First full day of work, first walk alone (just the IBM ADEC team, no locals or CDS guides) to and from ADEC, first meal with no fluent Spanish speaker, first trip to el supermercado with no Spanish speaker.  We didn’t get lost, managed to eat lunch, and I even bought some avocados and oranges for snack; small successes.

We had a very productive day at work, speaking with Rodolfo and learning about the Competitive Fund managed by ADEC.  Big thanks to Isabel, who spent hours translating between Rodolfo and our team.  I find it very interesting but also mentally draining to process all the information they are providing. I cannot even imagine how exhausting it might be to translate for hours on end.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel to gather our thoughts, discuss, and review the stated activities and deliverables with the statement of work based on our discussions with the ADEC team so far.  For a small organization, ADEC is very complex in terms of the different areas and diversity of projects and programs they provide, and every time we delve more into the details, additional questions arise.  Just add it to the list for tomorrow’s discussions.

Sorry I don’t have pictures of anything work related, or really anything at all, over the past two days.  As Ryan can tell you, I’m not the best at taking photos.  Luckily, other team members are.  Here’s a link to Edwin’s blog with some fun photos of the orientation and kick-off event.  You may need a Tumblr account to view it.

I talked (actually FaceTimed) with my parents this evening for the first time since I’ve been in Argentina.  The connection was a little inconsistent, it would be really good, and then very slow or we’d lose video, but good enough to get the message across.  My mom said that she now reads my blog to my Nan every day.  Talk about being guilted into blogging on a regular basis.  Hello Nan!

#ibmcsc argentina

Today was the first day of work for CSC Argentina team 1. The morning started with a brisk walk to exchange dollars for pesos, where the gentleman working the exchange thought I was Argentine, until he tried to talk to me that is. That was followed by another brisk walk to the hotel hosting the kick-off event. Note to self, do not walk multiple miles in heels, no matter how comfortable they are.

The kick-off event was a lot of fun! We had time at the beginning to meet and mingle with members of ADEC and IBM Argentina and then had formal introductions and presentations, conducted almost entirely in Spanish. Luckily, Daniel, Isabel, and Marcela from ADEC were able to translate for us. Each member of the CSC team got up to introduce ourselves, and many of us managed to say at least a few works in Spanish. Henk worked with Daniel during the mingling and was able to give much of his introduction in Spanish. It was very impressive!

The afternoon was spent at the ADEC offices, meeting more of the team, and learning a lot about the organization and projects ADEC coordinates. Isabel and Daniel were very patient explaining all the details of the organization and answering our numerous questions.

I managed to sneak in a quick run on the treadmill before dinner. There’s an outdoor pool with a great view of the city next to the gym, where I snapped a picture of Tarja and Jessi enjoying the sunset.

Dinner was at an Argentine BBQ, called an Asado; somewhat similar to a Brazilian steakhouse in the US, except no salad bar, and not all you can eat, but still a ridiculous amount of food! Total food coma.

P.S. Happy Anniversary Uncle and Robin!

#ibmcsc argentina

The title says it all, though the bugs in Cordoba are muy pequeno compared to the huge things we have in Texas. I considered taking a picture of it for the blog, but decided to kill it instead.

This morning Jessi and Veronica held an orientation for our team, consisting of meet and greet activities, housekeeping, and logistics. Veronica taught us all how to greet properly, with a kissing sound and touching right cheeks, and then made us practice; very entertaining. All members of the team then shared the top 8 life changing events in their lives, which was a wonderful way to get to know one another. I am lucky to be working with such outstanding team members!

We followed Veronica on a tour of the city to find some important places, like the lavanderia (washateria for those of you in Austin) and the mall (which looked like a museum from the outside). There are beautiful churches every few blocks in Cordoba. Here’s a picture of the Iglesia Catedral on one side of the Plaza San Martin. From the pictures I’ve seen, the cathedral looks even more amazing lit up at night.

The ADEC sub-team (Henk, Jayan, Roman, and I) met for a little bit this evening to discuss a general timeline and milestones for the project. We realized that with the kick-off, closing, holiday, and volunteer day, we only have about 15 real working days, and a lot to get done in that time. It is going to be a very hectic pace, but I am really looking forward to digging in and getting started.

