Why I come to Lausanne...

- Kim Jung Hyun

I am Kim Jung Hyun, also known as Judy to my friends. I am married to Kim Young Ha and we are from Korea. I worked in Korea as a research engineer for LG.

Young Ha and I were married at the end of 2007; and he received news of his acceptance from IMD in April 2008.

From then on, it was a diffcult period for us, as we had to think about whether I should come to Lausanne or not. For 6 months, my husband and I considered and discussed about this and eventually, the decision was to come to Lausanne together.

I knew that I would have to give up many things in my life, including my job and my career, but for me, the reasons I need to move to Lausanne were bigger than these. There were several reasons, but the main reason is that I love Young Ha a lot and I'd like to take time out from work and spend more time with him in Lausanne. I'm thinking that if I didn't come here, maybe Young Ha and I would have a difficult relationship with each other.


However, I don't want to say that I sacrificed for my husband, because that will not help our relationship; also, because I came here partly for myself - I would like to take a rest and feel that this can be good time to think about what I really like and what I really want out of life.

I quit my job and I came. Right now I'm enjoying my life in Lausanne and supporting my husband as he works hard at IMD. I am also taking French lessons and meeting new friends.

I stayed in the US when I was in university student for studying English. And now, when I remember that time, I smile at the memories. I believe that I can smile too, when I look back at my life in Lausanne when I'm 40 and 50 years old.

Recipe of the month - Asian style cod with vegetables

- cooked and contributed by Kelly Chong, photographs and notes by Anita Yehudai

Serves: 3-4
Preparation time: 10min
Cooking time: 30min

Ingredients:
* 1 big onion (or more)
* 2 slices of cod (each ca. 200g)
* 1 big ripe tomato
* 4-5 mushrooms
* ginger (thumb size)
* 2-3 cloves of garlic
* 6 leaves of chinese cabbage
* 2 chili pods (preferably small red chilli)
* 2 stalks of spring onions
* pure sesame oil (1 tablespoon)
* Chinese cooking wine (Shao Xing)
* premium oyster sauce (slightly more than 1 tablespoon)
* cornflour (or alternatively plain flour)
* pepper
* about 10 wolfberries (or amount to your liking)
* fried onion (as extra condiment)

Preparation:

* Cut the chili and take out the seeds. Cut the onion into slices. Dice the garlic. Slice and cut the ginger into strips. Slice the tomato and mushrooms. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut out the required number of leaves. Cut the leaves into 3-4 sections. Cut each slice of fish into 3 pieces. Soak the wolfberries in cold water.

Cooking:

1) Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion, ginger and chilli and fry in the pan till onion is translucent and the ginger is fragrant. Add the garlic and fry. Watch that the garlic does not get burnt.
2) Add the tomato and cabbage. Fry till cabbage is turning translucent and tomato starts to turn soft.
3) Add the dark soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir into the vegetables.
4) Add the mushrooms, spring onion and the sesame oil into the pan and fry some more to ensure the vegetables absorb the taste.
5) Add some cold water to the cornflour to make about a quarter cup of mixture. Pour this into the pan and stir.
6) Remove wolfberries from the water and discard the water. Throw the wolfberries into the pan.
7) Place the fish in the pan now, making sure to turn the pieces now and then to cook both sides. Turn gently as the fish breaks easily.
8) Add in the Chinese wine, making sure that is mixed evenly with the rest of the ingredients. (NB: Always add Chinese wine last in terms of sauces, so as to retain the taste.)
9) Finally, add in pepper and fried onion to taste and cover the pan. Turn down to low heat and and let the dish simmer.

Serve the dish with white fragrant rice. (Thai rice is recommended)

Welcome

- Angelika Vytogiannis

Herewith I would like to welcome all to the IMD PARTNERS BLOG 2009!!!

I am Angelika Vytogiannis from Greece, married with Stelios and I have a son named Nikos, 2 years old. Being an IMD partner is a great honor and privilege for me, so let me tell you why!

When Stelios announced to me that he was accepted in one of the best leading MBA business schools in the world called IMD I felt really proud and the countdown for our new life began.

In the months of preparation before leaving home our emotions were mixed- enthusiasm, anxiety, curiosity, excitement but simultaneously fear and stress for the unknown and the new life ahead us. What moved me most was not leaving my country or my home but leaving my beloved relatives and friends. I confess I had crying moments before leaving, but on the other hand I told to myself that this once-in-a-lifetime experience will be amazing! And now I see I was right!

So here we are, in Lausanne already for two months! Lausanne is a small but beautiful Swiss city - ideal for family life, which was something that made me feel secure and relaxed.

The first two weeks were not so easy for us, not only because we were still settling down, but also because of Nikos’s accident in the second day of our stay in our new “home”. Although we were panicky and not ready to deal with our bad–luck, IMD was! Chris Eaborn, our insurance contact set up by IMD, saved the situation within ten minutes! He gave us the appropriate advice and directions, but most of all he gave us courage and the feeling that we were not alone or strangers in a strange city. It was one of the proofs that IMD really makes you feel at home!

When Nikos was recovered and everything was back in order again, it was time for us to join the ski-trip in Champery, which one of the MBA students organized. There, I had the chance to meet the first few students and their partners. The atmosphere was very friendly and full of smiles! We had a great time and it was a good chance to get to know each others, to relax and enjoy some family time before the course began.

We all looked forward to the ‘Welcome Lunch’ that IMD organized, and on that day the IMD’s restaurant was filled with students, partners, children, professors, IMD staff celebrating altogether this warm ‘welcome’ to IMD and to Lausanne . The enthusiasm was almost bursting through the walls of the building! Finally the “names”, we already knew through the IMD portal correspondence, became real people hugging and kissing each other. And there we finally met Marcella Rispo, the Partner’s Coordinator; a wonderful woman full of energy, who was herself an ex-IMD partner and knew what we were going through. She is our helping hand in difficult moments and our guide in our new life in Lausanne. She is also the one who helps the group get going and motivates us to take full advantage of this wonderful one-year opportunity to live and know more about the Lausanne way of life as well as other cultures.

Many of the partners have started already French lessons and gym classes. There are also briefings and meetings organized by Marcella to help the mums and mums-to-be answer our children’s needs.

The most important among us partners, is that, after two months of dealing with a new life, we have managed to organize ourselves, to become close to one another and I dare say, to even become good friends! We share our feelings, our problems, our experiences, we help one another and above all we have fun and are enjoying ourselves! Proof of that is that we meet once per week for coffee and chat, for lunches and dinners, for DVD nights, for birthday celebrations! We also made trips around Lausanne and visited museums together.

So we are all here in Lausanne, supporting our partners, giving them the courage and the strength to continue with the rigorous course !

We are here, enjoying every moment, as we learn and grow together in this journey!

The IMD PARTNERS BLOG 2009 opens and welcomes you to follow our journey with its bad and good moments! Enjoy the ride because we already do!

Last but not least -: Special thanks to IMD, to the MBA office and to Marcella Rispo, who make us feel at home and make us feel part of a big FAMILY!

My best wishes to all!