Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Peanut Butter Saves the Day

I knew today was going to be really good when I finally found the peanut butter in the cafeteria this morning. I had been looking for four mornings for something to put on those gluten-free bagels that have been tempting me; so of course, this was a good omen.

Sure enough, it was my best day so far. We watched a show about amazingly dirty hotel rooms for the first twenty minutes of class before moving on to a lecture, which I had no trouble following (finally). During the computer lab, we expanded on how to create our memo templates, as well as going over a soon-due business letter template. I was able to take notes this time while getting hands-on experience. I walked with Eric and Frank to lunch, and we even managed to beat the unending lines of people inside the too-small space. I got to have a burger finally instead of salad! I had some extra time before class, so I took a walk and discovered the small quad surrounded by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. It was a great place to hang out before going back to work; the walkway was cobbled, and the chairs, benches, and tables were all made of a finished wood. This, surrounded by the stone building with modern architectural design, created a suiting professional yet tranquil mood.

Back in the computer labs, we this time got to actually run the CHESS game. I decided to focus on empowering my labor forces and increasing amenities for business and leisure guest segments. To even out my expenditures though, I sacrificed the group segment because they buy the cheapest rooms and they don't make reservations as frequently. According to Reneta, the average occupancy percentage in the U.S. is about 60%, and my hotel is currently averaging 75% - I think my strategy is working.

At our last evening session, I finished my memo template with much help from Ryan (one of my group members) - computers are not always my friends - and was able to use my extra time to do extra research for our upcoming presentation. Although everyone in my group is a different kind of personality (which often conflicts with the other types in our group), we are surprisingly functional, and so far we have gotten along well. We all come from different backgrounds, and probably find each other strange, but everyone is determined to learn and succeed. That is our unifying factor; it's something that can't be found in high school where people with different motivation and interest levels are thrown together at random, or where friends stick together for convenience. It is a new, exciting experience, because for once I feel that I have actual support and we are truly collaborating.

Even these last two hours have been excellent. I discovered my mom sent me a care package today containing more professional clothes for class, home-made trail mix (we have to buy ingredients individually to avoid gluten contamination), dried mangos, corn chips, Glutino crackers (a special gluten-free brand that are similar to Ritz crackers) , and chocolate chips. My dad also shortened the amount of research that I had to do by about two hours with just a ten-minute conversation about how stocks work. Just now, about 7 Chinese students who were visiting my roommate just left my room; I think I will take advantage of the quiet now to continue my research.

I am really glad that I found that peanut butter today. Who knows, perhaps tomorrow I can find some gluten-free pasta?

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