Lucky guys follow up

In the post below I wrote about Mansour (the Emirati wearing the robe in the picture below) getting a fantastic internship at Boeing in Seattle and Youssef (the Moroccan who will have his entire Master's degree at NYU paid for by the Emirati government).

I showed this picture to my classes as a way to promote the Supply Chain major.  Basically, "See these very successful Supply Chain majors!"
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Today Mansour said he was famous.  Many students have told him they saw this picture in my classes.

Did any of them say, "How did you get an internship at Boeing?  What is majoring in Supply Chain like?"

Nope.

All they asked him was, "What does it take to get an A in Steve's class?"

He just laughed it off and said, "I don't know."

I WISH Mansour had said, "Don't ask me: In my first class with Steve I got a C+."

This is a perfect example of the short-sighted thinking that is common here.  A grade in one class has virtually zero impact on life.  Achieving a scholarship to NYU or an internship at Boeing?  That's life changing. As Spellman always said, "Don't focus on the small battles.  The goal is to win the war."  Here, life is nothing but the small battles.

Lucky guys

Meet Mansour and Yousef:

This is a pic from last spring at Emirates Palace...  In the past two weeks Mansour secured an internship at Boeing in Seattle for the spring.  This country is investing a lot of money into the aerospace industry.  Long story short:  This well-paid internship could lead to a fantastic career.

Last night Youseff found out he's been accepted to NYU.  The Emirati government will pay his tuition, room & board, give him two round-trip tickets per year, and about $500 per month to live on.  Talk about a sweet deal!

I hope to visit them (and Iowa) during spring break.

Knock, knock, knock?

I don't know who was there.

At 5AM I awoke to three loud knocks.  I thought maybe it was part of a dream.  Three knocks came again.  I yelled, "Who is it?"  As I started to climb again I heard three knocks again. Not accustomed to visitors at this time of the morning I stumbled out of bed to the front door yelling, "Just a minute!"

At the front door nobody was there.

Needless to say, there was no going back to sleep.

******
Unrelated, the spookiest thing that has happened in my apartment fortunately occurred in broad daylight:  A couple of years ago I was getting ready to head into work.  As I was walking towards the front door it opened.  Nobody was there.  I said to no one in particular, "If I weren't in a hurry to get to work this would really freak me out."  I'm happy that's never happened again.

Skydiving in Dubai

My friend Chris went skydiving today:

They also created a pretty impressive video that I unfortunately can't share on the blog because of privacy blocks.  Too bad for them; it would be great advertising.

Headlines to wake up to

The first thing I do when I wake is check my phone to read the headlines.  Today's made my day:

"Warring GOP factions sink John Boehner Plan"

I like Ezra Klein's question:  Is Ted Cruz a sleeper agent for the Democrats.  Nobody has helped my side more than Ted Cruz.  As the Obamacare rollout has been a disaster the press could have been covering that, but instead it's been shutdown/debt ceiling talk 24/7.  So it is humorously ironic that the shutdown intended to defund Obamacare actually caused its approval ratings to go up while masking it's initial failure.

Long live Ted Cruz!

The other headline I liked waking up to was on my birthday:  The news that Larry Summers withdrew from consideration as Fed Chair.  Summers gave Obama bad advice at the start of his term.  Rather than address the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression he steered Obama towards painting a rosy picture and a stimulus that was way too small. Also, the Fed requires a political skill that everyone - even his admirers - say Summers lacks.

What Americans need to know

(I apologize for the odd-highlighted text.  Something strange happened to the formating when I copied and pasted the original article.  I have tried to correct but can't.  I hope you can still read this.)

A college friend posted a link to an article on FB and asked for my thoughts.  You can read the article here.

1. Few People Are Impressed By Us

Impressed?  No, but my Arab students like seeing my pictures from back home and ask me a lot of questions about the US.  I doubt my Pakistani or Indian colleagues get the same questions. 

