Brava Diva

Noticia

2007-11-03T08:00:00.004+08:00

El Blog ha sido movido

http://bravadiva.wordpress.com/

In Solidarity

2007-10-04T04:10:00.000+08:00

2007-08-29T03:48:00.000+08:00

Rankings

* Forbes, August 2007, Top Non-U.S. One-Year Business Schools, 4th worldwide[1]

* Financial Times, May 2006, Executive Education Ranking, 19th worldwide

* Financial Times, January 2007, MBA Ranking, 1st in Spain, 11th worldwide

* Financial Times, October 2006, Executive MBA Ranking, 3rd in Europe, 5th worldwide

* Financial Times, December 2006, European Business Schools Ranking, 4th in Europe, 1st in Spain

* The Economist, December 2006, Executive Education Ranking, 5th worldwide

* The Economist, October 2006, MBA Ranking, 5th in Europe, 16th worldwide

* Wall Street Journal, September 2006, MBA Ranking, 12th worldwide, 4th in Europe

* América Economía, August 2006, MBA Ranking, 19th worldwide

* América Economía, October 2006, Executive Education Ranking, 7th worldwide, 3rd in Europe

* Forbes, September 2005, MBA Ranking, 6th worldwide

[edit] Accreditations

IE is accredited by the three leading accreditation entities for business education: AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA.

Hitting a Note

2007-08-06T01:07:00.000+08:00

It doesn't do much for my reputation as a networker, but I found a high school classmate on Facebook and found out she is actually attending IE now! If I made it last year, we would have been in the same batch, how freaky is that? We even went to the same University (although different colleges), and now it turns out, we could be going to the same business school.

Anyway, they are just starting their final cycle, and I bombarded her with silly questions about life in Madrid. The best bit of info I got is the flat search agency she used, which caters mostly to business school students in the Salamanca area. Check out D-Flat.

The True Cost of Cheaper Goods

2007-06-30T00:48:00.000+08:00

In Bangkok, I spend nearly half of our household budget at Tesco (in partnership with Lotus). With news like this, I am thinking of boycotting them. I would rather travel an hour into town and buy at a place more expensive than Tesco rather than see my fruit picker get paid 30 pence and the CEO 11 million pounds. There has to be a better system. Come on people!

*******

Tesco execs on the rack at AGM
Guardian Unlimited
Richard Wray
Friday June 29, 2007

Nearly one-in-six Tesco shareholders voted against a controversial pay deal that could hand chief executive Sir Terry Leahy an eight-figure bonus.

The company also faced stinging criticism today from some shareholders over the conditions suffered by workers at some of its overseas suppliers.

At its annual general meeting in London today, 17.7% of shareholders failed to back a resolution approving the new pay deal, under which bonuses are linked to the success of Tesco's US operations.

Sir Terry Leahy could receive as much as £11m through the plan.

David Reid, chairman of Tesco, said it would push on with the plan despite the opposition. He claimed that shareholders who voted against the plan had been worried about setting a precedent for other companies.

The wider remuneration report was not backed by 8.75% of shareholders.

Tesco shareholders were also asked to vote on a resolution demanding that it takes measures to guarantee better conditions that the people who work for its overseas suppliers.

It called on the supermarket chain to ensure they "are guaranteed decent working conditions, a living wage, job security, freedom of association and of collective bargaining including ... the right to join a trade union of their choice".

It was brought by Ben Birnberg, a retired solicitor and company secretary at War on Want. Tesco initially tried to block the resolution but Mr Birnberg attracted enough shareholders to back his plan.

Attendees at today's meeting included Gertruida Baartman, who earns around 30p an hour picking fruit for Tesco in South Africa.

In the event, 19.4% of shareholders either voted in favour of the resolution or witheld their votes. Several urged the company to pay more attention to the plight of those at the bottom of its supply chain.

One shareholder said she wanted to stop "being ashamed of being a Tesco shareholder".

"I want to be proud, and I'm sure you want to be to," she told the board.

A second shareholder said: "Sir, this is a small world. Look how much we pay you guys. Give something back."

A third shareholder suggested that, in order to fully understand the plight of people working for Tesco's suppliers in developing countries the chairman should go and live in Bangladesh and work in the garment industry for six months, before doing the same in a South African fruit-picking farm.

"If everything's fine, you'll have a great time and come back with a tan. If not, you'll be thinner and a lot more understanding of the plight of these poor people," he said.

Back to Class

2007-05-17T02:40:00.000+08:00

After nearly two years of procrastination (or is it more lack of motivation??) I had my first Spanish class since getting my IE offer for a place. I haven't been to a language class since 2000/1. I hired a private tutor for $500 per 10 sessions, and my first two-hours were really productive. Since I have basic Spanish knowledge, we jumped straight to grammar which I have always had problems with.

In theory, Spanish should be one of the easier languages for me to learn - Spanish is one of the official languages according to our Constitution (we were after all a Spanish colony for three hundred years... I am sure some of us have friars as ancestors!) But the truth is, every time I took classes I found it very, very challenging... more in a tedious rather than exciting way.

My former business partner, who claims not to like languages, and yet somehow managed to reach Level 8 in her classes at Instituto de Cervantes told me that one must have passion for the language.

I understand what she means because I feel that way about French ... from the moment I learned my first French word, I was hooked. Going off to live in Paris for the summer without the fluency didn't scare me, and I was mesmerised by the chatter around me - even if I didn't understand most of it.

Unfortunately, I don' feel the same way about Spanish... it's a task, a goal I have set for myself. And although I may never achieve the fluency of a native speaker, I am determined to be conversant by the end of the year, and certified by the middle of 2009.

Never underestimate the power of determination over passion.

¿Conocér un buen restaurante?

2007-05-01T02:14:00.000+08:00

Thanks to a Madrid native on Trip Advisor:

Ten Must-Try Restaurants in Madrid

1. Jockey

This is one of the classic restaurants of Madrid and a favourite of international celebrities.

2. Zalacaín

One of the most prestigious restaurants of the city. Its cuisine is based on Basque dishes.

3. Botín

This restaurant dates from 1725 and takes pride on being the oldest restaurant in the world. Goya supposedly worked here before becoming a painter and it has always been a favourite of international celebrities.

4. Lucio

Very popular restaurants among politicians and celebrities. They offer classic Castilian food and a good selection of wines.

5. Café de Oriente

Also a very popular restaurant among celebrities and politicians, offers excellent service and refine cuisine.

6. Principe de Viana

This restaurant is one of the classic of Madrid. Offers Basque-Navarra cuisine and excellent service.

7. Asador Donostiarra

One of the favorite dinning sports in Madrid among locals and international celebrities. Offers Basque dishes and it is famous for the quality of its meats.

8. Las Cuatro Estaciones

Very popular restaurant. Offers exquisite Mediterranean cuisine, and interesting decoration with plants and flowers.

9. Viridiana

This is one of the finest restaurants in the city offering creative cuisine and excellent quality.

10. El Viejo Almacén de Buenos Aires

Very popular restaurant. Offers Argentinian cuisine.

*******

CNN suggests:

Madrid overflows with great restaurants rich in ambience, as well as small retreats that produce fantastic variety and quality in an intimate atmosphere. To the Madrilenos, "foreign" food means dishes from Valencia, Galicia or the Basque country. "Indeed," they reason, "with such wide and rich offerings, why bother with food from any other country?" Although there are more international restaurants than ever before in Madrid, the concept of "international cuisine" remains relatively rare.

Breakfast for Madrilenos is typically churros con chocolate—deep-fried squiggles of dough served hot and sprinkled with sugar or dunked into a cup of rich hot chocolate. You may want to try the Spanish tortilla (potato and onion omelette) found all over Spain. Most cafeterias (coffee shops) also serve churros and their greasier cousin porras in the morning until 11 am and then again during the merienda (snack/tea time) hours between 5 and 6 pm.

Before lunch or dinner, Madrilenos also like to consume tapas—small snacks attractively displayed on the bar or counter and eaten as appetizers. Tapas can be anything from a Spanish omelette to a dish of calamari. The custom is to hop from one bar to another in search of each place's specialty. Two hot spots for tapas bars are around Plaza Mayor and in the neighborhood of Puerta del Sol and Las Cortes (especially such streets as Tetuan, Victoria and Alvarez Gato).

Hours for breakfast are typically 7-10 am; for lunch, 1:30-4 pm; for dinner, 9 pm-midnight. For most Madrilenos, the dinner hour begins sometime around 10:30 pm. (You can start as early as 9:30 pm without attracting notice, however.) Making reservations for lunch and dinner in most restaurants is a good idea, especially on weekends. Top restaurants will require men to wear coats and ties.

Most cafeterias and restaurants display their rating on the front door. They're classified by the Spanish government, with the rating symbolized by forks (five signifying the highest quality). This rating reflects, in part, the food quality, but it's also based on decor, number of dishes on the menu, prices, languages used on the menu and languages employed by the head waiter.

Below is a sampling of restaurants in town.

FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

Cabo Mayor—The seafood dishes, such as sea bass with lemon, olive oil and dill, are best, but meat entrees are also exceptional. Monday-Friday 1-4 pm and 9 pm-midnight, Saturday 9 pm-midnight. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Juan Ramon Jimenez 37, Madrid. Phone 91-350-8776.

Casa Botin—Established in 1725, it appears in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. It was Hemingway's favorite. Specialties are roast suckling pig and baby lamb. Most nights the restaurant is visited by tunas, groups of students dressed as traveling minstrels. Daily 1-4 pm and 8 pm-midnight. $$$. Most major credit cards. Cuchilleros 17, Madrid. Phone 91-366-4217.

Champagneria Gala—This popular garden patio restaurant specializes in Mediterranean rice dishes and Valencian fideuas, a paella-like dish made with pasta instead of rice. Two seatings daily for lunch at 2 pm and 3:45 pm and for dinner at 9 pm and 11:30 pm. Reservations required. $$. No credit cards. Moratin 22, Madrid. Phone 91-429-2562.

El Cenador del Prado—This very stylish, romantic restaurant offers imaginative food and a pleasant atmosphere, together with exceptional chocolate desserts. Monday-Friday 1:45-4 pm and 9 pm-midnight, Saturday 9 pm-midnight. Closed 15 days in August. $$$. Most major credit cards. Prado 4, Madrid. Phone 91-429-1561.

Jockey—Smart dress is in order for this Madrid jet-set locale. Jockey offers a seasonal menu of fine game dishes and international cuisine. It rivals Zalacain for the top spot among many of the city's gourmet critics. Daily 1-4 pm and 9 pm-midnight. Closed holidays. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Amador de los Rios 6, Madrid. Phone 91-319-2435.

Viridiana—This is a gathering place for Madrid's "beautiful people," who feast on such delicacies as ox steak with truffles. Monday-Saturday 1:30-4 pm and 9 pm-midnight. Closed during August. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Juan de Mena 14, Madrid. Phone 91-531-5222.

Zalacain—One of Spain's two top restaurants, it's a national and international prizewinner. Cuisine is Basque, featuring seafood and game. Main courses (such as duck in red wine and lobster salad) and desserts (such as "Chocolate Volcano") are outstanding. Monday-Friday 1:30-4 pm and 9 pm-midnight, Saturday 9 pm-midnight. Closed during August. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Alvarez de Baena 4, Madrid. Phone 91-561-5935.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL SPECIALTIES

Alkalde—You walk in facing the bar and must head downstairs to find the arch-walled restaurant. It specializes in Basque cuisine, and the crab soup (crema de centollo) and fresh fish entrees are superb. Daily 2-4 pm and 9:30 pm-12:30 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Jorge Juan 10, Madrid. Phone 91-576-3359.

Casa Labra—Founded in 1860, it's as much a historic site as a popular tapas bar. At peak hours, the bar gets crowded and noisy, but it's well worth a visit. The deep-fried cod is a specialty. Try to arrive at 11 am or 6 pm, when the kitchen brings out platters of food. Daily 10 am-3:30 pm and 5:30-11 pm. $$. Most major credit cards. Calle Tetuan 12, Madrid. Phone 91-532-1405.

Casa Lucio—This tapas bar is housed in the most popular late-19th-century tavern in the city. It's a place to mingle with politicians and local celebrities. Sunday-Friday 1-5 pm and 8:30 pm-1:30 am, Saturday 8:30 pm-1:30 am. $$. Most major credit cards. Calle Cava Baja 35, Madrid. Phone 91-365-3252.

Casa Mundi—This typical Madrilenian restaurant is always full. The secret to its success lies in the food: simple cooking, full of flavor. Try the leg of lamb or the fish dishes. Monday-Saturday 2-4 pm and 9:30 pm-12:30 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Donoso Cortes 14, Madrid. Phone 91-446-6006.

Guisando—Its comfortable and welcoming atmosphere and its authentic Spanish cuisine make Guisando a favorite among locals. The oxtail (rabo de toro) and the chicken stew are highly recommended. Monday-Friday 2-4 pm and 9:30 pm-12:30 am, Saturday 9:30 pm-12:30 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Nunez de Balboa 75, Madrid. Phone 91-575-1010.

La Chata—With its ceiling full of hanging hams and its walls covered with pictures of matadors, this tapas bar embodies the bullfighting atmosphere of old Madrid. Try the jamon de Jabugo (serrano ham), frituras de pescado (sampling of fried fish) or the ensalada de tomate (tomato salad). There's a sherry cellar in the basement. Monday-Saturday 12:30-5 pm and 7:30 pm-1 am, Sunday 12:30-5 pm. $$. Most major credit cards. Calle Cava Baja 24, Madrid. Phone 91-366-1458.

La Giralda—Traditional Andalusian cuisine is served amid traditional Andalusian decor. Try the fried fish, stews and serrano hams. Monday-Saturday 1:30-4 pm and 9 pm-12:30 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Maldonado 4, Madrid. Phone 91-577-7762.

Las Bravas—Though the restaurant is outwardly unassuming, its kitchen produces the best patatas bravas (fried potatoes in spicy sauce), a tapa common in Madrid. Many swear by their tortilla de patatas (Spanish potato omelette). Daily 11 am-3:30 pm and 7:30 pm-midnight. $$. Most major credit cards. Calle Alvarez Gato 3, Madrid. Phone 91-532-2620.

Lhardy—Elegant and classic, this tapas bar opened in the early 1800s and is one of the culinary landmarks of Madrid. Downstairs, a self-service bar offers its famous cup of consomme, sandwiches and croquettes. Monday-Saturday 9:30 am-3 pm and 5-9:30 pm, Sunday 9 am-2:30 pm. $$. Most major credit cards. Carrera de San Jeronimo 8, Madrid. Phone 91-522-2207.

ASIAN

China Crown—The specialty of the house is dim sum, served for lunch and dinner. Daily 1-4 pm and 9 pm-midnight. $$. Most major credit cards. Infanta Mercedes 62, Madrid. Phone 91-572-1464.

Don Zoko—This Japanese restaurant is known for the quality of its sushi. Monday-Saturday 1:45-3:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 pm. $$. Most major credit cards. Calle Echegaray 3, Madrid. Phone 91-429-5720.

Thai Gardens—The lush vegetation and sounds of trickling water add to the ambience at this beautiful Thai restaurant. The wait staff wears traditional dress. Daily 1:30-4 pm and 9 pm-2:30 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Jorge Juan 5, Madrid. Phone 91-577-8884.

BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH

Hotel Ritz—Enjoy a luxurious Sunday brunch in the hotel's Goya Restaurant—freshly squeezed orange juice, aromatic coffees and a menu that includes exquisite pastries as well as low-calorie options. During summer months brunch is served on a terrace overlooking the gardens. Sunday 12:30-3:30 pm. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Plaza de la Lealtad 5, Madrid. Phone 91-521-2857.

VIPs—This restaurant chain, with locations sprinkled throughout Madrid, offers American-style breakfasts (but don't expect maple syrup with your pancakes) as well as many other kinds of food. $. Most major credit cards. Serrano 41, Madrid. Phone 91-577-1290. There's another at Gran Via 43. Phone 91-559-6457.

ITALIAN (INCLUDING PIZZERIAS)

Alduccio—Particularly good pizzas are served there. Alduccio sits right in front of the Santiago Bernabeu soccer stadium, in the business district. Monday-Saturday 1:30-4:30 pm and 8:30 pm-12:30 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Ave. de Concha Espina 8, Madrid. Phone 91-564-6897.

Assai—Situated on the beautifully restored ground floor of a late 19th-century building, Assai offers a modern Italian menu. The pastas and carpaccios are especially good. Monday-Friday 2-4 pm and 9:30 pm-12:30 am, Saturday 9:30 pm-12:30 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Genova 19, Madrid. Phone 91-319-4029.

Ciao—A lively and popular place, you'll find Milan-style decor of sleek black furniture and mirrored walls. It specializes in homemade pasta, such as tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, but you can also find such authentic dishes as osso buco and veal scallopini. Monday-Friday 1:30-4 pm and 9 pm-midnight, Saturday 9 pm-midnight. $$$. Most major credit cards. Argensola 7, Madrid. Phone 91-308-2519.

LATIN AMERICAN

La Carreta—Slightly hidden on a small side street off Gran Via, this Argentine restaurant serves excellent meat dishes in a lively atmosphere. Make reservations, especially for Thursday-Saturday nights when it offers live entertainment. Chilean wines go well with both meat and pasta dishes. At lunchtime on Sunday there is a special children's show. Daily 1-5 pm and 8:45 pm-4:30 am (Tuesday dinner only). $$$. Most major credit cards. Barbieri 10, Madrid. Phone 91-532-7042.

La Vaca Argentina—The chimichurri sauce at this chain of Argentine restaurants is excellent, as are the empanadas. Daily 2-4 pm and 9 pm-12:30 am. $$. Most major credit cards. Paseo Pintor Rosales 52, Madrid. Phone 91-559-6605. Also at Calle Bailen 20. Phone 91-365-6654.

