I guess there are many things that happen in the blogosphere which are better left unquestioned. This will be the case with the next request passed on to me with the warning that if I don't post it in my blog, "awful things will happen to you and Humanity"... I'm not afraid for myself because I already can tell you awful things will happen to me on Thursday and Friday during the mid-terms... but I definitely don't want bad things to happen to Humanity. So here is the request/demand!
...pick up the nearest book, open it on page 161, write on the blog the first complete sentence. And then pass this challenge on to five other bloggers.
The closest book to me is our dearest Corporate Financial Accounting book, but someone already used the quote on his blog. Then, when I decide to pick another book I realized I don't have any! Oh wait, the IKEA catalog!! Gush...it sucks being an expatriate! Ufff, the catalog is in Spanish... the sentence is: "¿Cuál es el secreto para poder guardar todas tus cosas en un espacio pequeño? Los cajones (a no se confundir con cojones ;) See what happeneds to you if you study too much accounting!!!
I'm passing this challenge to my friends and fellow blogers Noelle, Gonzalo, Wei Yin, Jared and Gautam!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Complainer!
Someone has been complaining that I have not posted a picture with him/her on the blog! So to stop the baby from crying here it is! Find the complainer in this picture! :D
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The COW
Another IESE tradition is the COW - the Comment Of the Week. How does this work:
Throughout the week one designated person records all natural "pearls" and funny comments we make during classes. At the end of the week, this person presents the best few which are rated by the whole class during a short 5 min. presentation on Friday afternoon. The comment which gets the most applauses and laughter, wins the COW! The person who wins the COW will present at the end of the next week. The trophy, a stuffs cow is handed over every week from proud IESE student to another!
So, this Friday we had our first COW presentation. There were four nominations, with two of them by the same student! I wonder if our class has broken a record with that!
First: in accounting, talking about inventories, our dear Argentinian colleague G tried to inquire about a particular situation in a "risky business". What we hear is "Would it be the same for a wisky business??"
Second: in marketing, professor asks N, what could he tell about the customer segmentation. N's reply: "Well we know that there are 80% women buying the product." Professor: "Great. What else." N: "Hmmm... and 20% men!"
Third: in marketing, S from India talking about cannibalization (this was my favorite). "If we pursue this strategy we will eat ourselves!"
...and the COW trophy went to... N our Portuguese friend, who made the following comment in ABP. Professor: "What should we be worried about?" N wanted to say - the plan change; We hear: "The planet change!"
Throughout the week one designated person records all natural "pearls" and funny comments we make during classes. At the end of the week, this person presents the best few which are rated by the whole class during a short 5 min. presentation on Friday afternoon. The comment which gets the most applauses and laughter, wins the COW! The person who wins the COW will present at the end of the next week. The trophy, a stuffs cow is handed over every week from proud IESE student to another!
So, this Friday we had our first COW presentation. There were four nominations, with two of them by the same student! I wonder if our class has broken a record with that!
First: in accounting, talking about inventories, our dear Argentinian colleague G tried to inquire about a particular situation in a "risky business". What we hear is "Would it be the same for a wisky business??"
Second: in marketing, professor asks N, what could he tell about the customer segmentation. N's reply: "Well we know that there are 80% women buying the product." Professor: "Great. What else." N: "Hmmm... and 20% men!"
Third: in marketing, S from India talking about cannibalization (this was my favorite). "If we pursue this strategy we will eat ourselves!"
...and the COW trophy went to... N our Portuguese friend, who made the following comment in ABP. Professor: "What should we be worried about?" N wanted to say - the plan change; We hear: "The planet change!"
Bar Crawl!!
As promised, a small sample of the Bar Crawl 2007!!! I don't have to tell you it was AWESOME!!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Busy!!!
As Noel kindly noticed, there has been no recent post on this blog. The reality hit me in the face about three weeks ago when school started. Since then, I only sleep about 6 hours per night (at best), work on cases, go to classes, do career services events and try to enjoy every "free" moment I have.
To break the monotony I went to London last weekend, following a trail of MBA students eager to find an IB (investment banking) job opportunity. The London Banking Tour was organized by our brave and restless Finance Club, run by all-knowledgeable and highly sought after second year colleagues. It was a banking marathon which started at 7:45AM and went on until 9PM. Some staid even later to party but I had to retire to the hotel room and rest as my feet were killing me! No one sent a memo telling us not to wear high hills! That's what happens when you have a lot of guys in the finance club. Next year I'll make sure to send a memo out for the ladies! So, you must be wondering what we did the whole day! We saw six banks: Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Barclays, Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank. We walked around, listened to presentations, did some job shadowing and asked a bunch of questions. As expected, the banks put their best foot forward trying to convince us why should we consider one IB over the other. We also did our best to impress them so when they come to the career forum next week they will remember us!
In terms of partying, there’s plenty! We just need to decide what and how to choose. Hmmm… should I build a decision three for that or do a alternatives/criteria matrix…
The sad part is we cannot party as much as we would like, but we have second year to look forward to, right Noel!? As in a business situation we prioritize and do as much as we can with limited resources! But tonight is the BAR CRAWL and I truly look forward to it. Our section team is "policeman", which means we all have to dress up in policeman outfits, go out to preselected bars and PARTY!!! However, I should not forget to mention that the second year students will be testing and scoring us on all sorts of bar crawling competitions! One thing I expect... we all be crawling by the end of the night. I’ll be taking lots of pictures and post on facebook to somehow preserve the privacy of the bar crawlers!
To break the monotony I went to London last weekend, following a trail of MBA students eager to find an IB (investment banking) job opportunity. The London Banking Tour was organized by our brave and restless Finance Club, run by all-knowledgeable and highly sought after second year colleagues. It was a banking marathon which started at 7:45AM and went on until 9PM. Some staid even later to party but I had to retire to the hotel room and rest as my feet were killing me! No one sent a memo telling us not to wear high hills! That's what happens when you have a lot of guys in the finance club. Next year I'll make sure to send a memo out for the ladies! So, you must be wondering what we did the whole day! We saw six banks: Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Barclays, Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank. We walked around, listened to presentations, did some job shadowing and asked a bunch of questions. As expected, the banks put their best foot forward trying to convince us why should we consider one IB over the other. We also did our best to impress them so when they come to the career forum next week they will remember us!
