Maison de Quartier & Vallee de la Jeunesse

(by Marieke Van Esch-Gille)

My name is Marieke and mother of 2 daughters: Daantje (just turned 2 years old) and Juul (6 months). The three of us support my husband, Papa, in his MBA this year. We are from the Netherlands and I chose to focus this year our the family and quit my job as a HR consultant at an international HR consultancy firm. Every day we are profiting and discovering Lausanne and its direct surroundings. Up till now, life is good and the city of Lausanne seems very child friendly to me.

Besides the many parcs and playgrounds, Lausanne has several indoor play areas for parents & children which are great to visit. For me and my two girls it has become a fixed moment in the week: On Monday we go to Maison de Quartier (sous-gare) and on Friday morning we go to Vallee de la Jeunesse. My eldest and I love it as both places have different things to offer.

Maison de Quartier opens their doors three mornings a week for children from 0 till 6 years old. A typical morning starts with handicrafts (on Mondays by the dedicated leadership of Marcella, our IMD partner coordinator)……very nice for the creative mums, or discover something new in yourself in this field. This is followed by free play for the children. We end the morning with French child songs. As a break during the morning, coffee/croissants are served and for the children, bread, water/lemonade and apples. We all sit to have a nice pause in the dynamics.

Vallee de la Jeunesse is a place for children from 0 till 5 years old and their parents (2 mornings and 1 afternoon). It has a great play area for the babies including a partly separate play area for the toddlers. The toddlers will find lots of bikes, cars, hobble horses, books, puzzles, little toys, a small house etc to play with and meet other children. The babies can have fun underneath one of the many baby-gyms. This attracts parents & children from all kinds of nationalities. Two people guard the place and will help you out with your child if needed. The nice thing about it, and Daantje will agree for sure, is that they have a coffee table where you and your child can drink coffee, tea, water or lemonade and eat apples, bread and cookies. The rule is: sit while you eat. I love it from an educational perspective and also because it is a nice moment to mingle with the international mothers (and sometimes fathers).

For me, these visits have a very nice side effect. It turns out to be a great opportunity to speak/ polish my French and really be aware that we are in Lausanne and not only in IMD-land!!

BTW: the activities described of both places are one of the services provided by them.

IMD Partner Room

(by Maria Godsey)

I've spent a lot of time in our IMD partner room the last couple of days that I thought I would write about it. It's currently become an art studio as a couple of us are painting banners and making cheering supplies for the upcoming MBAT (just 6 days away!) The IMD partner room is one of the great things IMD provides for the partners. It's located in the same area as the student study rooms/lockers and purely dedicated to us partners!

(Maria, Noah, Leena, and Sachi getting ready for MBAT)

The room is large and has all the necessities: computer, speakers, TV, white board, art supplies, lots of books, maps, brochures, toys for the little ones, lounge chair and a nice, big table. Plus it's super convenient with it being located on campus.

Right now our room is doubling as an art studio, but we use it for everything… language classes, sewing class, potluck lunches, playroom, study area, reading area.. the list is long! And the best part, seeing the student partners during their breaks or after class is over! They all know where to find us! Here are some photos of our wonderful partner room!

(The IMD Partner Room)

(Computer Area)

(Books and Toy Area)

Easter Break!

(by Maria Godsey)

It's been a week since the Easter Break, but the feeling of having this special time together as a family is still fresh in my mind. So much so that I think I miss Joseph more now than before Easter Break! Perhaps I had gotten so used to him being at school and this break was a reminder of how nice it is to actually have your partner around for the entire weekend straight.

For Easter we decided to stay in the Lausanne area and travel to near-by cities. Switzerland and the Lake Geneva area are so beautiful, it just made sense to stay here than to fly someplace else. It turned out to be a great decision as we were able to save some money and still had a wonderful time together!