And for a truly Madrileno experience:

LATE NIGHT

Chocolateria San Gines—A popular spot, its odd hours satisfy Madrilenos' penchant for chocolate and churros on their way home from a night on the town. Daily 7 pm-7 am. $. Most major credit cards. Traversia del Arenal 18, Madrid. Phone 91-365-6546.

L'Obrador—This fun and eclectic eatery is located under the Segovia Bridge. Italian and French fare are on the menu, and the duck magret is the star attraction. Daily 9 pm-2 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Calle Segovia 17, Madrid. Phone 91-366-4834.

Palacio de Anglona—This converted palace is located in the heart of Madrid de los Austrias and specializes in pizza and grilled vegetables. Daily 8:30 pm-3 am. $$. Most major credit cards. Segovia 13, Madrid. Phone 91-366-3753.

Are Your Balls in Balance?

2007-04-29T23:31:00.000+08:00

Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls — family, health, friends, integrity — are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.

~ "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" by James Patterson

Daily Bread

2007-03-27T03:28:00.000+08:00

Just tonight, after reading some applicants' blogs, I was inspired to devote more time on writing about starting my MBA.

I have a lot of issues to talk about - from niggling doubt about being a student again and deep-seated insecurity issues, to costs of studying and living in Madrid, to learning a new language all at 31!

The one that bugs me the most these days is the question: What would daily life be like in Madrid? Having moved from Manila to Bangkok this last year, I know how difficult it is to land in a city where you don't speak the language and everything is alien. I feel like five year old child let loose in a big city - I felt very small and helpless.

Add that to the fact that I have to learn Spanish - and financial literacy! - all in a brief span of time, and you can begin to imagine the trepidation.

I feel that finding a comfortable flat where things work and finding a good place to buy my gourmet products and Asian food would go a long way to making me feel settled, and ready to tackle the challenges of an International MBA.

¿Dónde usted vive? So obviously, the first thing I want to know about my soon-to-be new home city is - where will I live??? Last year, I thought that the school will provide us information packets to help us make a decision about this ahead of time. Seriously, are we supposed to land in Madrid, check into a hotel (or hostel!) and then start looking for a flat?

I would really hope to get a flat that is walking distance (I don't mind a long walk, I need to lose lots of weight anyway!) and have a female Spanish speaking room-mate. Hopefully one who is a neat freak and keeps straightening up the flat (because I hate dusting and all that). I will be the one to do the grocery and cook, because I love that. I am looking at this, and hopefully can find someone willing to share.

¿Cuándo es la cena? I have researched on international food stores in Madrid (something I had to struggle with in Bangkok - I only "discovered" the expat grocery chain The Villa nine months after moving here!), and I am glad to find a place to get my Asian and spice fix, which I will blog about separately (the topic of food is always worthy of its own entry!)

¿Donde está el laundrette? I don't do laundry. All my life, I either have a maid to do it or we send it out to the laundrette. The first time I did my laundry was during my summer study in Paris, and that was a disaster. I didn't know about separating colours, and my batik top tainted all my clothes. For a week (before my student allowance was available) I went to school in pink-ed Oxford shirts and "tie-dyed" denims.

I feel that once I have got these mundane details out of the way I can focus better on the harder tasks of learning.

FT Ranking 2006

2006-12-09T20:29:00.000+08:00

IE Business School is No. 4 in Europe and No. 1 in Spain according to Financial Times

Madrid, December 4, 2006. IE Business School holds 4th position among European business schools and is number 1 in Spain according to the FT European Business Schools Ranking. This annual survey is based on a synthesis of the results obtained by leading European Business Schools in the rankings of MBA, Executive MBA, Masters in Management and Executive Education programs published this year by Financial Times. The outcome of the survey further consolidates IE’s position as one of the best schools in Europe. The global ranking is based on criteria that include the degree of internationalisation of the participating business schools, professional progress and salaries of graduates three years after graduation, international projection of the programmes, levels of diversity among the student body and faculty, and the extent to which students’ and corporate clients’ expectations are met. IE Business School shapes leaders that promote innovation and change in organisations, equipping directors with an entrepreneurial mindset that generates employment, wealth and social wellbeing. Recognised as one of the world’s leading business schools, IE Business School has an urban campus in Madrid and a faculty of more than 400 professors who teach students from 73 countries on its master, PhD and executive education programs. IE students use innovative online and presential learning formats, including the IE Communities platform where they exchange knowledge and experiences with 35,000 IE graduates that currently hold management positions in some 85 countries.

Getting There

2006-11-06T23:26:00.000+08:00

So, on Wednesday night last week I get a message that IE will still accept me for the November intake if I can get my ass to Madrid by the 14th for the class on Monday.

On Thursday morning, I am on a plane to Manila to apply for my student visa. On Friday, Monday and Tuesday, I somehow managed to get the bank transfers done, get the courier from Madrid, go to the NBI, get my "infectious diseases" tests, fill out my visa forms, and get an appointment with the Embassy. Expedited, it will still take three to four weeks to issue my visa since all the papers are sent back to the ministry of education in Spain.

I had a ticket back to Bangkok for the 5th, but I didn't even know where I will be heading - Thailand or Spain! On the 3rd, I get a call from Madrid - the Director of Admissions has given me a one-week extension. Get my ass there by the 20th or loose my place. I couldn't believe it - after all that I have been through since 2005, I can't loose my place now. I argued like hell, and they asked if I had any other passport (other than the bloody green one) and for the first time, I really wish I did. I pleaded (argue is too strong) with IE that I have every intention of enrolling this year but number 1, they turned down my scholarship application thereby forcing me to scavenge for funds, and number 2, now that I have raised the cash, it's a visa issue - out of my hands. I pointed out that I already have a ticket to Madrid, and that before the visa ink dries on my passport, I will be on my way to IE - if it was up to me.

They must be able to do something for someone so determined to join IE (by the way, they called so I had all the time in the world to plead my case without worrying about IDD charges!) Finally, they said they will discuss my case on Monday and let me know.

With nothing else I can do in Manila, I got on a plane back to Bangkok. Feeling totally catatonic, not knowing if I had blown my chance, I get an SMS from my sister that I better call Madrid like now! I didn't even know who to look for, and I of course ended up calling at siesta time. Somehow, the really efficient phone girl found the right person coming back from his extended lunch. He tells me that the Director has personally looked at my file, and I have been given a deferral to November 2007!!!

I am feeling really fatalistic I guess... my blog, the message, the flash of inspiration for the interview, and now this. Perhaps, perhaps, it's really meant to be....

Time to Write The Cheque

2006-10-26T23:23:00.000+08:00

Finally done it. Send the Place Reservation money off to Madrid. The rest of the money is scheduled to go on Tuesday. I really hope that things fall into place!

I have struggled so much to get all the money in and now it's time I am struggling against... sigh!

New Rankings

2006-10-22T22:53:00.000+08:00

Kindda nice to see rankings.... I know they are like standardised tests - easy to mock but they don't sound as bad when you are the one getting the A's, haha!

IE Business School MBA programmes are ranked 16th worldwide and 5th in Europe by the Economist Intelligence Unit

Madrid, October, 2006. IE Business School MBA programmes are positioned 16th worldwide and 5th in Europe in the annual ranking published today by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The report also places IE 5th in the world in terms of its capacity to open new opportunities for the professional development of its MBA graduates.

These opportunities are derived from the fact that the school works closely with an extensive network of recruiters from a broad range of sectors. Moreover, IE's Careers Management Centre services include personalised assessment for all students and graduates to help them map their career paths.

This year over 20,000 graduates from business schools across the world took part in the EIU survey, which is based on criteria like the academic quality of the programme, subsequent professional progress, increase in salaries, and the effectiveness of networks.

Take Two!

2006-10-05T11:40:00.000+08:00

I got this reply email yesterday:

Dear Maria,

There is still time to send us your place reservation deposit. The
course officially starts on the 14th of November.

Please send us the documents that we sent you in order to reserve you a
place in the November 2006 IMBA program.

Regards

Robert Clements
IE - Admissions

La Diva is back in the game!

Dreaming of Spain

2006-09-22T05:34:00.000+08:00

I can't even begin to describe how excited I am at the thought of -- nay, vision! --- of being accepted into IE... to be part of that alumni network ... to study in a city as vibrant as Madrid.... to learn to speak Castilliano... ooohhhh!

I can almost imagine myself walking into that class on the first day.... this will be life changing.

On Sunday, I am having lunch with my best friend at El Comedor, the local Spanish restaurant. I know I am just going to talk his head off over IE, but he loves the paella with its crunchy soccarat, and the juicy tender cochinillo asado ala Madrileno, El Comedor's specialty.

I actually tried to find its namesake when I was in Madrid in 2003. Didn't have any luck. The Spain holiday was quite nice, although it was really for my husband. He is a Celtic fan and was among the 80, 000 or so Hoop fans who trekked to Seville and drank 300 kegs of beer in just under 2 days....

He gave in after the disappointing UEFA game (for which we paid 500 quid for tickets) , and we went down to visit La Mesquita in Cordoba, walked down the small cobbled streets with the flower pots hanging on the wall (love it!), we took a bus tour around Seville, and a horse carriage ride through Plaza de Espana and Parque Maria Luisa. We didn't have enough time to take a tour through the rest of andalucia. We went to Madrid where I had two days of shopping , and after my husband took me for dinner at Cafe de Oriente, right across the Royal Palaza and the Opera House. I love that place! I can imagine myself sitting there again, watching people walk by.

I have to admit, I felt quite threatened in Puerta del Sol, but then the plaza is a tourist magnet. I almost felt like I was in the downtown market of Manila, and I had my bag clutched tightly in front of me. I felt more threatened there than I did in the flea markets of Porte de Clignancourt in Paris (and my Korean classmate had her wallet stolen there!)

I don't know if it's the age (I was quite naive when I went to Paris) or the harsh reality of life, but I am more worried about crime whether in the UK or Spain. Am I worried about terrorism? Not as much as getting mugged, or being singled out for hate crime.

I think I would prefer a shared residence but with enough privacy as having a comfortable size room and en-suite bath. I am a diva in that sense... I have to HAVE fluffy pillow (preferably scented with lavender), double linens made up like a hotel bed, and a nice bathroom. I have to have a nice bath. When we are overseas, I actually move hotels because of the bathroom. I can take a small room. I can take limited cable channels. I cannot stand crappy bathrooms! Right now, our flat has a marble bathroom, with wallpaper around the commode. I bought a new shower curtain and matching bath rugs to match the custom made candles I purchased for our old flat. I set it up with crystals and plumeria shaped candles on top of Thai brown ceramics. In fact the whole design is inspired by a Thai spa. I have a whole set of bamboo trays to hold everything from my perfume collection to combs and cotton pads. There is candle everywhere, fluffy towels. and bath products to rival any spa. Those I will definitely pack when I go away for biz school. Life will be hard in MBA, I deserve my comforts.

Enough, I am blabbering now.

Temporary Farewell

2006-05-12T03:04:00.000+08:00

This would be my final entry for awhile.

May started off horribly; my husband collapsed while on his way to a meeting and was rushed to the ICU of a Thai hospital. All flights were fulll and it took two days before I can fly from Manila to Bangkok.

For the last two weeks I have been spending 12 hours a day standing by his bedside praying he will pull through. His condition is serious, and the hospital bills are piling up.

I have never been so uncertain about my future; the only thing clear right now is that I will not be able to make it to Madrid.

I feel like my life, as I know it, has ended. I have to pull myself up and start over. My family and true friends have rallied around me, but at the end of teh day the strength I need would have to come from inside.

Bless me with your prayers.

Even a Brick Wants to be Something

2006-05-01T22:50:00.000+08:00

“Ambition is the last refuge of failure.” ~ Oscar Wilde

This last week, an opportunity came up at work that I would have welcomed if the MBA thing wasn't in the cards. Now though things are different. I know more than ever that I need to do my MBA. I need to start my life. I feel like the last seven years has been life in suspended animation. I need to go fast forward. I need to move, I need to get going.

Desperation though is the twin of determination. I feel like with every step forward, I fall two steps behind. I am consumed by envy, of women who seems to find fulfillment in being a housewife. As if being married to the "right sort" of man gives them self-worth, like reflected glory. That by getting pregnant, they have fulfiled their role in life. While I am struggling. Striving. Seeking. To be my own person. My own woman. In my own terms.

I was so in need of guidance, I found myself writing an email to David at my b-school. That's like phoning drunk to an ex in the middle of the night. He gave me a tough talking to that I need. It made me realise that ambition is not something to be apologetic for. That's it's a jealous lover that needs to be pursued. That I need to use that passion to fuel my drive. Something unwelcomed in my culture. I am a woman, with a husband who can provide. I am not "getting any younger", I should be thinking of starting a "family". I am too ambitious, it's not becoming of a lady.

Well, I am not a lady. I am a diva.

I need to do this. I need to be something better than all of these. I am better than all of these.

In the movie Indecent Proposal, one character who is an architect picks up a slab of stone and says "even a brick wants to be something" and began showing images of the world's greatest structures, from the pyramids to castles to bridges.

I am brick right now. And I want to be something. Something grand.

David Does Madrid

2006-04-26T14:21:00.000+08:00

Play

Double slap

2006-04-09T16:41:00.000+08:00

It's bad enough they sent you an email saying no, then you get a second one asking people to send in their application for the award you didn't get!!!

*******

IE Business School would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your interest in our international programs and for initiating the admission process. This is a very exciting time of year, as we see applicants from all over the world ready to embark on their MBA and hopeful to be a part of the IE experience.

Due to the increasing number of applications and qualified candidates, IE Business School has taken the decision to implement an earlier scholarship deadline for the IE Foundation Scholarships.

For the October/November intakes, the first application deadline will be April 30, 2006. Should there be any funding left available after the first round offers have been accepted, the second round deadline will be June 15, 2006.

In order to be eligible for the IE Foundation Scholarships, you must have already been admitted to a program prior to the scholarship application deadline. All scholarships awarded by the IE Foundation are based on academic and professional excellence, as well as relevant personal accomplishments.

For more information pertaining to the scholarship application and details, please refer to the following link www.ie.edu/scholarships.

Thank you for continued interest in IE Business School!

Best Regards,

IE Admissions

Instituto de Empresa

Madrid, Spain

Wormhole

2006-04-03T21:29:00.000+08:00

Dear candidate,

On behalf of the Scholarship Committee, I regret to inform you that having given careful consideration to your application, the Committee has not awarded you the Asian Scholarship 2006.

Unfortunately, the Instituto de Empresa Foundation scholarship funds designated for financial aid are limited, which means that we are unable to grant aid to all the applications we receive.

An accompanying official letter has been sent to you today of by post for your records. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact the IE Admissions Department.

Kind Regards,

Julian Trigo

Director of Admissions

One Week To Go....

2006-03-28T22:52:00.000+08:00

Next week, the Scholarship decision will be out....

Practical Exams at IE

2006-03-28T00:05:00.000+08:00

Enrique Dans organised to have his MBA class' final exam as a MobuzzTV case study.

Useful Advice for Admits

2006-03-27T23:57:00.000+08:00

Hey... I just realised, I am part of that group one step remove from wannabes... an Admit!

Here is a useful article by Linda Abraham:

Do you think you're done with my advice now that you have received that fat envelope? Not fo fast. I still have a tip or two for you. There are a few things you can do to prepare for your MBA studies and enhance your chances of getting a great internship and ultimately post-MBA job. After you finish celebrating, consider:

Are you feeling a little stale and disinterested at work, kinda going through the motions? Especially if you are a career changer, consider asking your employer if it can give you an internship more related to your post-MBA goals. I know there aren't too many employers that will do so, but some will. If yours is one of them, take advantage of the opportunity. Your employer will have a motivated employee until the last day and you will have a valuable learning experience...along with a satisfied employer.
Use the next several months to explore your intended fields. Set up information interviews with people in your field to find out what courses they found most valuable when they were in b-school. Ask about good internship options and typical career paths. Remember: You are not asking for a job or internship at this point, just information. But I have heard of informational interviews leading to internships and jobs.
Allow yourself time to unwind and have some down time before starting your MBA. Financial reality may dictate that you work until the last minute, but if you can, give yourself time to vacation, travel, or relax.
Plan to set yourself up at business school before business school: Set up your apartment, open a bank account, figure out where the supermarket, post office, dry cleaners, and hairdresser are.

Follow these tips to hit the ground running when classes actually start.

The Madrileno

2006-03-25T01:49:00.000+08:00

The Madrileno!!!
Congratulations! You scored 79!

Pack your bags, cuz you were meant to live in Madrid!!
The capitol has a lot to offer in a country that has only recently
become a democracy and joined the European Union. The bull fights,
flamenco, paella and Real Madrid games bring tourists from all over the
world, but you are the type to come make a home beyond all that
superficiality and learn what it is to truly be a Madrileno. There will
be good times, and surely bad times, but your tolerant demeanor and
great curiosity will help you overcome whatever gets in your way. So,
what are you waiting for?

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 50% on madridpoints

Link: The could you live in Madrid Test written by whiteygotmoves on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Maybe I can do the dual degree after all....

2006-03-24T00:35:00.000+08:00

So I have been counting the days until April 3 and the IE Foundation announces their scholarship awards. Since visiting the IE website every 5 minutes will not increase my chances of receiving a grant, I decided to check out other websites about graduate school life.

After much surfing, I landed back to the Fletcher School website and I decided to have a look at their scholarship page. Heeeelllloooo... there are two, yep, TWO scholarships for Filipinos!!! One named after a former president, another after a filthy rich Filipino-Chinese businessman cum ambassador. In fact, the fanciest business building in the whole country is owned by him and his family. Now I finally broke the mystery of why so many Philippine government officials have attended Tufts. Since they require funding assistance, it's no wonder none of them have risen to the top executive and legislative position in government. Those spots are filled with people who have money to buy votes and/or a presidential appointment.

