Bonjourno Venezia

First stop on our Italian Roadtrip was Venice.  We stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky which was a beautiful choice that I would highly recommend   It had an amazing rooftop pool that was perfect at sunset.  Definitely better than travelling as a backpacker!  We did the typical gondola ride (how cliche) but couldn't leave Venezia without it! Loved all the masks in the windows and wish we could have caught a show.

They say this place is enchanting...I didn't see it the first time around, but I felt a dusting of it this time.  The trick is to skip Venice in the day and explore it at night.  Get lost in the canals, and let the city lead you.  Maybe it was the fact that we discovered a little jazz bar with an amazing singer crooning Amy Winehouse.  Maybe it was buying an umbrella from a stranger to shelter us from the light rain.  Or maybe it was the fact that I was back with the love of my life.  For one reason or another, I now realize why they say Venice is amore!

A Vagabond's Inspiration

42 countries and a cast of thousands...one of my favorite videos: Where the hell is Matt?

Learnings from LEADER

[Siberia in the Winter - picture taken by my student, Sofia]

I have been home for a couple of weeks now and still can't stop thinking about Siberia. The places, the faces, the feeling - it was such an incredible, life changing experience.

I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive before I left…for the first time I was going to a place where no one I knew had ever been. Just the sound of "Siberia" invoked the charm of a forgotten land full of desolate, endless snow and stories of romantic exile. How surprised I was to see a place not so different from home. Probably because, as I researched later, Calgary and Irkutsk are around the same latitude (Calgary 51°N & Irkutsk 52°N). Curiouser and curiouser…

So what did I learn from this amazing experience? Not sure if I can clearly articulate the bulk of it, but I'll give it a go...

I learned that Siberia is massive and that it's full of universities and research institutions. I learned of the vast opportunity that exists for business leaders in Siberian cities, and that 70-80% of Russia's natural resources are in Siberia. I learned about the extreme differences in climate and topography - to the north, there are large areas of tundra. To the south, there is taiga, or areas of dense forest. To the East and South, the Sayan and Altai mountains dominate. I learned that Lake Baikal, the pearl of Siberia, is the most voluminous fresh water lake in the world. Most of you know that I love the wonder of geology, and the crescent shaped shores of the pristine lake are filled with lapis lazuli, lazurite, charoite, jade, quartz, and much, much more.

However, these facts mean nothing unless I try to describe the real feeling of the place. I constantly think about the people - the students were so bright, hardworking, and determined to succeed - despite institutional barriers. I admire the deep eclectic purple of the Charoite stone (a gem "endemic" to the Baikal area) that I brought home with me, and I liken it to the mystery of the Buriyat people. I remember the legend of the Shaman rock, and I can almost taste the calm, peaceful, Buddhist air of the Baikal area. I wear my traditional Russian rose Pavlo Posadskyi scarf, and I am reminded of a confidant, great conversation, and hopefully a life long friend.
 
But most of all, I learned that no matter how far you are from home, you just have to look inside yourself to realize home was always there in the first place...

Moscow: The other side of Russia

First impression of Moscow? Absolutely beautiful!  It feels very different from Irkutsk though...being here makes me realize how small Irkutsk really was.  Moscow seems a lot more European...probably because it is in Eastern Europe while Irkutsk is in Asia!! 

We got in at around 8:15am yesterday and made our way to Godzillas Hostel.  From what I've seen, this hostel is an excellent choice for the price we are paying.  We have free wi-fi all over the building, free international calls to North America, and very helpful staff.   The facilities are clean, and it is about a 15 minute walk to Red Square. I would definitely recommend it! After our (failed) attempt to check in early, we dropped off our bags and walked to see Red Square, and then took a stroll along Tverskaya Street. Our mission was to find the first McDonalds that opened up in Russia after the fall of communism (also known as the world's busiest McDonalds)...and let me tell you, a happy meal never tasted so good!  The weather is incredible here, and it was nice all evening. We met up with more LEADERites from different sites - Togliatti, Nizhny-Tagil, and Yekaterinburg. In total there are 10 of us, and it has been fun to exchange stories about our respective locations. Talking to others really makes me realize the diversity that exists among the LEADER sites and participants. Some LEADERites taught the case method of learning to entrepreneurs and managers (i.e. in Macedonia, where LEADER has a relationship with the local Chamber of Commerce) and other sites taught students with extremely limited business knowledge and infrastructure (i.e. Moldova).   