Tomorrow is the kick-off event with local politicians, IBM Argentina, our clients, and our CSC team. Now it’s time for bed.

#ibmcsc argentina

I arrived a little before 11am in Cordoba today. With the exception of the worrisome delay from Austin to Dallas, everything else went very smoothly. Luckily, I was able to sleep most of the long flight from Dallas to Santiago (9 hours).

Veronica (local CDS Argentina Rep) was at the airport to guide myself and two other team members, Gina and A.J., back to the hotel. Gina speaks fluent Spanish, and I spent most of the taxi ride trying to understand her conversation with the driver. Many of the other team members had already arrived, so there was a bit of a welcoming committee in the lobby. They were headed out for a bite to eat, so the three of us checked in, dropped our stuff in our rooms, and headed back downstairs.

The weather in Cordoba was beautiful today, around high 60s and sunny. Jessi, our team’s CDS program coordinator from DC, led us on a nice walk through the city to a café. It was a bit of a slow lunch, but gave us a great opportunity to chat and get to know one another. By the time we got back to the hotel, the two remaining team members, Edwin and Henk, were close to arriving, so Roman and I stayed down in the hotel with Jessi to welcome them.

I just finally made it back up to my room now, around 6pm, to unpack and get settled in. Here’s a link to some good pictures Roman posted of our rooms at the King David Flat Hotel.

Small success today: I managed to ask for more hangers in Spanish.

#ibmcsc argentina

I am sitting in the Austin airport now, hoping I get to Dallas in time to catch my connecting flight. Lots of thunderstorms around Dallas they are saying. My flight is estimated to take off 45 minutes late, which would give me (and my luggage) about 30 minutes to make the connection. And the Dallas airport is HUGE! I went for a nice sprint through that airport a few weeks ago that I would prefer not to repeat.

I just spoke with an American Airlines agent, and the only flights to Cordoba are overnight. Ryan is on the road to Dallas now for an ultimate frisbee tournament this weekend. He might be picking me up in Dallas later if I don’t make the connection. Ah, the irony. At least I will have a hotel room to crash in, and the guys in the car said they have an extra shirt if I want to play tomorrow.

Besides the travel issues, my last day at home was great. Ryan was able to take some time off and we had a relaxing day with a nice hike in the Texas Hill Country. The great thing about the 99+ degree weather is that no one else is crazy enough to go outside, so we had the trail all to ourselves. Here’s a picture of us drenched from sweat on the hike.

Update on the luggage situation: I got my bag down to the weight limit, and the airline agent didn’t even look at the scale when checking me in.

#ibmcsc argentina

My goal was to be mostly packed by the end of Sunday night, so Sunday was filled with lots of laundry and picking up last minute items. Overall, I mostly accomplished my goal. Cordoba weather in August can range from about 35 F to 80 F, which is making the packing a bit difficult. Here’s a picture of everything laid out in the staging area (i.e. the bedroom floor).

The items towards the bottom left are IBM gear to be given to our clients in Argentina. I am glad that IBM provides these, as it is nice to be able to present our Argentine co-workers with a small gift, but they are currently taking up 6 lbs of my very valuable 50 lb limit. Not shown here are carry-on items including my laptop and camera, and my sneakers. Parents, please note the epi-pen in the picture.

Update: First weigh-in put my bag at 52.5 lbs. I ditched a sweater (hoping for those 80 F days) and am now planning to put some of the heavier, smaller items into my carry-on. I can always carry-on my winter coat if necessary, but I like the convenience of packing it.

#ibmcsc argentina

The second video conference with ADEC was last Wednesday. The IBM team is starting to get a better picture of what ADEC does, and what we can do to improve their productivity. Isabel also sent along documents describing the organization of ADEC and the flow they use for project management. I’ve been testing my Spanish by trying to read some of the non-translated text in the documents.

We are all starting to get to know one another better through these meetings. Having the video conference definitely helps! I think it’s much easier to understand people when you can see their lips while speaking, and also their facial expressions. I’m counting down the days until I leave and looking forward to meeting everyone soon.

