Summer holiday – Part II

Here comes Part II of our summer entry with some great pictures documenting our holidays...

Khatera: We spent our holiday in Gstaad and nearby destinations such as Interlaken. Attached a picture: It's a picture of Vahid and me at the Giessbach Waterfalls, where Sherlock Holmes is said to have died.

Mariella: This is Greece, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen!

Smita: Since I was yet to get my permit, we decided to do rounds in Switzerland itself since there were many places to go. So we went to Geneva and Neuchatel, taking out an entire day at each place. And I would vouch, it was FUN!!!!!!!!!

"Lysefjord- on our way to the Pulpit Rock, Norway"

Mahima: We covered parts of Baltic and Scandinavia

Laura: here is Alexander enjoying his bath outside with his Daddy. We are at Johan's ancestral summer cottage, in the Finnish archipelago.

Angela: Hiking in the Swiss Alps

Elena: This is the photo from our family. In the photo we are on our way from Switzerland to Italy through the Alps.

Swati: Lost in the Irish greens with Prashant

Beate: Last picture of my "vacation-trip" - me and my friends in the Boston "T"

Holiday destinations: Germany - Lausanne - La Palmye, France - Germany - Boston - NYC – Boston

Angie: Me and Nikos at the waterfalls in Interlaken (Switzerland). The nature amazed us.

At the Sagrada Familia, Spain

Kelly: This summer holiday was a whirlwind trip from Singapore (1 week with my husband, Henry, who is on IMD's Asia Trek Programme, while I visit family and friends at home) to Spain (personal holiday, 2 weeks with Henry), then to UK (my own holiday, 2 weeks to visit my sister)

Patricia: My baby and I at Acropolis, Athens – Greece

Anita: I had loads of fun in the UK, Israel, South Africa and Germany. The picture shows Oren and me at Boulders Beach, near Cape Town, where you can find a penguin colony.

Summer holiday – Part I

The partners had fantastic 3 weeks of holidays in July and travelled to various destinations. Aude, however, didn't have any time to relax and spent her summer time at a place most of us have only seen from the outside.

---

- Aude Tavernier

After 6 months of sitting down on my chair as a student at EPFL from 8:30 to 16:30 and being a good mother for Alicia from 16:30 to 20:30, I expected holidays.

As my daily schedule was not full enough we launched a second pregnancy .

When the vacation time arrived, 2 choices were offered to me: an internship at CHUV in Supply Chain Department or 6 months of waking up at 9 : 30 am, cooking and taking care of my dear family.

I decided without hesitation to validate my executive master through this internship and ensure me to find a job in 2010.

After 2 days at my sister in law's wedding, Benoit and Alicia stayed in France to have the rest they deserved, enjoyed the sun and saw all friends we missed during the first 6 months and I came back to Lausanne to wake up every morning at 5 : 30 am with the " crappy" alarm which reminded me every morning that it will be interesting and I will earn the income we missed also during the first 6 months (and the first and last opportunity to earn more than my husband for 5 months : - )).

Work at CHUV is really interesting but also a terrific experience. My job within Supply Chain Department is to analyse the flow of materials and commodities, customers, quantities ... and know all issues and suggest improvements and recommendations. Commodities is quite wide, from wastes (from food to needles..) to sterilized tools, deceased person, all pharmaceutical products and so on.

The 1st week will remain in my mind for a long time: I went to 2 morgues (which is not the best area to have fun but we are in a hospital!), to the floor for drug-addicts to carry substitutes for heroin (to be honnest, I didn't feel comfortable with those guys with tattoos and piercings on their faces) but the worst for me was when I visited the sterilization centre and the guy showed me all tools for birth (to cut, to help the baby come outside or to stitch up the mother) ... my stomach was close to my lips !!!

After 2 weeks, Benoit and Alicia came back home. I was happy to have a rest but also understood how good it is to have a family, I missed nappies and cries. Nevertheless, I think it is really good for parents and children to be separate some times to appreciate the time we spend together.

