final work week and some football

Our last week of work with the client came very quickly.  It seemed like we just got off and running and boom, it's over.  I was unanimously elected to write our final report for the client (how did that happen??), which kept me busy most of the week.  If you've known me longer than about 5 minutes, you know I love to write and I do it pretty quick.  That was the case with the report as well.  I gave myself an early deadline for getting it done (Wednesday) and spent two intense heads-down days Monday and Tuesday writing.  I only really got stressed about it Tuesday morning, when I felt like I wasn't going to make my deadline.  Much to the consternation of my team, I refused lunch on Tuesday and wrote straight through the whole day so that by the time Tuesday wrapped, it was 80% done.

Wednesday was spent working as a team on our final presentation summarizing our project for the client, then we left early and spent the afternoon working in our meeting room at the hotel.  Felipe spent much of Wednesday reading and editing the report and pointing out to me where I apparently had a blonde moment and didn't finish a sentence or had something out of place.  I was so impressed with this whole thing... Felipe was reading in his second language and giving me excellent and subtle feedback on my writing. Most people who are native English give me very little constructive criticism on my writing!  I was simply amazed at some of the things he pointed out.

Lest you think I went against my goal of having more fun on this trip, I can assure you that my team functioned really efficiently, so we had time to play as well.  On Sunday, Paul (one of the other 2 Americans) invited all of us to his room to watch his alma mater Rutgers play American-style football.  For me, it was fun because he put out an in-room tailgate - including broccoli, which I hadn't eaten in 3 weeks or so and was in major withdrawal - and because I got to sit with a bunch of my team around me as I explained the game to them and talked about the role of football in American life.  As I explained how football dominates university life and the amounts of money involved, it was interesting to watch the reactions.  I don't think there's any equivalent in the rest of the world.  And of course, in the interest of being completely honest, I explained the massive recent scandal at my own alma mater Penn State and the incredible heartbreak all of us associated with the school have had to suffer.  If there is one thing I've gotten out of this trip, it is the solid, impossible-to-ignore understanding that the U.S. does not have all the answers, although we are arrogant enough to think we do.  For every societal issue we point to in other countries, we have just as many, if not more, in ours.  The Penn State situation is just the worst-case example of the cheapening of secondary education by money via football.

Enough of my editorial... on Monday night, I had the distinct honor of getting to watch football again, this time, in the style the entire world loves.  The team went to one of the hotel bars and we all sat at a big table outside in front of a massive screen and watched Madrid vs. Barcelona soccer (really, it's football, since that's what EVERYONE except us calls it).  I sat beside Felipe, who returned the favor of the previous night and explained all kinds of stuff about the game, along with Sheela.  I actually recognized Ronaldo, I'm proud to say - my niece Lyndsey in the UK would be proud.  I was also able to say maybe 2 semi-intelligent sentences about Manchester City, Man United and the UK Premier League, thanks again to Lyndsey and her hubby Mark.  So, I wasn't a total dolt.  It was a great night getting to see a sport that is so important to the rest of the world, explained by amazing people from all different places.  How incredibly powerful to look around the table and see 11 people from 7 countries, drinking, eating and sharing in the fun.  #ibmcsc uae