Apple Orchard and Cider Tour in Normandy

On our trip to Normandy we also wanted to experience a little of the French apple harvest during fall. We visited the Domaine Dupont orchard and were given an informative tour by the owner himself. Dupont produces Calvados apple liquor and cider. The property is beautiful and the recipes and processes are based on generations of knowledge. Everything made here still has that classic, non-industrial touch.

Apples, apples everywhere.

Cider-maker post MBA??

Tasting Calvados and cider. It's like spiked apple juice but better.

I was also excited to find apple-cider vinegar. How much more fresh from the farm can you get?

Nice-Cannes Marathon Relay

I loved Nice when I went on my trip earlier this year so I was really excited to go back and participate in the Nice-Cannes Marathon. I joined a four-person relay team with my fellow classmates, Kush, Krystian, and Jonathan. While the exchange points were a little confusing, I loved running the marathon as a team. It was a great way to participate in the race without needing to train a lot for it. Kush had just completed a marathon so he was in great shape to run the longest leg. I ran roughly 8 km (~5 miles) at a great pace of 8:03 min/mile. 

The race course was beautiful, almost all along the Mediterranean Sea from Nice to Cannes. We were able to take the train along the coast to meet up at the relay exchange points and then to the finish in Cannes. 

In true INSEAD fashion, we had a few beers the night before the race. I'm pretty sure they helped us run fast.

The rest of my team before the race. We dressed like Frenchmen...

Some of the other students and I post-race refueling at an Italian restaurant. Overall a great trip and I can't wait to run another marathon relay!

A Day in History - Normandy

I love the fact that INSEAD is such an international school but I must say that some of the best friends I've made here are actually American. I think that our global mindset coupled with American upbringing make us get along quite well and have a lot in common. In addition, many of us, like me, are immigrants and have dual nationalities. 

The Americans and others organized a trip to see the historical sites of where Normandy was invaded on D-Day. It was interesting to see a piece of history that we learn about in school as the "turning point" in the war. Of course, other countries might see it differently, but in classic American fashion, it's when we came to save the day.

Omaha Beach monuments where the allies landed coming from England.

Diagram of other beaches that were invaded.

The American memorial cemetery close to Omaha Beach.

A moving and sad place to be, but it was very interesting to visit the museum and see the timeline of events and read about the troops stories and triumphs.

Happy Thanksgiving from France!

Happy Francegiving! Last night I hosted the INSEAD Americans for a lovely Thanksgiving feast at Chateau de Tavers, where I live. We made three turkeys and the 50 or so guests brought side dishes and desserts to share. It was a great night and I'm glad we got to have a little taste of home.

French Food

Before my move to France to study at INSEAD, I wrote about why French Women Don't Get Fat and I must admit that I believe in much of what is in the book. French food tends to be rich and high-quality, but enjoyed in smaller portions. The bread doesn't make me feel bloated and seasonal vegetables are always used in meals. Our cafeteria food is pretty awesome and I'm having fun trying new things, like snail, in the restaurants of Fontainebleau and Paris. I enjoy the French love for seafood. My only major complaint about French food is the prevalence of diary. You can not get anything without cheese or milk. Although I try to avoid it, it's really difficulty to do so, and waiters do not really understand why i would want something "sans lait." Regardless, it's been fun exploring the food options in France and here are some ideas for your home cooking!

Snail, not as gross as it sounds.

Shrimp salad, with cheese sauce, of course.

Mussels and fries, my favorite!

Niçoise salad (recipe here)

And you can't have a French meal without a glass of wine!

Afternoon in Monte Carlo, Monaco

On our pre-INSEAD trip this summer to Nice, we took a day trip down the coast to Monaco for a long afternoon. You can easily take the bus from Nice to Monte Carlo and the ride is quite breathtaking as you travel along the winding coastline.

Upon arrival, we walked up to the Prince's Palace and enjoyed some amazing views of Monaco. I mean, can you imagine owning a yacht here? It seems like every building has an ocean view.

