Mas Salsa!

This morning I skipped the team meeting to get my NIE. Now I can legally be in Spain! And Alvaro can officially be my friend now.

Class was inconsequential. In Spanish today, we had to do an impromptu presentation to advertise for a product. We were lazy, so we decided on something easy like chocolate. Justin stepped up to the class, very nonchalantly:

"Voy a hablar de nuestro producto nuevo. Es un producto muy bueno: Chocolate. Porque chocolate? Por que no?"

The class erupted in laughter. The teacher slapped her hand to her face. I continued: "Porque nuestro chocolate es mas suave, mas dulce y mucho mas rico que todo en el mundo. Tu lo sabes!" (We were really lazy today. Used about 3rd grade Spanish).

Read some cases in the cafe until it was time to head to salsa class. Took the metro. Listened to... "I Touch Myself" on the IPOD. Arrived 15 minutes late. Oh yes, Latin time. The class was beginning so Alejandro and I mostly did some patterns.

Short pattern I used to do in Houston. Much easier than it looks. Just take your time.


Went home, tried to do cases but ended up talking on Skype with whole group. Chatted with Marco about his upcoming performances with the Houston Salsa Dancers on MSN. Was jealous I can't be there. Have to get some good salsa patterns started. Generalmente era una buena noche.

ABP Terminated

Due to a personal issue, I could not work on the ABP case until around 5PM Sunday night. People have been working on it all weekend, but I thought I'd give it maybe 5 hours or so. I ended up working on it 13 hours straight, just cranking on excel until 6 in the morning. And I still thought there was a lot to do, but I didn't have any more room, so I stopped it there. It was a great report: It looked fantastic, and it had some eloquent writing and excellent calculations. Most of all, it looked pretty strong.

I never really grasped that break even and margin business they all seem to love, so I went about what I do best: capital structure and leverage analysis. I analysed their capital structure pro forma the merger and projected the cash flows out to 2010, discounting back to time zero and adding in a terminal value. Then I made the charts gorgeous. It was worth the 2 hours of sleep.

I floated into the group meeting late this morning with my regular double fisted coffees. Alvaro said, "You are so calm today. Go print out your case. Everyone's rushing to print." I did feel out of place today. Like completely devoid of passion. Calm. Almost dead.

I kept a low profile in decision analysis and marketing because I had not read the cases. In between classes I went to get Alvaro a couissant. I knew he wanted one. He always gets one inbetween 1st and 2nd classes. And before our Organizational Behavior test I printed out the powerpoint file I had made on Trust in Boss-Subordinate Relationships. Marco seemed interested, so I just gave my copy to him. I feel better when I give people things for some reason. It just makes me happy.

I cranked out the OB exam almost flawlessly and was one of the first ones done. Talked to Damiaan in the work rooms before Spanish, then took the Spanish test. I had not studied, but I ended up cranking it out pretty quickly. I think the Spanish teacher was annoyed that I had took so little time to finish it, but I knew I did great.

Went to pick up a package from the post office and listened to the Beatles on my IPOD. It's amazing the people you see in metros. There is an old couple, carressing each other gently. There is a girl, standing alone, almost crying. There is a impeccably dressed man in a suit. There are teenage boys with mullet haircuts singing Melendi. And then there is me, with my IESE MBA bag and crisp copy of the Financial Times in the cradle of my arm.

And then tomorrow, there is my first salsa meeting at Mojito Club. I cannot wait to put on my dance shoes again.

Favorite Media

Favorite Music:

"Que Precio Tiene El Cielo" by Marc Anthony. This is a salsa song Marco introduced to me in Houston which is very special to me. Very romantic. We used to dance this song in SkyBar.


Favorite Video:

This is my favorite salsa pattern because the girl gets all the attention and the guy is just doing basic moves. At the end we have the "Diamond step" a type of salsa shine.


Favorite Photo:

This is a photo Carmen sent around IESE Listserv after the Bar Crawl which I think highlights the spirit and unity of our group, A8.


Not so Favorite Moment:
And now, despite a bit of a hangover, I have no excuses not to work on the ABP case....

