor’s questions. Funny how I have no problem giving a presentation in front of a roomful of people, but the thought of making impromptu comments in class still makes me shrink back. There’s the fear of being judged by classmates, of having the instructor say you’re completely off-track – though in cases, there is often no right or wrong answer.
At the end of the workshop, the instructor asked those who had spoken up in class to raise their hands. A bunch of hands went up around me, while I sat unmoving. She noted how important it was to “get in early” in cases and just speak. Don’t over-think – just speak. And that was it. As with so many other things I’ve done against my inherent shyness – undergrad business, Toastmasters, Board of Trade Ambassadors’ Team, ESL teacher in China – I went into “change” mode. Immediately following the case workshop, we had a strategic frameworks session and I made a point to sit in the front row because I find it easier to make comments the closer I am to the professor. I spoke up twice and raised my hand a few other times, but wasn’t called on.
Chinese Studies – Part 2
Speaking of China, I’m delighted that there are a number of Chinese-speaking students in the GW MBA program. Already I’ve found one language exchange partner. I feel an affinity with the Chinese students that I probably wouldn’t have felt had I not spent five months in China. I love that I can actually pronounce their names. Sitting with some of them at lunch, I’m happy to pull out some of my Chinese, as rudimentary as it is. My goal is to reach the conversational level by the time I have my MBA. There are a couple of Americans and one Korean in the class who also want to learn Chinese. We’re talking about starting a conversation group to help each other with English and Chinese. Next weekend I’m going to a Chinese language meet-up in the downtown area. DC is a fantastic place to learn a language and I’ll have many resources to take advantage of in the next few years.
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