What are you most passionate about? Why?

This was one of the questions that the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley asks as part of the application process. Was recently talking about this the other night with a classmate and so figured I would post my response - typical b-school response right?

As you read this, I will be in the middle of a five-week backpacking trip through Chile and Argentina. I am going alone. Am I nervous? Yes.

The language of my first engagement in Switzerland was Swiss German. Unable to understand what was being spoken around me, I was completely dependent on team members. Was it intimidating? Yes.

Sitting on the plane to London, my heart physically ached. I was not leaving just a country. Switzerland, its way of life and my friends there had become an integrated part of who I am. Was it hard to leave Switzerland? Yes.

Regardless of the difficulty, all these challenges I actively pursued. I am most passionate about pushing myself outside my comfort zone to challenge my limits, accomplish a goal or discover something new. This passion has taken many forms, but has been at the heart of all my decisions.

Travelling, I have met the most amazing people. Working in Switzerland taught me how to more easily adapt to new cultures and become comfortable in non-English speaking environments, and moving to London opened up a wealth of career opportunities.

These experiences have gifted me with a broader perspective, enabling me to see something unique in the ordinary, make more informed decisions, problem-solve with a different approach and work well in multi-cultural environments.

I am who I am today because I pushed myself to accomplish something outside my comfort zone and it is my passion to continue to do so. 

At what point do we grow up – or do we ever?

As a child, you often look up at those big, old adults with almost a fearful respect. They are so full of wisdom. They have an answer to everything and always seem to know what to do in every situation. Every year you grow older, you wait for that epiphany - that moment when you too become that all-knowing adult.

You turn 13, you think you are there. Then 18, you no longer care as you are just living in the moment. Then 21, but just as you are celebrating your new ability to legally drink you suddenly find yourself thrown into the real world. 

I will never forget that moment; walking to work through the San Francisco financial district on my first day wearing a business skirt, uncomfortably hiked up around my waist, a tucked in collared shirt and black pointy-toe pumps. This outfit being in stark contrast to my usual attire of flips flops, jeans and a tank top. I felt like I had dressed up as a business woman on Halloween. All I could think about was that I was way too young to suddenly be thrown into the suited up business world.

Now here I am with seven years of work experience and finishing up an MBA. Does this mean I am full of wisdom or know all the right answers? No. In my somewhat chaotic personal and professional life, I have realized two things: (1) The wisdom I have gained might not be the same words of advice someone else might want to follow and (2) While I now have a lot more answers, I have come to realize that, with age, I only now have even more questions.

As children we listen to what adults say and as teenagers we do the opposite. But as adults, suddenly with the power to make our own choice, we, instead of searching within, look out. We look toward society and what we are supposed to do. For many this works, for others it does not.

Being single and 30, people often wonder when you are going to grow up and ‘settle down’, but is that being grown up? Others take that path laid out for them only to look back 5, 10, 30 years down the road and think “I wish I had done it differently.” To that I always respond with the fact that you should never regret a decision made or an opportunity not realized because you don’t know what really would have happened if events had played out another way.

I am always saddened by people desperately looking for the right way to live, as if life is a checklist waiting to be ticked. Life is not black and white. Nobody has all the answers. As children we became so enamored by those omniscient adults that we think that we should become one. But we can’t. They don’t exist. We never grow up. Life is more fun being a kid anyway.

Is it possible to belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time?

In the last nine years, I have lived in Walnut Creek, Santa Barbara, Vienna, Barcelona, San Francisco, Zurich, London, Berkeley and New York City. I have had numerous backpacking trips through South America, holidays in Asia and weekend trips to [insert European country here].

Having been forced outside my comfort zone on numerous occasions, I am super sensitive to culture differences and also have a better understanding of my own. Yet what is my culture?

I have friends all over the world. I can relate to multiple nationalities in a way that when I am interacting with them I never think you are this and I am that. My personality, many would also say my accent, just subconsciously adapts. Differences based on where someone is from are broken down and discarded so that I see an individual’s, not a cultural, trait. But I cannot never know all these differences. My understanding will always be imperfect; I will never fully understand another's culture.

Now back in California, I still feel like a foreigner. I don’t quite fit. It’s strange to have left, experienced and seen so many things, only to come back to a place just how you left it. My views, opinions, and desired way of life have all changed – I am no longer a typical ‘Californian’.

This summer in New York City  I met hundreds of colleagues at the company I was working for and I was the only Californian. Even though I was back to City life, which I am more accustomed to, I still didn’t fit nor could I see myself there.

And of course, outside the U.S., by definition alone – I am a foreigner.

So now the question arise; "Where am I not a foreigner?"

I have now realized – I don’t think there is one.

I don’t want to run around the world anymore….I think.

In January 2008, I wrote a post ‘The Revolving Door: An Expat’s Life’ and in April 2008 I wrote a post ‘Running Around the World’. The former discusses my twinge of jealousy for those moving to exotic places, what a concept of ‘home’ to me truly is, and how my identity is now comprised of the various cultural attributes I have picked up from places lived and people met. The latter is what the title says. It describes that internal drive that forces me to keep on running even if the destination isn’t always clear. Because running is what I love and it is who I am.

Fast forward a few years. It is now September 30, 2011; 25 days before I turn 30 and I am tired.

This year has been another crazy one, just as they all have been.

January: Spent 2 weeks in Colombia with 30 other MBA classmates exploring this incredibly beautiful country from the mountains, beaches and historical beaches. We hiked, sailed, drank, swam and partied.

February: Real world slams you in the face. Memories of dancing on sailboats are quickly forgotten as we returned to Berkeley and began the intensive intern job search. Topping that off with all the leadership roles you regrettably signed up for and a full class schedule - the stress mounts. Desperate to get away, I booked a last minute trip to London for a long weekend. At SFO, phone rings. Thomson Reuters asks if I can come to NYC next week for a job interview. Sure. I change a few flights, head to London for about 4 nights, fly to NYC Thursday afternoon, check into a hotel, head to the office for drinks and dinner with talent managers and company employees who are watching every move, determining your networking skills and cultural fit. Friday is a  full day of interviews, case study and presentation to management. 5pm  - the 24 hour interview is over and Friday night I head back to San Francisco.

March: Spring Break back to London with a weekend trip to Sevilla, Spain. Why not? My friends needed some sunshine.

April: Actually spent the whole month in Berkeley

May: Move out of my place in Berkeley, pack for India, ship business clothes to NYC and put the rest in storage. Off to India for 3 weeks with 3 other MBA classmates. We were engaged by a non-profit organization to look at how mHealth applications can be used to improve the quality of health care for mother and child in rural parts of India. Conclusion 1: Never give money to non-profit organizations unless you really understand how they are spending it. Conclusion 2: Sometimes the solution is a simple one. Health care would be improved by providing women with iron pills and better nutrition, not spending $2 million on smartphones. Sadly, our client didn't see it that way.

June: 24 hour flight from India and I arrive in NYC on a Saturday. Work at Thomson Reuters in their Media Strategy group starts Monday. I move into a sub-let flat.

July: Working fairly long hours but manage to get a family reunion trip to Long Beach Island, New Jersey and July 4^th trip to Cape Cod. End of July, my sublet ends and I move into a friend’s apartment in the West Village to cat sit.

August: Friend comes back. I sublet another place in West Village, moving everything once again. At the same time, I am moving apartments on the other coast in Berkeley – thank goodness for parents in the area! Friend from London comes to visit, sublet ends, we spend one night in NYC hotel and then instead of going back to California for the first week of school, I head to the Hamptons for the week for a rest – I needed it! August 22^nd I finally move back to California. Flying in and heading straight to class that day. The next couple of weeks are spent getting moved in, getting things out of storage etc. I am so tired of moving!

