An eventful couple of days so far! After a fun-packed 14-hour layover in Dubai that witnessed a mass nostalgia session (for me at least) at Calabar, I hopped on the plane to Paris, and from there on a couple of trains to finally reach Fontainebleau (affectionately known as Fonty)...Although INSEAD does not offer full-time housing facilities for students, the on-campus Ermitage residence for the visiting executives/faculty were available for the student attendees of the Open day...
A quick walk around town revealed the charmingly simple surroundings I will be calling home for the next year or so, starting in Jan 2010... An ice-cold Chardonnay at the Grand Cafe did not disappoint... and so didn't the sumptuous dinner of Escargots a la Provencale, and Tartare du Boeuf at a local eatery, with a glass of Bordeaux... After all, I rumour has it that INSEAD stands for: I Never Stop Eating And Drinking... :)
My depleted energy levels ensured that I slept well through night... My first full 8-hours in a while... That was a well needed recharge that equipped me for the nexr item to cross off my to do list... And so, I rented a bike... 15 minutes was enough to reveal to me that I still needed to build up my fitness level to biking standards... I have wisely decided not to attach any images of me on a bike... it is not a pretty sight... :)
Having found only 1 out of the MBA program's required pre-reading books in Lebanon, I set out to find Footnote, the on-campus bookstore. I am now the proud owner of: Essentials of Accounting, Principles of Microeconomics, Finance for Executives, and Blue Ocean Strategy (an INSEAD bible authored by 2 prominent faculty members), in addition to The Basics of Financial Management, which I am sure by now misses me from my desk in Beirut...
The time just flew by in the common area while I was chewing threw smoothly through Blue Ocean Strategy, in the process realising how valuable the concepts in it really are... Close to campus lies the Blue Ocean Institute, in front of which I posed for a product-endorsement shot... :)I am supposed to visit my house-to-be in the next couple of hours... The Brazilian couple living there were very helpful and flexible, and so was the land-lad coordinating the process remotely from Paris.
More to come on Residence Royale Parc, and tomorrow's Open Day soon!
A very excited...
...MooN
glad ur enjoyin it!! m definitly visiting once ur all setteled in..hehe.. c u soon. love u
ReplyDeleteAhla w sahla! I'll take a pic of the couch you'll be crashing on when I visit the appartment... hehehe
ReplyDeletec u habibti..
love
moon
Sounds exciting! Well at least smthg's for sure, food is not a worry :p
ReplyDeleteI Never Stop Eating And Drinking heheh... MOuniiiiiiii It was a nostalgia session for me too! It was great seeing and look fwd for next weekend! Fonty eh :) how exciting! Enjoy it dear... from the sound of it.. it will be AMAZING!
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