After spending most of my Monday and Tuesday traveling
across the pond to Frankfurt then to Moscow, I was finally ready for my Russian
adventure. The International Field Study sets Northeastern apart from other
programs as it allows all of its students to study business in another country.
Tuesday - I traveled with a group of five Northeastern MBA’s
to Russia, so once we are at the airport, we are greeted by our tour guide,
Svetlana, and the small bus we will be taking into Moscow. Before we leave,
Svetlana prepares us for what is to come - Moscow traffic can be very
unpredictable. Right she is! It takes our group about two hours to complete the
30-mile journey to the hotel. Once we arrive at the Holiday Inn Sokolniki, I
realize that this is pretty fancy for a Holiday Inn.
I drop my stuff into my room and decide that I am not tired,
so I resolve to look around the hotel. My first stop - the fitness room.
Judging by the equipment and the number of people there, I start to think that
our market entry project may be better than I had anticipated. My group has
completed a Russian market entry project for Under Armour.
After my excursion around the hotel, it’s time to get ready
for the welcome dinner. The welcome dinner is being held at a Ukrainian restaurant
in the heart of Moscow. In this restaurant, there are live animals, which
initially worries me. On our way to dinner, we encounter our second incident
with Moscow traffic. After sitting in
Moscow’s worst for two hours, the professor and tour guide decide that it is
best for us to take the Metro. This proves to be much faster, and we get to the
restaurant in no time.
Once we are there, I am identified to the staff as the vegetarian;
I guess this is what the rest of my meals will be like. The meal starts off
with a Gutsul salad, then potato latkes for me (the rest of the group has
pork), and it finishes with pear strudel. After dinner we take some time to
look at the animals, which are thankfully behind a wall. By the time dinner
ends, it’s almost midnight and time to head back to the hotel.
Wednesday – I wake early today because of jet lag. I always
have so much trouble with this. So I head down to breakfast early. Here, I see
the largest breakfast buffet I have ever seen: any type of bread you could
think of, eggs, pancakes (which are more like crepes), but also salad. I grab
some food and find another Northeastern student. Quickly after I eat, I realize
that I am still in my pajamas and no one else is. I guess pink snowflake pajama
pants are not appropriate breakfast attire. I start to feel self-conscious, so
I run upstairs to my room and change into my business casual for the day.
After breakfast we are off for the day’s activities. First,
we meet with U.S. Commercial Services to ask them about doing business in
Russia. Then, we have lunch at the Metro Restaurant. This lunch includes salad,
borsch, potatoes and mushrooms, and vanilla cake. After this hefty lunch, I am
more ready for a nap than a walking tour of the Kremlin.
I think pictures will do better justice to the tour of the
Kremlin than my words. All I can say is that it was breathtaking.
Thursday – Today might be the longest day of our Moscow
tour. I wake up early and go to the gym for a quick run. After, I go downstairs
for breakfast in my business clothes determined to not make the same mistake I
made yesterday.
Our day starts with lunch at Tchaikovsky Restaurant. This
starts with salad and soup like our other meals, but while the others eat chicken,
I get to eat a Russian version of macaroni and cheese.
Next we are off to Dewey and LeBoeuf which is an
international law firm. The lawyers here talk to us about legal issues with
doing business in Russia. Then we are off to Jones Lang and Lasalle, which is
an international real estate firm. At this meeting we discuss the exorbitant
real estate prices in Moscow.
After these meetings we are off to Moscow State University
Business School to make our presentations. We have a quick snack once we are
there, which is good because I need the sugar after our exhausting day.
My
group is presenting last and waiting is the worst thing for my nerves. However,
we give a fantastic presentation, and everyone seems excited about Under
Armour’s prospects in Russia.
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| Most of my team during the presentation. |
Following the presentations, we have a reception where we
are able to talk to students and faculty of Moscow State. It’s pretty late when
we get back to the hotel, so I Skype with my mom then go to sleep.
Friday – This is our last full day in Moscow. I start my day
with the amazing breakfast buffet. Then we are off to our meeting with
McDonald’s Russia. Here we discuss the success of McDonald’s in Russia and how
it will continue its success in the future.
After we head to lunch at GlavPivTorg. For me, this lunch
consist of a garden salad, cabbage soup, potatoes and onions, and chocolate
cake.