So what did we do? Here's a quick outline in case any of the future partners want to use this as reference next year:

Day 1: Hiking! - We packed Noah in our back carrier, took the metro to a stop just above Riponne and started hiking towards the woods/trees. We didn't really know where we were going, but I heard there was a large park close-by and thought we would check it out. The exploration was nice and we found some marked hiking trails which lead us to a wood tower lookout point, small lake and 'zoo', and several museums I hope to check out as the year progresses. We got back before the sun went down and ended the day at the beach near-by. Bliss!

Day 2: Gruyere and Cailler: Tahira talked about this in her last blog. I think many of the partners visited these locations over the break. I would definitely recommend it as the Gruyere region is beautiful and the cheese and chocolate are too good to be missed!

Day 3: Lausanne: Our initial plan was to visit Sion, the oldest city in Switzerland, but changed our minds as the weather didn't look promising. Also, Joseph was really craving a 'do nothing' day and I was all for that! We did a nice little Easter basket reveal for Noah, quick visit to the park, played board games while Noah napped, nice stroll along the lake and ended the evening with a wonderful dinner together. Maybe we did more than 'nothing', but the day was perfect!

Day 4: Morges: Joseph needed some time in the afternoon for school work, so we decided to visit Morges' Tulip Festival. Morges is very close by, only 10 minutes by train. The entrance to the tulip park is free and there are lots of tulips!! This is a definite must-do for the incoming partners! We found a nice spot in the park, picnicked and took lots of pictures of the flowers and Noah walking all over the place around them.

So that was our spring break. Was amazing! Now time to focus on MBAT (MBA Olympics) taking place at HEC Paris. A bunch of us partners will be joining the MBA class as they compete against the other MBA schools. I'm really looking forward to the event, the away time with Joseph, and hopefully some family time visiting Paris. 12 more days to go……! :)

A little Swiss holiday and one crazy trip to the Kingdom...



Chateau de Chillon

ok... so what's basically happened is that- we're busy. I think its safe for me to say that for everyone. Plus with me, my laptop was having a bit of a nervous breakdown- and you know, you need to blog in the comfort of your home and the strong reliable arms of your laptop. Additionally, I didnt want to make the partner blog look like a Tahira blog- so some space and hopefully other partner contributions (*hint, hint*) should help achieve that goal. 



But with the exams over and a nice long weekend thanks to Easter, I've also been really busy sorting out our "vacation" schedule, which included one crazy trip to Riyadh and back for a mere 24 hours. Why? Long, boring story. Nevermind that. 

One of the trips we made was to Montreux. And thank you Mr. Splendid Sun- You made it worth our while by shining mad all day. We drove down, about 45 minutes from Lausanne. The walk by the lake, spread of flowery colors, a little paddling perhaps, marinating in the sun, and if you're into history, a little expedition at the Chateau de Chillion will definitely make your day. 



Also, we the partner planned and successfully executed our very first surprise birthday party. This one was for Sevara. It was so much fun with so many partners showing up rather surprisingly (because I thought we were mostly out of town, planning vacations, taking day trips) and we left poor Sharon cleaning up after us, who played an amazing host and masterminded the event.

Sevara & Lil' Sevinch

So a day before our flight to Riyadh (KSA), we headed for La Gruyere* over the Easter weekend. It is a small, cute little town that extends a little beyond the walled area it is more famous for. The placed paved with cobblestones, cows grazing, flowers in full bloom, and oh that cheese! I remember some of the partners mentioning that the place has probably played host to a deluge of Bollywood movies- and seriously, I'm sure they're not too far from the truth. We visited the Gruyere Castle- which was very interesting and the HR Giger museum- rather disturbing; but for those who can stomach it, it was in fact rather fasinating, complex and dark (you get a discount when you visit them together and be sure to show them your Student cards). 

La Gruyere

And since we lacked the luxury of time- Faisal woke up a full hour later than intended- we made our way to Moleson and decided we'd do the Chocolate Factory another day.As for Moleson**- seriously, save your money for Jungfrau. They keep showing an observatory when you click Moleson on "search" and you get up there all excited in that cabin herded like cattle, and you realize that its a shack and nothing more- the observatory is "under construction". The view is stunning no doubt but it's too small and there are way too many people crowded around and everything seems to be falling apart; decrepit and frail. So unless the observatory is done, my honest opinion- save that very small and extremely precious student "vacation" budget for something better.

