Tis the season to be jolly

Confession...I have a track record for being super-competitive on things that don't matter.  This blog is one of them.  As I peruse friends' blogs, I'm endlessly looking for ways to make my blog funnier, more interesting, stickier.  After opening up Christmas gifts this morning, I read through Facebook status updates and the blogs that I follow.  This blog post is a shameless copying of my friend David's recent blog post on things he's looking forward to when he returns to the States and then returns to his overseas home.

Things to look forward to in Texas

• Matinee movies with Dad - This is one of our favorite father-daughter traditions.  Yesterday, we went to see Little Fockers.  So fun and so funny!
• Max's Wine Dive - This was my hangout spot in Houston.  It all started when Lis and I went there for brunch one weekend.  Max's is known for their Southern comfort food and wine pairings.  The waiter Joseph was a little perturbed that I ordered an egg white omelette.  Fast forward...we became good friends with Joseph and Kate (the Great).  Eventually, me and my friends gained VIP status here, and it became the place I went to for every reason.  Birthdays, celebrations, time to unwind after a hard day at work.  I met up with my co-workers there the day after I returned to Houston.  We ended up having a 5 hour brunch!!
• The Apple store in the Galleria - I've been having some issues with my MacBook.  It's 4.5 years old and needs some upgrading.  I need some help from the Genius Bar.
• Festivus - This comes from that hilarious Seinfeld episode where the cast celebrates a non-commercial holiday.  It's also a party my high school frends throw every year around Christmas time.  We make references to the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strengths.  But really, it's a reason for old friends to gather when we're all back home for Christmas.  Festivus for the rest of us!
• Driving - Oh, how I miss it.  I enjoy driving because I am "in control" and can listen to music or NPR.  I am in no way a "good driver" and am the target of many bad driver jokes amongst friends.  Whatever.  Driving is like riding a bike...you never forget.  Now that I'm in Canyon, I can drive my Honda (aka Bailey).  In October, someone ran into my Bailey at church (sad day), but Dad fixed it up.  She's as good as new!
• Time - School keeps me quite busy.  I look forward to having more free time without commitments.  I plan on spending a good bit of time reading.  Started a great book called Shantaram the other day.  I also have neglected the stack of Economists and FT's on my nightstand.   
• Baking - Anything and everything!  Brownies, Hullabaloo cake, haystacks, jalapeno cornbread.  YUM!

Things to look forward to in London

• New stories and adventures
• Borough Market
• Classes (I know, I'm a geek)
• Running in Regent's Park
• Catching up with classmate friends!
• Research - I volunteered to help an LBS professor research and write papers.  I'm super-excited about this!

Over the time I've been overseas, alot has happened back home.  Here are a few shoutouts to folks:
Lis - CONGRATS on finishing your second marathon.  Attagirl!  Rockstar...
Andrea - I'm so happy you're pursuing a PhD!  To add to your undergrad, MD, and MPH degrees!  We will just have to call you Doctor Doctor Cruz now... :)
Marcus and Morgan - CONGRATS on getting engaged!
Jamie - Glad you're headed to Duke next year!  Just remember to scout out basketball tickets for me :)
Will, James, and Andrew - CONGRATS on your recent promotions.  Whoop!

And finally, here's an article that one of my friends forwarded me called "Tribal Workers".   Well worth a read.  http://msittig.freeshell.org/articles/FinT_TribalWorkers.html

Thankful

This was my first Thanksgiving (or as my Spanish teacher Daniel tells me Dia de Gracias) not spent in Amarillo.  BUT, it was celebrated here in London nonetheless with a group of friends.  At home, we usually go around the table sharing what we're thankful for this year.  Here's my list...

Uggs: Best. Invention. Ever.  I have a pair of dark brown Uggs and LOVE them.  I waterproofed mine, and they keep my feet oh-so-warm.   I wear them everyday (even when they don't match my outfit...haha!).  Can't wait to pick up some additional pairs when I'm back in the States for Christmas.

Health: I am thankful that I can quickly fill out health questionaires. No allergies, no chronic illnesses, no broken bones. I registered with NHS in the UK last week.  Though it likely will not compare to the fantastic coverage I had with my employer's Aetna package in the States, it's better than nothing.  And I respect a country which makes sure that all people have basic primary care.


Airplanes: They take me to faraway places to visit people and have adventures.  I likely will regain my platinum status (whoop!) with Continental this year with my cross-Atlantic flights plus my trip to South America last summer.  They also bring people to visit me.  I'm SO happy I got to see my sweet dear college friend Bo and her fiance Tuan this week.  Just like old times we had our fair share of catching up, laughter, and shopping in Covent Garden.  Bo even inspired me to add to my Apple and Kate Spade clutch collection :).  Can't wait to see Levi next weekend when he's in London!

Sawed varsity's horns off:  Yep, Texas A&M beat t.u. in Austin in our annual showdown.  The Aggies are now going to a bowl game while the Longhorns have had their first losing season since Mack Brown has been coach.  Our team (full of sophomores and juniors) has had six straight victories.  WHOOP!  I didn't get a chance to watch this game because of a Strategy final the next day.  However, I'm definitely going to The Sports Cafe next year to watch this at midnight (London time)!

Newness: That was one of the main things I was looking for when I came to London.  New stamps in my passport.  New cuisines.  New shot glasses.  New friends.  New languages. New challenges.  Most importantly, new adventures.  And I'm thankful I've had all of those.  One new (and slightly geeky) adventure was last weekend when I entered this crazy quiz game with one of my classmates.  It was sponsored by Tata and definitely was over-the-top.  It was the first time I had ever heard of it, but it's a BIG deal in the UK and India.  The questions were surprisingly tough, and it was fun.  Afterwards, I used London's version of the floo network (aka Underground) to go watch the first part of Harry Potter 7 with some classmates.  SO GOOD!!