Here are the costs for my second degree:

The cost of a Fletcher education is quite similar to comparable institutions, especially in light of the available financial aid resources. Tuition for academic year 2005-06 is $29,105. Tuition costs for subsequent academic years normally increase by 3 to 6 percent.

Living Expenses

Sample budget for a single student
Tuition	$29,105
Room and board	$12,000 - $14,500
Books and supplies	$800
Health services fee	$559
Health insurance fee*	$1,250
*May be waived if proof of outside coverage is submitted.

The cost of living varies widely depending on students' needs and preferences. A single student can generally expect living expenses of at least $1,375 - $1,610 per month, or approximately $12,000 - $14,500 for the nine-month academic year. An additional $300 per month should be calculated for a spouse and an additional $150 per month for each dependent child.

As elsewhere, off-campus housing varies greatly according to location and quality. Generally, students who share accommodations (two-, three-, or four-bedroom apartments) pay an average of $500 - $800 each per month. One-bedroom apartments (utilities not included) may range from $700 - $1,000 per month. Utilities costs average $75 - $100 per month over the course of a rental year.

On-campus housing in Blakeley Hall generally is comparable in expense to off-campus alternatives. The Blakeley Hall room fee for academic year 2005-06 is $4,550. A full board plan (20 meals per week) is available for all students for $4,400 per academic year. Partial board plans (14, 10, and 5 meals) are also available.

The Citicorp Wriston Scholarships

These scholarships were endowed with a grant from Citicorp to honor its former President and Chairman, Walter B. Wriston, F’42. Five awards are made each year to students of the highest character, integrity, scholarship, and all-around ability. Preference will be given to students with strong interests in international business and the problems and opportunities of the global marketplace.

The Manuel Quezon Fellowship Fund

This fund, established by a Philippine Foundation grant, provides support to Fletcher students from the Philippines or other ASEAN countries, or to Fletcher students from other world regions who are interested in studying the East Asian and Pacific region.

The Alfonso T. Yuchengco Fellowship

This fellowship named after Alfonso T. Yuchengco, Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations, supports Fletcher students from the Philippines or Southeast Asia.

MBAs Gone Wild

2006-03-22T23:09:00.000+08:00

Well that will be one video that won't sell.... Spring Break is here and MBA students in the Northern hemisphere are packing their backs and taking trips.

Here is the BusinessWorld article on it:

MARCH 14, 2006

B-SCHOOL NEWS
By Jeffrey Gangemi

MBAs Gone Wild -- for Travel

For many B-school students, spring break is a time to journey abroad, in order to do some good or even try out a business idea

Spring break is a time for relaxing on the beach and sipping margaritas, right? Not for many current MBA students, who are more mature than some of their undergraduate counterparts and are used to squeezing all they can out of their experiences. From thumbing it through Europe to tasting la dolce vita in Italy, MBAs are taking spring break to a whole new level.

Traveling is a way to broaden horizons and learn about other cultures in a way that you can't from textbooks -- and that's never a bad thing for those looking to better understand the burgeoning global economy. "I get a lot of value out of seeing new places and the world from a different perspective," says Chris Fearn, a student at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, who is hitchhiking to Morocco during spring break. "It's a win-win-win. I think it's important to push yourself beyond your comfort zone."

Fearn was looking to do something a little wacky during his time off, so the 29-year-old Canadian decided to hitchhike from Oxford to Marrakesh for a good cause. The trip is organized through Link Community Development (LCD), a group that will use the more than $600 in pledges that Fearn has raised to build schools in South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, and Ghana. Thumbing it to Morocco is now tradition. More than 2,500 hitchers have taken the same route to support LCD projects in the past 14 years -- surprisingly, most of them take only four or five days to cover the roughly 1,600 miles from Oxford to Marrakesh.

Practicing the buddy system for safety, Fearn will travel with a female student. The exact path and length of each ride will be affected by the itinerary of the drivers who stop to pick them up. But that's half the fun. "There's nothing preordained," says Fearn. "I'll just take the most direct route I can, and won't get worried if I get off track a bit." If he were worried about taking the fastest route to Morocco, Fearn adds, then he probably wouldn't have chosen hitchhiking as his mode of travel.

"A PERSONAL CONNECTION." Students at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business are also traveling south in the name of community development. Over spring break, a group of students, spouses, alumni, and administrators from the GSB will travel to Cambodia to attend the opening ceremonies for a series of development projects financed through student fund-raising efforts (see BW Online, 8/17/05, "For the Poor, Help from MBAs").

After the tsunami devastated Asia in December, 2004, Neil Bansal, a second-year student at Chicago's business school, wanted to help those in the affected region. He co-founded the student group Chicago Global Citizens in 2005, with classmate Wes Barnes, and partnered with the nonprofit group Room to Read. The Chicago GSB community has raised $20,000 of the school's $30,000 goal, which is paying for five libraries and a computer lab in Cambodia.

After meeting with those who will reap the rewards of their good deeds, the students will spend a few days navigating the city of Phnom Phen, checking out museums and the remnants of the killing fields. Next, they'll travel to Siem Reap and the ancient temple grounds of Angkor Wat.

For Bansal, the trip is about connecting his school to the projects they helped fund, and experiencing the developing world firsthand. "We wanted to feel a personal connection with those we are assisting in Cambodia," says Bansal. "We wanted people to not only donate, but to learn about international development and to spread the word."

TEST TOUR. Instead of traveling to a new land, Vanessa DellaPasqua, a 33-year-old first-year student at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business is going home to Italy. And she's bringing a group of fellow students to sample the culinary delights of her native region of Romagna.

Aside from being the birthplace of such Italian specialties as lasagna and tortellini, the Romagna region on the northeast coast of Italy is the future home of DellaPasqua's business. Along with her family, which runs a successful restaurant and catering company and is now building a cooking-school facility, DellaPasqua plans to organize culinary tours to boost tourism in her home region. This trip will be a chance to test what works and what doesn't with tourists (see BW Online, 3/1/06, "A Food-Lover's Paradise in Paris").

The itinerary will no doubt keep participants busy. They'll learn to cook homemade pasta and sauces during morning cooking classes, and sample the region's specialties during afternoon trips to places like Parma, famous for its Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. In Modena, for example, they'll take a tour of Acetaia Malpighi, a traditional balsamic-vinegar producer.

SMOOTH SAILING. Sport can be as alluring as food for some students. A group of 30 London Business School students and alumni -- mostly members of the school's sailing club -- are heading to the small Caribbean island of Guadeloupe to sail four boats. For the past six years, LBS sailing-club members have spent spring break on a similar trip. By day, they take to the seas; by night, they taste the food and wine that the island has to offer.

Christophe Haugen, a first-year student from Norway who's president of the sailing club, says the seven-day sojourn is a way for students to get out of the grind of school and get to know each other better. "Everyone wants to get some sun and enjoy the warmer weather," says Haugen. "There's no aggressive sailing -- just a leisurely pace and [time] to enjoy the food."

Whether these students spend their time on the open ocean or the open road, their adventures offer a welcome break from the case studies and classes that await them back at school.

It's all about getting a job

2006-03-18T22:29:00.000+08:00

So I have been reading a lot of MBA blogs recently, especially the guys from LBS (heavy bloggers) who have finished their "milkround" with recruiting companies.

It got me thinking about getting a job after MBA. I know getting an MBA doesn't assure me of that $100, 000 a year package. I know that. But a girl can hope, right....

More and more though, I realise that I will be facing a tough time selling myself to potential employers. The advantage is that I am NOT going for a finance job, like most students matriculating in a top five MBA programme. At least I don't have to compete with them! So I know that I have a pretty good shot at this career option.

But I am a Plan B girl. Always have been, always will be. I can't put all my eggs in one basket, I have to have a fall-back plan. Despite the numerous conversations with the hubby how a dual degree programme will bankrupt us, I am now thinking again that an additional MALD will amp up my chances in the job search pool.

As an increasingly frustrated hubby puts it, get the MBA over with first!!! What can I say, I like to plan ahead. Gives me something to look forward to.

Colonial Mentality

2006-03-18T01:53:00.000+08:00

One thing about the Philippines is that we are very US-centric. We use American English, watch almost exclusively American tv shows and movies (except for the occassional Mexican or Korean telenovela) and we are probably one of only two countries in the world who call football "soccer".

So it's no wonder that Filipinos would almost always look at the US when thinking of studying overseas. Harvard naturally tops the list of schools to aim for. Except me of course. I only applied to European schools. My best friend was quite happy I got accepted to IE, but habits and decades of Hollywood-isation forced him to ask, "Aren't you going to try an American schools?"

Which of course got me feeling a bit self-conscious. I hate for people to think that I am going to IE by default! I would hate to hear insinuations that I am going to Europe because I didn't make it to an American school!!! So for awhile I looked around, but quickly discovered that I would enjoy the MBA experience more in Europe, particularly in Madrid.

The latest FT rankings made me feel happier about my decision, although there is a teeny-weeny voice sometimes teasing me about not going to a top ten MBA school, especially LBS. Until I saw this blog. I am soooooo happy I got accepted at IE!

Award on April 3rd

2006-03-17T09:43:00.000+08:00

Asian Scholarship 2006

Thank you for applying for the Asian Scholarship.

The committee will meet shortly to discuss your application and will announce its decision on Monday, April the 3rd 2006.

In the mean time we would like to wish you the very best of luck.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any other queries that you might have.

Kind Regards,

IE Admissions

D-Day

2006-03-16T02:27:00.000+08:00

Today is the deadline for the Asian Scholarship application. Which means I should be hearing from them in the coming days. I need to get that scholarship.... this is so important, an opportunity I won't have again.... I feel sick thinking about it... I can't entertain the thought that I won't make it to IE, I just can't!

Mastering the Art of Business Education

2006-03-12T04:51:00.000+08:00

IE's website has a new multimedia link: From the Dean

Kicking Off Women's Month --- Factsheet on Filipino Women

2006-03-01T13:00:00.000+08:00

Every woman has the right -

To good and quality education
To comprehensive health services
To access loans and other forms of financial credit
To join leisure, sports, and cultural activities
To decide on the number of children and on the number of years between pregnancies
To share parenting responsibilities
To have equal access to jobs, benefits, and social security
To be paid equally based on the work she does
To be free from all forms of slavery and prostitution
To vote, run for election and hold public office
To represent the country internationally

Violence Against Women

Violence against women is the result of unequal power relations between women and men. Behind these power relations is patriarchy - the social structure that is constructed, reinforced and perpetuated by socio-political institutions put in place by men and thereby ensure that men, by virtue of their gender, have power and control over women and children.

There was a 7.7% decrease in the number of reported cases of violence against women (VAW) from 2001 to 2002. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), a total of 9.547 VAW cases were reported in 2002 compared to 10.343 reported VAW cases in 2001.
In 2002, most o the reported cases were physical abuses on women/life battering (5058 or 53%), followed by rape at 10.2% (972 cases) and acts of lasciviousness at 7.7% (733 cases).
In 2001, physical injuries/wife battering also was the most reported form of VAW. There were a total of 5,668 physical injury/wife battering cases, according to the PNP, or 54.8% of all the total reported cases. This was followed by rape with 1,026 cases (9.9%) and acts of lasciviousness.
There was a decrease in the number of reported cases on physical injuries/wife battering in 2002, with only 5,058 cases compared to the 2001 figured of 5,668 cases. However, during the previous years, the trend was increasing. In 2000, 3,824 cases were reported, while in 1999, there were 2,413 cases.
According to the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO), as of March 2001, 959 cases of human trafficking has already been recorded, 65.0% of which were women.
Of the total trafficked persons, more than half (53.0%) were trafficked to the Asia Pacific countries, 25.0% to the Middle East and 19.0% to Europe.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) served a total of 2,640 women in especially difficult circumstances (WEDC) during the first semester of 2002. Most of the reported cases were on physical abuse/ maltreatment/ battering, with 45.8% followed by rape (10.6%) and involuntary prostitution (4.4%).
Of the sexually abused women, 70.4% were victims of rape, 28.2% were victims of incest, and 1.5% were victims of acts of lasciviousness.
Two in every five cases (39.7%) served were community-based, 37.9% were served through the Women's Help Desk, and 22.5% were center-based.

Sources: PNP, 2001 and first semester 2002
DSWD, 2001
CFO, 2001

Families and Household

Development processes are reshaping Filipino families which have become smaller in size and more nuclear in composition. Filipino women now tend to marry at a later age and education seems to influence the marrying age. However, traditional gender-role definitions still persist despite the fact that women are already economically active.

Marriage Patterns

Filipino women have a high marrying age, by developing country standards. In 1998, the median age at first marriage of women aged 25 to 49 years was 22.1 years, an increase of 0.5 year over the 1993 figure of 21.6 years.
Education appears to influence age at marriage. For women with high school education, the median age at first marriage was 21.5 years, compared to 19.8 and 18.7 years of those with elementary and no education, respectively. For the college educated, the median age was about 25.2 years.
Based on the vital statistics of the National Statistics Office (NSO), the number of registered marriages in 1997 was 562,724, a 7.1% increase from the 1996 figure of 525,555.
Of the 14.2 million ever-married women in 1995, 84.9% were legally married. Of these, 1.5% were separated/divorced.

Households

There was a 13% increase in the number of households in the country, from 13,508,775 in 1995 to 15,271,290 in 2000.
The average Filipino household has become smaller, its membership declines from 6 in 1970 to 5.1 in 1995 to 5 in 2000.
The percentage of female-headed household has been increasing from 10% in 1070 to 11.3% in 1990 to 12.2% in 1995.
Female-headed households tend to be smaller-sized than male-headed households. Female-headed households have an average household size of 4 persons while male-headed households have 5.2 persons.

Education and Training

Compared to other Third World countries, the Philippines ranks very high in terms of literacy and other educational indicators. Education policies are very liberal and expansionary. No marked differences exist in the educational status of Filipino women and men. The issue, however, is the gender-tracking of fields of study and specialization and its onward translation into the world of work where men generally occupy the highest occupational ranks and the highest paying positions. Women's larger responsibility for housework and for the family impedes their ability to use their educational training and skills for remunerative work.

Literacy

Nationally, the literacy rate of women (94.0%) stood a little higher than men's literacy rate (93.7%) in 1994.
The percentage of women who were functionally literate is slightly higher (74.0%) than that of men (72.9%).

General Enrolment

Enrolment data for SY 1999 - 2000 indicated that there were slightly more boys (51.1%) than girls (48.9%) in elementary schools. However, in SY 2000-2001, the proportion was reversed in favor of women in high school with 51.3% for females and 48.4% for males.

University Enrolment

Generally, there were more women than men who enrolled during the SY 2000-2001 with 55.5% while only 44.5% for men.
Specifically, women outnumbered men in Trade and Craft and Industrial courses (83.6%), Service Trades (76.2%) and Mass Communication and Documentation (69.4%), but were a minority in Religion (11.9%), Engineering (22.2%) and Architecture and Town Planning (26.2%). The data showed that gender tracking still continues in women's and men's fields of study.

Academic Degree Holders

During the AY 1999-200, there were more female graduates than males in higher education courses. Female graduates totalled 212,898 (60.7%) while males numbered 137,909.

Skills Training

As of August 2002, 1,750 women availed of skills training programs at the Technical Education and Skills Training Authority (TESDA). They comprised 28.7% of the total number of persons who were certified by TESDA.
Two in every three females availed of skills training programs in information technology (66.2%), followed by tourism-related training programs (9.3%) and construction at 9.2%

Education Institution Officials

As of February 2000, 9 out of the total 16 regional directors of the Department of Education were women. Also, the country's educational workforce was heavily female. Three out of five (61.5%) school superintendents were women, while 38.5% were men.
On the higher education institutions, there were slightly more male 53.1%) than female faculty members with 46.9%.

Sources: TESDA 2002
Department of Education, 1999 - 2001
Commission on Higher Education, 1997 - 1998
1994 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS),
National Statistics Office

Health and Nutrition

Health refers not only to the absence of disease or disability but encompasses a person's state of complete physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. Women's health, in all stages of the life cycle, is of immense importance not only because it affects the health of the next generation through its impact on children but also because women are half of the country's human resource. The past decade witnessed slow but steady progress in the overall health situation of Filipinos. Women appear to have gained more from national health improvements, as could be gleaned from the most recent standard health indicators such as life expectancy and mortality rates. Nevertheless, a look at women's health situation in the areas of nutrition, maternal health, childbearing/reproductive and other health concerns indicate that much remains to be done in terms of addressing women's generally poor state of health.

Life Expectancy

Women continue to outlive men as shown by their higher life expectancy. In 1998, the projected life expectancy at birth of women was 71 years while that of men, 64.8 years.

Mortality Rates

Women exhibit lower mortality than men. In 1997, the Department of Health reported that female mortality was 4,413 while male mortality was 6,151.

Causes of Death

The top three causes of death for females in 1997 were diseases of the heart, diseases of the vascular system, and pneumonia, while for males, diseases of the heart, diseases of the vascular system, and accidents.

Maternal Mortality

In 1993, maternal mortality rate stood at 209 deaths per 100,000 live births while in 1998, it declines to 172 deaths per 100,000 live births.
In 1995, the leading cause of maternal mortality were complications related to pregnancy occurring in the course of labor, delivery of puerperium (35.2%), hypertension complicating pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium (23.4%), and postpartum hemorrhage (22.4%).

Family Planning

In 2002, 48.8% of varied women used at least one contraceptive method, of which 13.8% used traditional methods and 35.0% used the modern methods.
Pill is still the most commonly used modern contraceptive method among married women, accounting for 15.3%. On the other hand, female sterilization was found to be the most commonly used traditional contraceptive method with 11.0%.