In terms of partying, there’s plenty! We just need to decide what and how to choose. Hmmm… should I build a decision three for that or do a alternatives/criteria matrix…
The sad part is we cannot party as much as we would like, but we have second year to look forward to, right Noel!? As in a business situation we prioritize and do as much as we can with limited resources! But tonight is the BAR CRAWL and I truly look forward to it. Our section team is "policeman", which means we all have to dress up in policeman outfits, go out to preselected bars and PARTY!!! However, I should not forget to mention that the second year students will be testing and scoring us on all sorts of bar crawling competitions! One thing I expect... we all be crawling by the end of the night. I’ll be taking lots of pictures and post on facebook to somehow preserve the privacy of the bar crawlers!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
A..Count...Thing
Accounting - the art of counting things was probably invented to simplify the life of bean counters and complicate the life of MBA students. Here I am close to midnight trying and hoping to resolve this accounting case while fighting to keep my eyes open and my mind attentive to all the little intricacies of the text. I was supposed to go out tonight for the BOW (bar of the week) but then I opened the case figuring I will be done in one hour. Two hours later I'm still not done but I managed to do a lot of other things in the mean time such as looking up friends on Facebook, checking for air tickets on the Internet, talking to friends on Skype, catching up on my email and now updating the blog. Oh yeah, the case is not done and will probably have to wait until tomorrow. I lack accounting inspiration tonight.
BTW, everything was going well before we start talking about cash flows. You would think this is the easiest financial statement as all you have is cash in and cash out... Easy right!? Even a two-year old could do it. Well, life would be easy if cash flows were intuitive... BUT, someone decided the direct method was toooo easy and MBAs should struggle more and party less. And then the indirect approach was born! If you haven't had the pleasure to meet the indirect approach I suggest to keep your distance! It's a total mess!! Everything is backwards... ins are outs, minuses turn into pluses, increases in decreases and so forth. All I can tell you is that I look forward to the Spanish classes! They are like a breath of fresh air on a hot a count thing day!!
BTW, everything was going well before we start talking about cash flows. You would think this is the easiest financial statement as all you have is cash in and cash out... Easy right!? Even a two-year old could do it. Well, life would be easy if cash flows were intuitive... BUT, someone decided the direct method was toooo easy and MBAs should struggle more and party less. And then the indirect approach was born! If you haven't had the pleasure to meet the indirect approach I suggest to keep your distance! It's a total mess!! Everything is backwards... ins are outs, minuses turn into pluses, increases in decreases and so forth. All I can tell you is that I look forward to the Spanish classes! They are like a breath of fresh air on a hot a count thing day!!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Spanish classes are the best!
I haven't laughed so much in years. I laugh with tears in my eyes every day and one of my classmates A is promising that this will continue throughout our pre-courses, which BTW start next week. We'll see if I'll be laughing in Financial Accounting... hmmm... that sounds so serious. Back to Spanish now...
We have a great Spanish group, and naturally is the best Spanish group ever!
Our group, probably the largest (18 people), has the most fun, I guarantee you that! There are so many things to laugh about that we had already created a multitude of themes which recur in conversation and class presentation. Let me give you and example: Palencia - tiny town in Spain, not to be confused with Valencia, more well-known tourist attraction. How this came about... well... during class when we were having a discussion on the usages of el subjuntivo, our teacher asked if we had any more questions. To this, one classmate, let's call him M raised his hand and asked in a clear and loud voice: Donde esta Palencia? We all start laughing because this Palencia thing was so out of context. So the teacher, which by the way is a wonderful lady who allows us to make fun of everything imaginable and unimaginable... well, she very kindly asked M why is he concerned where Palencia is. M replayed that he had found a moto in Palencia and is thinking to buy it. You can imagine the reaction the class had. We were laughing so hard while M was looking at us with a serious face.
Okay, now fast forward a couple of days. We have group presentations on real estate investments throughout Europe. One group gets in front of the class to start their presentation and even before announcing the location where they have decided to invest the capital, the whole class, in one voice exclaims: Palencia!!!
Another day, we are diligently working individually on some exercises. The class is unbelievably quiet, which btw is the exception to the norm. Suddenly we hear a noise, which sounds like a supernatural fart!! K turns around to face the back wall, the direction the noise came from, and exclaims in a reprimanding tone: JESUS!! We all turn around and realize he's addressing the crucifix in the back of the class. You can imagine the laughter! Later we figure out the noise was actually coming from someone drilling holes in the back wall. However, for us the joke it will always be on Jesus!
There could be so much more to tell you such as the presentation on Conifugio, the Estea* swimming pool bar, the Red Bull gum, the new brand of Water against Hangovers, or SPAin the massage spa for overworked consultants and IB professionals. There are so many funny situations to retell but the truth is they are not as funny when you read them as when you witness them first hand. For us these days is just enough to look at each other smiling and we all start laughing without an apparent reason. Maybe we are laughing at a joke or maybe we are going crazy due to too much subjuntivo.
* Estea - el subjuntivo de Estar en Portunol;
We have a great Spanish group, and naturally is the best Spanish group ever!
Our group, probably the largest (18 people), has the most fun, I guarantee you that! There are so many things to laugh about that we had already created a multitude of themes which recur in conversation and class presentation. Let me give you and example: Palencia - tiny town in Spain, not to be confused with Valencia, more well-known tourist attraction. How this came about... well... during class when we were having a discussion on the usages of el subjuntivo, our teacher asked if we had any more questions. To this, one classmate, let's call him M raised his hand and asked in a clear and loud voice: Donde esta Palencia? We all start laughing because this Palencia thing was so out of context. So the teacher, which by the way is a wonderful lady who allows us to make fun of everything imaginable and unimaginable... well, she very kindly asked M why is he concerned where Palencia is. M replayed that he had found a moto in Palencia and is thinking to buy it. You can imagine the reaction the class had. We were laughing so hard while M was looking at us with a serious face.
