Day 26 - 29: At Last A Four-Day Break!

A flock of ducks waddling their time merrily on a sunny morning at the Charles River in Boston

My room overlooks the Charles River and everyday my mind gets drawn to this tranquil spot by the river, where ducks forage and frolic freely. It's a scene where the blues and the greens of the earth weave a pattern of peaceful play. I sit by this bench often, contemplating on the lessons I learned in class and oft relating it to the bigger picture of life and purpose.

Terrazas de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Philippines

On the flip side, this scene is a serene reminder of the world I momentarily left behind and where I shall soon return. On the surface, it is a welcome reminder of my regular pilgrimage to the sea, sand and surf. It too is a place of calm and tranquility where the sun and the moon meet to kiss the sea, where the world stands still in homage to harmony.

On a more somber tone, all this knowledge carries a tremendous responsibility - the need to give back; the need to change and the need to make a difference. It would be such an awful waste if the transformative power of knowledge is kept hidden and locked. But as with all transformations, it can be life-giving or threatening, particularly for those who fail to see its noble purpose. The prophets of change are often left to face the tyranny of those who fear what ought not to be feared.

My Four-Day Break

As we reach the mid-point of the Advanced Management Program (AMP), Harvard Business School (HBS) was kind enough to squeeze in a 4-day break for all the AMP participants to relax and be with family and friends.

I must admit, when I first saw the schedule I wondered aloud and questioned the wisdom of this four-day break. I first saw it as a waste of time and quietly told myself that HBS does not know what it's doing. But after having gone through the gruelling daily case studies, including Saturdays and Sunday, and those countless sleep deprived nights, I know better now. This four-day break was designed to give all the participants a second-wind. And indeed that aim was fulfilled.

While most of my fellow AMP participants went away with family, I chose to stay on campus. I initially thought of visiting a fraternity brother in San Diego, just so I could see and taste the salty waters of the sea. But sadly, it was just not meant to be. There were just so many things that I needed to do in HBS and after some soul-searching I came to the conclusion that I am not here to have fun but to work. And so throughout the 4-days I worked.

One more thing, not too many people outside of HBS know that there is a network of underground tunnels that span the entire grounds of HBS. It was designed to interconnect all the buildings when walking outdoors become a physical impossibility due to freezing cold snow or drenching rains. My almost daily forays to the library have made me very much acquainted with the tunnel system.

Organize, Study and Reflect

The Baker Library, my favorite place for reading in HBS

I spent the a considerable amount of time getting myself organized. In my rush to be on top of the readings, the assignment and the case discussions, I would just stack all my notes in one corner of my study. As the days went on, the few notes became a stack of paper. And that's when I felt the need to sort and organize it meaningfully.

After the organizing, came the studying. I revisited the concepts and tried to internalize as much as I can. When HBS Associate Dean Prof. Das Narayandas compared the knowledge inflow to drinking from a fire hose, I thought it was a hyperbole. But no, it was not, he meant every single word of it.

Studying was followed by reflecting. I had to find meaning into all this knowledge. The questions I had to answer were:

what is the meaning of this nugget of learning in my work and personal life?
how can I apply this into my current and future business situation?
which one do I need to do first, second, third, fourth, etc?

I am happy to report that I accomplished all these successfully.

Exploring Cambridge and Boston

Needless to say, the first order of the day was to catch up on sleep. On school days, my average sleep was about 5 hours everyday. I know that for some people that would be a sufficient number but not for me; I still need my 8-hours. So I took advantage of the break, and slept an average of 10-11 hours a day.

The Faculty Club

After all the studying and reflecting, I then decided to conquer Boston. Fortunately, HBS organized a series of events for the families of the AMP students. And so I willingly tagged along.

On Sunday, HBS hosted a Sunday brunch at the Harvard Faculty Club for the families of all the AMP students. The Harvard Faculty Club is probably the most sought after dining venue in Cambridge. It offers one of the best prepared meals in town set in a well-appointed yet rustic boutique hotel in the middle of Cambridge. And what is even better is that the food is remarkable. Incidentally, the Executive Chef and the Operations Manager are Filipino.

The day before, I joined an HBS organized cruise of Boston Harbor. The weather was perfect, the food was perfect and needless to say, so was the company. It's great to be in the company of brilliant talents from all over the world, who have set aside the trappings of their positions, and have become my of friends.