BYU MBA Program 2008

You have to love a school that will pay for you to make a trip to Argentina. That is pretty awesome. Another group of my friends just got back from China as well. Two weeks ago a group of us here in the program got to go down to Argentina for a week for a field study. We were doing research on whether it is feasible to set up shop to sell a certain companies products in South America, and since one of our group members is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and had a lot of contacts there we went down to Buenos Aires to check out if this company would fly or not. I thought it was going to be a weeklong vacation, but unfortunately we actually worked a ton, but we still had fun.

 

One thing I did notice though was the huge difference between being in Argentina for business, and serving my mission there for two years. I lived in Argentina for two years as a missionary for my church, but when I went down there to do business it seemed like a completely different place. Business vocabulary is much different, and it is a good thing I am taking a business Spanish class right now or else I would have had a really hard time keeping up. Also there were a lot of cultural differences I never picked up on before that had to do with dealing business in Argentina. Moral of the story is just because you lived in a country for a while does not mean you know how to do business there. You must do business in a country to truly understand the culture and vocabulary to be successful.

 

It was a great trip though, and I was able to bring a suitcase back to the States full of my favorite Argentine treats I have been missing over the years, especially alfahores. It was a good thing they have Wal-Mart down there as well so I could buy them in huge bulk. The only thing about the trip that stunk was the flight. What was the deal with American Airlines flying us down in a airplane from the 70s? I have been on various international flights, and they have all had tiny TV screens in every seat. All of my group members as well have had the same thing, but on the American flight no dice, just one crappy screen for everyone, so we all had to suffer with junky movies like “Martian Child” and just a bunch of propaganda for CBS. SHAME ON YOU AMERICAN AIRLINES!!

 

The bad part about the trip is that I have not been to school at all recently. This last weekend I left again to go watch the Giants at spring training in Arizona, as well as look for a home. Man, the Giants are going to stink this year, it is going to be a long season. I am also taking off again on Thursday to head back to Arizona to try to finalize a house purchase. The more school I miss it seems the more and more I can’t wait to graduate. It is the 2 by 2 by 2 curse, the 2nd block of the 2nd semester of your 2nd year, you just stop caring and just want to get out of here without pulling two Cs and failing and having that stipulation in your contract with your employer of “upon graduation” not come back and bite you.

 

I will miss my friends, but the program has been good. It is good to see some of my friends thought that are freaking out about jobs get those offers coming in. The economy is scarring everybody, but we are at a pretty good program, so no one is too scarred. I just wish they would hurry up and finish all the construction. Classes of 2009 and beyond I officially hate you because you will only reap the benefits of all this construction that is going on to the business buildings, with all the extra study rooms, cool new food court, and multi-level parking. I have to walk like a mile everyday and park next to Wendy’s to get to school. You guys stink.

 

Well, I guess I just need to survive this last month of school and head off to Arizona and start working, then of course after a month of work I will be crying about how much I miss my friends and how I miss school because I could choose whether to show up or not. Grass is always greener on the other side…. But at least I will have In and Out Burger in Arizona.