September: And now here we are and the big question that all MBA students talk about:

Question: What are you going to do when you graduate in May?

Answer: I don’t know. I am tired of packing and unpacking my life. I am tired of running around the world. 

The Blue Bin

I had a trash bin at my cube in my office in New York. It was blue. My cube mate had one as well; his was black. Both bins were placed alongside our cubicle cabinets in the hallway.

Growing up in California, I am a conscious recycler. As such, I only placed paper in my blue bin and threw my trash in the black bin next to my cube mate’s desk.  This went on for almost 2 months until one day I got up to make a copy and walking by my cube mate’s black bin, casually threw some pieces of trash into it.

Walking back, my cube mate, stared at me in horror “It was you!!!!!”  Utterly confused, I asked him to explain why he was upset. Unbeknownst to me, for the past 2 months he had been getting angrier and angrier because someone was using his trash bin. He had been weighing suspects and was trying to concoct all types of schemes to catch the inconsiderate culprit. Considering we had since become friends, he was surprised that it had been me the whole time.

“But blue bins are for recycling. Mine is blue and yours is black” – I said in a matter of fact tone as more and more colleagues who had known about the trash mystery began to circle around.

To this everyone burst out laughing. “We don’t recycle here – this isn’t California.” Lesson learned – but even now I still have trouble throwing trash in a blue bin.

India- International Business Development Program

What do you get when you put together a Korean, a Belgium, a Canadian and a Californian and then send them off to India to work for a few weeks? One Rockstar Haas IBD Team, a whirlwind of crazy moments, a few illnesses, new friendships and a LOT of curries, dosas, rotis and chutneys, some delicious, some slightly dodgy and most likely a cause of those’ illnesses’…let’s just say that sharing rooms, our team has gotten especially close. Of course we haven’t gotten to the stage of actually wiping one anothers’ bums, although here in India it is more of a spray ‘n’ rub approach, which we have all been diligently practicing. But if we were here for a few more weeks, no doubt our relationship would progress to that level. As noted in the picture – Leisha and I are almost there.

But the most valuable output of this unusual combination has been an amazing and unique experience; a chance of a lifetime to see a new culture not as a tourist but as someone that is temporarily a part of it - although we do stand out a bit around here so that might be a bit of a stretch.

Our scope of work was to conduct a Needs Assessment on implementing mHealth (mobile health) applications in rural areas of India and then recommend an mHealth solution. We spent two weeks in Mysore, where the mHealth solution will be piloted, and the final week in Bangalore. Here are some things we have discovered from this experience.

Key Learnings:

· I am secretly envious of women’s clothing here. The saris are beautiful and the shalwar karmeez comfortable and practical. I may need to revamp my wardrobe.

· Indians are extremely friendly and hospitable. The head of the National Institute of Engineering greeted us all with flowers; the men on our team especially appreciated it.

· Toilet Paper is a rare commodity. WTP varies dramatically and is a function of availability and illness. We have learned to hoard when we can. Potential business opportunity?

Facts and figures:

· 70 - Minutes needed to leave hotel prior to a meeting located 13km away. One must take into account negotiating price, getting lost, traffic, and then getting lost again

· 43 – Number of people driver stopped on street to ask about an address as we circled central Bangalore

· 0 - Tears shed: None so far but I am waiting for our final farewell to see who breaks down first.

· 20% - Amount of total information we actually received versus what was given during fieldwork and interviews, the rest was lost in translation or drowned out by the multitudes of people always talking at once.

And finally, the most important Fact and Figure of all:

· 10 – Recommendation rating for the IBD program, on a scale of 1-10. 10 being highly recommend. This is not to say that everything went smoothly or that we didn’t have our frustrations and challenges – we had plenty of those – but this has been an amazing experience that we would probably never have had otherwise.

Acting on Impulse

People never follow the advice they give. I am a great example of this. After looking over my previous posts, I am struck by the structured thought process my mind appears to follow - well at least attempt to. I would like to say prior to making any big decision I weigh up all the pros and cons, sleep on it, and then make the best possible choice. But in reality, all significant decisions in my life have been made on impulse.

I did my undergrad at UC Santa Barbara and when my parents recommended I do a study abroad program my Junior year, my first reaction: Are you crazy? I live in Santa Barbara, California. This place is amazing! The ‘amazing part’ I was of course referring to was in reference to the parties, not so much the academics, which were great too of course, but hey, I was 19. My parents, slightly disappointed in my narrow outlook on the world, dropped the subject when I didn’t apply for these programs during sophomore (2^nd) year.

Fast forward a about six months; on one of those rare nights in toward the end of my sophomore year, a friend of mine and I were watching the channel E! which was showing a special on the night life in Ibiza. The music, the dancing, the people, the beaches – it all looked like so much fun! A place existed better than Santa Barbara? We turned to each other – we had to go there!

We recruited another friend and decided to plan a month long vacation throughout Europe. My parents were shocked. They had dragged me to Europe a few times before, my dad worked there for quite some time, but I never had any interest and would have much preferred to stay in the US with my friends than be seen touring around Europe with my parents in my early teenage years – I mean how embarrassing to be seen with your parents at 14!

But now, traveling with 2 other girl friends at the age of 19, is another story. Starting in London, we then travelled to Greece, Madrid, and Ibiza traveling American style – that is hotels and suitcases (as opposed to the student standard backpack and hostels, but keep in mind this was pre-Euro when Europe was actually cheap). I then ended my trip in Zurich, where my parents were living at the time, to spend a week with them, before heading back to Santa Barbara. And I fell in love with Europe.

My parents like to think it was their influence and the wining and dining and Swiss excursions that did it, but truth be told, I think it had more to do with the clubs in Ibiza and the dancing in the afternoon at the bar on the beaches in Greece topped off by the sheer excitement of being somewhere totally new. It was the sudden realization that, and yes this is going to sounds like a totally naïve typical American, there was a whole world out there that I didn’t know. I had to go back.

Starting my Junior year back in university, I dropped my Communications major (I was doing a double major with Business Economics) and started taking German classes instead. I signed up for an abroad program in Spain for the summer after my junior year and for a program in Vienna, Austria for fall in my senior year. Of course, one thing led to another and I ended up spending five years after that, with a return to graduate and get a couple of years of work experience in in the U.S., working in Europe. All this, stemming from an impulse decision to go party at the clubs in Ibiza.

So, moral of the story, in case you were wondering whether there even was one: You should always follow what you want, granted this doesn’t involve doing any kind of bodily or emotional harm to others, but keep in mind, that you sometimes don’t always know what you want. And if something comes up that strikes your fancy but doesn’t sit perfectly on the fitted regression line of your predicted future as a function of future decisions, my Stats professor would be so proud, and you don’t have a lot of time to analyze the situation, just do it. Take that impulse decision. And if it turns out to be the wrong one, worst case scenario, your life is a lot more interesting because of it. Mine certainly has been.

The Tragedy of Living in a World Where People Can No Longer Streak

College life isn’t complete without students streaking through campus or sporting events.

A friend of mine, who will remain anonymous, told me a great story about a time when she was an undergraduate. During finals, when students were under a lot of stress, studying day and night, she and a group of friends decided to enter the campus library and make their way to various sections of the building. Once in place, they casually peeled article after article until they were completely naked.

Suddenly, they raced through the library, stunning students who could only stare on as the naked bodies congregated in the middle of the library baring all to see. The streakers then proceeded to run outside and around the rest of campus, causing the initial observers to momentarily break out of their stress and have a laugh over the recent incident.

