I recall when I started working in the MENA-SSA region something more than a decade ago, essentially in MENA, reactions were often "why on earth are you out there?" As if I had not made a choice, but been exiled. Of course rewind a decade and probably a certain % of people in emerging markets were corporate exiles. I was, of course, merely (at least in my mind) quite mad and preferred MENA-SSA. More interesting, more challenging, and frankly I get bored easily.

But enough of this preface, my anecdote.

As mentioned, I happened to be banging between European capitals, and as I have developed an aversion to the poking and prodding that comes with the senseless sham of airport security even in Europe (thank God I have been spared an obligation to visit the US of A for some time now, the idiotic security posturing there sends me into paroxysms...), I took the train. Ah, the odes to trains and specifically the TGVs of various flavours. Truly civilized travel, and one is not required to disrobe like a prisoner in a maximum security prison.

But this aside, having me meal, I overheard - well everyone did - a bunch of American business students on some kind of "study tour" in Europe looking at European SMEs, etc. As I was bored, and they loud, I took the occasion on finishing up my meal to enquire where they were from - some Uni I had never heard of, but no matter - and then after a brief convo, the American students enquired about my brief as it were.

Now here is the semi-interesting anecdote, on mentioning MENA finance the students reaction - and their prof - was not what I am used to seeing. Rather than a polite "ah" and move on, it was rather intense interest and many questions as to precise business development. Now, certainly there has been an evolution and in general I am quite aware of it, but this was an interesting face to face as it were with MBAs in their full "looking for opp" mode and revelatory in a small way.