This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Nicholas Dintelmann, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a student abroad experience in France. Nicholas is entering his junior year in the Walton College and is majoring in International Business: Supply Chain Management with minors in French and Economics. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
France is truly amazing and is completely different from the United States. I’ve decided that this post will highlight some of the things that have been somewhat challenging to comprehend, and yet have brought insight to all of us on our trip. Here is just a brief list:
-There are a lot of smokers here. It is quite common to see many people smoking at cafes, restaurants, and in the streets. One of the most common questions a stranger will ask you is if you have a lighter he could borrow.
-There are very few sodas here, but there are a few monopolies. Coca-Cola, Fanta, Lipton, and Orangerina (a carbonated orange drink) are what almost every place has. I’ve only seen Pepsi in Germany and have yet to see Dr. Pepper or Root Beer.
-Loitering and public intoxication are not crimes here. You will see many interesting people in the streets, but if you continue with your business, there are absolutely no problems.
-France has graffiti everywhere! I believe it’s just a way of self-expression. The art is nothing like graffiti in the United States. It takes some getting used to, but I don’t think I’ll look at graffiti the same again.
-Travelling here is so easy! They have a company called SNCF, which is kind of like France’s official travel agency. The trains that go everywhere in France are run by them, I believe, and tickets are easy to get here. I have been to Lyon and Strasbourg with very little hassle, thanks to them.
-Fast food here is expensive!!! There is no ‘one euro’ menu, and the cheapest thing at the McDonald’s is a Big Mac Meal for about 5 euros. Remember, that’s the cheapest…. Also, there are no refillable soda machines here, so you get one and have to ask for another if you are still thirsty.
-In the United States, politics and religion are commonly known as the two topics that should not be talked about unless you are with good company. Here, it is common for people to talk about it. Many French people I have met have asked about my political views, the American candidates, and if I know about French politics.
-Very different cars here, which is to be expected. I find it funny that in the states, German cars (VW, Mercedes-Benz) are considered almost luxury cars. In France, I saw a delivery truck that was a Mercedes-Benz. There are various French, British, and German cars on the streets, and almost all are stick shift.
-The French Regions are very proud of their food, history, and traditions. Different dishes and traditions are everywhere; so don’t be surprised if someone explains the entire region's history to you. It is very interesting to listen to and learn about them. Each one is truly unique.
-Last but not least, the French love three things: Cheese, Wine, and Bread. Probably their favorite foods here.
Nick
Previous Posts:
Bonjour la France
French Everywhere
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
China Bound
I will be arriving in Shanghai on July 5th where I will be living and interning at a company called “Essential Finance.” They are an offshore investment partner. They provide professional services, products, and solutions for individuals and businesses. They are run by expats and mainly cater to expats.
In August, I will be traveling to Beijing to take a Chinese business/finance course. I will receive zero credit hours for the class; I just hope to increase my knowledge of Asian capital markets. The course lasts for two weeks and then I will fly back to the states just in time for the fall semester.
I will be blogging while I am there, time permitting. My posts should consist of what I am learning and experiences I have. I encourage comments and questions on any posts on my blog both before and after I leave for China.
Matt
Monday, June 18, 2012
Helmsley Manchamee - All Good Things Come to an End...
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Helmsley Manchamee, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Brazil. Helmsley is a senior in the Walton College who is majoring in International Business & Business Economics with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Three weeks in Brazil felt like it lasted mere days. I can only speak for myself, but it felt like no one really wanted to leave. By the last day, some students had already left. The MBA students had departed a few days earlier and one had to leave due to medical reasons. After saying our goodbyes, a group of about 10 people traveling to Brazil was whittled down to 4 flying back to Arkansas. On the flight from Rio to North Carolina, I sat next to a man who worked for Petrobras, a company I got to visit. I spoke with him for hours about Brazil. He was from Bolivia and had moved to Rio four years ago. I was excited to ask him about his observations and opinions about the state of Brazil. We talked about education, Brazilian culture versus the culture of the rest of Latin America, politics, economics, etc. He was even nice enough to give me a Portuguese lesson, and I gave him an English lesson. He was impressed with my knowledge of the logistics and economics of Brazil considering that I was an American student.
I was glad to sit next to him on the flight because it gave me a chance to reflect for a moment on my experience in Brazil. I am happy with my choice in going to Brazil because I got to study an economy that often gets overshadowed. I was disappointed to see that the U of A does not offer courses in Portuguese, but yet offers a study abroad program to Brazil. Knowing the language greatly enhances the experience in that country. Granted that Spanish and Portuguese is similar in language, there is enough of a difference that some words can greatly change the meaning of what you say. The people in Brazil were really nice and are very proud of their culture and history. Even when I made a mistake when trying to talk to them (trust me, I made plenty) they were willing to meet me halfway and try to understand what I was trying to say. With a great group and a fantastic faculty leader, it was hard not to have an outstanding trip in an amazing country. If anyone is on the fence about studying abroad or has a hard time choosing a program, I would highly recommend looking at Brazil.
Helmsley
Previous Posts
Brazil Bound
The First Day
Taking Off with Embraer
Hermes
Walmart Brazil
GOOOOAAALLLL! The Journey to Maracana Stadium
Three weeks in Brazil felt like it lasted mere days. I can only speak for myself, but it felt like no one really wanted to leave. By the last day, some students had already left. The MBA students had departed a few days earlier and one had to leave due to medical reasons. After saying our goodbyes, a group of about 10 people traveling to Brazil was whittled down to 4 flying back to Arkansas. On the flight from Rio to North Carolina, I sat next to a man who worked for Petrobras, a company I got to visit. I spoke with him for hours about Brazil. He was from Bolivia and had moved to Rio four years ago. I was excited to ask him about his observations and opinions about the state of Brazil. We talked about education, Brazilian culture versus the culture of the rest of Latin America, politics, economics, etc. He was even nice enough to give me a Portuguese lesson, and I gave him an English lesson. He was impressed with my knowledge of the logistics and economics of Brazil considering that I was an American student.
