Ralu's Amazing Trip to Israel!

Ralu Goes to Chocolate World! :)

So darlings, allow me to put all rumors to rest :) It is true: as of June 16th, I will be working at Hershey's in their marketing / brand management division! I am thrilled! After having interned at Disney in 2000, I never thought I would end up living in a fairytale city again, but here I am, headed to Chocolate World! I hope God gives me the strength to resist the temptation of indulging myself in sinful amounts of rich, dark chocolate! hahaha I am reminded by what Oscar Wilde used to say: "I can resist everything but temptation" :) That will soon be me! Hugs to everyone!

United Arab Emirates

I spent Spring Break in Abu Dhabi, with my parents who flew from Romania to be with me. I am amazed by the ability of a country to transform itself from a desert into a thriving economy in such a short amount of time! And even so, I find myself enjoying everything that connects with the past more than the overwhelmingly high skyscrapers and luxurious malls. So, what I loved most were the new mosque in Abu Dhabi, which is built of white marble. in traditional Islamic style, my desert safari, and my camel ride. I appreciate, though, the country's effort to blend modernity and tradition, and to accept people's different preferences. I saw women covered completely in black (including their eyes), buying the most expensive and colorful silks. I saw young women expressing their beauty through wearing designer glasses and long, black abbayas decorated with beads and precious stones. It is definitely a fascinating world, in constant motion, and there is a lot to learn from their success.

Small Group Dynamics

Today was the second day of our small group dynamics workshop. Although we have a facilitator, she makes comments rarely, and even those times, everything she says is cryptic. The 12 members of our group met yesterday for the first time, and we have had absolutely no context or suggestion for possible discussion topics. We are in an unstructured environment, which is unfamiliar for all of us. It has been fascinating to witness how we go through the same stages of group formation as described in our texts, despite our desire to do so! After spending 8 hours yesterday trying to figure out what we were supposed to discuss, today it was interesting to talk about why we all returned to spend yet another day doing the same. Was it because of the group? The fact that we did not want to let the others down? The authority of our facilitator who barely utters a few words? We are all extremely busy, and could be working on homework or other things, rather than be there, however not even one of us missed today's session! Frustration was definitely present in the group. I have discovered that I fall into my natural state every time I enter a new group: I don't speak much and instead I observe the members of the group. I wonder why I have this need to first feel the group, and then interact, while others are comfortable speaking from the very start. Today I learned something new though: that many of those who contribute often actually feel a sense of insecurity, which I found astonishing. I am sensing different emotions in the group: some are frustrated, some are angry but still choose to stay, some are anxious, some try different strategies to create conflict and more excitement, and some are calm and patient. This entire experiment has been extremely interesting. We are becoming increasingly introspective, and I look forward to tomorrow's discussions. All my love!