Since this time, my friend, the Streaker, has moved on to become quite successful just as many of her fellow streaking conspirators had. We laughed over her telling of the episode. I remarked how nice it was of them to provide a bit of comic relief for her classmates but that it was a shame that something like that could no longer happen.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Would you want to see your lovely chest bouncing around in a video posted on YouTube, your naked a$$ on Facebook or your parents receiving a Twitter that their daughter was seen running around campus in her birthday suit?”

“Good point. I hadn’t thought of that.” And most people don’t, especially when they are young.

In an age when our lives are recorded and presented for the public’s viewing, we no longer need to dial in to Reality TV shows to watch others’ stupidities: we just search the Internet.

So poses the irony. While Social Media has given individuals the opportunity to share their opinions, experiences, and information to the masses, it has also restricted our behavior as we realize that a seemingly harmless act could cause major consequences for us, and others, in the future.

I don’t want to live in a world free of streakers.

Mobile Phone Etiquette - Oh Wait, there is none

Question: Who is more important? The person with whom you are physically present or the person trying to reach you via text, email, phone, social media, etc.?

Answer: It depends on the context, i.e. expecting a call from your pregnant wife - OK, but in the majority of cases, it should be the person with whom you are with. Right? So why do people feel the need to take social calls of unimportant chit chat, read emails or respond to non-urgent texts leaving their friend/colleague standing there bored. Is your time more important than theirs? Of course not. So why does everyone do it?

Several years ago I was in Hong Kong visiting a friend. My first night out, we went to a very posh restaurant, patronized mainly by the wealthy locals and rich, overly self-confident expats. The restaurant had a gorgeous rooftop bar from which you could see the bustling City, looking a bit like Miami does New York, with a touch of Chinatown, and bathed in a sea of colored lights.

Of course to get to the restaurant, one had to take an approximate 10-15 second elevator ride to the top. Stepping in with my friend were two middle aged English gentlemen dressed in expensive suits wearing a look of self-importance. Immediately the two English businessmen became engrossed in their Blackberries tapping away, suddenly my friend was as well. So I stood silently, surrounded by the men scrolling up and down emails for seemingly no purpose. Amused at the situation, I finally decided to break the uncomfortable silence, as well as take a slight stab at my friend who was now ignoring me, by interjecting with ‘Should I pull out my Blackberry as well? I am feeling slightly left out.” Judging by their response, they weren’t so amused.

You would think that as time passed, people would have begun adopting better phone etiquette rules as a backlash. But with the advent of smartphones it has gotten worse. We are no longer respectful of the physical world and other peoples’ times. People get angry if you don’t text or call back immediately. Does having a phone require me to be contactable at all times? Why does the person reaching me via a mobile device take precedent over someone who is there or the work I am trying to finish undistracted?

The Waterfall Effect

You know and love the drinking game right? Everyone stands in a circle; one person starts drinking, then the next, the next and so forth. Finally the initiator stops, and only then, can the next person stop, and then the next etc. This is usually great fun – of course it has become less so in my later years when my workload has increased, while the number of drinks required to cause a hangover has decreased.

How about when you are seated with friends at the table having a great conversation when one person starts playing with their smartphone, then the person seated next to them starts, etc. Finally conversation ends and some are left looking into space, others absent mindlessly searching the web waiting for the oblivious initiator once again to stop, so they can resume the conversation. This is usually not so fun.

I think we can all come up with situation after situation in which smartphones have disrupted social settings, offended attendees, and frustrated others. Yet we all do it, unaware of our consequences. Here we are a civilized nation with cultural norms from opening doors for women (I am still a huge proponent of this) to chewing with your mouth closed to placing a napkin on your lap when eating. These are generally adhered to in order to maintain a respectful society even though some may be slightly unnecessary. Yet we have no etiquette for mobile phone usage. No respect for others yet we all use our mobiles whenever we feel like it. Have we become a society where new rules of etiquette are no longer formed? As our way of life rapidly changes, social manners have failed to keep up. Will this ever change?

I am still waiting.

People are what are most important in life

Inspirational speech for my public speaking course

Last Saturday night my cohort, my class section of 60 fellow classmates, performed the Walk-Off, a dance/skit competition against the other cohorts in our MBA class. It proved to be an amazing night. My cohort pulled off an incredible Michael Jackson performance, destroyed the competition, won the coveted Golden Egg and then danced until the place closed down,

However, these are all things that made Saturday night fun. What made the night truly amazing was how it was the one night in which our cohort became truly united.

It was amazing to see everyone’s hidden talents emerge and how everyone pitched in to do their part from dancing to presenting to looking hot in a sexy nurse outfit to running around like a child. And then we came together and turned it into a seamless winning performance. But what was even more amazing, was how close we became, how well we worked together, how we huddled up together in anticipation of the announcement and then how we jumped up and down, hugging any Blube in site upon winning! That night brought us closer together and that is what made Saturday night amazing.

But then I woke up Sunday morning, suddenly feeling sad. Just as we, as a cohort were truly bonding, this whole experience will be over in one week. I probably won’t have classes with some of you ever again.

We are already ¼ of the way through and the Fall First Year honeymoon period is over. We live a fast paced life: classes start, midterms finals, classes start again. We have, commitments, homework, projects- something due daily. We stress about completing the next assignment and studying for the exams. How often have you declined a social event or even an opportunity to spend time with a classmate or friend for school work – and was it always necessary? Reflecting on the Fall semester, what will you think of?

I will remember winning the Golden Egg, our awesome MJ performance, the European Mixer event, the Diwali consumption function and dinners with my study group, not because they were fun, but because participating in these events gave me the chance to really get to know and work with fellow classmates I had never had the opportunity to work with previously and I have learned a lot from them.

Don’t get me wrong, life is about balance. Classes and studying are necessary and we only have 24 hours in the day. We can’t do everything. Working hard is important and ingrained in all of us. But don’t ever lose sight of the fact that it is the people in our lives that create our memories, teach us our business and life lessons and inspire us.

So, as we get caught up in the internship search, our classes and finding a job, let’s not forget this. But this isn’t about just business school. In the real world working life, we get stuck in a routine, work long hours, spend too much focus on our work and not enough time with friends and family and pass up opportunities to meet some new strangers.

Apologies if I sound morbid, but often times when I found myself caught up working on a deal in which I was working until midnight, 1, 2 or 3 in the morning every night, cancelling social evening plans and then weekend plans just so I could catch up on sleep, I would remember what my mom always says, “Your company won’t be there at your funeral.”

Life is about balance. Already I have learned a lot more from the rest of you than I ever did staring at spreadsheets and power point presentations 12 hours a day. So, I encourage you, take advantage of your time getting to know people here but also make sure that upon re-entering the real world, you still take time for your family and friends and new people that bring a new perspective to your life. It is through them that you will find your inspiration.

What is the meaning of Thanksgiving?

What is the meaning of Thanksgiving?

Speech for Public Speaking Course:

Thursday November 25 is just 18 days away from today. It is the fourth Thursday in November and arguably one of the most important holidays in the US. – Thanksgiving! So why is Thanksgiving so important?

There are several versions about the origination of Thanksgiving, but they all stem from the beginnings of the white settlement of the US.

In 1620 a group, known as the Puritans who were being religiously persecuted sought religious freedom by sailing across the Atlantic on the Mayflower and settling in a strange, new place, now known as the state of Massachusetts .

The First winter was devastating and almost half of the original 102 pilgrims perished. The few that survived were helped by local Indians.