I was glad to sit next to him on the flight because it gave me a chance to reflect for a moment on my experience in Brazil. I am happy with my choice in going to Brazil because I got to study an economy that often gets overshadowed. I was disappointed to see that the U of A does not offer courses in Portuguese, but yet offers a study abroad program to Brazil. Knowing the language greatly enhances the experience in that country. Granted that Spanish and Portuguese is similar in language, there is enough of a difference that some words can greatly change the meaning of what you say. The people in Brazil were really nice and are very proud of their culture and history. Even when I made a mistake when trying to talk to them (trust me, I made plenty) they were willing to meet me halfway and try to understand what I was trying to say. With a great group and a fantastic faculty leader, it was hard not to have an outstanding trip in an amazing country. If anyone is on the fence about studying abroad or has a hard time choosing a program, I would highly recommend looking at Brazil.
Helmsley
Previous Posts
Brazil Bound
The First Day
Taking Off with Embraer
Hermes
Walmart Brazil
GOOOOAAALLLL! The Journey to Maracana Stadium
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Where's Walton? In Seattle!
During the week of May 29th, Walton College staffers Carolyn Eiler and Leslie Manthei traveled to Seattle for a conference and to spend some time with our area alumni.
Meet Clay Greninger and André Tucker, two Walton alumni who work for Microsoft Corporation. Both currently serve on the Business Alumni Advisory Council as well. On a recent trip to Seattle, they were kind enough to give us a tour of the Microsoft main campus.
Clay (MIS ’02) serves as Senior Solutions Manager in the Financial Delivery Solutions department. His most recent projects have involved cloud computing and the financial migration of Skype following its acquisition by Microsoft. Prior to working for Microsoft, Clay has held positions at Walmart and Ernst & Young LLP.
André (MBA ’07) serves as Senior Finance Manager in the World Wide Consumer Channel Group. He manages the financial planning and analysis for 13 different geographic areas in order to strategically position the Microsoft brand. André came to Microsoft from Walmart.
In addition to the Microsoft tour with Clay and André, we were pleased to have several alumni gather at the Cypress Lounge in Bellevue for a happy hour on May 31st. The group enjoyed drinks, appetizers, and good company—Razorback syle! Thanks to all who attended!
Meet Clay Greninger and André Tucker, two Walton alumni who work for Microsoft Corporation. Both currently serve on the Business Alumni Advisory Council as well. On a recent trip to Seattle, they were kind enough to give us a tour of the Microsoft main campus.
André (MBA ’07) serves as Senior Finance Manager in the World Wide Consumer Channel Group. He manages the financial planning and analysis for 13 different geographic areas in order to strategically position the Microsoft brand. André came to Microsoft from Walmart.
In addition to the Microsoft tour with Clay and André, we were pleased to have several alumni gather at the Cypress Lounge in Bellevue for a happy hour on May 31st. The group enjoyed drinks, appetizers, and good company—Razorback syle! Thanks to all who attended!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Christian Buechel - Belize - June 8-9
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Today was Community Day in about 105 degree weather. All the kids from the surrounding schools met at BTL Park to play games with us and say goodbye. I worked at the business table where we played math pong. The kids had to do a math problem then get the ball in the cup with that number. The prizes were very coveted so it was great to see the kids when they won one. They loved the soccer balls the most. I helped out on some of the other booths. I got to see Amare again. He recognized me immediately and gave me a big hug. I only got to see him twice this whole trip but he made an impact in those two times. He always has a huge smile and you can’t help but smile too. I also got to meet Morgan’s other two kids from Christ the King. Gregory and Tristan were about equally as cute. Saying goodbye to them was pretty difficult. After community day, David and I went to go play soccer for the last time as Morgan and Sarah watched. I said my goodbyes after 3 games and left my shoes there for anyone who wanted a new pair. The best part of the night was after dinner when a big group went to the soccer field in the middle of town to watch Belizean teams. It was awesome to see the support and fervor the fans had for the sport. I haven’t seen it in the US very often. They weren’t the best players but they were fun to watch. The Belizean style of play is very different from their European counterparts. The Belizeans don’t ever pass it backwards. It is a very fast style of play. It really felt like a Friday night football game.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Our work is done here in Dangriga. We concluded the last day of the trip with some rest and relaxation. Everybody decided to go to the Pelican Bay Resort to play sand volleyball and chill on the docks. I got a little sunburned from being outside all day long, as did basically everyone else. Lionel came to play with us and we formed a pretty awesome volleyball team with him, me, and Grant. It was amazing to see how close everyone on the trip has gotten in the past three weeks. The group was a great combination of different backgrounds and it was astounding to see all of them get along in such unison to accomplish a mutual goal. After the beach, everyone had dinner and set up for a Garifuni drum show. The women danced while the men played the drums. Everyone got to dance together and learned some moves from the women. I hung out with Chabalita a lot tonight. She told me that she was going to miss me a lot and so I gave her my number and email to contact me. I am going to miss her a lot. She reminds me of my sister so I think that was the reason we bonded. Hopefully we stay in touch throughout the years. I’d like to keep contacts with someone back here in addition to the adults we met. Now I have packed and am ready to head out tomorrow. I had an indescribable time here.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Belize - May 30-June 1
Belize - June 2-3
Belize - June 4-5
Belize - June 6-7
Friday, June 8, 2012
