Having picked up another new companion (Julian is fast fading in my memory like a bad dream), it's off to Argentina this time to attend the South America Business Forum. My partner in crime is Cezary Tarnowski, erstwhile Business Finance student at Aber and a general good egg. Considering he persuaded three different departments of the University to help finance this trip, I would guess he'll go far in financial circles.
Buenos Aires (known as BA to the cogniscenti) is quite cold at this time of year, but the welcome is warm and Cezary is a bundle of energy, insisting on a quick sight-seeing tour as soon as we've got out of the airport. On the city tour I was made much of, as is only proper, with many questions as to my origin which allowed both of us to wax lyrical on the subject of the wonderful College by the Sea.
Next day was full tilt into the Business Forum. I should point out that attendance at this event has to be earned and our friend Cezary had written an essay which was so highly regarded he was one of only one hundred delegates from amongst the three thousand who applied. I did not need to write an essay, as a VIS (Very Important Sheep), but was interviewed by the Chairman of the Forum as the official representative of the University and in order that the delegates could fully appreciate the value of lamb in the world economy.
Argentina is a bit too "beefy" for my taste, cows being about as welcome to me as mint sauce, but the people are extremely pleasant for all that and this Forum has certainly attracted some very senior business types to be grilled by the students. I sat through sessions on Web 2.0 (didn't quite get my head around that one), marketing, innovation and even on the future of mankind with a senior General Electric executive. I asked him if androids dreamt of electric sheep but he just smiled condescendingly.
Now, I'm being stuffed (somewhat unceremoniously) back into Cezary's suitcase for the return journey. A short, but very full, visit of only three days and then its back to the sweltering heat of an Aber summer (stop laughing, you!).