We spent today exploring the rest of Moscow.  We went to see Lenin's Mausoleum (which was a little bit eerie as I have never seen an embalmed body on public display!) and also visited the Kremlin.  The G.U.M. Mall is the most beautiful mall ever - couldn't resist, and you shouldn't either.  Then, we took an amazing walk along the river where we found a random statue park and decided to stop in for some bevvies.  Somehow, we ended up in a very "American" diner because we took the advice of an American expat we met while we were stuck under an umbrella in torrential downpour.  He told us it was the "best place to eat in Moscow"...little did we know that its probably only because it reminded him of home...but alas I didn't feel so bad as my experience in Irkutsk was authentically Russian enough.  ;)

Definitely sad to be leaving Moscow so soon and will have to return one day to see St. Petersburg. Who knows, maybe I'll run into Maxim and Dasha again one day...

[cathedral in the Kremlin area]

 [I think St. Basil's Cathedral is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen...it looks like it should belong in Willy Wonka's world!]

[my babuska hat]

Dasvidaniya Irkutsk!

Today was our last day in Irkutsk - and time has just flown by. How fitting for it to snow yesterday in Siberia...we were beginning to think that everyday would be sunny and 24 degrees! Our students gave their business pitches today, and they were incredible. I really wish I was here for at least another week, or that I was coming back to teach next year. The students had such great business ideas - ideas that could truly be commercialized, especially in a place like Irkutsk. After the presentations, we handed out LEADER completion certificates, and then had a tea party with blinis, Canadian Maple Syrup and tea. Then the students presented us with some very thoughtful gifts that will remind me of Irkutsk for years to come!

In the evening, Susan and I went out with Olka to a peacock themed lounge called Pavlene - it was interesting to say the least! It was a circus themed night, so there was a fire show, confetti fire crackers, and a belly dancer carrying around a beautiful yellow snake that I got to wrap around my shoulders. After several cosmopolitans, it really hit me that it would be our very last night in this town so far away from anything I have ever known.

Heading to Moscow soon - and I am very excited to have a hot shower. We have had very little hot water here in Irkutsk, and we went a couple of days without any water at all. Most of the time we had access to freezing cold water, so we had to fix our "basin baths" with kettles of boiling water, the old school way. Really makes you appreciate the comforts of home, but, what can I say - it added character! Below are some pics of our night out with Olka.

Irkutsk Idiosyncrasies

1. Everything has mayo in it. Everything. It's in the salad, it's on your pizza, and there is always a dollop in your borsch. Just when you think you've gotten away from mayo, you see it on top of your chicken, camouflaged under cheese.

2. All of the girls wear very high heels here. I don't know how they manage to walk in such high heels on the cobblestone that is sometimes missing stones, but somehow they do....I applaud them.

3. 80's & 90's music is playing at every establishment you visit. I'm talking "Like a Prayer", "Another Night Another Dream", and "Be my Lover". It's my dream come true.

4. If you are given an unidentified pastry dessert at the end of your meal, proceed with caution. It might be filled with strawberries or with cabbage. Suggestion: break in half before biting...just in case.

5. If something doesn't make sense, all you have to say is "It's Russia." Somehow it is the answer to everything!

Blinis, Caviar, and Butter, Oh my!

[blini + butter + caviar]

Our beautiful Russian friend Olga came over today and cooked us a typical Russian meal! She made us a traditional salad with beetroot, fish, potatoes, mayo, and some other stuff. Then we ate another Russian speciality: blinis (crepes) with butter and caviar - yum! For dessert, we had blinis with Nutella and a banana/cream concoction dipped in Canadian Maple Syrup. I would have to say that this is by far the best dinner we have had here in Irkutsk!

