The official session started, I felt motivated to be part of it although I was feeling tired and sleepy because of the previous day flights ... I had to make some connection flights and spend some boring time in the airports to reach my destination ...

The welcome speech was really nice and motivated the people, but as we went into details I was like ... ooops what are these guys talking about !!! it is totally new for me and I can not even get the abbreviations they use ... It was like someone telling me ... Hey you might be in the wrong place ? I looked around and saw my country colleagues ...  I felt relieved for a  moment cause I knew it was the session I have to be involved in. It was really funny but annoying.

The top organization guy was supposed to be with us to highlight some business and strategy issues, people were saying he was involved in another event in the states and were really disappointed he will not come especially knowing that some other top guys were also involved in Asia Pacific region ...

At night we had our dinner in a marvelous restaurant. My manager asked me: What do you think of the event so far? I was speechless and wanted to explode that I did not get many of the things that was happening, terminology and subjects ... but without even saying a word he understood my situation and said with a smile ... you will be involved in a newcomers training that will happen in the states when you get back home, meaning an online training ... sounded interesting for me.

Next day session, early morning they announced that the top organization guy and people from our research and development centers in Europe, Asia and the States will join to discuss the business with us, but we have to move to another hall. I was like wow he made it and joined us, but what selfish he is to make us all move to another hall. I moved there in the hope to see and shake hands with him and maybe small talk ... so I started to ask where the guy is. The first one I asked looked at me as if am asking a silly question and did not answer ... I understood his reaction when it came to my knowledge that we will have a video teleconference with four locations...

You might say it is normal, that was my initial reaction ... we all know about these teleconferences but as time passed and how discussions went with these people each sitting in different location, with all facilities and applications that made me feel we are in the same place ... all these people from different nationalities ... the online training that I will have when I go back home....  I could not stop myself telling myself  ... "The world is small ... the world is flat" and repeated that many times.

I am almost done reading a book by the very popular American columnist Thomas Friedman, "The World is Flat" ... it explore and goes into details of what I experienced in the world of globalization ... one of the best-seller books nowadays.

Unfortunately I was and still not able to write a book when that inspired me  :)  ... so I urge you to read "The World is Flat" - A Brief History of the Globalized World in the Twenty-first Century. I will also be happy to hear from you about the subject.