With better luck, the second harvest was bountiful – and the settlers celebrated with a 3 day feast with the Indians as a way of saying thanks for their help in that first brutal winter.

Today, Thanksgiving means different things to different people, but unlike most other American holidays, it is not about consumerism or flashiness.

For some it means eating lots of turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie and then rolling themselves into the family room to continue the holiday festivities by watching football and drinking beer.

For others it might mean the one day of the year in which family all comes together, which may be a good or bad thing. Bu regardless, t the one universal meaning that everyone shares is that Thanksgiving is the one day that we stop to give thanks to the things and people that mean the most to us.

We live such crazy busy lives that we take things for granted – I was suddenly reminded of this when last week, I found out my dad’s cousin unexpectedly passed away. She had four kids, ages ranging from about 21 to 31.

As we sit here tonight, they are at their mom’s viewing saying good-bye for the last time. I will be attending the funeral tomorrow along with my parents, with whom I am fortunate to have a close relationship with, feeling guilty over the fact that my cousins will not be standing there alongside both of their parents as well.

I am so thankful that I have my parents, I have my health and they have theirs. But in our daily lives, how often do we express it?

So I encourage all of you – whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving or not, to, on Thanksgiving Day, just remind yourself exactly what it is you are truly thankful for. If it is a person, tell them, if it is something, simply appreciate it. Because that is what Thanksgiving is truly about. It is about giving thanks.

So what do business school students do??

6:30am, the alarm on my iphone goes off. I hit snooze and roll over. It goes off again, I repeat the pattern again and then again. 7:00am, I finally roll out of bed, get ready and race out the door for the second day of our Career Management Conference. The day kicks off with a ‘Building your brand online’ seminar presented by Dan Schwabel, author of Me 2.0.

I then have a half hour break before my small group mock interviews so I head into the computer lab to print out my resume. I fire off an email to the VP Social of the European Business Club to request a meeting about the European Mixer event I am organizing in November and another to the co-presidents of the General Management and Strategy club to set up an informational interview, as I am interested in taking over their role for next year.

11:00am, I head over to the recruitment center. The place is full of my colleagues, suited up, resumes in hand and waiting for their interviews. Our interviewer, a second year career coach, brings us into a room and we spend an hour and a half being interviewed with instant feedback – I realize I have a lot of practicing to do in the next few months!

12:30pm – I have a study group meeting. Haas is providing free lunches in the courtyard so I pick one up, go to my suit locker to grab the massive roll of paper that is our final project for our Problem Finding Problem Solving class and meet my team – whom I love! We have 30 minutes to go through our roll and ensure our business model canvas and all our design thinking toolkits are included. There is a flurry of Crayola colored markers as we put on the final touches, laughing and joking as we work.

1:30pm I attend another speaker seminar – ‘Learn How to Sell Yourself’

3:00pm, finally a break! As I head into the library, a classmate stops me, “What are you wearing for the Jersey Shore party this Thursday?” We spend about 15 minutes going over the critical details of our costumes – these things are important!

I then excuse myself as I need to finish my journal, a final deliverable for our Problem Finding Problem Solving class. I quickly scribble out a few more ‘reflections’ about the various steps in the design thinking process we have been doing, draw a couple of pictures and rush off to meet my study team again. Tonight is the big night. After spending all of Fall A analyzing a start-up company, its current business model and then coming up with suggestions for a revised one, we finally get a chance to meet the founders, former Haas alum.

We had just learned that they had received an additional $10 million in their second round of VC funding! The company, which provides video ad analytics and serves as a platform to upload video ads on publisher websites, is now breaking even and expected to have $10million in revenue this year.

Now here we were, in a ballroom at Haas, packed with 250 students and rolls of papers displaying business models everywhere and the founders come in. Standing with the four study group teams of 5 each assigned to this company one of my study group members speaks up, ‘Shannon, you know the business model better than anyone. You should present.’ I am slightly nervous because I knew nothing about online advertising until this class and now I am supposed to explain to the founders all about their company and the market?!

I ended up thoroughly enjoying giving the presentation and the night turned out to be the highlight of my first quarter here at Haas. It was exciting to hear how a lot of the ideas we came up with, they had also thought of. They ended up staying for a couple of hours after the presentation and talking directly with two successful entrepreneurs was incredibly inspiring.

Still on a high, I headed to our local on-campus pub, The Bear’s Lair, where Haas students go every Tuesday. It was jam-packed as our very own, Jean Claude Van Band, were playing. People were already crowding in front of the band before they even began the first song. They were incredibly talented. The place was packed and we danced until 2am. Stumbling out in the cool air, I hear someone shout ‘ After-party at my place!” I am too exhausted and head home. It has been another amazing day at Haas.

Life is what happens when you are making other plans

People often ask, ‘Why did you move to Switzerland?’ So I figured I would write about it. Based on my post ‘Acting on Impulse’ you might think that it was my love for Europe that drove me there. Well partially, but not entirely. In fact, it was because I had spent time studying there that I actually did not want to go back.

Anyone, well maybe not everyone, who has travelled outside their home country becomes addicted, myself included, but for varying reasons. My personal reasons; mainly the sadistic pleasure of pushing myself outside my comfort zone, meeting new people and forcing myself to realize that there is a completely different way of living out there that my own culture and norms had never even considered. Not that I want to go move to a small village in the Andes Mountains and raise llamas, but I like seeing the world through somebody else’s eyes. You suddenly see unique details in the ordinary.

For professional reasons, this seed of desire was planted whilst studying in Vienna in 2002. The Euro had just been introduced and it was an exciting time – hey, this was a big deal! In my International Finance class, I had an Austrian banker, whose enthusiasm over the Euro was infectious. All of my classes had a European Union focus, and learning about Europe’s ability, or perhaps attempt, to cooperate under one government body fascinated me, especially when you consider the implications this has on the free movement of goods, services and people! The Financial Times Europe was like my version of a soap opera. May I remind you I was an Economics major and am now an MBA student so business and economic matters excite me? All that world drama jam packed in a few pink pages! And after having read the WSJ for so long with its US centric focus, I couldn’t help but having that ‘Oh shit’ feeling. I suddenly realized that whilst all this was going on outside the US, we were just puttering along as if events outside the US had no impact on us or our standing.

After learning all about Europe, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in the rest of the world. But at this point, I wasn’t going to find out because I had to head back to the U.S. to graduate and get a real job.

About a year and a half into my working career, I started to get restless. I was an auditor, how I fell into that profession is a whole other story, at a Big 4 firm and wanted to gain experience working overseas. Our firm had previously done an exchange in which our U.S. offices would send staff to Australia during their busy season (i.e. during their winter when it was summer, and therefore slower, in the U.S.). The firm’s recruiters had really sold us on the program until we realized after signing our offers that the program had been cancelled. I knew I wanted to have an experience like this, but didn’t even know where to begin to make it happen, so I did nothing - the worst thing you can do. But at least this time, I got lucky and someone else helped me get the ball rolling.

I will never forget that day, sitting outside with my team having lunch on our client’s patio on the bay and soaking up as much sunshine as possible before having to go back to the laptops for another eight hours of Excel spreadsheet misery. I mentioned to my colleague about how bummed I was that the program had been cancelled as I would have loved the opportunity to work in Australia.

My colleague, originally from South Africa and who had worked in New Zealand as well as done a three-month rotation in Sydney, simply said, “So, why don’t you?” My instant reaction was of course to repeat what I had just said – it was no longer possible because the firm had cancelled the program.

