"Welcome Week" at INSEAD

On Thursday, August 23rd, I flew overnight to Paris to begin my first week on the job. A long taxi ride from Charles de Gaulle airport put me in Fontainebleau by late morning when I attended my first few meetings and finalized my contract.

The following day I spent house-hunting in a few of the surrounding villages; Barbizon, Milly la Foret and Noisy sur Ecole. These villages are among Fontainebleau's "suburbs" and are roughly 7-10 kilometers from the main town which has a population of 19,000. Village living is peaceful, but it can be short on basic services (bakery, market, etc.), so it's not really suitable for the recently arrived expat family. Perhaps we'll make the switch after we've settled in and can converse comfortably in French.

So, while I liked the charm of the villages, Dawn and I decided to rent a place in the town proper that I found later in the week because of its proximity to schools (5 minutes), the campus (8 minutes) and shops (walking distance), and because the house has two full bathrooms and an equipped kitchen. These features make it exceptional because French homes, especially those well outside of Paris, usually feature just one tub, sink and toilet (water closet). We decided that the French norm would be a little too much of a culture shock for us to absorb at the outset.

After a week of meetings with the Development and Alumni Affairs team, faculty and a few alumni volunteers, I flew back to the U.S. on September 1st. After a terrific week, I am certain that we made the right decision in seizing this opportunity. Next up is a trip to the Singapore campus In mid-September. More to come....

The beginning...

August 21, 2007 - In two days, I'm off on my first trip to Fontainebleau as an INSEAD employee. Dawn and I have been pouring over books describing life in France. Our heads are swimming with all the aspects of daily life that we have to consider from obtaining drivers licenses (to date the largest bureaucratic pothole we are trying to avoid) to whether or not we should take our electronics (probably not). While there, I'll be looking at rental properties in and around Fontainebleau hoping to find a place for us to settle in when we move to France in the late fall. Why the delay? Obtaining a permit to work and live in France is a time consuming process. Consequently, I will commute to France - and INSEAD's other campuses in Singapore and Abu Dhabi - at least once a month.