Today was Community Day in about 105 degree weather. All the kids from the surrounding schools met at BTL Park to play games with us and say goodbye. I worked at the business table where we played math pong. The kids had to do a math problem then get the ball in the cup with that number. The prizes were very coveted so it was great to see the kids when they won one. They loved the soccer balls the most. I helped out on some of the other booths. I got to see Amare again. He recognized me immediately and gave me a big hug. I only got to see him twice this whole trip but he made an impact in those two times. He always has a huge smile and you can’t help but smile too. I also got to meet Morgan’s other two kids from Christ the King. Gregory and Tristan were about equally as cute. Saying goodbye to them was pretty difficult. After community day, David and I went to go play soccer for the last time as Morgan and Sarah watched. I said my goodbyes after 3 games and left my shoes there for anyone who wanted a new pair. The best part of the night was after dinner when a big group went to the soccer field in the middle of town to watch Belizean teams. It was awesome to see the support and fervor the fans had for the sport. I haven’t seen it in the US very often. They weren’t the best players but they were fun to watch. The Belizean style of play is very different from their European counterparts. The Belizeans don’t ever pass it backwards. It is a very fast style of play. It really felt like a Friday night football game.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Our work is done here in Dangriga. We concluded the last day of the trip with some rest and relaxation. Everybody decided to go to the Pelican Bay Resort to play sand volleyball and chill on the docks. I got a little sunburned from being outside all day long, as did basically everyone else. Lionel came to play with us and we formed a pretty awesome volleyball team with him, me, and Grant. It was amazing to see how close everyone on the trip has gotten in the past three weeks. The group was a great combination of different backgrounds and it was astounding to see all of them get along in such unison to accomplish a mutual goal. After the beach, everyone had dinner and set up for a Garifuni drum show. The women danced while the men played the drums. Everyone got to dance together and learned some moves from the women. I hung out with Chabalita a lot tonight. She told me that she was going to miss me a lot and so I gave her my number and email to contact me. I am going to miss her a lot. She reminds me of my sister so I think that was the reason we bonded. Hopefully we stay in touch throughout the years. I’d like to keep contacts with someone back here in addition to the adults we met. Now I have packed and am ready to head out tomorrow. I had an indescribable time here.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Belize - May 30-June 1
Belize - June 2-3
Belize - June 4-5
Belize - June 6-7
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Helmsley Manchamee - GOOOOAAALLLL! The Journey to Maracana Stadium
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Helmsley Manchamee, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Brazil. Helmsley is a senior in the Walton College who is majoring in International Business & Business Economics with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Early Saturday afternoon, I along with Professor Hofer and Bill made the journey to Maracana Stadium. From our hotel to the stadium it is very far, so we took the metro. On the weekends, the metro takes a different route and we had to exit and board about two different times. Once arriving to Maracana station, there was hardly anyone out on the street. A woman approached us and asked if we were heading towards the university. We informed her that we were not and she hurried off in the opposite direction from the stadium. Even though the police/military are trying to clean the city in preparation for the World Cup, there are still dangerous people roaming the streets. Besides ourselves, I only saw taxi drivers sitting near their taxis. While the stadium is closed for construction, we were able to visit the museum that is right next to the stadium. The museum is as spectacular as the stadium. The first floor had a soccer field atmosphere and had the feet imprints of some of the most famous Brazil players. I rushed around the floor looking for Ronaldo and Pelé (I found them!). From the first floor you can see the entire stadium. Sadly a large big thick piece of glass and a large net was separating me from getting into the actual stadium. The second floor had a small café and a gift shop. I ignored the café and headed straight to the shop. In the shop I was greeted by a sales woman who I thought only spoke Portuguese. My knowledge of the language is nowhere where I’d like it to be, but I felt that I successfully talked to her and bought what I wanted. Bill, whose Portuguese was more limited than mine, walked in and she started speaking to him in English!
The museum had a room that contained the goal net and ball of Pelé's, the most famous soccer player in the world, 1,000th goal. I had no idea that it was there and I had to get my picture taken with it (I did). The museum also contained ticket stubs of the World Cup. The one they had on display was from the fourth world cup.
Besides not being able to be physically inside the stadium, I had a fantastic time. Being able to see and walk around the location where the next World Cup is being held was incredible. I expect Brazil to add another star to their jersey. Five is nice, but Brazil, make it an even six. Ok?
Helmsley
Previous Posts:
Walmart Brazil
Hermes
Taking Off with Embraer
The First Day
Brazil Bound
Early Saturday afternoon, I along with Professor Hofer and Bill made the journey to Maracana Stadium. From our hotel to the stadium it is very far, so we took the metro. On the weekends, the metro takes a different route and we had to exit and board about two different times. Once arriving to Maracana station, there was hardly anyone out on the street. A woman approached us and asked if we were heading towards the university. We informed her that we were not and she hurried off in the opposite direction from the stadium. Even though the police/military are trying to clean the city in preparation for the World Cup, there are still dangerous people roaming the streets. Besides ourselves, I only saw taxi drivers sitting near their taxis. While the stadium is closed for construction, we were able to visit the museum that is right next to the stadium. The museum is as spectacular as the stadium. The first floor had a soccer field atmosphere and had the feet imprints of some of the most famous Brazil players. I rushed around the floor looking for Ronaldo and Pelé (I found them!). From the first floor you can see the entire stadium. Sadly a large big thick piece of glass and a large net was separating me from getting into the actual stadium. The second floor had a small café and a gift shop. I ignored the café and headed straight to the shop. In the shop I was greeted by a sales woman who I thought only spoke Portuguese. My knowledge of the language is nowhere where I’d like it to be, but I felt that I successfully talked to her and bought what I wanted. Bill, whose Portuguese was more limited than mine, walked in and she started speaking to him in English!