And then there was the trip to Riyadh. One of the things you ABSOLUTELY LOVE about the Middle East (and especially Riyadh) is the preferential treatment women get in long queues and administrative work in government offices. I am Faisal's golden ticket to getting work done around there. And oh! the cheap and amazing food. And thats about all the love one can have for Riyadh. 

We were exhausted and worn out and all you want is so have a nice ,decent flight with plenty of leg space and hopefully nobody sitting next to you, which we got on our way to the Kingdom. But on our way back, when we really needed it, was when everything that could go wrong did. We arrived an hour and a half earlier than scheduled. Thank god for cheap thrills like "the first class lounge". Its pathetic but they are a life saver. 

And then we discovered that our "direct" flight back, wasn't- it was going via Jeddah. And as luck would have it, the flight was jam packed. There was an onslaught of people suffering from flatulence and halitosis and bromhidrosis- and in some sick way it was rather amusing how when things are unpleasant, they leave room for almost nothing to breathe a sigh of relief into, pun intended. 

If my olfactory senses could, they'd have sued me for this abuse. 

The seats were cramped and a child was constantly wailing in the back. After an eternity of waiting, I finally turned to his mother and gave her the "look" which prompted her into action and she finally shushed him. 

And when Faisal made his way to the air-loo towards the end, he realized how the last cabin was more or less empty and people had stretched themselves entirely onto the seats and lay there drooling peacefully in their sleep. Arrrrgh! 

But let me tell you what was CRAZY! The flight captain signaled the alarm for "turbulence"- oh well, we thought normal turbulence, lets just strap ourselves into our seats and continue doing what we do best on such long haul fights- nothing.. But what followed was completely unexpected. Dont worry, since I am typing this story out, it means I came out alive. 

The plane started with a shiver. More shiver. Some shaking now. After constant trembling for about three minutes, not only was the plane jiggling into a near samba routine- IT GALLOPED! I bounced off my seat...and my heart plunged into the abyss of panic attack escorted with a pathological smile across my face- talk about masochism- and I just looked at Faisal and told him how much I loved him and started chanting prayers...Trust me when I say this, this is how the term "scared shitless" originated.  

But I was likening the feeling to a free wheeling roller coaster ride! FTW?! 

My mind was rushing through a psychedelic maze of plane crashes and pointy Swiss Alps and horror stories and people stranded for days who ended up eating other passengers and still starved to death; I thought about my life and my family and how I hadn't written a will (not that I have much left). And slowly, still stuck in that horrifying stupor, I could feel the plane descend. The normal, routine, scheduled descent. With that the air in my lungs started to untangle, the stomach seemed to have fallen back into its place, other anatomical normalcies took place I'll spare you the details of. 

But we were all so traumatized that the passengers burst into an impromptu spell of thunderous applause the second the pilot touched down. Phew! 

Oh well, now we're back. Students are back on track (rather forcibly) with the barrage of assignments coming in, while we the partners will probably be gearing up for the MBAT. Until then, this is T signing off. 

 Au revoir!

*The trip on train costs around CHF 22 (a half fare card) and then you need to dish out a bit more for any museum excursions or cheese/chocolate factory trips

** Costs CHF 14 per head (half fare card) for the Furnicular and then the cabin up and back down. 

P.S. These are 2011 prices (:

Exam Week

(by Maria Godsey)

Exam week has passed and sadly, I miss it! Earlier I mentioned that I planned to be away and wondered if it would turn out to be a positive thing or not. Well… positive it was! During the prep and exam days, there was a different feeling in the air. The students were still busy and had to study, but it was different and in an odd way, more relaxed. They had free reign on how they scheduled themselves, where they studied, how they studied… all this gave lots of opportunities for some face time with them which I didn't expect.

