Amazing Global Network Week at Madrid
After conquering several difficulties before the trip, we finally made it to Madrid. The following amazing week at Madrid definitely deserved our previous efforts.
Through the lectures by professors and group discussions, students from the global network league got together to understand the hottest topic in Europe and find solutions. Mr. Erik Schlie, Associate Dean of the International MBA Program and his team organized the whole week with great attention to every detail: welcome cocktail party, elaborately selected lectures, city tours and company visits…all of which made our trip enriched and meaningful. We benefited a lot through interaction with professors, discussion with our own team members or even debating on the hot issues within Eurozone.
Apart from the informative study at one of the most prestigious business schools, the travelling at Madrid was impressive.
Transportation
I was amazed by the convenience of the public transportation system at Madrid. It was so easy for you to take the metro to the whole of Madrid, even if you could not speak Spanish. The direction and guidance could be very clearly recognized. Of course, I preferred walking so that I can explore this city at my own pace.
Food
You can either choose to dine at some really royal restaurants such as Casa Benigna to enjoy a huge pan of seafood paella while listening to the restaurant owner’s story on its business history, or have a great time wandering around at Mercado de San Miguel to enjoy a diverse selection of food, from fresh seafood to other cuisine.
Toro (Bull fights)
Although I knew the fight would be really gruesome and cruel, I still went to watch this crazy show with great curiosity. On one hand, this controversial art has received increasing opposition from people. On the other hand, lots of local citizen and tourists really enjoy the moments and applaud whenever the matador makes a successful hit.
Palace, museum and plaza
Our trip started from the Royal Palace. Although it is the official residence of the royal family, it is only for official state functions rather than for living. Walking through from the grand stairway, the lavishly decorated rooms with different functions painted a vivid portrait of the past glory.
Spain is famous for its museums and I visited two famous ones. The first one was the Reina Sofia, a famous Modern museum that houses Picasso's Guernica. Another one was Prado, which collected the most paintings in Spain and I would have rather spent a whole day in this museum to appreciate if time had allowed.
Spanish people are big fans of plazas---from Mayor to Oriente to Cibeles to Espana---they are good places to grab a bottle of beer, enjoy shows from buskers or just watch people who pass by.
The study trip was very impressive. Although Spain was under economic downturn, the citizens are still optimistic about the future and I believe Europe will find a way out of this crisis through collaborative work.