[Olga making a Banana Cream concoction in our kitchen]

[traditional Russian dinner!]

It's all Russian to me!

Never have I been in a city where you can't get by with even a little bit of English....it has been quite the challenge. For example, I had to buy some Kleenex from a store in the school, and had a very hard time explaining what I wanted to the Russian shop owner. Seriously, try explaining that you need tissues without using English. What would you do?

After a couple of failed attempts rubbing my nose, I realized that she probably thought that I was trying to buy illicit substances from her and decided that it would be a better bet to switch tactics and revert to other actions associated with using Kleenex. Needless to say, it was a disaster! This is but one example of the language barriers that exist here, but it has been interesting to say the least! The grocery store...well that's another story...

[teaching with Rufina - our translator]

As for Russian in the classroom, Yussef and I teach through 2 different translators that alternate from day to day. As you can imagine, there are various challenges that go hand in hand with this method of teaching. Everything we do in class takes double the time, so we have to be very cognisant of the tasks that we give our students. When talking, we have to pause at opportune times so that the translator can effectively communicate our points. I am now very wary of words and phrases that we take for granted in Canada (i.e. "big picture thinking" and "high level"...you know, B-School speak) because these terms generally do not translate well to Russian. Sometimes, a student will speak in Russian for about 5 minutes, and the translator will give us a 30 second synopsis. This is unfortunate, because I think the students can offer a lot more depth than is actually expressed after translation.  Another challenging aspect is that jokes and nuances in speech don't translate very well. So you can try to be clever, but it really just gets lost in translation!

That being said, this method of teaching really forces you to practice communicating effectively and you must ensure that the content you deliver is appropriate for the audience.  You have to formulate a clear, structured thought in your head before you commit to a sentence, or else it confuses the translator.  Today we ran a "Communicating Effectively" lecture so that the students could practice giving impromptu speaches in front of the class, while keeping in mind tips on how to be a good public speaker.   It was like Russian Toast Masters!  This Friday the students will be pitching their new business ideas that they have been working on - I am really excited to see how they apply the topics they have learned in the past 2 weeks. 

Currently sitting at a German place called the Bier Haus - they have an English menu, very expensive bevvies, but free wi fi.  Dhasvidanya!

Russian Palm Reading...Check.

[Voldanya reading palms]

Had an absolutely incredible weekend in Irkutsk. On Saturday, we met our students outside of our building. About 15 of them showed up to take us around the local sites of the city. Some even brought other friends to translate for them so that they could communicate with Yussef and I! Only about 2.5 of them spoke English...but it worked, somehow! One of our students brought a girl that does tours in Russian around the city – so she was able to translate the significance of all of the churches and buildings that we saw. One of my students, Voldanya, read my palms in Russian. It was better that way because he could only use a few words that I could hear and understand. He told me that I had a strong "travel" line...and that I will keep travelling. To prove the point, he showed me his non-existent travel line, and told me he would never get out of Irkutsk! He also told me I would have many specializations, and that I was strong willed and to keep pursuing my dreams! That's all I need to hear. :)

[our students]

People generally do not speak any English here, and there are hardly ever any tourists. The divide between the rich and the poor is great, and the juxtaposition exists all over the city. You will see a completely dilapidated wooden house with no central water or heat, and then see a beautiful lounge nearby. This is raw Russia though - communism doesn't feel like it was so far away. The state of the streets are deplorable, the pollution is insane, the water randomly shuts down, there is no toilet paper in school bathrooms (ever), and there is no McDonalds. Many students want to get out of Irkutsk and live in the big city of Moscow. Irkutsk is so isolated from so many things, even though it is the center of Siberia. Aside from all of this, it was interesting hearing about the city from the point of view of the students. We had a very pleasant walk along the Angara river...the only river that flows out of Lake Baikal. Took a lot of token pictures that I can't wait to post when I get back!

Unfortunately, it has been very difficult for us to go out at night - it is "us" against "the gate". We are living in a flat on the university campus, and we have a gate outside our building that locks at sometime between 10:00 or 11:00 PM. Because of this, we always have to race home in hopes that the gate won't get closed...almost like Cinderella, but not quite. Yesterday, Susan and Yves found a secret way to get in from one of their students. Yay! This means we can go out with our Russian friends!