The museum had a room that contained the goal net and ball of Pelé's, the most famous soccer player in the world, 1,000th goal. I had no idea that it was there and I had to get my picture taken with it (I did). The museum also contained ticket stubs of the World Cup. The one they had on display was from the fourth world cup.
Besides not being able to be physically inside the stadium, I had a fantastic time. Being able to see and walk around the location where the next World Cup is being held was incredible. I expect Brazil to add another star to their jersey. Five is nice, but Brazil, make it an even six. Ok?
Helmsley
Previous Posts:
Walmart Brazil
Hermes
Taking Off with Embraer
The First Day
Brazil Bound
Friday, June 8, 2012
Christian Buechel - Belize - June 6-7
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
This morning was one of the hardest mornings to wake up to. There was a huge storm last night that kept shutting the power on and off, causing the only fan to shut off and make our room an oven. So I didn’t get a very good night sleep. I stayed up from about 3-4 am with the malaria pills playing some weird dream games on me. Today the business team went to the town council to help with customer service. I feel like I missed out on gaining leadership positions for this whole trip by missing the week of classes, so I really didn’t get to participate much. However, it went very smoothly from what I saw. The attendees were very responsive and thrilled to be there. Some of the skits were absolutely hilarious. After that, I walked to the tourist pavilion to help with some landscaping. I learned how to properly use a hoe (being a city boy and all) before going to help Saad again. I wasn’t able to stay the whole time during his lesson about hypertension because I wasn’t feeling the best. The kids did start getting rowdy though. The best part of the day was meeting with Evan Alvarez again to finally give him the loan money. He was appreciative as always and we got to take some pictures with him. My favorite thing was him shaking my left hand and saying that “shaking with the left hand is better because it is closer to my heart.” He is truly an amazing man and I hope he stays in contact with us. Today I started reflecting on my experiences here. I realized that it is a much different trip than I expected. I haven’t bonded much with kids as I did in Nicaragua. I realized that this trip is much more aimed at helping the community as a whole rather than a few kids. In order to get that side of the trip, I plan on going to help Morgan with her kids tomorrow at Epworth. I enjoy doing the building and business stuff, but nothing is more satisfying that hanging out with the little kids and having them know your name.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
This morning was one of the hardest mornings to wake up to. There was a huge storm last night that kept shutting the power on and off, causing the only fan to shut off and make our room an oven. So I didn’t get a very good night sleep. I stayed up from about 3-4 am with the malaria pills playing some weird dream games on me. Today the business team went to the town council to help with customer service. I feel like I missed out on gaining leadership positions for this whole trip by missing the week of classes, so I really didn’t get to participate much. However, it went very smoothly from what I saw. The attendees were very responsive and thrilled to be there. Some of the skits were absolutely hilarious. After that, I walked to the tourist pavilion to help with some landscaping. I learned how to properly use a hoe (being a city boy and all) before going to help Saad again. I wasn’t able to stay the whole time during his lesson about hypertension because I wasn’t feeling the best. The kids did start getting rowdy though. The best part of the day was meeting with Evan Alvarez again to finally give him the loan money. He was appreciative as always and we got to take some pictures with him. My favorite thing was him shaking my left hand and saying that “shaking with the left hand is better because it is closer to my heart.” He is truly an amazing man and I hope he stays in contact with us. Today I started reflecting on my experiences here. I realized that it is a much different trip than I expected. I haven’t bonded much with kids as I did in Nicaragua. I realized that this trip is much more aimed at helping the community as a whole rather than a few kids. In order to get that side of the trip, I plan on going to help Morgan with her kids tomorrow at Epworth. I enjoy doing the building and business stuff, but nothing is more satisfying that hanging out with the little kids and having them know your name.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
It was probably the hottest day of the three weeks here today. I was sweating before I even started eating my breakfast. The heat made the day long and tiring. I started out at Epworth with Morgan. I read “Donde Esta Eric?” to two of her kids. One was named Amare, a sweet little boy who seemed to adore Morgan and Anna. The other was named Jada. She seemed to have a disability, making her especially challenging to work with. After reading, I went over to the tourist pavilion to lend a hand. I climbed up onto the roof about 20 times to help panel the roof. It was scorching on top of there. I feel like I lost about 5 pounds today in sweat. It is coming along nicely, but the engineering team is on crunch time with the door and the finishing touches on the roofing.
