Married Life with Kailey

I love Kailey Parker so much! She is so great. I love her every morning, afternoon, and evening. All my actions are geared towards making her happy. She is so funny, and thrifty, and courageous. She hangs art work she draws in our house. She takes care of me when I am sick or stressed.

She is my eternal companions. I love her and I don't care who knows it. I just want to shout it from the roof tops! I love Kailey Parker!

Lyrics that I love; a man needs something he can hold on to, a nine pond hammer or a women like you. Its hard to Go to heaven, it ain't hard to go to hell. What you've done us put yourself between a bullet and target

Business is Bidnis

Business is Bidnis

Now that I’ve returned home, I feel that I should dedicate a blog entry to my observations at the business visits. I took notes at most of them in my Field Guide but I just want to expand a few of my thoughts at some of them.

IMD – My belief is that the Huntsman Program and IMD MBA programs parallel in many ways. The Huntsman Program is like a little mini IMD. However visiting IMD, I’m not really considering an MBA. The school looks too intense to be an option for me. Work/School/Life balance is an important value to me and I feel like IMD would put me off balance. They some things are more important than money. As I’m now considering Grad school and future career options, I’ve realized an important value of mine. I know that many in the USU administration (faculty, career services, Dean, etc.) really encourage students to look outside of Utah to get higher paying jobs. If it comes down to a job offer in New York for six figures or a job in Salt Lake for five, I would have to carefully weigh the value of each. I have really strong ties to Utah. My family has been here for eight generations. My pioneer ancestor built a little shack on south temple and 800 east. I really value living in Utah. I can extend my possibilities to the west in general. But like they say, some things are more important than money.

There is some things that the program could take away from IMD. I really like the peer feedback loops. Organized in a non-confrontational way, the feedback loops could really help students improve their character. I think everyone wants to know what other people are thinking about him or her. I certainly want to know. Know the positive and negative can help me improve.

Touring IMD got me thinking about what I want in a grad school too. Fancy lunches, modern feel, job placement, diversity, career development, and leadership training, scheduled gym time. Like I said, IMD is a bit too intense. The say their aim is to push you to your limits, but not beyond. Good thing they have physiologists on staff. Is an MBA a means to an end or a value experience?

Dean Anderson Workshop

How incredible is it that we can get a personalized workshop from the Dean in Switzerland. He is so incredibly accomplished. My respect for him has really increased after getting to know him. The lessons I’ve learned is that it’s ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. He once made a $10 million mistake. Approaching his boss, Jim Burke, in apology he was told “I just spent $10 million to educate you.”

Some other good quotes are “Master the art of truth telling.” “acting on negative fantasies make it more likely to be realized.” “ You think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Trust. I also need to remember to write Bill Childs or RC Willey.

Honeywell

VPD – Honeywell’s equivalent to Toyota’s lean management but for engineering. The whole idea is efficiently produce good ideas. Also I want to put a turbocharger on my boat. They are cool.

ICRC

Not really an organization I am impressed with. I don’t want to work for a non-profit. Why should I get an MPA?

NATO

Should’ve read the blogs of past participants. I learned from the soft skills workshop to always research a company beforehand. When applying to the Koch’s scholars program I must keep this in mind.

WTO, European Commission, and NATO were my favorite visits.

Explanation

Explanation

I created this blog for three reasons. One was to let my family know how much fun I was having in Europe. I gave them the link to the Blog and they really enjoyed reading about my escapades. They love me as I love them.

The second reason was for personal reasons. I find it therapeutic to write. My mom always said the dullest pencil is better than the sharpest mind. I like to keep track of my thoughts and adventures by writing in a journal.

The third reason was a travel blog is required for the Huntsman Scholar Semester. In some entries I try to specifically address the questions posed in the assignment. Although every entry will naturally showcase some of my opinions of Europe and interactions with people, some entries are more specific to the “homework” aspect. Those entries include:

• European Travel Habits
• Political Thoughts
• Business is Bidnis

Your welcome to read all of the posts. Keep in mind that I wrote as I would in a journal or a letter home. This means that the style is written from my stream of consciousness. I apologize for that. And because it’s a journal entry form, there has been no revisions, rough drafts, or format. It’s not an essay or paper by any means. There are also some personal insights so please be sensitive and understanding of those. My posts are journal entries.

Final Days in France

Final Days in France

Paris life is so different from the lazy life in Leysin. There is so much to see and do it is incredible. Right now I am very grateful to be in the program. They have really hooked us up. We get a museum pass, a nice hotel in the center of town, a Eurorail pass, a subway pass. I am so impressed with all that planning that has gone into the program. The program managers or directors have really pulled out all the stops. How I am so fortunate to be a part of this program with such a high caliber of a participants I’ll never know.