Once we have finished lunch, our tour guide takes us for a
walking tour of the Metro. Unlike Boston’s rail system, Moscow’s stations are
decorated with art.
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| Lenin Mosaic |
We also have a boat tour of Moscow scheduled for later
tonight, but two friends and I are interested in seeing a sculpture park in
Moscow. A few hours before the boat tour, we leave for the sculpture park. But
only after we make a stop at the McDonald’s near the hotel, which has been on
our mind since the presentation earlier today. Although the sculptures are
decorated with umbrellas for a festival, they are still amazing and moving. One
downfall of the night is that I chose to wear heels for our entire adventure.
By the end, my feet are blistered and throbbing.
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| Always photogenic - with Stalin |
The boat tour of the city was amazing, and we are all very
reluctant to say goodbye to Svetlana; but there are so many adventures ahead in
Saint Petersburg.
Saturday – After eating a quick breakfast, we are off to the
train to Saint Petersburg. We took a high speed train that will bring us to
Saint Petersburg in six hours. I decide to sleep for most of the train ride as
I still haven’t been able to shake the jet lag. Once we are in Saint
Petersburg, we are amazed by how quickly we get through traffic.
That night, a group of us find a bar in order to watch the
Champions' Cup. Although I don’t follow European soccer, both of my sisters
played in college, so I understand what is going on. The game goes to penalty
kicks, which means a late night for all of us.
Sunday – Today starts with another amazing breakfast buffet.
Then we take a guided tour of Peter and Paul’s fortress, complete with a
musical demonstration by Orthodox monks. The cathedral here houses the tombs of
the Romanovs.
After we had lunch at Na Zdorovie. The name of the
restaurant is a toast that Russians give for special occasions.
After we took a guided tour of the Hermitage Museum. The
pace of the tour was a bit brisk for my taste, but I had to keep in mind that
not everyone enjoys art history as much as I do.
That night, two friends and I join the professor for a show
at a jazz club. I am completely blown away by the talent of the musicians,
especially the vocalist. She even chooses some of her students, who are in the
audience, to come up and sing with her. I have to say, she taught them well.
After, I am amazed to find that it is still light out.
Because Saint Petersburg is close to the Arctic Circle, the city has extended
light hours in the summer and decreased light hours in the winter. We find a
pizzeria for dinner. This little taste of home is welcome, as I have been
walking on eggshells with what I have been eating.
Monday – Today starts with an early breakfast. Then we are
off to the Proctor and Gamble factory in the outskirts of Saint Petersburg.
Here we discuss the shaving demands of the Russian market and manufacturing.
After, we take a tour of the plant, complete with safety shoes, safety vests,
and ear plugs.
Next, we have lunch at Stroganof Steakhouse. Here we dine on
salad, vegetables in marinara sauce (meat eaters had beef stroganoff), and ice
cream.
After, we visited Data Art. This is an IT company that
operates a bit differently than normal companies. The office layout is
completely open and it has a game room complete with foosball and an X-Box.
Once we are back from our day’s activities, two friends and
I decide that we want to see the Cathedral on Spilled Blood. This is possibly
the most ornate cathedral I’ve ever seen.
We also see the Winter Palace on our journey, which ends at
a trendy sushi place.
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| Winter Palace |
Tuesday –
This was our day to sleep in, and I definitely take advantage of it. After I
wake up, the same two friends and I check out the bizarre near the cathedral.
Here, we haggle our way to souvenirs.
We run back
to the hotel in order to get one the bus for the tour of the Baltika Brewery.
Here we talk to the Head of Low Alcohol and Non-alcohol Brands about Russian
beer demand. After his presentation, we take a tour of the brewery. The tour
culminates in a tasting, which we get to try many of the Baltika brands.
That night,
we have a dinner at an upscale restaurant called Sankt Peterburg. Here we dine
on garden salad, crepes, grilled vegetables and rice (omnivores have pork and
fried potatoes), and ice cream for dessert. Along with the dinner, we also get
a show of traditional Russian dances and songs.
Because this
dinner ends late in the evening, many students have a drink in the lobby bar
before we have to say goodbye.
Wednesday –
I have my final round with the breakfast buffet before I have to pack and hop
on the bus to the airport. After a short flight to Frankfurt and a longer
flight to Boston, I am greeted by Jim after I go through customs. Although this
Russian adventure was amazing, I am so happy to be home.
*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*