I now know all the organization well and go to work later in the morning (between 7:30 and 8:00) to have breakfast with my family. As Benoit has every weekend free, we increase our social life, we go every weekend to new places in Switzerland and every weekend is for me like a really good vacation, which in fact I often spend with some of you partners.

Nevertheless, in November I will start long long holidays of 4 months minimum! Even if it will be difficult to wake up every night , change nappies every hour and stand cries of 2 babies the whole day, I won't have stress of the "crappy" alarm every morning, goals to reach at work and have a rest of 10 minutes per day (when I'm in the bathroom !!! )

I hope your holidays were good and you enjoyed the time spent with your family as I enjoy mine.

Cheers and Hugs

Aude

Loving Summer, Loving Lausanne

- Kelly Chong

If anyone had asked me in May about my stay in Lausanne so far, I would have said, “Oh yes, Lausanne is a really nice place – clean, safe, quiet and beautiful surroundings, but I do miss home somewhat and Lausanne can be quiet to the point of exasperation at times…

Ask me again after summer vacation and now, I have to admit – Switzerland is starting to feel like home! After a whirlwind summer vacation – 1 week in Singapore, 2 weeks in Spain, 1 week in the UK – one starts to feel the weariness of fast-paced city life and long for the endless green vastness of the Swiss landscape, the serenity of Lac Leman and the calming sight of people walking their dogs …

But more than the idea of Switzerland being a slow, peaceful environment to take a break from a break is the feeling that Lausanne with its friendly residents, tranquil air, and our cosy apartment has now become a most successful formula to make us so comfortable, that we can now hardly imagine leaving Switzerland!

Make no mistake though; my above description does not therefore mean Switzerland is a slow place for people with a slow pace. Indeed, the Lausanne I return to is a Lausanne full of life revelling in the glory of the summer sun. There is always something happening at the lakefront, be it a music event or a festival, and this is the same for neighbouring towns. Gstaad has a series of concerts with visiting orchestras from overseas; Montreux had its world-famous Jazz Festival, and Vevey just had its beach volleyball competitions and Street Artistes’ Festival. In beaches from Lausanne to Lutry, sun-lovers stretch out languidly side by side, while water-lovers luxuriate in the sparkling, cool water. Many also fight for space on the platforms bobbing in the lake, while more others wait for their turn to dive off the boards into the cool water. Mixing with the coconut-ty scent of sun-tanning oil are the delicious smells of grilled sausages and other meats wafting up from the numerous barbecue grills dotting the beach. And pedal-boats are popular with both young and old.

Besides picnics, barbecues and a splashing good time, summer is also a time for sports-enthusiasts – hiking, rock-climbing, biking, water-skiing, canoeing, parasailing, white-water rafting … you name it, Switzerland probably has it. Indeed, this coming week sees a triathlon in action. Many of us also take the time now to make short weekend trips to explore the region – neighbouring France and Italy offer choices galore. And if you are into wine-tasting and do not want to venture too far, do not despair, for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Lavaux Wine Terraces are just a matter of minutes away from Lausanne.

Indeed, summer is such a blissful season, that you find it within yourself to forgive Lausanne for its harsh winters. And you are again easily convinced that Switzerland is the place to be in. Now, as I look back at our first months here, and compare with the Lausanne I know now, laundry days and being in a foreign-language environment (i.e. French for me) are hardly the terrifying monsters we once thought them to be. And instead now, I try to contain my creeping panic that sometimes clutch at me, at the thought of how time is fast slipping by as we move inevitably towards the end of our Swiss sojourn here. You remind yourself to treasure every day, every hour, every minute, every second of being in the centre of Europe, in this beautiful country, especially when you have made strong friendships with classmates and other partners, who have walked this journey with you this year. More importantly, this one year has given me and my husband more time together to talk about our plans and life journey ahead. For at least, this is the one thing one can take away besides the numerous photographs of this breath-taking place – the irreplaceable experience of being in Lausanne together, of growing as a couple throughout this new experience, of making friends with classmates of other countries and cultures in Lausanne together, and of falling in love with Lausanne together. For this, I thank my husband, Henry, for bringing us to IMD, to Switzerland.

