Kaleidoscopes

On our last evening in India, a distinguished friend and advisory board member of London Business School invited us (a group of 35!) to a dinner party at her posh home in Mumbai.  Dr. Gita Piramal is a successful entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and socialite.  And the word "home" is an understatement for the beautiful 10 story mansion her family occupies.  She gave us a heads up that she had taken the liberty of inviting a few special guests, so I thought that was fine.  Until we arrived and realized that she had assembled a "who's who" guest list for our event.  There were CEOs, influential journalists, leading lawyers, members of the Tata clan, the David Letterman of India, a leader of the Blackstone Group, and more.  Part of the game that evening for me was going around meeting people, trying to figure out who they were, and then finding out why we were both at the same dinner party.  It was an incredible and surreal experience...a perfect way to end our trek!  Dr. Piramal's generosity in opening up her gorgeous home, providing a dang delicious meal, and thoughtfully putting together the guest list was something I admired (and hopefully can mimic one day).   She mentioned that she purposefully put together this eclectic guest list because she wanted to create a kaleidoscope effect.  And I think it worked splendidly.  Different people, perspectives, areas of expertise, etc. all came together to create something beautiful.

The following morning, news of our dinner event was mentioned in the Mumbai Mirror (a supplement to The Times of India).  http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2011122220111222022340870edef2331

Wherever I travel, I usually have a mental association.  Some places remind me of feelings (e.g. Italy).  Some places remind me of history (e.g. South Africa).  Some places remind me of people (e.g. Aggieland).  Some places remind me of food (e.g. Greece).   And some places remind me of colors.  For example, Scotland (the greenest place on Earth) and Morocco (browns).  India reminds me of a rainbow or kaleidoscope.  Rarely or never will you walk into a retail shop to find clothes in simple black, gray, or white.  Usually, people where bold colors in combination.  Here are some kaleidoscope photos from my trip.

Young at Heart

Two people in India as well as an American on my flight home from India have commented on my age in the past two weeks.  One guy thought I was 22.  Another guy thought I was 20 or 21.  And one woman thought I was 19!!  Whenever people ask me how old I am, I tell them my age only if they tell me what their guess is.  And they always seem to laugh and have striking looks of surprise.

Hmm...I guess that's a compliment :)

Up in the Air

I’m home. Finally.

After spending the last two weeks in India, I get another two weeks in Texas.  In my penny pinching mode, I neglected to review in detail the route that STA travel gave me on this leg home.  I ended up spending a full 24 hours in the air and several more in airport layovers…ugh.   I learned that joints will swell with prolonged time in the air, and my wonky ankle suffered quite a bit (gah…I’m ready for this to heal already).   Anywho, I made it home and am now playing Christmas catchup.   Over the next few days, I’ll make some more India-related blog posts.  Excuse the backwards nature of this.

On my flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta, I sat next to a gentleman who was also on my Mumbai to Amsterdam flight.  A few courtesy words ended up becoming a 3+ hour conversation (and I generally avoid talking to people on airplanes).   John noticed the mehndi (aka henna) tattoo on my hand and asked if I went to an Indian wedding.   I thought it was quite perceptive and clever for him to guess that.  Over the next few hours, I learned that he married an Indian woman, has two kids with her, and makes a family trip to India each year.  He also quit his engineering job and is investing his retirement savings into producing a Bollywood film that he wrote.  This piqued my interest, and I couldn’t help but respect the fact that he is pursuing his passion for film-making in the latter half of his career.   And, it’s quite impressive what he’s been able to accomplish as a white guy producing a film on India. 

He wrote a very touching story based on his own life experiences in the US and India as well as things he wanted non-Indians to learn about India.   He then found an Indian script writer who has been in the industry for 40 years to help polish it.    Then, he met with A. R. Rahman (Academy Award winning singer, songwriter, producer of Slumdog Millionaire fame).  Rahman couldn’t write the songs for John’s film; however, he offered the students of Rahman’s music school for this work.    John also has made several trips to find ideal shooting locations and local people to provide technical skills for the filming and production.   The casting has been a work in progress with several prominent Indian actors and actresses at least expressing luke warm interest in taking a role.  He even met with AB Corp. (Amitabh Bachchan’s company) and got a hint that Amitabh (the most famous Indian actor/celebrity) would make a cameo appearance.

This is incredible progress for a middle class American, and it just goes to show how resourceful we can be.  From my Paths to Power class this fall quarter, I learned to rethink the way I view the resources I have in my possession.  It is amazing to think what we can accomplish with the seemingly little that we think we have.   If you don’t believe me, check this out: http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/.   A man was able to trade a paperclip for a home.

