Pre-trip expectations

I'm pretty excited about going on the trip, it will be great to get out of the country again and live on the road. There's something really spectacular about it. I am a little concerned about being able to pay attention during all of the lectures and being able to ask effective questions. I am really excited to meet with a few companies, namely Disney, Microsoft, IMD, and NATO. I'm also excited to get to know the scholars better too, it will be fun to see us all after the trip. I am really expecting to learn a lot about how business is in Europe and how the Europeans perceive the United States. I am also expecting to get a better understanding of the European governments.

Reflections

This has really been a great trip for me, especially being so recently returned from the mission. It has really helped me get the confidence to be in the business program and has helped me gear my mind towards business again. Aside from that, I had a lot of time to reflect on my life and think about where I want to be in my future and what I want to do with my life. Leysin was a great location to digest the lectures. I really received a lot of clarity that I don't think I would have received in Logan while trying to juggle a busy course schedule. Listening to different perspectives on doing business internationally and being exposed to so many people, ideas, philosophies, business models, etc. really gets your brain working and forces you to think about where you stand. To me, that was invaluable.

The EU

From what I gathered, the people are really supportive of the European Union and the things it is doing to unite the member states. I think they have noticed the good changes it has brought about, especially the peace, and they respect what is represents. Everyone I talked to said they felt the EU would only grow stronger and are excited for it's movements towards a superpower. They like the Euro, although some say it was a little different to adjust to. One person commented on the ease of travelling between countries and not having to worry about border customs or currency changes. Most people felt impartial or very negative towards the Turkish accession. The younger people didn't care too much, but the adults were pretty vocal about it not happening. It seemed like the people in Switzerland were also supportive of the EU and what it represented. I didn't notice a difference between demographics, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

CSR

In Europe it is completely anticipated that companies are corporately responsible. It really doesn't seem to be a question to them. The companies there really pride themselves in these efforts and they broadcast it everywhere. It really was impressive to listen to the things they come up with to be responsible, from planting trees to donating large amounts of money to AIDS efforts in Africa.

a local perspective

Europeans have a different perspective on the roles of the government than we Americans... some of these views may not be all too bad. They seem to be quite content with their socialized healthcare and to them it is expected that the government provide them with great healthcare. The people I talked to liked the security provided to them for unemployment (although this has undoubtedly increased European unemployment duration), but some said they felt the government may provide a little too cushy unemployment benefits. Although they enjoy long holidays, they also like to work-men and women-which makes them need health care. Women are payed to have children and they consequently feel it the government's role to provide child care so they can continue working. They feel strongly about the responsibility the government has to control carbon emissions but are also willing to comply with the government's mandates.

religion

My infatuation with churches was fed throughout the trip; I was fortunate to travel with fellow church-lovers. Whenever we rolled into a city, we usually headed strait to the local cathedral. There's something about them that help you really feel a part of the culture. We went to two very different Gregorian masses, the first was in Lucerne and the other was at Notre Dame. In Lucerne, the mass was in German, it was very quiet and peaceful, there weren't many people there and they all sang along. Notre Dame was in French, it was a Sunday morning and it was packed! There was a really long line to get in, people tried to maintain the silence, but there was a lot of bustle. It seems that in Europe religion is more of a tradition than anything. It is part of their culture but not part of their daily routine. I think people have a respect for religion, but it doesn't influence them as much as in other cultures.

My top 5 favorite churches on the trip:

1. Notre Dame (Paris, France)
2. Sacred Heart (Paris, France)
3. Cathedral of St. Leodegar (Lucerne, Switzerland)
4. Our Lady Church (Bruges, Belgium)
5. The Salzburger Dom (Salzburg, Austria)

French

In most of the countries we visited, French was the dominant language. Swiss French is different from France French. And Swiss German is a completely different language than normal German. I picked up a little French on the trip like, bonjour, parle vu ingles? I thought I would understand German a little more than French, but it was backwards, I think in large respects to me hearing Swiss German. Luckily, most people spoke at least a little English. At first it really bothered me that I couldn't speak their language; I was really self-conscious about it. Eventually it wore off and I was just another oblivious American tourist stumbling through their countries. There were a few occasions when I could tell people were really bothered that I didn't speak their language. Surprisingly a lot of people spoke Spanish, so I was able to speak to them. It was easier in French for me to read than listen, I could understand a lot by reading.