2. Few People Hate Us

“Despite the occasional eye-rolling, and complete inability to understand why anyone would vote for George W. Bush, people from other countries don’t hate us either.”

The eye-opener for me was the death of Osama bin Laden.  I was surprised at the number of people who view him as a hero.  One of my students even linked me to a picture of him as a martyr.  I wrote that he should get psychiatric treatment and unfriended him.  There is a level of anger among the Palestinians that is pretty much the definition of hatred.

Americans tend to assume that the rest of the world either loves us or hates us (this is actually a good litmus test to tell if someone is conservative or liberal). The fact is, most people feel neither. Most people don’t think much about us.

I honestly don’t know what he means.  Liberals think the world hates America and conservatives think the world loves America?  I do know liberals like myself who think the world pretty much likes America.  And I have a conservative friend here who has the same opinion… so I really don’t get it.

3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World

Is it shocking how many people can’t pick out Iraq on a map?  Yes.  But I don’t care for the America bashing on this topic.  I have not found the average student here anymore “wordly” than the average student I’ve had in the US. 

I wonder if this guy just hangs out with people who like to bash America because I have found people who wish their country was more like America – and not just people from poor countries.

4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection

He compares Americans with the Latin culture so, yes, we are not as outwardly affection.  Compared to the Brits, Germans, Kiwis, Canadians and Aussies the average American is at least gregarious and outgoing as any of them. 

5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great

“If you’re extremely talented or intelligent, the US is probably the best place in the world to live. The system is stacked heavily to allow people of talent and advantage to rise to the top quickly.“The problem with the US is that everyone thinks they are of talent and advantage. As John Steinbeck famously said, the problem with poor Americans is that ‘they don’t believe they’re poor, but rather temporarily embarrassed millionaires.’”

I see nothing wrong with believing you can move up the socio-economic ladder.  Yes, many Americans are delusional and wage mobility is lower now than it has been in a hundred years but is the alternative better?  Tell people they are screwed.  That will be a great motivator.

6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us

Do Americans really think the rest of the world is a shithole?  I guess I just don’t know those Americans.

7. We’re Paranoid

"In the US, security trumps everything, even liberty. We’re paranoid.I’ve probably been to 10 countries now that friends and family back home told me explicitly not to go because someone was going to kill me, kidnap me, stab me, rob me, rape me, sell me into sex trade, give me HIV, or whatever else. None of that has happened. I’ve never been robbed and I’ve walked through some of the shittiest parts of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe."

Finally!  A point I can agree on 100%.  I consider my hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to be a pretty safe place… but, hey, 20 years ago I did get mugged there. There are some seedy elements in my tranquil home in Al Ain but I’ve never felt unsafe here... or in my travels to Ukraine, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Germany, or Singapore.  And in most of those places I rented rooms in the red light district.

8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention

"We’re status-obsessed. Our culture is built around achievement, production and being exceptional."

I laughed out loud on this one.  Why?

1. I live in a place that is far more status-obsessed than the US.  (World’s tallest building, fastest roller coaster, indoor snow skiing, world’s largest mall, etc.)  Last month I made some students feel guilty for ruining a class.  The result?  A guy brought me a $650 pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses as an apology. 
2. I don’t see status seeking as a negative.  It’s a motivator.  Fifty years ago there was no road connecting Al Ain to Abu Dhabi or Dubai.  The main way to get there was by camel and the trip would take several days.  The founder of this country has funneled the wealth from oil sales into building a country with incredible infrastructure today. 

Sheikh Zayed also instilled a feeling of pride in his people (perhaps too much, but I’m forgiving on this because again, just a few decades ago the people of this country were dirt poor). 

9. We Are Very Unhealthy

“Unless you have cancer or something equally dire, the health care system in the US sucks. The World Health Organization ranked the US 37th in the world for health care, despite the fact that we spend the most per capita by a large margin.”