Okay, now fast forward a couple of days. We have group presentations on real estate investments throughout Europe. One group gets in front of the class to start their presentation and even before announcing the location where they have decided to invest the capital, the whole class, in one voice exclaims: Palencia!!!
Another day, we are diligently working individually on some exercises. The class is unbelievably quiet, which btw is the exception to the norm. Suddenly we hear a noise, which sounds like a supernatural fart!! K turns around to face the back wall, the direction the noise came from, and exclaims in a reprimanding tone: JESUS!! We all turn around and realize he's addressing the crucifix in the back of the class. You can imagine the laughter! Later we figure out the noise was actually coming from someone drilling holes in the back wall. However, for us the joke it will always be on Jesus!
There could be so much more to tell you such as the presentation on Conifugio, the Estea* swimming pool bar, the Red Bull gum, the new brand of Water against Hangovers, or SPAin the massage spa for overworked consultants and IB professionals. There are so many funny situations to retell but the truth is they are not as funny when you read them as when you witness them first hand. For us these days is just enough to look at each other smiling and we all start laughing without an apparent reason. Maybe we are laughing at a joke or maybe we are going crazy due to too much subjuntivo.
* Estea - el subjuntivo de Estar en Portunol;
Friday, September 7, 2007
The good, the bad and... the rest...
For the last month I've been experiencing Barca and I came to the conclusion this is a city of extremes. There are great things here and others not so great but no matter whose opinions you've heard, don't limit yourself to that, come and experience it first hand. I've put together a little personal alphabet of Barcelona to help me remember my impressions in the future.
Apartment(s) - poor quality but expensive as hell! It took us one month to find a decent apartment at an OK price. Also, remember August is not the best month to move here and do business. The whole city is on vacation! The other thing to consider is agents. I did not know that to find a decent place, one needs to go to an agency which will show you a few places, and then if you decide to rent through them, the agency will charge one month's rent in agency fees. Gone are the days when we were offered one month rent free just to move in.
Beach - great beaches in and around Barcelona. Very easy to get to Bogatel or Mar Bella even going by bus. My favorite beach so far is in a little town called Sitges, a half away southeast of Barca. Talking about buses, Barcelona has the best public transportation. (See transportation for more details).
Closed - or cerrado is for sure the most annoying thing in Barcelona. Banks close at 2PM every day and of course are also closed on the weekend. Stores close during the day from 2PM to 5PM and then again at 9PM so if you have to do grocery shopping you need to plan it. Restaurants open for lunch at about 1PM and for dinner from 9PM onwards. Do I have to say more...
Dogs - people here love dogs, especially little white ones, but what they don't like is to scoop the poop. So, if you happened to come home at night keep an eye on the pavement in front of you. You never know when you might hit the jackpot and step into one! I was thinking to invent one portable poop detector! Who knows, maybe I would hit the jackpot with that invention. The good things about dogs is that rarely you will see stray dogs or cats.
E through J have nothing to say, for the moment...
Kisses - without a doubt, Barcelona is the best city for kisses! It has the best kissing places plus its climate induces to romance. I think even the shy people lean to kiss in public after spending only a few days in Barcelona. Take a stroll in a park and you'll see people of all ages kissing . Go to a party and the first thing you'll do is to do the customary kiss while you are doing the introductions. Kissing is part of the Spanish culture as mush as tapas and wine are. Don't miss out on it!
Late - everything in Spain happens late. Dinners are served really late, people come to meetings late, parties start late...we went to a disco where the crowds were just arriving around 2AM!! The funny thing is that I start to get used to being late as well, even though before I used to be quite strict about punctuality.
Moto - or scooter is the favorite for or transportation in Barca. They make a lot of noise but seem to be quite efficient. I've seen all sorts of people riding them: little old ladies, business men dressed in suites, young girls going out for a night in the town and ordinary people carrying all sorts of things from household objects to grocery bags! The variety is amazing. The best things is to see the motos lined up at a stop light and then, as the light changes from red to green, they all take off in full force, competing for positions.
Noise - I'm still sleeping with my earplugs in my ears. Does that say it all?!
O...
Party - or fiesta is what everyone comes here for! There are plenty opportunities to party every day of the week! Don't miss the fun and excitement during carnivals and holidays! I surely won't!
Q ...
Restrooms - public restrooms to be more specific, don't seem to exist!! Quite counterintuitive in a city which hosts a great number of tourists every day! And this people are here to party! Consequently, at night the streets in the most touristy areas smell like... you guest... a public restroom!! The good thing is that when it rains, it pours. So the streets get cleaned in a natural way. When it doesn't rain, the cleaning crews power washes the streets to restore its dignity.
Sun - or Sol it seems to be always present, and when it's humid the heat feels unbearable. Nevertheless I love the sun and I enjoy every minute of it.
Transportation - and here I'm referring to public transportation, is best in class. You have a choice of day and night buses, metro and all sorts of trains (RENFE, cercanias, etc). If you don't feel like taking the Nit Bus after a night of bar crawling there's always a taxi, and they are inexpensive most of the times if you have a vague idea where you are and where you are going. At night they add an extra fee for night shift, I guess, and if you carry extra luggage they charge extra for that. In Barcelona there's always a tax for something.
Umbrella - when it rains an umbrella is truly necessary. Back in Portland I use to wear my gore-tex jacket almost year round. In Barcelona is too hot for it. I know for sure because I tried to wear it once and I felt like I was in a steamer, slowly cooking to perfection. So, I'll have to put away my rain jacket together with all the other cold weather clothes I brought with me. Umbrella is definitely the way to go.
V...
Wine - is cheaper than water!!! Love it! And that's not all. Even inexpensive wines are great so don't be shy and try the wines in the grocery stores. Wine is part of the Spanish culture and is quite acceptable to have wine with your lunch and then return to work after the siesta break. Tap water has an awful taste (even though it's potable) so if you are thirsty and don't feel like buying bottled watter, keep on drinking wine instead.