Public Transportation

I learned to love the train system in Europe, in large respects to my Eurorail pass (highly recommended). You can get anywhere you want in a fairly decent time without and hassle crossing borders. We only had inspections once and it was coming from Belgium into France. That is one of the beauties of the European Union. When we weren't on a train, we were on the metro or bus. I love not having to drive to get to where I want to go. Although there are Europeans who still have cars, many are choosing to go public. We went out to lunch with some friends who live in Amsterdam and they told us that in Amsterdam they are trying to limit the use of vehicles by narrowing the streets. In more efforts to reduce car usage, they have community cars where you pay a low monthly fee and then you can drive it whenever you want (as long as no one else is using it), and you pay a low fee for the miles you drive. We also saw a three tier parking terrace for bicycles! It was impressive. In Paris, they rent free bikes that can be ridden all over town and dropped of at different locations. It is very common to see people biking to work. In Salzburg, we were eating in the courtyard of a castle that had been converted into a museum when a well dressed man rode his bicycle into the courtyard. Soon after, we saw him walking around with another man inspecting the building that was under reconstruction-he appeared to be a cite manager, but I couldn't help but think of the difference from the States, because in the States he probably would have pulled up in a big gas-guzzling truck.

Social Responsibility

The Europeans are very environmentally alert. Most of the buildings are fairly green in a sense that they have light sensors, the escalators are motion activated, the water is motion activated, even a lot of the sewage is recycled. The businesses really pride themselves in their efforts to be socially responsible. In several of our visits they brought that up. Something small that really impressed me was their method of disposing plastic cups in order to save space in garbage cans. They use special waste cans for the cups! It's brilliant!

Shopping

Some might say I have a bit of a shopping problem. Well, that's only because they haven't met the guys I traveled with... they enjoy it a lot more than I do. So, we did a lot of shopping, we were in Europe okay! But we definitely found a few hot spots. A few of our favorites: Alibaba in Lucerne-we took a four hour detour just to go back! H&M-the guys just couldn't get enough of it, we went to one in almost every city! All of the cheap stores in front of our hotel in Paris-I couldn't get enough of them, I found so many treasures there! The great store up by the Sacred Heart chapel that sold awesome $600 jackets. For the most part, the stores were pretty similar to those in the States. A few differences I noticed were that the people didn't pester you as much in the U.S. about trying on and buying their stuff, and they had a lot of little stores that sold very limited things. The stores are really little in Europe, even the grocery stores. No shopping malls, no Wal-Marts; its all pretty compact.

Brussels Mussels and Fondue

Our first night in Brussels we went out to get some famous mussels with our friend Rashid. Rashid had a place where he ate at last time he was in the area, so he guided us there. I wasn't very hungry because we had just eaten dinner with Bryson's family, but I like mussels a lot so I wanted to get a few. We wanted to get a few plates and share them, but when the waiter discovered our plans he was repulsed. Apparently the Europeans aren't so keen on people sharing dishes. We did anyway, but the waiter was so angry that he actually found someone else to wait on us! The meal was supposed to include unlimited fries; we only got one batch. The mussels really were delicious though.

In Paris we went out for fondue, in contrast to the Mussels experience, they appeared content with us sharing a few fondues. Oooohh... the fondue was SO GOOD! We ordered three types; meat, beer cheese, and another cheese. It was great. The French couple sitting next to us got a good snicker out of our lack of knowledge on fondue eating, but eventually they decided to give us a little lesson.

On a side note, it is offensive to waiters to tip them-which kind of felt weird to not leave a tip.