Around 2:30, the Lakeland Park workers went out to put the finishing touches on the park before its opening at 4 pm. I had the honor of nailing the board that read “University of Arkansas ’12” with a big razorback onto the fort. It looks amazing. We were very proud to be done with it. The opening was awesome to see all the kids playing on the fort and enjoying the popsicles we brought with us. One little boy, Giovanni, has been there since the beginning of the park. He was fun to play with and see running around. That night, we got a live performance from Lionel’s friends. They played some Garifuni folk music for us. Peter got his job back today so somebody can help Ben do all the work. No matter how hot it is, they both have the most astounding work ethic.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Christian Buechel - Belize - June 4-5
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Today I woke up feeling a little tired. It was pouring rain all night, and I felt like it hindered my ability to sleep somehow. I didn’t feel up to speed most of the day. I sucked it up and went out to Lakeland at about 9:30. We finally finished the project. The slides were put in with some wooden beams to support the weight of the kids better than the culverts alone. It felt great to be done with them finally. After we finished, we went to Xiang Dang Dang again for some good burgers or Chinese food. Once that was done, I really didn’t do much else for the day because I knew I had a busy week after that. So I hung around until about 4:30 when David and I walked over to the soccer field to play with some of the kids again. My team consisted of Ricky, Lloyd, and Tevan for the first game. We won two then lost the third one. I keep trying to not score too much so the other kids get involved. My competitive nature tells to go all out. It is definitely hard to turn that off. We played for about an hour and a half until we walked back for dinner.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I woke up early not knowing really what I was doing today. I previously told Saad that I would go help him teach a class at Epworth, one of the local schools, about diabetes. However, the whole business team was going to make jam and vinegar with the POWA women. I decided to keep my word to Saad and go help him with the lesson. We taught standard 6, our equivalent of 8th grade. At first, they were pretty attentive and respectful. After about 15 minutes, they got a little out of hand. Saad had to reel them in a bit. We got through to them after a while and taught them about type one and two diabetes. They got almost all the questions correct. It was quite impressive. I’ll have to chalk it up to great teaching by Saad and I; maybe a little bit of David. After our first class, we went to Christ the King school to teach the same lesson again. I walked in a bit late and said hi to the kids. To my surprise, they stood up to tell me good morning and welcome me to the school. They were definitely more respectful of us than Epworth was. It might have had something to do with the age group being a little younger. The lesson went great again and they caught on very well. Once we were done with that, Saad and I went to Wynaught Island to go help with the tourist pavilion the engineers were working on. It looks really awesome. It stands about 12 feet high and 10 feet wide. The engineers planned it really well, but I’d have to say that without Clinton’s roofing experience, it might not have become such a grand reality. I helped secure some of the roofing beams with Ryan before getting a free lunch at the administration of education nearby. I hope that this pavilion will assist in increasing tourism in the Dangriga region. It could definitely help in advertising some of the local national parks that feature waterfalls and zip lines. For dinner, we went to Papa Mena’s house. He is a graduate student of the University of Arkansas and former appointed politician. His house was much different than the usual houses we have seen. His TV was bigger than any in all of Dangriga. He was especially welcoming. He offered us “soft drinks, then not so soft drinks”. It’s weird being temporarily at the legal drinking age. Then, he barbecued some chicken for us. The dinner was awesome and Andrew, Fallon, and I watched the Miami Heat vs the Celtics.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Belize - May 30-June 1
Belize - June 2-3
Monday, June 4, 2012
Today I woke up feeling a little tired. It was pouring rain all night, and I felt like it hindered my ability to sleep somehow. I didn’t feel up to speed most of the day. I sucked it up and went out to Lakeland at about 9:30. We finally finished the project. The slides were put in with some wooden beams to support the weight of the kids better than the culverts alone. It felt great to be done with them finally. After we finished, we went to Xiang Dang Dang again for some good burgers or Chinese food. Once that was done, I really didn’t do much else for the day because I knew I had a busy week after that. So I hung around until about 4:30 when David and I walked over to the soccer field to play with some of the kids again. My team consisted of Ricky, Lloyd, and Tevan for the first game. We won two then lost the third one. I keep trying to not score too much so the other kids get involved. My competitive nature tells to go all out. It is definitely hard to turn that off. We played for about an hour and a half until we walked back for dinner.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I woke up early not knowing really what I was doing today. I previously told Saad that I would go help him teach a class at Epworth, one of the local schools, about diabetes. However, the whole business team was going to make jam and vinegar with the POWA women. I decided to keep my word to Saad and go help him with the lesson. We taught standard 6, our equivalent of 8th grade. At first, they were pretty attentive and respectful. After about 15 minutes, they got a little out of hand. Saad had to reel them in a bit. We got through to them after a while and taught them about type one and two diabetes. They got almost all the questions correct. It was quite impressive. I’ll have to chalk it up to great teaching by Saad and I; maybe a little bit of David. After our first class, we went to Christ the King school to teach the same lesson again. I walked in a bit late and said hi to the kids. To my surprise, they stood up to tell me good morning and welcome me to the school. They were definitely more respectful of us than Epworth was. It might have had something to do with the age group being a little younger. The lesson went great again and they caught on very well. Once we were done with that, Saad and I went to Wynaught Island to go help with the tourist pavilion the engineers were working on. It looks really awesome. It stands about 12 feet high and 10 feet wide. The engineers planned it really well, but I’d have to say that without Clinton’s roofing experience, it might not have become such a grand reality. I helped secure some of the roofing beams with Ryan before getting a free lunch at the administration of education nearby. I hope that this pavilion will assist in increasing tourism in the Dangriga region. It could definitely help in advertising some of the local national parks that feature waterfalls and zip lines. For dinner, we went to Papa Mena’s house. He is a graduate student of the University of Arkansas and former appointed politician. His house was much different than the usual houses we have seen. His TV was bigger than any in all of Dangriga. He was especially welcoming. He offered us “soft drinks, then not so soft drinks”. It’s weird being temporarily at the legal drinking age. Then, he barbecued some chicken for us. The dinner was awesome and Andrew, Fallon, and I watched the Miami Heat vs the Celtics.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Belize - May 30-June 1
Belize - June 2-3
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Nicholas Dintelmann - French Everywhere!
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Nicholas Dintelmann, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a student abroad experience in France. Nicholas is entering his junior year in the Walton College and is majoring in International Business: Supply Chain Management with minors in French and Economics. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Wow, where to begin. France is an amazing place already, complete with history and culture. But to be completely surrounded by the language has been both the most exciting and probably one of the most frightening things I have ever experienced. My French family who I have been staying with does not speak English very much at all. My teachers only speak French, the people who work at the travel agencies here only speak French, and almost all the other students speak French.