Friends: I spent Thanksgiving with my rugby teammates at a feast thrown by one of the EMBA-Globals.  (Mental note: they throw the BEST parties).  The host and hostesses had a wonderful meal with all the fixings prepared for us.  I had so much to eat!!  Including pecan pie (my absolute FAVORITE)!  As I sat on the couch surrounded by friends, drinking mulled wine, and watching live NFL football (!!) on the host's giant TV, I thought "this is as good as it gets".  Thankful for fabulous rugby and study group friends!

The Patel clan:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dad!  Countdown...25 days!
 

Remembrance

Study, study...it's your buddy
Not.  I am writing this blog post as a procrastinate studying for my Corporate Finance midterm.   With our location in a financial capital and our solid Finance Department faculty, LBS certainly has a "finance"  reputation.  The core Corporate Finance midterm and final are notoriously difficult.  Second years have warned us.  Since I have a finance degree and have been able to generally keep up with the course content, I am not too worried about this midterm.  I certainly haven't studied enough because of competing priorities, so the next 36 hours are going to be dedicated to this beast of a test.

This Corporate Finance course is a two-quarter class.  Last Wednesday was our last lecture with Dr. Anna Pavlova.  She easily wins my vote for favorite professor so far.  Someone jokingly mentioned it was going to be interesting learning about capitalism from a Russian on the first day of class.  I chuckled and prepared for class to begin.  And then Anna stepped up, and she didn't match any of my expectations.  The best way to describe her is that she is quirky in an endearing way.  For example, she penned a poem about NPVs, and read it aloud in our first class.  It was hilarious.  She also throws in funny comments in class about "finance interviews" and tongue-in-cheek advice in her slides.  Anna is BRILLIANT.  She studied at a school in Moscow before going to Yale and earning her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton).  She then taught at MIT before coming to LBS.  So, she has legit credentials and is a research rock star.  But, she is brilliant in another way.  She has a disarming personality that is much needed in teaching a corporate finance course to a room of 80 MBA students, many who have worked as investment bankers or in private equity.  Every student respects her but not because she is arrogant.  If anything, she is the antithesis of arrogant.  She makes the subject matter entertaining and easily digestable for those without a finance background while still challenging for those that do.  And we generally have very interesting class discussions because she solicits input from everyone's work experience.  When I first came to business school, I was skeptical that some of the technical courses could be taught using HBS cases.  I have now been proven wrong...very wrong.  In addition to our lectures and class discussions, we had group cases that were difficult. 

I was sad to hear that we would not have Anna as a professor next quarter. Our stream generally claps for professors at the end of a course.  On this day, we had a loud and long round of applause for Anna.   She genuinely cares for her students, and I think the world of her.

Bonfire
Today is the 11th anniversary of the day Bonfire (aka Stack) fell, killing twelve Texas A&M students and injuring many others.  For those that don't know what Bonfire is, think of it as one of the most rich and deep of traditions at Texas A&M (a school known for our history and traditions).  I never saw Bonfire in person, but I was a student at the school when the Bonfire memorial was built and dedicated. 

With all the controversy over the tragedy and moratorium, let us never forget Bonfire.  Aggies may no longer spend months building a 12-story wedding cake pile of logs before our annual football game versus the University of Texas Longhorns (aka t.u., t-sips), but the Aggie Spirit will never be broken.  Let us never forget.



BarTHElona
Last weekend was spent in Barcelona with my rugby teammates.  We had some good games and a plenty good time going out and exploring the city.  I consider myself pretty lucky to have these women, beautiful inside and out, as some of my closest friends here in London.

Since I came to Barcelona in fall 2007 with Binita and Andrea, I wasn't in any rush to go sight seeing.  However, I did make it to Sagrada Familia on Sunday.  It is Gaudi's masterpiece and was recently deemed a basilica by the Pope. I can think of certain times in my life when I've seen things that have taken my breath away.  The Taj Mahal in Agra, the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Michaelangelo's David in Florence, Machu Picchu in Peru, Victoria falls in Zambia, and the Eiffel Towner in Paris.  Sagrada Familia also makes this list.  It's one of my favorite churches of all time.  I partly like it because Gaudi had the audacity to design such an interesting structure.  It's not beautiful by conventional standards but more so in eternal standards.  Many masons, artisans, and craftsman spend the last few years of their career volunteering their time to complete Sagrada Familia. They're building something that is going to outlive them.  There is much symbolism in the finer details of the design, and those can only be appreciated if you have the audio guide or a professional tour guide when going through it. 

My favorite parts of Sagrada Familia are the stained glass windows, flying buttresses, and doors.  They are unique in their own way and are works of art in their own right.  My painting supplies and finished works never made it on the Continental flight to London in August.  Once things settle down for me with school, I hope to find an art supply shop in London so that I can pick up where I left off. 

Burritos as big as your face
London is a city with many great restaurants.  Because it is an international hub, it has every cuisine imaginable. Indian, Thai, Italian, French, Nigerian, you name it.  It even has some Mexican places. And man, I miss good Mexican food from Texas.  When I land in Houston next month, I am driving straight to Chuy's or El Tiempo. 

This week, I went to a Freebirds / Chipotle imitator called Tortilla with classmate Brian.   It was good, though not as good as in the States. 