Z through X... de momento no tengo nada
Apartment(s) - poor quality but expensive as hell! It took us one month to find a decent apartment at an OK price. Also, remember August is not the best month to move here and do business. The whole city is on vacation! The other thing to consider is agents. I did not know that to find a decent place, one needs to go to an agency which will show you a few places, and then if you decide to rent through them, the agency will charge one month's rent in agency fees. Gone are the days when we were offered one month rent free just to move in.
Beach - great beaches in and around Barcelona. Very easy to get to Bogatel or Mar Bella even going by bus. My favorite beach so far is in a little town called Sitges, a half away southeast of Barca. Talking about buses, Barcelona has the best public transportation. (See transportation for more details).
Closed - or cerrado is for sure the most annoying thing in Barcelona. Banks close at 2PM every day and of course are also closed on the weekend. Stores close during the day from 2PM to 5PM and then again at 9PM so if you have to do grocery shopping you need to plan it. Restaurants open for lunch at about 1PM and for dinner from 9PM onwards. Do I have to say more...
Dogs - people here love dogs, especially little white ones, but what they don't like is to scoop the poop. So, if you happened to come home at night keep an eye on the pavement in front of you. You never know when you might hit the jackpot and step into one! I was thinking to invent one portable poop detector! Who knows, maybe I would hit the jackpot with that invention. The good things about dogs is that rarely you will see stray dogs or cats.
E through J have nothing to say, for the moment...
Kisses - without a doubt, Barcelona is the best city for kisses! It has the best kissing places plus its climate induces to romance. I think even the shy people lean to kiss in public after spending only a few days in Barcelona. Take a stroll in a park and you'll see people of all ages kissing . Go to a party and the first thing you'll do is to do the customary kiss while you are doing the introductions. Kissing is part of the Spanish culture as mush as tapas and wine are. Don't miss out on it!
Late - everything in Spain happens late. Dinners are served really late, people come to meetings late, parties start late...we went to a disco where the crowds were just arriving around 2AM!! The funny thing is that I start to get used to being late as well, even though before I used to be quite strict about punctuality.
Moto - or scooter is the favorite for or transportation in Barca. They make a lot of noise but seem to be quite efficient. I've seen all sorts of people riding them: little old ladies, business men dressed in suites, young girls going out for a night in the town and ordinary people carrying all sorts of things from household objects to grocery bags! The variety is amazing. The best things is to see the motos lined up at a stop light and then, as the light changes from red to green, they all take off in full force, competing for positions.
Noise - I'm still sleeping with my earplugs in my ears. Does that say it all?!
O...
Party - or fiesta is what everyone comes here for! There are plenty opportunities to party every day of the week! Don't miss the fun and excitement during carnivals and holidays! I surely won't!
Q ...
Restrooms - public restrooms to be more specific, don't seem to exist!! Quite counterintuitive in a city which hosts a great number of tourists every day! And this people are here to party! Consequently, at night the streets in the most touristy areas smell like... you guest... a public restroom!! The good thing is that when it rains, it pours. So the streets get cleaned in a natural way. When it doesn't rain, the cleaning crews power washes the streets to restore its dignity.
Sun - or Sol it seems to be always present, and when it's humid the heat feels unbearable. Nevertheless I love the sun and I enjoy every minute of it.
Transportation - and here I'm referring to public transportation, is best in class. You have a choice of day and night buses, metro and all sorts of trains (RENFE, cercanias, etc). If you don't feel like taking the Nit Bus after a night of bar crawling there's always a taxi, and they are inexpensive most of the times if you have a vague idea where you are and where you are going. At night they add an extra fee for night shift, I guess, and if you carry extra luggage they charge extra for that. In Barcelona there's always a tax for something.
Umbrella - when it rains an umbrella is truly necessary. Back in Portland I use to wear my gore-tex jacket almost year round. In Barcelona is too hot for it. I know for sure because I tried to wear it once and I felt like I was in a steamer, slowly cooking to perfection. So, I'll have to put away my rain jacket together with all the other cold weather clothes I brought with me. Umbrella is definitely the way to go.
V...
Wine - is cheaper than water!!! Love it! And that's not all. Even inexpensive wines are great so don't be shy and try the wines in the grocery stores. Wine is part of the Spanish culture and is quite acceptable to have wine with your lunch and then return to work after the siesta break. Tap water has an awful taste (even though it's potable) so if you are thirsty and don't feel like buying bottled watter, keep on drinking wine instead.
Z through X... de momento no tengo nada
Friday, August 31, 2007
Party's over...
Yes, is the truth... for all students not yet fluent in Spanish, school has started on Thursday. All the lucky ones who are already fluent in Spanish have one more month, can you believe it, on full month of vacation!! The actual first day of the MBA program will be September 27. However, before that we'll have the pre-MBA courses so even the lucky Spaniards will have to come by the school and get a refresher on accounting or quantitative methods. We'll also have a communication course which is compulsory for all.
So, on Thursday, among other things we had the Spanish placement test. One short oral communication test and a computerized grammar test. The oral one was easy, the grammar was another story. There were about 50 to 60 questions, can't remember exactly, ordered by difficulty. The first twenty, no problem! From there on I had to make my brains think. The last 20, hmmm... I had to go by instinct.
Friday morning we got the results and surprise! I was placed in section G7 working on module 8. That was better than I thought. Apparently I must have got some questions right. Neat! That means by the end of the intensive Spanish course I could be done with section 10 and then maybe have sections 11 & 12 completed before the end of the calendar year. My colleagues in section G8 are already working on an intensive preparation for the DIEN exam, which apparently is the culmination of the Spanish course. I've heard the final test is hard so I better get a good hold on "Subjuntivo" before the end of these sections.
That's it for now. Got to go to bed soon. Did I mention we have classes on Saturday? Yeap! Half day but still../ on Saturday... YUK... I'll try to make some time tomorrow to write a little more about life here in Barca. So much had happened in the last month and I wrote so little. That's how it is... time flies when I'm having fun!
