One of our well-respected professors brought us out for a field trip last week. For all his accomplishments and qualifications, he still cares for his students. I was consulting him on my thesis topic when he found out that I was on the IM Council*. He was lamenting on the fact that our batch of Ebiz students weren't as tight as the previous batches.
So he gathered some volunteers from the class and organised 2 class trips this semester. But at the same time, we needed to go out and explore the area for our final project. We were going to collaborate with the Niigata Prefecture in creating websites to promote travel and tourism. In return for our hard work and assistance, the prefecture sponsored our trip and lunch boxes.
After being briefed by the officer at the Koide tourist information centre, we were taken to the Okutadami Dam, apparently the largest man-made lake in Japan. It was such a good weather, even in the cold. Previously we were just classmates who were pressed for time as we had assignments and cases back to back.
But the trip allowed us to mingle and get to know each other better. Sadly it was held this late. We were 2 weeks from our finals, and from next semester each of us would branch out into our respective concentrations and have separate elective subjects. So we tried to prolong the trip coz we enjoyed each other's company so much.
Instead of finishing at 2pm after the dam, we took up Prof Jay's offer to visit The Meguro House, the house of the village headman who supposedly owned the first car and telephone in the prefecture. Initially we didn't want to enter coz we were already feeling quite cold, but we managed to get group discounts after some negotiation. For those who were still new to Japan, it was quite an eye-opener stepping into a preserved village house, with most of its infrastructure and landscape intact.
That was probably my last trip for the semester. Did I mention that I bought my tickets to Korea already? Will be flying there after Christmas and spend the New Year's with Cindy. With 1 out of every 3 Koreans being a Christian, and the largest church in Seoul, it would definitely have a different atmosphere compared to its neighbours. Looking forward to ending the year in a reflective mood.
*IM Council = student board for the Graduate School of International Management
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