First Dip in the Lake

Strategy went well today and, to celebrate, Mario (Brazilian), Martin (Czech), Tomas (Slovakian), and I forewent studying for tomorrow's IPE exam to play some beach volleyball. The weather, ~55 degrees F and drizzling rain, was hardly ideal, but we didn't let that stop us. We played for about two hours straight and all of the games were really close. It wasn't the best volleyball any of us had played but, by the end, it felt great.

Instead of using the showers by the courts, Martin insisted on taking a dip in the lake. In that I'm pretty sure the shower water is just lake water anyway, why not? I followed him in and Tomas and Mario weren't far behind. The water wasn't too cold . . . for a lake fed by glacial runoff! So it was pretty bracing to say the least. It was very clear and we could see the bottom as far out as we went (not very far). We only stayed in for maybe five minutes but, for those five minutes, there was no exam to study for, no job search, no pressure at all. We were just four boys splashing around in the water; it's a memory of my IMD experience I will definitely take with me.

Now it's back to the "real" world, however. Most of the other students don't seem to be studying for the IPE exam claiming that there is nothing to study. I think there is plenty to study and will be spending tomorrow morning pouring over our semester's worth of presentations on the issues faced by every region of the world. Tomorrow's exam should be less about regurgitating facts and more about analyzing global issues to make sound policy recommendations. Still, it can't hurt to have the facts fresh in my mind!