John is making good progress with his film but still has a ways to go.  And then he found me in seat 23J.  I was able to help him out in a few ways.  Firstly, one huge constraint he has is funding.  The Indian film industry is quite interesting.  The message he has gotten is that funding will depend on whether he makes his film an American film or an Indian film.  It is likely difficult for most people to understand the differences.  However, the subtlety of this issue has enormous impact on funding and marketability.   Indian films tend to be colorful, romantic, fantastical, conservative, star-oriented, and predictable.  They are also in Hindi with English subtitles.  American films have more creative freedom, are less formulaic, and plot-oriented.   I helped John think through the tradeoffs in this big decision he has.  And it would make a fantastic business school case given the many issues and people involved. 

I also helped John edit the way he pitches his film to production companies and investors to make the message more “crisp”.  I think he’s got a great story, music, knowledge, potential.  But, it’s got to be packaged in a way that resonates with the people that will fund and distribute his film.

I’m no music afficianado, but he also asked me to give him my opinion on the soundtrack for the film (which he had on his iPod).  I was very impressed with what Rahman’s students made and the professional nature of it.  There are a few catchy tunes that have mass commercial appeal.  We also discussed various plot themes and scenes.  John and I both have 1) an American understanding of India and 2) first hand accounts of India and Indian culture.   I wish I could write about some of the very interesting and nuanced things that this film will show, but you’ll have to wait to watch the film ;).   The one thing I can say is that John has altruistic motivations to not only educate but enlighten audiences with his work.

And finally, I offered to introduce him to a classmate of mine who previously was an entrepreneur in the indie film industry in Hollywood. 

It was incredibly rewarding for me to help John out.  I enjoyed learning about the film industry and his experience.  And, I hope that my nebulous skill set as a former consultant, current MBA made a difference for him.  He needs all the help he can get, and I have my fingers crossed on this one.  

Much is done. Much to do.

Where do I start?  I guess the beginning would be appropriate.

This fall, an opportunity of a lifetime came my way.  Each year, the India Club at London Business School organizes a trek (Yatra Trek) all over India for students and partners.  They needed another trek leader to help with the planning and be there on the ground to support.  So, I thought "why not?".  Best. Decision. Ever.

I'm a co-leader of this trek with Sherene, and it's been an incredible experience working with her.  After a very CRAZY few weeks of finals, second year project trips, dissertation planning, Yatra prep, etc., I found myself frantically packing for this trip.  Actually, I find that I'm always frantically packing because I always cut it close.  Fast forward, I made it to Heathrow just in time and boarded my Emirates flight.  Best. Airline Experience. Ever.  Emirates is living proof that economy class doesn't have to be hellish.  The staff was so friendly, the food was quite tasty, the entertainment system was engaging, and no screaming babies.  I will continue to steer business to Emirates when I can't fly Continental.    A day stop in Dubai and then made it to Delhi.

So, I meant to blog everyday while in India.  Fail.  Sherene and I are in charge of 35 Yatra Trek members + managing to a jam packed schedule.  Plus, this is India so things never go as planned.

Anywho, I'll do my best to give snippets the next few days.  On day 2 in Delhi, we had Mr. Tarun Das speak to us.  He is the former head of the Confederation of Indian Industries (an important business roundtable) and is on the board of many blue chip organizations.   Because an important meeting with India's Finance Minister popped up for him, we had to rearrange our schedule and were late to meet him.  Because of the strong VIP culture in India, I was freaking out a bit.  However, it turned out alright, and he was so kind and engaging.  He individually met every student and had a small chit chat conversation ahead of his talk.

I really enjoyed the talk and following Q&A because he was candid and spoke at exactly the right level for people who only know headline stats about India.  Here is a high level summary of some things I learned:

-In 1947 when India gained independence, the self-doubting Indians looked externally for help in which direction to lead their country.  The US was focused on rebuilding Europe and Japan after WWII.  Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, looked north to Moscow for guidance and steered the country down a socialist model where the government had command and control of the economy.   That lasted for 40+ years until 1991 when India began privatization, accepted foreign investment, and began dreaming new dreams.  One decision led to 40+ years of stalling for a country with ~1 billion people.  Diplomacy, openness, and willingness to help other countries matter when nation states are at precarious points.

-I've always wondered why most Indians choose to study in the US and not the UK (even though many do).  US universities are top-notch, but getting a work permit to stay in America is challenging.  Given the 200 years of British rule, it seems to not make sense.  The missing piece is a decision that Margaret Thatcher made where UK universities began charging tuition on a sliding scale based on nationality. Foreigners for the first time had to pay more to go to UK university than Brits.  And, scholarships are not as prevalent in the UK as they are in the US.   Now 130,000+ Indians study at US universities every year.  Those talented individuals could have come to the UK (where they likely would have felt more comfortable and welcome).  If not for their reputation, US universities will face this challenge if our narrow-minded government continues to "protect" American jobs with stringent work permit nonsense.