And then on Thursday, I went to Wahaca.  My aunt Diana told me about Wahaca when she was visiting London in August.  It was started by a chef who won the UK version of Top Chef.  Wahaca is SUPER busy, so I recommend going at 8 or so on  random night.  That is a meal that I would have again.  And the best part was the company I had.  My friend David introduced me to his former colleague Ying who is now studying at LSE.  Ying is a fellow foodie, and I feel blessed to have a good friend like her to hang out with when our schedules matchup.  It's kind of funny how things work when you move to a new country.  Last spring and over the summer, I had so many people contact me to tell me they had a friend or colleague in London.  Sometimes, friends wanted to introduce me to their in-laws', grandparents, friends of friends, etc. Some of the potential introductions were completely absurd. 

The best part of having dinner with Ying was remembering that I have / once had a life outside of work / school.

Random thoughts

Wordles = WOW
Check out the Wordle I created using the posts on my blog.  A small thumbnail is shown beneath my picture.  You can click on it, and it will take you to a large-screen view.  I'm going to update it periodically to see trends in what I write about.  You too can create your own Wordle using any block of text or website you choose.  It's super easy (even I did it).  Go to http://www.wordle.net/ and select "Create your own".  30 seconds later, you'll have your own masterpiece.

Payal 4, Spiders 0
Clowns, fireworks, and insects. Y'all probably know that these are at the top of my list of things I HATE.  Yesterday we had an all day (12 hours) midterm for our Strategy class.  I had a drink with classmates afterwards at the Windsor then made it home to chill for the evening.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something scurry across my floor.  And then I found it...a GIANT spider that was about 2 inches.  I spent the next 10 minutes mustering up the courage to attack it and eventually did.  I don't know what it is about this country, but there are alot of spiders (and foxes), and they freak me out.   Thank goodness Binita and I worked on my bug killing ability before I moved out...haha!

Déjà vu
In London, I have a good group of friends.  And in Texas, I have another great group of friends.  And neither of those groups know each other.  Several of my classmates remind me of people back home.  For example, my study group classmate Pete is a combination of two of my best guy friends Clark and Cory.  Pete and I get along great, and it's nice to have a good buddy like him. 

In my Managerial Economics class last week, I made another connection.  We were discussing game theory, and my friend Louise got called up to the board to work out a problem as "punishment" for being late to class.  Louise is an amazingly accomplished Singaporean girl who has quite the personality and brings up good points in class discussions.  Louise (a girl who is about my size) got up to the board and was about to write when the majority of the class started yelling "No No No!" at her because she was about to write on the projector screen that is situated behind giant rolling white boards.  She then said, "Well then, I can't do this example" because she thought she wasn't tall enough to reach.  Our professor Joao then moved the board, and she realized what had happened.  It's a hard story to tell, so the humor of the situation is probably lost in this telling.  But, trust me, it was hilarious when it happened.

The situation reminded me a lot of another hilarious situation in college involving my sweet dear friend Preeti (who I dedicate this blog post to).  Preeti and I were at a party at Cat's house in College Station.  Cat had a coffee table with glass inserts, and one of them was missing.  Preeti was about to place her glass of soda on it when the entire room started yelling "No No No!" at her because it would have fallen and created a huge mess.  Preeti didn't realize the glass insert was missing and said, "Oops, OK.  I'll use a coaster".  As she picked a coaster up and dropped it through the table on to the carpet, she realized the mistake.  Again, this is a story in which you had to be there to truly appreciate how funny it was. 

Back to Managerial Economics...Louise's story reminded me of Preeti's story.  And then I realized how similar Louise and Preeti are.  I truly am blessed to have such wonderful friends on both sides of the pond!  I only hope that one day, somehow my two networks will become one network.

Blast from the past photo with Preeti, Cat, and Nathan

Food, food, and more food!

Birthmonth is almost over...which means that Thanksgiving and Xmas are around the corner!  In America, this is usually the time of year people start packing on the pounds.  Since I've gotten to London, I've actually lost 5-6 pounds.  Probably because my schedule is so crazy and because the weather has been mild enough for runs.   With that in mind...I'm dedicating this blog post to food!

Just like old times
Last week, I met up with Rebecca in Euston for some dinner and London exploring. I’m blessed to have David and Rebecca, two good friends from undergrad, live in London. A lot of people use business school as a way to “reinvent themselves”, start out fresh with a new personality, or try new roles out. I understand why people do this, but it’s really really nice to have a friend like Rebecca here who knows you truly as you are. I first met Rebecca six years ago at Texas A&M when (ironically) we went on the Stark Northeast trip. We went to Chicago, Philadelphia, NYC, and Boston to visit top b-schools and law schools. We’ve remained friends since. She moved to London from Washington D.C. about a month after I did to go to grad school at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). SOAS, like LSE, is a sister school to London Business School and is part of the same University of London system.


Rebecca and I tried out a place called Thai Metro. Very good and reasonably priced (though the service was a little off). She had green curry while I had mussaman curry. Though not as good as the hole-in-the-wall Thai place the MDR project team used to go to, the mussaman at Thai Metro was something I’d order again. Though I look ridiculous (haha!), here’s a photo from the night.

Stream B Potluck
Our stream reps organized a potluck lunch two weeks ago where everyone brought a dish from their home country.  What did I bring?  Well, besides hamburgers, the only thing I could think of that Americans are known for are chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies.  If you know me, you know I LOVE to bake (too bad my Cuisinart appliances and KitchenAid mixer are in Texas).  A frustrating trip to Tesco left me without all the ingredients I needed.  So I had to improvise.  For example, I couldn't find chocolate chips.  I know...crazy!   So, I ended up buying slabs of chocolate and shaving off chocolate chunks.  Worked out well...and I might start doing this more often to add some creativity to mundane cookies using high end chocolate (Green & Black's, Lindt, etc.).   We had great participation in the potluck.  Hamad brought these really good date snacks (yum!) and Middle Eastern coffee.  Another Thai classmate made spring rolls and promised to teach me how.  Maria Marta brought this amazing Portuguese bread and goat cheese.  Andreu made a Spanish tortilla de patatas (think really good omelette) which I loved.  And that's just a sample of the menu that day.

