Ball sense

You can add that to the list of things I don't possess. Along with a head for numbers, a passing grade in the French exemption exam, and the ability to curb my appetite for all things doughy. It's pretty amazing what you can find out about yourself in 1 day at business school, and this isn't even the stuff I paid to learn.

In spite of these ego-shaking revelations, the day turned out pretty well. A special 4-hour long module on Ethics in the morning was a blast. The entire promotion (minus the several who have already started cutting classes) gathered together to listen to discourses on and to debate issues of ethics in business. I found my break-out discussion group particularly invigorating. A small Italian guest professor in an immaculate 3-piece suit had formulated the key issues in a rather arresting manner - "Can a leader keep his hands clean?" Extremely articulate with a PhD in political philosophy, he peppered the discussion liberally with references to seminal ideas in philosophy, psychology and anthropology. Sitting at the back of the classroom and taking in his words on Plato and Hannah Arendt, I felt the same curiosity that had compelled me to get through my 'A'-level Economics Special Paper by studying issues of methodology and philosophy ("Why do economists disagree?") rather than 'practical' and quantitative issues.

The contrast was even starker as I struggled through the afternoon's Corporate Finance class. Somehow, calculating NPVs of future cash flows just doesn't strike a chord with me. Doesn't bode well for the rest of my year here, but I'll have to manage somehow. Came out of class to find out that I was the only Singaporean who didn't pass the French exemption exam, went downtown to subject myself to the incompetence of French banks for the third time in 2 weeks, high-tailed it to my favourite boulangerie for a consolatory baguette, and ate a third of it on the short walk home.

Oh, and what about the lack of ball sense? No better way to find out than joining a practice session for the women's football club! Had a lovely dinner after at Le Petit Alsace - my first French meal in Fonty, ever - with the South-East Asians, which effectively turned out to be 7 Singaporeans, 1 Indonesian and 1 Thai, the latter 2 of whom were at Penn the same time as me. There'll be plenty of time later to meet new people - for tonight, I was happy just to be in the company of laughing, familiar faces.