-From 1963-1988, India had NO contact with China for 25 years.  Now China is India's main trading partner (ahead of the US) with trade at >$70 billion USD in the first 9 months of 2011.  That's alot of economic activity that wouldn't have happened if India and China didn't have a relationship, albeit slightly adversarial and cold.  India has many free trade agreements with ASEAN, Singapore, and potentially Europe.  It will be very difficult to sign one with the US as Obama can't talk about it with unemployment high in the US and an election around the corner.  I predict it will happen in the next 10 years.   On the other hand, India is hesitant to sign free trade agreements with China because they (rightfully) don't trust China's prices and doubt there is an actual private sector.  The onus in on China to change its ways and frankfully have better ties and diplomacy with the rest of the world if it wants to compete and benefit in the long run.

-Lessons for foreign companies entering India.  Don't go with a JV approach because the foreign and domestic companies both will want to rule the world.  That combo does not make for a good industrial marriage.  Don't fly in for day long business meetings in India and feel you can get the job done.  Business one night stands don't work in India.  Don't think of India as one market...think of it as 27 countries (not 1).  There are 27 states that were amalgamated to form India (a country that never existed otherwise).  Each state has its own language, food, traditions, beliefs, social issues, etc.

Overall, my takeaway was "A lot has changed in India in the past 60 years.  A lot still needs to change."

And now, here are a few pictures...

A Water Bottle's Journey Across the Ocean

Whoa?!?!...blog posts on consecutive days?  Go me! ;)

I received a very special care package from my wonderful college roommate Holly on Thanksgiving.   It made my day and reminded me how thankful I am to have the friends and family that I do.

After a consulting project my study group B2 did last year for one of the largest FMCG companies in the world, I've been fascinated with companies' ability to innovate.  We were reviewing some of the inhibitors of innovation for our client, and I learned a great deal about R&D and Marketing in consumer-oriented companies.  This is an example of how companies get it right.

This is a new water bottle that Brita launched.  (Yes, those are two laptops in the background.  Please don't judge.)  Basically, it's a dishwasher safe water bottle that has a special filter that screws on the underside of the cap.  Tap water is then as good as throw away bottled water.  Each filter lasts ~150 bottles.  The actual plastic Brita bottle retails for ~$10 and two-pack refills are ~$7 on Amazon.   Quite reasonable in my opinion.  Plus, this product makes it easier for people to be healthy (drink water vs. fizzy drinks) and green (less trash).  

I feel like the uber-cool early adopter on campus.  Only problem is that few know about Brita in this country. Mucho impressed with this product innovation.

Ode to Beets

My friend Reese recently reminded me that my blog has gone into hibernation recently.  As my LBS friends would say...heinous!

As I've grown older, my palate has changed.  I used to hate asparagus, dark chocolate, arugula, and avacadoes.  Now, they're a few of my favorite things to eat.  Another mature flavor that I've only come to appreciate from moving to London is the humble beet.   My mom used to make them for my dad, and only my dad.  No one else would come near them...especially me because the blood red color freaked me out.  Beets are popular in the UK and show up on many menus.  Ordering a salad with beets at a group dinner is what hooked me to this vegetable.  I now have the below salad at least a couple of times a week.  Just a little arugula, goat cheese, chopped beets, and balsamic glaze.   And in this country, you can buy very good pre-cooked beets marinated subtly in malt vinegar to give a sweet and succulent punch.  I read a food critic's blog mentioning how antioxidant-rich beets have grown in popularity as chef's have increasingly paired them with goat cheese (and what doesn't taste good with goat cheese?!?)

For more beet-inspired recipes, here's a list of 100.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/beets/index.html

The Choice is Yours

I saw this the other day on Pinterest and thought it was clever.  We all make a subconscious decision everyday about this.  Let's make a conscious decision to go with the latter.

A Helping of The Help

I'm back in London and finished reading Kathryn Stockett's book "The Help" last week.   I highly recommend it to everyone.

It's a fictional story about the lives of African American housekeepers in the South (U.S.) in the 1960's.   This is Stockett's first book, and like Harper Lee, she's written a masterpiece on racial tensions through the lives of everyday individuals.  "The Help" is what I call an "all emotions" book because it will make you laugh, cry, wonder, get mad, etc.  And those are the best kinds IMO because they mirror our own reality.

The format of the book is quite clever.  Stockett's protagonist Skeeter is an aspiring writer who teams up with the African American help in Jackson, Mississippi to secretly write a tell-all book about what it's like to work for their white employers.