Agree 100%.  The picture of Americans on TV is that most are good-looking and in shape.  When foreigners visit the US they discover the truth and it surprises them… I have heard this many, many times.

10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness

Like much of this article I shrug when I read this.  Yes, Americans like our toys more than our leisure.  We work 300 hours more per year than the average French family because we value the SUV in the driveway and the French enjoy August at the beach. 

That’s just not a big deal to me.

A friend posted a link to an article and asked my opinion.  Before reading my response read the initial article.

1. Few People Are Impressed By Us

Impressed?  No, but my Arab students like seeing my pictures from back home and ask me a lot of questions about the US.  I doubt my Pakistani or Indian colleagues get the same questions. 

2. Few People Hate Us

“Despite the occasional eye-rolling, and complete inability to understand why anyone would vote for George W. Bush, people from other countries don’t hate us either.”

The eye-opener for me was the death of Osama bin Laden.  I was surprised at the number of people who view him as a hero.  One of my students even linked me to a picture of him as a martyr.  I wrote that he should get psychiatric treatment and unfriended him.  There is a level of anger among the Palestinians that is pretty much the definition of hatred.

Americans tend to assume that the rest of the world either loves us or hates us (this is actually a good litmus test to tell if someone is conservative or liberal). The fact is, most people feel neither. Most people don’t think much about us.

I honestly don’t know what he means.  Liberals think the world hates America and conservatives think the world loves America?  I do know liberals like myself who think the world pretty much likes America.  And I have a conservative friend here who has the same opinion… so I really don’t get it.

3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World

Is it shocking how many people can’t pick out Iraq on a map?  Yes.  But I don’t care for the America bashing on this topic.  I have not found the average student here anymore “wordly” than the average student I’ve had in the US. 

4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection

He compares Americans with the Latin culture so, yes, we not as outwardly affection.  Compared to the Brits, Germans, Kiwis, Canadians and Aussies the average American is at least gregarious and outgoing as any of them. 

5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great

“If you’re extremely talented or intelligent, the US is probably the best place in the world to live. The system is stacked heavily to allow people of talent and advantage to rise to the top quickly.

“The problem with the US is that everyone thinks they are of talent and advantage. As John Steinbeck famously said, the problem with poor Americans is that ‘they don’t believe they’re poor, but rather temporarily embarrassed millionaires.’”

I see nothing wrong with believing you can move up the socio-economic ladder.  Yes, many Americans are delusional and wage mobility is lower now than it has been in a hundred years but is the alternative better?  Tell people they are screwed.  That will be a great motivator.

6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us

Do Americans really think the rest of the world is a shithole?  I guess I just don’t know those Americans.

7. We’re Paranoid

In the US, security trumps everything, even liberty. We’re paranoid.

I’ve probably been to 10 countries now that friends and family back home told me explicitly not to go because someone was going to kill me, kidnap me, stab me, rob me, rape me, sell me into sex trade, give me HIV, or whatever else. None of that has happened. I’ve never been robbed and I’ve walked through some of the shittiest parts of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Finally!  A point I can agree on 100%.  I consider my hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to be a pretty safe place… but hey 20 years ago I did get mugged there. There are some seedy elements in my tranquil home in Al Ain but I’ve never felt unsafe here.

8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention

We’re status-obsessed. Our culture is built around achievement, production and being exceptional.

I laughed out loud on this one.  Why?

1.  I live in a place that is far more status-obsessed than the US.  (World’s tallest building, fastest roller coaster, indoor snow skiing, world’s largest mall, etc.)  Last month I made some students feel guilty for ruining a class.  The result?  A guy brought me a $650 pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses as an apology. 

2.  I don’t see status seeking as a negative.  It’s a motivator.  Fifty years there was no road connecting Al Ain to Abu Dhabi or Dubai.  The main way to get there was by camel and the trip would take several days.  The founder of this country has funneled the wealth from oil sales into building a country with incredible infrastructure today. 