“Do you want to stay there longer than three months?” he asked. “Yes” I responded. “So why don’t you transfer there. I am sure they need qualified accountants” he suggested. And it was from this short conversation that I suddenly realized, and I have since put this lesson into practice many times, the importance of not giving up on something you are told is not possible – you just have to find another way. And I did; granted I had to try a few different ways.

The first approach; asking my firm to contact the Sydney HR office on my behalf to see if there was a need for someone at my level quickly failed. I waited months for the San Francisco office to get back to me, only to be told that our managing partner had made it a policy not to allow HR facilitate any transfers out of the SF office so as to keep staff in SF, and then I got a long speech about how I would be ruining my career in going overseas. I disagreed.

Second approach; after raising the issue with my South African colleague he fired an email out to his friends. As I watched the copied emails shoot back from London, Capetown, and Sydney I was amazed at the global reach, and finally, a contact for the Sydney office came through. I sent my resume over, and after an interview with one of the partners, received an offer. I had achieved my goal and was set on moving to Australia once I finished the last part of my CPA exam. But I never made it to Australia, and as of this moment, have yet to go.

One thing my father always told me was to always create opportunities, which I had just done, and to always ensure you have options. So when during the time I was waiting for my firm’s HR department to get back to me about Australia, my father rang me up and asked if he could send my contact details to a partner at a Big 4 Firm in Switzerland looking for auditors with my experience. I said sure – even though I had no interest in moving to Switzerland.

Life is full of coincidences and a month later, that same partner happened to be in San Francisco for business and asked to meet for a chat about me coming to work in Switzerland. I was very honest about my intention to move to Australia but figured I should at least listen to the alternatives. And listening to him talk got me thinking. Why was I going to Australia? What kind of experience was I trying to get, both personally and professionally? And so I agonized for some time over the decision. Australia would be fun. I could travel to places I have never been, live in a beautiful country, have the ease of living in an English-speaking country, and meet lots of friendly and outgoing people. Switzerland, now I loved living there, has a reputation somewhat of the opposite to that of Australia’s.

Cold, dark, people are conservative, and the Swiss language, Swiss German, is neither a written nor the most romantic of languages and is almost impossible for a non-native to learn. Everyone thought I was crazy to even be considering moving there over Australia.

Thinking about what I truly wanted; a completely different experience, working on a global client, preferably within the biotech industry, and with a global team –was only offered in Switzerland. Australia would be fun no doubt, but I wanted a challenge. In the end, I ended up applying to several other firms, taking a position at a competitor, mainly as they were able to offer me a role more I line with the skills I wanted to develop. And I had an amazing two years. So, next time someone asks me why I moved to Switzerland. My response? Because I was going to move to Australia.

Life is what happens when you are making other plans.

Did you ever dream of a white picket fence?

I am dreaming of a white picket fence, manicured lawn, and a four-bedroom, 3.5 bath white house with navy blue trim complete with an SUV parked out front, 2 kids, a perfect husband and a golden retriever. Isn’t that what we Americans all want? So how come I never dreamed of that?

In my most recent career advising session, one piece of advice I was given by my counselor, is that every six months or year throughout your career, you should take a hike or go to a peaceful location alone that you enjoy, and really take the time to reflect upon your career. Are you going in the right direction? Do you enjoy what you are doing? And of course the favorite question of all time – where do you want to be in five years? Ten? And is what you are currently doing going to get you there?

She has seen too often with her clients, many of whom are successful senior executives; suddenly realize they are not actually happy in their careers. Trouble is, you are so focused on running as fast as you can that you never step back and think, is this really what I want?

Whilst working, I knew that long-term, this was not what I wanted to do, but the problem was, you were working so much you never had time to figure that out. Thank goodness for business school. OK, I am actually probably busier than ever, but at least the activities that are making me busy are helping me in my pursuit to discover what my true goals are. And if you read my previous post, you would see I suddenly have a wealth of career resources at my disposal. But I am suddenly realizing that it is not so much the industry or function question that I am struggling to answer – it is what kind of lifestyle or even family life do I want? That should be the first question, then what company second.

Problem is, I don’t know. I envy my friends who have gone the traditional route and are content with it. Married, some with a kid, own a home and probably have a general idea as to where they will be in 5, 10 or 15 years, at least from a lifestyle/family perspective.

Right now, suburban life sounds like my personal nightmare – I need cities, with convenient holiday places and long vacations in the mountains of course. And I love working in cities, walking everywhere, bars and restaurants within walking distance; theatre tonight anyone? No? Symphony then?

So should I focus on getting a job in the City or make the sacrifice now to move to the burbs with the assumption that in five years time I will become a lulu lemon wearing young mom driving my SUV to the grocery store to pick up some fish filets to cook my family for dinner? And yes, what about being a mom? I don’t know how professional women do that balance – I cannot even look after myself!

So where is all that counseling for finding what our life focus is? I have taken multitudes of personality tests and career skill-scans which measure my competency skills and then match my desired job traits to possible career and industry options. But where does my personal life fit in all this? We are a generation operating 24/7 in which the boundary between work and life has blurred. We can no longer assess what we want in a career without first determining what it is we want out of life.

I personally think part of your career focus, should also include assessments on those simple everyday things like what you want your daily routine to be - and where. Do you want the traditional family life or the globe-trotting expat life?

I find most of the life / soul searching advice out there a bit on the fluffy side. A nice survey, backed by solid scientific evidence on its validity, that could dig deep down into my soul and unconscious desires to determine whether I love my current lifestyle because of where I am at in life versus that is just who I am would be extremely valuable – and THEN I could match my career goals. Does that exist? If so, pass that along would you?

Career Options: Are too many a good or bad thing?

Do you ever wonder how you ended up where you are in terms of your job choice or career? Were you born knowing what you wanted to do or did you just kind of fall into it? And once you got there, was it everything you thought it would be? Better? Worse? Even more importantly: Are you happy?

Gone are the previous generations in which you worked for one company your whole life. My grandfather started out as a salesman for a large pharmaceutical company and was able to climb his way up the corporate ladder into a senior executive position. My dad, after a couple of brief stints in his younger years, worked for the same company for 20+ years. And the women of these generations? You could either be a nurse, secretary or teacher – oh year, or a housewife. After a few years as a teacher in Utah and still single at the old age of 23, my mom, a born overachiever and leader , was frustrated with her limited prospects and so decided to load up her car and move West to California. She later became a court reporter, which I never could understand given her love for debate – it must have killed her to remain silent – but as she constantly reminds me, she never had the career opportunities I have.

So now here I am with a myriad of options. Seven years into what has certainly been a unique career, I am now attending a top business school and totally confused. One of the great ironies of business schools is that in order to get accepted, you have to write a well-written and focused essay all about why you want an MBA, your short term and long term goals, and how an MBA will get you there. Yet in reality, most of us don’t have a clue. Good thing business schools recognize this and therefore offer a ridiculous amount of career support services – or it could be that having a bunch of unemployed graduates ruins their statistics, but let’s assume the former.

In the eight weeks I have been at business school, I have seen four different career advisors, a career coach, held five informational interviews, and been to career service workshops on building a resume, how to network a conference and how to develop a market plan for your career strategy. I have been to a non-profit conference, joined the general management and strategy club, technology club, women in leadership club, health care club – the list goes on, and attended at least eight different company presentations. I have spent hours and hours researching different companies, available positions – both internships and full time and next week am attending a two day Career Management Conference which includes seminars such as how to build your brand and how to get into that industry or function. I have attended more networking events than I can count and as it is just 19 months until graduation, I need to hurry up and figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life - now! To make a career transition I need to start networking in that industry, taking on leadership roles in my extracurricular activities and planning my academic classes to focus on the end game, right?