So, on Thursday, among other things we had the Spanish placement test. One short oral communication test and a computerized grammar test. The oral one was easy, the grammar was another story. There were about 50 to 60 questions, can't remember exactly, ordered by difficulty. The first twenty, no problem! From there on I had to make my brains think. The last 20, hmmm... I had to go by instinct.
Friday morning we got the results and surprise! I was placed in section G7 working on module 8. That was better than I thought. Apparently I must have got some questions right. Neat! That means by the end of the intensive Spanish course I could be done with section 10 and then maybe have sections 11 & 12 completed before the end of the calendar year. My colleagues in section G8 are already working on an intensive preparation for the DIEN exam, which apparently is the culmination of the Spanish course. I've heard the final test is hard so I better get a good hold on "Subjuntivo" before the end of these sections.
That's it for now. Got to go to bed soon. Did I mention we have classes on Saturday? Yeap! Half day but still../ on Saturday... YUK... I'll try to make some time tomorrow to write a little more about life here in Barca. So much had happened in the last month and I wrote so little. That's how it is... time flies when I'm having fun!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Music for the soul
I finally found out how to make a video entry. Enjoy one of my favorite songs at the moment: Zece - Florin Chilian
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Working M through F, turists on the weekends
I was told Spain is on vacation in August but I didn't really understand what this meant until I arrived here. Every other store has a sign in Spanish or Catalan with a note something like this:
Last weekend we went up on a mountain and this weekend we took a stroll by the Mediterranean Sea. If you want to get a great view of the city is best to do it from above. Believe me, I didn't realize how impressive Barcelona is until we took this trip to the top of Tibidabo.
We walked and walked up the hill, on a hot humid afternoon. By the time we reached the midpoint we decided it was time for a break, so we stopped at a terrace to grab un refresco. From here we caught the cable cart, for the steepest part of the way. The view was magnificent, but when we reached the top we were unpleasantly surprised to find an amusement park right alongside the Sacred Heart Church. That was odd. I wonder if the church runs the park, because otherwise I don't understand how was it possible to obtain a permit to run religious and amusement worship centers at the same time. Hmmm, maybe that's the new incentive to attract people to go to church up on the steep hill! Great marketing!
"On vacation. We'll be back in September".
Amazing! The other amazing thing about Spain is that on the weekends it's impossible to do business. At the grocery store they close from 2 to 5PM on Saturday and on Sunday they close for the entire day. So, during the week we search for apartments (what a pain this is!!!) and on the weekends we become tourists (which is actually not bad at all ;).Last weekend we went up on a mountain and this weekend we took a stroll by the Mediterranean Sea. If you want to get a great view of the city is best to do it from above. Believe me, I didn't realize how impressive Barcelona is until we took this trip to the top of Tibidabo.
We walked and walked up the hill, on a hot humid afternoon. By the time we reached the midpoint we decided it was time for a break, so we stopped at a terrace to grab un refresco. From here we caught the cable cart, for the steepest part of the way. The view was magnificent, but when we reached the top we were unpleasantly surprised to find an amusement park right alongside the Sacred Heart Church. That was odd. I wonder if the church runs the park, because otherwise I don't understand how was it possible to obtain a permit to run religious and amusement worship centers at the same time. Hmmm, maybe that's the new incentive to attract people to go to church up on the steep hill! Great marketing!
This weekend we went down to sea level to enjoy the breeze. We quickly learned that Barceloneta beach is fully packed on the weekends so we decided to check out Sitges and Vilanova i la Gertru, located about 40km southwest of Barcelona. We got there by train but buses and cars are a popular option also. Sitges is definitely a touristy place worth visiting. We had one of the best rotisserie chicken at a local restaurant and than hit the nicely groomed promenade Miramar. The beach was busy here as well, 
however, if you don't like the crowds you can continue walking south and find a secluded cove and a beach all to yourself. That's what we did. We walked and walked until we found a nice little beach than continued walking and hiking all the way to Vilanova i la Gertru. This small town is nothing like Sitges, but the beach is really nice and wide and the sand fine and soft. It was worth exploring the area by getting off the beaten path. 
As one can imagine, it was an enjoyable and tiring day trip. We walked and hiked about 8km and seen all sorts of interesting views. After such a busy day, I'm sure we'll be sleeping well tonight!
however, if you don't like the crowds you can continue walking south and find a secluded cove and a beach all to yourself. That's what we did. We walked and walked until we found a nice little beach than continued walking and hiking all the way to Vilanova i la Gertru. This small town is nothing like Sitges, but the beach is really nice and wide and the sand fine and soft. It was worth exploring the area by getting off the beaten path. 
As one can imagine, it was an enjoyable and tiring day trip. We walked and hiked about 8km and seen all sorts of interesting views. After such a busy day, I'm sure we'll be sleeping well tonight!Per your request...
One beach photo for Wei :) Vila Olimpica on a hot summer day. More pics to come!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Pictures!!
Finally I got a moment to put up some of the pictures we took in the last days.
Lera, Lisa, Heiko, Tessa, Jared, Rafael & Carmen @ Kibuka
Heiko attacking some delicious desert
Hsiang, Rafael and Brandon @ Bar 314
Fiesta Latina @ Club Noir (No, I'm not pocking Lera's eyes!)
Some decided that tequila shots are a good way to start the night!...more to come later....
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
First days... first impressions...