Maternal Care

In 1998, pregnant women received pre-natal care mostly from nurses / midwives (47.2%), and followed by doctors (38.5%). Six percent still resorted to traditional birth attendants, while 7.8% had none.
Traditional birth attendants were still the most common type of assistance during delivery, with 41.3%. It was followed by doctors (30.9%) and nurses/midwives (25.5%).

Nutrition

There has been an increase in the prevalence rate of anemia among pregnant and lactating women. According to the 5th National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), the prevalence rate of anemia among pregnant women in 1998 was 50.7, while for the lactating women, 45.7. In 1993, however, the prevalence rate of anemia among pregnant women was only 44.0 and for lactating women, 43.0.
Forty percent (40.9%) of the girls 0-5 years old and 35.3% of the boys of the same age group in 1998 were underweight according to the FNRI.

HIV/AIDS

As of June 2001, there were more males (60.9%) than females (39.1%) among the reported cases of HIV ab Seropositives.
Sexual contact is the most common mode of HIV transmission accounting for a high 82.6%. Majority (73.5%) of these came from heterosexual contact while 20.3% came from homosexual relationships.

Drug Abuse

Female users tend to be younger than male users. For the period of 1993 to 1996, the highest percentage of reported female users was recorded at ages 15-19 (22.7%) while that of male users, 20-24 (25.8%) users were women.

Sources: AIDS Registry, DOH 2001, Family Planning Survey, National Statistics Office (NSO) 2001, Dangerous Drugs Board 1999, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, 1998, National Demographic and Health Survey, NSO 1998, 5th National Nutrition Survey, FNRI 1998, Field Health Service Information System Annual Report 1998.

Overseas Employment
The growing inability of the country's economy to generate enough jobs resulted to migration flow - to other countries. Filipino women have been crossing the Asian nations as overseas contract workers, mostly as domestic helpers and entertainers which are very low paying as seen in the remittances sent to their families.

According to the 2001 Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF) of the National Statistics Office (NSO), there were more male overseas Filipino workers (OFW) (51.3%) than females (48.7%). This includes those family members who traveled outside the country within the last five year reference period, documented and undocumented.
One-third (33.6%) of the total number of OFW in 2001 were laborers and unskilled workers (which includes sales and service workers, agricultural, forestry, fishery and related workers, and laborers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport). Of these, 85.3% were women while only 14.7% were men.
Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that in 2002, more women were deployed as OFW (69.0%) compared to men (31.0%).
Forty four percent (44.6%) of the total deployed female OFW belong to the service sector, while 43.0% were in the professional, technical and related fields. Majority of those in the service sector were domestic helpers (71.0%).
Most of the female OFW seek overseas employment as domestic helpers, which in 2000, accounted for a total of 49,310 female OFWs, followed by choreographers and dancers with 24,788 female OFWs, and composers, musicians and singers with 15,607 female OFWs.
Data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) showed that there were more female (31,741 or 61.0%) than male registered emigrants in 2001.
According to the 2000 SOF, one-thirds (32.9%) of the total cash remittance in 2000 was contributed by female OFWs. OF the P12.22B, P7.7B was remitted by service workers and P2.5B from professionals.
Majority of the female OFWs worked in East Asian countries (46.3%), mostly in Hongkong (24.8%, Taiwan (11.8%) and Japan 8%), while male OFWs still prefer the Middle East (43.8%).

Sources: POEA 2002, 2001 Survey on Overseas Filipinos, National Statistics Office CFO, 1997 Saudi Arabia (37.2%).

Politics and Governance

While Filipino women took an unprecedented active role in the political events of the past decade, their participation in politics and governance continues to be limited. They continue to work harder to influence policy and decision-making as legislators, chief executives and top administrators at both the national and local levels.

Electoral Politics

Voter turn-out in the Philippines has generally been higher among women than men. In the 1998 national and local elections, the turn-out rate for women was 87.0% while that of men was 85.7%.
As of September 2002, there are 3 women senators in the Senate and 35 women district representatives in the House of Representatives.
At the local level, the Commission on Elections data showed that women covered 15.2% of the total gubernatorial posts (12 out of 79) and 12.7% of the total vice-gubernatorial posts (10 out of 79).
One hundred and eighty nine women were elected to mayoralty posts while 161 women occupied the vice-mayoralty posts.

Bureaucracy

There were more women than men in the government bureaucracy, with women accounting for 53.0% of the total 1.45 million government personnel in 1999. This figure was 0.8% lower than the 1998 figure of 53.8%.
Women dominated only the second-level positions with 71.9% in 1999. At the first level, they were outnumbered by men at 34.6% at the third level, the highest, they formed 34.8%.
There were also more men holding contractual/casual positions with 61.5%, while women, 38.5%.

Decision-making Positions

As of August 2002, the cabinet included 4 women (18.2%) heading the budget and management, labor and employment, science and technology, and the social welfare and development departments.
Likewise, the Commission on Higher Education, Civil Service Commission and the National Anti-Poverty Commission are also headed by women.

Judiciary

Women comprise 23.4% of the total incumbent judges in the Philippine courts (352 out of 1,505) as of December 2002.
There are four women justices (28.6%) in the Supreme Court out of the 15 posts, as of December 2002. This is higher compared to 2 representatives (15.4%) out of 13 filled up posts from 1999 to 2001.

Diplomatic Service

As of August 2002, there were 78 Philippine embassies and consulates (59 embassies and 19 consulates) around the world, 22 (28.2%) of which were headed by women. Of these, 12 hold the Ambassador rank while 10 hold the Consul-General position.

Military and Police Service

During the SY 1999-2000 admission exams at the Philippine Military Academy, a woman topped the exams, with 2 other women who made it to the top 10. Seventeen percent (17.3%) passed the admission exams (257 out of 1,486).
As of August 2000, there were 5,295 women (4.9%) out of the total 108,291 police personnel, 778 of whom were police officers and 4,517 were non-police officers.

Source: Department of Foreign Affairs August 2002, Commission on Elections August 2001, Supreme Court 2002 Philippine National Police 2000, Civil Service Commission 1999.

Labor and Employment

Filipino women have been joining the labor force partly out of economic necessity and partly in response to economic opportunities. However, there remain wide gaps in female and male labor force participation rates. The low labor force involvement of women reflects the greater preference given to the employment of men over women.

Labor Force Participation Rates

In October 2002, 33.6 million Filipinos joined the labor force. Of these, 13.1 million (29.0%) were women while 20.5 million (61.0%) were men.

Women's labor force participation rate (LFPR) still lags behind men's LFPR. In October 2002, women's LFPR was 51.7 while that of men's was 80.8. In 2001, both LFPRs were slightly lower (48.4 for women and 80.3 for men) than their LFPRs in 2000 (50.0 for women and 81.8 for men).

Employment and Unemployment Rates

Almost ninety percent (89.9%) of the total labor force were employed as of October 2002. Women's employment rate was slightly lower (89.8%) than men's (9.9%).

In the October 1999 and 2000 rounds of the Labor Force Survey, women's unemployment rates were lower at 9.2% and 9.9% while men's were at 9.5% and 10.3% respectively. However, in October 2001 and 2002, women had higher unemployment rates than men (10.4% and 10.2% for women and 9.4% and 10.1% respectively).

Women's unemployment rate continued to increase from 1999 to 2001. In October 1999, women's unemployment rate was only 9.2%. It increased to 9.9% in October 2000, and to 10.4% in October 2001. However, in October 2002, it decreased by 0.2% at 10.2%

Among the unemployed women in October 2001, 27.2% completed high school education while 22.1% graduated from college. The comparable figures for men were 29.9% and 13.4% respectively.

Gender-stereotyping of Occupations

There were more women than men in October 2002 among the professionals (68.2%), clerks (66.9%) ad officials of government and special interest organizations, corporate executives, managers, managing proprietors and supervisors (58.4%). Men, on the other hand, were mostly plant and machine operators and assemblers (92.4%), in farming, forestry and fishing occupations (83.8%) and in trades (72.8%).

For the new major industry groups, there were more women in the education (75.4%), health and social work (71.8%) and wholesale and retail trade (62.6%) industries, while men continued to dominate the construction (97.9%), transport, storage and communication (95.4%), and fishing (93.7%).

Class of Worker

In October 2002, men constituted majority of the country's paid workers as own-account workers (65.5%) and the wage and salary workers (61.7%), while women were unpaid workers at 54.8%.

Income

The average household annual income of female-headed households is higher than those of the male-headed households. In 1997, the average household annual income of female-headed households was P135,400 while for male-headed households, it was P121,003.

Source: October 2002 Labor Force Survey, NSO

Population

The Philippines now ranks as the 13th most populous country in the world. Its projected total population in 2002 is 79.5 million, while its actual population in 2000 based on the 2000 Census of Population conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) was 76.5 million, an 11.5% increase or 7.88 million persons over the 1995 Census count of 68,616.536 persons. The annual population growth rate slightly increased from 2.32 percent in 1990 - 1995 to 2.36 percent in 1995 - 2000.

There was a slight predominance of men over women population. In 2000, men numbered 38,524,267 or 544,457 more than the women population of 37,979,810.

The sex ratio remained the same at 101.4 from 1995 to 2000.

The population of the Philippines grew at the rate of 2.36% annually during the 1995 - 2000 intercensal period, 0.04% higher than the annual growth rate of 2.32% during the 1990 - 1995 intercensal period.

The Philippines has a relatively young population. In 2000, 64.7% of the total population were below 30 years old. Of these, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Sources: 2000 Census of Population and Housing Pres Release, National Statistics Office (NSO), 1995 Census of Population

Holding Out for a Hero

2006-02-28T03:38:00.000+08:00

International cable news carried the news. You probably missed it, probably have to rack your brain to remember where the Philippines is.

Well it's home. My home. The only home I have ever known, where my family and friends are. Bayang Magiliw. And it's in trouble -- again.

Is this the worse we have been? Probably not. The '70s and '80s were pretty tough for us. Then the People Power Revolution of 1986 suddenly bought us centre stage. People showed respect for Filipinos. We were credited for inspiring the series of people revolution all over the world (including Tianamen Square) that brought an end to the Cold War.

Twenty years on, we are poorer, sadder, more unstable, and has the reputation of sending out domestic helpers, nurses, and illegal immigrants. As if that wasn't enough, our President declares a State of Emergency. According the spin doctors, it's not Martial Law. But protest rallies are banned, and a newspaper office was raided. An opposition congressman was arrested on the basis of a 1985 arrest warrant issued by Marcos (yup, the same guy with the wife who likes shoes, and who we kicked out with the Power People thing), and a military Colonel called on soldiers and civilians to come out and support a general holed up in a military base after being sacked. The spin? It was a simple and quick "turn-over ceremony" that brought e out soldiers in full battle gear in the military base, and that the people were "not notified properly".

How do you keep quiet when people who are supposed to uphold the constitution lie to you to your face like you are a kid deprived of basic logic? How could you not scream "Enough!" when your mobile communication is being compromised? How could you not feel indignant when the writ of habeas corpus is suspended? How can I be apolitical when newspapers, and tv broadcasts, and protest leaders are being silenced with charges of "inciting to sedition"?

I have been apolitical for most of the last ten years. I was busy building my business when this president was first put in office through a mass uprising against the blatant corruption of the previous administration. But since a State of Emergency was declared on Friday, I felt threatened. And when I am back into a corner, I get nasty.

Just now a cabinet secretary is on a talk show flashing slides of economic indicators. They are so disconnected with the people that they think that showing us growth rates in coloured slides will make us feel better? Life is so hard, even I worry about just how much I can afford these days. I know people who struggle with day to day living expenses. Do you really think that showing me inflation rates will make it easier to sleep at night on an empty stomach? Who is the audience of this administration???? Not the family who lives across our parking lot, going through the rubbish bin of the pampered people who live in this town. It is so obvious that the administration is targetting the foreign press and foreign governments with their slides, to get their support -- not the peoples. Its not about getting the hearts and minds of the Filipinos. Its about spin.

In Search of a Hero

I saw a re-run of The American President on HBO and Michael J Fox had a line that goes something like: "People are looking for a leader. They are so thirsty for leadership they will cross the desert to find it. And if they get there and find out it's a mirage, they will drink the sand."

The Fort Bonifacio incidence is like that. A mirage. People are looking for a leader, a cause to rally around. They are so desperate they will lap up sand.

We are looking for a hero. I am glad I wasn't part of the mass movement that put this president in office. I will probably chew my arm off now, and hit myself over the head with it in utter despair and regret. Why have I taken offense against this president? Her arrogance. As if the Office is her birthright, a special present at Christmas. The basic principle we were taught in Political Science is that sovereignty rests in the people. THE PEOPLE. My sovereignty is on loan -- and I can take it back.

PO 1017 and why I am royally pissed

What tipped me over? Proclamation Order 1017. Suddenly it became personal. For some reason Proclamation Order 1017 hit me as very personal. It made me scared that my action and my words or those of people I know would be interpreted as "inciting to sedition". I am afraid of censorship. And I don't like being made scared. Especially by a government that has lost its legitimacy in my eyes (if they ever had it in the first place).

I am a free person. My religion, and my constitution says that I am born free. I am free to think. I am free to doubt. I am free to speak. I will not be cowered by a midget hiding behind PO 1017.

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?

Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

I need a hero
I'm holding out for at hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life
Larger than life

Emails Galore

2006-02-24T18:50:00.000+08:00

As if to make up for the blackhole, I have received two emails from the scholarship committee today. Definitely eased my nail-biting!

Light bounces off the blackhole....

2006-02-24T18:00:00.000+08:00

Unbelievable... and yet weirdly re-assuring.

Dear friend,

please let me remind you that the Asian Scholarship deadline is approaching on March 15. To be eligible for this scholarship you will need to have finished successfully the IE Admissions Process for your selected programme. No candidates will be considered without the admission to one of the qualified programmes. For more information and the application process for the scholarships, please visit www.ie.edu/dim.

Due to error on my hard disk I lost some previous scholarship applications, please resend the applications at your earliest convenience through the scholarship web www.ie.edu/dim.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,
xxxxxx

Revamping my Resume

2006-02-24T03:04:00.000+08:00

Since the Blackhole at the scholarship office seems to be inescapable, I have decided to take Angel Angie's advise and send my application by non-electronic means.

Now my husband is preparing his CV for an unexpected job opportunity that popped up last week. I showed my support by buying the latest edition of Idiot's Guide to Perfect Resume or somthing like that. He thought it was silly, but I read it and I actually got fresh ideas about crafting my resume.

So that's what I did today, staying up until 3am to re-draft my resume which I will send with the rest of the scholarship papers after I log off.

I hope the changes help; my problem really has been the diverse and often non-chronological experience I have. Unfortunately, we don't have professional resume writers here, so the Idiot's Guide is the best help I have.

Blackhole...

2006-02-15T02:29:00.000+08:00

This is frustrating.

I still haven't heard a peep from the scholarship committe if my application has gone through or if I have anything else I need to submit. It's like a blackhole that sucks in information and doesn't let anything else filter out...

I don't remember the MBA application itself to be this frustrating! Everything was quick and I always had feedback from the Admissions director...

How do you follow up (which I did with like two emails that never got acknowledged) without being a nag? Send a fax? Call?

Vote for Me!

2006-02-12T02:38:00.000+08:00

I slipped to my lowest ranking at No 54, please VOTE FOR ME?

*******

Guess what, my MBA blog is number 48 out of 227 ranked personal journals in Pinoy Blogs :-) VOTE FOR ME!!!!!!!!

David, did you steal his girl????

2006-02-02T02:40:00.000+08:00

This was so bizarre, I just had to re-post! I couldn't post anymore comments on David's blog because this guy had it filled to the brim!

How could one guy react so violently to something that was not attacking any one person? What did you do, D? Did you refuse to let him copy your paper? Set him up with a Fatal-Attraction kind of date? Did you steal his girl????

Seriously, reading his comments made me wonder how this guy could get any work done with the amount of energy he puts into reading D's blog?

FT 2006 Rankings

2006-01-31T00:24:00.000+08:00

I am soooooo proud to be joining IE, No 1 in Spain, No 3 in Europe, and No 12 worldiwde!

Instituto de Empresa MBA programme, No. 1 in Spain and No. 12 worldwide

Madrid, January 30, 2006. The Instituto de Empresa MBA programme is No. 1 in Spain, No. 3 in Europe and No. 12 in the world, according to the 2006 MBA programme ranking published today by Financial Times.
In the different academic categories IE is among the 10 best schools in the fields of entrepreneurship and organisational behaviour, consolidating Instituto de Empresa’s position as a leading international business school.

The Financial Times ranking comprises 21 categories that refer to both the institution and alumni. They include data like the international outreach of each school, the weighted salaries of alumni three years after graduation, the percentage of women faculty and students, the percentage of international professors and professors that hold a PhD, and levels of research.

Tick-tock....

2006-01-29T21:48:00.000+08:00

It's really difficult to be patient about something SOOOOO BIG! But I have to find a way to be because there's no rushing the process.

I must admit I am quote disappointed with the lack of response from the Scholarship committee. I am sure they don't want to encourage applicants to bug them by email, but all I am looking for is the prompt, run-of-the-mill thank you we got your application please wait for our reply kind of email. Cambridge seems to have a full-time staff to do just that. Oxford was bad too. The few emails I exchanged with Manchester were prompt too. Oh well.

So I have been doing a lot of planning, but unfortunately it will all depend on this scholarship coming through.

I have a six-month contract to write for a high-revenue magazine (part of a regional brand) and that would expire in April. I am hoping the scholarship comes through early enough so that I receive the great news before my contract expires. Our flat lease expires in April, and I need to let the landlord know in March that we aren't renewing, otherwise I can lose two months rent in penalty. Or worse, end up without a flat!!! I have to move all our furniture out (I have packing and unpacking moving boxes!)and arrange a despedida-cum-garage sale at the condominium's pool-side and function room. I have to pack things that my husband will take to Bangkok (he is moving there when I leave for Madrid), things that will go to storage at my parent's house, and things I will be bringing to Madrid.