Today we met up with our Russian friend Olka - who has been so incredible. First she took us to see a seal show, where the seals from Baikal were playing soccer, basketball, trumpets, and even painting. It was neat to see but also a little sad to observe the captivity and conditions that they live in. Then we saw another wooden house exhibit, but this time it was the house of a family that was very wealthy. Finally, we went shopping!! I was trying to find souvenirs because I haven't seen any yet...but ended up buying beautiful Russian scarves for me and my sister! These scarves are so intricate and interesting, and they all have a different name and story. After our little shopping adventure, we met up with one of Susan and Yves' students who took us to a movie being filmed in English at the school where she learns English. Great weekend and back to teaching tomorrow!

Russian Inspiration

"Russia is a Sphinx! Exultant and afflicted, Drenched in blackest blood, She gazes, gazes, gazes into you, Yes, with hatred and with love."

- Alexander Blok, Scythia

Siberia...close to home

Today I truly realized that parts of Canada are not so different from Siberia. We hear about Siberia as children, or when learning about Russia in junior high school. It sounds so foreign, so isolated, so desolate. Some times, we forget that although we are so far apart, the common thread of nature always exists between us.

I saw splices of home (Calgary home) everywhere today on our trip to Baikal Lake. We had a water shut down emergency (no water...anywhere) around our area so classes were cancelled and we had to try to get away for the day. Why? It's Russia!

Our interpreter & site contact, Kate, rented us a car and driver for the day and we spent about an hour listening to Russian music while observing the Siberian country side from the window. The scenery is a little of what you would expect of the Siberian country side...vast dry yellow fields, little civilization. However there was an additional palette of colors that I didn't expect - the bright evergreen trees, the white birch trees, the burnt sienna backdrop of the bushes. The sun was bright today, and the drive was peaceful.

First we stopped at the open air museum of siberian log architecture in Talzia, a place where you could see how ancient Siberians lived. It is situated on the bank of the Angara River between Irkutsk and Listvyanka.  We saw huts and traditional Russian churches made of wood. I felt like we had been transported back into time.

[an ancient woodent church - using no nails, just interlock]

[Kate and I in front of the horses]

Then we made our way to see Lake Baikal - absolutely beautiful. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, and one of the largest bodies of fresh water with 3500 species of living organisms. We visited the Scientific Museum to learn more about the lake, and then went on a hike with a Russian tour guide. Thankfully, we had our translator along. The hike felt like I was walking in Calgary or Banff. Familiar smells, sights, sounds. Evergreens, pine cones, squirrels. The weather was literally like a typical March day in Calgary. The Sayan mountains were in perfect sight over the incredibly clear waters of the lake. Then we went to the main fishing market and bought the local speciality food, smoked omul salmon, and ate it with our picnic on the beach. I literally haven't felt so relaxed since lying on the beach in Xcaret last December. After smelling the choking smog of Irkutsk during rush hour, it was such an incredible feeling to breath in the crisp, cold, Lake Baikal air. Tomorrow our students will be taking us around the town to show us some local Irkutsk sites.

[view from our trek - Lake Baikal with some ice. Hard to see the mountains in the background, but they are there]

[the beach]

[the ice]

[our picnic]

[me]

[the smoked omul]

[I actually ate this and it was amazing!]

Another day in Irkutsk

Today was awesome! I was much more energized than I was yesterday, so teaching was a lot of fun.  The students are so friendly here and so willing to learn.  The first case that I taught today was about an innovative product to prevent foot infections in dairy cows.  The students had a great debate on whether the product would be marketable in Russia.  Then we let them work on their business plans, and finally I gave a lecture on balance sheets/income statements/cashflow.  The lecture stressed how even though a business is profitable, it may not be in a good cash position.  We also discussed ways of strengthening your cash position by making various adjustments to your business, ie reduce costs, increase prices, shorten A/R or lengthen A/P.  I straightened out the common misconception that holding inventory is a good thing.  I cannot believe I was able to successfully deliver this lesson - it really shows me how much I have learned in my MBA.