So, I was wrong... I'm still jet legged. Can't you tell? It's about 1:30 AM and I'm checking email and blogging. Well, I really hope it will go away in the next day 'cause I have work to do. No more waking up at 12PM and trying to start the day when everyone is at siesta. :)
I wasn't sure if I'll share this with you but in the end I decided it will be a lot of fun reading these notes one or two years from now. This story is from Tuesday, our first day in Barcelona. I was really tired coming off the plane... after we took a taxi to the apartment, I struggled opening the apartment door as the key locks are quite tricky on this side of the world. Finally, someone from the inside opened. It was Jane, one of our roommates. After introducing ourselves and chatting a little bit she showed me the room we were renting. In the excitement of the moment, after checking the room briefly, I placed the keys on the table and ran to take the elevator to help Rafael with the luggage. As I was closing the elevator door, I hear a loud noise: boom!! It was the apartment door closing behind me. I didn't think too much of it and continued down, where we loaded our many luggage’s in the elevator. Once we reached the floor and unloaded everything, as we were preparing to enter the apartment I realized that I didn't have the keys!! No problem I say, let's knock, as Jane must still be inside. So we knocked, and knocked, and rang the bell... All sorts of scenarios were going through our heads: maybe she left the house taking the stairs while we were coming up with the elevator, or maybe she took a nap because she wasn't feeling well... or maybe this, or maybe that. The thing is that we were hot, and tired, and perspired... and I was angry to leave the keys inside. So, I'm thinking of a strategy to get out of the building and try to walk to one other roommate's work place to borrow her keys. Then we find out we cannot get out of the building as the door downstairs is locked (later we learned how to use a buzzer to open that door). Now I'm pissed and it's getting hotter and hotter in the hallway! Rafael is keeping his spirits up as he realizes I'm on my last straw. He continues to knock, make jokes and try to cheer me up. Suddenly, as he buzzes again we hear some noise on the inside. What a relief. Jane was home but was taking a shower and couldn't open the door. I think we were out in the hallway for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Finally in the room I vouched never to leave the apartment without the keys, better yet, I put Rafael in charge just in case, to avoid future problems.
From here on things start improving a little. We got something to eat but not before taking a cold shower (we didn't know how to turn on the heater :) and then took a walk to Rambla’s. You already know we had to walk back on foot at midnight because the train wasn't running by the time we were coming home.
On Wednesday things improved even more. We know the area a little better now and it feels more comfortable to walk through the neighborhood knowing we'll find our way back home without a map. The evening got even better as we met, for the first time, 7 of our IESE friends at a nice Japanese restaurant in Gracia. I was so excited to meet them. We talked and talked, about school, finding apartments, cell phone networks, etc... and while we were talking the food kept pouring. Apparently at this place there is a set menu and they just bring the food to the table, no need to order. Well, let me tell you, it was so much food!! Every time we thought it was over they would bring some more! AND on top of everything there was DESERT! You can imagine we couldn't say no to that! It was an enjoyable evening and the long walk back home was a welcomed and needed workout.
Tomorrow, actually is already Thursday, well today is another day! Let's see what today will bring! Good night everyone!
I wasn't sure if I'll share this with you but in the end I decided it will be a lot of fun reading these notes one or two years from now. This story is from Tuesday, our first day in Barcelona. I was really tired coming off the plane... after we took a taxi to the apartment, I struggled opening the apartment door as the key locks are quite tricky on this side of the world. Finally, someone from the inside opened. It was Jane, one of our roommates. After introducing ourselves and chatting a little bit she showed me the room we were renting. In the excitement of the moment, after checking the room briefly, I placed the keys on the table and ran to take the elevator to help Rafael with the luggage. As I was closing the elevator door, I hear a loud noise: boom!! It was the apartment door closing behind me. I didn't think too much of it and continued down, where we loaded our many luggage’s in the elevator. Once we reached the floor and unloaded everything, as we were preparing to enter the apartment I realized that I didn't have the keys!! No problem I say, let's knock, as Jane must still be inside. So we knocked, and knocked, and rang the bell... All sorts of scenarios were going through our heads: maybe she left the house taking the stairs while we were coming up with the elevator, or maybe she took a nap because she wasn't feeling well... or maybe this, or maybe that. The thing is that we were hot, and tired, and perspired... and I was angry to leave the keys inside. So, I'm thinking of a strategy to get out of the building and try to walk to one other roommate's work place to borrow her keys. Then we find out we cannot get out of the building as the door downstairs is locked (later we learned how to use a buzzer to open that door). Now I'm pissed and it's getting hotter and hotter in the hallway! Rafael is keeping his spirits up as he realizes I'm on my last straw. He continues to knock, make jokes and try to cheer me up. Suddenly, as he buzzes again we hear some noise on the inside. What a relief. Jane was home but was taking a shower and couldn't open the door. I think we were out in the hallway for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Finally in the room I vouched never to leave the apartment without the keys, better yet, I put Rafael in charge just in case, to avoid future problems.
From here on things start improving a little. We got something to eat but not before taking a cold shower (we didn't know how to turn on the heater :) and then took a walk to Rambla’s. You already know we had to walk back on foot at midnight because the train wasn't running by the time we were coming home.
On Wednesday things improved even more. We know the area a little better now and it feels more comfortable to walk through the neighborhood knowing we'll find our way back home without a map. The evening got even better as we met, for the first time, 7 of our IESE friends at a nice Japanese restaurant in Gracia. I was so excited to meet them. We talked and talked, about school, finding apartments, cell phone networks, etc... and while we were talking the food kept pouring. Apparently at this place there is a set menu and they just bring the food to the table, no need to order. Well, let me tell you, it was so much food!! Every time we thought it was over they would bring some more! AND on top of everything there was DESERT! You can imagine we couldn't say no to that! It was an enjoyable evening and the long walk back home was a welcomed and needed workout.
Tomorrow, actually is already Thursday, well today is another day! Let's see what today will bring! Good night everyone!
Barcelona, here we are!!!
I can't really believe it but...we are here!!
We arrived yesterday and were really tired. After we got settled in the room and found something to eat, we crashed from 2 to 7PM. When we came back to our senses we went out to check out La Rambla, the most famous tourist area of the city. Around 12AM we finally went to have tapas in Gracia, a neighborhood close to the one we live in. Then when we were ready to come home, we went to the metro and found out it stops running at 12AM!!! So we had to manage our way back to the apartment on foot! The good thing is that we had a map with us so we made it home safely. After that was sleep until this morning. Rafael is still sleeping :)) I think I'm back to normal now but I'll probably find out later in the afternoon.
Today we'll probably visit the school and meet with future IESE students! Can't wait to meet them all!!
Today we'll probably visit the school and meet with future IESE students! Can't wait to meet them all!!
It's done!
