The World's Top MBA Programs

The Financial Times has just released their report on the world's top 100 full-time global MBA programs. Each school was ranked according to alumni career progress, diversity (percent of female faculty, international students etc.) and idea generation(?!).

HEC Paris was ranked #22 and the University of Western Ontario(Ivey) was #31.

After spending time in both Ivey and HEC classes, I think I may have figured out the difference between the schools. The French have a better sense of style. ha ha. HEC photo is unavailable at this time but here is a photo of my favourite Ivey students. Bonjour Section 3!

A Spicy Night in Versailles

After a month of French Food, I was craving something spicy last night. Someone suggested we go to Versaille for a repas indien at Le Taj Mahal! So, a group of hungry MBA students drove as fast as we could (without stopping at the stunning Chateau de Versailles) to get the last table at an Indian restaurant. It was filled with French families and couples. Looking around, I noted that one of the most popular dishes was naan fromage. The French love their cheese and this dish consisted of nan filled with fromage indien, or French cream cheese. (Paneer doesn't exist here.) We ordered a number of poulet (chicken) dishes as well as, dahl (lentils) and lassi mangue (a mango yogurt drink). Ymmmmm.

This meal was a big contrast to the traditional French meal we had today, "moules et frites" (musssels and French Fries).

Hanging out with the Prof. in Paris

Photos from la brasserie and la Tour Eiffel.

Concert jeudi soir! Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chausson

Last night, after discussing HBS cases, my Small Business Management professor drove me and two of my classmates to l'Universite Paris-Sorbonne for a concert. This was a big treat as I'm a big fan of la musique classique.

Despite the fact that we only paid 10 euros (less than C$15), the audience continued to yell "encore" until the pianiste, violoniste and violoncelliste (members of l'Orchestre de Paris) performed another piece. The concert was exceptionnel!!!

Librairies a Paris

As most consumers buy books online via Amazon or from mega-book stores like Barnes & Noble or Chapters, it's refreshing to find so many charming libraries (book stores) here. One of the best art book stores in Paris is Mona Lisait . The name is a bad pun, not a typo. Lisait is a form of the verb lire (to read).

Chez Lisa Annabel

Il faut que je travailles aujourd'hui...

Believe it or not, I have been working over the past 3 weeks at HEC to fulfill the final course requirements for my MBA. Not only have I submitted a few assignments, but I have started working on group projects with French students too. Right now I am taking Small Business Management, Business Ethics, Multilateral Financing, Indispensable Asia and of course, French! (We start a new set of courses in February.)

To get all of this work done, students usually require caffeine. As vending machines are the only source of caffeinated beverages on campus, I converted my room into un petit café - Chez Lisa Annabel. It's open sans interruption (without interruption) to a select group of friends. Using a bouillloire sans fil (cordless kettle), I serve un instant espresso, café au lait, thé argumes, thé vert et ovomaltine. I also have other (chocolate) treats too. Ymmmm.

Smart Cars are taking over Paris

Smart Cars are as ubiquitous here as SUVs are in North America. I love the Smart Car because they are really small and that's a good thing in a city with limited parking and narrow roads. I'm tempted to get one. Check out the website: http://www.smart.com What do you think?

Now SINTEF is going to make them even smarter: they are working to make Daimler Benz's Smart Cars run on little more than air and electricity --this means zero emissions! Instead of diesel, the Smart Car will have a battery that will run for at least 200 km before running out of juice/having to be recharged. In addition to being a "green" vehicle, the Smart Car will have the capacity to provide emergency backup power to home appliances via an extension cord! (This means that I could use my cappuccino machine during a blackout.)

Did you know that many European cities are encouraging the use of electric cars? In Oslo, electric cars are allowed in the bus and taxi lanes. In Paris, you can re-charge your car at a spot near the l'Arc de Triomphe. See blue sign.

So when will North American cities promote electric cars? Are they waiting for unbearable gas hikes? Or has this already happened?

Hotel de Ville

Here are some photos taken at Paris' Hotel de Ville (City Hall). I was delighted to find a skating rink and a Merry-Go-Round in front of the building.

Le Ski Weekend

Crepes & Cappuccino (at an altitude of 2500 meters)

Imagine waking up in a French ski resort, putting on skies and all the necessary gear and taking a lift to 2500 meters to enjoy a breakfast of crepe au sucre and cappuccino at the cozy Le Panoramic. Well, that's exactly what I got to do on my trip. For lunch, we picked outdoor spots at different altitudes.

Ils n'ont pas de neige au Canada?