There is another group of students here from Penn State who we have come to know, so we are able to plan trips and stuff with them. It also helps to know some other people in our classes. The teachers here at the CLA are extremely nice and know that we are trying out best. We have them for sometimes four or five hours a day, five days a week. Classes range from elementary, to intermediate, to advanced. There are also some fun classes, such as theatre, French slang, reading, and composition.
French for all of us has greatly improved. There is a lot of us that are already feeling more confident in ourselves as we continue to work hard and progress in the language. When one takes into account the number of people who use French as their first language, their second language, or know a little of it, as well as countries who have it as one of their official languages, then one realizes just how powerful the language of French can be. I have been speaking French to students from Saudi-Arabia, China, Lebanon, and Mexico who do not speak English. Already, I can see the wonder of learning another language and am so glad that I did.
Nick
Previous Posts:
Bonjour la France
Wow, where to begin. France is an amazing place already, complete with history and culture. But to be completely surrounded by the language has been both the most exciting and probably one of the most frightening things I have ever experienced. My French family who I have been staying with does not speak English very much at all. My teachers only speak French, the people who work at the travel agencies here only speak French, and almost all the other students speak French.
Nick
Previous Posts:
Bonjour la France
Monday, June 4, 2012
Helmsley Manchamee - Walmart Brazil
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Helmsley Manchamee, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Brazil. Helmsley is a senior in the Walton College who is majoring in International Business & Business Economics with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Our class was very excited for this company visit (I’m sure everyone being from the Walton College had nothing to do with it). We were shown a presentation about Walmart Brazil and its plans for expansion. After the presentation, we hopped into the Scooby van and drove to different Walmart stores. The way that the “neighborhood” Walmart was structured was very interesting. The boxes that the products are shipped in are placed directly onto the shelves. The side of the box is opened and the products are already packaged neatly inside. Walmart Brazil really embraced the “Save money. Live better” mantra. Walmart saves time in stocking their shelves and can afford to sell products at a lower cost to their consumers.
Walmart, when entering Brazil, bought Bompreço. The last stop was the biggest Walmart store I have ever seen. Before being bought, Bompreço had built one of the largest hyper supermarkets in Brazil. Anything that you could ever need was in that store. I didn’t walk through every single aisle, but I would not have been surprised if someone told me that they were selling cars toward the back. Fabio Lira Albuquerque, Director of Boa Viagem, led us to the back of the store where we got to sample cakes that are specific to Recife. My favorite was the Bolo de Rolo. It is a Brazilian dessert made from sugar, eggs and butter wrapped in melted guava.
Our class was very excited for this company visit (I’m sure everyone being from the Walton College had nothing to do with it). We were shown a presentation about Walmart Brazil and its plans for expansion. After the presentation, we hopped into the Scooby van and drove to different Walmart stores. The way that the “neighborhood” Walmart was structured was very interesting. The boxes that the products are shipped in are placed directly onto the shelves. The side of the box is opened and the products are already packaged neatly inside. Walmart Brazil really embraced the “Save money. Live better” mantra. Walmart saves time in stocking their shelves and can afford to sell products at a lower cost to their consumers.
With a store so large in volume, it did not surprise me that their profits were enormous. Just in a few days, their profits were in the millions. I want to say that it was around two million, but as soon as I heard that their profits were so high in such a short amount of time, I had to take a step back. I left thoroughly impressed with not just how efficient their operations and profitability were, but how their overall strategy is closely tied to the culture of Brazil.
Helmsley
Christian Buechel - Belize - June 2-3
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
This was by far my favorite day of the trip from the fun side. We woke up early to get breakfast at Mayawalk then hopped in a safari truck (Dodge 3500 converted) to the Actun Tikalh Munak cave for about an hour drive. We got all geared up with our helmets and hiked 45 minutes into the jungle, fording 3 rivers along the way. Once there, we all split up and went in groups to the cave. The cave was three fourths of a mile to the main attraction, the Crystal maiden. She is an 18 year old girl who was sacrificed about 800 AD. The adventure was absolutely breathtaking. Our guide, Patricio, was a University of Colorado Boulder graduate with a father from Kenya and a mother from Chihuahua Mexico. He spends his time as an archaeologist and tour guide, aside from 2 months he returns to his roots and lives life as a bushman. He really opened our eyes to the simplicity and satisfaction someone can get from living one with the earth. The cave was pretty difficult in parts as we squeezed through crevices no bigger than 2 feet wide. At one point, we all turned out our headlamps to see just how dark it was. Simply put, we couldn’t see our hands in front of our faces. The ruins were very cool to see. I kept trying to envision the Mayans traveling inside the caves and performing their rituals. Patricio told us that they believed that the more painful the sacrifice, the more the gods were pleased. It was an honor to be sacrificed, so many people volunteered for it. Kriste was really fun to adventure with. She had a very funny mom-like sense of humor. After we were done, we walked back in the soaking rain to the truck and went back for hot showers and a nap. That night, we had dinner and went out. The head of one of the bars got a live DJ for us and gave us free dessert. However, the fun got a little scary at one point. Two of the girls found themselves in a bit of an uncomfortable situation, but it ended up being diffused. It just showed us that even through 95% of the people are nice and welcoming; we still are in another country and need to be on guard. The rest of the night went off without a hitch, and we enjoyed hanging out for our last night in San Ignacio.