Wow and I thought yesterday felt like a long day... today was brutal! In short here was our schedule: A 3 hour class, followed by a one hour speaker, followed by a one hour lunch, followed by a three hour class, followed by an hour and half speaker, followed by dinner. Ouch! That is a lot of sitting.
I'm still getting a feel for whether or not I like these classes. I think both are very applicable, but the three hour time frames are wearing on me earlier than they usually do. I'm also a little confused with cost accounting as everything he talks about an is showing us in class is from an observation or managers view which would be nice other than I know he is going to test us on the details of how and where to calculate certain numbers. We have a midterm test the first week we get back from Russia and it is worth more of our grade than the final is and right now I am trying to figure out what the heck he is going to test us on?
Today was also our first day of operations class. I think it is going to be a good class, but today got a bad wrap cause the afternoon class is always harder to sit through than the morning class. I think there will be a lot of usual information. I know it is good when I am sitting in class thinking... ok so how can I apply this to Foot and Ankle or another medical practice I might be in? Hopefully that enthusiasm carries on.
Both speakers did an ok job today, but speaking engagements are just so much different than I expected them to be. None of the speakers really dazzle and a lot of the time I feel pretty bored (or I'm fighting to stay awake), but as I think back on it afterwards, they covered the very types of things I wanted to hear about in this region of the world. I guess it is just tough to spend an extra 2 1/2 hours sitting and listening to speakers after you have already spent 6 hours sitting and listening to lectures.
I also had a couple interesting realizations today. First was the break times we look forward to so much during class. Usually about half way through they will give us a 15 minute break. Everyone always looks forward to these, but I have found the breaks during this residency to be much different. I didn't realize what it was until part way through today. The reason the breaks haven't been as enjoyable or feel different is because every break is centered around food and the major food that is available are sugary treats like cookies and pastries. I hadn't really noticed it before, but this trip I have been really good about not eating the treats they provide (surprisingly I don't even desire them like I use to) so we get out to break and I chat with some classmates for a few minutes and then I have nothing to do. That is usually when I start glancing over at the treat table so now I usually head back in to the classroom early and check my email or facebook or something before we start up again. Nothing revolutionary, just an interesting observation I had.
The second has to do with an iron and an ironing board. Watch this video and then read further.
So to restate the video, it is crazy that a 5 star hotel would only have enough irons for like 10-15 people when they know they will be hosting 120 business students for 10 days. Oh well.
Well that was pretty much my day today. Here are a few other pictures of the hotel since that is all I have seen the last couple of days.
This is the "classroom" or hotel ballroom where I have class everyday.
This is the lobby entrance to the ballroom where we have class.
This is one of the many events screens around the hotel. As you
can tell we are monopolizing the space.
This is a view of the main lobby from the second floor.
This is the patio where I work out in the morning. The gym is right behind
where I was standing when I took the picture. Every morning so far I have
come out here instead and done my workout (jumprope, situps, pushups, burpees, etc)
This picture didn't turn out as good as I hoped, but it is a picture of
the view from that balcony. You can see about 4 or 5 cathedrals sticking up just
in this picture. It was amazing to me how many you could see from up there.
And my last picture...
This is the beating I've taken in Russia so far (notice the whip marks on my arm)
In reality this is the punishment I get from trying to learn
double unders.
Final side note: The housekeeping has been so weird here. LIke most hotels they leave signs that say, if you want to change the sheets leave this card on the bed and if you want new towels don't hang them up just leave them on the floor. Well today after I got back from class, I go into the bathroom to find both the hand towel and towel I used this morning hanging on the back of the door when I left both laying on the ground. It was just so funny to me. I mean what was she trying to pull... make me think that I hung them up there myself? Anyway, I just thought it was funny.
I love you so much,
Brock
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