Sheikh Zayed also instilled a feeling of pride (perhaps too much, but I’m forgiving on this because again, just a few decades ago the people of this country were dirt poor). 

9. We Are Very Unhealthy

Unless you have cancer or something equally dire, the health care system in the US sucks. The World Health Organization ranked the US 37th in the world for health care, despite the fact that we spend the most per capita by a large margin.

Agree 100%.  The picture of Americans on TV is that most are good-looking and in shape.  When foreigners visit the US they discover the truth and it surprises them… I have heard this many, many times.

10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness

Like much of this article I shrug when I read this.  Yes, Americans like our toys more than our leisure.  We work 300 hours more per year than the average French family because we value the SUV in the driveway and the French enjoy August at the beach. 

That’s just not a big deal to me.

Conference call

My friend Mansour - who will be interning at Boeing in the spring - had a conference call with his future employer and he asked me to listen in.  The experience lived up to the horrible reputation that conference calls have earned.  Example:  The first 30 minutes was trying to make sure everyone was on who was supposed to be on.

As a native English speaker I like hearing other native English speakers talk to non-natives.  What words do they choose?  What words do they use and then try to explain because they want to make sure they were understood?  The Boeing woman did an excellent job.

At the end of the call came time for questions and there was a question on one of the forms about "pay stubs" from current employers.  An Emirati asked, "What is that?"

The Boeing woman explained that it is not a big deal but please include any pay stubs you have from your current job.  The guy said, "I don't know the term 'pay stubs' means."  I laughed out loud; of course he had no idea what a pay stub is because they don't have them here.  Here you get 100% of your pay.  There are no deductions for taxes, insurance or anything else.  Your pay is your pay.

In another part of the call she was covering details of what it takes to bring a dependent to the US.  After she found out that nobody on the call had any dependents she still spent ten minutes talking about it.  I blurted out, "Oh, dear god move on!"  Then I looked at Mansour and said, "Please tell me you have your phone on mute."  He responded with big eyes to which I was thinking, "Oh, fuck..."  Then he smiled and showed me it was on mute.

Mohammed - I hardly knew 'ya

I have a huge class of 49 male students for Fundamentals of Management.  Normally 49 shabab in one class is enough to make me question my choice of profession but this has been a pretty decent group. Management is an entry level course.  Most of my male students are in the first or second semester.  Teaching newbies to college is sometimes akin to obedience training - but that's a subject for another post.

On Sunday I gave my first quiz.  The quiz is online and the rules are that they have 40 minutes to answer 20 questions.  (Without a time limit bad students will sit there the whole hour waiting for someone to send them the answers.)  Also, the questions come in a random order and once they answer a question they can't go back.

So this large group of guys made no real attempt to cheat.  They took the easy quiz and left after 20 minutes.
And they bombed it:  Average score 65/100.

That evening I saw I had lost a student.  Apparently one of my Mohammeds went to the registration office and dropped immediately after the quiz.

I've never had a class try to cheat so little.  It was like I was back teaching in America.

Now here's the problem:  I feel robbed.  "Seriously, you guys didn't even care enough to cheat?  What's wrong with you?"

I guess the real question is, "What's wrong with me?"

The shutdown

As a Democrat and someone who views politics as a sport, I am loving the shutdown.  Where else can you see your opponents commit fratricide?  As an American it makes me sick.  We like to blame both sides in an argument because both must be at fault at least a little... but in this shutdown it is 100% on the Republican side.  "Give us what we want or we kill the hostage."  They ran against Obamacare in 2012 and here were the results:

Democrats - having to defend a law that had not even been enacted - won the presidency, Senate and House.  The only reason Republicans have more members in the House is that the districts are gerrymandered.

Now having defended my side let me criticize my side.

Grover Norquist is a guy who 20+ years ago started making Republicans pledge that they would never, NEVER vote for a tax increase.  To my knowledge no Republican has ever voted for a tax increase after Papa Bush pushed one through.  In other words, Grover is pretty much a Godfather in Republican politics.