Here are some pics...

Alex, Maria, and me

Fabio and me.  We have assigned seats next to each other in LT6.  I'm pretty sure I distract him half the sessions!

When in Paris...

In September, I visited Lis in Paris while she was there on business.  The weather was perfect so we got to explore the city from end to end.   A few of my favorite memories involved just stopping by Barefoot Contessa’s favorite local market to pickup some good stinky cheese, wine, bread, and galettes and then picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower or Sacre Couer. 

As Lis and I were wandering Paris, we came upon this restaurant that took all things American (icons, brands, traditions, etc) and combined them into this uber-tacky facade for the American Dream restaurant.  HAHAHA!

I was skeptical when Lis mentioned we needed to get some macaroons from La Duree.  Macaroons in the States (the nasty sticky coconut ones) are not the same as the ones in Paris.  YUM!

Ahhh...good stinky cheese :)

Last dinner in Paris...even sports bars in Paris are upscale

Hummus Heaven
A few people have contacted me after I vented about my awful hummus making experience in the October "Venting session #1" blog post (haha!).  Lots of great recipes and helpful tips have come my way that I'll try eventually.  Until my Cuisinart makes it over, I'm sticking with the store made stuff.  However, here's a cool Mediterranean place (and a few others) that I found when Lis and David were in town.

This photo was taken with Jennifer in mind.  Look closely...I LOVE the sign.

Borough Market...reminds me of Central Market and Whole Foods

A Mexican restaurant in the former embassy of the Republic of Texas.  I ate here a few years ago when I backpacked through Europe with Fi.  The atmosphere is great...the food is not-so-great.

Penniless but not poor

"It is not the person who has too little, but the person who always craves more, that is poor." -Anonymous

What do I worry about in London?  Crime?...no, because no one carries a gun here.  Cold weather?...no, because I have plenty of fleeces and scarves.  Getting lost?...no, because I have a great sense of direction and there's usually an Underground station within a 10 minute walk.  Money?...yes!  If you've never heard before, London is EXPENSIVE.  And business school ain't cheap.  When I was working, I saved a good bit, but that's a drop in the bucket.  And when I was working, I never thought twice about what I bought.  If I wanted a new outfit from Banana Republic, I bought it.  If I wanted to grab brunch with mimosas at Max's Wine Dive, I did.  The price of a fancy gym membership didn't phase me.  Life in Texas was not lavish...just never a concern.  Going from that to a life where I watch every penny (or pence) is difficult.  Being a poor college student in your mid-20s is not easy. 

So...here's a list of frugal tactics I've discovered in London.

• Skype:  Any Skype to Skype computer chat is free.  I ended up purchasing a Skype subscription to make UNLIMITED calls to U.S. landlines AND mobiles for $2.99 / month.  Because I bought a 12 month subscription, I got 15% off too!  The best part is that I downloaded the Skype app to my iPhone.  So, now I make calls to the US from my iPhone (via Skype app) any time of day without dropping another dime.  It's super-convenient and makes the world a little smaller.
• Roadies: London has few open container laws.  So, say you're on a pub crawl.  You may not want to drink too much, and you may not want to spend alot either.  If you don't finish your beer, wine, or cider, you can ask for a "to-go" cup.  Lots of people do it.  As long as you're not on public transportation with alcohol, you're fine. 
• Groupon, Keynoir, and Living Social: Each of these "daily deal" services exist in London.  And they are equally as good here as they are in the States.  In fact, I bought a custom designed and tailored women's button-down dress shirt from Tailor4Less for 20 GBP vs. 48 GBP.  Check it out.... http://www.tailor4less.com/
• Capital One credit card:  If you ever travel internationally or live internationally, you should get a Capital One credit card.  I got one a few years ago because of the perks and the fact that I could customize the picture printed on the card.  Then I found out about a year ago that Capital One charges NO foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside the U.S.  This really is amazing because all other banks and credit card companies will charge you about 3% on both debit and credit card transactions.  Plus, Capital One gives you a very competitive foreign exchange rate (very close to spot rate) vs. the banks and AmEx which will rip you off.
• Life without TV:  I know!...crazy, right?  This is the first time in my entire life that I haven't had a TV.  Obviously, I'm not isolated.  I have subscriptions and access to FT, WSJ, Economist, etc.  However, there are a handful of shows that I can't live without.  So, I watch them online on hulu.com or abc.com on my laptop.  I can also log into my parents' or sister's Netflix accounts and watch movies and TV shows with its on demand offerings.  The trick though is to find a service / tool to mask your IP address.  Hulu, ABC, Pandora, Netflix, etc all have rules that the content can't be viewed outside the U.S.  However, I downloaded Hotspot Shield (http://hotspotshield.com/), and it works for me.  It's free, fast, easy to install, and works!
• Find cheap forms of entertainment:  There are plenty of books and cases I have on my nightstand.  I like running in the evenings and / or lifting weights.  Grabbing a coffee at Nash Lounge with a classmate can last an hour or two and will only cost you a pound.  And finally, forgo watching movies in movie theaters to watch http://www.ted.com/.  I am a huge fan of Ted and can waste hours watching it.  For example, here are two good Ted talks I found today...enjoy!

http://www.ted.com/talks/melinda_french_gates_what_nonprofits_can_learn_from_coca_cola.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/tony_robbins_asks_why_we_do_what_we_do.html

A few lessons...