I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower now. If I only had a girl to romance under it...That would be ideal. I’ve seen the Louvre, the Arc de Triumph, and quite a few other museums and attractions. My favorites have been the Flea Market, with all the Rasta, thug clothing, and antiques, and of course the Modern Art Museum (the Pompidou). Wow the Modern Art Museum was crazy cool. I can’t say in words just how wild it was there. Much of the fun was going with Dan who just said the craziest comments like “who gets credit for this? Sherwin Williams.” That was said in front of Blue Panel. Ok some entries were a bit a push to be considered art, but most were wild. I loved the Modern Art Museum and wish I could’ve seen more of it there.

I’ve eaten crepes almost everyday. Hot dogs and Panini’s here are delicious. We visited the OECD. Our tour leader had a very strong personality. The OECD has an interesting way of keeping member countries accountable. Peer review was the method. It utilizes peer pressure make sure countries abide by the competition standards.

I’m really glad that I stayed in Paris for the free weekend. I’m glad to take advantage of all the hook ups we get here. Also I haven’t seen anything in Paris. I feel I’ve just scratched the surface. The Catacombs are way morbid. I thought they might be really short but they continue on for a long time. There is so many bones there.

I’m also really proud of our group. I continue to be impressed by the quality of people in the program. There hasn’t been much drama at all from what I’ve observed. And that’s quite an achievement considering the length of time we’ve been together. Everyone is excited to see each other in the mornings and go and do things. I think one of the group’s downfalls though is Groupthink. Everyone is such good friends that no one wants to be left behind. Smaller groups would be preferred I think. There are also many natural leaders in the group. I’ve seen many classmates fill the roll of group leader. However, now as we’re nearing the end of the trip, most are burnt out of the leadership role.

Political thoughts

Political thought in Europe.

This was a fascinating time to be studying in Europe. I really feel that the current events made the scholar trip very intriguing. To echo the words of Elder Peterson, a LDS church diplomat I had dinner with, the outcome of the Euro Crisis will be a directionally decisive for the European Union. I agree that the near future holds many substantial organizational impacts for the EU. It really is a grand experiment. Only time will tell what will become of the European Union.

In all honesty, it is a regret of mind that I was unable to ask more people their personal opinions of the political developments in the EU. I feel I could’ve better utilized the current situation to spark up a conversation. In France, however, I talked to a number of individuals working the stores and shops. The majority of those working the Panini and crepe were mostly from Middle Eastern nations. Immigration and the free flow of people are naturally going to be an issue. Although I didn’t talk to many of the middle easterners working the shops, I was absolutely captivated by the thick African culture at the Paris flea market. Older Africans had authentic African shops selling native clothing and masks. Middle-aged Africans sold “Rasta” apparel. Younger Africans sold “Thug” clothing. I talked with quite a few of these shop owners who were blaring French rap music and spray-painting t-shirts for sale. They had effectively created a sub-culture within France. From what I could gather from thick accents, most had come to be with family and/or to start a new life in France. I got the feeling the economy had drawn many to live the “American Dream” in France. Africans don’t come to be assimilated to French culture, wearing black all the time; they bring their own ideals and values, which include wearing bright, baggy, and artistic clothing. Yellow, green, and red colors were everywhere, and many t-shirts sported slogans from the Arab Spring revolutions. The Africans were in France but they were still connecting to Africa.

I talked to a Lebonese man for about an hour while Amber patiently waited while I waded through thosands of LP records. How he got the records he wouldn’t tell me. He did say that he lived in New York for a while and dated a LDS girl there, however, I feel like this may have a lie. What I do believe however is that he felt France was a great place to live and work. He carried with him Lebanese customs, such as offering tea to customers. I learned in Turkey that Middle Eastern culture dictates that you must be friends before you do business. Tea or coffee was offered just for walking in to a shop. The Lebanese man sent a store hand out to buy hot chocolate just for Amber and I. I seriously doubt any Frenchmen would do something like that. I am so proud of Dan Groberg’s heritage.

Everywhere, I went people were still fiercely connected to their home country. Asking people, they said they were from Belgium or France, not Europe. Although, thinking back, one friend in Switzerland said he did what other Europeans did. So there is some sense of commonality with Europe. Only one many ever spoke of being a European citizen… and he worked for the Commission. So taking away his bias, I feel that most Europeans still see them as a member of their country first and then a European. I do not see a United States of Europe in the future.