I like the fast paced environment of technology, maybe I should be a product manager? The health care and medical device industry are only going to continue to grow at rapid speed, I don’t have a science background but maybe I could go into marketing? What about a strategic and business development role or even better, apply for a general management rotational leadership program? But in what industry and location? Big company or small? Who are my target companies?

In just one generation we have gone from few opportunities to an infinite amount of them. Of course, I should be sure to point out that I speak in relative terms, as I recognize I am one of the fortunate who is in a position to be faced with so many possibilities.

But I now feel just as paralyzed as my mother did many years ago when she, as an ambitious young woman, realized she had very few options. Only in my case, I now have too many. So, how could this be?

A few years ago, while I was living in Switzerland, I came to California for a visit. Staying at my parent’s house, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things on the shopping list. One item my dad had requested: whole wheat tortillas. Simple enough right? Well after spending the last year or so shopping in the tiny Swiss Coop supermarket which was about the size of two aisles in an American supermarket – or perhaps one in a WalMart, I experienced a sudden bout of reverse culture shock. In my little Swiss market, my options were limited. I knew exactly where everything was and I could be in and out in ten minutes. You want milk? There it is. An apple – you have red or green. After about a month, I became accustomed to the limited supply, found things I liked, and grew to be perfectly content with my purchases.

Now here I was in the Alamo Safeway, so massive they even have a Starbucks inside and drink cup holders on the shopping baskets so that all the young mommies can sip their fat-free soy lattes while browsing the aisles, and I felt overwhelmed. I couldn’t find anything! List in hand; it took me ages to find what I needed. Just as my patience was wearing thin, I came upon the tortilla section. White, corn..wheat! I grabbed a pack, but then looking back saw organic wheat, non-organic wheat, whole grain wheat, low-fat wheat, low-carb wheat, small, medium, large – and all the different brands. I looked back at my dad’s handwriting ‘Whole wheat tortillas’. But which ones??

Every time I picked one up, another caught my eye. Dumbfounded, I must have stood there for 10 minutes, drawing on every decision making capability I had in an attempt to make the right decision. All I needed were some whole wheat tortillas! I finally gave up, grabbed the nearest package and finished my shopping.

So, did I buy the right ones? I don’t know, maybe there were some better ones but I could not simply rip open the tortilla packages right there in the store and try them all. But the more interesting question; would I have been more or less happy had I gone into the store, seen just the one option for whole wheat tortillas and purchased them without having to have agonized over the decision?

So, what is the correct answer? Being forced to choose from a limited number of options under the assumption that there is nothing else available, or having so many options, many of which you don’t even know exist until you come across them, that your life becomes a constant pursuit after that desired yet unattainable ‘perfect’ decision.

I don’t really know the answer, but I am glad about one thing. It is fortunate I was born in this generation. I would have made a lousy teacher, nurse, secretary or housewife.

A lesson of Business School: Learning to let go and accept that you just can’t do it all!

Business school offers many valuable lessons – few of which come from the academics themselves. Surprising? Well, it shouldn’t be. What are the most valued skills required to be successful in business? Calculating the optimal quantity to produce based on setting price equal to marginal cost whilst operating in a perfectly competitive market? Maybe it is calculating 95% confidence intervals on our analysis of the effect of square footage of a house on its price? I don’t think so.

It is relationships, interpersonal and networking skills, working well with others and knowing how to make a decision. More importantly, in this day in age where we have every opportunity at our fingertips, it is the ability to prioritize, manage one’s time and realize that you just can’t do it all.

It’s 11pm – way past my usual bedtime, unless of course I am out socializing. But tonight, I am supposed to be studying for finals. Yes, finals. It still sounds weird for me to say. The only difference this time round is that grades don’t actually matter! Except tell that to a bunch of overachieving MBA students, and again, and again. Has it sunk in yet? Not during midterms (although I think I was a bit quicker than most), slowly getting there for finals, and judging by the second years, this concept will have been embodied in everything we do. Is it because they are lazy?

No. It is because every decision we make has an opportunity cost (my econ professor would so proud). How much value, or shall we say utility, do you get from spending those few extra hours hitting the books versus that received from going to that company presentation, meeting that recruiter, getting involved in that business competition, attending that speaker series.. the list goes on. Besides, you can read a textbook anytime you want – I am not going to a $50,000/year university to read a book and do the example problems in the back.

The opportunities to get involved in everything imaginable are endless, the choices a smorgasbord of every favorite food you have craved, and the plentitude of interesting people to meet like a wine tasting comprised of every varietal from every region – each distinct and delicious. I have yet to meet one who is ‘corked’.

Yet there lies the conundrum. This experience is similar to that of a kid in a candy store whose eyes are bigger than his stomach. In the first go, he tires everything until he is physically ill. Second time round, he remembers the consequences of his gorging and suddenly realizes he must be more careful and deliberate about his candy choices. His favorite chocolate is dark chocolate, so he won’t pick up the milk. And why was he eating Skittles – he doesn’t even like them, he was only eating them because everyone else was. Put them down!

And so goes business school. Do I want the milk chocolate? Yes. Do I want to do well on my exams? Yes. But do I like dark chocolate more? Yes. And do I want to be involved in the Innovation Challenge competition, member of this club, still make it to the gym, AND get a good night’ rest? YES! YES! And YES!

So, now it is 11:30pm. I should be studying but I suddenly felt like writing – something I love but have not done in quite some time. When I am 80 and looking back on my life, will I be reviewing my old exams or my writings?

I love all kinds of chocolate – can’t help it after 2 years living in Switzerland! But my favorite is dark chocolate. I think I will stick to that.

Come Dine With Me 4th edition

Is it possible that so much time has passed since that fateful night long ago in the spectacularly decorated Oktoberfest beer hall (aka 1 Salem Rd)? Yet how could any one of us forget the tragedy of 1 November 2009, and the grief that ensued.

Where my heart once was, a hollowness now lies. The throbbing ache of emptiness within my chest is a daily reminder of my failure, a pain so excruciating at first, that I have had to wait for the wounds to mend and the pain to subside before I could bring myself to write this Newsletter out of fear that I would be unable to hold back the tears and therefore be reduced to a sobbing mess.

So here it is, a reminder and description of what, in my opinion, was the greatest Come Dine With Me event of all – scored last because as Mark and I were stuck in the kitchen we were unable to woo the dinner party guests with our witty humour and charming personalities…

I present below the unbiased and truthful account of that tragic night.

As the German Oompa band’s Oktoberfest music filled the great halls. Frau Heidi and Herr Hans greeted the guests with a spirited “Wilkommen” and a shot of Jaegger.

Hefeweissen beers were brought out to wash down the pretzels, radishes, and cheeses laid out for the guests. Meanwhile, Hans and Heidi worked frantically in the kitchen to finish preparing the starter – a delicious salad, exciting the tastebuds but not fully satiating them, leaving them to cry out for more.

In a cruel twist, the next course was delayed. Unbeknownst to the guests, the chicken schnitzel was not cooking fast enough and the crappy frying pans we were attempting to use were blackening the chicken. Manning frying pans on all burners and busting out the ol’ reliable George Forman grill, Hans cooked as Heidi manically scrubbed each pan before it was reused until her fingernails bled and her wrist could scrub no more.

Alas, the effort was well worth it, noted by the murmurs of approval and nods of the heads of the guests. Unfortunately, it was quickly realised that plastic silverware + chicken schnitzel = inability to cut the large pieces of meat, however even the most intelligent people can not foresee all problems.