Boo to strikes!
I gave up my Honda (aka Bailey) this July and no longer have a car.  Many people (obviously not from Texas) told me I would love public transportation.  The London Underground is one of the most advanced, clean, and extensive public transport systems in the world.  After two months using it, I would say it's good but definitely not as good as having your own car when you can come and go as you please.  Also, and this must be a European thing, but workers go on strike fairly regularly.  There have been two Underground strikes since I've been here and they reek HAVOC on the city. My classmates who have to travel using the bus or the tube have to plan hours in advance to get from point A to point B.  Everyone is late.  Workers are mainly striking to not lose their jobs. 

I read Upton Sinclair's The Jungle a few years ago.  Next to Uncle Tom's Cabin, it is said to be the work of social commentary with the greatest impact.  The FDA was created in the U.S. after The Jungle was published.  Labor unions also gained clout.  I can empathize with their circumstances and understand where they are coming from.  However, bringing one of the largest cities in the world (as well as a global financial center) to a standstill doesn't really gain my sympathy. 

Mid Autumn Festival 2010
September 22 was Mid-Autumn Day in China.  Our Chinese colleagues in Stream B put together a special presentation for us after our Global Leadership Assessment for Managers (GLAM) session.  They explained to us the significance of the holiday.  It is observed each fall and is based on the Chinese calendar.  There is a full moon that evening, and it is tradition to eat a moon cake.  We each sampled one of these delicious moon cakes in class.  They are typically very sweet, and when you take a bite of one, you are supposed to be filled with warm thoughts to remember loved ones far away (represented by the moon).  Mid-Autumn Day was something I knew nothing about before.  But, I'm really glad our classmates taught us about it.  So many of us have traveled far away to be here, so it seemed very appropriate for us to all celebrate this together.  After the presentation, we all gave the presenters a forceful and long round of applause.  Because that's how we do it at LBS.

UGM lesson
Our first class in the MBA program is called Understanding General Management (UGM).  Our section was taught by Dr. Brandon Lee, and he is an amazing teacher!  UGM is Strategy-lite.  Basically, you learn that frames, values, processes, and commitments exist in organizations.  Brandon does a good job selecting the cases...I particularly liked the Honda, AmEx, and Body Shop cases.   However, the biggest takeaway from that class had nothing to do with a case.  Brandon made us write a letter from a headhunter describing our dream job and why we should accept it.  He then made us write the eulogy a friend would give sixty+ years from now.  In a weird way, I LOVED writing my eulogy.  Because in it, I talked about friends, family, and things that matter.   The point of this exercise was fairly obvious in that Brandon wanted us to take a more holistic view of what "success" is when we're just starting the MBA course.  He also asked us whether the two works seemed to "mesh" and logically reinforce each other.  Mine didn't.  And I was proud of it because my eulogy was mainly about a life of significance.   Brandon pushed back and asked us rhetorically if they didn't, should they?  And that's when it kind of hit me.  To work towards a distant ideal and sludge through the present is not the way it should be. 

Birthmonth!!

My FAVORITE month is finally here!!  October!  I'm partial to it because October 2 is my birthday.  Last Friday my flatmates and I had 15 or so friends and partners over to our place for a potluck and games.  It was loads of fun.  It reminded me of fun times at Casa Willow Pond in College Station when Holly and I would have people over.  Our smallish flat in London has a largish living room, and so it was great to entertain and have a night of fellowship and laughter.  My sweet flatmates even surprised me at midnight with a birthday cake.  YAY!   I celebrate birthmonth instead of a birthday...which means I get to shop, eat, drink, and celebrate as much as I please :).

On Saturday, I had brunch at a place called Med Kitchen with a few of my female classmates.  Brunch was one of my favorite pasttimes in Texas.  Weekend brunch hasn't quite caught on with the Brits, but there are a few places (like Med Kitchen) that do it.  When David and Lis were in London, we went to a place called the Breakfast Club.  Ying found this great Soho spot.  Portions are huge but service kind of helter skelter. 



Speaking of parties...our awesome Stream B social reps organized an AMAZING flat crawl for our stream.  We had several members of our stream that live close to the school open up their homes to us.  It was the first ever flat crawl in LBS history and defiinitely a fun night.  One memorable activity was playing that game that many Americans love - flip cup!  D'arcy, James, Emily, Nina and I played together as a team.  We were six-time undefeated champions that night!  Whoop!  Here are a few pics...

NB: Note the reddish non-contagious eye infection.  Gah!  A month of being sick in London stinks!

Me and Haroon

Me and Benjamin (Apparently this Frenchman thinks I smile very "American").

Me and Juancho (He made great guacamole for the party.  Reminded me of home.)

Maria, Valerie, Valerie's BF, and me

 Arunabh, me, and Joyce

I am very cognizant that my time in London is an opportunity of a lifetime...I want to make the most of it.  A great experience that I wouldn't have had otherwise was going to London Fashion Week.  I don't consider myself a fashionista, but going to a fashion week is so neat.  The shows are short, but SO exciting.  Will post more pictures of this soon once I get them from a friend.

The people watching environment at London Fashion Week is one of a kind!

I found out recently that I am the treasurer for the Women's Touch Rugby club.  I'm super excited about WTR this year.  One of the best decisions to join this club.  I love the fellowship with this amazing group of girls. 

We had our annual pub golf event with the men's team last night.  It was a night to never forget.  Basically it's a pub crawl.  You split up into co-ed teams and visit 9 bars.  At each bar, you drink a pint (girls drink half pints). Each place has a par value, and the goal is to drink the beer in as few sips as possible (some guys and girls even get perfect scores).  There were only a few water penalty exempt spots where you can go to the bathroom.  It was a fun night, and I got to meet some great people.  Tartare and Custard were our second year captains.  Guys had to wear a Hawaiian shirt while girls wore animal print attire. I loved Joyce's bear outfit.  I sported a cheap leopard-printed scarf that I found on the 50% off sale rack at H&M.