It's interesting how in an unequal world, there could be so much love and hate between whites and blacks.   And through it all, African Americans persevered.  There's a shocking moment when readers find out about the Terrible Awful, but I couldn't help myself but to cheer for Minny in her act of retribution towards evil Hilly.

I don't think "The Help" is a story about the South.  I think it's a story about humanity.  We have a peculiar tendency to create artificial lines.  And this is true around the world.  In India, there was the caste system.  In South Africa, there was apartheid.  Even in London, a city sometimes called the capital of the world, there are unspoken feelings that Eastern Europeans are lower class.   Why do we do this?

I don't know the answer.  But my hypothesis is that we create barriers and put other people in boxes because it allows us to more quickly understand the world.  Humans often rely on deductive reasoning, meaning we make conclusions based on generalizations.  And we also think and learn in analogies.  This can help us quickly indentify what Little Samuel's parents do, what kind of car they drive, and where they live based on outward appearances.  It doesn't make it right though.

What's the solution?  This terrible problem we have isn't something that will go away in my lifetime, I believe. The best solution is a mindset.  If we individually start treating people like people instead of treating them as X people or Y people, it'll be a start.

I like to know what the author's motivation is when reading their work.  Stockett grew up in Jackson and was inspired to write this book based on her own childhood experience.  In the acknowledgement section, she wrote, "...my belated thanks to Demetrie McLorn, who carried us all out of the hospital wrapped in our baby blankets and spent her life feeding us, picking up after us, loving us, and thank God, forgiving us."

Just like old times

For better or for worse, I'm back in Austin for half the summer.  Besides that awful not-to-be-named school, the city really is the jewel of Texas.  Getting here was quite an adventure, and something I never want to do again.  I had a final on a Wednesday, two finals on a Friday, and two finals were on Saturday (the Brits are assessment nazis who don't think twice about weekend tests).  Post finals celebration at the Windsor was followed by the Stream B end of year party (in the Porn Basement...aka the Stream B party house).  Over the year, my study group and friends had won three bottles of champagne (including a giant magnum of Veuve Clicquot), so we celebrated the end of the first year with them.   Then, I stayed up most of Saturday night frantically packing for the summer and shoving my stuff into every nook and crevice so my flat could be subleased for the summer (thank goodness I found a subleaser).  The cab came to my place at 6 am Sunday morning to take me to Heathrow for my non-stop flight to Houston.  After an exhausting trip (where my seat's entertainment system was jacked...grr), I unloaded in Houston and had dinner with Holly at Ruggles Cafe in Rice Village (one of my faves).  Monday morning was a ridiculous number of errands and then driving to Austin in a rental car to start work on Tuesday.  I'm staying with a wonderful couple who are family friends.  They have a great place in Tarrytown and welcomed me to their home.  I don't know how I would have managed to do this this summer without their help.

Cheers to B2, the best study group.  Ever :) 

The next tough part about moving to a new city is being friendless.  Luckily, there are a handful of people I know that have welcomed me and inducted me into the Austin culture.   

Blast from the past high school rendezvous with Jennifer and Kaci.  Good to see Kaci after 9 years!

Double trouble.  Went to a "soup party" with Steven and Bryan (aka Brooks).  I don't know how to describe the event, but think of it as a Tupperware party meets summer BBQ, but with soups instead.  Very Austin culture but fun!

Monday funday!  After an intense P90X-esque class at Pure Austin, I head across the street to have dinner at the Whole Foods world HQ on Mondays.  It's like a gastro Disney World.

Three men and a lady.  I don't remember how and when I met Cason, Jared (aka Morris), and Craig (aka Craigers), but I did.  They are a bit older, wiser, and funnier than me and are a great group of guys to hang out with!

Pinterest
I credit my sweet dear friend Amy as the one who introduced me to such great things as Chaco's, Martha Stewart Living, SLR cameras, REI, Hill's Bike Shop, garage sales, and Pinterest.  This last one is a neat website that allows you to track, store, and "pin" your favorite items and ideas together online.  You can also see what your friends are (p)interested in for inspiration.    I became a member this weekend and LOVE it.  You should check it out...very cool service.  http://pinterest.com/

Bravo Bearded Brothers

Aside from the abundance of burnt orange (t.u.), Austin is a great city to live in.   Friendly people.  Highly educated population.  Beautiful hill country.  Relatively affordable cost of living.  Plenty of musicians coming through.  A plethora of outdoors and fitness-related activities.  Wide variety of restaurants and trendy shopping.
I had a great post-workout conversation yesterday with a fellow Austinite at Pure Austin.  His name is Chris, and he founded Bearded Brothers with his brother Caleb.  In their search for a nutritional, tasty snack on their outdoors adventures, they felt unsatisfied and felt there is room in the market for handmade, 100% organic energy bars.  And that was the impetus for creatiing their own company Bearded Brothers.  I had a taste of four of their products and enjoyed them.  If I come across them again, I'd certainly consider them as substitutes for the Clif Bars I usually buy.  In addition to being organic and packed with good nutrition, their energy bars are mostly raw (to preserve nutrition), gluten free, and vegan.  These aspects are less important to me but could be beneficial to the hoards of people who do look for those qualities (very trendy in Austin). 