But then the grand finale came…Hans’ amazing Apple Streudal – a stunning success given the fact that this was his first attempt. So good in fact, that Alistair and Dave both thought it store bought. The Streudal quickly brought everyone’s tastebuds to a climax – and then suddenly people were stripped of all energy and intelligent thought. Everyone’s minds in a foggy wave of bliss, the guests could not think straight as they went, one by one, to the laptop to input their score for the evening’s meal and entertainment.

We then grabbed our sacrificial lamb, Mike, to announce the results. I felt confidant, exuberant, and excited as Mike read off fourth place – US??! But how could this be? Our food was excellent! Our theme unique! And our entertainment thrilling! I could barely hear the rest as Mike droned on…and the devastation set in – I, Frau Heidi, was last!! How could that be?

Although it was of no surprise when Faith and Kiran turned out to be the winners – I mean who can beat heart- shaped sweet potatoes??

And that, ladies and gentlemen, damen and herren, was the last night of Come Dine With Me.

I hope you all enjoyed Series 1 as much as I did, and I look forward to Series 2: Sunday roasts just as much!! – rules and guidelines to be issued shortly

Sincerely,
Your faithful ‘Come Dine With Me’ Correspondent

Frau Heidi

Come Dine With Me 3rd edition

Let us Dine, Drink and be Merry!!
19 October 2009: 3rd edition

I never truly believed that, other than fine wines, some things get better with age. That is, until I tasted some authentic Cougar Cooking!

As I entered Cathy’s luxurious pad, Lauren magically appeared, and with a seemingly innocent grin, thrust a welcome glass of peach champagne into my hand before I could even put my handbag down.

Taking a sip, I enjoyed the mixture of fruit and alcohol slide down my parched throat. But just as that warm and nostalgic feeling washed over me, my feeling of bliss was interrupted by a plate of mini pizzas being shoved in front of me. Looking up, I found myself face to face with that innocent grin again. ‘Eat one!’ the voice commanded. Out of fear and fear alone, I popped one into my mouth. The grin turned into a smirk of satisfaction and then disappeared off to force feed the next victim,

Then we waited…and waited. The starter was ready but there was something missing. We could not figure out what, until we realised that, aside from my story of [XXXX], nobody was talking about work…DAVE! We were missing Dave – well, Mark as well, but we had since come to realise that we were at the bottom of Mark’s friend food chain.

Dave finally arrived a couple of hours late and the starter was brought out. A very interesting and spicy concoction of eggplant, bread, somethingerather and dates wrapped in blackened bacon (although Dave is to blame for that one) was plopped in front of us. Hmmm…our eyes dart about- what is this odd brown concoction? But pretty soon, many were crying out for more and Cathy was only happy to oblige.

Then the main course came and the race began. Kiran wolfed it down the fastest. I came in a close second. Shots of lemoncello followed, which in my opinion were slightly chavvy (English white trash). Cultured people sip lemoncello, but hey, I would not expect such refinement from Lauren and Cathy. We slugged it down.

And then the desert!!! Ice cream cake!!! I saw a flash of that innocent grin again.”You love ice cream cake don’t you?” wink..wink. The grin is talking to me. I am stunned. Are they trying to manipulate the CDM critic? Surely Cathy and Lauren are not that manipulative, right?? [Pause here for effect]

But at this point, I didn’t care and inhaled my piece before turning to my left, savagely attacking Al’s delectable piece and then demanding sloppy seconds.

Sitting back I felt completely satisfied, well not completely satisfied – I mean Cathy and Lauren’s food could not satisfy all of my needs, and I am not sure [XXXXX].

But then, I saw it. The infamous football; the very same one that had provided us with so much entertainment on the greatest ‘Sunday Funday’of all time. I couldn’t resist and jumped out of my seat to join Cathy and show off our fantastic American football skills. Then Faith joined, and after my training, she was able to perform the perfect ‘hike’. But even with all the game playing I could feel the “Fun” level wavering. In an unselfish move, I began to dance.

And dance I did, dancing like I had never danced before. I kicked, shook my booty, elegantly swung about the room, flailing my arms with football in hand for dramatic effect. My majestic moves seized the attention of the party, saving it from an imminent disaster of boredom.

Finally worn out, I crashed onto the couch and exhausted from the night’s activities, mentioned I was going to go home. Surprisingly, everyone else jumped at my suggestion as if they had been eagerly waiting for an excuse to leave. We piled into the cabs and away we went.

Alas, the next day, it became quite clear that Cathy and Lauren had not read my previous newsletter. Either that or they did not pay heed to my Security Warning as their guests were not thoroughly searched prior to their departure and another theft took place. This time- the culprit was the unsuspecting Ms. Faith Karp in the living room, with the candlestick, who absconded with Cathy’s camera.

But aside from the thievery, the night was a big success. The food was delicious, the company superb and everyone was happy and full of wine. Now, I would like to end this newsletter’s 3rd edition with at least one memorable and exquisite image of the night that captures the essence of true perfection….My firm arse!

Don’t forget the Grand Finale is coming up..and I can say with complete honesty that I am really feeling the pressure but I am most certainly up to the challenge. I just hope my partner shows up before desert.

Sunday 1 November
Start time: 6:00ish
Where: [XXX]

But before I sign off, I do have one burning question: Just who did order that Chinese food?

Sincerely,

Your faithful ‘Come Dine With Me’ Correspondent / Hot Librarian / Exotic dancer / Aerobics instructor

Please see 'Culture Club is reborn' posting prior to reading this post

Culture Club Newsletter
2nd edition 07 October 2009

Living our vision:

‘To gather a group of intellectuals, originating from all over the world, united by one common desire: to seek and understand new cultures through the arts, historical exhibits, music, and interactions with one another … and have a good time doing it!’

Recent event:

The rebirth of the Culture Club was a smashing success! Thank you to all who could attend what turned into probably the funniest show I have ever seen.

For those unable, here is a quick recap of the evening. But before I do so, I would like to congratulate Ms. Lauren Darby once again for her new role as Head of TV Marketing for Talk Talk!! All her hard work and superior intelligence has clearly paid off! Right, so now back to the show…

The true alcoholics of the group, Lauren and Dave, were the first to arrive at our pre-theatre meeting spot Bar Soho (a huge improvement from the old man gay pub I had originally picked out). I of course arrived at the same time to limit the alcohol consumption as I knew they would otherwise become too rowdy, as they always do, for the very tasteful and sophisticated Avenue Q show.

After about an hour of civilized chat and further members arrived, we made our way to the theatre. Upon picking up the tickets, the Box Office suddenly realized who I was and immediately upgraded our seats to a section more in line with my social status.

Walking into the theatre, Lauren proved her superior intelligence extends beyond just her workplace and into her private life as, out of concern for the group of possible dehydration during the show, (a very serious matter I might add) she quickly bought a bottle of wine to bring in and ensure our excessive drinking of liquids continued.

Avenue Q turned out to be hilarious, far exceeding my expectations as well as many others. The love-making scored big hits – I could see the men taking notes. I also think I recognized the “Bad Puppets!” I don’t want to say who, but I am pretty sure their characters were based off some close friends of mine; a brother and sister whose last name begins with “D” and ends with “y” but I won’t name names;-)

I made have had a few too many drinks as I stumbled out of the theatre, but I did manage to deliver a very inspiring speech about the resurrection of the Culture Club at the White Horse pub before we finally made it home, arriving just before the stroke of midnight.

Thanks again to everyone who made this night possible.

The Culture Club is reborn!