One of my favorite features of the Citadels Hotel in Paris was the free English newspaper they set out every morning. The European perspective of the Ghadafi’s death was very graphic in nature. The papers also commented on the US presidential primaries. Perhaps the only news relevant to the travel journal is Greece’s financial problem and ensuing riots. Greece is in a tough spot. Rioters against lowering the minimum wage are in conflict with those rioting for financial solvency. All rioters are against the police. Many feel this will be the pivotal point for the EU. Germany and France are reluctant to bail out the hurting nations, especially because it lied about their financials when joining the EU. I can completely understand the reluctance. No one wants to give money away again and again. Especially to a country that lied. It seems like a waste of money to give it away with no return. However, Greece will be kicked out of the Euro Zone. I stand by the opinion of Rashid. There is just way to much business and political interconnection for that to happen. Greece will eventually be bailed out. Politics and business relies on the intergovernmental cooperation.

Visiting countries inside and outside the Union gave a diverse picture of the EU opinions. Norway does not want to join at all. It has no intentions of beginning ascension talks. A man I talked to on the train said part of it was Norway’s strong reliance on the military. He was in the military himself so I would note that he a little biased. But Norway would be reluctant to concede military control to the EU. They like to be independent in their support of NATO. They are heavily involved in Afghanistan and Libya. I have also heard rumor that Norway doesn’t want to join the EU because restrictions would hurt its industries, like logging and whaling. Whale is delicious.

European Travel Habits

European Travel Habits

Over the course of my long weekend in Norway, I was able to talk to many individuals about their travel habits and perceptions of America. It often came up naturally in conversation and I also directed questions to get information and opinions for the upcoming tourism project for the State of Utah.

I had a great conversation with a shop owner in Leysin. He was an obvious sports enthusiast. When it came up that we lived in Utah, he immediately knew of the famous snow and was able to spout off several well-known ski resorts. However, despite his travels, he had only been to Utah in the summer time. He did this to hit the national parks. He did a grand loop and said it is what all the Europeans do. Being a sports enthusiasts he did mention it would be cool to see a bigger push towards extreme sports in Utah. Off the cuff he mentioned designated trails for long boarding, mountain bike course, mountain scootering etc. Another Leysin local had visited Utah for it’s famous hang gliding, parasailing at the point of the mountain. My conclusion is that most come to Utah with adventure in mind, however, they really just want to do what the every European does, which is see the national parks.

Talking with Dominque, our host at Leysin, he had travelled to Utah on an extended trans-American journey. I learned several key points about European travel habits in America. The first is that they want to see “all” of America. Distances do not deter Europeans from visiting all of the famous national parks. They will cruise across the nation to visit all the places they have heard about. I believe the root reason is that they do not want to feel like they have missed something. Upon arrival, friends could ask them were they visited and they can spout off several national parks. This means that they can only get a superficial visit to many places as opposed to a deep intimate stay. They won’t focus on one area and see all it has to offer. They would rather take the best of many places. Trying to place myself in their shoes, when in France, I of course want to see all the quintessential iconic places in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph. Europeans want to visit Zion, Yellowstone, Bryce, and Las Vegas. Personally I am moving towards a more personal tour of parts of the world. I feel like my mission gave me a great feel for small cities and towns in the Philippines. I was able to really appreciate the local feel and flavor after a few months stay. In Leysin, it was nice to have a great host and walk the streets discovering the great food joints etc. However, when I get home, no one else will care about the great sandwich shop. But the iconic Swiss chocolate tour was, in the words of Dominque, “Fantastique!”

Another key point is that the journey is part of the experience. Dominque took his motorcycle all around the states travelling up to 600 miles in a day. He talked about his adventures on his “hog.” He really enjoyed the long travel. For Europeans, the journey is part of the fun. They love the bus rides and seeing the countryside. Even though the travel may limit the time they are able to spend in a particular place, it is all in the vacation. In my case in Europe, we took the trains everywhere. I really enjoyed that and it gave me a great feel for the land. Long scenic drives could be an advantage to Tourism in Utah. The question will be about keeping tourists within Utah.

Boundaries are artificial in Europe. They do not relate well to “states.” In Switzerland, people were from Leysin, Montreau, Geneva, Bern and not their respective regions. Only in Catalan might they relate to the concept of states. However, we in America don’t visit Catalan either. We visit Spain and Barcelona. So the advertising perhaps should avoid referencing Utah, because that means nothing to Europeans. They will visit Park City, Salt Lake, Logan, Moab, St. George etc.

In the hostels, I noticed many older European travelers. Dominque also said that he enjoyed camping out but would get a hotel on occasion. I believe that freedom and mobility appeal to Europeans in a way that Americans don’t understand. When my family travels there is a strict itinerary and most of the trip is planned out. Many Europeans like to play it by ear (to use an America idiom.)

Here’s a short list of some of my thoughts:

They visit cities not states.

They want to see it all.

The journey is part of the fun.

They like camping and freedom and mobility.