Thank you GPMBA, I fell in love!

Samba is not just a musical genre or dance. Yes, it entails the intense gyrating of the hips that spreads throughout every limb of the body emitting power, presence and energy. The women dance as if they are floating on air while the men pound the ground harmonious with the echoes of deep drumbeats. Yet, beyond physical movement and a hypnotic sound lies an important aspect of the Brazilian culture: samba crosses the socio-economic lines that divides the Brazilian society and unites them. Samba is so important to Brazil that it has dedicated an entire week, which they call Carnival, to showcase it.

I visited the Mangueira facility for one of their Samba School Nights. As I entered the place, beats were pounding, people were singing and energy filled the space. Everyone was happy and having a good time. But after an hour of mingling, I noticed something different that I had not seen since my arrival in Rio de Janeiro. Although Mangueira is located in a favela, there was more than local residents in attendance. People from all socio-economic levels were there and the crowd was not divided. The Brazilians in attendance sang and danced in unison with pride.

If you know me, you know I LOVEEE live music and atmospheres filled with energetic people. That night was truly spectacular.  Laughing, singing, and dancing…can’t beat that!

More importantly, that night I fell in love.  I’m totally having a love affair with Brazil and feel completely guilty for cheating on my first love, my home country. Home is home…but Brazil is Brazil and there is nothing like it! So thank you GPMBA for introducing me to this wonderful country.

View the Samba video I shot that night!

We Made it Safe and Sound to Rio

We made it! Yes, there were a few bumps along the way but all 17 students are here and having a blast.

I have to be completely honest though. Rio de Janeiro offers an added component to the equation: distraction. Yea, majority of the students don’t speak the language and many of us don’t have a clue as to which way is north or south, but by far, the distraction element is the hardest change to deal with. Though the workload is less (we only have half day classes instead of the rigorous 5 full day class schedule of Atlanta), the level of distraction is at its highest. Who wants to study when you have a beautiful beach two blocks away?! I don’t.

Brazil requires a new level of discipline. Without it, you will flounder and possibly get caught up in the laid back beach lifestyle Rio has to offer. The Caipirihnas alone are enough to put you off your game. So to all you future students, here’s a helpful hint: discipline is the key to succeeding in the Rio portion of the program.

Tudo Bem!

~JCH

A Grueling Week Ahead….Survival of the Fittest

The 2012 cohort is about to head in to its first major battle that is sure to prove ones capacity to deal with mental, physical and emotional challenges. My question is….Who will survive?

The ingredients on next week’s agenda are as follows: 2 papers, 2 mid-term exams (Finance and Accounting), a major negotiation, and 2 huge projects in Economics and International Business. As you can probably imagine, the panic has spread amongst the students like wildfire. Some students are clamoring to stay ahead, some are just taking it as it comes and some are just outright in denial. Whatever the coping method, next week is coming and it will take no prisoners.

How each student tackles next week will be a true testament of his or her ability to persevere not only in this program but also in the “real world.” As for me, you can say that I am in the category of fighting to stay ahead. I believe that only through preparation and a strong mental capacity can I accomplish my goal of achieving excellence.

So…..Let the fight begin!!! Bring it on baby!

~JCH

Washington DC Welcomes GPMBA Class of 2012

This past week, the GPMBA class of 2012 hit Washington DC by storm. Literally! Snow was on the forecast as we left DC!!!

Aside from the weather, the trip proved to be extremely informative and eye-opening. Let me explain…

From the beginning of the trip, it was hard to grapple with the fact that our days began before the sun could brightly say hello. Mentally, I rebelled against the 5:45am meet up time that our itinerary annoyingly proclaimed. Of course, I didn’t want to miss the trip, so I followed suit and arrive at the airport at 5:58am (Ok I had to rebel a little).

We arrived in Washington DC met by our golden chariot, also known as Go Airport Shuttle. All 19 of us crammed in to the two vehicles and immediately they whisked us away to our first destination: the hotel. On the way, we passed by a sea of tents that congregated in the public plaza near the White House. Confused, I asked my classmates “What the heck are these people doing!” My classmates retorted “Occupy DC.” I soon realized that these were the peaceful protesters proclaiming to be the “99 percent” who are fighting corporate greed, ineffective political leadership and the growing inequity between the rich and poor (99% refers to how 1 percent of Americans earn a quarter of the country’s income). What better way to be welcomed in to the nation’s capital than to see protesters fighting to be heard by Congress!

The next few days were filled with lots of walking, great information and tons of QT with my classmates. Not only did we get to see the trade aspect of government but we also met with businesses that have government dealings. We learned about foreign direct investment from Select USA; Spoke with an economist who was president of a trade NGO (GSP Coalition); Broke bread with the public affair executives at UPS; Met with the president of the Finance Committee; Gained insight into the inner workings of the World Bank; And sat down with several high level attorneys to discuss trade relations. All in all, each piece of the trip helped to make the US trade story more clear. Professor Bruce managed to delicately weave together how each government entity and business work in unison (for lack of a better word) to achieve international trade.

More importantly, I was able to see the true personalities of the people I will be spending time with for the duration of the program. This was the eye-opening aspect of the trip. Many of my classmates let their hair down and allowed their inner self to shine. I can’t wait to see how all this will play out overseas when we are in Brazil and France….

As for now, econ and accounting occupy my brain. Just like the “99 percent,” I’m protesting…but only mentally. You ask, protesting against what, eh? Well…I’m protesting against losing my social life during Halloween weekend because an economic exam/paper and an accounting quiz waited for me to return from DC. Somehow, while in DC, I convinced myself that these exams and paper would magically disappear upon my return. Who was I fooling?!

Oh well, this is the life of a student. Until next time….

One year later

Remember our first day of school? Can you believe that it was a year ago? Where did time go? Are we really at the end? Today, a new installment of GPMBA-ers walked through the doors of Tower 200; sat in our seats and probably wondered what they have gotten themselves into.

Well, class of 2012, though you will never be as “cool” as our class, you’re allowed to sit in our seats and embark on this amazing adventure that will inevitably change your life (yes, cheesy, but true). Get ready for long nights, very early mornings, and entirely too much time spent at school. Before you know it, December will arrive, and soon after, you will be off to Rio…then, back in Atlanta, and Paris and China, and all of a sudden—the end!

Without realizing it, in a year you will:

1. See at least one sunrise on the beaches of Ipanema
2. Have the most amazing breakfast every day at COPPEAD
3. Eat something from a questionable street stand somewhere in Brazil

4. Stand on top of the Great Wall

5. Engage in a fierce negotiation over 58 cents
6. Hate the pollution in Beijing and what it is doing to your face

7. Get annoyed that you have to walk by the Louvre every day to get to the Metro
8. Find out that wine is cheaper than water
9. Have the perfect justification to have a croque for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

10. Get lost in the streets of ___ (insert any city) and find amazing treasures
11. Ask one of your classmates: what country were we in when….?
12. Wish you could do it all over again, just minus the school work

13. Be able to write a 10 page, single spaced paper in an hour or two
14. Inevitably, freak out about internships
15. Procrastinate writing your thesis (we have to write a thesis, what?)

The only advice I give you is this: Don’t worry about grades too much, just enjoy the moment! In the end, “it is what it is,” and this year will be what you make of it!

And to my current classmates, don’t forget the wise words of Miley Cyrus: It’s the Climb! We are almost there!