Then we have to look for the flat in Bangkok, and I will probably stay there until mid-August. I will come back to Manila for a few weeks to sort out my papers and go to all the despedidas family and friends will be throwing.

The language classes in Madrid starts in September, and I think going then, settling in, taking time to find a flat will make it easier for me to focus on classes in November. Also if the lease starts in September, it will end in time for when I go for the Chile exchange programme the next year. I won't have to worry about paying two-months lease or anything.

Can you tell I have been giving this a lot of thought?

Essay Submitted

2006-01-20T23:27:00.000+08:00

So I finally submitted my Asian Scholarship application essay yesterday.

First I tried submitting it online but the form kept displaying an error message. So I decided to submit it as an attachment to an email. But when I got home late last night, I tried the form again and this time an acknowledgement flashed in the pop-out window.

There was a sense of achievement yesterday. I have been worrying about money since late last year. Submitting the essay made me feel like I am being more proactive rather than wasting so much energy beeing a worry wart.

I wonder how soon they will acknowledge it?

Scholarship Essay

2006-01-15T22:37:00.000+08:00

I just finished part 1 of the scholarship essay. I have so many things to say about the subject that it took me awhile to finalise my outline. Once I started writing though, the words kept pouring! I could have prepared a paper on the subject... I was ready to add tables and graphs! Just kidding.

I actually wrote two essays, concentrating on two different angles. I showed it to my best friend (as ever) and he suggested I merge the two. So seven drafts later, my word count is still at 690! I still have a lot of editing to do, but at least I managed to stick to my outline. Besides, I know I crossed the line between reiterating and being repetitive!

I was talking to my husband last night about our financial plan. A major project fell through so our income for this year is nowhere near what we expected. Add to that the fact that he was hospitalised for four days before Christmas and has not been back to work since.

He wanted to use our savings and send the first payment off to IE. I am concerned because that's non-refundable --- what if I can't raise the other half? That's too much money to lose.

So the plan now is wait for the scholarship result, and as soon as they say, I am off to the bank to send the payment! Then our income for the next ten months or so would be for my living expense in Madrid.

I pray to God I get it. It will break my heart if after all these, I can't afford to go....

Exploiting the Gender Gap by Warren Farrell The New York Times

2006-01-13T01:58:00.000+08:00

Carlsbad, California - Nothing disturbs America's working women more than the statistics showing that they are paid only 76 cents to men's dollar for the same work.

When I was on the board of the National Organization for Women in New York City, I blamed discrimination for that gap. Then I asked myself, "If an employer has to pay a man one dollar for the same work a woman would do for 76 cents, why would anyone hire a man?"

Perhaps, I thought, male bosses undervalue women. But I discovered that in 2000, women who own their own businesses earned only 49 percent of male business owners. Why? When the Rochester Institute of Technology surveyed business owners with MBAs from one top business school, they found that money was the primary motivator for only 29 percent of the women, versus 76 percent of the men. Women put a premium on autonomy, flexibility (25- to 35-hour weeks and proximity to home), fulfillment and safety.

After years of research, I discovered 25 differences in the work-life choices of men and women. All 25 lead to men earning more money, but to women having better lives.

High pay, as it turns out, is about tradeoffs. Men's tradeoffs include working more hours (women work more around the home); taking more dangerous, dirtier and outdoor jobs (garbage collecting, construction, trucking); relocating and traveling; and training for technical jobs with less people contact (like engineering).

Is the pay gap, then, about the different choices of men and women? Not quite. It's about parents' choices. Women who have never been married and are childless earn 117 percent of their childless male counterparts. (This comparison controls for education, hours worked and age.) Their decisions are more like married men's, and never-married men's decisions are more like women's in general (careers in arts, no weekend work, etc.)

Does this imply that mothers sacrifice careers? Not really. Surveys of men and women in their 20s find that both sexes (70 percent of men, and 63 percent of women) would sacrifice pay for more family time. The next generation's discussion will be about who gets to be the primary parent.

Don't women, though, earn less than men in the same job? Yes and no. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics lumps together all medical doctors. Men are more likely to be surgeons (versus general practitioners) and work in private practice for hours that are longer and less predictable, and for more years. In brief, the same job is not the same.

Are these women's choices? When I taught at a medical school, I saw that even my first-year female students eyed specialties with fewer and more predictable hours.

But don't female executives also make less than male executives? Yes. Discrimination? Let's look. The men are more frequently executives of national and international companies with more personnel and revenues, and responsible for bottom-line sales, marketing and finances, not human resources or public relations. They have more experience, relocate and travel overseas more, and so on.

Comparing men and women with the "same jobs," then, is to compare apples and oranges. However, when all 25 choices are the same, the great news for women is that then the women make more than the men. Is there discrimination against women? Yes, like the old boys' network.

And sometimes discrimination against women becomes discrimination against men: In hazardous fields, women suffer fewer hazards. For example, more than 500 marines have died in the war in Iraq. All but two were men. In other fields, men are virtually excluded - try getting hired as a male dental hygienist, nursery school teacher, cocktail waiter.

There are 80 jobs in which women earn more than men - positions like financial analyst, radiation therapist, library worker, biological technician, motion picture projectionist. Female sales engineers make 143 percent of their male counterparts; female statisticians earn 135 percent.

I want my daughters to know that people who work 44 hours a week make, on average, more than twice the pay of someone working 34 hours a week. And that pharmacists now earn almost as much as doctors. But only by abandoning our focus on discrimination against women can we discover these opportunities for women.

Warren Farrell is the author of ''Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap — and What Women Can Do About It.'

My Ten Year Plan

2006-01-02T23:44:00.000+08:00

So my new year exercise was plan the next five years. I ended up tracking my next ten years. I was planning to take private tutorials here, but since our current financial "crisis" entails me taking freelance work left and right, I have not been able to enrol in any Spanish class. That means the language lesson is something I have to do in Spain.

In about nine months time, I should be leaving for Madrid for the two-month intensive language course for September and October this year. In November, I start with the MBA programme at IE. In September 2007, I should be spending four months in Chile at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez at their Recreo Campus in Viña del Mar. Then I should be back at IE in Madrid in December for the graduation. In January 2008, I should be starting at Fletcher School in Massachusets for the Masters of Arts in Law Diplomacy. That will run until May 2009. I am looking at International Organizations and International Business Relations as my fields of study. I am even starting to put together a plan for my thesis. It's forming in my head... I already know what I want to do. I think I may be able to go for an internship at FAO for the summer, so I guess I should start looking at that even before I start at Fletcher.

After earning my dual degree, I am thinking of trying for Cargil's MBA SBD progamme. According to their website:

SBD Program

Wanted: Global business builders.

From Argentina to Zimbabwe, Cargill offers vast opportunities for today's top MBA graduates. Operating in 60 countries with over 101,000 employees, our diverse range of business units generates over $60 billion in revenues-making us one of the world's largest private companies.

In spite of its size and commanding global presence, Cargill embodies an entrepreneurial spirit you simply won't find at other companies. We've created the ideal environment to launch a general management career.

Are you ready for the journey? Read on to explore the possibilities.

That would take me only five years to become head of my own department within Cargill. Wow. From here to there in ten years....

Having this plan makes me feel more positive. And alarmed. The costs is giving me sleepless nights. Lots of sleepless nights.

I have been looking at all forms of scholarships to keep my five year plan intact. Because seriously, when you live in a country where the per capita income is roughly $700, needing $140, 000 plus an emergency fund to complete my dual degree is just not viable without some form of assistance. I am applying for the Asian Scholarship at IE but my abominal GMAT score is hanging over my head. But at least I am comforted with the knowledge that I am not alone with my quant fears. I wonder, do I really need to retake the GMAT and get a higher grade to be considered for scholarship?

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T03:43:00.000+08:00

I have such high hopes for 2006.... love, health, happiness and abundance to all!

Is IE for me? A New Year's Eve Reflection...

2005-12-31T17:38:00.000+08:00

For all intent and purposes, I am set to leave for Madrid in November.

But if I am honest with myself, I must admit I am tempted to look at other programmes.

When I started out in April, I was set to apply to the UK alone. I didn't look at the US for three reasons: competition would be tougher (from US citizens and the rest of Asia), two years is too long, and I really didn't want to go where most Filipinos go for their MBA. I wanted a valuable, and different experience. Of course there is virtue in going to a well-known name like Harvard. Who doesn't want to go to Harvard? But at the end of the day, isn't being a Harvard graduate a bit of a cliche?

I really believe that the MBA Experience has a lot to do with the classmates and the school environment. If I went to a programme with a history of Filipino applicants, it will be like going to high school. We Filipinos tend to move in packs, sometimes loud packs. People you wouldn't be seen with back home become your surrogate family in another country. I had that when I went to Paris, and though I love the Filipino friends I made there, I do wonder how different the experience would have been if I didn't have Filipino classmates and I am forced to mingle with other nationalities.

I limited my search to the US, UK and Australia because of the language. An Australian MBA is not as prestigious as an American or European degree. The US has too many Filipinos trying to get there, and I am very partial to Europe.

I am very familiar with the UK so that was an obvious choice. I applied to Cambridge specifically because it has very low Filipino acceptance. So far I only know of one, the first Filipina to be accepted to the MBA programme in 1998. I applied to Oxford... well because you think of one, you think of the other. and I am so impressed by the college system of both universities. That is one of my deepest desire, an almost physical sensation in my chest... the excitement I feel when I think that I can be part of a grand tradition. The ivy-covered walls, the old almost obsolete traditions... the idea that those universities were already in existence even before my country was re-discovered by Ferdinand Magellan... it's thrilling.

But halfway through the process, reality sunk in. MBA is a MAJOR investment. We are talking about an amount I have never seen in my life. That kind of money buys a house around here. I have to make sure that the degree I earn is worth something, and not just for show. So I started looking around again, and tried to match the programme with what I intended for my career.

I am looking at an MBA to boost my career, to allow me to change fields if necessary, and most especially, give me an advantage at an international career. I wanted to experience living and working in Europe and the Americas; but at the end of the day I want to have a flourishing career in the Asia-Pacific. I am very bullish about the region. I think this is the future; but right now the expertise is in Europe and America so there I must go to get my feet wet.

Knowing that I wanted to have a chance to work in the Americas convinced me that I needed to learn Spanish. I looked at a language course then, and realised that it may be feasible to get my MBA there instead.

And I stumbled upon David Standen, and he changed my life.
Since applying to IE, I was obsessed with studying there, and living in Madrid. I halted all other UK applications, which has by then grown to include Edinburgh, Manchester, and Warwick. The choice between Ox-Cam and IE was like choosing between Old World and New World wines. Snobs would be singing praises for the Old World realities, but I think true connoisseurs would have the confidence to stand up and say "I love all things new world!" Well I have Ines Cabarrus to thank over at Enderun College, for she unleashed the Argentinian Pinot Noir wine lover in me.

So despite my desire to join a college with a long history, I have opened my mind to other opportunities. My gut feeling is that IE will provide me with a more personalised experience; and their entrepreneurial programme is a unique draw and would benefit me in great ways. The school is highly ranked in Europe and well-known in Latin America and that would be very helpful when I am seeking a job in those regions. I am also very excited with the exchange programme in Chile, and the dual degree opportunity with Tufts.

I am convinced that going to IE is right for me; the only thing is if I am to pay for the full tuition fee, I may consider looking at another university, perhaps in the US with a more established name. It's too much money, I have to make sure I am getting into the best programme --- that is, an MBA that will get me the best job. So right now, the question is how good are my chances of being recruited by a giant corporation after IE? What kind of package will I be offered as an IE graduate?

Ah.. there's the rub....

Peace on Earth....

2005-12-25T00:11:00.000+08:00

Send Thy peace O Lord, which is
perfect and everlasting,
that our souls may radiate peace.

Send Thy peace O Lord, that we
may think, act and speak harmoniously.

Send Thy peace O Lord, that we
may be contented and thankful for
Thy bountiful gifts.

Send Thy peace O Lord, that amidst
our worldly strife, we may enjoy Thy bliss.

Send Thy peace O Lord, that we
may endure all, tolerate all, in the thought of
Thy grace and mercy.

Send Thy peace O Lord, that our lives
may become a Divine vision and in Thy light,
all darkness may vanish.

Send Thy peace O Lord, our Father and Mother,
that we Thy children on Earth may all
unite in one family.

Hazrat Inayat Khan | Source: SoultoSpirit.com

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

Coming up to Christmas

2005-12-18T04:01:00.000+08:00

It's coming up to Christmas... and I just had a realisation. This might be my last Christmas at home.

Next year, I expect I would be in Spain; the year after, I should be just leaving Chile. After that... maybe the US for my dual degree.

That's a refreshing taught for me. I can't wait. Now I know what the expression waiting to exhale means....

God, I hope I find the funds....

Blogthings

2005-12-12T01:22:00.000+08:00

You Should Learn Spanish

For you, learning a language is about career advancement and communication.
Knowing Spanish will bring you tons of possiblities for jobs and travel. Bárbaro!

What Language Should You Learn?

You Failed 8th Grade Math

Oh no, you only got 5/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

You Should Get a MBA (Masters of Business Administration)

You're a self starter with a drive for success.
You'd make a great entrepreneur.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

You are a Career Girl!

You may not be a CEO yet, but you're well on your way to success.
You take your career seriously, and you wouldn't stop working for any guy!
An independent woman, you pay for your own car, clothes, and housing.
And men appreciate that - at least, the ones as driven as you are.

What Kind of Girl Are You?

You're Part Diva

You know that a girl's gotta work it to get her way in the world.
And while you aren't about to throw a tantrum at every turn...
You do amp up the drama when you know you need it.
You mix charm, honesty, and kindness to get ahead.

Are You a Diva?

Instituto de Empresa is No. 5 in Europe according to the Financial Times Global Ranking of European Business Schools

2005-12-05T23:52:00.000+08:00

Instituto de Empresa holds fifth position among European business schools according to the Financial Times Global Ranking of European Business Schools.

The survey, which has been carried out for two consecutive years, further consolidates the results achieved by Instituto de Empresa in rankings of MBA, Executive MBA and Executive Education programmes in the course of 2005.

The global ranking is based on criteria that includes the professional progress and salaries of graduates three years after graduation, levels of diversity among the student body and faculty, the international projection of the programmes, the degree to which students’ and corporate clients’ expectations are met, and the quality of research.

This result is a direct consequence of the work carried out over the last three decades by Instituto de Empresa, a leading business school, oriented to training entrepreneurs and corporate managers through its master’s degrees and executive education programmes. Instituto de Empresa is characterised by its markedly global approach, its spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, its applied research projects and the promotion of socially responsible initiatives. Instituto de Empresa has an alumni network that currently comprises some 30,000 IE graduates that hold management positions in 85 countries.

Exchange Programme of IE

2005-10-23T00:12:00.000+08:00

So I have started my plan for 2006. Most people start their New Year's Resolution whilst drunk at the office Christmas Party. I start mine as soon as the local malls here starte playing Christmas jingles (kicking off the 100 days Countdown to Christmas *sigh*)

Part of my plan naturally is to prepare for the iMBA.

I re-visited IE's website to review the finance courses, so I know what to prepare for. The mention of Statistics and what have yous sent chills down my spine....

It's disappointing that there aren't any information on Life at IE as most American university websites have. The Cambridge and Oxford ones are so vivid, you almost want to study there just to punt on the River Cam!

Anyway, I also looked at the Exchange Programmes. Even before I got accepted, I knew I would try for a Latin America exchange and am pretty sure I want to try Chile. Initially, I wanted to apply at the Pontifica Catolica in Santiago because it sounded more like the UP of Chile. But when I looked at their website, it doesn't look like they put much emphasis on their management programme.

On the contrary, I was impressed by the website of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and I think I will apply there instead. The site says the MBA programme will be at the Vina del Mar campus, so that's a plus! According to the IE site, the exchange programme will start in September and end in December. I am really excited about that.

Also, I have emailed The Tufts School and got this reply:

Congratulations on your admission to IE for the November 2006 in-take. If you were to to the IE MBA first, you would start with the IE MBA in November 2006, complete your MBA in December 2007, then start your three semester MALD in January 2008 and complete your dual degree in May 2009. The total length of study is 30 months. You could apply for admission as late as October 2007 to begin in January 2008. I spoke with the director of admissions and she feels that the earliest that you should apply is for the Fall 2007 class and if accepted, request a deferral until January 2008. This would be readily approved. Applications for the Fall 2007 are due in January 2007. For information about admissions, including the application process, please go to the following URL: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/admissions/

Kindly,
Nora Moser McMillan

On MBA Rankings

2005-10-10T02:59:00.000+08:00

A Fair Point on EIU's ranking of IESE.

Celebration

2005-10-09T03:14:00.000+08:00

I had my 30th Birthday Party tonight. It was also supposed to be a despedida party as I leave for IE next month.

I didnt get to leave for IMBA this year, but that's no reason to miss out on throwing a great party!

Left Behind

2005-09-29T19:16:00.000+08:00

I feel like I am being left behind.

Sandee has also been accepted to IE. For that I am happy. He also got a 50% scholarship. Half of me feels happy for him.

The other half feels... envious.

He is getting ready to leave for November. I am not.

And that's the way it goes.

On Success

2005-09-18T02:37:00.000+08:00

The Meaning of Success

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a little better;
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is the meaning of success.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Chasing Press

2005-09-15T23:09:00.000+08:00

From late yesterday, I have been chasing my press contacts by phone, SMS and email to get at least a couple of journalists in on Tuesday to interview Dirk.