The weather he was beautiful today, surprisingly! It was bright until around 9:30 PM, and the weather after school was around 15C. We walked around town and took pictures of the sites.  Pictures are below! Tomorrow there is a "planned emergency" - all the water is shut down in the area that we live in.  Classes are cancelled, so we are taking a trip to Baikal Lake.  On Saturday our students are showing us around town.  Can't wait!

Teaching Day 1

About to spend my first sleep here in Irkutsk, on a couch in a 2 bedroom dorm. Our accommodations are pretty good - I was pleasantly surprised. We have a little kitchen, a room with a bathtub, a little toilet room, and 2 bedrooms, each with a bed and a couch. We are right on the campus of Baikal National University of Economics and Law (corner of Goirken and Lenin street), so it is quite convenient to get to classes. Pictures of exterior below!

[In front of our flat]

[view of the university from our flat]

[Open manhole ourside our flat]

I got in today at around 11:30 and it was go, go, go from there. Our awesome site contact, Kate, met me at the airport with one of those signs that you see in movies and always wish some one had for you..."LEADER Project 2010". Came straight to campus to catch up with the rest of the crew (Yves, Yussef and Susan) and then we went to the campus canteen where they provided us with a great three course meal. Went straight to teaching after that. Yussef and I are teaching a 3rd year class in Russian, so we are teaching through a translator. We had an awesome class today - the students were so energetic and engaged! They all wanted to contribute to the lesson, which made it a lot easier for us to facilitate discussion.

Each day's format is pretty consistent - first we do a case, then we let the students work on a business plan, and finally we have a lecture style class that is used for background of the next day's case. Class starts at 2:00, and runs until around 5:30. The case we covered today was how the owner of Lululemon, Chip Wilson, decided to grow his business. Then we talked about what it means to be an entrepreneur, why someone would want to be an entrepreneur, and what makes an entrepreneur successful. After that, we split the students into groups -- they will each be working together in their groups to come up with a new business venture and develop a solid business plan. They will present their proposal to the class on the last day of the LEADER program, where they will pitch their business to us as if we were investors. The business plan lesson was on idea generation, and how to successfully brainstorm ideas. Finally, we delivered a lecture on opportunity recognition, which will be the basis of tomorrow's case.
I am super tired today and can't wait to teach again tomorrow!

Below are some pictures of me teaching - the woman beside me is one of our translators.  :)

From Russia, With Love

Currently sitting in the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, waiting for my flight to Irkutsk. Local time - 10:37 PM. About to cross 5 time zones in a matter of hours - will arrive in Irkutsk at 11:10 am and go straight to teaching a class.

I just had my first Aeroflot experience from Heathrow to Moscow - it was a bit rough around the edges but not as bad as I expected! I heard some terrible stories about botched Aeroflot flights before I left Canada...but my airport taxi driver put my uneasy feelings to rest when he mentioned that Aeroflot recently revamped their fleet. They used to use refurbished military planes from commie days, but fortunately the ones they have now seem like the old school Canadian Airlines planes...except they have royal blue mismatched seats with harsh orange accents. Quite a utilitarian experience though - no luxury personal TV's, no peanuts or snacks, and no safety sheet in the front pocket. Not that I ever READ the safety sheet, but its presence gives you some sort of psychological comfort that there IS a backup plan. For some reason, the absence of the safety sheet made me really make sure my seatbelt was buckled tight! The takeoff was shakey, and the passenger beside me turned to me and said "Don't be afraid...be terrified!!". I didn't know how to respond so I just let out some nervous laughter, as he imitated the pilot hammering back vodka shots. "Why is the plane taking off an hour late?", I asked...."Eees Russia!" he proclaimed. Ah, the answer to everything..."It's Russia".