Here are a couple of highlights as I look back at the past week:

- Like I said, the students' schedules were up to them to figure out and for us, this meant saying goodbye to the hectic morning rush for awhile. It was really nice having breakfast as a family again. Unfortunately, we couldn't sleep in due to our wonderful alarm clock named Noah, but our morning pace was a lot slower. Joseph wasn't rushing around the house, gathering his items in between bites of cereal before running out the door. Instead, we actually ate breakfast together. Joseph even got to feed Noah his breakfast which was fun to see. :)

- The weather here was FANTASTIC!!! Sun shining, light breeze… Lausanne is so beautiful with the blossoming flowers, leaves on the trees and clear skies to see the mountains. One day, a bunch of us went to the near-by beach to soak up the sun. Ahhhh... refreshing and relaxing!! Best of all, some of the students joined us as well and studied in the sun!

Leana & Sachi, Noah & Maria, Soujanya, Charlotte, Marieke & Daantje

- Exams completed at 1 PM on Friday and it leant the opportunity to some wonderful family bonding time over the weekend. We decided to go to the nearby vineyards to walk and picnic along the Lavaux Wine Trail. It was so nice to spend this time together! I'm already counting down the days until Easter Break!

View of the vineyards and beautiful Alps!

So as a partner, the exam week wasn't bad at all! Not sure the students would agree with me, but I sure enjoyed it! :) If I had to do it over again, I would definitely stay local during this time period! (*hint, hint* to the future IMD partners!)

Oh the joys of baking!

You know what I've been doing lately? 
Baking! 
I love how Lausanne has turned me into a potential baker. Or at least one in my head. 

Alison- Chocolate Biscotti

In all likelyhood, I (and my poor husband, who doesn't really have a choice) am the only one who enjoys the consequences of having picked up this dangerous skill but it doesn't keep my mind from wandering off rather quickly into this phantasmagoria of a dazzling world, where I topple over the Martha Stewarts and Nigella Lawsons and open up my very own "Boulangerie" specializing in Chocolate, dedicated to my baking-mentors, my dear neighbours: Alison & Sevara.

Baking is so therapeutic. And the aftermath, even more. The after-aftermath.... nevermind! 

But D-Day is drawing closer. What D-day? Remember we (the partners) were asked to set goals for ourselves and see how we've fared three months on? Yes, well I was supposed to drop tons of weight as goal number 1. 

DRATS! 

At least I'm done with most of my reading assignments... Although my French still sucks- which was my third goal.

Chocolate-Cheesake Brownie

Italian- Chocolate Crostata

It has been raining, but the weather is gorgeous overall. I didn't think it was possible but the view of the mountains across the lake has become even more breath-taking; as if the coming Spring has taken off the Winter-veil, unleashing the majestic beauty of the Mountains in all its glory. Lausanne seems a lot more crowded with people picnicking by the lake throughout the day. Its personally entertaining how people are queued up as far as the eye can see at the Movenpick Ice cream stall just outside the hotel. What's more, we're on daylight saving mode now, so we have the gilded rays descending all over town once the sun struggles past the soft blanket of clouds, for longer. Or at least that's how I see it. 

I'd share some pictures with you, but you'll perceive it as boring old mountains. Because my camera doesn't capture what my eyes can see. You have to see it to believe it. I will have new partner heads nodding in agreement next year this time around (hopefully the impact of Global warming doesn't drastically alter somewhat worrying climate trends).

Of course this beautiful, welcoming change sets in well with my weight loss regime- gives me all the more reason to step outdoors for a nice, brisk walk by the lake. But... the beautiful sun, warm breeze, fantastic spread of colour across the shrubs and bushes, kids running about, birds chirping, geese cackling- and......... no icecream?! 

Sacrilege! 

So I'm not too sure what's happening here, because every so often on these "strolls" aimed at weight-loss, an ice-cream cone miraculously finds its way into my greedy hands... Yep! A step forward, two steps back! That's what it is in a nutshell. 

Chocolate Banana Cake

By the way, to the upcoming Partners, if you're ever at a loss of knowing what to do when sending a shipment/courier, just contact IMD Reception. DHL/Fedex are around alright but IMD reception is so helpful (and so cheap!). I saved 80 quids today. 