Starbucks (aka: favorite sleeping hub)

So we found a few favorite places while we traveled, especially in Lucerne. Starbucks was a little special to us. We were in Lucerne for two days and slept there twice in their comfy chairs, Saturday night before going out to party, and early Sunday morning after we got cold in the train station. The cafe wasn't opened yet, but for some reason the doors were unlocked. We woke up next to a warm fire while Alexi Murdoch serenaded us. It couldn't have been more pleasurable. The cafe opened, we ordered drinks, and headed off to face the new day.

FOOD!

The American, but not-so-American franchise

I have this thing where I eat at McDonalds in every country I visit; I've been doing it for a few years now. Well, we took it a bit to the extreme on this trip eating there several times a week. You see, McDonalds has done something really epic in Europe. They have launched seasonal specials that last about three weeks in every country based on the country's typical foods. For example, in Switzerland they sold the McFondue for three weeks, then the McRosti, then the McRaclette. In Austria they sold the Oriental burger that was doused in curry sauce, and in France they had my personal favorite the M. Aside from the different food options, they have turned McDonalds into the hip place to be. With it's sheik decor, trendy music, and free internet access, everyone wants to be there. Sure, the prices are a little higher, but in contrast to the United States, McDonalds isn't really a budget restaurant.

Visits

IMD

I was very impressed with our visit to IMD. On top of the school providing an exceptional education, they provide a healthy learning atmosphere for business people. They treated the school like a business, where students and professors alike held a mutual respect and learned from each other. One of the other great things IMD offers is the availability to networking, this is especially demonstrated during the lunch hour. The culture presented at IMD was one of prestige; perhaps that is what they expect out of their graduates. I felt really important when we arrived to the room with all of our name plackets. I was also impressed with how prepared they were to show us around.

Dean Anderson

It was an invaluable experience to listen to Dean Anderson’s lecture on strategy. I loved the phrase he used, “strategy is the walk, aspiration is the talk.” He pointed out that a main step to developing strategy is by gaining a true perspective of yourself. We often perceive ourselves how we wish to be, and not how we truly are. The Dean has a great perspective on himself and what his objectives are. I felt better prepared to create my personal strategy after his lecture.

Credit Agricole

What made this lecture so interesting was that they were closing up a big merger. It was great practice for us to analyze their merger and get a real feel for what critical thinking is involved. I liked the honesty that Maria Pascal showed. We would present our project, and she would clean it up and tell us how it really should be done. It was neat to see the things we learn in class be put into action.

Don Linford

After Don’s lecture, I found myself questioning whether I really wanted to work internationally or not. He had a really interesting perspective on working abroad. Don opened up the lecture by telling us about his life and how he got to where he is now, he placed himself in a vulnerable and exposed situation, and he clearly wanted us to be as vulnerable because of it. We would say things, and he would quickly correct us. Some things he said could have been very offensive, but they weren’t because we knew they were true and that his criticism was going to strengthen us. I enjoyed his lecture a lot, partially because I am fascinated by finance, but mostly because there was an exquisite energy. It was about this point in the trip when I began to realize the magnitude of what we are doing on this trip and the connections we can potentially make. It’s really great.

WTO

It was a great opportunity to meet with the WTO. After we got over the shiny objects in the room, we were able to get down to business and learn more about how the WTO works and who they work with. The WTO, EFTA, EU, and OECD all have similar functions and it was good to go there so we could figure out the differences. It would be neat to do an internship with the WTO. Something I learned at the WTO was that they work with countries on setting regulations for trade to make it more “fair.”

EFTA

I really enjoyed our visit to EFTA. I was surprised at how little the office was and how small EFTA is, but it sill has a large role in the world economy. Besides the embarrassingly repetitive questions, it was great. I found it unique that EFTA is comprised of only a few member states, but they are wealthy states and have a lot of power still. I was impressed that although they may be losing Iceland to the EU, they seem to have no plans in dissolving, but they are actually doing quite a lot of negotiations that are keeping the organization strong.

Swiss Wine and Cheese Industries

Dominique was such a great host that he took us out to his private vineyard to let us participate a bit in his harvest, eat raclette, and then he gave us a discussion on the Swiss government and business, including the cheese and wine industry. Honestly, I had a hard time paying attention that day. The television wasn’t working, and I really was in play mode, not lecture mode. But it was good to have a lecture on this and Dominique was very qualified to give it to us. One thing that stuck out to me was that not much of their wine and cheese is imported, that surprised me a little.

