I am still trying to cope with the hot and humid DC weather this summer and it turns out that coming from Indonesia, where it is summer all year round, doesn’t really help much to adjust to this weather (I guess I might have been more acclimated to Boston’s weather than I had expected). I am now working for the US Department of the Interior and so far it has been a fascinating experience. For one, this is probably my one and only chance to work for the US government and it is really interesting to see how a government agency works from the inside, which I find to be very different from the private sector. And also it is nice to be able to go home when the clock strikes 5, and I am adjusting to the hours a lot faster than I am with the weather! :-)
But on top of everything, I got to spend a few days in Hawaii for some cultural orientation (which included a stunning performance by the Polynesian Cultural Center and several seminars on island culture, which were all very interesting) and 2.5 weeks in the pacific. The agency that I am working for right now is trying to promote private sector development in the US outlying islands: US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, CNMI (Saipan), Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). There are 8 people in this program (2 HBS, 4 Wharton, 2 Univ. of Hawaii) and we are each assigned to a different place and I landed in the Marshall Islands, a very young country who is still trying to develop its economy and stand on its own feet.
Here's a few links about the country:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rm.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/pacific/marshall_islands/
My visit there was just amazing. I stayed in Majuro, the capital, which is located in Majuro Atoll. The town is tiny with only one road going through the island from one end to the other (which is actuallty perfect for a person like me who can never find my way around and gets lost almost everywhere). The place was lovely, the people were really nice and helpful and I even got to meet with the President of the country, numerous ministers and government officials there and also the business leaders. And I managed to squeeze in a dive trip to a nearby Atoll, which was just fantastic.
I am trying to help them grow their black pearl industry now, and also do some diversification for the tourism sector and help them explore the aquaculture potential in the country. So if anyone of you has any connection to the jewelry industry, a hotel chain, a cruise line or has been involved with aquaculture projects like fish farming, I would love to get in touch with you and exchange ideas since I have zero exposure to this stuff prior to this project.
At times, this feels like a real life BGIE case and you really noticed how important the role that the government plays especially when the country is still in a very early stage of development and how complicated it is to work in a country setting with so many parties involved.
I’d better stop since I’d gone over my word limit. On that note..it has been great reading your postings, they have made my days a lot more fun so keep ‘em coming! And congratulations to all the newly weds! Looking forward to seeing everyone again on campus in September.
Monica
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