Chris was kind and spent ~15 minutes talking to me about his business.  (As a b-school student and aspiring entrepreneur, of course I was going to be nosy!)  He told me about how the idea came about, their business model, what their operations are like, pricing, etc.  I've found that entrepreneurs are very open and willing to share their experiences and lessons learned.  Similar to those in the tech industry.  I asked myself why that is and the commonality is that these are innovators.  And that reminded me of a debate that my entrepreneurship professor, Dr. Gary Dushnitsky participated in recently. 

http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2011/06/outsourcing_is_not_the_answer.html

The other interesting thing I found out from Chris was about Kickstarter.  Think of it as Kiva meets crowd giving.  I question the sustainability of some of this funding and believe they could get greater scale if it was a loan model vs. gift model.  However, I do applaud the idea and think that many aspiring entrepreneurs will and have benefited.

Check out Bearded Brothers and Kickstarter!
http://www.beardedbros.com/
http://www.kickstarter.com/

Funny and true
My b-school classmate Leetal shared this clever comparison of tech company org charts.  Haha!  I think there's some truth behind these...

Big Coke

With the help of The Economist, I think I’ve found one of the few things that’s cheaper in London than Texas…cocaine!  Haha.  

Little Miss Giggles

A sweet award from my awesome stream mates in our final class.  Who knew my cackle is distinguishable?

Ode to rugby

Women's touch rugby.  These three words have been a big part of my first year MBA experience.  While I do enjoy the game, I really LOVE my teammates.  Many (but not all) are in my stream, and I'm blessed to count them as some of my best friends here at London Business School.  Because of my involvement in many activities on campus and my role as a Student Ambassador, I get to interact quite a bit with prospective students.  One question they ask is:  Who should go to business school?  The answers are endless including people wanting to make a career switch, entrepreneurs, people wanting to advance their career, etc.  After a year in, I would specifically call out "high achieving women".   At London Business School, I'm always impressed with the profile and caliber of students recruited.  I've noticed though that relatively, the women at LBS tend to impress me even more than the men (which is already a high bar).   Whether they exhibit excellence in all that they do, beat the odds to hold distinguished positions in their companies, or overcome repressive female policies and norms in their home countries, I'm continually amazed.   And being on a rugby team with these girls is not only fun but also motivating.  A few highlights of the year...

Toga party + Elvia/Tanya's birthday celebration at MBAT...

A subset of the best women's touch rugby committee ever...

Rugby 7's tournament at Twickenham.  Amazing to see the NZ All Blacks and SA Springboks play...

Silly group photo at Twickenham.  Pei pointed out the interesting placement of my arm...

Best co-president ever...Joyce is a rockstar and don't know what I would do without a good friend like her

My favorite Singaporean, Louise.  She's a joy to be around and is a renaissance woman of sorts.

Ex-Pat Anniversary
This weekend was Admits Weekend for London Business School, and I remember my non-stop flight from Houston to London a year ago.  As my first year in London comes to a close, I have a very special "thank you" to everyone who has sent me emails, letters, care packages, and even come to visit.  So...to Reese, David, Lis, Bo, Tuan, Britt, Alyssa, Luke, Levi, Cory, Mike, Harrison, Daniel, Sarah A., Sarah M., mom, dad, and Binita, thanks for coming to London!

Dad & me in Bath

A recent Borough Market outing with Daniel and the Sarahs

Texans reunited in London @ Sundowners

J'adore Paris with Lis

Adventures in baking

Over spring break, my mom visited me in London.  This meant lots of exploring London.  And shopping!  We discovered the Westfield's shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush, and I was in love.  Westfield's is similar to the Galleria in Houston or the Galleria in Dallas.  As I was shopping for a gift for my sister, I came across the Hummingbird Bakery's new "Cake Days" book.  PERFECT for Binita!

There's a funny story about me buying my sister a great Banana Republic leather tote and then basically hijacking it because I ended up liking it so much!!  She will never let me live that one down.  And it happened again with this cupcake book. 

I love The Hummingbird Bakery in London.  It's the closest substitute I have found for Crave or Sprinkles.  Since it was spring break, I had a little extra time on my hands and decided to bake the lemon poppyseed cupcakes.  Overall, they were a success!  Not without a few hiccups in the process though.  Two lessons learned.