#ibmcsc argentina

Today was the 2nd to last weekly CSC meeting, and Jessi from CDS covered essential logistics information. The CDS team is really amazing, handling so many details, from cell phones to transportation from the airport when we arrive. Jessi provided the schedule for the first few days in Cordoba, including orientation, a neighborhood tour, and the official kick-off event with introductions and presentations from IBM Argentina, the clients, and our CSC team. Doug Armbrust, a member of the Argentina Rosario Smarter Cities Challenge team was also on the call, and provided helpful tips about working with the client, teamwork, and the in-country experience.

Two bits of miscellaneous info I learned on today’s call: 1) ATMs in Argentina tend to run out of cash and 2) people in Argentina eat dinner very late, and it may be difficult to find somewhere to eat earlier than about 9pm. 9pm?! I better stock up on lots of snacks.

I have been slowly laying out my Argentina packing list on the bedroom floor and completing the ‘To get/do’ list. Suit pants were picked up from the tailor today, luckily only the hem needed to be fixed. One pants leg was longer than the other. Does that mean that any time I’ve worn those pants in the past, one leg was always longer?

Tomorrow morning is the second meeting with our client ADEC. I’m looking forward to learning more about their needs and how our team can provide value and useful deliverables.

#ibmcsc argentina

Yesterday’s corporate service corps meeting was all about Cordoba and travel opportunities in the area. Veronica, the local consultant, educated us on the atmosphere of the city, including the social and political demonstrations that take place, the university feel (good night life!), and the beautiful parks and architectural sites inside the city. It sounds like there is always something going on in Cordoba and I’m looking forward to wandering around the city and experiencing it all. She also covered the very useful topic of transportation around the city.

Edwin then continued with a great presentation on day and weekend travel opportunities around Cordoba. Thanks for the great info Edwin! Since this is a CSC assignment, it’s pretty much a given that the entire team likes to travel. The only question will be how to choose among the many amazing places in Argentina to visit. Quebrada del Condorito National Park and Mendoza definitely rank at the top of my list. The picture of smiling people biking through vineyards on the Mendoza slide might have helped.

This morning was the first team meeting with our client ADEC. After overcoming a few technical difficulties, everyone logged into Google Hangout and we were able to see all the IBM and ADEC team members via video conference. I have not used video conferencing in a very long time (remember when IBM used Pictel?) and was so excited to be able to see everyone! Sounds like I live in the stone age.

The ADEC team members introduced themselves, explained a little bit about their specific roles and the organization and function of ADEC as a whole. The ADEC team is very small, with less than 10 full-time employees, and the broad range and number of projects they are able to facilitate and support is just amazing. Their focus is all about economic development in Cordoba, both benefiting small and medium businesses and improving social issues such as unemployment. The statement of work is still a little vague, and we plan to discuss that more at next week’s meeting. It was great to meet our clients and I am looking forward to working with them and the IBM team to make a positive impact in Cordoba.

Now I should probably get back to my day job . . .

#ibmcsc argentina

I’m excited to be a part of the Argentina 1 CSC team, heading to Cordoba July 26 – August 25!  The team has been meeting weekly since mid-May and only has 3 more meetings remaining before we ship out to Argentina.

Here’s a rundown on the IBM team members:
A.J. – Dallas, Texas, USA
Attila – San Jose, California, USA (originally from Hungary)
Awadhesh – Singapore
Edwin – Brisbane, Australia
Gina – Armonk, New York, USA
Henk – Taiwan
Jayan – India
Nicole (me) – Austin, Texas, USA
Roman – Germany
Sangram – India
Tarja – United Arab Emirates (originally from Finland)
Tina – Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Agencia para el Desarrollo Económico de la Cuidad de Córdoba (ADEC) is the client I have been assigned to, along with Henk, Jayan, and Roman. ADEC is a registered non-profit organization whose mission is to unite public and private sector actions to promote the economic and social development of Cordoba and its metropolitan area.  We have phone/video calls scheduled with ADEC for the next few weeks to start introductions and reviewing the statement of work.

More to come soon on travel prep (vaccinations, trying on old suits to make sure they still fit, packing) and the phone calls with ADEC.

#ibmcsc argentina