I have some experience chasing press people, as I did a magazine project last year. Relationship is very important to get ink here, an angle comes a close second, and incentives is a big plus.

So far I have only had one response, asking for a media kit. Considering it's only five days away and I am not a PR practitioner, I am lucky to get one confirmed article.

Maybe I will get better response next week.

MBA Fair

2005-09-14T20:14:00.000+08:00

So I got a kind email yesterday from Dirk at IE. He will be in town for an MBA Fair at Manila's poshest hotel. I am quite excited to meet with him as I have decided it's about time I look at financiang options. Maybe he could give me an idea. I would also like to know more about life at IE. I don't even know if they have a dress code....

Anyway, this would actually be my first MBA Fair, which is weird if you think about it.

I also got an email from Manchester Business School suggesting I meet up with their Senior Marketing Officer at the fair. We'll see.

Vivir en Madrid

2005-09-13T02:07:00.000+08:00

I have been thinking a lot about moving to Madrid.

I wonder how much Spanish I would actually learn in a year. I wonder if I would be healthier, and fitter by next year. I wonder what kind of flat I would find? Would I have housemates? I want to decorate my room in my mind already, and I often think back about the student accomodation I had in Paris. I wonder about the dress code at IE. What should I bring?

I am hitting the books again... brushing up on my quant abilities (or lack thereof) and getting prep up for GMAT Round 2....

IE International Rankings

2005-09-05T05:14:00.000+08:00

Instituto de Empresa MBA ranked 6th by Forbes magazine

Madrid, September 5, 2005. The Instituto de Empresa MBA programme occupies 6th position worldwide according to the ranking of top non-US business schools published by Forbes magazine. This result further consolidates Instituto de Empresa’s position as a leading international business school.

To prepare this biannual ranking, Forbes consulted the opinions of 6,000 MBA graduates from 111 international business schools, using parameters such as return on investment, career progress, the level of internationalisation of the school, fulfilment of expectations or level of diversity.

Instituto de Empresa is a leading European business school, oriented to training entrepreneurs and corporate managers through its Master’s degrees and Executive Education programmes. Instituto de Empresa is characterised by its markedly global approach, its spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, its applied research projects and the promotion of socially responsible initiatives. Instituto de Empresa has an alumni network that currently comprises some 30,000 IE graduates that hold management positions in 85 countries.

Instituto de Empresa Business School
September 5, 2005

******

Instituto de Empresa MBA Programme, No. 16 worldwide according to the Economist Intelligence Unit ranking

Madrid, September 2005. The Instituto de Empresa MBA programme is No. 16 in the World and No. 5 in Europe, according to the annual ranking published today in the Economist Intelligence Unit. This result comes close behind the Wall Street Journal ranking, which positioned IE as No. 12 worldwide, and No. 6 in Europe.

This year the EUI ranking team surveyed more than over 18,000 students and graduates from business schools across the world. Ranking criteria includes the academic quality of the programme, subsequent professional progress, salaries, the quality and diversity of faculty, and networking outreach.

Instituto de Empresa is a leading European business school, oriented to training entrepreneurs and corporate managers through its Master’s degrees and Executive Education programmes. Instituto de Empresa is characterised by its markedly global approach, its spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, its applied research projects and the promotion of socially responsible initiatives. Instituto de Empresa has an alumni network that currently comprises some 30,000 IE graduates that hold management positions in 85 countries.

******

Instituto de Empresa, No. 12 worldwide in the Wall Street Journal 2005 MBA Ranking

Madrid, September 21, 2005. Instituto de Empresa Business School has achieved 12th position worldwide in the Wall Street Journal’s 2005 Ranking of MBA Programmes, based on recruiters’ opinions.

The authors of the ranking underscore the high score IE obtained this year in the field of career services and the return on investment of recruiting initiatives launched by IE. This acheivement further consolidates IE’s position as on of the world’s leading business schools.

The Wall Street Journal’s ranking is based on the opinion of some 3,200 recruiters, who have evaluated parameters like quality, international projection, and the degree of diversity of the programmes. Other key criteria include academic excellence of the faculty, graduates’ leadership potential and management skills, and the work carried out by the school’s careers department.

The authors also point this year to the attraction of one-year MBA programmes in Europe as a highly attractive alternative to two-year MBAs, given that they reduce participants’ professional downtime. Instituto de Empresa offers one-year programmes, including the recently launched Global Communities MBA (GCMBA). This new programme permits participants to combine their master programme with professional responsibilities, and can be taken over the course of 12, 18 or 24 months. The GCMBA comprises asynchronous online sessions and live videoconference sessions that cover program content in depth and integrate participants into Instituto de Empresa’s business communities and networks.

******

The UK HMS Treasury announced a new entitlement for graduates from 50 of the world’s top business schools to work in the UK for up to 12 months on completing MBAs. This document lists the 50 institutions, including 10 from the UK, that will be eligible to this entitlement from April 2005. The list will be updated annually.

Blogging and the Beginning of Something Great

2005-09-02T04:16:00.000+08:00

I have to call myself a blogging success.

Barely five months ago, I had no idea how blogs work. A university colleague invited me to a common blog, and I have been addicted since.

My search for the best MBA school is closely linked with my blogging. There were maybe five people who knew I was looking at Europe for my MBA. Admittedly, I didn't want people to know in case I wasn't successful. Crab-mentality abounds here, and I hate being surrounded by negativity.

So blogging was my only outlet, to share with the faceless public my life-changing decisions that I had not allowed myself to share with those around me.

My husband was wary about blogs, being a technology-challenged man that he is. He had privacy concerns; I had an itch that only writing could relieve. I scratched. Therefore, I blog.

And it has been a wonderful, wonderful experience.

In a very short time, I found a school, applied and have been accepted. Not just any school, but one of the top business schools in Europe.

I would be learning a new language, finally giving me two sets of skills so important for my career success.

I opened my mind, let the words out -- and they were heard. And they were admired.

David read my blog and gave me the chance of a lifetime. Now my words are being read by Sandee, digested, ruminated. Hopefully they will take seed and bloom.

Just like my blogging life.

Small World

2005-08-31T23:59:00.000+08:00

It's a small world!

I went out with a handful of university friends on Saturday night and told them about my Madrid MBA. Of course they were happy about it and then one of them, who works at the Presidential palace, came out and said that her workmate is also applying for his MBA in Madrid!

Sure enough, I got an SMS from Sandee and later an email. He is applying to IE too. I dont think he is looking at any other school. Government work doesnt reward well here, so he is looking at several financing options. Maybe I should join him on that. Someone from IE would be in Manila on the 20th so he is taking the IE admissions exam in lieu of the GMAT then and have his interview at the same time. I wonder if that means that he may actually start this November if he gets accepted...?

His Spanish is better than mine, he is enrolled at Instituto Cervantes. He actually gets off an hour or so early at work so he can attend his language classes. Not bad.

Across the Atlantic....

2005-08-25T23:54:00.000+08:00

So I decided to keep my options open for the next year.

I looked up the top MBA schools in the US. Admittedly, the acceptance from IE has given me a boost of confidence.

HBS was my first on-line stop. They didn't have the dual-degree programme I had in mind. Then I found Wharton's Lauder programme.... sooooo perfect!

I wish badly there is a way I can speak Advanced-Mid level Spanish in two months!!!!!

The Advantage of the Two-Year Offer

2005-08-22T03:15:00.000+08:00

Obviously this has benefited me a lot. Would I have chosen to defer if I had to start the application process over again? Of course not. Would I have enrolled even with the short finances and the health problem? Yes, and I would have messed up the whole year. I would risk not finishing the year, or IE would have a really bad student in their hands.

I think IE’s two-year option shows how serious the school is about getting students in who are prepared to do the MBA. Quality over quantity. I hope so.

It's not falling into place...

2005-08-21T23:47:00.000+08:00

The admissions letter and information pack from IE arrived by mail last week.

I have spent the last couple of weeks trying to tie-up projects and source out new ones to cover all the costs of going away for a year to do my MBA. Sadly, my little savings, the money from my husband and a bit from my family will not be enough to cover both the tuition and my living expenses.

To make things complicated, my general check-up at the doctor turned up an elevated cholesterol level, and BP which aren't that surprising considering I am overweight. Then a routine visit to the dentist also turned up a condition that would need to be dealt with over 6 months. Not a good week for my health.

Today was the first day I talked to my hubby about deferring to next year. He wasn't happy with the decision, but understands where I am coming from.

This is a very BIG deal. It may just be one year, but it is a year that will change my life, hopefully for the better. I want to come prepared with guns blazing. It would be difficult to get the most out of the "MBA Experience" when I am worried about finances and my health.

I am taking a year off to sort out my health, learn Spanish and get mentally prepared for my year at IE. I am really sad now, because I have been sooooo psyched about leaving for Madrid in a couple of months.

I hope I am making the right decision....

Blogsphere

2005-08-14T03:46:00.000+08:00

Enrique cited my page and brought over 100 visitors to my blog.

Though I appreciate being found by Enrique in this digital plane, I feel that my blog may be taken by these visitors in a way I never intended.

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I know that this blog has led me to IE. Along the way, my purpose for writing on this web journal may have not been as clear, but here is the deal: I don’t intend to be a poster child for a school --- any school. This blog is a personal project, a way to vent my secret hopes and my aggravations, during this whole MBA application. Sort of an imaginary friend.

That's why I preferred to be anonymous (as anonymous as possible with the details I have published.) I only included information which I felt were important to impart the true flavour of my experience. You know how sometimes you read a book and the author describes a character standing in a cafe and you can almost smell the espresso? Like that.

This blog doesn't intend to promote or malign anything or anybody. I blog just because. I blog to entertain a little, but mostly just to share my experience.

Do I have a lesson or message to impart to my readers? Nothing that your momma didn't teach you. Be mindful of the Golden Rule. Don't spit on the sidewalk. Brush your teeth. Don't talk to strangers. And a couple of things your momma didn't teach you. Blogging is fun. Cyber sex isn't sex. And you can find the best schools online.

So will I be able to continue my blog? That depends a lot on how badly I do in my finance classes, but I intend to. Will my blog change over time? I would like to think so. Change is fun, change is growth. Would I dish out the dirt on IE? I never dish out dirt. What's the point? Life is too short for that.

The only thing I would be mindful of from now on is whether what I write are my true reflections. As Polonnius said, to thine ownself be true.

I am complicated.

What I have gotten myself into

2005-08-13T02:01:00.000+08:00

I havent gotten down to that intensive Spanish class and Finance tutorial I have planned on doing. I have sort of been pre-occupied making sure I have got enough funds to cover the course costs and living expenses for the next year in Madrid.

I love this quote from the IE fees and funding information sheet: "The decision to attend Instituto de Empresa will require a significant investment of both time and resources. As an applicant, your ability to fund the programme is inferred and constitutes an important part of your candidature."

On the fees front, I am looking at 7,600 €+900 € non-refundable reservation. Beginning October, I should be paying the balance of roughly 10,133.33 € over three consecutive months.

The 38,000 € tuition fee doesn't cover accommodation or travelling expenses. To live decently as a mature student in Madrid, I would guess that I would hit the upper ceiling of their estimated cost of living:
It is difficult to provide an exact figure for the cost of living in Madrid, given that lifestyles vary from one person to another. The following table is designed to provide an idea of how much it costs a month to live in Madrid: * Shared accommodation would cost between €300 and €600. Individual Accommodation * €500 a €1,100 Food €300 Transport €60 Medical insurance €60 Others €200 TOTAL €1,120 - €1,720

To say that I am worried about costs is an understatement....

On top of that I know that I should be doing more to make-up for my poor (to nil) Spanish and my appaling quantitative abilities. So I looked up the course structure for the programme and I started to panic!!! I have NEVER, EVER taken a finance class or an accounting class my entire life! So to see "Financial Accounting" and "Quantitative Analysis for Business" on the first few days of the course has be hyper ventilating in a very non-sexual way. David warned me about it (since he is one of the few who has seen my GMAT results --- it's a closely guarded secret in the same league as the The Secrets of Fatima and just as alarming.)

In a perfect world, I wouldnt have to worry about money, or packing, or breaking the news to friends that I am leaving the country and would be gone for a long time.

In a perfect world, I not only speak Spanish beautifully, I speak four other languages.

In a perfect world, I am a world-class tennis player and fencer and a free diving record holder.

In a perfect world, I am a finance whiz with the heart of a poet.

In a perfect world, I would be a Monica Bellucci-look-alike who is married to a MacGyver look-alike.

But its not a perfect world, and you know what, I am good enough as I am!

*******

COURSE STRUCTURE

Schedule: Mon-Fri 9.00 - 15.00
Intake: November
No. students per class: 60

The full-time programme is divided into an online pre-programme and five teaching periods during which the subject matter becomes progressively more detailed. The core courses are taught entirely in English. The programme becomes bilingual with the elective courses to allow
non-Spanish speakers to become familiar with the language.

The IE International MBA does not require any specific prior experience in the areas covered. Subjects are introduced progressively so as to be accessible to students from varying academic backgrounds. During the core courses the lectures are held from 9am to 3pm from Monday to Friday. Students are encouraged to use afternoons and evenings for teamwork, research projects, preparing cases, consulting databases and reference materials.

CORE COURSES
First Period
The first period aims to converge the skills of students from different academic backgrounds and equip them with the tools they will use throughout the remainder of the programme. This
period also includes an introduction to entrepreneurial studies - a cornerstone of IE's approach to business education.

The first period includes a residential module to enhance teamwork skills and facilitate interaction among the participants. One of courses is an outdoor training session where students will compete in teams to foster creativity, team spirit and physical well-being while enjoying the mountains of Sierra de Guadarrama to the north of Madrid. Teams will have the opportunity to practice interpersonal skills that will be key in future job relationships, and to learn more about their colleagues and develop their IE network.
Entrepreneurship I
Financial Accounting
Marketing I: Fundamentals
Organisational Behaviour
Quantitative Analysis for Business

Second Period
The second period analyses what are known as the 'basic areas', dealing with the most advanced management techniques available in modern business activities. The second period also includes the Coaching Workshop experience. The main objective of this workshop is to help the students improve their coaching and training skills in informal situations where there may be limited
time and information. The workshop helps develop a capacity for observation, analysis, active listening and feedback.
Cost Accounting
Economic Environment
Financial Management I: Principles of Corporate Finance
Marketing II
Operations Management I
Quantitative Analysis for Business

Third Period
Period three focuses on the implementation of actions and strategies in organisations from a global perspective, placing particular emphasis on the changes resulting from rapidly advancing information and communication technologies. Bilingual classes start in this period.
Entrepreneurship
Financial Management II: Debts vs Equity & Valuations
Human Resource Management
Information Systems
Operations Management II
Strategic Management I

Fourth Period
The fourth period includes specific courses of general interest for our students.
Business Government & Society
Country Economic Analysis
General Management
Management Control Systems
Marketing III: International Marketing Strategies

ELECTIVE COURSES
Fifth and Sixth Period
The final periods afford students the opportunity to select elective courses from over fifty different alternatives. These periods of specialisation permit students to immerse themselves in the most innovative trends in all functional areas and a wide range of sectors.
Advanced Financial Strategy
Advanced Quantitative Methods
Advanced Strategy Analysis
*Asia: Present Business Realities and Future Directions
Becoming a Digital Business
BSC as a Strategic Control Tool
Business in Developing Countries
Cash Management
Company Benefits and Satisfaction
Consulting: Art or Science?
Corporate Finance
Derivatives
Distribution and Trade Marketing
Diversity as a Management Strategy
e-Transformation
Economic Country Analysis
*Entrepreneurial Feasibility Analysis
ERP and Business Engineering
Ethics
Family Businesses
Financial Entrepreneurship
Financial Information for Decision Making
*Foreign Market Management and Decision Making
*Global Strategic Management
Industrial Marketing
Internal Communication
*International Marketing
International Political Analysis for Corporations
Internationalisation of Businesses
IT Arena
Knowledge Management
Law and Economics
Leadership, Power and Influence
Legal Environment for Managers
Managing Human Resources in Innovative Firms
Managing People
Managing Regulated Industries
Marketing Services
Mass Customisation
Mobile Commerce
Multi-project Management
Multinational Finance
Online/offline Media Mix
*Organisational Fundamentals for Managers
Positioning and Segmentation in Market Research
Service Efficiency and Effectiveness
Social Marketing
Stock Market Analysis
Strategic Innovations in Information Technologies and Cost Management
Strategic Management for Franchises
Tax Environment for Managers
Technology Project Negotiations
The Coming of Managerial Capitalism
The Entertainment Industry
The EU: Institutions, Policies, Economy and Expansion
The New Consumer and Technology
Top Management Teams and Corporate Governance
Understanding Accounting Decision Making in Ethical and Trust Relations

F & F

2005-08-08T09:23:00.000+08:00

Now that I have come down a bit from the high of being accepted, a bit of reality check started to creep in.... Fees & Funding.

A real global proposition: I am Asian, with my funds in dollars, and the fees are in euros....

I can't think of the cost in Asian terms, because I can build a primary school with that money. In dollar terms, it will be costing me more, since the euro has increased in value. In euros... well, it really is an investment, and I know it will be more than worth it!

My Spot Under the Sun

2005-08-07T20:04:00.000+08:00

I got the official email the other day, two weeks late as my server bounced the original email.

Reflections
I haven't had the chance to reflect on being offered a place. The longest six weeks of my life.... Although I am not highly fatalistic, I feel that somehow there was a Grand Design to all this.

Perhaps Blogger can use me as their poster child.... a real blogging success!

What does it mean now? The opportunity. The life-changing opportunity. A new place, a new life. Carpe diem!

I think I may have found my spot....

The IE MBA Programme

2005-08-06T21:20:00.000+08:00

***

Madrid, January 24, 2005. The Instituto de Empresa MBA programme has been ranked 19th worldwide and 5th in Europe by the Financial Times MBA 2005 ranking.