Sorry I kept you waiting for so long. After a small incident at the passport agency, not worth retelling, I got a new, shinny passport!! Did I mention I had to wake up at 3AM to drive all the way up to Seattle? Well, it was Rafael doing the driving so I have to thank him for that. We arrived about 7AM... the agency opened at 8AM, so I was the first in line. After a short review of my papers, I paid the fee and was told to come back at 2PM to pick up the passport. So, we went shopping at Nordstrom's and checked out the famous Pike Place Market. Then we met with a couple of IESE students and shared our stressful stories about getting ready for the big move. It was kind of comforting to hear they were going through the same thing: packing, selling furniture, closing accounts, getting everything ready to go but at the same time no sleep, loads of stress, and last minute adventures like receiving the student visa 5 days before having to leave the country!! Gush, this IESE students are really something else, aren't they!?!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Attempting the impossible
Tomorrow is a big day as I will be attempting the impossible
... drum roll...
getting the passport done in one day!!
It has never been done before (by me) so, you can imagine how stressful this can be. Add to that the fact that we are leaving in less than 7 days! Yes, I love this last minute excitement, and NO, I'm no slacker... it wasn't my fault the paperwork wasn't finalized in time for the passport application. But, the good think is that it's ready now so... please keep your fingers crossed for this, never before seen attempt to obtain a passport in one day!
Stay tune until tomorrow when I'll reveal the results!
... drum roll...
getting the passport done in one day!!
It has never been done before (by me) so, you can imagine how stressful this can be. Add to that the fact that we are leaving in less than 7 days! Yes, I love this last minute excitement, and NO, I'm no slacker... it wasn't my fault the paperwork wasn't finalized in time for the passport application. But, the good think is that it's ready now so... please keep your fingers crossed for this, never before seen attempt to obtain a passport in one day!
Stay tune until tomorrow when I'll reveal the results!
Monday, July 16, 2007
The train has left the station...
...it's funny how I'm feeling lately... When I go home from work in the evening, as soon as I step into the house I become stressed and frustrated with the preparations for the big move... Then I go back to work in the morning and fall into the usual routine which makes me feel everything is "normal" again. Hmmmm... I'm actually enjoying numbing my mind with numbers and problem-solving... but then the evening comes and I arrive home back to STRESS! Some days I'm wishing for more days until the move, other days I wish we were leaving today! On a bad day the idea of backing out crossed my mind... but... as Rafael so wisely put it... the train has left the station... and we are on it!! In the end, when all this stress will be over, we'll be sitting in Barcelona on a terrace sipping wine and eating tapas, laughing at all the commotion this move had caused. As you can see, I always like to thing there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Besides, it's not all that bad. After announcing at work that I was leaving, I got invited to lunches and "happy hour" celebrations. So, for the next two weeks I'm set! Then we decided to throw a "See you later!" party and a good friend graciously offered her house for the get-together. That was a lot of fun. Before that, we celebrated 4th of July at the coast with a couple of really good friends. That was the warmest day I have ever spent at the beach. Keep in mind I'm talking about the Pacific NW... I actually walked in the water (no swimming though) and lied down on the blanket to work on my ten. Not bad, not bad at all! I guess I should start singing
“Always look at the bright side of life… tutu,tutu,tutututututu”
Friday, June 29, 2007
Why not make it trilingual?
I said I'll make this blog trilingual just for fun but than I realized my parents cannot read English so will have to make it at least bilingual by necessity! So, to keep my promise here it comes in Romanian, the beautiful language of my ancestors:
Mai sunt exact 30 de zile pana la plecare si va puteti inchipui prin ce ape trecem cu pregatirile. In weekend-ul asta punem la vanzare masina. Sa speram ca o vom vinden nici prea repede dar nici prea tarziu. In rest tot impachetam si facem liste ca sa fim siguri ca nu uitam nimic... ieri de exemplu am inchis doua conturi unul dintre ele pentru electricitate. Incetul cu incetul speram sa le rezolvam pe toate.
La servici nu ma mai pot concentra de loc. Gandul imi e deja in Spania si visez cu ochii deschisi. Cand se opreste cineva pe la mine la birou sa-mi puna vreo intrebare trebuie sa fac un efort ca sa imi revin la realitate. Adevarul e ca e mult mai interesant sa te gandesti la viitoarea aventura decat la balata de conturi, nu!?! Normal!! In rest toate merg conform planului si imi voi termina proiectele inainte de plecare ca sa fac viata usoara persoanei care va veni sa ma inlocuiasca. Totul e bine cand se termina cu bine!
Ok, I did it! The blog it's now bilingual with potential to become trilingual when I'll feel more comfortable with Spanish. ¿Vale? ¡Vale!
edited: July 10, 2007. Gonzalo, thanks for the hint! Now I'm curious how to do the rest of the Spanish signs and accents!!
Mai sunt exact 30 de zile pana la plecare si va puteti inchipui prin ce ape trecem cu pregatirile. In weekend-ul asta punem la vanzare masina. Sa speram ca o vom vinden nici prea repede dar nici prea tarziu. In rest tot impachetam si facem liste ca sa fim siguri ca nu uitam nimic... ieri de exemplu am inchis doua conturi unul dintre ele pentru electricitate. Incetul cu incetul speram sa le rezolvam pe toate.
La servici nu ma mai pot concentra de loc. Gandul imi e deja in Spania si visez cu ochii deschisi. Cand se opreste cineva pe la mine la birou sa-mi puna vreo intrebare trebuie sa fac un efort ca sa imi revin la realitate. Adevarul e ca e mult mai interesant sa te gandesti la viitoarea aventura decat la balata de conturi, nu!?! Normal!! In rest toate merg conform planului si imi voi termina proiectele inainte de plecare ca sa fac viata usoara persoanei care va veni sa ma inlocuiasca. Totul e bine cand se termina cu bine!