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
We headed out at about 8:45 this morning for the Mayan ruin of Xunantunich. Only bad part is that I am fairly positive that my camera was stolen somehow. Good thing I downloaded the pictures already. I’ll try not to let it impact my fun. The ruins were spectacular. It was amazing to see how they can build such massive structures so long ago. They are the largest standing structures in Belize. We got some pretty awesome pictures on top of the structure. We learned that they were only allowed to be used by the highest people in society. Next, we hopped on the bus and bum rushed a local grocery store for lunch then headed to the Belize Zoo. Nobody really wanted to go because it was pouring rain, but we went anyways. I got to hold a snake so that made it worthwhile. Still, the wet bus ride back wasn’t that fun. There was torrential rain again and everything was flooding. We ate dinner by candlelight due to the power outages. I am craving milk like a drug. I am starting to miss some of my daily luxuries back in the US. I am about ready to head home; however, I don’t believe it is because I am homesick. I think it has more to do with the fact we are living in a hotel room. I feel like it would be better to have a routine and a place to permanently live. This trip so far has made me even surer of a decision to study abroad in Spain or Argentina in 2 years for a whole semester.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Belize - May 30-June 1
Saturday, June 2, 2012
This was by far my favorite day of the trip from the fun side. We woke up early to get breakfast at Mayawalk then hopped in a safari truck (Dodge 3500 converted) to the Actun Tikalh Munak cave for about an hour drive. We got all geared up with our helmets and hiked 45 minutes into the jungle, fording 3 rivers along the way. Once there, we all split up and went in groups to the cave. The cave was three fourths of a mile to the main attraction, the Crystal maiden. She is an 18 year old girl who was sacrificed about 800 AD. The adventure was absolutely breathtaking. Our guide, Patricio, was a University of Colorado Boulder graduate with a father from Kenya and a mother from Chihuahua Mexico. He spends his time as an archaeologist and tour guide, aside from 2 months he returns to his roots and lives life as a bushman. He really opened our eyes to the simplicity and satisfaction someone can get from living one with the earth. The cave was pretty difficult in parts as we squeezed through crevices no bigger than 2 feet wide. At one point, we all turned out our headlamps to see just how dark it was. Simply put, we couldn’t see our hands in front of our faces. The ruins were very cool to see. I kept trying to envision the Mayans traveling inside the caves and performing their rituals. Patricio told us that they believed that the more painful the sacrifice, the more the gods were pleased. It was an honor to be sacrificed, so many people volunteered for it. Kriste was really fun to adventure with. She had a very funny mom-like sense of humor. After we were done, we walked back in the soaking rain to the truck and went back for hot showers and a nap. That night, we had dinner and went out. The head of one of the bars got a live DJ for us and gave us free dessert. However, the fun got a little scary at one point. Two of the girls found themselves in a bit of an uncomfortable situation, but it ended up being diffused. It just showed us that even through 95% of the people are nice and welcoming; we still are in another country and need to be on guard. The rest of the night went off without a hitch, and we enjoyed hanging out for our last night in San Ignacio.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
We headed out at about 8:45 this morning for the Mayan ruin of Xunantunich. Only bad part is that I am fairly positive that my camera was stolen somehow. Good thing I downloaded the pictures already. I’ll try not to let it impact my fun. The ruins were spectacular. It was amazing to see how they can build such massive structures so long ago. They are the largest standing structures in Belize. We got some pretty awesome pictures on top of the structure. We learned that they were only allowed to be used by the highest people in society. Next, we hopped on the bus and bum rushed a local grocery store for lunch then headed to the Belize Zoo. Nobody really wanted to go because it was pouring rain, but we went anyways. I got to hold a snake so that made it worthwhile. Still, the wet bus ride back wasn’t that fun. There was torrential rain again and everything was flooding. We ate dinner by candlelight due to the power outages. I am craving milk like a drug. I am starting to miss some of my daily luxuries back in the US. I am about ready to head home; however, I don’t believe it is because I am homesick. I think it has more to do with the fact we are living in a hotel room. I feel like it would be better to have a routine and a place to permanently live. This trip so far has made me even surer of a decision to study abroad in Spain or Argentina in 2 years for a whole semester.
