An American Salsera in Barcelona

My Follow Up

2010-02-19T00:13:00.002+01:00

So, this IESE grad is starting a multilingual blog of business, financial news around the world... partly because I love to share my opinion, partly because I love languages, but mostly because I love the world!

My thoughts on business news:
In Spanish: mujerdivina1590-2.blogspot.com
In Portuguese: mujerdivina1590-3.blogspot.com
In English: mujerdivina1590-4.blogspot.com

Enjoy!! Until later!
Hasta pronto!
Ate breve!

My Ending

2009-08-31T05:59:00.003+02:00

Hello,

For those loyal followers of this blog, I've started a new chapter in my life. So this one is closing. Thank you for joining me in my 1st 2 years abroad in business school. May you all have happy and prosperous lives.

Cheers
-MujerDivina

My Interview in Murcia

2009-07-15T00:00:00.001+02:00

One July afternoon, I received a call from the Spanish branch of Hero, a Swiss condiment company. I would have an interview with them in Murcia via Alicante. That morning, I woke up and flew to my first completely Spanish interview. This was a lucid indicator of how far I had come from my stay in Spain. Not only with my Spanish, but with my life.

The interview would last all day, and consist with a few interviews with Marketing Directors, and HR personnel, and hours of IQ and Psychological tests. Everything was in Spanish, and I although I found the personality tests interesting, it took a while to fully understand each of the 80 mini situations written in colloquial Spanish. The timed IQ tests consisted of Spanish word jumbles and spatial puzzles which I found mostly ridiculous and sometimes infuriating.

At the end of the interview, the driver took me on a tour of the city, but I had already made my decision. I would not be taking the job. Although the people were nice, and the company was respectful, it was not what I wanted. I learned that I would spend 1 year in a small Spanish town for an internship before moving to a permanent position in Albany, New York. And to be honest, I didn’t want to put another year of my life on hold. As I said before, I want roots. Neither Murcia nor Albany fit the bill. And I didn’t complete an MBA for the prospect of a fulltime offer after a 1 year internship. I wanted a commitment to a full time offer; I wanted security. I might even want a job back in Securities.

Graduation

2009-05-01T16:39:00.015+02:00

Whenever I think of graduation, that Journey song comes to mind....

"Just a small town girl. Livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going aaaany-wheeere!"

In a way, a lot of us are taking this train (going aaaany-wheere!), in probably the worst economic climate since the Great Depression. And me, graduating with a bilingual MBA from Spain. The next few months will be anyone's guess what will happen.

Graduation was strange. Emotional for some, unemotional for me. I guess it's because the future is so uncertain. I came to the MBA partly to "change the world" but right now it seems like I'm solely living in this world. I don't know if that makes much sense.

Anyways, the night before graduation, I went to probably the last Calatrava BBQ hosted by David P I might ever go to. It was a classic. Sun, beer, food, good IESE company. I spent the night before graduation salsa dancing with Prisque. It was a strange feeling, because I knew Prisque would be leaving to Paris soon.

I woke up April 30 feeling it was a regular day, but at the ceremony, it felt good to get the diploma in hand and hear the wonderful speeches. Alan's speech was hilarious. He made us all laugh (so hard!), which was exactly what we needed.

Some pictures of after the ceremony:

The Ultimate Financiers: Basti & I

We gathered in the atrium of the aula magna for cocktails. Ran into some Professors and chatted a bit. It was nice. After the schmoozing was the graduation dinner. And after that, was the party at club Elephant:

My 2 first year flatmates.

The actor that plays Ted Mosby says something on "How I Met Your Mother" that I truly believe in:

"I think for the most part, if you're really honest about what you want out of life, life gives it to you."

I now know what I really want out of life. So I'm going to go out there and get it. And it's going to be Legen... wait for it... dary.

Doll Face

2009-04-15T17:53:00.006+02:00

A video about the illusions in life that try to change you and what happens when you take great risks to become a different person. A challenge for every trader. You have to be humble. You have to accept that you can't control the market. You can't take things personally. You have to make your decision and get out of it never looking back... it costs too much to worry. Trading is immensely psychological, not many realize.

"Pursue your life with integrity. Find what you're good at: that which so fits your values and interests that it expresses the depths of who you are. Out of that you'll find a career and a calling--whether it's trading or something else.

Everything else is illusion."

-Brett Steenbarger

Spring Fling

2009-04-13T17:22:00.004+02:00

Spring Fling is an event IESE hosts every March which brings together neighboring European business schools to compete in sports and listen to presentations from well known business leaders.

My team (IESE Second Years) took 1st place in the salsa competition.

The team:

Although this was a rueda where we switch partners, my intial partner Daniel and me.

The video:

Multi Culti

2009-04-13T16:27:00.017+02:00

It's been about a month since Multi Culti 2009, an IESE event where different cultures are put together in a closed Colosseum where they showcase their national food, customs & drink. Since I am too lazy to recall all the details of that delicious March 6 night, I'll post pictures and you can create your own story:

The Mexicans

The Japanese

Go Canada

The Italians

The Spaniards just have a certain something to them, don't they?

Those crazy Dutch (I'm jealous)

The Brazilians and a little Samba

The Portuguese table... oooo Super Bock!

Now some personal pics:
Balaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Best dance of the night had to be with a Colombian.

I forget what this is.

Me and my favorite Uruguayan ... Ricardo!

All the second years of last year... one year after IESE.

TOGOR Project, FISCAL Exam, Life in General

2009-03-24T19:04:00.004+01:00

Today were the final presentations for TOGOR (Toma de Decisiones y Gobierno de las Organizaciones). Our presentation covered the executive decisions of UBS regarding a new compensation system to top executives after the Swiss bailout. We did it in English, and although we were allowed to, I was secretly worried that we should have done it in Spanish. The truth was, we could have done our presentation in Spanish, but we decided that the quality would be better in English. It was, but I secretly wondered what it would have been like to get up there and explain banking in Spanish. I knew I could do it...

The FISCAL (Fiscalidad) final came next. It was a written exam explaining what you had learned about the Spanish taxation system. When I walked into the room I felt like vomiting, because the truth was, I hardly understood anything that went on in there. It was too legalese and specific to Spain, which I knew nothing about. But I studied off some Spaniard's notes and reading some text was very helpful, so I was able to turn out a pretty good exam.

After the exam, I felt pleased with myself. Some things in my life are not going so well, which are not my problem, and not my fault, but it affects me. And as I was walking down the hill to the bus, I thought first "Man I would like to visit my friends in Colombia and dance and have some fun right now." And then secondly came my real thought: "Although I have been tired of Spain and continental Europe and speaking Spanish, sometimes it's kind of cool to interact in Spanish. I think I might like living in Madrid."

Why Madrid? Last week I had an interview with the Portuguese renewable energy company EDP Renovaveis, for a Corporate Finance position in Madrid. I started the interview in Spanish, then ended up switching to English to explain the Finance terms. I think they really liked me. I didn't much like the prospect of staying in Spain, but the company and the job seemed really nice, and after a few years, I'd like to relocate back to the States, since they have offices there. Notwithstanding, I hope I get the job.

I'm also looking at jobs in London. Why London? Because they speak English there. :) But it is still close to Europe, and I might not be ready to go home yet. And many good friends of mine will be there. After London in rank, I'd like to be in New York for the same reasons, then if all else fails, I'd pick up all my things where ever I am and move back to New Orleans. I'd probably envision myself working for Tulane, perhaps being a lecturer in Corporate Finance. Then everyday after work I'd have a drink on the porch of the infamous Column's Hotel and watch the passerby on St. Charles.

Nice life. Pero solo falta una cosa......

Head or Heart?

2009-03-14T19:26:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I think I lived my life backwards. I used my head and logic more when I was a kid, and it took me down a path that was, albeit interesting, not one that made me happy. In this MBA I had to figure out how to use my heart for the first time. I admit, not a good place to begin to use one's heart.

Someone asked me today why I was involved with producing the school Yearbook. I said it was because I always wanted to that in high school, but ended up starting & running my own clubs instead. And it was in high school that I decided I wanted to be an Investment Banker. Nothing could stop me from this goal. I approached banks directly and asked for internships until I got one. I thought college was a waste of time. I wanted to be an Investment Banker now. And I knew I could do it. I majored in Finance & Economics and was engrossed in my subjects. I ignored that tiny part inside of me that loved Psychology and Sociology. And the fact that I had extraordinary empathy.

Well I finally became an Investment Banker. And then I realized I hated it. Well, I think it was more the stage of life I had reached by the time I became a banker. I had peaked too early and was already considering people and relationships as more important than power and money. I blame this on being a woman. After my whole life energy was dedicated to becoming a banker, I had to find something else to do. This is a significant blow to the self identity.

So up until now I had used logic to decide my career. Had I learned to listen to my heart as a kid, I would probably be in a completely different place right now, in a career more suitable for my talents. I would have been involved in yearbook and the school newspaper in high school instead of the Math Club. Maybe I'd have gone into journalism. In college I'd have majored in Psychology & Sociology instead of Finance & Economics. Maybe I'd be a Psychologist with a nice 8-6 job where I get to talk to people all day. I think the best part of the job would be seeing the same person over & over again and developing them enough to see results. But one has to be detached enough to not let that person's problems affect you. Even so, that sounds a lot more fun than excel modeling.

But despite the horrific economy, I think I'll find the right job for me soon. It will be something having to do with Client Advisory or Managing People. And it will be in a vibrant city. I just wonder what and where it will be...

Mi Propio Negocio

2009-03-02T13:21:00.008+01:00

When I applied to IESE, I mentioned a business idea that I was passionate about. It seemed good on paper, a logical and simple idea that encompassed most of my interests. But I never really was serious about pursuing it. I admit, I just wanted a ticket to Spain, a new title behind my name, and a new life...

*****
It's kind of funny how it all started. I was at a party my first September in Spain, a housewarming party for my friend Lars, and I was talking to AA. "What do you want to do after the MBA?" he said. I replied, "I have 3 options: Start my own business (the riskiest), get into Finance in the Heathcare industry to become a hospital administrator (middle risky), or become Managing Director of the Sales & Trading side of an investment bank (least risky). [Sidenote: my, how the tables have turned...] And AA said to me, "You don't have to impress me, I'm not an interviewer. Just be prepared to change."

And in that very next September the following year in Barcelona, I met a first year MBA student to whom I asked that same question, "What do you want to do after the MBA?" And he said, "I want to start my own business." And I said, "Oh honey, that'll change. You don't have to impress me..."

*****
And so here I am.

As I went through classes at IESE, still Finance was the subject that interested me most. I reluctantly went through some Entrepreneurial subjects, but mostly they bored me to death and I never had any interest in starting a business or becoming the stereotypical "CEO/Leader." I was more of an analyst and "right hand woman" to the leader. And as several Entrepreneurial Sciences professors asked the question to the class, "Whom of you would like to start a business?" I always proudly kept my hand down.

But times have changed. The financial crisis/global recession is really starting to take effect on us MBAs, and we're having to work harder than before for scraps of jobs. There are simply none out there. The job market is getting smaller and smaller, even for professionals. Forget about Career Services. Forget about alumni networks. Forget about job recruitment sites. Most companies are on a hiring freeze.

And then lessons from Mark Albion's book "More Than Money" came to me again. I should do what I'm passionate about. So essentially I've decided to start a business. This environment is practically forcing me to take a risk I otherwise would never take. I always loved New Orleans and wanted to do something to bring back its economic status pre-Katrina, so I guess now is my chance. Part of me thinks that I am not an Entrepreneur; I'm a people person, a team player, a harmonizer. But then I heard the words from my old Entrepreneurship professor Chris Zott: "Entrepreneurs are not born; they are made."

Many successful businesses I know have started by taking on opportunity like this. But I know I'm not so much in it for the money more so than to bring back New Orleans. Which means that most of the excess profit I make from my share would go to my old University Tulane, IESE and various charities in New Orleans. Guess I'll just give it a try...

Status Update

2009-02-21T16:54:00.001+01:00

You Are Very Happy

Your life is totally together, and you enjoy every day.

And you don't need a quiz to tell you that!

You know how to find pleasure in the little things...

And even when life isn't so great, you have a good sense of perspective.

How Happy Are You, Really?

Neat!

A Note On Networking

2009-02-19T06:54:00.003+01:00

I think with the time constraints many graduating MBAs encounter combined so many possibilities of different jobs, it's easy to forget that when it comes to networking, this rule really does prevail: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

A month or so ago I met someone affiliated with a company I wanted to work for. We became friends through common interests. One day I asked for contact information of someone in the company so that I could get a foot in the door. Days go by, nothing sent. A few weeks later, follow up email. Nothing.

So I decide to visit the company myself and try to get a position. I march right up to the department I would like to apply to and ask if they have any positions open. I speak to a polite Catalan woman who looks me up and down, exudes a somewhat threatened vibe since I have experience with a competitor of theirs, and asks if I have a work permit for Europe.

Ahhh... that's where I always get caught. If only I could get my Italian passport....

She begrudgingly asks to leave my resume so that she could forward it through the system but I know what's really going to happen. I would probably never hear from her again. You see people decide if you are right for the company in the first 20 seconds of meeting you. Then the rest of the time is spent mentally trying to confirm this decision. I thought my dreams of working for this company were slim. But then something happened.

Serendipitously, I run into someone friendly. We exchange business cards. I give him some information he needs altruistically, then decide to ask if he knew any contacts within who can help me. He immediately forwards my request to a very nice lady, of Anglo Saxon decent like me, whom I feel sincerely would "see" my application, not just pass through it for protocol.

So the lesson here is as follows: with the multitude of applications we have these days, added to the pessimism over what is available due to the economy, we might try to quickly pass over opportunities which seem dim, in haste to quickly catch something else. Sometimes if we relax, what we truly want, and what is right for us, might just fall into our laps.

Or who knows, maybe this contact would lead to nowhere... but at least for now I've got something to hope for.

Cactus Hands

2009-02-12T00:47:00.000+01:00

Somehow I find this incredibly funny.

Resumen

2009-02-10T02:30:00.009+01:00

Muchas cosas han pasado desde el dia que he escrito antes. Pero no son muy importantes, todo sano. La verdad es que la vida en IESE ha sido muy bien, muy agradable, sin dolencia.

Sigo las clases en Castellano, por ello mi fluidez en Castellano esta mejorando bastante. Ademas, he empezado las clases de Samba de Gafiera (con pareja) y Samba no Pe (sola) para aprender otro baile mas que salsa. La verdad es que me encanta bailar Samba, especialmente con mi pareja en clase.

Tambien he empezado las actividades de construir el Yearbook de IESE para los alumnos de Clase de 2009. Estoy muy orgullosa que soy Redactora (Editor) de todo cuando terminemos.

Ahora este fin de deberia ser muy halagüeño. Estoy pensando en ir a la Palau de la Musica para ver un concerto sinfónico. Esta claro que estoy emocionada a ver lo. Estos son unas de mis cosas favoritas. (Like raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens.) Pues, no hay nada mas que decir. Esto es solo un resumen...

Concierto de Aranjuez, Barcelona

El Concierto de Aranjuez constituye una de las obras más cèlebres de Joaquín Rodrigo. En ella, el compositor valenciano consiguió plasmar toda la fuerza de su genio logrando que su obra se convirtiera en una de las piezas más difundidas, interpretadas y grabadas de la música clásica de todos los tiempos. El encargado de interpretar la obra será el guitarrista Rolando Saad, que consigue en cada actuación una virtuosa ejecución. El programa se cerrará con las suites I y II de la ópera de Bizet, Carmen.

Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-20T22:50:00.003+01:00

Today was the inauguration party for President Obama hosted by the Barcelona Democrats Abroad. The event was held at Le Meridien Hotel, and I picked up my tickets early, because the venue was overbooked. A few IESE students and staff were there, and most people just arrived after work and were nicely dressed. IESE was having it's own party at Twins, but I wanted to be more involved in Democrats Abroad events.

Obama's speech was humble, simple, but wonderful. Very classic. And after, the Star Spangled Banner played, and I felt nostalgic, and a proud to call myself an American again. It has been a long 8 years. It's not that I hate Bush, I just wish he would have been more intelligent. But whatever our future, I'd be lying if we said that I wouldn't miss him, even just a little.

Letterman's Top 10 Bush Moments

My First Day of Class in Spanish

2009-01-12T21:15:00.003+01:00

Most of my Spanish-speaking friends had their first class entirely in English somewhere around the age of 12 or 13. I had mine at 26. I just really wanted to learn Law. It so happened that the only classes with legal topics were in Spanish, so I passed the DIEN in order to take them.

There's a scene in Legally Blonde that depict's Elle Woods' first day of Law School. She comes in, sits in the front row, pulls out her heart-shaped notepad and feathery pencil while everyone else whips out laptops. Everyone has read the case before class except her, and the teacher stands formidably before her and asks about Gordon vs. Steele. What comes out of her mouth then is absolutely embarrassing, and she gets kicked out of the class for not being prepared.

That's how I felt my first day of Spanish Law class. I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb. The teacher kept coming around to me, standing right in front of me (I was in the front row) and talking directly at me until I froze. I must have looked terrified throughout class because one time, he stopped and asked me something. I had no idea what it was. I thought for sure he knew I was English and was trying to frighten me out the class.

So I started talking about Contract Law.

We weren't even talking about Contract Law. That's when I felt like Elle Woods, with her little heart-shaped notepad.

The whole class started laughing. It turns out he was just asking if I understood him and why I was looking at him with a strange face. At that moment I knew I had 2 choices: I could take the easy way out like I always do to avoid embarrassment and challenges -- drop the class and go for something I don't really like as much but in English. I don't have to take any class in Spanish, or in Law for that matter. Or I could force myself to learn more about Spanish and Law than I ever thought, and suffer. I know my level of Spanish, so I know I'll suffer a lot. If I choose the second, I'm going to have to drop my pride and ask for help from my Spanish friends. And I was probably going to get embarrassed again.

But I also know that if I drop the class, I'd be very disappointed in myself. I came to Spain in part to become fluent in Spanish (it has been a challenge so I have been avoiding it). And, I took the DIEN just so I can take these Law & taxation classes. If I gave up, there is a good chance I'll regret it forever, not knowing how far I could have gone...

Tomorrow

2009-01-11T22:45:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow I have my first MBA class... in Spanish: Derecho Mercantil. Directly after that I have another class in Spanish: Introduccion a la Fiscalidad Personal del Directivo y del Empresario. I wonder what this will be like. Hope I can overcome the challenges...

Samba Show Dance

2009-01-08T04:38:00.005+01:00

Excellent short clip of ballroom Samba (not the type local Brazilians dance).

Bryan Watson and partner Carmen dancing in a Latin showdance

.
And I thought, when looking for my job this year, one important criteria in my selection will be to have time to dance and perform. I love salsa but I always wanted to learn samba. So why not start now? My goal for the next few days is to try to find samba classes in Barcelona. If anyone knows a good studio let me know.