Pub golf team...

Girls celebrating at the Windsor afterwards...

Venting session #1

I love my blog for the creative freedom it gives me and the mechanism it serves in helping me share my stories with readers.  However, this blog is also something I'm using to capture feelings and track history while I'm in London.  Not everything is going to "ice cream and sunshine."  So, without further ado, I present the first installment of some "venting sessions" that may pop up on this blog.

The bain of my existence
The Whirlpool AWG 329 washer dryer. Most washing machines and dryers in this country are not up to American standards.  Generally, they are small, clean less effectively, and take longer.  Like most appliances in this country, washer dryers just aren't as powerful.   The controls on our machine are not intuitive either.  The drying cycle is really a "steaming cycle" that takes 2+ hours.  That wastes alot of electricity and your clothes come out damp and have a slightly funky smell because of the water.  Seriously, I hate our washer dryer!

I know, I know...I need to underload and buy a drying rack.  I plan on doing that going forward after last Saturday's laundry experience.  I threw in a load in the afternoon.  Filled the detergent in the dispenser.  Adjusted the settings.  Pressed Start.  3 hours later my clothes came out more dry than not.  For some reason, I opened the detergent dispenser and saw that ALL the detergent was still in there.  So, basically, I washed my clothes in dirty water.  Great :-/  So, I ended up washing my clothes AGAIN.  Three hours later my mostly dry clothes came out with white powder all over them.  GRR!

Hummus
Because I'm back in poor college student mode, I decided that I will start making my own hummus.  I consume large quantities of hummus, so I figured making my own would be economical, healthy, and Martha Stewart like.  I have since changed my mind.  Who the hell makes their own hummus?!?!  It took 40 miinutes and didn't have the right consistency or flavor.  I think it had to do with the fact that our blender sucks.  Again, like most other UK appliances, it just doesn't have the power needed.  Basically there is an "on" setting and an "off" setting.  Nothing else.  No "pulse" setting.  Never again will I make hummus.  I will buy the tubs that are sold in Tesco and every other corner store here in London.

Taxes
If you haven't heard me say it enough..."London is expensive".  Really expensive.  You should also realize that it's a city where everything is taxed.  You should assume everything is taxed.  My classmate Sid shared an enlightening story. He lives in the UK and through a deal his employer has with Royal Bank of Scotland, he got a mortgage rate that was 170 bp below the "going rate" in the UK.  At the end of the year, the UK calculates the difference in what Sid spends on mortgage interest and the mortgate interest he would have paid with the "going rate".  The amount saved is taxed at 40%!!   Crazy...

OK...done venting.   Last week was a light Orientation week filled mainly with introductory presentations, motivational speeches, and social gatherings.  It was a fun week!  One of the highlights was getting our study groups.  It was written on piece of paper in an envelope, so it was a mad dash to try to find your study group teammates.  I'm in B2 and I LOVE my peers.  Andre, Maria, Luca, Ori, Pete, Protheit, and I are going to have a great year.  I would go to battle with any one of them, and I look forward to our upcoming year.

We had Away Day last week too.  It's a special day that I can't say much about, but it's a bonding experience with your study group and stream.  I LOVED our study group contract and all that we collectively accomplished.  It rained off and on all day and was cold in Reading, but that didn't matter.  Like most things in life, it's not about what you do but rather who you do it with.

Another great event from last weekend was a surprise birthday party we had for Kunal's wife, Shikha.  We held a picnic in Regent's Park and had a great turnout.  It was a GORGEOUS day in London. 

London Week 1

So, the title of this post is a misnomer.  I've been in London almost two weeks.  School starts tomorrow (Monday Aug. 23).  Can't believe the summer flew so fast.  I've been keeping a list of "stories" from week 1 on my iPhone, so this blog post is dedicated to those stories.  My apologies for it being disjointed.

IKEA
On day 1, Binita and I went to IKEA near Wembley (area of London where main Olympic complex is being built).  The Underground goes there, and IKEA has a shuttle to help get you back to the station after shopping.  IKEA in London is very similar to IKEA in Houston.  Big box retailer with hordes of people.  It's back to school season here as well, so the selection was somewhat limited.  I bought essentials mostly (boxes, dishrack, hangers, frames, etc.) and noted some furniture I needed for storage.  One of my roommates came back that weekend and ordered my stuff with orders from others.  IKEA has a great delivery scheme here.  If you live in our post code, delivery of goods (up to 2,000 GBP) is only 40 GBP.  So, my flatmates and I split that cost.  One surprising thing I've realized...flat sheets in London are hard to find and really expensive.  Most sheet sets include a duvet cover, fitted sheet, and 2 pillowcases.  Flat sheets (low thread count) come in colors like black and white and cost $15-$20.  Also, hangers are really expensive in London.  I bought 3 packs of 10 hangers for 15 GBP total.  That works out to about 75 cents a hanger.  I have a lot of clothes too, so I was stuck.  Luckily I found plastic hangers at IKEA that were about 20 cents each.  Expect to pay the "London premium" on even the basic things here.

Frogger
Crossing the street in London gives me the heebee jeebee's.  First, there are few intersections that are right angles (London is a very old city with windy roads and intersections that come in all sorts of shapes).  You don't always know which way traffic is coming from.  A lot of intersections have big words painted on the street "LOOK LEFT" or "LOOK RIGHT", but that's not always the case.  Park Road, Baker Street, and Marylebone High Street are the three big roads I have to cross on a daily basis.  Imagine having to cross Westheimer Street in Houston on foot, and it'll give you an idea of how scary it is.