1) Buy a scale.  Baking can be a bit difficult for newcomers in this country.   In the US, cookbooks provide recipe measurements in terms of volume (teaspoons, half cups, cups, etc.).  In the UK, recipe measurements are given in terms in mass (grams, ounces).  Well, I had a half-liter liquid Pyrex measuring cup with ounce markers.  Except that was in fluid ounces.  In my opinion, there should NOT be a unit of measurement that exists for both mass and volume with the same name.  Because they are NOT the same.  Baking is all about precision, and I ended up having to eyeball just about everything in that entire lemon poppyseed cupcake recipe.  Thank goodness they were edible! 

2) Whenever you are making simple syrup glazes, do NOT step away from the hob to go throw something away, answer the phone, turn on the music, whatever.  Your almost ready simple syrup can quickly turn into liquid caramel fast.  Haha.

Drumroll...here's the finished product. YUM!

Another reason to pay attention in class
This story is too funny not to share.  My study group mate Prothit missed the first day of the summer term because he decided to stay at home in Delhi for the Cricket World Cup final.  (GO INDIA...Whoop!).  When he made it to London, it was about midnight and the immigration line was long (as usual).  The funny part was that the immigration officer asked him to name the 4 P's of marketing to prove the he was studying at London Business School.  HAHAHA!!!  The immigration officer could've look at his Tier 4 visa in his passport but thought this question was a more appropriate way to see if he really was reading for an MBA.

We are all Japanese

Even if we don't have a Japanese passport, we should all consider ourselves Japanese.  The massive 9.0 earthquake that hit the country didn't affect "another" group of people.  It affected our fellow brothers and sisters. And the next natural disaster could easily affect you and your immediate family.  Over the past few weeks, I've seen how this tragedy has affected many of my classmates who either are from Japan or of Japanese descent.  Now that my network is quite a bit more global, tragedies like this become a little more personal. 

I view this blog as not only an outlet to share my opinions and stories, but also to spread other opinions and stories.  At LBS, we have a mechanism that allows anyone affliliated with the school to send a message to the entire LBS community which includes tens of thousands of people.  One of our alums has been sending periodic updates, and I thought I'd share them on this post.  It's a first person point of view, and there are some poignant parts, especially the last sentence in the 25/3 letter.

March 19, 2011
Dear All,

I am glad to see some actions from LBS to support refugees in Eastern Japan.

Here are some insights about life in tokyo without any media filter.

3/11 was of course a terrible experience and the strength and length of this earthquake (3 minutes) was unseen. I will never forget it...everyday strong aftershocks remind me that life is very fragile.

Since the nuclear plants broke down Tokyo area (35 million people) has simply not enough electricity. So we have a daily schedule and the city has been divided in 5 groups, everyday electircity is shut down for 3-4 hours. We cannot ask electricity supply from the western part of japan as their power plant use a different frequency. Electricity power ourages will at least happen until the end of April. This implies also disruptions on train services. Shops are closed...which is really unusual in Japan, traffic lights stop and make street crossing a dangerous experience.

We had clearly issues getting products as logistics had been disrupted. What we missed was milk, eggs, water, gasoline, rice, etc...

Now it looks a litte bit better, although you can only take one bottle of milk per person or 20 liters of gas for your car, we cannot complain.

Many companies are relocating people to the Kansai area (Osaka-Kobe) not because of radiations but because you just cannot have your business as usual in Tokyo right now.

There is no real panic due to Fukushima. Although many foreigners left through their embassies recommendations, Japanese stay calm.

But the real issue starts in what is called 東北　in Japanese. there old people die because there is no heating with negative temperatures, they have no drugs, no food but still hope. In an aging country this area counts many many old people and it is difficult to image how they can survive.

As modern as Japan is, getting hit by a 500 kms 10m wave, earthquakes, nuclear issues is certainly too much.

Thank you for any kind of support you can provide.

-LBS alum
 
March 25, 2011
I received some mails to give an update on japan so here it is.


2 weeks ago we were all shocked by the wrath of nature. Everyday was full of bad news and it was extremely difficult to think about tomorrow.

Life in Tokyo changes very quickly.

If we had issues finding eggs, milk,...or even toilet paper&tissue (Japanese have a huge consumption of those last 2 items) things have changed.

What we clearly miss now is water. There is simply no water in the supermarkets or convenience stores...shop owners say it will arrive soon though. Actually it is not entirely true, I could find some small bottles of Perrier...and mysteriously there is no Coke for 3 days now. Because of the contamination by radioactive iodine we need to be extremely careful. Of course it is said to be only dangerous for infants, but radiation changes quickly, depending on wind, rain, etc...So most of the Japanese in Tokyo try to avoid to drink tap water. Because iodine has a half-life of 8 days I keep tap water in bottles and use it 8 days later to cook, I don't drink it though.　What really worried me is cesium and they start to find some.

