That Tuesday and Wednesday were crazy. Funny thing is that there was a Birthday at my school everyday that week, so the next day it was a guy named Shaun's Birthday. He's from Canada, and a lot of people went out to celebrate. I, however, decided not to because of a Finance assignment that was due the following Monday and I obviously wouldn't have had time to do it once I started traveling to Spain on Wednesday night. So, I spent the next two days cramming that Finance assignment into the ground and preparing for an Ethics presentation on Barclay's right before my train left.
I kind of hate that I missed peoples' Birthday parties. At CEA, you know we have cultural night on Thursdays called FACE (Friends Activities Culture and Education, cheesy I know), so since there were no less than three Birthdays that week in our group, our CEA director bought cakes and had a party at that week's FACE. I was not there, however, because I was in SPAIN! They put up great pictures on Facebook which looked fun though... oh well, one cannot do everything. Also, let me make this clear, there were three Birthdays in a row at my school AND there were three Birthdays that week from CEA. Crazy coincidence!
On Wednesday evening, I finished saying something to the class with my teammates Charlie and Kate about the sustainability and ethical practices of Barclay's. This was for our Ethics presentation RIGHT before I was to get on a train to Paris. I don't really think teaching Ethics has a place in business curriculum, but I have now had two Ethics classes in college. That means that I'll always do what's right for everyone and be totally socially responsible for everything when I'm a business exec, right? Yeah, the schools like to think so. (Disclaimer: I have had fabulous, interesting professors and topics for each of my Ethics classes and have learned more about philosophy and history than in many classes, but I still would rather be taught a business skill as I think that would be more beneficial to my future career). I despise talking about corporate social responsibility. However, I really like studying game theory and I like thinking of business practices as one big game. The idea is that one suspends the rules of society, morality, ethics, social responsibility, and simply plays by the rules of business in order to attract customers and profit. Business is treated just like a game where only certain rules apply. For example, lying is immoral, but it's not when one plays poker is it? This works because individuals are morality conscious; this means that executives make good and ethical business decisions because customers will demand it even though business execs make be playing by "unethical" rules. This only works in a perfect system of symmetrical information, but I like the idea more that anything else Ethics has taught.
Anyway... I got on the train to Paris around 7, then left for Irun, Spain around 11:30 that night for an overnight train, and then eventually left Irun for Madrid that following day around 2. The overnight train is not so bad. I have figured out that I can sleep anywhere if I'm tired enough so I really slept a good 8 hours on the train. Traveling by train really wasn't very eventful, so I was so ready to be in Madrid and off a train! Next stop, Madrid, Spain!
Plus tard, Bisous!
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