MBA 4Q08 Progress Report and Next Quarter Guidance

2009-01-02T05:14:00.008+01:00

So 3 quarters have gone by and I haven't updated this. Truth is, a lot has happened since then. Had my internship in Switzerland with an activist investor, worked on some PE deals, some investment management techniques. Good summer. Albeit boring. Barack Obama won the US elections and I finally found something to believe in. First term of second year in IESE was remarkably easy, and I found myself content with life for the first time in years. Happiness, I'm gaining on you. :)

And now, for the status report.

YE Guidance vs. Actual Results:
- Try to make the most out of the second years. Soon they will graduate, and I know I'll miss them, so I have to be conscious to hang out with them as much as possible before they leave.
Check. Even hung out with more second years than first years in Switzerland over the summer.
- Get a strong salsa program ready for the MBA Olympics & enjoy performing in front of a crowd. I love being in front of an audience, but I have to remember to just have fun.
Check. We won second place.
- Get a job.
Check. Was a great job, probably my favorite so far, learned so much about managing a fund and private equity relationships. But the most important thing I learned, was that it wasn't what I am meant to be doing. :)

>>>OUTPERFORM.

Wow, that was easy. I always believed that when things were right, they'd flow naturally and easily. Life wouldn't be a struggle. And it's not anymore. Wow. I think I am happy.

And in other news, I passed the DIEN!! Also I have signed up for 2 Spanish business classes next term. If I pass these classes, I will be able to graduate with a bilingual degree. And I always wanted to have command of another language. Speaking Spanish has built up significant self-confidence.

1Q09 Guidance
Goals for next quarter:
- Take self defense classes
- Start samba lessons
- Join Toastmasters Barcelona
- If the opportunity arises, must sing a karaoke song in Spanish
- Have a blast at Multi Culti! Appreciate and indulge in everything.
- Narrow down job opportunities and selection criteria.

If you're wondering why the my guidance has become much less substantial, it's because I have come a long way from the first one. Now that I have the operating system set, I can start adding applications ;)

Excellent article from the TraderFeed blog

My Roadtrip to Houston

2008-12-30T03:58:00.003+01:00

I never realized how much I missed Houston until I came back this year. As I passed by certain streets, random memories began to pop up. Like where I used to drop off the pitch books for the MDs and Ds (Managing Directors of Investment banks, not medical doctors), shopping spots, concert spots, excellent restaurants, casual Sunday brunch places, salsa hideouts. And as I drove through these places, I began to channel how I was feeling at the time, 2 years ago, when I lived there. I was mostly stressed, anxious, worried, frazzled. It is always strange experiencing your past as a future you.

Anyways that's when I regretted not appreciating my job enough as an investment banker. It really was a neat job, albeit stressful. I liked the responsibility, the structure, the teamwork. Back then I just didn't have the maturity to handle the stress effectively, or to fully comprehend the meaning of everything I was doing. And now... I think I would like the job, but that's just because I understand myself a lot better now. I didn't back then.

So my trip to Houston started with a drive down to my favorite teahouse on Shepard and Westheimer. A few hours later, had dinner with a salsa friend, then left to another salsa party of for Terri's birthday at Byzantine Cafe.

There was quite a lot of dancing. But I can say, nothing feels better than working up a sweat dancing salsa for 3 hours (with people who can actually dance).

Photos courtesy of Facebook.

After the party, went out to drinks at Baker Street Pub with an old college friend from Louisiana. And the bar was so... Anglo Saxon, it was nice after so long in Spain. I really appreciate those English pubs with loud American music. Feels like home.

The next day was lunch at Hooters with Trey and then went to a coffee shop and did more work on the laptop. Was messaged by another friend from Tulane who *surprise!* was going to start grad school in Houston. It was amazing. It seemed like everyone I knew was in Houston. And I guess I missed it. Went out to for a midday snack with a realtor friend of mine from salsa class and then drove back home to Austin...

I have mixed feelings about Houston. I definitely missed the place, and it seemed like everyone I knew was there, and to stay. But on the other hand, I didn't really find what I was looking for when I was there. But the question is, would I find it anywhere else?

My Quote of the Day

2008-12-29T00:57:00.001+01:00

Just as the salmon knows not discouragement in its upstream journey, so should it be with any endeavor. One should sense a destiny and relentlessly pursue its realization despite its perceived impossibility.
- Daniel DiLorenzo

Jan Simon's Management Lessons

2008-12-21T21:45:00.004+01:00

Upon the last day of ADVIN class, Jan stood up and congratulated us for our hard work and determination. Then he gave us some words of wisdom when managing people, some words that resonated with me in his ALTIN hedgefund class. They are as follows:

1) Care for your employees
2) Take the role of mentoring seriously
3) Understand your responsibilities
4) When you have friends, think you have treasures
5) Management is not a popularity contest; your relationship with subordinates will not be the same as your relationship with your best friend
6) People make errors
7) If people don’t play ball, fire them
8) Stand up for and protect your employees
9) Choose your battles wisely
10) Be very selective when making enemies.

I knew that kind of thing came naturally to me. And that got me to thinking again about my life path, especially upon reading a paragraph from one of my books that goes a little like this:

“The main reason people get stuck in a rut is that they can’t let go of an unhealthy goal, a goal that is not truly in their hearts. Often these goals are core aspects of our self-definition.”

And I thought about my love-hate relationship with banking. It’s all I ever grew up believing that I was. It had become my identity, and it’s pretty scary to leave something like that behind. I think a lunch with a first year helped clarify my dreams. He was asking me for advice on attaining an internship with Pala Investments, the company I worked for over the summer. And as we got deeper into the conversation, he said something surprisingly honest, and genuine: “I just wish I could open up a bar in a great city, and relax, make drinks all night, take it easy.” And then I tilted my head up to the left, my day dream stance, and replied, “I wish I could just campaign for someone I really believe in. Travel around the world, promote him, meet new people everyday, get to know what they are interested in, and find out how my candidate can help them. The energy all around me. That would be really thrilling.”

And that’s when I thought…. I’m making progress.

Annex:

Yang’s Trading Words of Wisdom (from presentation in Jan Simon’s ADVIN class, one which the class could not keep from laughing the entire time - me the loudest):

“The Market is king and the devil. You are nothing.”

“Intrinsic value is crap…You don’t have to know everything about a company. It’s not your love.”

“You know what the 8th Sin is? Overconfidence. Never trust yourself. Just trust the market.”

And some Words of Wisdom from me:

“Considering all that’s happened in the markets these days, we often forget that the truly fortunate are those that wear their gold in their hearts and not on their sleeves.”

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.

My Airport Adventures, Part III

2008-12-19T21:24:00.004+01:00

It undeniably happens every time I fly from Barcelona to Austin: I get caught in some kind of airport shenanigans. So I arrive 2 hours early to my British Airways flight (after missing 3 flights out of this airport in the past 2 years and having lost more than 3,000 Euros in these types of mistakes, I try to avoid as much risk as I can.) At the Barcelona airport I do some light shopping at Massimo Dutti, and at the Heathrow Airport in London I decide to pick up a Josh Groban CD on a whim.

Well the British Airways flight was delightful. The first class seating looked incredible with its intricate maze of seats and spaciousness (too bad I was in coach) that I had never seen before. The coach seats were nice too. I got a few bloody marys gratis (I’m used to paying, this is strange and delightful to me) and wine with this pretty nice dinner. There were a lot of choices for movies and TV shows, even music. I chose to revisit the ABBA musical “Mamma Mia!” again and swooned from the red wine I had with dinner. (Honey Honey, how he thrills me, uh huh!) Later I ended up making a playlist of Mana songs from the touchscreen while I read my book. It was a very pleasant flight. Only funny thing was that the welcome pack they gave us had a toothbrush set in long black bullet casing that looked suspiciously like… not a toothbrush set.

Maná Manda Una Señal
Uploaded by arco_iris

Well I get to the Chicago airport an hour late, and the customs checks were taking a while, so it turned out I’d have to stay the night in Chicago. That, and they took my Spanish chorizo I was bringing back home for mom. Dammit.

So I’m at a hotel in Chicago writing this. I fly out to Austin in the morning. Tonight, it’s snowing outside. The streets are covered with beautiful white power. It is only the second time I have ever seen snow. It’s almost heavenly. But inside my hotel room, I crank up the heat, lay out on my king size bed and order room service: Asian noodles with Portobello mushrooms and a diet coke. I turn on the Josh Groban CD full volume and veg out. Life is good.

My Best Day of the MBA - A lesson in leadership

2008-12-10T23:39:00.001+01:00

I think that you can learn a lot about a person by what makes them intrinsically happy (as opposed to extrinsic happiness which is influenced by external rewards, and transcendental happiness which is based on collective, more spiritual factors). So in the same spirit of intrinsic happiness, Wednesday, December 10th was probably the happiest day I've ever had at the MBA program IESE.

I awoke at 7AM, had a ride with Guillermo to Marketing class, it was our last class. The next class was Corporate Communications; when I walk in, late, the teacher marvels at "what a smart lady" I am (I had balls to make an impromptu speech which he said had bumped my grade significantly). I like that guy. I didn't get around to making my next speech about the influence of personality on the type of leader you become, but I figured I'd do it next time.

After class I went prepare for the hedge fund presentation we had to make for Jan Simon's Alternative Investment class. For 3 months, I volunteered in my first real leadership position in the MBA program, to lead a hedge fund team and manage alternative investments. At times it was a difficult task, and most of the team members I did not know much about personally, but by the end of the term we became quite close. I think I big part of it was because I enforced structure in the beginning, then autonomy afterward. I was not a micromanager or a bulldriver. I basically showed my team my own strengths and vulnerabilities, and I entrusted the team to express their own in order to cooperate and contribute fairly and effectively. This was a huge investment in trust. Usually, I have a problem with leadership, because I lack the confidence to make decisions, but in this class I took it easy and let my intrinsic love for Finance drive my choices.

For me, although a professional life is important, one's personal life should never be taken for granted. If someone had another commitment, we'd cover for him, and sometimes I had these commitments too. But what surprised me though, is that those who had to skip meetings always volunteered extra work for next time. I know that does not always happen. It showed respect, and I appreciated that. I know that not all the other teams was as cohesive as ours. They'd nominate 1 or 2 people to complete the investment ideas for that week so that the others could have a break. I know I could have done the same, but I wanted everyone to be involved in the whole process, even if it did take up more time. I also remember some people making horrendous trading errors (me included, I had accidentally bought Legg Mason instead of Lonmin, after which I promptly assigned the trading job to someone else), but my first reaction to that was not to worry, inform Jan of the mistake, and to remind everyone that these things happen - we are human. If we lose our ranking, getting angry won't help us get it back. I don't want anyone to ever be afraid to be completely themselves around me, to show me the good and the bad, or to express their creativity. I believe in this way they will give me their best, unedited, work. I found in this class, everyone's true strengths became apparent, and we ended up having a very complementary, well rounded team.

As my friend Matthew stated before, our fund "ate it" at the beginning, moving to second to last place, but then we jumped up to 3rd in the final results for absolute return. Well today we had to give our presentation. Steven and I would speak. I had on a pinstriped Zara suit and Massimo Dutti scarf, my power combo with a touch of femininity. I introduced the fund, our team, our investment style and process, then turned it over to Steven who explained the financials, a case study, risk management and other technicals. Then I closed and asked for the money. The judges were former IESE financial professionals and investment managers, and they were in charge of the monetary allocations to each of the 8 funds in the class, which would equate to 40% of the overall grade.

The Team at Work (missing: Yang Jin)

Now I will be honest: I am not a compelling speaker. Most of my speeches fall upon deaf ears with my audience looking down to check their blackberries as I enthusiastically speak about Law, trading or mutual funds. Apparently these topics are boring to most. (But hey, action movies are boring to me but apparently not to half the world population!) However I found that when speaking about Finance, to Finance professionals, I have found my niche. I guess I always thought of my speeches as boring, but that day, I was "professional." It was nice to hear.

After the speech, we had the annual "Copa de Cava" with the Dean in the new building. I listened to the Dean's heartfelt Christmas speech, then had some cava with the exchange students. This was a very happy moment for me, because I was around people I loved - and most of them had been the exchange students. They were all so open and appreciative of their time here. We all became so close. Although some had already left, it will be sad to see them go.

And as my professional life was finally fulfilling, my personal life was finally as well. I ended up having a nice dinner and some wonderful conversation, which I enjoyed very much. And at the end of the night, my Brazilian wish came true.

I came home and checked my email to find the following email from Jan:

Hi Ann,

Your final allocation is USD 280 Mio. With the distribution being as follows:

1. USD 280 Mio
2. USD 230 Mio
3. USD 200 Mio
4. USD 190 Mio
5. USD 90 Mio
5. USD 90 Mio
7. USD. 60 Mio
7. USD 60 Mio

As said in class I think this year has been the strongest so far. A testimony of this is that all teams got money allocated. Other years we had between 2 and 4 teams which left without any allocation. So for the entire class it is a job well done. I was very pleased with the quality of yours and others presentation.

Many thanks and all the best to your team members.

Merry Christmas,
Jan

We got top allocation! I really couldn't believe it. And that's when I thought, this must be what happiness feels like, just for me.

"The Square Root of Three," A Poem by Kumar Patel

2008-12-08T21:45:00.003+01:00

I fear that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
The love for me has been renewed

IESE Video Essay

2008-11-17T20:11:00.002+01:00

This week, BusinessWeek will release its MBA program rankings. A few weeks ago, BusinessWeek asked students of some MBA programs, including us at IESE, to submit a creative video piece answering the question: Why should your MBA program be ranked #1?

We answered with a SHORT FILM, a story of a prospective student who comes to IESE to discover the DIFFERENCE .. to find out what makes IESE a truly unique MBA experience.

Unfortunately, me and my horrible Spanish is in this. In my defense I was having a bad Spanish day. And if you look closely, I am wearing an Obama/Biden campaign button because they taped this on election day.

Jump Club!

2008-11-08T23:04:00.000+01:00

On the IESE Wine & Cava Tour...

My Election Day

2008-11-05T20:35:00.009+01:00

It's amazing how one man can come into your life and change it forever. Today Barack Obama changed mine, in ways I could only have dreamed of.

I left to Spain to escape the US, but I guess I never realized the real reason was because I had lost hope. I was ashamed to be American. I wanted something more, but I didn't exactly know what.

Today I was waiting at the bus stop when a Spanish lady sat by me and commented on my Obama-Biden campaign button I always wear on my bag. "You speak English?" she said, in broken form. Then without thinking I beamed back at her and replied, "Yes. I'm American."

And I couldn't believe how easy it was for me to say.

For the first time in years I was actually proud to be American, even abroad. I was surprised to note that it wasn't just me who felt that way. American friends were writing me saying that they were finally not afraid to admit their nationality. Facebook status updates equally expressed this sentiment. And I couldn't help but notice it was all because of one man that made me feel that way; I didn't feel it yesterday. It was because he represented my interests. He was my voice. Either call me an idealist, or call me a traitor but I cannot support something I don't believe in, even if it is my country. Despite his noted eloquence and fluffy visionary rhetoric, Barack Obama did actually give me hope. And that's when I realized how inspiring a leader can be. And how one person really can make a difference.

One person. "We are the ones," Obama says. Despite appearances, we each contributed to this change by voting. I made sure to vote from abroad, even if my vote was counted in Texas, because I wanted accountability. Voting is a powerful thing.

Now Barack Obama has a wounded, emotional and lost nation in his hands. He has a lot of responsibility and a lot of expectations in front of him. He has built up so much expectation in his campaign that it could be very hard to satisfy. In this way I only hope the American people be patient and truly give him a chance. Barack Obama is a very intelligent, methodical man. He may be relatively inexperienced but I'm confident he and Joe Biden has what it takes to restore our place in the world as a great and humble nation.

I'm not saying that Barack Obama is America's savior. He will not snap his fingers and make everything better - the economy, the war, etc - he will make some mistakes. He's only human. But he will bring diplomacy abroad, faith at home, good education, good stimulus packages for small businesses and middle class families, hopefully rebuild our ties with Latin America... and generally restore the hope in its citizens that America so desperately needs. And even so, I might finally be ready to come home.

How Good Are You?

2008-10-26T01:45:00.000+02:00

Surprising that I am in business school.

You Are 84% Good

You are not only a good person... you are a model citizen and a natural leader.

Whether you know it or not, your high moral standards and good judgment is truly rare.

You don't take ethical short cuts in life. You are able to do what's right - even when it's very difficult.

And while it may seem like no one else is as on track as you are, take heart in knowing that you set a good example for others.

You are also probably: Very sensitive and in tune with the world

Right now you are on track to being: A saint

To be a better person: Gently mentor someone who is taking the wrong path in life

How Good Are You?

My Career Fair & Private Banking Workshop Adventure

2008-10-26T01:08:00.002+02:00

Career Fair
Since I've decided to revert back to how I was when I lived in New Orleans, I've been a lot happier with life. I'd have to say that 50% of my happiness has come from my rediscovered freedom, and the other 50% from something else.

Last Wednesday I woke up extra early to pick up my renewed NIE as I was traveling to London that weekend and wanted to make sure I'd be allowed entrance back into Spain. I was surprised at the ease it took to get things done in the usual horribly tangled web of Spanish bureaucracy. I actually was smiling the whole time. So I got my card and had a nice leisurely Catalan breakfast at a cafe nearby before taking the metro back to IESE.

See, Wednesday was also the last day of the IESE Career Fair. I got an email from the Healthcare Club telling us to please visit the Medtronic presentation. Since my good friend Xavi works there, I was going to visit regardless. Was a nice presentation.

After that, met my old flatmate Felix for lunch as he was visiting from his semester abroad at London Business School. After 5 minutes, we decide to go for Santander cocktails. I had no intention of talking to Santander bankers, I was just there to meet people naturally, no networking intention. I ended up hanging out with some first year Americans, who were very pleasant to talk to. Zach and Jeffery and I ended up taking beers out to the patio to enjoy the sunny Spanish afternoon. Soon it was time for them to go to the open career fair, and I had a group meeting for ADVIN. I guess I was too much in the New Orleans spirit, as I did not realize until Zach told me that I was still carrying my beer into the business building.

That night I had a nice dinner and movie with Damiaan which turned out to be a lot of fun. Fun I've never had since college. Wednesday was an unbelievably good day.

Private Banking Workshop
Friday was a little adventure, as I always have airport adventures in Europe. I went out to La Prat airport to fly to London, only to find out that my flight didn't exist, and I had bought the wrong ticket. Hijoeputa! Surely any flight I would take to London would make me late to the Private Banking workshop. I could not exchange my ticket, so I had to pay top dollar for a first class seat to Heathrow and would be late to the meeting. The old me would have gone into a tailspin. But the "free" me just smiled, because I'd be riding first class, and this was a sunk cost anyway, no sense in crying over spilled milk. As for being late, I was sure with my personality I'd get out of embarrassment and shame instantly with a smile... In the big scheme of things, it's not really a big deal.