Monaco felt more like a quaint tourist town than its own country. We walked around just exploring the streets and and enjoying the views. My friend Liz had her "real" camera (as opposed to my usual iPhone pictures) and took some great candid shots of Neena and I.

We then proceeded to walk around Port Hercule and enjoy the market along the water. We dreamed about getting on one of those yachts! Maybe when we get jobs after business school?

And finally, you can't visit Monaco without seeing the famous Monte Carlo Casino. While we couldn't go inside, we did explore some of the nearby (less fancy) casinos and eventually decided that it wasn't worth gambling our tuition money and settled for lunch at an outdoor cafe instead.

Chateau Life

Last week I posted about my first month at INSEAD and wanted to follow up with a little about my awesome home at the Chateau de Tavers. I could have lived in an apartment close to campus but opted to try something a little different instead. When else would I have the chance to live in a chateau in the countryside in France?

Tavers takes up it's own block of land on the banks of the Seine River, which I can see from my room. We have charming common areas, my favorite being the library with a fireplace and piano. One of my roommates serenades us in the evenings.

We have weekly dinners where our "house mom" Paula cooks for us and our guests. There's lots of wine and cheese, as you can imagine. And a little different from running along the lake in Chicago, but there is a pretty good path along the Seine! If only I had time to run more.

Finally, let's not forget the parties! The whole campus gets bussed over to our epic parties. These pics are from the first one during welcome week. The whole group is below, I love these guys!

First month at INSEAD

Two months ago I got on a one-way flight from Chicago and traveled around Europe a bit (read posts on Slovakia, Vienna, and Nice) before starting business school at INSEAD in the lovely Fontainebleau, France (pictured above). I have to admit that the last month has been pretty intense, not just with classes but also with meeting people, traveling, and starting the career search. I haven't had much time to update you all so here's a recap!

There are currently seven (six on the Fontainebleau campus) Purdue alums at INSEAD! We got together for the picture above to show our Boilermaker pride. It's nice to have a piece of home in this very diverse community. There is no dominant nationality but it seems like we all have the same mentality and because of that, I've already found so many close friends. We've all had many different experiences around the world and it's easy to find things in common with other people, be it dual-citizenship or the desire to become an entrepreneur. Read my post on the INSEAD MBA Experience blog about this!

Besides the traveling, partying, and meeting amazing people, there's also the whole education thing. Because INSEAD is a 10-month program (compared to 2-year business schools in the U.S.), the course load has been quite intense and it is difficult to prioritize. The good thing is that I think that Purdue engineering prepared me pretty well for intense classes and grading on a curve. The most difficult part here for me is that I don't have a business or finance background, whereas many of my classmates do. So the classes are review for them while it's the first time I've seen the material in class or at work. 

We are grouped into teams for the first four months of classes and my team (below) is pretty awesome. We are all different in culture and work experience which makes us have a great mix of ideas. I've already learned so much from working with them and trying to function as a team. Although much of the class material is still based on U.S. companies and business practices, I've learned much more from the experiences of my international classmates, which I wouldn't get as much from a U.S. business school.

The first month at INSEAD has been awesome, here's to nine more!

Recipe: Salad Niçoise

Besides the beautiful scenery, one of my favorite things about my recent trip to Nice, France, was the wonderful Mediterranean food! I love seafood and there was plenty of it. Just add vegetables and eggs and you get the classic Salad Niçoise. As you can see by the pictures below, I had quite a few versions during my trip. Below is an easy recipe for you to make it at home!

Recipe: Salad Niçoise

Just mix the following ingredients according to taste!

Greens (lettuce, arugula, baby spinach)
Sliced tomato
Kalamata olives
Sliced radishes
Hard-boiled eggs
Canned tuna
Canned sardines
Sliced green onion
Olive oil + balsamic vinegar for dressing
Salt and pepper


Enjoy with a glass of wine overlooking the beach!