Thanks for the tip Ali- guess who can afford to augment the periphery of the baking-experiment budget?!  

Anyway, it's exam time at campus. And my poor ol' husband has contracted a rather lame case of "I'm-a-victim-of-horrible-inhuman-exams-Make-this-world-a-better-place-for-me" which requires me to keep on my toes even more; play the maid even better. Oh well, 'tis too shall pass! And with all the effort I am making in running around getting meals done, subduing every bout of rage, suffocating every urge that goes within a 5 mile radius of the term "NAG"... I better be compensated. 



Cookie?

And in light of this, to all our MBA soldiers who've been undergoing intense mental training- intellectual motor running at full speed, brain racing against the speed of light for the past three months- here's wishing you all the best! Armed with all that plethora of knowledge that's been drilled into you, here's hoping you regurgitate it all out in the best possible way. Don't worry- Friday is just around the corner and you'll be done and dusted by then, praying you all ace it, Amen! 

I see this as the initial shaping stage, after which comes the sharpening and polishing before IMD can present 90 new impeccable gems to the world.

Although the signs of impending "doom" are not too far off the horizon; the second integrative exercise is in two weeks time and the leadership paper due just after that.

I think I'll shut up now.  

Over and out!

P.S. if this "baking-mania" continues, someone please do me a favour and check me into a rehabilitation center for neurotic bakers. Thank you.

Keeping Busy

(by Maria Godsey)

I just looked to see when my last entry was and it has been awhile… oops! I planned on posting more regularly, but days and weeks seem to keep slipping by. The partner events and outings have slowed a bit, but I still find myself with so much to do! But I'm not complaining… I actually enjoy all the activity.

So what are some of the things Noah and I are doing to keep busy? We have our standing weekly activities, french class for beginners, sewing class, cooking class, fitness class, PDE sessions... but beyond that, this month started off a bit crazy for me as Noah's 1st birthday party was around the corner. I really wanted it to be special. With that, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I had an image of a big birthday bash with lots of decorations and accessories and took to the web to start shopping. What I quickly realized is that shipping is outrageous to Switzerland, Switzerland doesn't even have an Amazon site, most eBay items are shipped from outside of Switzerland and I needed to compromise. In the end, the party was great and it was really special to spend it with the other partners and their little ones.

Last week we celebrated 'burning of winter'. What is this you ask? I'm not 100% sure, but basically the kids from the local daycares and schools dress-up and march through the streets with a large item that they burn in the near-by Parc de Milan. Since it was Forest week last week, the kids dressed as dwarfs. It really was a blast to participate in this… from making the dwarf costume, marching along the streets, watching the large watermelon go up in flames to later enjoying bread and chocolate in the park. But I think the best part was how cute all the kids looked… especially the IMD babies!! :) Thanks, Marcella, for making us aware of these fun activities!!

This month, we also squeezed in two family trips. The first to the Lausanne Photo Museum and the second across the lake to attend a Bordeaux wine tasting event in France. Both trips were very special, although the wine tasting event sticks out in my mind more. I think the fantastic Bordeaux wine I'm drinking now as I write this entry also helps in keeping the memory fresh. :) I'm just thankful that we took the time to do these small outings together as a family, despite the heavy IMD workload. It is this time that we spend together that keeps us connected and builds wonderful memories of the year.

So the end of March is here and so is exam time for the students. This coming weekend is reserved for exam preparations and the following week are exams. I had hoped to travel with Noah back to Germany to give Joseph all the time he needed to study, but my procrastination resulted in higher ticket prices and us now staying put. Hopefully it will turn out to be a positive thing in the end. I'm sure Noah's smile will give Joseph an energy boost when he needs it. :)

Speaking of ticket prices, tomorrow I hope to finalize my itinerary and purchase our tickets for summer break. I also procrastinated on this and will pay slightly higher prices. (I think I've learned my lesson now!) Friendly advice to the 2012 partners: Book your spring break and summer break tickets EARLY!!!!!

I guess that it for now… Happy Spring everyone!!