I am still recovering from an extra long ski weekend in the French Alps. We skied all day and enjoyed special Savoie wine and fondue dishes all night. The skiing was spectacular. The runs at Valmeinier were long and picturesque. (The photos above were taken from the lift.) While I enjoyed the chance to practice French with fellow skiers on the ride up the mountain, I did get tired of the question:"Ils n'ont pas de neige au Canada?" (don't they have snow in Canada?).

Parisian Cafe

Voila les photos of some of the Canadian b-school students. As you can see, we prefer to hang out in the cafes instead of the libraries! Now we're off to ski the French Alps this weekend. (Don't worry Daddy, I'm going to stick to the bunny slopes.) a la prochaine!

Soldes Soldes Soldes

Like other fashion victims and tourists in the know, I am in Paris this week, searching for the best deals at the famous soldes (winter sale). Prices are 30 to 50% lower than the regular prices. Did you know that France's twice-yearly retail sales account for over a quarter of the sector's turnover? Also did you know that the timing and duration of these sales are regulated by the government? Crazy, eh? (Then again, only a decade ago, it was illegal to shop on Sundays in Canada.)

I found the biggest crowds at the luxury goods counters of the major department stores, Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. There were so many gleeful young women, including students skipping school. Unlike me, there were out to find deals on Gucci handbags, Dior sunglasses and Louis Vuitton gloves!

et les autres.

Les Rois et Reines

La Galette des Rois

In honour of the French tradition, we had a "Galettes des Rois" (pastry pie with almond filling for kings) celebration.

According to Marcus, the party organizer, (grey sweater and glasses): "this is a celebration of l'Epiphanie or the day on which the three kings Gaspard, Balthazar and Melchior came to pay their tribute to the world-famous baby (Christ). Like many a Christian holiday, this one has lost all religious meaning for most of us, gaining a sweeter, much more buttery one in the process: on the day of the Epiphany, families share a Galette des Rois, a flaky pastry pie filled with frangipane, a butter-rich, smooth almond paste. Ymmm. The person who gets the slice of pie with a round ceramic coin (see photo) gets the crown and becomes the king (or queen). The actual date on which to have the galette has gotten fuzzier and fuzzier: some families celebrate it on the 6th of January, some on the first Sunday in January, it's seems to be celebrated all through the month of January."

Guess who won found a ceramic surprise in her slice? Moi!

The Secret to Diplomacy in Asia

This photo was taken with my Ivey buddy, Ryan halfway through our three hour "Indispensible Asia" class. I found our animated French professor refreshingly different because he was so politically incorrect! Today he explained: "if a diplomat says yes, he means maybe. If he says maybe, he means no. If he says no, he's not a diplomat. The exact reverse, by the way, applies to women."

How to Make Money from French Banks...

I decided to go into town to do some banking, not knowing that the banks are closed on Mondays! Did you know that you can make money opening bank accounts in France? I opened one last week with BNP Paribas and got 50 euros (~Cdn$75) as well as a French comedy on DVD, a cool pen and a fancy BNP key chain. There's no restriction on how many accounts you can open and all you need is your passport and proof of residence. Tomorrow I'm going to open an account with another bank as they have promised to give me 120 euros (~Cdn$180). Yipee! Hopefully I'll get a few more pens too. What the hell, I'm a b-school student! Not sure how their business model works. Perhaps they save money by closing on Sundays and Mondays? Or perhaps they are thinking long term and targeting b-school students because of our need for a significant amount of credit now and our potential for high income in the future?

Spring Already?

It's a beautiful day in France! It's around 7 C and the sun is shining. It feels like Spring! Earlier today, I took a photo of my friend standing in front of the residence and I just took two more photos from my bedroom window.

Orangina Light

I am a BIG fan of Orangina, a carbonated beverage with 12% juice and 2% pulp. (It was introduced in France in 1953.) Unlike other carbonated beverages, it does not make you thirsty. Ahhhhhh. I drank it all summer until I realized that it has a ton of sugar...

Over the past week in France, I've noticed that Orangina is extremely popular. I see people drinking it everywhere! I started to think about drinking it again and when I saw "Orangina Light" -- a product with hardly any sugar, it was too good to be true. I haven't seen Orangina Light in Canada. Have you? It's been here for over a decade. Maybe I should get in touch with Orangina to export it to Canada?

Merci à Orangina d'avoir penser à sortir ce produit sans sucre. Ce n'est pas exactement sans calories, mais cela doit être 5/10 calories à 100 ml. Je trouve ça vraiment raisonnable.

My Weekend in Paris