Ok, I did it! The blog it's now bilingual with potential to become trilingual when I'll feel more comfortable with Spanish. ¿Vale? ¡Vale!
edited: July 10, 2007. Gonzalo, thanks for the hint! Now I'm curious how to do the rest of the Spanish signs and accents!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Not bragging, but surely feels good
I have been doing a lot of research for the last weeks, reading other IESE blogs, forums, articles in several publications... and... all I can tell you is that it really feels good to see and read what a great place IESE is. I'm not even there yet, so one could say I have no personal experience! That's true! But... (there is always a but!:) I tend to believe the written accounts of all the people how have poured their excitement and admiration of IESE on the virtual papers published on the Internet.
For your enjoyment only, I'm posting an article written by Jeffrey Pfeffer, (Stanford University's Graduate School of Business Professor) published by CNN Money. com in their Business 2.0 Magazine, on October 2 2006: 11:29 AM EDT. You can also find the article at: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/08/01/8382249/index.htm
Management Tips from Opus Dei
A leading Spanish business school founded by the group illustrates that Europeans have a firmer grip than Americans on how to succeed by caring for their own.
About the same time that the "Da Vinci Code" was hitting theaters in May, I was camped out at a university in Barcelona, discovering some of the lesser-known secrets of Opus Dei, the Catholic society at the center of the book and movie's byzantine plot.
No, I didn't see any albino monks, cilices, or dead bodies. I was merely on sabbatical for three weeks at IESE, a leading Spanish business school founded by Opus Dei in 1958 as part of the University of Navarra. And the only thing I observed was great management.
For starters, IESE recently placed fourth among the top executive education programs in the world, according to rankings by the Financial Times. Unlike many European business schools, which have tried to mimic the U.S. model, IESE is intentionally different, with a greater emphasis on ethics and values both in the curriculum and in how it is run.
No, I didn't see any albino monks, cilices, or dead bodies. I was merely on sabbatical for three weeks at IESE, a leading Spanish business school founded by Opus Dei in 1958 as part of the University of Navarra. And the only thing I observed was great management.
For starters, IESE recently placed fourth among the top executive education programs in the world, according to rankings by the Financial Times. Unlike many European business schools, which have tried to mimic the U.S. model, IESE is intentionally different, with a greater emphasis on ethics and values both in the curriculum and in how it is run.
During my visit, dozens of faculty and staff members talked to me about what a great place IESE is to work because of its caring culture. Few were devout Catholics and even fewer were members of Opus Dei.
Noble sentiments
Then, when my wife came down with severe ear pain from flying with a cold, Jordi Canals, IESE's dean, arranged a difficult-to-get appointment with an ear specialist, got a taxi to take her to the appointment, and paid for everything, no questions asked.
Why a caring culture makes sense for IESE is pretty apparent: Emphasizing the long term, the school is interested in the personal transformation of its students and building closer relationships with them, and is willing to make the difficult economic trade-offs to convert noble sentiments into reality.
The school caps enrollment in its senior-level programs at 35 students, a remarkably low figure compared with most American schools. Forty percent of the alumni are alumni association members, even though Europe has less of a tradition of private philanthropy and provides fewer tax advantages for giving.
There are big lessons in this for U.S. companies, which have long resisted allowing more of their workers' lives inside their boundaries. Our CEOs pay lip service to the importance of both customer and employee loyalty, but they frequently overlook the importance of personal relationships and connections, and rarely consider the idea of doing more for people than what is formally expected.
Take, for instance, U.K.-based Innovation Group, a 1,000-employee, publicly held insurance software company. During the 1990s, executive board member Ed Ossie rebuilt MTW - now a subsidiary - increasing sales from $8 million to more than $40 million in about four years.
During this same time, annual employee turnover fell from an industry-typical 30 percent to just 4 percent. Ossie credits much of that to a culture of community he built among employees.
It began with the hiring process: As their partners started work, spouses would receive flowers and a note welcoming the family to the company. Every social function included family members too.
During this same time, annual employee turnover fell from an industry-typical 30 percent to just 4 percent. Ossie credits much of that to a culture of community he built among employees.
It began with the hiring process: As their partners started work, spouses would receive flowers and a note welcoming the family to the company. Every social function included family members too.
And because software implementation and consulting involve a lot of travel, the company offered "road warrior" concierge services and gifts to recognize employees' sacrifices. All of these small but important functions helped strengthen relationships and add to a sense of being one big happy family.
The lesson in all of this?
That success is derived less from "best practices" than from the values and beliefs of the leadership. You can copy methods and programs easily enough. But a way of thinking that creates deeper ties is much more difficult to duplicate.
Business 2.0 columnist Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
40 days to go...
I got a countdown on the computer nonchalantly showing 40 days to go! I feel like I have a final coming up for which I'm not yet prepared. Brrrrr.... Well, for one thing I managed to get the airline tickets. That's a good thing. Next I'm working on getting the passport... which I anticipate to be a bit of a nightmare. I heard there's a huge backlog and it takes up to twelve weeks to get it done. I don't have 12 weeks so I'm planning to expedite it. The only problem is that they accept appointments only two weeks before flying out. So I'm stuck with getting it all done at the last minute.
Well, that's ok 'cause in the mean time there's so much to get done. For one... I'll have to sell my car. Her name is Blacky and she's a beauty. We had so much fun together ...
Well, that's ok 'cause in the mean time there's so much to get done. For one... I'll have to sell my car. Her name is Blacky and she's a beauty. We had so much fun together ...
Here we are at a recent autocross on Portland International Raceway. It was great! We have so many good memories ... yeah... that's what's left at the end of the day, the memories... Alright, enough sentimentalism... The new life ahead requires sacrifices, right? I only hope I will look back one day and say it was all worth it.
Monday, June 18, 2007
First things first
I'm new at blogging...
... and it's kind of scary to think that everyone will be able to read my thoughts but... I'm taking the plunge. I'm so excited about the new life chapter opening in front of my eyes. I want to share my MBA experience at IESE, University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain and the adventures leading to arriving there! I won't be alone on this journey, my husband and best friend Rafael will be going also. We are in the midst of moving right now and it's proving to be one of the most difficult things so far.... harder then the GMAT, essays and application process combined! Not that all of the above were easy but breaking down the house it's such an emotional process. I've already moved once from Europe to US... now I'm making the trip in reverse. I'll keep you updated on how things progress...
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