Blast from the Past
One of my first clients at Alvarez & Marsal was a recycler. Since then, I have become a recycling fiend. London is a "green" city (which I LOVE). I was surprised and admire Pret for their recycliing practice. Pret is a chain of cafe's similar to La Madeleine or Panera in the States. My friend Reese and I were there for lunch when I saw this...

Haggis and Such
My wonderful sister Binita came to help me move to London.  She spent 10 days with me, and we decided to make a last-minute trip to Edinburgh, Scotland for four days.  Edinburgh is FANTASTIC and definitely a place to visit.  Especially in August when they have their month-long Edinburgh International Festival.  It's really a mix of 10 or so different festivals.  There are tons of comedians, street performers, plays, musical performances, food festivals, and even a book festival.  Edinburgh is so green and beautiful.  It's charming and it's locals are friendly.  Go to Scotland if you want to enjoy the beauty of the Highlands, scotch, golf, cashmere, shortbread, and haggis.

Skype...Best...Invention...Ever
OMG...I LOVE Skype.  Maybe it's because it allows me to feel like I'm not that far away from friends and family.  Skype to Skype calls on laptops are always free.  Otherwise, calls to most countries are 2 cents / minute.  So, I was using that until I discovered the Skype app for the iPhone.  This allows you to make calls from your cell phone cheaply.  On top of that, I bought a 12-month subscription for unlimited calls to the US and Canada landlines and mobiles for $2.99 / month.  (Make sure to buy it in the US, otherwise it's $8 if they detect an overseas IP address). So, now, I can essentially make a call from MY iPhone to ANY person in the US for $36 a year.  Not too bad...

Lucky Lady
That's what I consider myself to have such great friends and family.  Within my first week of London, I had two sets and aunts, uncles, and cousins visit while they were vacationing iin Europe.  In that first week, I also had two Aggie friends from Houston in town.  The weekend was full of sight seeing, eating, and Speed Scrabble. 

The Calm Before the Storm
Tomorrow is the first day of school.  I've made a handful of friends over the past few months and plan on making many more over the next two years.  Admits Orientation, Flathunters Pub Crawl, and rugby practice on Sundays have been a great way to meet people.  Over 90% of my class comes from outside the UK.  So, whenever you meet someone, you instantly have something in common.  Initial conversation is around where you come from, whether you've found a flat, what you did in your pre-MBA career, etc.  It's very easy to make friends.   I would say that the friendships are superficial right now because I really don't know many people.  However, even the littlest thing (such as a text message from a classmate wishing me good luck in rugby practice) makes my day.  It makes me feel part of something rather than an expat in a overcrowded, expensive city.

London Day 1

After an embarrassingly long hiatus, I am writing this blog post right before I go to sleep in the new place I call home.  It’s been a long 42 hours, and I haven’t slept a wink. Hopefully, this blog post is coherent.


The summer FLEW. I’ve been literally living out of suitcase most of this summer, and the two final weeks I had to prep for the journey snuck up on me fast. I consider myself pretty lucky to have such great family members to help with this transition. My parents are safekeeping my car. My sister Binita is safekeeping many of my belongings in her home.

Packing is up there on my list of least favorite things to do (including filing my tax return, standing in a long line, or calling toll-free customer service numbers). International travel passengers on Continental are allowed one checked bag, one carry-on, and one personal item. Elite status (which I lost) gives you another free checked bag. Free second checked bag privilege does NOT apply to everyone with a Continental credit card. There’s only one that will give you a free second bag on an international flight. Bags over 50 pounds but less than 70 pounds cost an extra 50 bucks. Bags over 70 pounds are not allowed to fly. A third checked bag is pretty steep and costs 150 bucks. I only know these rules intimiately because I spent the last week conniving to get the most stuff overseas. I know that I don’t have much room, and Europeans live more sparingly. However, this is my stuff, and it’s hard to part with it. I am also SO thankful for my good friend Seema. She was such a huge help in packing and saw me frantically packing and repacking in the last 48 hours. We also became skilled bag weighers using the digital hanging scale. HAHA!! Getting through security at IAH was interesting…I was shifting things at the very last minute so that I could take my giant North Face backpack as a carryon.  I also was wearing a thick fleece and Uggs to save on luggage space.  That raised some eyebrows in the Houston airport.

The flight was fine. Had some wine, watched some movies, and replied to some emails. I didn’t sleep at all, and that came back to haunt me. My uncle recommended a car service when we arrived at Heathrow. It was SO nice to know that I was going straight to my apartment vs. some temporary spot until I got my own place. That was stress I wanted to avoid, so I was able to find a flat and lock it in before we moved in. My flat is literally 3 blocks away from LBS, so my commute will be short and sweet.

Binita and I did our best to unpack and organize my 300 pounds of luggage. We went to oh so many stores. That’s why our feet were so sore when we came back. The things that make moving to London difficult are high cost of living, the fact that you aren’t familiar with stores, and overcrowdedness of the city. I’m only a recent resident of London, and even I’m sick of the hordes of tourists around here.

After a long day of unpacking, shopping, a journey to distant IKEA, and no sleep, we had a quick dinner at Pizza Express and called it a night. The funniest part of the day was at Marks & Spencer when Binita was paying for items with her photo debit card from Bank of America. The UK has a chip and pin code for credit card holders. Basically you have a chip in your debit card, and a four digit code that protects your identity. They rolled this out a couple of years ago after credit card fraud became alarmingly systemic. When Binita showed the cashier her card, the cashier asked for ID, made her sign, and then gave her a 15 minute lecture on signing the back of your card. She pressed that it’s dangerous. Binita countered that there was a photo on her debit card. HAHA!