That's why this quote yesterday caught so much attention.  He said Cruz (the freshman senator from Texas who pushed House Republicans to the shutdown):

"He pushed House Republicans into traffic and wandered away."  

That is hilariously damning.  It earned coverage of every news site I read.   So, YAY! as a Democrat I love reading of the Godfather criticizing a fellow Republican...

But he had another quote in the same interview that I think is much more interesting.  Speaking of Obama and the Democrats:

"Look, these were the guys who thought sequestration was a great win for them and who made 85 percent of the Bush tax cuts permanent. The Bush tax cuts were an upper hand he could have used to control the country for years. If he would have extended it for a year we’d be talking about whether there should be a tax increase right now. You shouldn’t spend too much time thinking you’re dealing with political geniuses here."

Norquist - aka Satan - is right.  Obama caved big time.  Obama caved in 2011 but Boehner (thankfully) didn't accept.

If you want to know why Democrats are so unified against negotiating the answer is that we have no faith in the guy negotiating on our side.

Spring break: New York, Seattle and Iowa

Two years ago I went with a group of students to a Model United Nations in Vancouver, Canada.  On that trip was a Moroccan student I talked about in the post below and an Emirati named Mansour.  Due to a hotel snafu we were not given enough rooms for the students so one student had to share a room with me.  Mansour drew the short straw.  Over the course of the ten days in Vancouver Mansour became a friend and over the past two years he's become a close friend.

Last spring he applied for an internship at Boeing.  I helped him write the application and coached him for the interview.  He was not selected.  He applied again this fall and was selected.  From January to July he will be in Seattle interning at Boeing.

San Francisco is at the top of my list of cities in the US I have wanted to visit but haven't.  Seattle is a close second.

And you know what's amazing?  Assuming Yousef gets into NYU I can fly from the Emirates to New York, spend 5-6 days there, head to Seattle, spend 5-6 days there, and have a few days left for Iowa... all for the low, low price of $1700!  Oh, wait, that probably doesn't sound like a bargain.  Trust me, it is.

The Mother of all writer's blocks

For the past month I have been unable to write.  Why?  I had a letter of recommendation to write.

I've written dozens of rec letters over the years.  They are not a big deal and I am not sure many ever get read... but this letter is for a former student who's become a good friend AND it is for him to get into NYU.  The southern part of Manhattan is home to Little Italy, Chinatown, the Village (the cultural heart of New York City) and Wall Street.  In the midst of all of that is NYU.  For my Moroccan friend to have a chance to attend one of the best universities in the world in one of the best locations in the world?  Well, I just didn't want my recommendation letter to screw it up for him. 

This blocked my ability to write anything.  I didn't post to the blog (obviously)... I couldn't even write new powerpoints for our new textbooks.  E-mail was difficult.

The deadline for his recommendation was September 30.  On the evening of September 29th I finally had an epiphany of how to write his story.  In 25 minutes I wrote the letter and only made minor revisions the next day before submitting.  Twenty-five minutes of work held me up for an entire month.

Anyhow, I hope the writer's block is gone permanently.  I have a lot of work to catch up on.

*****

My trip to the US was excellent:  Five days in DC followed by almost a month in Iowa.  It was simply a great trip... including...

Bacon Happy Hour!  In the picture above you see bacon, tempura bacon, and bacon wrapped dates.  Zins does bacon Happy Hour once a month and I was happy to be able to attend on a perfect Iowa summer day.

Unfortunately, the bad news from the trip home was that I, 1. Ate way too much bacon and other food.  I gained 20 pounds in four weeks.  I didn't think that was even possible. And, 2. I spent way too much money - $5000 in 4 weeks.  Considering I never rented a car or a hotel room I'm not really sure how I possibly spent that much money.  The single biggest purchase was $400 for a year's supply of contacts.

I'm happy to be back at work to literally work off the weight I've gained and earn some money to pay off my extravagant holiday.