In case any of you readers are concerned about my social life, or for that matter wonder what it is I do all the time, I will be posting some newsletters of 2 recent clubs, Culture Club and Come Dine With Me.

The Culture Club to be reborn!!!

"What is the Culture Club???" - you may ask?

Well, for those of you not fortunate enough to have previously participated, I shall provide a brief introduction - and no, this club has nothing to do with Boy George.

Our mission statement:
To gather a group of intellectuals, originating from all over the world, united by one common desire: to seek and understand new cultures through the arts, historical exhibits, music, and interactions with one another … and have a good time doing it!”

Of course in reality, we are merely a bunch of transient nomads feeling mildly guilty for spending the vast majority of our weekend time in either a) a posh restaurant b) the latest bar and/or club c) the local pub or d) hungover on the couch - buy hey, I believe the above sounds a bit more eloquent. And in all honesty, my main reason of doing this is because I feel we too often say let's do this / let's do that, but rarely plan (I am very guilty of this)

Sounds nice, but what do you actually do?

We will plan on an ad hoc basis any event that you desire…anything! [Must have some cultural / art impact - porn film watching only acceptable if in a foreign language]. This could range from museums / theatre / symphony, etc. We will then try to grab drinks / coffee / lunch afterwards to discuss our thoughts and feelings on the experience.

Do I need to be a member?

Yes. All applications must be submitted to Shannon Riley with a photo attached, nudes by men welcome (good-looking people only). Totally kidding of course - please invite whomever. I like to feel more popular than I really am. If you want someone else included, let me know and I will add them to my Culture Club Distribution list.

Can I make recommendations?

Please DO make recommendations - I will just start booking dates in and sending out emails with ideas when I do. If you can make it, great. If you cannot, no worries.
I don't want to participate. Just let me know and I will remove you from my distribution list.
You are such a dork! Yes, I know. And I am proud of that. Anybody read the latest edition to The Economist yet?

Plant or Flower

Plant or flower?

“Plant or flower? Plant or flower?” Unbeknownst to me, my good friend and flatmate is standing in front of a selection of plants and flowers stressing over which to buy me. The longer she contemplates, the more stressed she becomes. Green, yellow, orange, red, purple..so many colours to choose from, but which, she can’t decide, would brighten my mood the most???

I am in my room, throwing clothes this way and that, stuffing items into drawers and desperately trying to find space in my tiny little room in London to put the ridiculous amount of clothes I purchased on my most recent visit to the States. I am trying my best to occupy my mind, anything to keep me from thinking about the devastating news that was delivered to me the night before.

After an excruciatingly long wait, and even more painful process, the decision is in: London Business School Admissions Committee has decided not to offer me an advance (prior to their review of this year’s applicants) position in the MBA2012 class. Game over.

I applied for MBA2011, frantically put in an application into Round 3, already a very competitive round. However, the UK government had other plans for my future and after changing their visa rules last minute, I was forced to hand over my passport in order to have the security to remain in the country before their rules changed. No passport meant I could not sit for the GMAT. No GMAT score meant my application was pushed to Round 4 – where few spots, if any are left. After enduring what was the most challenging interview I have had (and I have had a few), it was therefore of no surprise that I was Waitlisted in case a place opened up. And so the wait began.

For several months, I survived several “decision dates” where more and more candidates were ‘dinged’ from the Waitlist pool. As the school’s start date came up, I was finally informed I could no longer be considered for MBA2011 but that they would consider me for a spot in MBA2012 – a glimmer of hope.

Then yesterday, after waiting almost 7 months, with so much uncertainty in my life and career (I will get to that in another posting), the result – due to the limited number of spaces they are allowed to offer in advance, they could not extend one to me.

My dream, to attend one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, and one which shares my view of the importance of a global outlook in business and provides the opportunity for its students to interact closely with others from 60 nationalities, was crushed. Seven months of waiting, a tremendous amount of hard work and sacrifice, and a near lifetime of dreaming– over in that one second.

I should have waited to apply in Round 1 [much easier] this year, I should have applied to other schools, I should have changed my LT vision, I should have this, I should have that…But these thoughts are worthless. We cannot change the past, only plan for the future.

Stepping out of my room to carry my laundry down the stairs, I see a small plant with 2 pinkish red flowers in full bloom and a small card sitting outside my bedroom door. My friend, after agonising over the decision of whether to purchase the plant or flower, had decided on both. Seeing me come out of my room, she smiles. “I was seriously stressing over that for ages! I just could not decide..there were so many choices and I wanted to be sure to pick out the one that would lift your spirits the most.”

We are so often faced with many opportunities and decisions – and each one we struggle over, whether big or small. Should I take that job? Would those dining room chairs look right for the table? Should I go back to school? Where should we go out to dinner tonight? We agonise over these things, but who is to know what would have happened had we made the other choice – or in my case, the choice was made for me by LBS’ Admissions Committee.

So this goes back to my original question. Plant or flower? Plant or flower? They are both quite nice. I would have been happy either way.

You know you live in London when...

- 50% of your salary goes to food and alcohol
- 40% goes to rent
- 10% on clothes
- 0% to savings

You go to 30th birthday parties what seems like every weekend but you have yet to go to a single wedding

Only spending $80 on a meal is a bargain

The sun comes out occasionally, but only followed directly after or right before a torrential rain-pour

Nobody speaks English

You are a successful professional still living in a flat share

Estate agents (rental property managers) were former criminals

Having a child at the age of 30 seems WAY too young

You fear the suburbs – it is a whole new world!

You spend at least 3 hours a day travelling on the tube – and another 1 hour a day stuck in one

You live in a $5 million dollar home that if located in the States, would be condemned

A small backyard comprised of rocks and cigarette butts (not mine) is a luxury- and a key selling point to our flat

You cannot order food without it being covered in oil and/or cream

Your social life is overwhelming and you have a list of ready to go excuses as to why you cannot attend this party/dinner/lunch/coffee/work drinks/festival….the list goes on – you need sleep!

A Dangerous Commute

I can’t breathe.

I try to fill my lungs with the stuffy, putrid air. It is hot. I can feel my shirt starting to stick to my body as I begin to faintly perspire.

I am surrounded by people dressed in black, most of whom are larger than me so that all I can see are shoulders, backs and a few grim faces of the unfortunate shorter few. The floor below me lurches violently; I lose my balance but do not fall. The bodies in black are pressed up against me so tightly they are propping me up.

Over the next ten minutes the floor continues to jolt to and fro. The bodies in black begin to slowly disperse and I widen my stance so as to prevent tipping over onto the person next to me.

I have one hand clasped tightly on the bar above me, the other holding my copy of The Economist – books are too heavy for this one hand-hold, and The Financial Times too big. Headphones in, music softly playing, I keep my head down in the text, trying to pretend I am elsewhere, anywhere but on the Tube on my way home from work.

Five stops to go and I see movement out of the corner of my eye. A woman sitting down is folding up a popular British tabloid newspaper – this indicates an approximate 80% chance she is getting off at the next stop; the other 20% of course being she is simply done with the paper.

Her movement was subtle, but I see another standing passenger looking in her direction – she must have also noticed! My shoulder is aching from my heavy laptop bag and I am dying for a seat. I quickly angle my body in front of the other standing passenger so as to block her attempt to go for the seat should it become available.

The train stops. I wait…success! The sitting woman with the folded newspaper is getting up from her seat! I lean out of her way “accidently” blocking the pathway to the seat from the other standing passengers. As soon as she is out I make a dash, plunk down and swing my laptop case with a thud to the floor. I sigh…another day..another commute.