my fellow classmates

It's great to find out that a place like Thunderbird can be a microcosm of society. Given that half of the 120 2008 MBA class is from 37 different countries it makes matters even more interesting. But let me go into a little bit more detail and I will tell you also more about the people I have befriended.

Of the foreign students, the class is made up in prevalence by Asian students (Indian , Chinese, Thai, Korean, Japanese but also Kyrgyzstani, Pakistani, Afghan, Malaysian, Filipino, Taiwanese...so a really interesting mix). What I am particularly surprised is that not all of them are reserved, which is what I have been used to, but many are actually very extrovert. Right on!!! - watch out how through the course of the year I will pepper my writings with more of these colourful expressions...

Then there are some fellow Europeans - a few Hallo Hallo moments amongst the Western Europeans, but in the main the Eastern Europeans speak English with such strong American accents (and so well I must say) that I find it difficult to distinguish. Like the other day when I am in the pool swimming before class and this girl and I talk and I say how great it is that there are so few Europeans - turns out of course that she is from Russia and now she thinks I am a jerk!

I will leave the fellow american classmates to another blog as I need to study them better. And now onto my new friends:

Above all is Bree (I know a few of you will find this funny - leave aside the Desperate Housewives jokes). Bree is married to a Frenchman and has lead a really interesting life (in the UAE for a long while) and she speaks perfect French! We make each other laugh and I believe we are on the same wavelength. You will hear more about Bree I am sure.

Then my other friend is Gabrielle Solis (only KIDDING!!!) - seriously - my other friend right now is a girl called Kelly. She is from Missouri and that fact alone - together with the fact that she speaks perfect German - is really fascinating!

The environment is very intense which has its positives and negatives. To get out of it all we are organising a trip to IKEA on Saturday! Heehaw (did you like that??)!!!

And with that remark I will leave you to better things. GM and AvtoVAZ case study awaits!

Thunderpants

P.S. I have not become a Stepford wife yet...not all is perfect, but I thought I'd give you a good insight into some of the nice things. OH! and by the way, to all of you that have relentlessly taken the mickey of my accent - I AM GETTING SO MANY COMPLIMENTS for what has been described as SUCH AN ELEGANT ACCENT!