Long Study Tour

Hey Everybody!

Last week was my European Business Strategy Long Study Tour, a week-long trip to London and Brussels. It was a blast!

We left early on Sunday morning, taking a taxi to the train, whence I transferred to the subway to get to the Lufthavn. We checked in with a modicum of fuss, then walked through a HUGE duty-free store selling what appeared to be nothing but alcohol. Some enterprising employees were even giving out samples of Irish whiskey. This was at 9 in the morning. I guess they figured that it was five o'clock somewhere. I passed. The Danish expression for "No, thanks" is excellent: "Nej, tak" pronounced "Nie, tock."

We arrived at 11 in London, took a bus from Stanshead, then went to the Globe Theater. I'd been there before, but it was still great to see it again. Then we went nextdoor to the Tate Modern. I was rather confused by everything. Especially the large metal spider. We had dinner at a nice little place, then went back home. I stepped out to a pub with my friend, where we met some Danes. Apparently about 40,000 of them migrate at this time of the year. I was drafted to referee their footrace. Then another group of Danes spilled a beer on my shoe, and I decided it was bed time.

The next day we visited the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where a fast-talking PR guy gave a presentation, then a hairied economist gave us a brusque run-down on the financial crisis. Fascinating for me, boring as plaster for everyone else. Then we were off to Brick Lane, where DIS got ripped off at an Indian restaurant and I got Chicken Tikka Masala on my shirt. Then a walking tour of the East End, which was fun, but ended a bit early when a massive rainstorm broke. That night we went to see the musical Wicked, which was amazing. Afterward I went to the London bridge, which is beautiful at night.

Tuesday we had a biking tour of London's main tourist sights, on a beautiful, clear, crisp day. A lot of fun. The tour guide gave us a rather enthusiatic explanation of being drawn and quartered. Then we went to Solar Century, a company that designs integrated solar panels for housing construction. An interesting but necessarily brief visit. Afterward we had dinner at Ye Old Chesire Cheese, a pub where Dickens used to visit. The fish and chips were good but small.

The next morning we went to visit Wimbledon, but a fire/possible terrorist threat closed down the underground station at which we transfered, complicating things and making us late. When we arrived, we were given an enthusiastic tour by a tall Enlishman, and departed by train after a visit to the museum. That afternoon we took the Eurostar bullet train to Belgium, which was actually pretty boring. I had a friend wake me up for the Chunnel and a bit of the French countryside, but was overall unmoved (pun intended). In Brussels we went to the hotel, a Chinese themed sprawl, and walked to our restaurant for the evening, a place called the Drug Opera, where we had waffles for desert. Afterward we wandered around, but, it being Wednesday, not much was happening.

The next day we visited the European Wind Energy Association, where the CEO gave us a speech about lobbying in the EU, an interesting topic. After a brief lunch grabbed at Quick, we went to the headquarters of Belgacom, the Belgian telecommunications company. Quick is a Belgian fast food restaurant which does its best to confuse and infuriate you. This is compounded by the lack of standing in line in Belgium, a shocking experience after Denmark, where everyone lines up for everything.

Friday, the last day, we had a walking tour of Brussels, which was interesting, and made more exciting when a man accosted us for touching his dog. Our guide drove him off. Fun times. Afterward, an academic wrap up and an infuriating wait for a friend of mine to attempt communication at a sandwhich shop while I went back to Quick, then it was time for dinner at a place called Chez Leon, an establishment with a deceptively classly name. Their mussels weren't bad, but far from perfect. Then it was time to hop on the bus and take a fourteen hour ride home, concluding the journey in Kobenhavn at 7:45 Saturday morning. The bus did take a ferry between Germany and Denmark, which was really pretty as the sun was rising at the time.

That's about it for now, currently uploading pictures at a very slow rate. Wednesday I leave for Dublin, then the next week it's Berlin for me.