So my flight was so very pleasant. Excellent service. Nice French guy sitting beside me. Many Bombay Sapphire gin & tonics to keep me happy. Delicious chicken & couscous salad. When I got off the plane, I was all smiles. Met a nice Canadian pilot who showed me the way to the Heathrow Express and to the Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf. Then I was off to Credit Suisse. On the way there, a British policeman complimented me on my accent. It was a great day.

When I entered the meeting, it was like a Boiler Room. My smile may have gotten me through the door, but it was like a roomful of sharks in there. I spent some time observing the personalities of the people, who were the alphas, who were the idiots, and who were the kind souls. I saw alot of the fake banker types. I knew how to play that. So once I figured out what was going on, I tried to interject in the meeting with some thoughts on customer relationships and services. I might have been late, but relationhips are definitely my strength. Don't mess with me when it comes to relationships people. I am the guru.

After the meetings, we had a wrapup and a networking session. I knew through all the ones I've been through before that pushing your business card and sucking up to the MDs really doesn't put you far ahead of everyone else. It just looks like you are desperate. And I understand that there is a certain game you must play, and that these are desperate times, but I believe that real relationships don't start with a fake face and a business card. It starts with a genuine connection, and good manners.

So I ended up talking to a shy looking guy standing by himself. I complimented him on his cufflinks. He was wearing pink & green striped ones with a black striped shirt. It turned out that he was a Private Banker. And I got a lot of personal face time in with him and learned alot about private banking. When I told him why I thought private banking was right for me, in my own words as I didn't have time to make "my story", he told me that I was perfect for it. And that I was looking for a career in precisely the right way. It was very affirming.

After the workshop, met Bala for dinner at this Indian restaurant. I loooooved Indian food. And later we met a couple of fun Australians. The girl was 20, and it was like looking back in time to when I was 20. She was charming and fun. It's simply amazing the different types of people you meet, walking through life, if you take the time to stop and smell the roses.

Best Superhero Ever

2008-10-20T19:06:00.002+02:00

Financial Times Guy...

My Trading Diary

2008-10-10T20:05:00.005+02:00

"You spill that drink I'll rip your eyes out."
--A very wise trader

Apparently ripping things off is a common trader theme. (That sounded more innocent in my head). I once had a trader boss who used to say "You trade the Yen instead of the Euro again I'll rip your face off." (Didn't say that to me though.)

I don't know. I love the atmosphere in Professor Simon's ADVIN and ALTIN classes. People say it's intense. I find it thrilling.

When I traded currency, we were not allowed to trade without a trading plan, or a stop loss, or without carrying out a specific daily routine (record the fundamentals, identify support & resistance, check the short & long term charts, watch for economic indicators). Here, in Professor Simon's class, he gives us free reign to trade however we wish, but this time, it's through a simulated trading program.

However, he recommends we keep a trading diary. I'm going to go the daring route and actually reveal my trading diary here: all the victories, all the embarrassments, a documentary of real time greed and fear.. all on the backdrop of a financial crisis.

I started trading a bit late, and I have to admit, a bit randomly. I saw the other traders in the class with all their positions, and I felt the need to keep up, psychologically. I saw oil prices falling and oil companies slammed, so I decided to short a few oilfield services stocks, which tend to lag oil companies a bit. Also, I had been deciding on a Relative Value play on oilfield services stocks for ALTIN, shorting one and simultaneously going long one I thought would outperform the other... so I decided to test my theory for momentum in the ADVIN portfolio.

On Wednesday, I shorted SLB at $63.11 and WFT at $16.71. Then I went long one of the oil companies I knew had good fundamentals, HES, at $63. These were stupid decisions. I had no exit strategy. I also shorted MS hoping to bet against stability of their deal with Mitsubishi.

On Thursday, I started to take the game more seriously. Looking at the news and market movements, I went long on RIMM (the makers of BlackBerry) via their analyst upgrade and expected release of new product. Additionally, since gold was shooting up, I took a long position in a gold stock, AUY, which intially made me money, but ended up being a small loser. Seeing as gold prices weren't behaving normally, I decided to cut my losses on that stock. Sold more of MS on news of Moody's downgrade and class action lawsuit. A little bit of stupidity: HES was losing me tons of money, so I tried to get out at a limit price, hoping the stock will bounce and I'd get off with fewer losses, but the stock never did bounce and my losses continued to surmount. I thought it wise to get out now and admit defeat, but the trading program wouldn't let me out of the stock since I already had a limit order in that was not fulfilled and I didn't know how to cancel it. So I sold HES short. Well...

Thursday night I took profits in RIMM because I didn't feel the market would support it going any higher. The European markets were all down, as were the US markets. Economic data was grim, and bond spreads were increasing. The TED spread was at it's all time high of 432 bps. I looked at SP futures and the VIX index, a measure of volatility, and it was up an outstanding 11% to around 63 that night. So I decided to make a big play, just for fun. I shorted the sh*t out of SP Depository Notes (we are only allowed to trade securities on US stock exchanges). This, I admit, is a risky, leveraged play. I would never do this in real life. But I guess I just wanted a little drama. Don't ever try this at work (but you can try it at home, if you want to lose alot of your own money).

The mistake I made was putting in the order after market close, so Friday, when my position was openned, there had been a HUGE gap in overnight trading that my order was executed at a very low price. And I was short. The notes immediately dipped, then shot up to past 90, pulling me to almost the bottom of the trader list. During US lunch hour, I panicked, watching the market go up and down, little by little, the SPY testing 85, then back up to 86, and good god, up to 88. I took some time off to read a case and when I came back, it was at 84 and pulling down. I had made tons of (fake) money! I would have gotten out of the position there, but there was a rule that we cannot enter and exit a trade on the same day, so since my order was executed this morning, I couldn't get out of it today. I looked at the candlesticks on the short term chart and relaxed. I was confident SPY would pull down again in the coming days if I don't get out now.

The focus of my day

So I decided to close out most of my positions for the weekend to reassess the bahavior of the markets again next week. I took profits on SLB, MS, and WFT. I could not trade HES, because I had made that short sell this morning (so now I have a short and a long) but the good news is, I figured out how to cancel that good-til-canceled order, so I can just exit my position at a (hedged) loss on Monday.

My First Week of Second Year

2008-10-05T21:24:00.004+02:00

They say that whenever we get stuck in a rut or when we're off on the wrong path completely, the universe will using various signs to point this out to you. Lately, everything has been falling into place nicely, and I feel more at peace with myself. On the first day of class, my Corporate Communications professor cold called me to prepare a speech the next day on something I was passionate about. You can probably guess that I gave one on Barack Obama. It gave me confidence, and my life a little more meaning.

I also started getting involved with the Democrats Abroad of Barcelona, going to campaign cocktail & voter registration get-togethers, debate screenings, and many more to come on the campaign trail. This is something I did not get to do last year, and this fulfilled a need of mine for transcendental motivation.

And in Alternative Investments, I volunteered to act as hedge fund manager in searching for investment positions in a practice hedge fund. This required that I actually take a leadership role for once, and manage people & investments. I never thought of myself as a leader, it always felt awkward to me to be the one in charge of decisions, but this time, I felt secure. I guess when it's right, it feels right.

Sometimes though, it is hard to know when something or someone is right for you. But usually you can tell when it's wrong. And it's only when you know yourself - not only what your strengths and weaknesses are but also how you learn, how you work with others, what your values are, and where you can make the greatest contribution - that you learn to reject the things that are wrong for you and hope that what is right is waiting for you, somewhere out there...

Mi Destino

2008-09-26T20:12:00.005+02:00

I’m a narcissist. Part of me actually believes the huge banking crisis is a sign by God pointing me to a new direction in my life. As if to say, “don’t go back into Investment Banking, do something that will truly make you happy. Besides, I’ve basically obliterated all of Wall Street anyway.”

So I’m on it. The second year of business school has begun, and I have another year to do something meaningful with my life. A few days ago, IESE sent us the rights to download the book “More Than Money – Questions Every MBA Must Answer” by Mark Albion about avoiding the traps of MBA culture to find your true calling. It was like God dropped that in my lap too.

“Being clear on what you really want is tough, particularly for high-powered MBAs. It’s important to remain connected to who you are and your inner needs that may have been drowned out by the noise of business school.”
-Mark Albion

One of the “Lifelines” explained in the book is “Don’t get really good at what you don’t want to do.” And so today, I dropped Managerial Decision Models (MADEM) in favor of Marketing of Experiences, Innovating Concepts & Media (MECMI). The truth was, I didn’t have any real interest in taking MADEM, other than getting a leg up on other modelers in the financial world. I have been doing models for 2 years as an IB analyst, and this summer in my PE job. But I didn’t really want to do it. I felt a sense of confidence wash over me because I made a decision based on what I wanted to do rather than something I should be doing to become a person I should become.

“More Than Money” also stipulates that a good way to find direction in your life is to analyse who you consider heroes and why you consider them so. I instantly went to my other webpage where I had posted a list of my heroes 2 years ago: Bill Clinton. Alvaro Uribe. Barack Obama. Al Gore. My Future Husband. Greg Behrendt. Sigmund Freud.

Considering the above, I realized that my heroes were all inspirational people. Most are politicians. But they all reached people with their beliefs, even when crowds were against them. They are strong personalities. They all wanted to make a difference, they did, and they still do. I guess that is what I want to do with my life.

Yesterday I stepped off the plane and into the Newark Airport before departing to Barcelona. And what I saw upon exiting the gate was a Juan Valdez Café. Immediately I could feel my heart leap inside my chest and a smile spread across my face. It was just like the ones I saw in Colombia… but in the States. It was beautiful. I couldn’t believe it. Colombian businesses in the States! I felt so inexplicably happy, and without realizing what I was doing, I found myself walking right up to it. The coffee names were in Spanish. They had traditional American sandwiches and yogurt, but they also had Colombian Arepas! And the most delicious coffee in the world. I ordered a Café Cardamomo, with crushed cardamom. It had a distinctive flavour I have never tasted in a coffee before.

As I was drinking it, I read the text on the cup:

“Each coffee bean in this cup has been proudly grown, harvested and handpicked by coffee farmers in the Colombian mountains. This cup represents their hard work, pride, and love for their land and their culture. Juan Valdez Café makes it possible for them to obtain a better living for their work.”

I don’t know about you, but this little statement is more meaningful to me than all the Oscar Wilde quotes on all the Starbucks cups.

I remember the first time I went to a Juan Valdez Café. I was visiting my friend German in Bogota. There were people in line inside, outside chatting, happy, just like the scene at a normal Starbucks. Then he said to me, “You know, this is not what Colombia is really like. In reality, only 10% of Colombians can afford to have coffee here everyday, to have this lifestyle we have. 90% have a very low income.”

And I remember thinking I want to change this… somehow… I just don’t know exactly how.

And so, to tie everything together. Most of my heroes are politicians. I’m most passionate about the US legislature passing the free trade agreement between the US and Colombia, and then to other South American nations. Something innate awakens internally when I come across something culturally Colombian. I don’t know why. I believe it has something about the way Colombians seem so “free”. Same with people from New Orleans. And San Francisco I hear. And I just want to be free. I think from here it seems that I should take a management position in Juan Valdez or some other Colombian company and help it’s expansion in the US (US, because I love the US, know it well, and want to introduce Colombian culture there) & abroad in order to better the lives of the less fortunate people in Colombia. I know this does not sound like a job that an MBA would go around bragging about. It’s not made of money. It’s not Banking or Consulting. It’s not high-powered, self-promoting or glamourous. I just hope I have the courage to trust myself enough with this dream and not be lured by money or status again.

My New Orleans Welcome

2008-09-23T04:11:00.009+02:00

A New Orleans Welcome

[Scene: Newark Airport.]

I'm sitting alone at the gate, reading a British Cosmo. Two men with southern accents are arguing next to me.

Suddenly, I sneeze.

Southern Guy #1: "Bless you!"
Me: "Thank you."

I look over, surprised someone actually said bless you. I had been sneezing all day, and no one ever said anything. It made me happy that someone was actually nice.

Southern Guy #1: "Hi, I'm Randy. And this is my friend David.
Me: "Hi. I'm Ann. Is this the gate to Houston? It says so on my ticket, but no one seems to be here yet."
Randy: "Yes, we're going to Houston too. Well actually, I'm taking another flight to New Orleans. I live there. And David here lives in Midland, Tx."
Me: "Get out! I used to live in New Orleans. I went to Tulane."
Randy: "Really! I love Tulane! That's a great school."
Me: "Yeah, I love Louisiana."
Randy: "Me too! I'm from Houma, right outside New Orleans. Lived there all my life. Look! I just got back from Croatia. Let me show you some pictures on my laptop!"

[Really, New Orleanians are this friendly.]

Randy: "I love my job! I get to travel all around the world and the pay is really good" Then he whispers to me, "But my job's really easy. You can certainly do my job. Shhh... don't tell anyone!"

We look at the pictures for a while and I notice both guys had wedding rings. And only the New Orleans guy is talking to me.

Randy: "I'm trying to travel as much as possible before I retire in couple of years."
Me: "Retire? Are you serious? How old are you? Late 30s?"
Randy: "I love you! No, I just turned 50."
Me: "Well you don't look over 40." (He had no grey hairs and smooth skin)
Randy: "I love you!!"

On the plane ride, I ended up sitting next to the other guy, David. I said it was really nice to meet a guy as fun and friendly as Randy. David told me that Randy treats all people like family, no matter what race, color, past, status. And his wife is exactly the same way. How refreshing to meet someone like this in the world. Someone who won't immediately judge or characterize you, who automatically assume you are a friend until you betray his trust. And still, at his age, he retained his youthful exuberance and innocence. He puts himself out there, a very caring, extroverted personality.

And I couldn't help but feel a little sad, because I used to be just like him. The whole city of New Orleans is full of these types of people. That is probably why I loved it so much. It really is a special place, like no other. Now I looked at myself and how guarded and cautious I've become, and I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

I speak often of my wish to feel "free" again. What I mean by that is to feel like Randy probably feels everyday.

Bush: Trade deal with Colombia is in US interest

2008-09-21T05:54:00.003+02:00

Finally.

One thing I liked about President Bush is that he pushes what he sees as right. And on this one thing, we see eye to eye.

One step at a time.

Bush: Trade deal with Colombia is in US interest
By DEB RIECHMANN (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
September 20, 2008 8:56 PM EDT

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe renewed their push on Saturday for Congress to approve a free-trade deal before lawmakers leave town to campaign for re-election.

"It's in our economic interest that we continue to open up markets in our neighborhood, particularly with a nation that is growing like yours," Bush told Uribe in the Rose Garden. "And yet we can't get a vote out of Congress. I've been asking the Democrat leadership in Congress for a vote, and they've consistently blocked the vote."

Congressional Democrats say they are delaying votes on trade deals involving Colombia, Panama and South Korea until the Bush administration resolves questions about the impact on U.S. jobs and other issues. But time is running out on the legislative calendar. The Colombian pact was negotiated in late 2006.

Bush urged lawmakers to reconsider their opposition, but seemed resigned that it might not happen on his watch. Bush called Uribe an "honest man" who has responded to U.S. concerns about crime in Colombia and has been successful in reducing homicides, kidnappings and terrorist attacks.

"What happens in Colombia can affect life here in the United States," Bush said. "You've got a strong supporter here. And after I leave office, it's going to be very important for the next president and the next Congress to stand squarely by your side."

Uribe said a free-trade agreement would help increase U.S. investment in Colombia and provide jobs for people as an alternative to engaging in terrorism, illegal drug-trafficking and violence.

"Free trade agreement for us is the possibility to give certainty to investors for them to come to Colombia, and the more the investors come to Colombia, the less difficult for us to defeat terrorism," Uribe said. "Investment is the real alternative to illicit crops. Investment is the real possibility for our people to find high-quality jobs."

Later in the evening, Uribe was greeted at the North Portico by Bush and first lady Laura Bush, who had invited the Colombian president and other guests for a dinner of gazpacho, petite rib-eye steaks and coconut cake.

In remarks before dinner, Bush continued to pressure Congress to approve the free-trade deal while addressing a crowd of about 150 dinner guests, including members of the House and Senate, such as Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.

"The American people, Mr. President, are proud to call the Colombian people our friends and our allies," Bush told Uribe in the White House's East Room. "My sincere hope is that the United States Congress will pass the Colombia free trade agreement as soon as possible."

In a toast, Uribe praised Bush for his "strong support to our policy" but promised this is not the end of a U.S.-Colombia relationship, which will continue to grow stronger.

In recent months, Bush has tried new ways to bolster his free-trade agenda. In May, a concrete mixer, crates of cauliflower, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and chunks of cheese were displayed on the White House lawn as examples of a lopsided tariff structure the U.S. has with those three countries.

A White House event in July was billed as a celebration of the day in 1810 when Colombia declared its independence from Spain, but the main message was trade.

Union leaders are not sold on the plan.

On Friday, the Teamsters, which represents 1.4 million workers, protested Uribe's visit, saying he was trying to promote a trade deal that threatens American jobs. The Teamsters and members of other unions and Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch held signs and passed out fliers in front of the National Press Building.

With little hope the Colombian deal will be approved before Congress recesses for the November elections, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said that if there is a lame-duck session after the elections, lawmakers could ratify the agreement then.

"In light of recent divisive statements and rash actions by some Latin American leaders, ratification of the agreement would also send a strong signal to the region that the United States stands by its friends," said Lugar, top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, expelled the U.S. ambassador this month, accusing the diplomat of conspiring to oust him. Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, who claims the U.S. was behind a failed 2002 coup against him, quickly followed suit. "That's enough ... from you, Yankees," Chavez said, using a barnyard expletive.

---

Documenting the Financial Crisis

2008-09-20T21:40:00.004+02:00

I chose this article because it shows a side of the unique role investment banks play in society that sometimes people fail to appreciate. Although I don't intrinsically support the federal bank bailouts because it shows even more weakness in the financial systems (if we don't even believe in it, how do we expect the consumers to believe in it?), this story I'm sure is not unique to Lehman Brothers, but it does put a little sentimentality in the air. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Asi es la vida. But I still believe everything happens for a reason. When one door closes, another one opens.

Lehman lifeline was critical to chip maker AMD
By JORDAN ROBERTSON (AP Technology Writer)
From Associated Press
September 19, 2008 1:58 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO - With Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s cash reserves dwindling and the chip maker's overall financial health deteriorating to dangerous levels last year, the company was thrown a lifeline by Lehman Brothers, the investment bank now in bankruptcy.

The $1.5 billion in AMD debt that Lehman scooped up in August 2007 demonstrates the important role that banks like Lehman and other investment firms play in helping prop up wobbly companies by pouring money into them when they're down.

The banks profit from the investment in so-called "convertible senior notes" through interest payments and the conversion of the debt into either cash or favorably priced shares delivered at some point in the future. Healthy companies also use the debt offerings to raise money on favorable terms to buy back stock or pay for other general expenses.

The Lehman-AMD deal is a snapshot of a common type of partnership that could be harder to come by with Lehman's bankruptcy and the disintegration or consolidation of other banks.

In AMD's case, Lehman's problems won't affect the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company's balance sheet, which at the end of June showed AMD holding about $1.6 billion in cash while carrying $5.3 billion in debt.

