Friday, June 3, 2011

Wk 1: Hello from the Land of the Thunder Dragon!

I arrived in Bhutan on May 28 without my luggage. Thanks to Singapore Airlines (not!), my luggage was left behind in Singapore. Regardless of this hassle, my excitement went through the roof as soon as I stepped off the Druk Air plane at Paro International Airport. The sight that greeted me was breathtaking! Bhutan’s international airport is situated beside majestic mountains. The scenery on the way from Paro to Thimphu, the capital and where I will be staying, was also remarkable. I saw monasteries, lakes, valleys, and numerous mountains covered with green foliage. I am very happy to see the last great Himalayan kingdom!

The people here are very friendly and helpful. An officemate helped in retrieving back my luggage while another showed me the local market and the best restaurants. Because of her, I was able to buy my elixir, Diet Coke (hahaha…). And, another peer volunteered to give me daily rides to and from work. I am thankful for my new friends.

My internship started on May 30. As I mentioned in my first blog post, I will be conducting a cost analysis project for Druk Holdings & Investments. My first week at work was very productive. I learned more about the four government-owned for-profit companies in my project portfolio. I am eager to gain knowledge on the costs involved in four new industries: natural resources, financial services, telecommunications, and airlines. This project will truly enhance my problem-solving capability and broaden my business knowledge.

This week, I read the Annual Reports for the past five years of the DHI’s companies. Next week, I plan to conduct interviews with DHI’s executives so I would grasp a better understanding of the companies’ cost drivers and problems. I have also been in contact with a Kresge librarian provided by the William Davidson Institute (WDI) for my fellowship project. The librarian will help me in researching competitive and comparative data for the four DHI-owned companies.

I will update you again next week. I am now off to play basketball with some Bhutanese friends. J

P.S. Oh, I saw the King! Fine… I only saw his car but he was inside it when the car passed me! LOL! J

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