29 September: Ups and Downs

On Satuaday night night, I went to a Salsa Club first time in Barcelona. It was a huge stress releaver, especially after the hectic new life with the Business School. On Fryday, I had my computer drained by spilling over coffee and unfunctioned. My consentration level was low, and that that led to the accident consequently. I know that I want to do good for every thing. But, am I too perfectionistic? Can´t I be little more easy to myself? I would be burnout. I need balance in my life.

26 September: A Balance Sheet of the Earth

"Can you write a balance sheet of the Earth?"  Professor asked us in the economics class today.  We are totally freaked out.

A balance sheet is a financial statement that usually shows a companies performance, but it can be technically applied to assess a country in macro economics.  A country's asset side will be such as natural resources, human capital,  infrastructure, technology and government.  Liability side will be such Environmental risk and profit earned by foreign residence living in the country.

However, except environment and human, all of the other activities are held between countries.  So, practically, we will not be able to write Earth's balance sheet, the professor explained.

Well, then what our economical activities for?  This was definitely a food for thought.

22 September: Self Awareness

In ESADE's Full-time MBA course, in addition to ordinal business subjects such as economics and finance, we are provided a unique subject called the LEAD (Leadership and Development) once in every couple of weeks in the first couple of months.

LEAD takes you through an experiential and self reflective journey of personal leadership development by feedback from faculty and classmates.  True leadership starts with a firm self awareness.  It is only through this self awareness that one can be realistic about one's leadership strengths and developmental needs.

I like this LEAD course.  It requires to ask a lot of questions about myself, such as "What kind person am I?", and "Where am I going?", in a structured manner.

In the first introductory session, which was held in last week, the professor asked us to imagine that you are in a airplane that are going to crush and you are going to die.  You are reflecting back your life.  Usually, we don't put ourselves one of these extreme situation often, but it would be very useful, in this way, to screen your priority once in every couple of years.

The more you know your core values clearly, the more confidently and comfortably you can make decisions.  I am excited about where this course 'leads' me.

8 September

On a quiet Sunday morning, I went to a run with my friends to the mount Tibidabo, which is located in the west of Barcelona.

After a modest 90 minutes jogging up to the summit, we are given a panorama view of Barcelona under the feet.  I like to see the city from a hill.  Up from there, I can feel that the activities of human beings are so tiny.

I was sort of scared to start my new life in this city where I don't no anybody.  So what.  All I can do is do the best I can at this very moment.

3 September

It was a long day with full of event to start officially my MBA course with ESADE.

I arrived in the campus in Sant Cugat, which is about 45 minute from my home in Barcelona, well ahead of the meeting time at 10am.  Then I was sitting in a sofa in the cafeteria of the MBA building, looking at the lights with purple covers hanged from the ceiling and looked so significant against black walls.  As it is significant in Spain, the interior design was so unique and elegant.  After contemplating for a whole, people waring business suites started to appear in the cafeteria, and greeted each other.  They were the fellow students who I am working with for the coming months.  There are about 150 students from some 40 countries and it was like I am in the United Nation. 

The orientation started with a couple of welcome speech by significant people, followed by networking lunch.  We got a lots of materials in a bag and completed a group photo and a photo for the CV book.  We were taken  finger print images from each of our thumbs, which I think will be used for identification for security.  I also consulted to the lawyer for visa issue.

Well, I was already sweating.  I am sure that I will get used to, but for tonight I need good sleep.

Day 10 (1 Sept): Felt like a local

"Do you know how to get to this hotel?"  A lady asked me.

I was about to go for my regular early morning jogging around my house and bumped into the lady and two kids with two big suitcases each of their both hands.  They apparently didn't speak Spanish and were lost and looked exhausted.

"All right, count on me," I said in my heart.

They said they are American.  I was waring a T-shirt with big "California Soccer," which I bought when I visited the University of California Berkeley, and that probably let them feel a bit familiar with.  I asked people at a bakery and a taxi driver on their behalf in my tiny Spanish but couldn't find out where the hotel was.

Eventually, I took them to my home and looked for the hotel by the internet and escorted to them to the hotel, which was about 10 minutes' walk.

Somehow, I felt very at home when I spoke to people who were native in English.  Even, English is not my first language, it is a language that I can speak well.  And I was interpreting to my third language - Spanish.

Through this experience, I could raise my confidence a bit here in Barcelona.  As a new citizen, it wasn't always smooth last few weeks.  I needed a lot of help from many people.  Finally, now I could be a bit of help for someone else.

Day 3: New Neighbourhood

It has been a couple of days since I moved to Barcelona for starting MBA course at ESADE.

One thing that would stress you when you move a new place is your residence, and in this context I am very satisfied with my choice this time.  I booked an apartment here in Barcelona when I visited there in May.  My new neighbourhood is called Sarria.

Barcelona is divided into 10 districts, each with its own Citizen Services Office and Sarria is one of them.  It is an old neighbourhood located at the top of the city.  (Barcelona faces the Mediterranean Sea and is hill westward.)  It was the last village to be incorporated into Barcelona in 1921.  It is a heaven for those fleeing the noise and crowds of the city centre.  There is a lovely little church in a plaza in the neighbourhood.

Jun

Into the Underwater World

Trying new things is always exiting and gives me energy.  Taking the advantage of  living in Hayama, a town by the sea, for several months, I decided to try SCUBA diving this summer and I finally received certificate card (C card) today.

The license I received is PADI's Open Water.  This is a relatively elementally level license and it took three days and five dives.  This license allows to dive up to 12 meters deep, and that's enough for the local diving points around Hayama.

I hope that this new hobby enriches my life.

Coping with Stress

Stress can act both good and bad for you.  When you get right amount stress, you may perform at your muximum potentioal.  However, when you get too much stress, you may under perform.  That is a part of hour body's mechanism to protect ourselves.

In 1967, Homes and Rahe developed a questionnaire called the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) for identifying major stressful life events.  43 life events are scaled depending on the impact of stress in the scale.  Top of the list is Death of Spouse or Significant Other (100 points), followed by Divoce (73) and Marital Separation (66).  Even "good" events such as Marrage (50), Vacation (13) and Christmas (12) can cause you some stress.

If you want to assess your current stress condition, check on SRRS list and add up the scores for each event expereinced over a 12 month period.  If you have less than 150, you have little chance of suffering from stress.  On the other end, if you have more than 300, you are likely to developing stress related illness.

Earlier this week, I felt sick and had to go to see a doctor.  When I look back my recent life, I exterienced Business Reajustment, Change in Health of Family Member and Change in Residence, which themselves already accumleted more than 100 points in SRRS.  I guess my body is sending a warning sign that I would surpass my stress limit if I continue to force myself in this pace.

So, keep your maximum performance in the long run, I think, it is extreamly important to make long time action plan by using such as dialy style calender and spread out "big events" that cause you a lot of stress.