That's because AMD has already spent the proceeds, and its debt offering was sold off by Lehman to other banks or held by its subsidiaries that are now being sold to other firms.

There were no clauses that required anything further of AMD other than paying interest on the investment and fulfilling the contracts when they reach their maturity date.

AMD declined to comment.

AMD used the cash infusion to pay down debt from its $5.6 billion acquisition of graphics chip maker ATI Technologies and for other corporate expenses.

Richard Lane, a fixed-income analyst with Moody's Investors Services who follows the high-tech sector, said that in today's environment, any company considering issuing long-term debt - even a company with solid fundamentals - could face challenges raising money.

Companies like AMD could also be at a disadvantage in selling short-term debt, also called short-term commercial paper. The strongest, most well-established technology names figure to be in the best position, as a crisis of confidence in the markets tends to drive a "flight to quality" by investors seeking the most stable companies, Lane said.

That includes two titans of the tech sector, International Business Machines Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., which use commercial paper to fund their operations and cover the cost of customer financing. IBM could have anywhere from $5 billion to $10 billion in commercial paper outstanding at any time, while HP generally has as much as $6 billion outstanding, according to Lane. Hewlett-Packard declined to comment, and IBM did not return a request for comment.
---

And a song, circulated to my MBA class, which popularizes the events that will soon go down in history. It's one thing when you are reading about these things in the History books, it's another when it is happening right in front of you. These are exciting times. And I wouldn't look at these times as failures. I would look at them as opportunities to change (and I'm not subconsciously pulling an Obama here). There is something just a little refreshing about being given the chance to make yourself over, and rediscover who you really are.

In memoriam: The ballad of the Lehman Bros. banker, sung to the tune of Don McLean¹s American Pie:

A long, long time ago,
I can still remember,
How much wealth there was in the Square Mile,
And I knew that if I had my chance,
I could make it in finance,
And maybe I¹d have money for a while.
But subprime assets made me shiver,
With every product I¹d deliver,
Bad news in the press(es),
Just look at those CDSs.
I can¹t remember if I cried,
When my salary was pushed aside,
But something resounded worldwide,
The week the IB died.
So bye, bye, Lehman Brothers and I,
Needed credit to get better but the credit was dry,
Hank Paulson¹s Fed had carved up the pie,
Saying, AIG¹s too big to die,
AIG is too big to die.
Why¹d Fuld wait, put all at stake,
Did he think he¹d make more at a later date?
Greedy finance tycoons,
Now Barclay¹s buying, let¹s be frank,
A pretty cheap investment bank,
Can you hire me, real soon?
Well, I know that it¹s a lot to ask,
When Einhorn¹s taken us to task,
Using our balance sheet to guise,
Our level 3 assets¹ demise.
Now Morgan Stanley¹s feeling short,
And BofA¹s Merrill¹s last resort,
The banking system¹s pretty morte,
The week the IB died.
I was saying,
Bye, bye, Lehman Brothers and I,
Needed credit to get better but the credit was dry,
Hank Paulson¹s Fed had carved up the pie,
Saying, AIG¹s too big to die,
AIG is too big to die.
Now for four years we¹d been on the phone,
Selling mezzanine CDOs,
But that¹s not how it used to be,
When Dick came in, we just did bonds,
Good thing he helped us right that wrong,
By buying Aurora Loan LLC,
Oh, and while the Fed was looking Oround,
They thought they¹d try and shoot us down,
The market was all broken,
Bank lending was a croakin¹,
And while we unwind our trading book,
The head hunters all have a look,
The hedge funds are put on the hook,
The week the IB died,
I was saying,
Bye, bye, Lehman Brothers and I,
Needed credit to get better but the credit was dry,
Hank Paulson¹s Fed had carved up the pie,
Saying, AIG¹s too big to die,
AIG is too big to die

Obama and The Palin Effect

2008-09-12T06:53:00.005+02:00

Deepak Chopra wrote a piece on the psychology playing out in our country right now via Palin and Obama, posted in the Huffington Post:

Obama and The Palin Effect

From: Deepak Chopra | Posted: Friday, September 5th, 2008

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are not wanting to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.)

I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin's message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.

Look at what she stands for - symbolically and literally:

--Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.

--Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad.

--Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.

--Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can ever be negotiated.

--Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.

--"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.

Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is." The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.

Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

Through Different Eyes

2008-09-12T05:50:00.005+02:00

Today I woke up, saw the flags at half mass. Was a little confused. It wasn't until I was signing a check today and wrote the date that it hit me: It was September 11.

I spent year in Europe. The 2 years before leaving I worked 100 hours a week so maybe life sort of passed as a blur. And before that I was in school. But coming back from Europe and seeing this anniversary memorial of 9/11... I found it sad. Like we were calling attention to the fact that we are still victims. It troubles me. Sure, we need to remember what happened. Sure, nothing will ever be the same. Sure, the world is a scary place. But when bad things happen, I believe we need to address our grievances head on.. and then move on.

It saddens me to read the news today, in the States. Obama. McCain. Palin. The war in Iraq: First, it was about WMD. Then, it was about freedom and championing Democracy. Now, it is about National Security. Apparently Sarah Palin just stated that it was God's will. It seems as though we are very lost. And at the same time, it seems as though we are so enthralled by our inner drama that nothing else in the world seems to matter.

Georgia once asked Ally McBeal the question "What makes your problems bigger than anyone else's?" She answered: "They're mine."

Meanwhile in Latin America, Bolivia and Venezuela both recently ousted the US ambassadors to their country saying that they were no longer welcome. "Hopefully, sooner than later, (the U.S.) will have a government that respects the peoples and the governments of Latin America," Chavez said. Perhaps the most appropriate answer to this is "Porque no te calles?" Or perhaps, there is some truth there.

And today, I saw a woman look through her purse trying to find enough money to buy dinner. All she had was a $5. The plate cost $5.17. I gave her a dollar. There are Americans hurting out there. The shopping centers are almost completely deserted, at any time of day. The gas bill is twice as much as it was before I left. These are hard economic times. And we're lost.

It troubles me.

My Quest Continues

2008-09-11T06:18:00.004+02:00

"I actually like the quest. The search. The more lost you are, the more you have to look forward to."
-ALLY MCBEAL

I'm not exactly lost. I'm in the general vicinity of happiness and self-actualization. I'm just a work in progress. During an episode of Ally McBeal, her therapist told her to select a theme song to describe her life. It has to be peppy. It has to pick you up. It has to have punch. I've always been a big believer of theme songs, and one song struck my senses with the intensity of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume on a hot sunny day to describe my last day in Switzerland was this: "Otra Oportunidad" by Colombian artist Wamba.

On careers, a Swiss lawyer friend of mine had asked me why, since I spend all my free time writing (less) and dancing (more), I didn't consider a career in those fields. I couldn't tell him why at the moment, but then the answer came to me after some thought. When I dance or when I write, it is the only time I can feel free. When I have the impulse, I just have to express it. But if I am forced to dance, or if I must attach structure and deadlines to my writing, I begin to hate doing these things. It destroys the freedom. It destroys me. I learned to keep the artistic side of me a creative outlet rather than a living. If it is forced, for me, it can never be pure. It must come when it comes.

It is said that when there is some confusion about what career path you should take, you should go back to what you wanted to be when you were a little boy or girl...

We used to play this game in middle school. It's a game of chance, where among other things, you have to list your favorite prospective careers and such, and the outcome was supposed to bring together a unique combination of all your favorite things which would amount to your future. On this paper, I remember, I had my future jobs in this order - and now I understand why I chose them -

1) Pathologist (Intrinsically, I like to learn every little thing about a particular subject that interests me -- and some diseases do not have cures)
2) Psychologist (I wanted to help people somehow. And I was always, always interested in personality and the inner self)
3) Lawyer (I wanted authority and respect)

My mentor at IESE said that we choose our paths in life for a reason, and career changes shouldn't be taken lightly. Looking at this list above it was quite obvious why I went into Finance - the extrinsic rewards and the apparent power and respect, the exciting world of stocks, funds and M&A to satisfy boundless intellectual curiosity. Analysing a company now is just as exciting as researching a particular disease was to me back then. And that is why I chose Finance. Though it could have been, and probably should have been, Psychology.

Are You Living the Wrong Life?

2008-09-06T01:41:00.000+02:00

Your Life is 60% Off Track

Right now, you're taking things one day at a time.

Some things are going well, but you can't help but wonder if you're getting the most out of life.

It's time for you to slow down and reflect a little. You can change your life - but it's up to you!

Are You Living The Wrong Life?

My Last Day In Switzerland

2008-09-05T19:18:00.006+02:00

Tomorrow I fly back out to the States, it is my last day in Switzerland. What was so refreshing about Switzerland was how polite people were, how well behaved, how clean, and how everything ran on time. What I didn't like about Switzerland was how closed off most people were (I think I had the lowest date request ratio per time spent in an area since high school!). However, I did have some milestones I'll never forget.

- Built 3 operating models from scratch
- Got accretive / dilutive
- Went on a date with a guy in the Swiss military (in uniform!)
- Had aguardiente in Geneva on my birthday
- Actually enjoyed a job for the first time in my life (most of the time)
- Danced salsa on a ship
- Made a Brazilian wish
- Met a wonderful lawyer in Lugano

And amongst these milestones, today I learned I will not be getting a full time offer to return to Zug. I was expecting that for a couple of weeks actually, but I still stayed long hours because I knew I needed to learn. But during these last few weeks, I started to feel like something was missing. I loved my job, but it was so tiring, and I knew in my heart it wasn't exactly what I wanted.

A while back I had written in my journal that if money were not an issue, what I would most like to do with my life is work in some sort of low key financial analyst job, but after work I'd have time to go to dance practice every day. I would learn all these different types of salsa I'd always wanted to learn. Cumbia & zydeco via the clubs. I would learn samba and capoeira. I'd continue Spanish classes until I was fluent. All the things I never had time to do. And when I was leaving the office at 8 or 9PM everyday, although I only worked 70 hours this summer rather than 100 hours a week like in Banking, I still knew in my heart that something was missing.

I believe that if they had given me an offer, I would have taken it, even knowing this. I would spend the last of my 20s in an office, letting life pass me by. Why, because 1) it's a great job and I would be lucky to have it but also because 2) it's security. I won't have to worry about the unknown my last year of the MBA in a bearish economy. But, it's not everything I wanted. What I always fall for nowadays is security...

... But it didn't use to always be this way. I was at an almost identical fork in the road 3 years ago: I had to decide whether to get engaged to someone I had dated for 4 years, and had obviously loved once. He was a medical student, smart, funny, cute, considerate (sometimes)... but something was missing. I guess I always wanted to be the center of attention and wanted a guy to be in the spotlight with me, rather than on the sidelines. Despite it all, I still can't describe what exactly was missing. It just didn't feel in my heart, right, even though it was almost right, or right on paper. Back then I was a risk taker, and took my chances without him. I had confidence in my decisions because everything had always gone right for me. I was hopeful, but I was naive. And at that moment, like I do now, I felt free and that the world was ahead of me... but since then I suffered so much and still have not found that person that feels right. Maybe that's why now I would have chosen security over my heart - because there is no guarantee that it will ever work out. I guess it's just fear of the unknown. They say some would rather live with the evil they know rather than the evil they don't.

But I think the right thing happened for me. Now I know so much more of what I want, and I'll be more selective in my job search, and trust that the right one is out there for me...

The Shadow of Your Smile // La Sombra de tu Amor

2008-08-31T20:16:00.005+02:00

This was just so beautiful I couldn't help but post it. A reference to the entry below... the only known time Juanes sings in English (and Tony Bennett sings in Spanish!)

The Shadow of Your Smile - duet with Tony Bennett & Juanes

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #1 - JUANES

2008-08-31T15:01:00.000+02:00

The story of the first time I saw Juanes in concert is actually quite sad. I had a boyfriend in college, a serious one, and somehow I fell into Juanes' music. I found out he was coming to perform at Jazzfest in New Orleans. And so on Valentine's Day, my boyfriend at the time gave me 2 tickets to Jazzfest to see him play. I was so excited, I couldn't wait. Unfortunately, we broke up a few days before the concert, and since he wasn't a fan, he let me have his ticket. I didn't have anyone to go with. As it turned out, I went last minute with a Colombian classmate of mine, which was then the start of something spectacular...ly life-changing... But I'll never forget that day. I think it was one of the last times I was happy, you know, that pure, carefree kind of happy.

A little about Juanes... he is really amazing. Like many other Colombian singers I love, Juanes is a Leo (August 9) born in Medellin, Colombia. His interesting name actually comes about when his father used to call him Juanes, a short form of his name Juan Esteban. During the 1980s and 1990s, Juanes was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis but disbanded the group in 1998 to pursue a solo career. Juanes is also known for his humanitarian work, especially with aid for Colombian victims of anti-personnel mines. And among other things, he is an activist for the Spanish language and will not himself sing in English in order to best express himself (since he thinks and feels in Spanish) and to promote the Spanish language. One exception was his duet with Tony Bennett for the song "The Shadow of your Smile."

To watch Juanes perform live is truly a soul-lifting experience. I hope that I can recreate some of the magic here.

Juanes - "Me Enamora"

Juanes - "A Dios Le Pido"

Happy Birthday John McCain

2008-08-29T23:01:00.005+02:00

So John McCain revealed his running mate today, on his 72nd birthday, which will be Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a 44 year old social conservative and self-proclaimed "hockey mom." Nice move. My congratulations to McCain for a good choice. And while McCain supporters were busy attacking Obama for his choice in VP as an "admission of weakness" I can't help but think of McCain's choice as a cheap theatre trick executed in part to have the appearance of support for a minority group and partially with the possibility of luring ex-Hillary supporters looking for a way to release their anger at their candidate's unfortunate falling out. But the truth is, Joe Biden is no more of an admission of weakness as Sarah Palin is a walking "Look! We care about minorities!" sign on the Republican Party. It's just a running mate. As we know their job is mostly just to break ties in the Senate.

But a "maverick" social conservative? That is the last thing America needs. I hate to say it, but what we need is change. What we need is diplomacy. What we need is intelligence. What we need is limited offshore drilling with an investment in alternative energy sources. I really hope Hillary supporters aren't moronic enough to vote for a ticket just because there is a woman on it. If Hillary's intelligence has any reflection on her supporters I'm sure they won't. We should vote for the candidate, not the color, not the gender, not the age. And if we don't like any of them, we can just stay home.

So it comes to this... a Leo versus a Virgo. Just like an old relationship. And man did we fiiiight... This election is going to be a hell of a ride...

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #2 - JERAU

2008-08-29T22:30:00.003+02:00

"Que.. estas conmigo mi amor, muñequita de mis sueños ven a mi..."

It was September 2006, Bogota, in La Kukamakara club when I first heard this song. We were ordering bottles of rum and coke when Daniel, one of my Colombian friends from Tulane who was also a trader in the hedge fund with me (top trader in fact), asked me to dance. He said it was his favorite song. He and his cousin had just seen Jerau in concert that day. And so we danced... and I fell in love with this song.

Jerau (Jerry Rodriguez) is an up and comer from Cartegena, Colombia. Born into a family of actors, he wrote his first song "Buscar Otro Amor" when he was 12. His secondary studies lead him to Bogota with the intent of studying business, but he ended up breaking into the world music stage instead. He's really got soul.

Jerau - "Estas Conmigo"

Barack Obama's Speech at the Democratic National Convention

2008-08-29T21:58:00.006+02:00

Even though I am far away from my country, things like this still make me feel like I'm at home. This speech was amazing. Now I'm not exactly the strong patriotic type, but it almost made me cry it was so good. I know it sounds corny, but I have been waiting for a man like Barack Obama to say what I always wanted to say, to share my opinion on issues I care about, to be my voice. And he just did. I know what the media says, that Barack is not connected to the people. Well I feel he is connected to me. Even if he is half a world away.

"And we will keep our promise to every young American: If you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education."

This is the link to the interactive video and transcript.
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/20080828_OBAMA_SPEECH.html#

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #3 - ANDRES CABAS

2008-08-28T21:28:00.003+02:00

This spot was meant to be for Shakira, but since everyone probably already knows about her, I thought it would be more beneficial to introduce another lesser-well known, but equally amazing Colombian artist. (That, and the fact that I have more Cabas songs than Shakira ones in my iPOD.)

What can I say about Andres Cabas? He was born in Barranquilla and his music has become popular due to his catchy and Caribbean sounding songs. His old stuff (particularly Fiesta de Tambores or Ana Maria) is strong on the Afro-Caribean beat and is very authentic, folksy Colombian.

So the following video is a song from his newest album. It is the traditional story about a man not believing in love and feeling hopeless until he met that special someone. And married her. In fact, he wrote this for his wife. The video is very sweet, and surprising. I wanted to post this to show again how utterly romantic Colombians are. I don't think I've ever met a person more passionate & romantic than a Colombian. (Anyone care to prove me wrong?)

Cabas - "Bonita"

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #4 - FONSECA

2008-08-25T13:24:00.007+02:00

Fonseca is one of my favorite artists, no wonder, because he is influenced heavily by another of my favorite artists of all time, Carlos Vives. A Gemini from Bogota, his music captures alot of the coastal Vallenato songs but mixes them in with catchy-rock beats.

One of my favorite songs in the world is already posted on this blog, it is so romantic, but I will post instead a song from his new album, Gratitud, out this year. His music is simply amazing.

"Enrédame" is another classic romantic song, and how can you not fall in love with lyrics like these:

Con mis ojos cerrados te doy un beso
Ay a veces no se si yo te merezco
Pero me encanta enredarme
Todas las noches contigo
Y si estoy loco vas a vivir
en un manicomio conmigo

Fonseca - "Enrédame"

(An English translation couldn't do it justice. Just one of those things that sound better in Spanish.. Okay, I will tell you this: there is a line that goes something like "Deliver me your nightmares, and I will give you my dreams..." Aww.)

My Text Message

2008-08-23T12:34:00.006+02:00

I was woken up by a text message from the Obama campaign. "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee," the message said.

Joe Biden has represented the state of Delaware in the United States Senate since 1972, when he was elected at the age of twenty-nine. Senator Biden is recognized as a leader in foreign policy, as well as one of the nation's most influential voices on terrorism, drug policy, and crime. Nationally, Senator Biden has earned a reputation for working on a bipartisan basis with Republican colleagues and bringing real results that matter to Americans.

What Biden brings to an Obama presidency:

Larry King comments:

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #5 - GRUPO NICHE

2008-08-23T03:06:00.006+02:00

A list of Colombian artists is never complete without a little salsa. Grupo Niche is a very famous Colombian salsa group formed Bogota, but they are now based in Cali. Cali is considered the "Capital of Salsa", if only for the Colombian style, salsa caleña. In all my years practicing salsa, their song Cali Pachanguero is one of the most classic and famous salsa songs.

Here is a video tribute to Grupo Niche and salsa in Cali. Hope you enjoy the moves...