In the different academic categories IE is among the 10 best schools in the fields of entrepreneurship and organisational behaviour, consolidating Instituto de Empresa's position as a leading international business school.

The Financial Times ranking comprises 21 categories that refer to both the institution and alumni. FT also analyses data like the international outreach of each school, the projection of its programmes, the weighted salaries of alumni three years after graduation, the percentage of women faculty and students, the percentage of international professors, of professors that hold a PhD, and levels of research.

Instituto de Empresa is a leading European business school, oriented to training entrepreneurs and company directors through its master's degrees and executive education programmes.

Instituto de Empresa is characterised by its markedly global approach, its spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, its applied research projects and the promotion of socially responsible initiatives.

Instituto de Empresa has an alumni network that currently comprises some 30,000 IE graduates that hold management positions in 85 countries.

http://prplanet.typepad.com/ceobloggers

http://executivewoman.blogspirit.com/mba/

ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-08-05T02:00:00.000+08:00

I am going to MADRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*******

Dear Ms. ******,

Thank you for the interest you have shown in Instituto de Empresa and for participating in the admissions process for the programme:

International MBA

It is my pleasure to inform you that your application has been successful and that the Instituto de Empresa Admissions Committee has granted you definitive admission for the abovementioned programme.

Allow me to remind you that admission to the International MBA Programme is valid for two years, but does not in itself guarantee a place on the intake of your choice.

In order to reserve a place on the next intake with places still available, you are first required to effect a non-refundable payment of 20% of programme tuition fees and the stipulated contribution to The Instituto de Empresa Foundation. Please let me remind you that places are limited and reservations are formalised in strict order of receipt, as it is not uncommon for intakes to close several months before the commencement of the programme.

Please read the documentation enclosed carefully, given that it explains all the steps you must take to complete the enrolment process correctly. You may also consult the Admissions Department to clarify any doubts.

Congratulations on your acceptance and I look forward to welcoming you as a student to our school.

Kind regards,

Julián Trigo
Admissions Director

No News Yet

2005-08-02T14:50:00.000+08:00

It is officially two weeks since the interview with IE and I haven't heard a digital peep or squeek.

I even called my domain host today to see if anything is wrong with the server!

A bit frustrated....

The IE Interview

2005-07-19T21:15:00.000+08:00

15-minute Presentation

I am sooooooooo glad this went well!

I am just so relieved I think I am going to pour myself a glass of wine, put on a mindless movie and just chill....!

Rear View Mirror

2005-07-18T04:17:00.000+08:00

The Perfect Day Road Trip (And Why I Want an MBA)

Let me begin by telling you a story about my perfect day.

Some years back, I was grousing to my high school friend how unsatisfied I felt about my career path. She was surprised at this as she said she always considered me ambitious and goal-oriented. I was, and I still am. I also have a clear idea of my goal, and I have the background to make it happen.

The problem at that time was I didn’t see a clear path to my goal. So my friend taught me a trick; she said if you know where you want to be, then work your way backwards. Write your resume today as you want it to be ten or fifteen years down the line.

Now, that was a neat trick. I have used that technique in a lot of different situation. It has helped me make difficult decisions and made it easy to spot the smart moves to take. Best of all, it showed me how to get to where I want to be.

I went beyond merely writing my resume backwards; I started to live my life that way. It is almost like driving forward through the rear-view mirror. I began by imagining my perfect day, from waking up to falling asleep.

My Perfect Day

My perfect day started with a quiet moment for myself, sipping tea and watching the sun rise. Work started in my perfect day after I have sent my family off to school or to work. In my perfect day, I drive a red ford mustang with leather interior and the top down. I used that car to drive to the building I own, where my multi-million business is headquartered. That building is just down the road from our villa with the pool, and Jacuzzi, and a lawn that could host a mean football game. In my perfect day, work doesn’t feel like work. My day is filled with meetings to hear creative ideas, networking and planning business trips. And my perfect day ends where it began, at home, with my family thinking this is not a bad at life at all….

What the exercise taught me is that my perfect day had no room for a big boss. I am the big boss. My perfect day had no room for a strict 8 to 5 job; I wanted the freedom of quality time for myself and for my family.

I am sure some of the details of my perfect day would change, such as what country I will be living in or what model of car I am driving. What I know wouldn’t change is my love for my work, the excitement of successfully completing a project, and the buzz you get from working with talented people.

Detours and Roadmaps

I am sure I would take minor career detours too, the business environment after all is dynamic. Technology could time-warp development and 15 years could 5. Economies and markets may contract, turning two years, to maybe never.

Having a clear vision of where I want to be, has allowed me to cope better with changes and uncertainties. If this one doesn’t pan out, change lanes. It’s alright to make a wrong turn, just try not to do it again! Knowing where I want to go makes a map relevant. Others are given the tool yet they do not know how to make full use of it. The MBA will be my roadmap.

To be where I am right now is to be nearer my goal. I am more mature and more motivated now than I have ever been. I have a clearer understanding of the values and philosophies that will help me complete my journey.

King (or Queen) of the Road

I know that certain sets of skills are important for my success. I know now that optimism is the lifeblood of entrepreneurs. It leads to invention, drives innovation and helps managers tap into the great creative force around them. I know that knowledge is empowering, but relevant information is true power. To be a successful business manager, it is essential to know how to process that information to protect the bottom-line, and ensure growth for the enterprise.

To be a true leader though, I must always be mindful of my role in society. I learned long ago that social responsibility is the foundation of an effective leader. First you become involved, then you become part of the solution. The buck does not get passed – true leaders own it.

Vehicle

I'm your vehicle baby
I'll take you anywhere you wanna go
I'm your vehicle woman
By now I'm sure you know
That I love ya (love you)
I need ya (need you)
I want to, got to have you child
Great God in heaven, you know I love you

These characteristics are the fuel to my drive. The question is, do I have the proper ride to make this journey?

The answer is YES.

It has been a journey, and I believe my background has prepared me for it. For me learning is a continuing process and goes beyond the classroom. My work history has allowed me to gain competence in different fields, and I have learned to adapt those to other functions with ease.
Most importantly, I have learned to relate with people with a different culture and background than mine.

My education has been made fuller by nuggets of wisdom I picked up along the way. My pre-university education was at an exclusive catholic school for girls. There I learned to analyse gender perceptions and pre-conceptions. The most important lesson I learned there is that being a woman is reason enough to celebrate. That being a woman is never an excuse to limit myself. That it may get tough, but being a woman should be incentive enough to break the glass ceiling.

University was my next road stop. There I learned the value of social awareness and responsibility. As a student council officer at university, I used to tell fellow students that if we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem.

Taking graduate studies brought me further along this road trip. I learned that there are common issues out there, beyond national borders. That despite the apparent differences, there lies beneath a strong connection borne out of shared humanity, shared environment, shared aspirations.

When I had the chance to study overseas, my horizon broadened. It is like chancing upon the autobahn after the congested city streets of Asia. I learned in Paris that there is so much to learn from colleagues. That the knowledge we gain from experience is unique, and yet universal in its application. That the diversity of cultures gives way to commonalty of interests. That I can learn so much from an eminent author from Warwick as much as from a fellow student from Sri Lanka.

I have always tried to strike a balance in my academic life. During my undergraduate years, I was active in the student council, in campus journalism, academic organisations, and was even part of the first university Fencing Club. I proposed an on-job-training scheme, and solicited my own sponsor. During my graduate studies, I was working full-time and later set-up my own enterprise.

Wo ist die deutsche Autobahn?

My education intensified as soon as I left university. The work place offered me even more learning opportunities. I have worked in a private firm, in a diplomatic mission and managed my own enterprise.

The most important lesson I learned during my three years at **** is that despite cultural differences, the values, characteristics and standards of behaviour for an effective team is universal. Whether Filipino or British, it is easy to spot an effective manager and a lousy one. That culture and nationality are not a cloak to hide an ineffective team and unsuitable team members. That prejudice exists even among people of the same colour. And for businesses to grow, they have to look beyond their backyard.

Starting my own business is the hardest, bravest, and most fulfilling thing I have done as yet. When I made the decision to do so, I hadn’t yet learned of the backwards resume. I had launched a ship to sail the big blue, without any idea if there is anything beyond the horizon. I did so with only the knowledge that there is something greater out there for me to conquer. Knowing where I was sailing to would have made it easier, but it tested my resolve and dedication and I came out on top.

The Road Less Travelled

These side trips provided more substance to my journey. By taking the road less travelled, I developed experience in fields like publishing, media planning and events marketing for small business. I further honed my skills in international market research and provided an outlet for my lobbying and advocacy work.

I recognise though that there are important skills I have yet to hone. I realise the importance of improving on my experience as an international manager. It is my hope that I will gain precious insights on the principles of global management as well as the cultural aspects of leadership from the professors and students of IE.

I take special care to nurture my sensitivity to cultural issues

I look at learning languages as a cultural tool. In an increasingly global society, communication will only get more difficult than easier if we start to think that we all speak the same language. I am bi-lingual and have taken introductory classes for French, Spanish and Thai. I am not always successful, but I try to learn the language of those I work with.

There will always be room to improve my sensitivity and awareness of my social responsibility. The moment I stop thinking about it is the day I lose my sensitivity.

In the workplace, I am passionate about mentoring, fighting sexual harassment and bullying. Outside, I work with a programme for streetchildren.

Full-Speed Ahead

It has also allowed me to let go of the burdens of the past. Knowing where I want to take my career means I can look back at what I have experienced and choose those that would help me move forward; everything else are relegated to the past. No point holding a grudge on my third grade teacher who pushed me to the back of the class during a musical production of “I feel pretty” from West Side Story. I could have blamed her for putting me at risk of having a low self-esteem, but what’s the point? My perfect day does not involve a musical performance. Besides, I couldn’t sing to save my life so I can afford to think of that experience with tongue in cheek. Do I regret not completing my MA in International Studies? No, because I realise then that my career requires an international education. My local university, though prestigious, will not provide me with the international exposure I need. Do I resent having to work for different bosses, especially the bad ones? Except for one who should be sued, no, because I learnt how to be a better manager by seeing how bad ones do it. I expect to have managers and bosses, so I can learn more about being a better executive. When it is my time to lead, I will take all the good with the bad so I can turn my vision to a reality.

Official Interview Email

2005-07-13T23:34:00.000+08:00

Dear ***** ****,

Thank you for undertaking the admissions process for the International MBA Programme.

After carefully reviewing your application form, the Admissions Committee is pleased to inform you that you are invited to move on to the next stage, which comprises an interview.

This interview will be carried out in English by a member of the Admissions Department. It may be held at your convenience, either at our Campus in Madrid or by telephone. Please let us know as soon as possible which of these two options is more adequate for you.

Yours sincerely,

IE-Instituto de Empresa
Admissions Department

How will the story be told?

2005-07-12T23:44:00.000+08:00

I enjoyed asking people for input. I usually ask from people whose opinion I value. I think I am a good judge of people and it seems easy to appreciate individual talents. Some people cant write, but they are great with creative concepts. Some aren't very good public speakers, but they are great at individual projects. And some, like my best friend, is great at spotting the details, but I wouldn't ask him to come up with a theme.

Friends who have done MBA, have done so locally, and couldn't seem to grasp why I am putting so much effort into a "mere" powerpoint.... They write it off as one of my "projects". I have been accused in university of taking on a project and going over the top. There was the time I decided to take on my best friends AIDS awareness project (he was getting an allowance from USAID, I was unofficial and a true volunteer) and we stood in our college's great hall and handed out rubber to every student that passed by --- which would be every one, roughly a couple of thousand. If I did that anywhere else in this Catholic country, I would have been stoned to death by conservatives. I could have very well been charged with corrupting the morality of minors or some archaic law as that.

Another project was my wedding, where I decided to carry a theme and actually took care of every detail of my wedding down to the confetti toss (individually packed, tsuzj up, and stamped for 150 guests...) despite working full-time and taking graduate studies. Since I found out that a British tradition has a female relative sewing a horseshoe symbol in the lining of the bride's frock for good luck, I compelled a cousin to embroider the same in the lining of my wedding gown. My bridal gown though was bespoke, and local tradition prohibits brides from trying it on before the wedding, so my cousin couldn't get her hands on the gown early enough. She ended up embroidering my gown on her hands and knees while I am having my hair and make-up done a couple of hours before the wedding!

I get a little obsessive-compulsive with details. I like starting a project with a theme or concept. Its my framework. Then you start filling in the details, and that common thread will keep the whole thing from falling apart. Ideas are ephemeral, we need something mundane like themes to hold it together and give it form.

So yesterday, while working on my powerpoint presentation, I was stuck at a concept for the presentation. How do you tell a story without a story line? What was my central theme? That I am innovative? Entrepreneurial? You cant tell people what you are --- you have to show them.

Let the story unfold....

Woman on Top

2005-07-11T06:14:00.000+08:00

Would Wolfgang be as successful if he were a woman?

I am a foodie. I love to cook, I love to dine out, I love fancy food, and I love throwing themed parties. My husband and I actually have some favourite American chefs, like Wolfgang Puck and Mario Batali who are on opposite sides of the spectrum. We both can't stand that Bobby Flay guy. I happen to like Rachel Ray but my husband thinks she is too giggly. I love Sarah Moulton and the huge rock on her finger, and somewhere deep inside me, I still fancy myself a Domestic Diva who would give Nigella a run for her money....

Thinking about that, it’s so glaring how the culinary world is run by male chefs. At the grass root level, cooking and food are still considered feminine past time. When I say I enjoy cooking, I sound domesticated. If my husband says he cooks, he is suddenly a culinary connoisseur. If we had a restaurant, I would be running a kitchen, but he would be running a food business.

Women Playing Entrepreneur

The discrepancy in the perception of abilities is glaring both in the culinary world as in the business world. I have been running my own business (with varying success) since I got married in 1999. For the first year or two, I had to work from home as funding was always a problem. I remember a casual acquaintance as me how I am enjoying being a "housewife". I asked her why she thinks I am a housewife. She said, "Oh haven’t you quit your old job? I heard you stay at home." I said, no actually I run a business from home. And she said, "Oh that’s great, so you don’t get bored until you have a baby...." To say I fell of my chair does not do the justice to the situation....

The irony of it is... she actually has an MBA!!! Her family owns a restaurant and she attended the most prestigious MBA here. I think because her mother treats their restaurant business as something to do in between her Ballroom Dancing sessions, my friend actually has a perception that women who run businesses are not in the same league as managers in MNCs.

If we had the same conversation and I was male, I am sure the rest of the conversation would be remarkably different.

Then is this girl I know, also an entrepreneur that runs a printing business (her business partner inherited the business from her parents), a young single parent, born to affluence. I use to share an office space with her, the first one I had since moving the business out of our flat. I caught up with her recently over coffee and mentioned that I was applying for an MBA in Europe. She actually look disappointed in me. She said, "You know maybe the reason you feel unfulfilled sometimes is because you need to re-evaluate your priorities. You're married now, maybe you will find fulfilment in a family life...." I fell silent. What on earth can I say to that? I didn’t even argue. If somebody would actually think that statement is enlightening, there is no point convincing them of another way of thinking. I mean, come on, right? Again, her mother runs a landscaping business from home and has been very vocal that her priority is looking after the family, and the dad's role is to be a good provider. Is there a pattern here?

My close friends from high school are far more enlightened, and do not even question my drive to get the best MBA I can. They are concerned about my marriage though. One year away, and us living on separate continents, both going to be busy with our own lives. Am I putting my marriage to unnecessary risk? And what about children....?

What about children??? I don’t have one, and I don’t intend to have any until I have completely satisfied myself with my career. If I don’t have any, I wouldn’t be any less a person or woman. Besides, I don’t want to be a mother to a child who would grow up and think that women are just playing at being an entrepreneur! My children would have a full-fledged role-model in their mother, or so I hope. They can hate me when they hit puberty, but I will be the best role-model I can be. And as to my marriage? If I can’t leave my husband alone for a year, there is no point keeping the marriage right?

Woman on Top

Having ranted on about misconceptions about women in business, I am not comfortable with the trend of setting aside recruitment quota for women in business school. I hate to think that after all my hard work, and the struggle to be accepted as a worthy business adversary, I would get into the top MBA schools because I am a WOMAN.... that would just be raining on my parade.

I would like to get into an MBA because I went head to head with men and women and I came out on top.

Dual Degree?

2005-07-10T22:18:00.000+08:00

Ambitious but sooooo perfect for my interests....

Fletcher School and Instituto de Empresa Launch Dual Master’s Degree Program Degree combines international affairs and management

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

MEDFORD MASSACHUSETTS AND MADRID, SPAIN – The Fletcher School at Tufts University, the nation’s oldest graduate school of international affairs, and Instituto de Empresa, a leading European business school, have launched a new Dual Master’s Degree Program, according to a joint news release issued today.

The program is designed to equip students with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Instituto de Empresa Business School (Madrid, Spain), and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) or a Master of Arts (MA) in International Affairs from the Fletcher School in under two and a half years -- less time than it would take to acquire the two degrees on a separate basis.

Students will be prepared for careers that combine international affairs and management. It is particularly appropriate for students who seek management positions in international corporations, global financial institutions, international economic development institutions and government agencies.

“This dual degree will equip directors with a solid training in management and international relations that will place them in a privileged position to meet professional challenges in a global world, in both corporate and institutional environments,” explains Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, Dean of Instituto de Empresa Business School.

“We are delighted to enter into a partnership with Instituto de Empresa,” says Stephen W. Bosworth, Dean of The Fletcher School. "I strongly believe that the unique resources offered at both schools will better equip students to function as successful professionals in this exciting new age of globalization.”

