Barakhamba Street

So my hotel in Delhi is on Barakhamba Street. Sounds strangely familiar.... ?

I was in the elevator heading up to my room after checking in and two gentleman from the hotel asked me where I was from. I'm always a bit hesitant to say the US, mostly because I've had some bad experiences in the past where people responded with their opinions about US foreign policy. Not that I didn't always agree with them, but for some reason I always felt so guilty, as if somehow I was personally responsible for the way the US government handled foreign policy.

But this time, when I said I was from the US, they both looked at me with bright eyes and said in unison, "Barak Obama!" I thought this was quite entertaining and we went on for a few minutes talking about the future of the United States.

I thought it was so interesting how these two guys from India really cared about who is the President of the United States, but I ashamedly have to admit that I don't even know who is the Prime Minister of India.

Always an adventure

Traveling always proves to be an adventure for me...or at least gives me a story to tell when I get back home. Sometimes it involves funny and entertaining stories and at other times, a bit more harrowing or nerve-rattling stories. Take my latest trip back to India for example (the one that makes up for my last trip which was thwarted by terrorists).

It started out all well and good with my flight leaving Portland just a few minutes late. What I didn't count on was my flight from San Francisco to Munich departing 15 minutes early, being completely booked and worse yet, finding out at the gate that I wasn't actually checked in for that flight (thanks to United's ridiculous codeshare policy that does not allow them to check you in for flights operated by other carriers).

So I had to wait until the flight was completely boarded and lucky for me, two people didn't show up for the flight! So after an 11 1/2 hour flight to Munich and another 7 hour flight to Delhi, I arrived once again to a foggy capitol city of India (pictured).

The adventure continues, of course, after I got into my pre-paid taxi cab to the hotel. After driving no more than 5 miles outside of the airport, the cab driver pulls over to the side of the road (and as those who have been in a car ride in India know, is not the safest place on a road), he proceeds to tell me that we have to wait 5 minutes for someone else to come take over his shift. Ironically, this just happened to be in the middle of my route. Or, maybe it was his way of getting a ride halfway to his destination. But so it goes...in India.

The adventure always continues....

Spring Travel Schedule

I'm putting the final touches on my travel schedule for this spring. It's going to be a busy season with more international travel, but I am looking forward to it.

In February, I'll be returning to India to make up for lost recruiting opportunities due to the terrorist attacks in November. I will also be making a quick trip up to Montana at the end of February immediately upon my return from India.

In March, I will likely go to College Park, Maryland, which is near Washington DC for a non-profit conference. I'm excited to add some new international travel to my recruitment schedule in March, which includes Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. Since I will already be in Europe, I've decided to stay an extra week and travel around. I'm still deciding whether to go to Turkey, Greece or maybe even Dubai.

In April, I have some regional travel here in Oregon and up to Washington for a conference for the Society of Women Engineers. This is always a fun conference full of hard-working women making their way in an industry that has traditionally been primarily male-driven.

To see our full recruitment schedule, including other locations where Willamette MBA will be represented, click here: http://www.willamette.edu/agsm/full-time/admission/meet.htm.

A Near Miss

It's just a little over a month ago that I was two days away from what could have been a life-changing or some might even say, a near-death experience. Here's the full story:

International recruiting and adventure often go hand in hand. But on a recent recruiting trip to India, Aimee Akimoff, Director of Recruitment for Willamette University's full-time MBA program, found herself in a situation she had never anticipated.

As her flight touched down in Delhi on Nov. 27, the crowded financial district of Mumbai was under siege by armed terrorists.

"I first heard of the events through a friend back in Oregon who text-messaged me asking if I was okay," Aimee said. "I didn't understand the severity of the situation until I turned on the news and saw the Taj Hotel in Mumbai under siege."

The historic and beautiful Taj Hotel is frequented by many of Mumbai's business elite, and it's often where Aimee represents the Willamette MBA program to meet prospective students. She was booked to stay at the hotel just two days after the terror attacks began to attend the World MBA Tour, which was scheduled to be held at the Taj Hotel.

On a similar recruiting trip in 2007, Aimee met current Willamette MBA student Robin Singhvi in the lobby of the Taj Hotel, as well as several Atkinson alumni who are now Mumbai residents.

Currently students from 18 different countries study in Willamette University's MBA program, and though the World MBA Fairs were postponed in India due to the terrorist attacks, Aimee is considering future recruiting efforts domestically and abroad.

"The tragic events in Mumbai will not prevent the Willamette MBA from recruiting top students – from India and from around the world," said Aimee (pictured on right). "We will continue to reach out to students in person and via electronic communications to discuss the positive impact the Willamette MBA program can have on their future."

Introducing...

My life is less than ordinary. In fact, there is very little that is ordinary about my life. At times, it makes for some challenges, but I would not have it any other way. Throughout this blog, I hope to share some stories from my travels as a recruiter for an MBA program and a few tidbits from my past, which never seemed to lack in excitement.