Grupo Niche - "Cali Pachanguero"

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #6 - ATERCIOPELADOS

2008-08-20T21:55:00.003+02:00

A-ter-ci-o-pe-la-dos. That sure is a mouthful. This Bogota band was one of the first well known rock bands in Colombia. Their music really is haunting. Andrea Echeverri, the lead singer and accoustic guitarist, now has her own album out. It is beautiful. If you want to hear her individual album, go here.

This band has a lot of depth and is sometimes a little strange (especially their old stuff in the 90s), but they are entirely Colombian. This particular song, El Estuche, is my favorite. Listen to the lyrics, it is something Antonio likes to lecture as well:

Mira la escencia, no las apariencias
El cuerpo es sólo un estuche y los ojos la ventana,
De nuestra alma... aprisionada

(Look at the essence, not the appearances. The body is only a case and the eyes the window... of our imprisoned soul).

Lo que hay adentro es lo que vale

(What is inside is what matters).

Aterciopelados - "El Estuche"

Some of their old stuff (very rock-y):

Aterciopelados - "Baracunata"

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #7 - FANNY LU

2008-08-19T19:48:00.005+02:00

When I first heard Fanny Lu (Fanny Lucia Martinez), I liked her right away. Turns out she studied at one of the most prestigious universities in Colombia, la Universidad de Los Andes, as did most of my Colombian friends. Actually, I almost went to Los Andes for a Masters in Political Science & Economics but instead I chose to get an MBA in IESE.

"No Te Pido Flores" is one of her most well known songs, it has a tropical feel to it, and in fact I think it sums up exactly how I feel about love:
no te pido que traigas flores
tampoco que me des bombones
yo solo quiero una caricia
que me digas que tu me quieres
no te pido que te confieses
ni que prometas ni que rezes
yo solo quiero que me digas
que no hay mujer que mas admiras

(I'm not asking for flowers or chocolates, all I'm asking is for your affection and that you love me. I don't want you to give me promises, I only want you to say that I'm the woman you admire most.)

Fanny Lu - "No Te Pido Flores"

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #8 - CARLOS VIVES

2008-08-17T13:59:00.006+02:00

Carlos Vives is truly a monumental singer in Colombia. Born August 7 (a fellow Leo) in Santa Marta, he was the first mainstream singer to incorporate the Colombian folk sounds of Vallenato (which I love) into rock music. If you are used to listening to Western music, his sounds may come as a shock to you. But I guarantee that you won't go into any Colombian bar or club without hearing some Carlos Vives. Before he was a singer, Carlos was a major soap actor on many Latin telenovelas. He's one of my all time favorite singers.

Como Tu is a song about a guy who deeply loves and admires a woman... but she doesn't know it.

"Como tú, la primavera
Como tú, la vez primera
No haya nadie que me quiera
Como tú, mi vida entera"

I think the mood of this song captures the true spirit of the Colombia I've experienced - the freedom, the passion & the dancing - just living life and enjoying it.

Carlos Vives - "Como Tu"

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #9 - MAIA

2008-08-16T16:20:00.002+02:00

Maia, from Barranquilla, is considered the most talented female artist to come out of Colombia since Shakira (though I think she is much better) and was even invited to perform at the White House for Colombian Independence day in 2005.

This pop song is very beautiful and incorporates the lightest Carribean and salsa influences to make it fresh & uniquely Colombian. It was also the theme-song of El Cachaco y la Costeña, a Colombian written and produced Telenovela that was really much better than all the usual telenovelas manufactured in quantity in Mexico and Brasil.

Niña Bonita is about a girl who wants to be more than just a pretty face in a guy's life.

Maia - "Niña Bonita"

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #10 - SAN ALEJO

2008-08-15T20:07:00.010+02:00

So I've decided to pay a tribute to one of my favorite places in the world, birthplace to many of my favorite singers in the world. It's a countdown of the top 10 greatest singers & songwriters - Colombian style.

San Alejo is a Colombian Funk/Rock band whose members hail from Manizales, Colombia. They formed serendipidously when one of the members was invited to perform at a festival in Bogota. Realizing their chemistry together, they initially form a band named El Reblujo, but it wasn't until they encountered producer Jose Lopera and changed their name to San Alejo that they were recognized commercially.

Me Gusta is a very sexy song with a certain passionate urgency about it.

Ansío el momento de tenerte encima
quisiera estar adentro de tu cuerpo caníbal
(I long for the moment to have you under me, I want to do the nasty with you...)

San Alejo - "Me Gusta"

Por Colombia Ojala Pueda Ir...

2008-08-12T00:25:00.005+02:00

Perhaps the newest talent to come from Cartegena, Colombia... if you want to escape for a minute from your responsibilities, take a trip through Colombia. This video has a light, carefree feel to it and might just bring a smile to your face.

Jerau - El Viajero

Wandering Around Switzerland: Zurich, Zug, Lausanne & Geneva

2008-08-05T21:48:00.005+02:00

Two weekends ago, Xavi came down to visit me and Sam in Zurich and Cham. Cham was boring so we went to Zurich to see how Sam was doing.

Zurich.

We ended up going to a nice, minimalist wine bar for dinner, then down to Longstrasse to wander around a bit. But we couldn't find any decent bars and Portuguese Miguel called, so we met him and some others at a bar in a docked ship by the lake. After that they went clubbing and we hung out in a dark, chill-type bar for some mojitos and quasi-martinis (just ask Sam what they tasted like: salty "something")
Zug:

The next weekend, I headed up to Lausanne for Swiss National Day. We had a BBQ, beer and fireworks. Could have sworn I was in the US. I guess I missed my national day this year, and I got to replay it Swiss-American style. The conversation went a little like this:

Me: Yeah, my apartment's on the lake.
Xavier: Your apartment's not on the lake! Mine is!
Me: Okay, it's by the lake.
Richard: You know, you could be in Real Estate.
Me: I could say, my apartment is so great, it's right under the sky.
Richard: Which guy?

That's when I fall out of my chair...

[For the non-native English speakers, say "the sky" really fast until it starts to sound like something else].

Actually, Xavier's apartment really is on the lake:

Next day headed up to Geneva:

Huge... chess... pieces...

Private Banking buildings on the lake in Geneva. Sounds like the perfect life.

That night, there was a festival going on. (When is there NOT a festival going on in Switzerland in the summer?) Later we watched a short salsa performance then headed out to the docks for more fireworks.

After a while, I left to freshen up, and upon going back to meet the group, I was strangely lured by some familiar vallenato music. It seriously pulled at my heartstrings. I just could not avoid it. I followed the music to the Colombian stand where I was welcomed by a big yellow, blue and red Colombian flag and super friendly people, which was a refreshing break from Switzerland. Also finally speaking Spanish again was a refreshing break from not understanding any German or French. And the music was amazing I couldn't help but dance: Juanes, Carlos Vives, cumbia, and of course, lots of salsa. I met a Colombian guy, and his family, and we ended up doing aguardiente AKA "firewater" shots together. And as the sound of Juanes -Gotas de Agua Dulce- filled the air, I couldn't imagine why I ever left Colombia. The people, the fashion, the culture, the food, and especially the dancing... It honestly felt perfect for me.

After a while, the fireworks were over, so I met up again with my friends who were looking for a beer. We ended up going back to the Colombian place, where the music, the people and the drinks were pretty good.
We spent the night dancing, drinking aguardiente, and eating some delicious Patacones.

It turns out that night was my 26th birthday. I couldn't have been happier spending it with great friends, Colombian salsa, cumbia, vallenato and aguardiente. One of the happiest moments of the night was when I was dancing a cumbia song with one of the Colombians I met that night. Colombian dancing just makes me feel so free. And I felt free that night.

Speaking of free, when I came back to Zug I had decided to write off that little investment of the heart I was holding onto. Although I really thought he was special, that our connection was so innate, sometimes you have to cut your losses and move on. Especially when he forgets your birthday.

Happy Birthday Barack Obama

2008-08-04T22:50:00.003+02:00

I almost forgot... and how could I forget? The man's birthday is one day after mine.

The Famous Obama Celebrity Ad

2008-08-04T20:47:00.002+02:00

I urge the Barack Obama campaign not to stoop to this level.

A Day In the Life

2008-07-30T21:34:00.002+02:00

I've said alot of generalities about my life in Switzerland. Today I'm going to recreate a typical day.

A Day In the Life - The Beatles

Woke up at 7AM, chugged 2 cups of coffee. Tried to make the 730AM train, but missed it. Went back to my apartment to drink another coffee. Caught the 745AM train.

754AM. First one in the office. Put some headphones on and concentrated on building a model. I don't think I ever learned how to create a model in Investment Banking, one of those ridiculously complex ones that drown you in a sea of numbers. Was trying to do that now.

9AM. Meeting with a Vice President to go over some securities laws & legal issues. One of my projects is to get in touch with lawyers to devise a compliance system to make sure my company handles different countries' securities laws in a correct, timely matter. I always loved law, and this was a pretty neat project. Though, I felt overwhelmed at first with all the new legal jargon and rules. Will have to spend a weekend sorting this out.

10AM. Met with the bosses for my mid-internship review. Praised for my work ethic and commitment self-development in the industry. Haven't thought about if I'd get an offer at the end of the summer, because I don't like to wish for something I don't yet have and get disappointed. I haven't really shown anyone my true self yet, I've just been professional and quiet. No matter what, all I do know is that I like what I do here, I like the types of transactions we do and our philosophy behind them. In the end, I asked if I could do more modeling work, because I always wanted to be one those excel whizzes who can calculate anything anytime and bundle it up in neat spreadsheets (ahem, like SOMEONE I know in team A8!).

1PM. Info lunch. One of the associates taught excel skills that I already knew.

130PM. Couldn't dock my laptop back on the station. The big screen was blank. Called our "computer nerd." He said he couldn't be up for another 20 minutes. My heart went faint. A full 20 minutes without working!!! It would have been a nightmare in an investment bank. I would have had to use a spare computer, or someone else's. I guess old habits die hard. This is Europe. You won't get in trouble for not working 20 minutes. I felt... strange at this idea.

Used the 20 mins to get a birthday present for a friend.

3PM. Conference call on a private equity deal. Was too scared to speak any Spanish, and no one else was fluent (not that I'm fluent). We spoke in English.

6PM. Finalized a presentation for a very neat company I will present to the Managing Directors. I love doing presentations. I have a subtle minimalist quality to my work. I don't like pictures. I like charts and graphs to be very professional and outlined in hard lines, none of these bubble formats. My writing uses a bit of an indirect style which is hard for most executives to pick up on. I have to work on that. My one-liner catch phrases that sum up the slide sometimes push the envelope on slang and sound a bit like trader talk.

7PM. Headphones on. Back to work on that model.

9PM. Leave the office with a Wall Street Journal Europe to read on the train.

*****

MESSAGE TO OBAMA

2008-07-24T20:57:00.005+02:00

I don't usually have dreams when I sleep, but not long ago I had a vivid one with a clear message. It seemed too strong to ignore, and of a different character than the "white noise" dreams of nothing I usually have.

Basically I was given the clear message that Obama is going to face alot of negative press soon, as if he hasn't already, and that the key to getting through this successfully is to form a strong alliance with Bill Clinton.

I don't know how he is perceived in the States, but hearing all my news from Europe, I am not entirely sure that Obama has succeeded in uniting the Democrats, especially supporters of Hillary.

And as people seem to be focusing on Obama's lack of experience, they seem to have forgotten the old image of John McCain as a crazy war monger with a short temper who has ran for President before but didn't even win the party's nomination. Usually a candidate who has ran and lost in an election before is embroidened with a scarlet "L". Where has that image gone now?

I think a Republican said it best when he stated that this race is not Obama's to lose, it is his to win. With Americans scared of the "risk" of being different (a risk I have struggled with my entire life in America as well) that Obama poses and his seemingly unAmerican - but distinguished - roots, I think it's clear that Obama can't confront all the demons alone. Maybe he needs Bill Clinton's help.

Some Things on My Mind

2008-07-14T21:27:00.003+02:00

[Tilting head slightly to the left with a contemplating gaze a la JD from SCRUBS]

As I rode the train back to Cham after spending a 13 hour day at work (I was there all day doing a model of a South American mining firm, but secretly wishing I were doing a model from a South American mining firm... just joking) I came across some interesting articles in the Wall Street Journal Europe.

First, Ingrid Betancourt, recently freed from FARC captivity in Colombia, eyes challenging current President Uribe for the Presidency in the future. She attacks Uribe for using military guidance to control the FARC (who are considered terrorists in US and Europe) rather than negotiation. While I do understand and somewhat agree with Betancourt's position (because military hasn't been working until recently, and I am not a big fan of military strategies like the US uses), first I believe this "negotiation" strategy is highly risky and naive, and secondly I do understand why Uribe chooses to use the military. Alvaro Uribe is one of the people I look up to and admire, and hope to meet one day. He is trying to pass legislation to keep him president for a 3rd term. And although it was Uribe and the Colombian military that freed Betancourt, she does have a right to her opinion. I just hope she provides necessary balance to Uribe's highly Washington-like administration, working to free the other captives, instead of trying to shake Uribe off the podium... because Colombia, and the rest of the world, is lucky to have him up there.

Next, news of BBVA taking this opportunity of US bank failure to expand in the South, particularly Alabama through Texas, using leverage from their acquisition of Compass. Smart move BBVA. Not only am I a big fan of contrarian investing, but I am also a fan of Spanish banks who don't like lots of off balance sheet leverage ;-). And since visiting their trading floor in Madrid, I've always had a special place for in my heart for Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. Whatever happens, I see something good in store...

My First Taste of Switzerland

2008-07-06T13:21:00.020+02:00

The first 2 weeks of living in Switzerland seemed much longer to me. Partly because there had been just so much going on. Got settled into corporate housing:

Yes, that is a currency trading chart up on my laptop, and a Portuguese rooster on my nightstand.

During my first week on the job, the EuroCup Quarter & Semi Finals were taking place, with Spain beating Italy and then later Russia. Work was intense, just trying to figure out everything, trying not to make a mistake, and trying to learn as much about the complicated industry of Metals & Mining as I could.

The first weekend in Switzerland, I went with my boss to Luzern, where they were having a Swiss Yodeling Festival. I actually went to the KKL to hear people yodel on stage.... drank lots of beer, took a look around:

Summary: Basically a very Germanic beerfest. With yodeling. And horns.

The next day Spain won the European Championship finals against Germany. I don't know why, because I generally hate sports, that I get so caught up in soccer despite of myself. It happened during the World Cup, and now the EuroCup. Nevertheless, enhorabuena España!

Summary: WOOHOO!

The next week at work got me starting on some new deals, and transactions scare me, especially private equity, because there is so much unknown. It's like a case in class, but luckily it is a Finance case so I have some clue of what's going on. But seeing your completed transaction in a Press Release or in the WSJ is really why I got into Investment Banking.

On Friday, it was US Independence Day, the financial markets were closed, but we had to work anyway. :-) The Caliente festival was starting in Zurich, an all weekend madhouse Latin Party with salsa, merengue, cumbia, samba, forro, reggaeton, all that stuff I just can't get enough of. Felt like I was in Heaven. Basically it was like a Latin MultiCulti, with each country setting up a booth with flags, music, drinks and food from their country. But most of them were a little mixed up, some serving Paella and Sangria, but with a Mexican flag bearing & playing Samba music, or with a Portuguese stand playing salsa (what does Portugal have to do with South American music??). I think the funniest one was the Mexican stand with Indian food.

I think my favorite stand was the only Colombian stand in the pack. They had the most authentic salsa & cumbia music. And I spent the day eating Colombian empanadas, taking aguadiente shots and listening to salsa music, occassionally dancing a few songs when someone knew how to dance (and almost all Colombians do!)

Nevertheless, it was a HUGE party encompassing a whole quarter of Zurich with Latin music, caipirinhas and spicy food. Heaven.

Cumbia!

Upon entering Helvetiaplatz, first thing I see:

Brazilians know what this is:

View at night from a friend's apartment. Reminded me of Bourbon Street in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. WOOOOO!

Summary: Caliente!

My Life in German

2008-06-24T20:56:00.002+02:00

Since I moved to the German-speaking part of Switzerland, I've noticed how similar my life here is to the US, and how despite living in a different country, I feel like I'm repeating my past. It is like I am trapped in a German deja vu time warp.

Although I work in private equity/venture capital/active investing at Pala, I find my current job to be a lot like my old investment banking job at Wachovia. I walked into my office today, early. Only 2 people were around. I wanted to get caught up on the industry and do some research before everyone got in. But then I heard one of the Associates on the phone speaking to another Associate. And I could have SWORN those were the voices of Jeff and Michael at Wachovia. They sounded almost alike, the inflection, everything.

And when one of the Vice Presidents, a big burly guy with a blood pressure monitor, comes to talk to me about a model, I could have sworn he looked and acted just like Aaron at Wachovia. They both had a cool, manly demeanor and hid so much stress inside that they ended up having the same problem. It was freaky. And today, we had to get a report out to one of the Boards, and my other Vice President asked me to get some figures done and format the thing. But I had to do it in 20 minutes. It was a rush job. And he was standing behind me while I did all the excel shorthands as quickly as possible. It was deja vu to the extreme, imagining my VP Chris at Wachovia behind me telling me to format this, change that. I thought my investment banking analyst days were over, but it turns out I am doing the exact same thing. Why?

Although my job is similar, I am not. I noticed a big change in the way I behave at Pala than at Wachovia. At Wachovia, my papers were scattered all over my desk and project info was spread everywhere. At Pala, every project has a neat folder and a specific corner of my desk, not to mention a specific folder on the harddrive. At Wachovia, I snuck in late, and tried to leave early (though, "early" was 10PM and "late" was 830AM). At Pala, I arrive early to research and learn about the companies while no one is around, and am one of the last to leave. At Wachovia, I struggled just trying to stay above water every day. At Pala, I try to reflect and think about what I am doing, why I am doing it, how to improve it, and how it all links together. I like it. At Wachovia, I wore flowy skirts and bold striped shirts. At Pala, I am more subdued with light button downs and muted pinstripes. Although there were times I loved investment banking, most of the time the analyst life was not that good. I guess the difference is that now I actually get to do the finance that I like, but the life is a lot better, and hence I enjoy my job.

As for love, I am finding myself in a lot of the same situations abroad as I was in the US. Although most of the time the people you meet are not suited for you, or you are not suited for them, every once in a long while you meet someone who you just "fit" with. I met one of those people. And I've found that I am in the same situation I had been before: should I reveal my feelings and say "This is too good to just walk away from, let's give it a try?" Or do I never reveal how I feel and trust that if it was meant to be, it will all work out naturally?

I've certainly had this feeling before. But it's like you are wading through a sea of yellow flowers and all of a sudden you run into one bright red. It pops out at you. You know it's just what you want. But you also know that you've seen red flowers before, yet, they are very few and far between. Getting back to people, the question is, do you let this opportunity go or do you put down your pride and just say "Love conquers all!"