We became fast friends from there. His name was Maxim and he was with his girlfriend Dasha -- a sweet young couple, about 24. They taught me some words that I need in my vocabulary, including a few choice curse words, "just in case", they said. When I told them I was going to Siberia, Maxim was appalled! He proceeded to tell me all the bad things about Siberia, warning me that some people might consider me too "exotic" and thus may not answer me when I ask them questions (???). He said they would probably just shake their heads and walk away, but he assured me it wasn't racism...just the unknown. He also mentioned that because it is so cold in Siberia, the people are "cold" and like to stay silent!!! His beautiful wide eyed girlfriend kept elbowing him in the ribs and reassuring me that things would be just fine. Kind of like the two sides of me - one telling myself that I'm crazy and the other telling myself that I will be just fine! I bid them farewell after promising that I would sign up for a bootleg Russian Facebook (vkontakte.ru) as they boarded their flight to St. Petersburg.

My faith in the order of the universe was restored when my luggage was magically sitting on the carousel in Moscow - I have NO IDEA how it got here seeing as how when I was in Heathrow just hours before, they could not locate my luggage. Needless to say, I am ecstatic, especially after hearing that fashionable clothing is hard to come by in Irkutsk. Now off to Aeroflot Experience #2...Siberia!

[I think this is my flight....but its in Russian!]

Russian Roadblock #14 Gazillion

Do these bags look a little dejected and forlorn to you?

Yes, I thought so as well. Upon further investigation, I found out that the feelings of forsakenness stemmed from 2 main reasons. Allow me to elaborate:

1) Lulu Bag, Bulk Barn Bag, and Medium Sized Black Luggage...they may be misfits apart, but together they form a crew called "Meena's Essentials".  However, Medium Sized Black Luggage is MIA - nowhere to be found! The "friendly" baggage folk did say that they would ship my bag to Siberia when they find it...for some reason that strikes me as almost comical. Again, that's kind of like saying "Ms. Nanji, you can be rest assured that when we do locate your luggage, we will be sure to send it to Timbuktu". Here's hoping!

2) Both the Lulu Bag and the Bulk Barn Bag were photographed outside Heathrow Airport in London, at precisely the same time that they were supposed to be in the overhead compartment of a flight to Irkutsk via Moscow. Ya thats right...looks like they missed their flight to Siberia!

Jokes aside....this sucks! Now I ain't lookin' for sympathy here...merely want to share my frustration at the fact that anything that can go wrong, usually does. Also, crash course in "taking things as they come"...this is an unfortunate situation but just hoping that all will iron out eventually, as it usually does. Thankfully I have such a great support system - thanks to my precious loved ones...they always help put things into perspective.

How did this all happen? Bad start to the day I guess. Munich flight was cancelled, and I was rerouted through Dusseldorf. Flight got into Heathrow with only 1 hour to spare before my next flight (at a different terminal no less). Got past border control in Terminal 1 only to realize my bag didn't share the same fate...dramatic, I know, but it's still lost in transit somewhere. By the time I filled out a missing bag report I could see the writing on the wall...there was no way I was making my London - Moscow - Irkutsk flight. Had the Munich flight not been cancelled, I would have had the comfort of enough time between my flights at Heathrow to boot it to Terminal 4 to catch my flight to Russia. But, what can you do...c'est la vie!

Although I am of the "Glass is Twice as Big as it Needs to be" school of thought, I am trying to summon that little thing called optimism that sometimes rears its pretty head in these types of situations.

Meena's Attempt at Optimism - Take 1:
I am currently in a hotel room near the airport that has HWOD - Hot Water On Demand! Just as I wished! Now if only I had ROD to catch up on Gossip Girl/Survivor/ANTM...

Meena's Attempt at Optimism - Take 2:
I am in a fluffy white bathrobe enjoying room service. I will refrain, however, from taking a picture of my meal as I think all I do on this blog is show pictures of my food. This IS really good pasta....but I must say, it would taste even better if it were in Canadian dollars.

Meena's Attempt at Optimism - Take 3:
The presence of the May 2010 In Style Magazine (UK Edition) on my hotel desk. Just what I need...a dose of Euro fashion to cheer me up :)

Ok that is all the optimism I can muster for the day. How exhausting. Over and out.