London escapade

Just realized I haven’t blogged in a while.  A lot has happened.  I spent the first half of June in London for LBS’ Admits orientation.  This was my first solo international trip.

I’m fortunate to have an uncle who lives in Greenwich (south London), and he allowed me to stay with him.  Definitely cut down on my expenses and made this trip a possibility.  It was also nice to stay a week longer, scope out the city, and set (or attempt to set) things up.

Admits orientation was FANTASTIC!  I remember walking up to Regents Park from the Baker Street station and thinking “OMG…this place looks exactly like it does in pictures online.  The facade of the building facing the park is beautiful, unique, and reminds me of a castle. 

 

  

They had quite a few activities for us but everyone acknowledged the focus was on meeting people.  The first person I met was Chris.  Chris was actually the first LBS person I talked to on the phone in March.  He is a mechanical engineer from southern California.  He joined the Navy and honorably served his country for several years, most recently managing infrastructure construction projects in Afganistan.  It was so good to meet Chris in person.  We crashed the end of year Finance Club BBQ.  That’s where I had my first Carlsberg beer.  Though I will always choose Shiner, Carlsberg and Newcastle will suffice for now.  The Finance Club BBQ was great because I got to meet several of the second year students.

Meeting my classmates was the highlight of the trip. I met some REALLY impressive people.  Olympic athletes, royalty, successful entrepreneurs, war veterans, people with unbelievable work experience, and even a professional hockey player.  I found most people to be down-to-earth and genuine.  There were 200 admits there out of our projected class of 395.  Looks like 91% of our class will come from outside the UK.  26% female.  The average age will be a year older than me.  It's a competition to see if each new class will have students from more countries than the prior year's class.  Mine beat the 2011 class, landing at 66. 

My other favorite part of the trip was Sundowners.  European schools are a little "different".  Attached to the school is Windsor Pub.  And in the basement of the school is MBAr.  Each Thursday, the school has a giant schoolwide happy hour where students, faculty, and recruiters come and have free wine / beer / cider.  There's a giant lawn area in front of the school, so we had hundreds of people enjoying the weather outside and drinking from 8 - 11:30 pm!  

As for the rest of my trip, I enjoyed just exploring the city on foot.  I REALLY HATED trying to set up a bank account and flat hunting.  Banks are concerned with money laundering so it is very difficult to open up a bank account.  I was lucky and ended up getting a very basic non-free account with Barclays.  They told me that online banking and a debit card were the “perks.”  Couldn't get a credit card though.  And flat hunting is a nightmare because the real estate market works differently.  Landlords use estate agents to find renters, and properties come on market and go very quick.  In other words, agents don't know what flats will be available when I move in August.  And when a flat does become available, it will sell in 2-3 weeks.  I will say it was good for me to go look at flats because I know what areas of town I want to live in, how close to the school I want to be, how much flats cost, and how small they actually are.

A few stories I’ll share:

-On the first day I was in London, my uncle from northern California randomly was in town.  He went to college there, so I met up with him and my other uncle who lives in Greenwich.  They showed me around the city.  My uncle told me that when he left London in 1989, the city was a dump.  But, now the city has greatly gentrified and there are so many nice things to see and do.  We also went to a Michelin star rated Indian restaurant, Mint Leaf.  It was in the basement of a building and had a great atmosphere.  Very good Indian food.  YUM!  I also enjoyed the art around the city.  Currently, there are 250 or so elephants painted by famous artists.  They are being auctioned off to raise money to save the Asian elephant.

-One neat thing about London Business School is no one has an accent.  People come from all over the world and speak many languages.  I was worried about my Texas accent, and I went for a week trying to soften it and get rid of the “y’alls”.  I failed miserably.  We say that no one has an accent at LBS because you come to this accepting place and join an eclectic group of people.  Everyone’s accents and backgrounds become the fabric of the student body.

-I got some great advice from my classmate Katie.  She’s an Irish girl who has lived in London the past few years as an art dealer.  She told me to avoid using the Tube for the first few weeks.  The Tube (Underground) gives you a warped perception of the city.  And if you ride the very efficient bus system, you’ll quickly learn to gauge distances and understand where things are in relation to one another.  I did it afterwards and it really helped!

-When you go to LBS, you are not joining a magical community where everyone will instantly get along and avoid ignorant comments.  In fact, the exact opposite will happen.  The example that comes to mind is a conversation I had with D’arcy.  D’arcy is a former professional hockey placer turned investment banker.  I know he had lived in Canada and NYC at certain points.  We walked together from the school to the Tube station and rode the same route.  I asked him when he was flying back to NYC.  He said he lived in Toronto. And, I said, “Oh, I thought you were still in banking.”  I know there are other banking centres in the world, but that comment instinctively came out.  D’arcy called me out on it and told me that Bay Street is the Wall Street of Canada.  I felt awful for making that ignorant comment.  But, that’s what is supposed to happen in a non-hostile environment.  Those small conflicts make you a more understanding, worldy person.  I heard some ignorant and hateful comments about Texas while I was there, but I’ll get to set the record straight too. 

-I stopped by a shop called the Carphone Warehouse and bought an unlocked phone and SIM card for a mere 4 GBP!!  And it was a brand new phone too.  Afterwards, I enjoyed 7 pence / minute cell phone calls to the US and 20 pence / minute calls to the UK.  Incoming calls are free and texts were 10 pence each.  This was a bargain compared to the “discounted” rate of $1.29 that AT&T was charging me.