Participants must satisfy the requirements for each of the two degrees. The MBA/MALD dual degree program requires students to spend a minimum of three semesters or equivalent at The Fletcher School, and four trimesters at Instituto de Empresa. The MBA/MA dual degree program entails one year at each school.

Instituto de Empresa is a leading European business school, oriented to training entrepreneurs and company directors through its masters and executive education programs. Instituto de Empresa is characterized by its global approach, its spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, the development of applied research projects and the promotion of socially responsible initiatives. Instituto de Empresa currently has a network of 30,000 alumni that hold management positions in 85 countries. Website: http://www.ie.edu

The Fletcher School, founded more than 70 years ago in the midst of the Great Depression and during a period of rampant isolationism, has been an innovative leader in graduate professional education in international affairs. The school’s 6,200 graduates reside in more than 130 countries, often working in leadership positions as government officials, diplomats, business executives, educators, human rights and humanitarian advocates, international lawyers, journalists and environmental policymakers. Website: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/

Am I fit enough?

2005-07-09T05:03:00.000+08:00

Lately I have been wondering about my physical fitness.

It is one of those things you push off, thinking there is always time to get fit, and it slowly creeps up on you and before you know it, the dry cleaner has shrunk all your clothes and the "one size fits all" label on clothes infuriates you.

To add to my concerns, I re-read IE's course description and I can't believe I missed this paragraph (selective memory?):

The first period includes a residential module to enhance teamwork skills and facilitate interaction among the participants. One of courses is an outdoor training session where students will compete in teams to foster creativity, team spirit and physical well-being while enjoying the mountains of Sierra de Guadarrama to the north of Madrid. Teams will have the opportunity to practice interpersonal skills that will be key in future job relationships, and to learn more about their colleagues and develop their IE network.

It's bad enough to have 13-months of intense academic study, living away from family and friends and not making my own money for all that time -- now they throw outdoor activity at my face?????

All the fuss about right-brained vs. left-brained

2005-07-08T20:29:00.000+08:00

You Are 35% Left Brained, 65% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.

Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.

If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.

Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.

Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.

If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.

Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Preparing for my Interview

2005-07-07T23:15:00.000+08:00

It has been a week since I got a short message that I have a schedule for an interview but I didn't have the details yet. So I decided to practice a bit of initiative and emailed to ask what I need to prepare for the interview. Today I got a reply and now I know what I need to do for my IE interview.

Fortunately, I am PowerPoint savvy! I am sure its the second most common application I use, next to Word. I am better at it than I am with Excel. I have been preparing PPT for client presentations and international conferences for eight years. I can manipulate templates, insert other media, whatever! Tell me what you want done and I can tell how many steps it will take to do it.

The one thing I cannot do though is make my own flash animation. For that I called in my ex-GFX artist and she was glad enough to help.

Preparing for my interview, I called in my contacts for input. One of my university friends joked that it is turning into a production, like in the chick-flick Legally Blonde. No, I couldn't possibly do that sequinned bikini, and I look nothing like a Ms Hawaiian tropics runner up. Its the effort that goes into completing this project.

First on the call list was the graphics artist. Next I called in the Creative Director from the magazine project I finished last year to advise me on colour scheme. We also called in the Associate Photographer from the magazine who owes me - literally - to help select images for the presentation. A friend working at the ADB agreed to listen to the presentation and critique, and just to be sure I called in my favourite lawyer to help me practice my oral delivery. Talk about project management!

Content isn't a problem as I am writing everything myself (who knows me better than me, right?) All of today and tomorrow morning would be focused on developing the content. I am working on the outline, then I will work on the colour scheme and graphics, and finally practice delivering the presentation. It will be a loooong weekend.

Here's hoping I am on the right track....

Another Rejection

2005-07-06T21:46:00.000+08:00

I got the rejection letter from Cambridge today by post.

Despite the disappointment, I was actually impressed by them more than Oxford. The letter is better phrased, and you are almost comforted that they took the time to print and sign a letter as opposed to Oxford that sent a run of the mill email.

I have to admit that since Cambridge and Oxford where the first applications I prepared, my application was not very well crafted. Even I can see that now! The good news is, I learned from those had done much better with my IE application!

Oh well, I believe in Fate. And I have set my eyes on Spain so all these isn't as painful as I would expect.

Madrid or Bust!

Moving On

2005-07-05T23:52:00.000+08:00

This week has been crazy.

Several short term projects have come up, which would be interesting to take on except I am really not in a position to commit.

Doing the MBA this year is a major investment of time and money; and as much as I would like to take on these projects for professional and financial reasons, I would not be able to on my own.

If I were to get extra staff, my cost would increase and my profit will shrink which would negate the financial gains of the project. And if I have people working on the project, I wouldn't gain the professional experience I want to get from all of it.

Yet I have been angling for these projects since late 2003, and financing was a problem. I already have the business plan in place, we just need to market and execute.

But I am very aware that there is great danger in spreading myself too thin, in taking on too much. Getting greedy.

So I have to make choices, and better get on with it. I am not sure I would be totally happy with it, but I am sure whatever I decide to do will be for the best.

I am looking forward to the move to Thailand. I still have to wait for the actual go signal to move, but I really don't see any other way to do it.

Make Poverty History - Wear a White Band

2005-07-02T00:00:00.001+08:00

The symbol of the campaign is a simple White Band worn around the wrist, your arm - in fact anywhere you like that it can be seen by everyone! By wearing one you are part of a unique worldwide effort in 2005 to end extreme poverty - you're saying that it's time to stop the deaths of more than 200,000 people every single week from preventable diseases. You can wear it any way you like:

Around your wrist

Around your rear view mirror

As a hair band

Through the laces in your trainers

Around the straps of your handbag

As a lapel ribbon

On your key ring

Even on pet collars

The really important thing is that you just wear it.

Hooray!

2005-07-01T23:11:00.000+08:00

I got a brief note in the mail today, I have a schedule for an interview!!!

Ready to Fly

2005-06-30T23:57:00.000+08:00

According to the DHL website, my docs have been delivered to IE.

I am ready to fly!

Para Hervirse el Conejito

2005-06-29T05:04:00.000+08:00

The hope of getting into Spain's top business school has occupied most of my waking thoughts, and quite possibly will take over my REM cycles too.

For the last week, I have wokrked on, and thought of nothing else but my IE application. In fact I have moved my IE folder to my desktop.

I am trying to keep myself from over-emailing David lest he thinks me the MBA version of a bunny boiler....

Why the GMAT worries me

2005-06-28T12:44:00.000+08:00

I am not a great fan of standardised test. In fact I am not a big fan of grading at all to determine a student's ability. I taught in university for a spell, so I know that grading is subjective too. My entire academic life I have seen people with unexceptional grades yet are gifted in unimaginable ways. And I have seen cum laudes whose intellectual capabilities are doubtful. I mean I know of students with high grades, and yet if they offered their paper for me to copy off, I wouldnt do it!

When I read David's blog entry yesterday, I wonder why schools still use the GMAT? Is it a matter of not rejecting a paradigm until a better one comes along? Or is it more a business reality --- GMAT is a major industry with the review materials, and centres, and test fees?

I do believe that most schools look at their students GMAT. That GMAT averages matter to the schools marketing efforts, and they really dont want to pull down their average.

The GMAT culture is here, and probably here to stay for awhile, and I cant fight that. Sink or swim. I hate the GMAT, but right now it rules. So I will play by the game right now, review for it (which really at the end of the day if I studied for it, it doesnt really measure my skills, right? It measures what I managed to review) and get a better score.

GMAT scores is a label, like a Private Membership club. You have a membership card, alright come in; how come nobody asks if you are fun enough to party with? Your GMAT is 700+, ok great -- but are you smart enough? How come nobody ever asks that? They just hear the high GMAT scores and assume you are smart. I think that only makes you a good test-taker.

Am I sour-graping?

Checklist

2005-06-27T10:09:00.000+08:00

I have my IE packet all laid out:

INSTITUTO DE EMPRESA BUSINESS SCHOOL

Department of Admissions
C/ Maria de Molina, 13
28006 Madrid Spain

Checklist:

Application submitted online via TopApply on 21 June 2005.
Application fee paid online via TopApply on 21 June 2005.
Original university Transcript of Records
Original English translation of university degree certificate/ diploma
Original certificate of graduation from English language university
Letter requesting waiver of TOEFL
CV with passport size photo
Photocopy of passport valid until 2009
Letter of Presentation by a fellow manager
Letter of Presentation by a fellow entrepreneur
Letter of Presentation by a client

Signed everything, spritz on my favourite scent Dior Hypnotic Poison, and sealed it with a kiss. Fingers crossed!

Come to the Edge

2005-06-26T23:27:00.000+08:00

He said, "Come to the Edge."
I said, "I can't, I'm afraid."
He said, "Come to the Edge."
I said, "I can't, I'll fall off."
He said, finally, "Come to the Edge."
And I came to the Edge.
And he pushed me.
And I flew.
- Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)

I have exchanged a couple of emails with David, and quite frankly, he has me inspired.

He said Come to the Edge, and I came to the Edge. Would he push me? Would I fly?

Diva Exposed!

2005-06-25T05:34:00.000+08:00

So I decided to email David, and let him know that I have put my application through. It did feel a bit like giving your credit card details to a stranger, but really, at the end of the day, he would have more details on me than I will ever write in this blog. So why hold back? He has been kind enough to read my thoughts, and more importantly, took the time and effort to leave his comments.

It does feel good to know that my voice is being heard.

My best friend thought it was weird to have a "virtual" identity. So I showed him my blog. He actually imagined that I had created an on-line personality, an alter ego (he collects action figures, so his imagination can get quite....)

Anonymity is not creating a false personality (I am sure some do, but that would make them just plain creepy...). To me it simply is about sharing my experience and thoughts without sacrificing my privacy and comfort.

Caveat: If you haven't figured out yet, the words are true, the images are not....

Fragile Hope

2005-06-24T23:18:00.000+08:00

I think that when you are preparing for such a life changing experience, everything seems more fragile.

It's like holding a bud of rose in your hand.. you are so careful not to bruise the petal, and scared it would wilt.

I think that is how I feel about this stage of the admissions process. With fragile hope, you are careful not to do anything to ruin your chances.

But I find myself being a bit more restrained, with the mundane details of life and the tiny everyday decisions we have to make.

Like the time I had dinner with friends. They wanted to know what my plan for the big 3-0 party (I am known for the effort I put into my parties --- I guess if event management qualifies as a hobby, it would be mine) and I couldn't tell them that I may not be here to throw one! I could very possibly be in Europe then. But I haven't really told everyone about my MBA plans. I guess I don't want to bruise a beautiful bud.

But can we enjoy the beauty of the bud if we are preoccupied with the fear of ruining it? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

And if I let myself be taken over with apprehension and doubt, wouldn't that negate the very reason why I should be in an MBA?

I will not let one bud take away my enjoyment. I can very easily go to a flower shop and get a whole crate of roses.

Better yet, I will plant my own garden....

Oxford R4, Rejected

2005-06-23T21:45:00.000+08:00

Fuck. Rejection sucks.

University of Oxford MBA 2005-2006

I am sorry to inform you that following full consideration of your application, the MBA Committee is not able to offer you a place on the 2005-2006 programme. I am sure you will appreciate that the Oxford MBA programme attracts considerable interest and the competition for places is intense. As a result, the Committee has had to make a number of difficult decisions. Please note that it is the policy of the University and accordingly that of the School, not to provide feedback on final decisions.

I would like to thank you for your interest in the course and wish you well in your future studies and career.

Yours sincerely,

Sally Webb
Admissions Coordinator
Said Business School
Park End Street
Oxford
OX1 1HP

Maybe Spain?

2005-06-21T04:20:00.000+08:00

Spain in November? Hmmmmmm... sounds yummy.

David's comments had me running around sorting out transcripts and university documents.

I have gone on-line to TopApply and completed my application. Off to DHL tomorrow for the rest of my docs. I am sooooooooo excited!

I am worried about my GMAT scores though. It is so low, I am afraid the school would think I need special education.

I am thinking of re-taking the exam whilst waiting to hear from IE.

The Waiting Game....

2005-06-20T06:31:00.000+08:00

I have been feeling antsy, waiting to hear from the schools... Fall is around the corner (not that we have four seasons in Asia) and there are a lot of preparations I have to take care of before I can leave for biz school. I just wish I KNEW...

There is the flat to take care of, and I would imagine the landlord's wife would be very pissed off (I did a diva number on her when we moved in April. I had her take down her horrid wallpaper --- which she says matches her window blinds, helllooooo! Pastel! How 80s is that??? I think Marcos was still president when she had those installed. It took three months to re-paint the whole flat.) I am guessing I wont be seeing the rest of our security deposit.

Then I have to hire a new manager for the business, although my sister would have to take on the MD position while I am away being an incorporator anyway. There is the staff search, the interview, the hiring, the training.... aaarrrgh.

Plus I have to move to Thailand for a few months to work on a project (and save for the costs of doing my MBA). Between the packing, and the managing, and the paperwork to study overseas....

I just wish I KNEW!

The Myth of the Application Deadline and of Anonymous Blogging

2005-06-17T18:53:00.000+08:00

I had two major realisations today:

No. 1 - I am not really anonymous. Someone reads my blog and could very easily find out who I am (and how shameful my GMAT is)

No. 2 - I am not alone. That is, not alone in thinking that application deadlines (especially the ones that seem to extend every few months) are desperate enough to maybe take me in.

These realisations of course came at the heels of David's comments. You can find his blog here.

I started this blog with the firm intent to be anonymous. I felt that in anonymity, I could be as candid as I need to be to impart the flavour of the whole experience. I didn't promote my blog and didn't tell friends about it. But that is the beauty of this virtual world, isn't? People FIND EACH OTHER. David found my site, and of all the schools I mentioned, I am glad he found me.

David, I actually completed my IE application. But Embark lost the whole thing. I have to start over.

I didnt apply to any other school. As you said, it is an intensely personal choice where to go. No one can make that choice for you. And frankly, I dont like having others make choices for me.

The problem is, I really dont know enough about all the Spanish schools I have listed. I have no one to ask, and know no one who studied in Spain. I have to make the choices so far on what they have on their website (and what is that really? I can very well write here I am an ex-Ms Universe and no one would be any wiser).

So I poured over the website, and tried to find inconsistencies. I also tried to look for WHAT IS NOT THERE.

That is how I ended up with my choice of:
1. Cambridge (seems to have what I am looking for, and I know an alumna)
2. Oxford (they speak English...)
3. IE (only school in Spain I am applying to)
4. Edinburgh (for sentimental reasons)

Does that mean I think less of IE than Oxbridge? Hell, no! In fact I am more convinced now that IE is better than any UK MBA, and in league with two other European programmes.

Why Oxbridge then? Something about fulfilling a dream. I never thought I could ever afford (yes, I will actually be paying for my education) for this type of education, and I would really like my father see me graduate from Cambridge.

If sentimentally was not an issue, I would prefer to go to IE. I know I will love it there. Perhaps I can save it for a continuing education programme?

As to the admissions deadline? I have always thought that, but truth is a luxury only the secure can afford. When I have an offer for a place, I can afford to see the truth. Right now, I am DESPERATE to be accepted, I cannot allow myself to see the glaring reality that I am a paying student and I have a very good chance of being accepted by the two universities that have extended their deadlines.

That is actually the reason I even have this blog! I decided in APRIL I was going for an MBA. I figured, 2006 intake? Then I saw in the school websites that they have added a Stage Four to their calendar. They want more students!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So a flurry of application activity ensued.

From two schools, it went up to five schools, to eight schools, and now back to four schools. Three in the UK and one in Spain.

Same time next month, I should have a fair idea of my chances and if the Myth of the Application Deadline has been busted....

(Please, please, please, take me in!!!!)

SBS - Documents Complete

2005-06-15T17:37:00.000+08:00

Finally... I got an email today. They have my transcript, my first dege certificate, unofficial GMAT score, and the payment.

I made an online transfer to the Barclays Bank in Oxford from my HSBC account. I am actually in Thailand for a week, so I had to access my account in another country, and transfer it to the UK. Somehow it went through, but for good measure, I also gave credit card details to make sure I have everything covered. I hope I dont get double charged, I was assured I wouldn't be.

Email 1:

Thank you for your payment details. I shall send this to finance and then delete this e-mail.
Best wishes

Email 2:
Your application is now complete, and will be passed on to the MBA director and Admissions Committee for consideration.

We will be in touch shortly with their decision.

With best wishes

SBS finally has my documents, but where is my application fee?

2005-06-13T20:51:00.000+08:00

At a click of a button, and off goes my application.

Not quite.

I got two emails today from SBS, they finally have my DHL pack, but my GMAT fax they havent received (my secretary gave me the confirmation fax slip before I left for Thailand). More importantly, they want to know how I would be paying the application fee. I could do a bank transfer or just give them my credit card number.

I went on-line again on Embark and found out that I cant change my payment method. Also, Instituto de Empressa in Madrid had pulled out their online application, and all my saved answers are gone! I have to start over again using Princeton Review.... so much for technology....

Email from JIMS

2005-06-10T17:39:00.000+08:00

I got an acknowledgement email from Cambridge today:

Thank you for your application for the Cambridge MBA.

We have now received all the documentation we require and your application
will now be passed on to the Admissions Committee.

If you have any further queries please contact me.

Best wishes,

Where are my Oxford docs???

2005-06-10T00:25:00.000+08:00

You mentioned in your e-mail to Sally Webb that the DHL package was received here on 6 June. Unfortunately we have not received it in this office as yet. Is it possible for you to fax a copy of your unofficial GMAT score sheet to us in the meantime?

In addition to this, I can confirm that the application processing fee for the 2005-2006 Oxford MBA will be £120. Therefore, I would ask you to make the necessary arrangements to forward to us this outstanding balance at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you soon

With best regards