Some pictures from the summer - http://picasaweb.google.com/kellychongsw/HappyInSummer?feat=directlink

Experiences of a working partner

- Liubov Pochivalova

For my entry in the partners’ diary, I’d like to share the experience of a full-time working partner.

When my husband, Slava, shared the great news about his admission to the program with me, we were very happy. I started to make my plans on all the activities I’d like to do during this year. I wanted to be 100% involved in all social events and not miss a thing.

However, it appeared to be quite difficult. I am working full time in Geneva and it is completely exhausting to work all day and commute by public transport, so quite often in the evenings and on weekends, I don’t have energy to enjoy the events completely. And there are so many nice trips around the area organized by other girls during the day time on working days.

Nevertheless, it is still very exciting to meet so many interesting people. International exposure is unique: we, partners, represent at least 10 different nationalities. And people are eager to share their cultural traits. For example, on 22 June 2009, we were watching an Indian movie : « Monsoon Wedding>>. Swati and her husband Prashant from India were explaining to us the unique features of Indian traditions. We had fun and also learned something new and very interesting.

I believe we have more interesting parts coming up!

Recipe of the month - Indian potato curry, pulav and raita

- Swati Biwal, composed by Rutana Al-Hassan and Anita Yehudai

Serves - 7

Potato curry

Ingredients:

* 10-11 Boiled Potatoes, medium size

* 1 big onion

* 1½ tomatoes

* 1½ inch ginger

* 2 pods garlic

* 3 small green chilies

* 1 small bunch of fresh coriander

* 1½ cup of water

* 2 tbsp Oil

* 1 bay leaf

* 5 black pepper kernels

* 4 cloves

* 1½ tsp cumin seeds

* ¼ tsp turmeric powder

* 2 tsp coriander powder

* ½ tsp chili powder

* salt to taste

Cooking:

1) Chop the tomatoes and onions into small cubes and peel the boiled potatoes and set aside.

2) Finely chop the garlic, ginger and chilies.

3) Heat the oil in a wok and put in bay leaf (broken in half) and add the black pepper, cloves and cumin.

4) Once the cumin crackles, add the chopped ginger, chilies and garlic and fry in oil for half a minute.

5) Add the chopped onion and sauté until transparent, then add the tomatoes and add the turmeric, chili powder and coriander powder.

6) When tomatoes are soft add the water and salt to taste.

7) Once the water comes to boil, add the potatoes broken

by hand into the dish and leave it to simmer for about 20 minutes.

8) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Vegetable Pulav

Ingredients:

* 1 chopped carrot

* 1 cup frozen peas

* 1/2 onion julienne

* 1 tsp ghee or oil

* 1 tbsp cumin seeds

* 1 bay leaf

* 2 whole cardamoms

* 4 whole black pepper kernels

* ½ tsp turmeric

* ½ tsp chili powder

* 2½ tsp salt

* 2 cups basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 30 min

* 3.5 cups water

Cooking:

1) Heat up the ghee or oil in a frying pan and add the cumin, bay leaf, cardamom and the pepper kernels.

2) After the cumin start to crackle, add the chopped onions and sauté for 1 min.

3) Now add carrots, peas, turmeric, chili powder and salt. Make sure the vegetables are half cooked. Keep stirring.

4) In a separate vessel start cooking the soaked rice in water and wait till it’s half cooked (about 5-7 min) then add the vegetables to the rice and mix well.

5) Cover the vessel and cook on low flame. Keep checking for water and if required, add a little more till the rice is fully cooked.