Although I am in the same situation as I've been in before, I'm not the same person. Before I would have called him up, or written him a letter explaining basically, "we had such a great time together, don't you want to see where it goes?" Sadly, it always ruined everything. This time, despite how much I still want to tell him, I won't. I'll let it run its course. Maybe in the future we'll see each other again, maybe never. I'll just have to live with that. If he really saw it the same way, he would have spoken up about it, or maybe we'd be talking more. I just can't force it. I have to let it be.

But I can't help but wonder why history repeats itself. Why my life turned out to be so similar to my past. Why you encounter the same types of people. Why the story is always the same. I guess the main difference in it all is how you change as a person, even if everything else stays the same.

My Last Day in Barcelona... until October

2008-06-20T14:18:00.010+02:00

After passing my Spanish test yesterday, I can say that I'm officially done with my first year of the MBA. Tomorrow I get on a plane to Zurich, where my new Vice President will pick me up and introduce me to some members of the office. They are so very nice. I'm excited, but a little scared. This job will be a little Private Equity, a little Portfolio Management, a little Corporate Finance a little Alternative Investing. And the Company has been sooo good to me, I don't want to let them down. If anyone can tackle finance of this nature I guess it will be me, and I'm looking forward to learning alot. I hope my investment banking training will hold up.

So I'm a little nostalgic. JD paraphrases in SCRUBS that the way to restore a relationship is to remember what attracted you to the person in the first place. Although I have been extremely busy this first year, these last few weeks have opened my eyes to why I fell in love with Barcelona in the first place. Last weekend a friend of mine from LBS came down for the weekend. First day I took him to a "Spanish-style" sports bar. Dark wood, pool tables, tapas, beer & wine. I went there for the first time with Bala... it was great. (I do miss Balaaaaaaaaaa!)

The next day I had a dinner with my best friends at my favorite restaurant, Balthazar. I wanted to bring a little New Orleans culture to Barcelona, and since the restaurant requires punctuality (an anomaly in BCN), and I believe that economics is all about incentives, I suggested that for anyone who comes early, I'm bringing an ice cold bottle of schnapps and we do shots outside. Anyone from New Orleans would appreciate the beauty of this situation...

Picture is blurry but I think it adds an artsy, inebriated quality to it.

The dinner crew.

After dinner Morgan (shown below in sexy mode) takes us to a bar in Barri Gotic to meet a bunch of his Catalan friends.

We drink mojitos until around 2AM when we decide to go to the last IESE BOW of the year at Bucano. We had a lot of fun:

Still, after that, a few of us went over to Damiaan's roof and popped open a bottle of cava under the stars.

The next day, did a little shopping and watched Spain pound Sweden in the EuroCup. If there is one sport I could tolerate watching, it's soccer (sorry, Football). It was very nice. I wish I could watch soccer with a beer more often.

That night was a friend's 30th birthday party. He had a very elegant dinner with great people from all different backgrounds at El Gran Cafe. I ordered what I was craving for a while: nice piece of rare entrecot. We had Marques de Caceres Rioja all night. Was my favorite in the States, but I don't drink that much here. I prefer Torres because it's local. Anyhoo, after dinner, we took a cab to Opium Mar. It was packed with people:

We had a table and ordered bottles of vodka and champagne. Aparently there was an underground party that lasted until 1PM, but I went home modestly at 6AM.

The next day was relaxed, but equally good. I still had my LBS friend over, so we went exploring Barcelona. Stopped for some Pinchos at Sagardi, then headed to Gaudi's work Casa Batllo, then off to Barceloneta to explore the commercial and beach area. Didn't get too much beach time because the weather was dreary. Instead we stopped at a local pub and watched the Portugal-Switzerland game. Usually I am for Portugal, but since I am moving to Switzerland, I decided to switch loyalties, even if I thought Portugal was a better team. Switzerland ended up kicking Portugal's hiney 2-0. And I thought, sometimes, the only things necessary to make me happy are a big jarra of beer or a nice steak poco hecho.

As my friend left back to London, I couldn't help but realize that I made the right decision to come to IESE and in Barcelona. When I first saw Barcelona, I took a leap of faith and came to live here. That's just how I am. Very passionate. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. This time it did. And I'm lucky to be able to live in Switzerland for a while with a great job in a great company. I have grown up quite a bit since living in Europe, have figured out a lot about myself, and I have great expectations for the next year. I know it will be easier...

Obama Wins the Nomination for the Democratic Party

2008-06-17T21:55:00.002+02:00

***WARNING: Entry contains partisan views.

This entry has been on the backburner for quite a while. Of course, Obama secured all the necessary delegates on June 4th, but Hillary officially bowed out on June 7th. It was an extraordinary event for me, as I was not used to my favorite candidate coming to the forefront. Now his main challenge is to unite Democrats and Americans again as Bill Clinton once did...

Hillary Clinton announced her support for our campaign today. Senator Clinton made history over the past 16 months -- not just because she has broken barriers, but because she has inspired millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to causes like universal health care that make a difference in the lives of hardworking Americans.

It's time for all of us to come together to take on John McCain in the general election. John McCain offers another four years of George Bush's policies, which our country simply cannot afford.

And only a few weeks before, one of my favorite candidates in the past 4 years also endorced Barack Obama:

Con esa fuerza, me sientaba como un angel ha caedo del cielo. Era una accion muy emocionante para mi gusto...

Most of the people I consider my heros are politicians. Bill Clinton. Alvaro Uribe. Al Gore. Barack Obama. And today one of my heroes endorced another:

A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States.

Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.

This moment and this election are too important to let pass without taking action. Thank you for joining me,

Al Gore

This election is starting to get nasty. Hopefully Americans will not make the same mistake 3 times... As GW Bush once said, "Fool me once..."

Hilarious!

My 1st Year in the MBA Programme

2008-06-08T19:57:00.002+02:00

I won't pretend that the MBA has been a walk in the park. I won't say that I haven't had some moments that tested my intellectual and personal limits. I won't say that I didn't learn a lot about myself, so much I would say that I'm a very different person than when I started here in Barcelona, 11 months ago.

I have to admit I was taken aback at the caliber of this programme and just how to navigate through it, and how to make the right choices or me, not for anyone else. Most of the time I felt like I was constantly running not really getting much value to myself out of it, just trying to stay above water.

Consequently I have a lot of regrets that I hope to ameliorate next year. I regret, when I started out here, not taking the MBA as seriously as I should (I thought I came here to get out of Investment Banking and to get a relaxing job in Spain...). From the second trimestre on, I regret taking the MBA too seriously, and I regret being too hard on myself because of it. I regret letting my Spanish fall by the wayside, and being too scared to push myself with it. I regret not experimenting professionally more. I regret trying to get back into Investment Banking instead of using the time to figure out what I really liked in a career. I regret not enjoying MultiCulti as much as I should. I regret not going to as many BOWs, or as many Dinners. I regret not playing more sports in the MBA Olympics. I regret not taking the time to stop and smell the roses.

But I did make some good choices. I chose the right choreographer for the IESE salsa team in the MBA Olympics. I landed a superb internship with Pala Investments in Switzerland, where I will be working on the valuation & analysis of investment opportunities, financial modeling, and managing the investment portfolio. Seems like I will learn alot & have great responsibility. And having stopped to appreciate this opportunity, I think I'm ready to get the most value from it (rather than constantly running and trying to keep up); additionally, I made the right decision not to do the Capstone project so I have enough time to reflect and prepare for my internship, and pass the last level of Business Spanish. I made the right decision to not be afraid to leave Investment Banking, even also finding out that I don't have to leave Corporate Finance altogether. In this MBA I guess I rediscovered my love for Finance, and even more so, a field that not only I could be happy with, but also fit my skill set: Risk Management. And even so, I think the case method has prepared me to see things on another level, and hopefully all my preparation will finally pay off in my next career.

The end of the 1st year ended somewhat nostalgically. The 2nd years left slowly one by one, and it was sad to see them go. They told me that the MBA went so fast, and they had regretted not interacting more with the 1st years. I'm glad that I put up more of an effort to get to know them more, and I hope next year I make more of an effort to interact with the new 1st years. I ended the year with a good grip on the subjects, some time to go out, and some leisurely finals that I had enjoyed studying for. The day exams ended, some of us went to the beach, most of us met up at the Karaoke dinner at Shanghai. One of things I enjoy most is Karaoke, but I kept it safe by singing in groups, mostly Bon Jovi songs, and a couple of Spanish songs (I always wanted to sing in Spanish! I do it in my car all the time anyway..). Afterwards, took a cab with the Brazilians to Universal for more partying. It was a vodka & redbull night.

I guess all in all life is coming together, the confusion of being in my 20s is the driver of my personal & professional growth. And although I do miss my old friends in the States, and I'm still not sure if I will stay in Europe or not, I can say that I am happy and ready to face the 2nd year.

Why I Love Dance

2008-05-30T17:36:00.004+02:00

Pro skater Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas do the Mambo.

And here, the Paso Doble. Wonderful!

My Yellow Brick Road & MBAT

2008-05-25T23:35:00.001+02:00

I'd like to start off my entry of self reflection with a profound quote by the President of the United States:

There's nothing more deep than recognizing Israel's right to exist. That's the most deep thought of all. ... I can't think of anything more deep than that right now.
--George W. Bush

Washington, DC
03/13/2002

Since I decided that Risk Management might be the career I'm meant to be in, doors started openning for me and life started to get a little easier. It's almost like God finally gave me a break and every bad thing that could happen didn't actually happen to me anymore. Additionally, even some good things started happening to me. Maybe I'm finally finding my way after all.

So 2 weeks ago were the MBA Olympics in Paris, an event where some 20 top European business schools compete in various sporting activities. I was on the salsa team. We started practicing for this event very late, and had just wrapped up the full choreography literally 2 days before the show. There were 11 salsa teams competing in total, and as we watched them practice, we thought: man, there are some good dancers here. We ended up saying that no matter what happens, we are going to go out there and have the most fun possible. We ended up winning the silver medal, with LBS (London Business School) in 3rd, and Bocconi with the gold. We all were ecstatic.

The Performance:

The first night's party was pretty amazing. We had the LBS band on stage, and a nice atmosphere at HEC. When we got back to the hotel, Thilo, Bruno & I stayed talking outside with a beer until they closed the bar. The second night of course, was the salsa show. Later that night I became bored, but my new Spanish teammate Santi saved the day when we managed to dance the night away. Turned out to be a good night. The next day I went to Paris to see Florian and Olga. There I met Florian's super sweet friend with a Ph.D in Neuroscience Laurent. We ended up talking about neurons and risk management. The French men were awesome at showing us around their wonderful city. I absolutely loved Paris.

Perhaps the last day at MBAT in Paris was the best of all. I came back from the city quite late, missed the BBQ and headed down to the party and the open bar. The whole party atmosphere at HEC from the drinks to the music to the venue reminded me of college, and that made me very happy. After a few beers, I started meeting some of the LBS crowd. And in that crowd I've probably never met such a great dancer since New Orleans (where I was called the budi dancing queen but let's not get into that). I've never had this much fun dancing non-salsa since I was at Tulane. You know that saying "Dance like no one is watching?" Well we did, and everyone was watching. I ended up spending the night with the LBS crowd while I missed all the IESE/ESADE action which involved lots of singing "Te Quiero IESE", standing on tables with flags, wine pouring and Bonzai chants. But it was worth it. I really missed classic New Orleans partying that night...

I don't know why, but coming back from MBAT in Paris injected new life into me that I haven't felt in a long time. Things were going right, my struggling in almost all areas of life had subsided. I didn't feel like such a screw-up in school. I met some of the most wonderful people that give me butterflies. And I wasn't scared to ride a moto anymore. Maybe it was the lucky Portuguese rooster. Maybe God is finally giving me the thumbs up for my new direction in life. As JD in SCRUBS used to say, "Every so often a wizard comes along and tells you exactly what you need to hear." That we had the brains all along. Or that we had a heart all along. Or even that we had the courage all along. I don't know where my life will ultimately end up. All I know is that I'm just here, following my yellow brick road...

Occam's Razor, Revisited

2008-05-03T14:57:00.006+02:00

The last time I had a crystalising moment about my life was when I was in the middle of writing my second ABP report, and I decided that Sales & Trading was what I wanted to do with my life. But today, as I was doing the reading for Entreprenuership (and deciding that being an entrepreneur was sooo not my thing), I had another crystalizing moment: I wanted to go into Risk Management.

I guess the difference between the 2 "crystalising moments" was that the first time occured at a time of immense stress when I was desperately grasping for anything meaningful in my life, and the other occured during a 4 day vacation, after I had received internship offers, and I committed myself to doing absolutely NOTHING. But the fact is, I had actually been thinking about Risk Management for a while. I remembered the time I was a trader for an internship, and the MBAs had Risk Management internships. They watched over the traders and calculated the VaR and positions held at the end of the day. They managed the traders, but didn't have to go through the heart attacks of actually trading the market. Risk managers would book hedge trades. (Hedging is like the theme of my life. Whenever I take a risk, whether it be love, money or whatever, I always worry about hedging the risk of getting hurt. I hate uncertainty. Maybe I finally got an outlet for it).

Looking back on this, there were signs: My first "crystalizing" moment, even though it wasn't entirely correct, pointed me back to the trading direction. The job description of a Risk Manager basically required a Masters degree in Math, Statistics or Finance. I had that. It required skill in statistics. Statistics was the only subject I had 100% in during college, and I was one of the best Econometrics students in the class. Subconsciously, I always mentioned hedging in my MBA reports; one time, the Operational Finance professor actually read my answer out loud: "We want commodity price hedging with futures!" One of my key strengths is written communication, and writing Risk Reports is exactly my idea of a great day, expecially when it gives me an outlet for my interest in Law. And finally I remembered a little thing I used to have on my resume but deleted it in order to make space for my IESE club list: I was KIODEX certified in Natural Gas Risk Management.

So while everyone was partying, traveling & such I spent my holiday in Barcelona contemplating the purpose of my life. Then I realized that everything does happen for a reason, and you have to trust yourself to go down the path that is most right for you. So Risk Management for now. There are still some things I have to learn, claro, but now I know how to plan my classes next year, and what to get out of my summer internship. I am very lucky.

My 2 Offer Day

2008-05-02T17:28:00.006+02:00

I think God was tired of my whining.

Why don't I have a job?? Whyyy?!?!? or Why can't I get straight As anymore? What is wrong with me? Have I become retarded? Whyyyy?!?!

Let's deal with Straight A issue first. I don't think I've ever been able to deal with 100% of an IESE exam before. There have always been some doubts. I wondered what the secret to getting an A was in here. Now I know: You have to be a genius. Or you have to have worked in the subject before.

Last week (er, this week, we are still in the same week but have been on holiday for the past 2 days) I took the Corporate Finance & Economics exams. Those were my double majors in college. Never before had I known how to do 100% of the test here in my life. And as a Finance major, I thought the Corporate Finance test was a little unfair to beginners. Some of the things tested were not directly taught in class, but you had to be smart enough to infer them. I don't think I could have done that after only a month being introduced to such models. Plus, there was an obsure formula on the test we had to know, but I only remembered because when the professor briefly mentioned it in class, I thought: "Neat!" Most people were clueless to what that formula was. The economics test was completely doable and fair, I thought, but hearing people say that it was hard made me feel that I was not retarded having said that about all the other tests I've taken in this place.

And regarding the jobs. I used to hate it when people came up to me and ask what I was doing for the summer. It was like having your married friends ask you all the time whether you are seeing anyone. Mind your own business!! :) Joking. But now that I'm part of the working crowd, I no longer feel that despair... and about being single, well, that's just not that important to me right now.

So after the Economics just I checked my mail. I received a great offer from Charity Bank in London! It would be a very pleasant, laid back summer working for them, plus I would have time to hang out with my IBD friends up there as well (whenever they don't work 16 hours a day). I was happy. And then I checked my messages. I had received a call from Pala Investments inviting me to become a Summer Associate at their boutique financial firm. It was almost like a miracle had occured. And then I had another interview that day to do a research project for IESE. Anyways, I spoke to the Pala people a couple of times to discuss the offer, and I think I'm going to take it. It would provide a great deal of valuation and more public & private transaction experience in the commodity sector. Just what I need -- I want to get into to commodity Risk Management someday. It would be a challenge, but I've got to appreciate it. Plus I would be living in Switzerland.

When I came home, Felix asked me why I wasn't excited about the offers. I really was happy, because I can finally relax a little on my future. But I guess I had just no more energy to give. I was burned out.

You Are 79% Burned Out

You are very burned out.

You need a huge break from your responsibilities, starting as soon as possible.

And you need this time to reevaluate what you really want out of your life.

Because you're working hard and going no where... and that would burn anyone out!

Are You Burned Out?

On Wednesday I was supposed to go party at Mary's place. I couldn't get out of bed. And on weekends I haven't had a social life lately due to the fact that I need to sleep 14 hours a day. This holiday I chose to do nothing. I sleep at least 12 hours a day. I read. I ponder life, and where I want to be in the future. I just need this break... to do... nothing. :)

My New Artist

2008-04-26T00:01:00.006+02:00

I've become quite a fan of David Fonseca:

2 Different Worlds

2008-04-25T23:44:00.005+02:00

Do you ever feel like you are perfect right where you are, then you come in contact with your past somehow, and although it feels right at the moment, you can't help but want to go back where you were?

I'm happy in Spain, I am. I love the European life. There are some things I never want to give up: men in suits on motos, great culture & architecture, the fact that you don't need a car to get around, diverse people far more aware of internationalization than Americans... I love it here. And I have been concentrating my whole job search with the goal never to return to the United States again.

But then I caught up with a friend of mine back in Houston who does Cancer research for MD Anderson. He just performed in a salsa show:

And I guess I missed the times where I was the investment banker from Wachovia, he was the PhD from MD Anderson, and we met 3 days a week for salsa. And he was always the one I had the most dancing chemistry with... ever. And as I looked at his MySpace page & remembered all the Houston attractions I used to visit... I kind of missed my life there. But I guess I have a new one here.

It's definitely different. I don't know if one is better for me than the other, but I do know that I am developing at a fast rate over here. You only realize how much you've grown when you stop and look at how different you are from the person you once were in the life you once had. And I'm learning to be a good manager. So one day my company's loo would look a little like this...

Just kidding.

My McBealism

2008-04-14T21:35:00.004+02:00

"I think I need to believe that it works."

"That what works?"

"Love. Couplehood. Partnerships. The idea that when people come together, they stay together. I have to take that with me when I go to bed at night, even if I go to bed alone. That's a McBealism."

My Advanced Degree

2008-04-13T03:28:00.003+02:00

In about 12 months, I will be graduating with an MBA, the right complement to my Masters in Finance? Still trying to figure out life. And when I received feedback on my first Ethics quiz, it said: "You seem to be well versed in Law. Great report. A." I never took a law class; the only law I know is from Ally McBeal.

Then, upon screwing around, I unexpectedly get this quiz output:

You Should Get a JD (Juris Doctor)

You're logical, driven, and ruthless.

You'd make a mighty fine lawyer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

And even though I seem to be adapting well to the MBA, I couldn't help but ask myself, is this where I'm meant to be?