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Belize - May 30-June 1
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Christian Buechel - Belize - May 30-June 1
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
We met with Phil Usher to talk about the Dosquebrados Park that he plans on building for the kids of Dangriga. He has lots of ideas concerning the construction of it. He wants to build a pool, a disc golf course, a soccer field, and a clubhouse/restaurant for the parents. It is a very plausible project after we prioritize his ideas for it. We will be making a business plan for him for the next 5 years. Hopefully that gives him some guidance on what to do. Afterwards, I went to the Lakeland Park again in order to see the progress. It looks awesome. We added a second deck and a rope ladder to cross over the forts. Clint even added a roof. At night, we decided to have a “corporate retreat” at the Pelican Bay Resort in order to relax under the sun after our hard work. It was a very productive retreat.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
It was another day at the park for me today. We wanted to get as much as we could done before going to San Ignacio this week. We are officially finished with the monkey bars and most of the fort. We even added the first seesaw. We have a culvert pipe for a slide. I am not sure on how we are going to make it work. Once we were done, Mark, Michael, and I went to go play soccer with the kids. I have become close with a lot of the kids there. Malachi is my favorite because he loves Dirk Nowitzski the most. Tyrone, Tevan, and Brian were there too. I enjoy playing with them. I can’t help but think that with the right training some of the players could be absolutely amazing at soccer.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Today was a great day because we got to talk to Evan again. He showed up promptly at 9 am and we gave him the good news. We granted him a $320Bz loan with a 5% interest rate. He was very excited and thankful. It really felt good to know that we are helping him with his business. He is always very talkative and wise with us. It is always a pleasure to see him. Then we left at 11 am for San Ignacio. The bus ride wasn’t as bad as the other ones. Once we got in, we noticed a difference right away. Definitely had a more Hispanic vibe to it than the other cities we have visited. I stayed at Martha’s Guesthouse and it was very clean and it even had free air conditioning. That was probably the best part. We had dinner at a place on Burns Avenue. Before going to bed, Mitch, Mark, and Brendan put on a little show. Mitch can rock just about any instrument you put in his hands. It is pretty astounding to see. He can sing too. As for the others, Brendan was leading vocals with Mark on the drum. They sang some great hits like “Hey Soul Sister” and some lonely island songs. Once their vocal cords were strained, everyone tried to go to bed a little early for the adventure that awaited us the next day.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
We met with Phil Usher to talk about the Dosquebrados Park that he plans on building for the kids of Dangriga. He has lots of ideas concerning the construction of it. He wants to build a pool, a disc golf course, a soccer field, and a clubhouse/restaurant for the parents. It is a very plausible project after we prioritize his ideas for it. We will be making a business plan for him for the next 5 years. Hopefully that gives him some guidance on what to do. Afterwards, I went to the Lakeland Park again in order to see the progress. It looks awesome. We added a second deck and a rope ladder to cross over the forts. Clint even added a roof. At night, we decided to have a “corporate retreat” at the Pelican Bay Resort in order to relax under the sun after our hard work. It was a very productive retreat.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
It was another day at the park for me today. We wanted to get as much as we could done before going to San Ignacio this week. We are officially finished with the monkey bars and most of the fort. We even added the first seesaw. We have a culvert pipe for a slide. I am not sure on how we are going to make it work. Once we were done, Mark, Michael, and I went to go play soccer with the kids. I have become close with a lot of the kids there. Malachi is my favorite because he loves Dirk Nowitzski the most. Tyrone, Tevan, and Brian were there too. I enjoy playing with them. I can’t help but think that with the right training some of the players could be absolutely amazing at soccer.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Today was a great day because we got to talk to Evan again. He showed up promptly at 9 am and we gave him the good news. We granted him a $320Bz loan with a 5% interest rate. He was very excited and thankful. It really felt good to know that we are helping him with his business. He is always very talkative and wise with us. It is always a pleasure to see him. Then we left at 11 am for San Ignacio. The bus ride wasn’t as bad as the other ones. Once we got in, we noticed a difference right away. Definitely had a more Hispanic vibe to it than the other cities we have visited. I stayed at Martha’s Guesthouse and it was very clean and it even had free air conditioning. That was probably the best part. We had dinner at a place on Burns Avenue. Before going to bed, Mitch, Mark, and Brendan put on a little show. Mitch can rock just about any instrument you put in his hands. It is pretty astounding to see. He can sing too. As for the others, Brendan was leading vocals with Mark on the drum. They sang some great hits like “Hey Soul Sister” and some lonely island songs. Once their vocal cords were strained, everyone tried to go to bed a little early for the adventure that awaited us the next day.
Christian
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27
Belize - May 28-29
Friday, June 1, 2012
Helmsley Manchamee - Hermes
This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Helmsley Manchamee, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Brazil. Helmsley is a senior in the Walton College who is majoring in International Business & Business Economics with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.
I had never been to a distribution center (DC) before, so I did not know what to expect when I visited Hermes. Now in business for seventy years, Hermes has used its resources skillfully to be a very successful company. Today Hermes has six thousand DC’s located all over Brazil.
Hermes' operations are similar to Avon in the U.S. Hermes has six hundred thousand representatives placing orders. During the tour of their DC, it was apparent that they did not have the most up to date technology at their disposal. Hermes has a capacity of about 30 orders per day, which I can imagine can cause delays during times when business really picks up. What Hermes does incredibly well is that its customer base is incredibly large due to customer service. In the U.S when one buys something, the person has anywhere from one to two weeks to return it for a refund. Hermes' policy is that if you do not like the product, you have up to six months to return it. SIX MONTHS! I had thought that I heard incorrectly and had to ask for clarification. Mauricio Almeida, Director of Operations at Hermes, told me that the company wanted their consumer base to be happy when they shop with Hermes. With one positive shopping experience, the customer will want to buy from Hermes again….and they have. After the tour of the DC, Mauricio took the group to the future site of their DC. The building was huge. I asked how long they have been working on the building and I was told two months and that by next October they expect to be finished.
Helmsley
Previous Posts:
Taking Off with Embraer
The First Day
Brazil Bound
Hermes' operations are similar to Avon in the U.S. Hermes has six hundred thousand representatives placing orders. During the tour of their DC, it was apparent that they did not have the most up to date technology at their disposal. Hermes has a capacity of about 30 orders per day, which I can imagine can cause delays during times when business really picks up. What Hermes does incredibly well is that its customer base is incredibly large due to customer service. In the U.S when one buys something, the person has anywhere from one to two weeks to return it for a refund. Hermes' policy is that if you do not like the product, you have up to six months to return it. SIX MONTHS! I had thought that I heard incorrectly and had to ask for clarification. Mauricio Almeida, Director of Operations at Hermes, told me that the company wanted their consumer base to be happy when they shop with Hermes. With one positive shopping experience, the customer will want to buy from Hermes again….and they have. After the tour of the DC, Mauricio took the group to the future site of their DC. The building was huge. I asked how long they have been working on the building and I was told two months and that by next October they expect to be finished.
Helmsley
Previous Posts:
Taking Off with Embraer
The First Day
Brazil Bound
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