Tokyo governement is distributing 3 small bottles of water per infant and just lifted the warning on tap water today, but new areas are hit now with rates from 120 to 210 bq. I start to be an expert in radiation now. On mother on TV said　本当の事を知りたい　I want to know the truth!

Vegetables is an another critical issue. Japanese eat a lot of vegetables and those from Fukushima are clearly banished. There is an official exclusion zone of 30 kms around Fukushima nuclear plant...but they found Cesium contamination 5cms underground in a village 40 kms far from the plant. I feel so bad for the people that were cultivating it. The government said it will compensate for the loss. But money will not compensate one life's work gone away. One day or another the Japanese government will have to explain why thy didn't extend the area to 80 kms after the U.S. recommendation. But in Japan there is only one way, the Japanese way. So everybody faces the issue together, aligned...Japanese spend a lot of time in meetings to make sure that everybody agrees, but the execution part is very impressive.

Imagine that in one day you tell 35 million sof people: We don't control the nuclear plant, winds are sending radiations all over Tokyo, water is contaminated, there are risks of massive earthquakes again, there si not enough gazoline for everyone to escape, etc... Well at least the government could avoid a huge panic...but when I see young children playing with sand in the Park in front of my home...I kinda wonder if releasing piece of informations one by one was really the best solution?

Electricity outage continues. I must admit it is quite depressing when everything stops for 3 hours but I cannot complain, at least I can use electricity 21 hours per day. Business is really disturbed and many big companies are relocated in Osaka, smaller companies that can't afford it stay and make their best.

Earthquakes are really part of my life, everyday...Actually I have a warning system in my home. It is connected by optic fiber to the government network. Every earthquake send first short signals that are detected by this system and a voice (quiet scary voice actually) warns of an earthquake tremor coming. I think it is not working so well...you have no warning and you are hit by a 5...or the system warns you of a 4 in the middle of the night...and nothing happens.

From all other the world TVs are impressed by Japanese behavior. I am also impressed, imagine a supermarket without water for two days, one employee was bringing water to the shelves...well people were just patient and waiting without pushing each other.

What impressed me the most was what is called HyperRescue. If Japanese are humble, those super firemen
were just incredible. They know that they have been exposed to radiation, they do their job without any hesitation. They go on TV and believe me give so clear and plain explanation. I just pray for them to be safe. Most of them were coming from Tokyo, Yokohama and Kawasaki. There were way more volunteers than requested.

Some sad news come also from the tohoku, the area most hit by the tsunami...by the way the wave was officially measured at 23.6 meters.

I particularly remember 3 stories among so many.

In Japan valentine's day is a day where women offer gifts, almost exclusively chocolate to men. Men offer...nothing.

But Japan has the white day, 1 month later men offer in return a gift.

One woman was complaining that her husband never offered some gift. When the earthquake hit the area he called his wife immediately and warned her of tsunami coming. He said that cell phones will be cut very soon and couldn't finish. Because he warned her she could escape the tsunami with her two young children. 3 day later the boss of her husband said they had found his corpse. He also brought all his belongings...among those ones was one diamond ring that he bought for the white day.

One old person heard the tsunami alert, he decided to go to the tsunami wall to close the gate and impeach the water to enter. Which was useless because the wave just swallowed it in a second. He could climb a hill just on time. But he left behind his family...all died. He said that he took the bad decision.

One caregiver put her family in safety but returned to the city to save old people,he could save many but made one trip too much.

A last thing that shocked me was that Japanese had to bury the corpses because there were no gaz to burn them...Japanese don't bury corpses. There is a cemetery but the grave 墓　（haka）is just a place where you put the ashes. It is extremely expensive to have a haka. When you go in the city hall you can see maps wher places are available. The first time I saw it I thought it was a plan where people could buy land for their houses. People said that as soon as they could they would take back the corpses and hold a full budhist, shintoist or christian cermony depending on their religion.

In Tohoku schools are really the heart of the city. Many refugees go to this building. School buildings in Japan are extremely robust. One young high-school student lost all her family, but she helps old people everyday, cooks rice and clean the building.

We probably spend too much time watching superhero movies on TV...The North of Japan is full of ordinary people who deserve our best attention.

-LBS alum

The Haves and the Have Nots

When I moved to the United Kingdom, I expected to see a population with a more homogenous standard of living than in the United States.  Not quite right.  And this chart from this week's Economist confirms the wide disparity I've seen here.
 

This chart shows the highest and lowest GDP/head regions (as a % of average national GDP) for certain developed countries.  It took me a minute to understand this view, something the OECD monitors regularly. 