Cucumber Raita

Ingredients:

* 500g plain yoghurt

* 1 tsp sugar

* 1 tsp salt

* 1 tsp roasted cumin powder (alternative: If you don’t have cumin powder, roast cumin in a dry pan and crush)

* Half a cucumber chopped into tiny cubes or grated

* Small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped

Cooking:

1) Pour the yoghurt into a bowl.

2) Then add sugar, salt and cumin powder and mix well with yoghurt.

3) Add the chopped cucumber into the mixture and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Recipe of the month - Thai Chicken Green Curry

- Phantira Vergara

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

* Thai Green curry paste – 20 g. (or more of spicy lover!!)

* Coconut milk – 250 ml.

* Aubergine - 200 g.

* Fresh basil – 20 g.

* Thai small aubergine – 50 g.

* Palm sugar – 1.5 teaspoon (or normal sugar)

* Fish sauce – 2 teaspoon

* Fresh Chilly - 2-3 pieces

Cooking:

1. Prepare all vegetable and meat, cut aubergine into small pieces as well as chicken meat. 

2. Stir green curry paste with 50 ml. of coconut milk and cook gently for about 2 minutes.

3. Add chicken meat* into curry paste, continue stir the meat with the curry paste until the meat is 80% cooked.

4. Add another 100 ml. of coconut milk, turn down the heat to prevent coconut milk over boiled.

5. Add aubergine then continue boiling until aubergine and the meat are cooked.

6. Add some water if the soup looks too thick, or add remaining coconut milk if the soup is not thick enough.

7. Put sugar, fish sauce and fresh chilly.

8. Add Thai small aubergine and turn off the heat before adding fresh basil. 

9. Decorate with small drop of coconut milk, fresh chilly and basil leaf.

10. Ready to be served hot with cooked Thai Jasmine rice.  

*For vegetarian, chicken meat can be replaced by Carrot, Broccoli, etc. then follow the same steps.

Let the games begin!

-Anita Yehudai

Every year in May more than 1000 students from European business schools travel to the HEC campus close to Paris to compete in various sports. This year 2 bus loads of students, partners and kids from IMD made there way to this event called MBAT (MBA Tournament). Some of the participating teams had been practising for weeks or months- basically whenever there was a bit of leisure time during the tight schedule. For instance, the soccer team met every Sunday morning, the rowing team met on a few Saturdays, some people worked on their badminton skills on Friday evening, others met for a volleyball session, and there were loads of table tennis exercises every day after lunch. Regardless of the level of preparation, all teams had two things in common: the Olympic spirit from living in Lausanne (where the IOC is located) and tons of good mood.

The IMD partners probably presented the biggest group of MBA partners at MBAT and we made sure we got involved by either competing in a sport, cheering enthusiastically or doing both. I had the pleasure to play table tennis and pull the rope during the tug-of-war. Both teams were great!

In fact, the whole IMD crowd was so actively cheering and celebrating, we must have left a memorable image behind. As a result, we won a special award at the end of the games for fair play and team spirit!  

Here are some pictures of us partners and kids in action:

Beate [Germany] and the ultimate frisbee team

Swati [India] on the BabyFoot

Elena [Russia], Angelika [Greece], Anita [Germany] and Khatera [Germany] during the lunch break

Masha [Russia] practising for the MBAT 2035 

Helen [Norway] getting ready for the climbing competition

The cricket team before their match posing with Kate [Australia] and Mahima [India]

Nathalie [Belgium] explaining the rules of ultimate frisbee

Me with the table tennis maniacs

Beate[Germany] during a volleyball match

Mahima [India] and the other fans were cheering at the football match… 

…and even kept their enthusiasm when it started raining 

David [Peru/USA] and his dad watching… 

…Angela [USA] on the frisbee field 

Angie[Greece] while documenting the tug-of-war final…

...in which we won the gold medal! Yippie!