ICRC

This was one of my favorite visits. It would be awesome to do a mission for the ICRC, maybe in the future I will. It is inspiring to see how the organization has grown to be something so helpful and powerful. They do a lot of great things in the world. Taking it to a personal level, it was awesome for me to meet with the ICRC because it helped me to see that the career path I want to take can be somewhat lucrative, highly rewarding, and very possible. That’s what I needed to hear, that the things I want to do are possible.

Huntsman Chemical

This was another of my favorite visits. It was so great to see the process of the research and development. It was impressive how they have taken one product or chemical, and taken it into so many different markets. I was amazed that the same product was used for everything from car seats to shoe soles. The people working there we are very nice and patient with all of our questions. It was also neat that we were able to talk to one of their top dogs. The food was a great perk. Something I have thought a lot about on this trip is the effect that the work environment has on its employees. It really makes a big difference in their affectivity and when they feel like they are being taken care of, they’re going to produce a higher output.

InBev

This was a very interesting meeting. I am absolutely fascinated by the fabrication of goods and well, the whole factory process. I think it is so amazing how they can do it all so quickly and effectively. It is hard for me to believe that businesses ever survived without the assembly line! What a necessary invention!

European Parliament

What I liked about this meeting was that we were able to get a true perspective on what Europeans think about American business and government. It was fun to learn how successful the European Commission is. The guys were a little arrogant though; I was really surprised at that. It reminded me of the things I have read in The United States of Europe.

NATO

Bruges

This was a fun city, we rented bikes and rode them all over the city several times. It was interesting how the city was built in a circle, perhaps for easier transportation. Bruges used to be the center of commerce and now it is predominately dedicated to tourism. They have museums and exhibitions, clever restaurants and beautiful architecture. I was really glad that we went to visit this city.

Rashid Khatib Shahidi

It was great to have Rashid with us. I was able to talk to him a little about one of my entrepreneurial ideas and he had a lot of great input. I love his attitude on business, if it’s something you love and you think it can succeed, then it can. I like that, it’s uplifting. He spoke with us about entrepreneurship and some of the difficulties with it; especially in communication. I really liked how he frequently clarified perspectives, that was a great example to me. He is a fun loving person that really is inspiring. He truly showcases the excitement in entrepreneurship.

OECD

The first lecture was neat because it explained more thoroughly what the OECD does. I was impressed that they have no hard power, but through soft power they are able to have a lot of impact on development and trade. This is another organization where it would be neat to work for. The second lecture was a little boring. While international higher education is interesting, it isn’t super applicable to me. It would have been good to maybe talk about that for ten, fifteen minutes, but an hour was really long.

Microsoft Europe

I was looking forward to this visit the whole trip. I have always heard they were such a great company to work for and I was curious to see why. I was so impressed at the technology they have developed. The computer-table was so cool! That could really change a lot in our society. This visit really solidified my thoughts on the importance of a great work environment where workers are treated special. I was very impressed with this visit, and am extremely curious to see what happens to Microsoft with Google’s new technology, especially their new operating system.

Disney

It was really neat to go to one of the places where we actually did a case study about. It was fun to see the changes they have made to become profitable and to adjust to the European market. I think they have made a lot of successful adjustments. I found it creative how they modified their hiring process to discern people’s true personalities. Most of all, I liked how they found a way to adjust to the European culture while still holding onto their core beliefs and their own Disney culture. Halloween is my favorite holiday, so it was really exciting for me to be able to be there with all of the Halloween deco.

Versailles

Versailles was fantastic! It was amazing to see how ornate the palace was. I loved the architecture and the design. It really gave a great feel for what it would have been like to be royalty at that time. As we were wandering the palace a thought occurred to me that if we had been living during that time, it would have been unthinkable to be wandering the palace halls; I felt privileged. My favorite thing we did in Versailles was rent a boat and row it thorough the canal.