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!