My Lucky Portuguese Rooster

2008-04-11T18:54:00.006+02:00

My lucky Portuguese rooster sits atop a Euro pedestal on my desk. Legend has it that the inhabitants of the town arrested a Galician they suspected of a serious crime and condemned him to death by hanging. The prisoner emphatically declared his innocence and to the amazement of his accusers he pointed to the roasted cockerel on the table and said that his innocence would be proved by the crying of the bird should they attempt to kill him. At the very moment he was about to be hanged the roasted cockerel stood up and began crying. He was immediately set free. Ever since I brought one of those back from Portugal, it's like I entered a new era in life: an era where once when things used to be at a standstill, now are moving...

My internship search is still going, but I've got final rounds at Novartis and an interview at Charity Bank.

Today we had the selection of the Salsa Club for MBA Olympics. Although there were enough guys, there were too many girls. Our choreographer Pedro made the selection & then told us we would be performing a Casino Rueda routine to a salsa version of "Grease." I was soooo excited to hear that! Creativity, originality, lots of flirtiness. It sounded more than perfect. It seemed that we picked the right guy to choreograph.

While in class, everything started to come together somehow. All the classes seemed easy to me now, I was not lost in any, and doing cases became second nature to me. Probably because the only quantitative class yet was Corporate Finance, and I could do that in my sleep... I finally felt comfortable speaking in class. I felt I finally "got it." All those cases finally are paying off.

And our classes seem to have mellowed to my liking. Section A is devising classic schemes to mess with the professors like quoting Beatles & Queen songs during a comment, or having the entire section A class simultaneously call the entire section B class at a predetermined time. Or random challenges:

The first:

10 points to anyone who executes a 360 degree spin in their desk chair.
Venga!

The next:

Tomorrow, enter class at 11:14 and elevate your desk chair to its highest level.
Then, at *exactly* 11:20, Ching Hsiang will yawn, stretch both arms into the air, lean back and lower his seat to its lowest level. Everyone surrounding him will follow and lower their seat, and a wave will radiate out from Ching Hsiang around the classroom, ending on the far side. **This will occur no matter what else is happening at the time**.

Please synchronize your watches with the classroom clock.

My favorite:

Equipo Gigante,

OK, we've done chairs and songs. Now for something that takes a bit more courage. The challenge during leadership is to raise your hand, get called on, begin talking, and then get up, *without asking for permisssion*, and draw a diagram on the board to illustrate your point.

Extra points if the diagram has no resemblance to what you are talking about. Example:
you: "I love leadership as you can clearly see from this square I've just drawn." Actually, you've just drawn a triangle.

Follow the leader!

And our Team A8 dinner last night got me starting to think about life & this MBA. 3 members of our old A8 had moved to Section C, and in exchange, 3 new members from the Spanish section came to our group. We had dinner at a Chilean restaurant (2 were from Chile). And I thought... I will always remember our old team A8 because we have been through the trenches together. We suffered... alot. And seeing them still makes me feel like family, even if they are now in the Spanish section. But on the other hand, I am starting to feel the same for our new members. I love them all. They have brought a new ambiance to the group, and a new personality. Everyone at IESE is just so talented, and so genuine. The Admissions Staff really do a great job selecting. But sometimes you need to relax the constraints to let this out. And as we learned in Leadership, it is only when you go through the trenches that you learn to appreciate the actual gift -- what we actually came here for. It's like I said before: Nothing in life worth having ever comes easy.

MBA 1Q08 Progress Report & YE Guidance

2008-04-02T20:09:00.005+02:00

At the end of the last term, last year, I posted a report on how I was doing. As this period marks the end of companies' quarterly earnings period, it also marks the end of my 2nd trimestre at IESE.

1Q08 Guidance vs. Actual Results:
-Solidify intermediate term career path (meaning next summer) with an internship in Sales & Trading.
Well, Sales & Trading didn't exactly work out as planned. The bankers said that I was not aggressive enough, too "nice" and I couldn't multiply 19x23 in my head. So now I'm exploring other career options...
-Increase confidence by speaking up more in class. I must let go of this fear that what I say is insignificant.
I did try to speak up more in class, but only when I had something truly significant and relevant to say. Although some days were harder than others, I basically stuck to quality over quantity and didn't pressure myself to speak for the sake of speaking.
-To not be afraid to submerge myself into Spanish. This may be my last chance to live in Spain.
I think my biggest hurdle with that was to stay motivated with Spanish classes. Our professors Pablo & Reina were HORRIBLE. Then all of a sudden Reina disappeared and we got Carlos to come in (Pablo still helps but I basically ignore him.) Carlos is amazing. He treats us with a certain level of professional & individual respect. I would have quit the program if it weren't for him.
-To not be afraid to let go and let the "career river" take me along for a ride. Not everything has to be planned.
This is probably the only thing I hit right on the spot. Basically I'm just floating around in the career river and praying that someone takes me ashore... Maybe Novartis...

As far as investment recommendations, I had put a buy on my professional life, a sell on my social life, and a hold on my school performance. The actual results were more surprising. My professional life took a dive with the banking interviews leaving me clueless about career paths, hard economic times (and probably fate) kept me from a job, and I'm just waiting for that right one to come along. My social life was not so bad. Although there were a few blips, it was not nearly as hard as first trimestre. I would say it has stabilized. Or maybe I'm still in denial. School performance was qualitatively better but quantitatively worse. Although I feel I am learning and contributing more, because of the stress of the job hunt, Spanish and the economy, the term was hard, but not harder than expected.

2Q08 Guidance:
Goals for next Quarter:
- Try to make the most out of the second years. Soon they will graduate, and I know I'll miss them, so I have to be conscious to hang out with them as much as possible before they leave. :(
- Get a strong salsa program ready for the MBA Olympics & enjoy performing in front of a crowd. I love being in front of an audience, but I have to remember to just have fun.
- Get a job.

The other day I was thinking about the last time I was truly happy. I've decided that it was when I was at Tulane, when I was thinking like an Economist (which was one of my majors). I remember leaving my purse on a crowded bus DURING MARDI GRAS and me not worrying a bit because it was a sunk cost. That day I got my purse back. At that time, I made decisions on the margin, considered opportunity cost & incentives, and rendered the past irrelevant to present decisions. Instead of letting bad things in the past haunt me, I took inventory of what I had now and made decisions rationally. It took a Global Economics course to bring back some Zen into my life.

Though I still miss New Orleans from time to time.

My First Salsa Show

2008-03-30T22:09:00.000+02:00

So last weekend I sold my ticket to the Rachmaninov concert *tear* to do my first salsa show. Well the stage area was way too tiny and we had to eliminate our lift (and my favorite part) to accompany the space. Morgan was my dance partner. We both have this showmanship personality, which makes things a lot more fun.

Well our show was technically good, with a lot of show moves, but since we hadn't practiced much, it left something to be desired. INSEAD ended up winning, although their performance was not as difficult or creative as ours, they had a lot more support from the crowd and were a lot less nervous. It was obvious that they took it a lot more seriously. Well, there is always MBA Olympics. :)

Venga! You will learn salsa with Hernando! Bang bang!

IESE Salsa Club performers

"Would You Like Smashed Spinach With That?" -- My Portugal Trip

2008-03-24T23:34:00.042+01:00

So my 9 day excursion through Portugal began in Lisbon, then through the Algarve-many beaches-, up to Porto, spent Easter in the holy city of Fatima before leaving Lisbon back home to Barca.

My Interpretation of Portugal
It seems to me that if Barcelona was New York, Lisbon would be New Jersey. Just the trees, the infrastructure, reminded me of Jersey. Friends spoke of Eastern Europe even. Portugal, despite it's dreary, mournful feel (maybe because it was just raining a lot when I was there), has a type of longing about it that draws me in a deeper sense. I can definitely see myself retiring in a place like Cascais.

I think the most notable quality of Portugal is how giving, sincere, and wonderful the people are. It seems as if most are small-town folk, uncorrupted & innocent. I love that. The service everywhere was so genuine and attentive. If the way to a man's heart is his stomach, the way to my heart is good customer service.

The Algarve
This beautiful region to the South of Portugal is home to a multitude of beaches.

Lagos Marina:

Twin Peaks:

Yeah, I'm going to say this picture is blurry because I'd been drinking.

Where babies come from:

(Storks, not Portugal)

When I get bored during drives between beaches I like to put bugles on my fingers and pretend they're witch nails...

Cataplana:

At peace

Lisbon + Surrounding Area
Lisbon:Sintra:Palacio da Pena, SintraBelem:

Cabo da Roca (Most Western Point of Europe):

One of my favorite memories of Lisbon is dancing the night away in Barrio Alto with a Brazilian samba teacher to a live samba band and sipping caiparihas all night... The floor cleared just for us to dance.... There was also a very nice bartender Claudio giving us all these shots. All in all, the people were very welcoming to us, and very friendly.

Perhaps my favorite memory was visiting Nuno's villa in Cascais:

And cooking dinner there:

And generally the customer service at Lisbon may be even better than the United States (because it seems more genuine, not like they are tip-hungry). Maybe because the service in Barcelona is horrible. The service at some Lisbon restaurants almost made me cry. And when one waiter said "Would you like smashed spinach with that?" it almost made me cry from laughing so hard.

Porto
It seemed to me that Porto was trapped in the 80s - about 20 years behind schedule. I took the time to explore this city solo, but some of my favorite memories of Portugal came from this city. The Palacio do Porto (Stock Exchange):

A beautiful view from a street in the Ribeira:

Recap:
I think what most represents the Portugal that I see can be summarized by the atmosphere of this song "Kiss Me" by David Fonseca, a native Portuguese singer: Romantic, simple, genuine, wholesome, beautiful, peaceful.

This Quick & Dirty Career Test Doesn't Help...

2008-03-13T22:17:00.001+01:00

Your Career Personality: Capable, Friendly, and Energetic

Your Ideal Careers:

Actor

Advertising Executive

Artist

Counselor

Entrepreneur

Musician

Politician

Psychologist

Teacher

Television Reporter

The Quick and Dirty Career Test

I would have liked to be a Psychologist, but it's a little too late for that! :P

My Job Search Adventure During Finals

2008-03-11T20:34:00.005+01:00

"Our conversation got disconnected and I don't have his number so I've been waiting by the phone for him to call. He must not have liked me. If he really liked me he would call."

"Don't worry," said Andrew. "The right one will come along..."

So I went back to the operations review session, sat down & fought back tears. If I am so wonderful I thought, why am I still jobless?

Last night I got an invitation from Pala Investments to interview the next day. I was swamped, seriously swamped, but I gave some times I was available and apologized for being so busy. Since the interview was the next day, I had hoped they'd confirm that same day. I checked my email religiously waiting for a reply. I thought I should send them another email saying that I'd rearrange my schedule for THEM (skipping class, meetings, review sessions), but Felipe said "No! You already sent them an email! It's their job to reply!" Don't want to seem too eager...

The next morning, they sent me an email with an interview in my recommended time slot. :)

So, my first interview today was with Pala. They were looking for someone to research and provide valuations for companies. It sounded like something I really wanted to do, and had the training for, but these people were so high profile that I felt humbled that they considered me, a simple American girl from Tulane. They said they would send me an email in a couple weeks.

As it goes with men in love and careers, I believe that if they really liked me, they would call.

My next interview was with Barclays Strategy Consultants. Barclays is a bank I always wanted to work for. From the first time I met its representatives, I had fallen in love. But Barclays to me is like the guy you always had a crush on in high school but who never noticed you. Of all the times you hinted and flirted, he had rejected them all... I must have applied to 3 different positions at Barclays, but to no avail. The problem is that I know I'm special. And I know I could do this job. But somehow... it never ends the way I want it.

The interview went okay; I was caught off guard with some of the questions and needed some time to warm up. They weren't the typical investment banking questions I was used to having, but then again, this was for consulting. And at the end, we got disconnected somehow. I tried to call back the number I had on ID, but it was probably a general number and I got no answer. I didn't have his direct line or email address so I waited for him to call... and waited... and I seriously believe that if he really wanted to hire me, he wouldn't let me go that easily.

So we are back to me in the Operations review, looking sad. Thinking I'd never get a job and I'd probably end up settling as a sales manager in an Abercrombie and Fitch retail store when my heart and true talent is in risk analysis, valuations and reading & interpreting financial statements. Sigh...

Queues. Arrival times. Lambda. I was lost in thought, but preoccupied with the equations Alejandro Lago was so considerately writing on the board. Suddenly I heard violins...

It was my phone. I got a phone call which disrupted the review session. "This is Ann." I said. "Hi, this is GR with Pala Investments. We would like to invite you to our final round interview tomorrow..."

If they really liked you, they would call.

Salsa vs. Rachmaninov

2008-03-09T20:24:00.003+01:00

I have a my first ever Salsa performance on the same day as a Rachmaninov concert. It will be my first time at the Palau de la Musica listening to my favorite classical piece ever: Piano Concerto #2. I hope I don't have to choose.... I don't know what I'd do.

Chilling.

Rachmaninov must have had big hands...

On Finals

2008-03-09T19:56:00.002+01:00

There is a quote on Customer Relationship Management that goes as follows:

"Frequently you end up trying to build relationships with the wrong customers, or trying to build the wrong relationships with the right customers."

This has special meaning to me because IT IS JUST LIKE DATING. Geez. When we find a solution to this CRM problem, somebody tell me, because I sure as hell would like to know.

Why is it that we as MBAs must struggle to find a summer internship, 3 cases a day, section/team/nationality dinners, BOW, sports and still expect to have time to study for finals? And why is it that we do not have a dead week to fully process what we've learned???

I have not attended any BOWs in numerous weeks and already skipped about 3 section/girls/team dinners. Why? Because I need a job. And I need to be able to implement theory. And, of course, I'm performing Spring Fling Salsa and need to learn the program...

See, I've discovered that part of the reason why I struggle in this MBA is because I master the theory but not the implementation. As I see on my past exams, I have gotten all the concept questions right, but all the calculations wrong. But I have just no patience to go over boring operations problems or complex cost allocation problems.

And why is it that the week of finals, all the interesting cases appear?? I was not planning to read any cases this week, but I've found myself putting off studying (AKA doing problems because studying theory never pays off) for finals and procrastinating by doing cases. I simply can't stop reading the stuff: The Kidder Peabody rogue trader who provoked liquidation of the bank by booking forward recons. Who is to blame? Oh, it's really a criminal law case! Santander Bank: How would it market it's new credit card? Could tell me why has the BarclayCard been so successful! And the case of Polyphonic and how they use science to determine hit song structure. What could more interesting than that?? (I'm being serious).

So now that I have done all the cases for this week (except operations-too boring), I'm faced with the burden of inanely practicing problems on allocating direct machine hours or labor hours or whatever the hell Activity Based Throughput Constraint Direct Machine Hour Relevant Costing is all about. As Napoleon Dynamite would say: "GOSH!"

My Socially Responsible Weekend

2008-03-03T21:32:00.001+01:00

Friday was the start of the 5th Annual IESE Doing Good Doing Well conference, a weekend to promote socially responsible business. I skipped lunch to go to the keynote speaker, who spoke on the evolution of capitalism to include social responsibility in business.

Then there were the Strategy presentations, then I skipped the rest of the conference to take a nap.

Woke up at 20:00h, showered, ran to Antonio's birthday dinner, arrived an hour late. When I got to the tapas bar, La Taberna Del Cobre, Antonio was the only guy surrounded by a table of beautiful Section B women. It was hilarious, and somewhat comforting. I was the only Section A girl.

As they were telling the stories of Section B, this strange feeling passed through me. This cohesiveness, this family, this laid-back attitude was what I always imagined my MBA to be like. That was how Tulane was like. Instead I think that Section A is sometimes run like boot camp: no one arrives late, no one speaks out of turn, no phones go off, everyone prepares the cases, everyone is serious. In Section B, when someone makes an out of place comment, the whole class would defend him. In this way all the shy people are encouraged to speak. I always wanted that. That is how I came out of my nerdy shell in college. (Yes, I was a nerd once).

After a while some second years and more of the Section A crowd joined the dinner. We chatted and reminisced, then headed out to Handbar. I went with some Americans to the Latin party hosted by IESE, ESADE & EADA, 3 prominent business schools in Barcelona. It was funny, we arrived at 0030h, and we were the only 5 people in the club... 5 Americans extremely early to a Latin party. It was so embarrassing. Plus, they were playing Michael Jackson.

Fortunately, the crowd livened up and I was able to dance some salsa, merengue & vallenato songs. It was interesting meeting the ESADE and EADA people because it was like looking into another portal: I had applied and was accepted to both schools, and might have gone if things were different...

I had a socially responsible night & headed home early at 330h.

At 800h, I was up again and off to the DGDW Career Forum. So there were these tables, in the comedor. Mike Rosenburg announced: "These tables back here are looking for summer interns. These tables over here are looking for full time hires. These tables up front don't promise anything. After 15 minutes I ring a bell, and you switch. It's like speed dating."

And I thought: Wow. This is amazing. I wish real dating were just like this. If I can know up front which guys are looking for serious relationships, which are looking for flings, and which are not interested at all, I'd be all set.

After the Career Forum, I went to Bala's seminar about ethical investing: do socially responsible funds earn higher returns? Believe it or not, this is a very interesting topic to me. Here's a taste:

"Because in the long run, we're all dead!"

Things are shaking up. Section A was strange today. People actually came in late, and some phones went off. One guy's text message beeps kept going off and it was obvious that he was exchanging messages during class but did not bother to turn off the sound. People came in very late. I felt so sorry for the teacher. After class, Section A received a note from Section B on how to have more fun. Awesome. It's about time. I can feel things shaking up...

After Spanish, we had our second salsa practice for Spring Fling. Our program is very fun, to "Con Fuerza" by Calle Real. It's a somewhat sexy program, but not in a seductive way. In a powerful, yet beautiful way. I think we are going to have a lot of fun.

For the MBA Olympics, we are going to have a completely different choreography. I hope we do it to Eddie Torres' "Caravan"...

My Lighting Week

2008-02-28T22:25:00.004+01:00

This week just seemed to fly by, faster than before. And me on very little sleep. Most of the time I don't even realize what day it is, everything just runs together.

Portugal
I don't remember much other than it being a very good week. I've been getting all my cases done, staying late for the CompStrat presentations, and other extracurriculars, and going to bed around 2 or 3AM. One day this week I booked a flight over Easter break to Portugal, my first time in such a beautiful, exotic country. When I printed out the schedule, you cannot imagine the wave of excitement that flowed through me. Something new. Something fresh. Something exciting.

Novartis
We would work through our CompStrat project until 10PM, then I would come home & apply for jobs & network with representatives of companies that would present at our school. I found a great Finance Program at Novartis, with which I could do financial analysis, forecasting and modeling, communication & rise on the path to CFO. Sounded like just what I was looking for.

CompStrat
The CompStrat project was exciting. All the late nights working on powerpoints & excel and having many different versions of files, increasing one by one, arriving early in the morning for last minute changes, reminded me of life as an analyst at an investment bank. Although I enjoyed it, it took a lot out of me.