From personal observation, Britain is bifurcated.  There are some incredibly wealthy individuals who live in London (many are foreigners who settle in London for personal and commercial reasons).   And then there is everyone else who manages to get by.  Compare that with the United States where there truly is a middle class that drives the economy through personal consumption.  I can also sense this general two-tier split on a basis of everyday things I see.  When it comes to clothing, the two options seem to be very high end, custom tailored fashion foward clothing.  Or cheap Primark, H&M, etc. clothing options.  Also, I see alot of small Fiats slightly bigger than go karts and alot of BMW's, Benz's, and Range Rovers.  Not many Toyota Camrys or Honda Accords.  (Realize that you will pay a good bit more for even the smaller vehicles in the UK than you would in the US because of taxes and the like).

So, why are there these differences?  A number of guesses I have...
1. Not as many people pursue higher education (college).  While many students go to incredibly respected universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, etc., many others don't go to college at all.  They may pursue some sort of vocational education, but that's not required. 
2. High taxes and red tape in starting a business.  SMB in the US create alot of wealth for many Americans.  While the UK is sometimes called "a nation of shopkeepers", these shopkeepers are also being taxed at 50%.
3. Wealth is highly concentrated in London.  The chart is a bit tricky in that it graphs regional averages, not absolute highs and lows.  London obviously is the high point for the UK.  Wealth seems to be more geographically dispursed in the States.   It makes sense for wealthy people to settle in NYC, SF, LA, Chicago, Miami, etc.

So what? Is having this big gap a bad thing?  Not necessarily.  Look at it from the flipside.  Is not having a large gap a good thing?  Japan and Italy are countries where there isn't as much income disparity.  However, I'm not bullish on those economies for a number of reasons.  At the same time, Germany has a smaller gap and is the GDP gem in the EU.  I think the bigger issue with having the sort of disparity that the US and UK have are the socioeconomic and racial tensions that can flare up. 

Party Like It's the End of the World

This blog post title is a nod to Jay Sean's catchy "2012" tune.

I haven't blogged in a while because of two reasons.  1) I've been trying to line up some internships for the summer.  2) I've been partying like it's the end of the world.  Whether those two are compensatory or re-inforcing is up for debate :)

Don't know where I'll end up this summer.  The recruiting cycle in Europe is much later than the cycle for US schools.  Instead of applying for everything, I'm only chasing a few things that I would be committed to.  I've got some good leads...and after spending a good bit of time freaking out and comparing myself to others, I've resolved to call this a God thing.  My college roommate Holly (a beautful girl, inside and out) used to say that "Comparison is the thief of joy."  It's a pretty sticky quote with a golden nugget of truth.  

While I'm waiting for my purpose, I've been traveling and partying like it's the end of the world.   Instead of stories, here are some pictures to prove it :)

Rugby tour vs. Cranfied => Burns Night Dinner

Rugby match vs. Cranfield.  My liking of the game was severely tested with the frigid weather.

Stream B Ladies Dinner => Hosted by me and Dolan at a neat Indian place called Masala Zone.  Yummy street food!

Belgium Beer & Fashion trek in February.  Brussels is beautiful and reminds me a lot of Paris. J'adore Brussels, Leuven, Antwerp, Ghent, and Bruge!

My first English tea experience with Ying at Le Meridien Picadilly.  So fun!

Through a Groupon, one of my friends from college and I tried an AMAZING Persian restaurant in central London.  Rebecca is a foodie and good at finding these gems!

My sweet dear former co-worker Alyssa came to London for a weekend getaway.   Except for the time I got her and Luke lost on our way to St. Paul's, it was good to get out of student mode and explore the city.

North America Club booth setup for Tattoo 2011.  Tattoo was a top 3 LBS experience so far.  I had heard it was an unforgettable evening, but all my expectations were blown away.  At the NA Club booth, we had a hog roast and a mechanical bull.  Clearly outstanding!

Besties at Tattoo 2011.  LOVE these two.  Greg (aka Gregorio) is in my Spanish class, a fellow Sundowners crew member, and a fellow co-president of the Volunteers Club.  Emily is a sweetheart who is my go to wine-o-clock girlfriend.  We both have a slightly unhealthy obsession with TED...haha!

Crazy wig costume at Cologne Karneval. 

Cologne Karneval trip March 2011.  Pictured here with host Phillip.  LOVE sitting next to him in class this quarter :)

Cologne March 2011.  Group photo in front of the Cathedral.   The scale of this building is just unbelievable.

Study group B2's booth at the DEO tradeshow. 

Sweet photo in Bonn

Stream B Ladies Dinner => Mexican night at Taqueria hosted by the fabulous Ms. Emily

My first Bulgarian drink with Todor.  Not a fan of whatever it was (similar to grappa, raki, and ouzo...yuck!).