Heading East!(Group 1)

As we begin to think about our upcoming experience in China, we inevitably come up with a few ideas of what we think we’ll expect to encounter:
• We expect to encounter situations where it is extremely difficult to communicate accurately
• We expect to behave politely, in the best way we know how…which can be culturally different. Therefore, we are nervous about how we are perceived.
• We hope to obtain a better understanding of how Chinese culture behaves internally to China, as opposed to Chinese culture outside of China.
• How pronounced is Guanxi and how pronounced do Chinese businesses utilize a family business concept?
• Specifically, how do the Chinese effectively balance competing interests, both internally to their organization and outside their organization?
• How do the Chinese view the outside world?
• What do the Chinese ultimately desire for themselves, their families, their friends, and their country?

Also, hopefully, we’ll get to see some fake brands like some of the below:

Living the life of a Parisian

Wow, it seems like time has increased in velocity since joining the global partners program. I feel like it was just yesterday that we arrived in class, green as an apple, excited and eager to begin experiencing all of what the program had to offer. Now it’s already May, and we’re four weeks into the Paris portion of the program. Again… WOW!

Unlike Brazil, the Paris part feels like, well, LIFE (as Stephanie Chapman would put it). Rio felt like an extended vacay with classes thrown in. Paris, on the other hand, is structured quite similarly to Altanta’s rigorous schedule and makes you feel like you’ve never left (at least for me). Yet with the similarities that exist between studying in Atlanta and studying in Paris, the obvious remains to be the worthwhile aspect of this part of the program: the city. (Oh, and that we’re given days off, which makes it very convenient to travel!!!) Paris has a lot to offer, but it takes looking beyond long days of school, bad weather and stodgy people to see the beauty.

The below pictures visually explain the life of a GPMBA student living the life of a Parisian…
Beautiful sights, lots of metro riding, class ALL day, and tons of walking.

My feet

My feet have taken me several places in life. From around the nation to many countries around the world, they have carried me through the good and the bad and still continue to take me new and exciting places. This past Saturday, my feet took me to the feet of an important person, Maxine Waters. I thought to myself all the cool and interesting places her feet have taken her and what she had to go through to get there. I quickly realized how one day I aspire to be in her shoes walking the floors of congress. Considering how ambitious my puppies have been in the past, it dawned on me, this actually may be a reality. The funny part is, we wear the same size shoes so slipping in to them will be nooooo problem!

Atlanta, GA – Martin Luther King Jr. Museum and MLK walk

Rio Video

Re-adapting to “Normal” Life

The GPMBA class of 2012 has returned from the Brazil portion of the program. So if you want to see a group of moping, yet beautifully tanned individuals, come see us at the Buckhead campus Monday through Friday! We’ll be here!!

But seriously, it has been very difficult re-adapting to “normal” life. When I say “normal” I’m referring to full day of classes, lots of course work and, worse of all, cold weather and no beaches. We live a sad life, eh?! Haha. I’m among the group of individuals who are silently suffering from a case called ”Brazil withdrawals.” Ok, ok, ok I definitely made that up, but think about it…life was simple in Rio. No need for a car, no hustle and bustle, lots of beautiful people everywhere and a constant showering of yummy pastries. Now do you see why we’re sad.

Oh well! Time to move forward. Brazil is a memory of the past and it’s time to get back to work and progress to the future. That IS the reason I’m in school right?!