Electronic Arts
So we presented on the strategy of Electronic Arts.

We were the first presenters, and we all dressed in black suits that day, when no one else did. Most probably thought it was over the top; I think it was a unique symbol of our unity. Felipe did some excellent slides. We started with a trailer of one of EA's most popular games: Need for Speed - Carbon (there was a member of our team with the last name Carbon.. everyone laughed). I was responsible for analysing the financial structure and how their strategy evolved over the years. The presentation went really well. We were all really passionate about the company, and those who were not familiar with the gaming industry (ahem, yours truly) learned alot. I was so proud of my team.

Multi Culti 2008

2008-02-25T23:41:00.015+01:00

I am in a good mood right now. Instead of reading a technical note on Safety Stock for Operations (I'll read it later), I'm going to post pictures from the Multi Culti.

Catalan Stand:

(by the way I was walking down the road with a Catalan flag after MultiCulti and these guys cried out "VIVA ESPANA!" Touchy subject.)

Calcot eating contest:

Home sweet home. The American Stand!

Our theme this year was Hooters & Truckers...

The French Stand. Ooo la la look at those suspenders. (I have a thing for suspenders).

The Indian Stand:

And some traditional Indian Dancing:

Those handsome Brits:

There's something about the Portuguese:

Which is probably why I defected for a while to the Portuguese stand:

Carribean Stand:

And then the Argentine stand. I loved the homemade empanadas.

That's all, folks! Back to Bobst Group: Costing New Parts... and Operations Management.

Section A vs. Section B

2008-02-21T20:39:00.002+01:00

Today I attended a lunch with Heinrich Liechtenstein regarding issues we may have with his class. After a brief discussion about our individual team's concerns, the topic moved on to his perceptions of our section. He had said that our section seemed more "serious", "competitive" and "not relaxed." Moreover, he explained that Section B was like a completely different environment. For example, when he steps up in front of the Section A class, he cannot tell if the students are enjoying his class because we all look so "serious".

It was a stereotype set in stone even in the beginning of the year, second years have told me that Section A is the "hardworking, competitive, studious" section and B is the "laid-back, fun section who 'takes it easy'". How far it goes into the Stereotypical Types A and B influences, I don't know. But what I do know is that it feels like in my section, everyone strives to say the most remarkable comments, that others who may have a grip of the case are intimidated to speak, for fear that their comment is not "star quality." I was one of those students. Until Liechtenstein started cold calling, and I started getting all the answers right. That built preliminary confidence that I was able to carry onto my other classes.

I admit I went through a period of being quiet in class, but then I realized that I cared too much about what other people thought, and that I should say what I think and move on. I came here to learn and grow. The only way you can do this is to make mistakes. And I think that most people in Section A are afraid of making mistakes.

And Section B has their section dinners, section Valentines' serenades, their COW competitions... we have none of that. Although I am proud to be Section A, some part of me yearns for that cozier, more cohesive environment of Section B. Maybe I would grow more personally there. But maybe the learning curve would be less steep. I don't know.

All I know is that I have just looked inside my inbox and found an invitation to interview with Barclays Wealth Strategy Consultants....

My Stream of Consciousness

2008-02-19T19:45:00.003+01:00

Today I saw our Strategy professor sit at a table by himself eating lunch. He looked so uncomfortable, playing with his phone. I wanted to go and sit with him so badly so that he wouldn't be alone. But I thought that A) he might think I was coming on to him or B) he might think I was scamming for a good grade and C) I was just finishing up with Blanca and Marco and didn't have much lunch left anyway. So I just waved from across the cafeteria. He waved back. It was nice.

And I was thinking on the bus ride home that my perfect job would be at a company where I could wear a suit with flip flops everyday to work. You know, something like a Finance hippy. When I worked at a bank, I used to toy with the fantasy of opening my own investment bank called simply "A", for the way I sign my name, and for the fact that it will always be the first bank displayed on Prospectuses because the banks of that tier are listed in alphabetical order. I would differentiate myself by emphasizing a positive, ethical, can-do atmosphere that focuses on client relationships and quality of life rather than maximizing profits. And I'd wear suits and flip flops every day to work. That's right. Finance hippy.

You know the past couple of years have been such a struggle, and I had been waiting for someone to come along to inspire me. And finally I found someone. I picked up the Economist for today, which had Barack Obama's picture on the cover, and I remember thinking that I never felt so much hope and inspiration from someone in a long time. He makes me believe that the world will be better, and that all of us have a purpose here, working together. He makes me believe that America can build itself up again, this time with diplomacy rather than military power & might. I have been waiting for someone like him for a long time. With one simple slogan: Yes We Can he makes me feel like I do anything, be anything. And it is truly wonderful.

Si Se Puede!

2008-02-17T04:41:00.001+01:00

My Old Fashioned Night in Barcelona

2008-02-17T00:53:00.004+01:00

Elliot Reed: Janitor, did you ever wish you were different from yourself in every way?
Janitor: No, I'm a winner. But I can tell you that time spent wishing is time wasted. If you want to be different, then be different.
-SCRUBS

Friday I was different, but everything was the same. We had class, then I came home for a quick nap before going out. Our team facilitator Martin was having a birthday dinner that night, so I joined about 60 people at this new Mexican restaurant on Gran Via. Mariachis.. coronas... the room was so animated with life. Had a great time catching up with all the second years.

Then me, Bala, Blanca and Ralph headed to HandBar for Magda & Laura's birthday celebration. It was my first time there, and it immediately became my favorite bar. Absolutely felt at home with the Spanish pop. I knew just about every song. I joined Magda dancing on a stage, but then she went down & I found myself dancing surrounded by a Spanish field hockey team all in suits! It was a little bit of Heaven. Had some great dances with Jacob, and Spanish Antonio, and Marco. Perhaps one of my favorite dances was when Bala and I broke out in a little salsa on the crowded dance floor.

Marco had his Italian friend Alessandro visiting, and we all walked to Up & Down club after Handbar closed around 4. Alessandro and I had a pleasant walk over there, but he was worried that he bored me with his life growing up in Italy. I was just thinking how fascinated I was with Europeans. At Up & Down, we ran into Stefan, Felix, Juan de Dios, Alejandro, Bala and many others. I was pretty disappointed in Up & Down's collection of American music (I wanted more Spanish), but it was quite amusing to watch all the guys dance to Shania Twain's "Man, I Feel Like A Woman!" Probably my favorite dance there was with Marco, because it just flowed naturally. Left the club and headed home at 6AM, legs all danced out and feeling great. All in all was a very classic good old fashioned night out in Barcelona.

Valentine's Day - IESE Style

2008-02-14T18:32:00.001+01:00

I just wanted to post this before I forget, to remember forever the ingenuity, creativity and romantism that IESE guys have, they are really top caliber.

A week before someone SPAMed this video around, depicting what you can do with 1 semester of Spanish...

And then on Valentine's Day, the entire Section B class decides to sing it to the girls in their section. I imagine if a guy surprised me like that I'd love him forever... =)

Bravo Section B Gentlemen's Band.

My Case Method

2008-02-12T20:35:00.000+01:00

"That's the thing about trying to have your cake and eating it too. If you make the slightest mistake, you usually wind up getting neither."
-JD, SCRUBS

Sometimes the hardest thing in life is trying to make order out of huge messes. How to come up a winner. And when you are searching for answers, and every systematic approach seems to fail you, it's easy to just give up. Or lose your way. That is why life is like the case method.

Sitting in a lecture is comforting. You know what you are going to get. Everything turns out the way you expect: you study the important topics, you apply them to standard problems, you find the answer. You gain confidence from your victory, or more precisely, from security: You have it all figured out.

But sometimes you are faced with so many challenges, nothing seems to go right, all your training has failed you, and you only hope that one day, something will finally go your way. If you haven't given up, all you can do is sit down, re-evaluate, and try again.

I have still not quite figured out this case method, or life, for that matter. But I do know, that both are about finding your personal way to solve problems. It's all about you, and you cannot get lessons from someone else. And no matter how endlessly tough and messy it seems, I just have to get down in there and solve the problem in front of me. Because when it comes down to it, nothing in this world worth having comes easy.

I Am So Lame.

2008-02-06T23:15:00.000+01:00

I am so lame. I am a bad New Orleanian. I did not celebrate Mardi Gras this year. I did not go out onto Bourbon Street with my Vodka & Orange Juice at 9AM, a fun costume and my pretty shiny beads. In fact, I did not even go out the weekend before Mardi Gras. Even though I had offers. I stayed in and studied and studied and studied. I stayed in. On Mardi Gras. In Barcelona, Spain. I am so lame.

And now Lent season is starting and I have not had my debauchery yet. And this Friday is SkIESE. The first time I have ever been skiing. Wonder how it will go. Wonder what I'm going to give up for Lent. Operations?

My Mentor

2008-02-02T23:12:00.000+01:00

"I thought about how when you make tough decisions, good things can happen. Like the confidence you can gain from finding your true calling. And when you make decisions for the wrong reasons, they can come back to bite you in the ass. In the end, it’s always best to rely on your principles to make the decisions."
-JD, SCRUBS

I went to see my mentor a few days ago.

"So, how are you doing?" he said.

"Pretty okay." I replied. "I didn't get any sales and trading offers."

He nodded, no look of surprise on his face. "What do you think that means?"

"That I am not meant to do that."

He changed the subject. "I was looking through your files, and you say that your problem is lack of self-esteem, but I think it is more that you are very self-critical." We talked about Finance for a while. Then he said, "I can see that you have high scores on people, communication, networking, relationships... you are through the roof on altruism... but your competencies are in Finance. With that, and your people skills, you would be a dream financial manager."

"I was thinking of trying other areas of banking, like Risk Management, Legal & Compliance, or Debt Capital Markets."

"I think that what you are looking for won't be in a bank. I don't think the type of work matters to you as much as the organizational goals and the people you work with. Maintain harmony-that is your purpose in life. I would suggest you look into positions in Finance in other industries; you say you like healthcare & fashion..."

"That opens up alot of options now." I said. "Finding the perfect job for me is going to be like finding the perfect guy. And I've stopped believing in that."

"Something, and someone, is out there."

"I don't think so. I always mess everything up."

"Well, there is someone out there who would love that you mess everything up."

"I think the second you stop fighting, time really is on your side. And you can go on being who you really are. Or keep enjoying that little crush of yours..."
-JD, SCRUBS

;-)

My Gamble

2008-01-30T20:01:00.000+01:00

I took a gamble today. I could either visit Global Praxis, a Barcelona Consulting firm, or Ermenegildo Zegna, an Italian firm specializing in luxury menswear at 14h15. I had applied to Global Praxis, but I know they are only hiring 1-2 people, and I have no consulting experience, am only 25, and don't have any connections there. So I tried my luck with Ermenegildo Zegna.

I liked the company. I didn't realize how much I appreciated mens fashion until I found myself analysing Felipe's suit combination, and how it was not only very creative, but professional and fashionable as well. Basically, when I see a guy walking towards me (as in an interview candidate) I would be thinking "Wow! Sharp suit!"

Anyways, I digress... The granddaughter of Ermenegildo Zegna spoke to us today. My favorite comment of hers was "I love men!" I was thinking, This is my company... But jokes aside, they only have positions open for sales managers in South America. Coincidentally, I was thinking today about spending a summer in Bogota, Colombia. Or anywhere in South America. To practice my Spanish and salsa... So I chatted up the HR guy. Who knows what opportunities this will bring. I am just going with the flow...

Additionally, I serendipitously scored lunch with the head of Diesel Iberia on Monday, another fashion brand. I'm just taking opportunities as they come up, if I like them. I really don't know what I want to do anymore. I have alot of Wall Street experience. What is next? I wonder where this career river will take me...

Ricardo's Birthday

2008-01-29T23:59:00.000+01:00

I called Ricardo today in Houston to wish him a Happy Birthday. He's 36 today. I look forward to this every year. The mornings are more special, the day turns out lucky, the nights are serene. I think it's because he likes to hide and be alone on his birthday that makes it so special to me. I know he really doesn't want to be alone. We used to spend it together every year (except the year I interviewed with IESE). I surprised him the first year. I stole his license from his wallet one night and figured out his birthday...

The day did turn out to be special. I had to run to the bank before school today, so I rode there with Felix. Ran into Antonio outside the B Building as I got my daily Financial Times (Obama on the cover!!!) and we had the most pleasant conversation... It set a great tone for my entire day.

Managerical Accounting I'm usually mesmerized by the professor. (He's quite good. And he talks alot about CASH!!) But not today. I couldn't hear a word he was saying, had all this noise in my head. See, I had opened up my email and serendipedously received a note from a friend of mine. He wanted to see me today. My heart stopped beating and leapt out of my chest. Our chat was lovely to be concise. The words just flowed so naturally. It was like the air was so light. Perhaps that was what caused me to float as I left...

Studied in the library until 7 when I had a nice bocadillo dinner with my favorite guy Sebastian. After that, joined Alejandro Lago's Operations study session. He is an amazing professor. You can tell he wants each and every one of us to understand, and he had no qualms about staying late to help us. I felt so humbled and impressed. This subject is so hard for me, but he worked with me until I could do it intuitively, until I got the logic right. I felt so happy to be at IESE with such great people.

Spent another couple of hours in the new building reading cases before going home. I was happy. As JD says in SCRUBS, "I guess in the end, things seldom work out the way you expect. Sometimes fate is on your side. Other times, well, you've kind of sealed your own fate. Either way, you have to trust that whatever is supposed to happen will happen."

COW, the Untold Story

2008-01-27T21:26:00.000+01:00

The COW presentation this week omitted a very funny exchange of comments that I think were one of the funniest in the trimestre!

Javier (QMM Professor): Ann, why are you always moving around?
Me: But I only switched seats once!
Javier (looking at Josh, who sits in my previous spot): You are getting closer....
Josh: Yeah. Pretty soon I'll switch places with Alan. Then I'll switch places with you!

Estoy Harta

2008-01-26T22:31:00.000+01:00

I've never been a die-hard fan of the Estados Unidos. That is why I moved to Spain. But lately I've been tired of people pointing the finger at the United States for all the economic problems that have been occuring lately. And I am tired of the world propagating the stereotypes of Americans being ignorant people of excesses and bawdy culture. I hear people say in class during a movie in which the wife opens a can of Spaghetti-Os: "Typical American dinner." Please. That is a stereotype. Just like the one that we all eat hamburgers all the time. True, I enjoy a good McDonalds hamburger from time to time (but usually only about 4 times a year) but typically I cook, just like you. And I hate that everyone thinks the typical American is downing in debt and spends what they don't have. True, we have national debt coming out the wazoo. But I'm sure I can find someone from any culture that lives beyond his means. And please don't blame the budget deficit on every American person. If I were President, I would never have aknowledged that. And I did NOT ever vote for Bush. I do agree that we need to keep it down, but I do not appreciate being scorned for overspending and collapsing the economy. The only debt me or my family has ever had were school loans. "American Excess." Witty, but Ouch.

Everyone seems to be pointing and laughing at the dollar perpetually dropping, and our economy going down the toilet. It is like all the other economies don't want to play with us anymore. I think it was because we were the big bully in the playground for so long. I do admit that a lot of Americans are ignorant to the world around them, but that is only because we don't put ourselves out there. Some of us don't move to other countries, or want to experience different cultures. But a lot of Americans are good-natured, humble people with a lot to offer the world.

In conclusion, we are not the arrogant, loud, ignorant, overspending people who eat hamburgers and fries like you think. (Do not look upon our president as an example.) Every person is different. I really hate it when I hear people in my classes and in my school badmouth America in the ways I described. They simply don't know. And, passing certain limits, it's disrespectful.

I have many Colombian friends who always tell me that they are sick of people thinking of their country as the land of wars, kidnappings and cocaine. Sure, there are those things, but it is only a small part of the country's greatness. I personally hate it when someone makes a cocaine joke regarding Colombia. There are great authors, singers, TV stars, and Formula One drivers that come from Colombia. Nobel Prize winners. An exquiste flower industry. Colombia exports 75% of the flowers we buy in the US. Great coffee. There is nothing more satisfying to me in the morning than 100% Colombian coffee with milk.

So I rest my case. The United States has a unique place in history. Every country does. We are all growing and developing together. Yes, we make some mistakes. But so do you. I don't appreciate it when people from other countries attack us when we are down, as if they are vultures waiting for our demise. It helps no one. What we need is to accept our differences and move on. Americans need to with respect to the rest of the world as well.

Hard times are ahead. Prejudice and malice are counterproductive, on both sides.

El Dia De Mi Suerte

2008-01-24T01:25:00.000+01:00

An American Salsera in Barcelona

My Follow Up

My Ending

My Interview in Murcia

Graduation

Doll Face

Spring Fling

Multi Culti

TOGOR Project, FISCAL Exam, Life in General

Head or Heart?

Mi Propio Negocio

Status Update

A Note On Networking

Cactus Hands

Resumen

Obama's Inauguration

My First Day of Class in Spanish

Tomorrow

Samba Show Dance

MBA 4Q08 Progress Report and Next Quarter Guidance

My Roadtrip to Houston

My Quote of the Day

Jan Simon's Management Lessons

My Airport Adventures, Part III

My Best Day of the MBA - A lesson in leadership

"The Square Root of Three," A Poem by Kumar Patel

IESE Video Essay

Jump Club!

My Election Day

How Good Are You?

My Career Fair & Private Banking Workshop Adventure

Best Superhero Ever

My Trading Diary

My First Week of Second Year

Mi Destino

My New Orleans Welcome

Bush: Trade deal with Colombia is in US interest

Documenting the Financial Crisis

Obama and The Palin Effect

Through Different Eyes

My Quest Continues

Are You Living the Wrong Life?

My Last Day In Switzerland

The Shadow of Your Smile // La Sombra de tu Amor

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #1 - JUANES

Happy Birthday John McCain

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #2 - JERAU

Barack Obama's Speech at the Democratic National Convention

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #3 - ANDRES CABAS

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #4 - FONSECA

My Text Message

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #5 - GRUPO NICHE

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #6 - ATERCIOPELADOS

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #7 - FANNY LU

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #8 - CARLOS VIVES

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #9 - MAIA

Another Amazing Colombian Artist #10 - SAN ALEJO

Por Colombia Ojala Pueda Ir...

Wandering Around Switzerland: Zurich, Zug, Lausanne & Geneva

Happy Birthday Barack Obama

The Famous Obama Celebrity Ad

A Day In the Life

***MESSAGE TO OBAMA***

Some Things on My Mind

My First Taste of Switzerland

My Life in German

My Last Day in Barcelona... until October

Obama Wins the Nomination for the Democratic Party

My 1st Year in the MBA Programme

Why I Love Dance

My Yellow Brick Road & MBAT

Occam's Razor, Revisited

My 2 Offer Day

My New Artist

2 Different Worlds

My McBealism

My Advanced Degree

My Lucky Portuguese Rooster

MBA 1Q08 Progress Report & YE Guidance

My First Salsa Show

MESSAGE TO OBAMA