Everytime

The career fair was quite stressful for bankers and consultants, so we all needed sleep. I chose to relax by inviting a friend over to my flat to cook him dinner. He came with a bottle of wine and we had a great time.

There's a famous episode of Sex & the City which compares available taxis to available men, and how one can wait and wait for a taxi, and another girl can just walk up to one with the green light, and then the taxi is occupied....

Today I never waited so long for a taxi.

I finally found one and rode to meet Alejandro at the Mojito Club. There we danced so much salsa I almost forgot everything that was making me unhappy.

"Did you do the ABP case?" he asked.

"I don't give a &%&@#!" I said.

Our first dance was Micaela by Sonora Carruseles. And the reggaeton that was playing all night reminded us of New Orleans.I was finally at home.

Today I realized something tonight while I was dancing. Cases don't really matter. It's relationships that matter. We are here on this earth to form relationships with each other. All these cases are just practice. And everyone's so worried about this....

Medio Ann

I am a person split down the middle.

I want Industry, I want Banking. I want Sales & Trading, I want Wealth Management. I want Fixed Income, I want Equity. I am Socialist, I am Capitalist. I am dancing on the table, I am shy. I want to stay in Spain, I want to go back to Houston.

People say I cancel myself out.

Why did I bring this up? I was watching a video of my old salsa class, with my old salsa teachers and I missed Houston.

Advanced salsa at Melody Club:


I missed all the places I used to go and everyone would know my name, ask me to dance, and we'd dance the night away. I miss bullshitting and practicing, and Tuesday nights at Tropicana, Wednesday nights at Elvia's, Thursday nights at SkyBar, Fridays at Plaza 59, Saturdays at Taco Milagro, and Sunday Socials @ Sonias...

I miss salsa.

50 First Dates

Meeting the scores of Investment Bankers these last few days at the Career Forum is like going on many first dates. What an excruciating process. They take you out to lunch, dinners, cocktails, even breakfast (!) and you talk about yourselves... awkwardly. Then you exchange business cards. Well, people don´t usually do this on a first date (except me, when I was a "SuperCapitalist").

I just met the most horrible banker. He was rude, arrogant and unfriendly. In fact, most of the bankers in this bank were quite arrogant. The fact that one of them said their main goal was to make a lot of money was already a red flag. Since I was waiting around for 15 minutes awkwardly to talk to this guy (he completely ignored me), I stood around to ask a few intelligent questions. But he wasn´t even interested in me. All he wanted to do was talk about himself and all the money he made. And the accomplishments he did. It was exactly like going on a horrible first date that I couldn´t wait to get home from. His rudeness was the cut-off point. Needless to say this bank will not get an application from me. I politely excused myself and left.

"Keep in touch!" he said in the most sarcastic voice imaginable.

"Will do!" I said, walking off without his business card.

I went off flustered and needed to talk to someone. Instead I closed myself off and headed to the computer labs to make a spreadsheet for a case...

Things Never to Say to Investment Bankers

So... BY THE WAY... here are some things you should never say to Investment Bankers....

“So, what’s it like working for Merrill?”
(The guy works for Bank of America)

Tapa in hand, you turn to a close friend and say “Bet you don’t think I can fit this whole thing into my mouth!” …. and he is talking to a banker.

During a dinner with bankers, while feasting on boiled crustaceans, you recount your experiences with southern Crawfish boils by saying, “In New Orleans, we eat these all the time. Just pinch the tails & suck the heads!” (You Nawlins boys, you KNOW what I’m talking about!)

Now it's not to say that I did any of these things, but yesterday at the Career Forum (DAY 1)was not a good day for me & Banking. I couldn't sleep all night. Had a cold. Woke up at 6AM, threw on a suit, went to the Citi breakfast. When I found out they weren't hiring for Capital Markets, I was a little disappointed. Had to cross them off my list. Went to their presentation anyway. Didn't get a business card holder. :-(

By the Lehman presentation, my cold medication started seriously kicking in, and I felt like floating. I didn't know what to ask the bankers, so I rightfully kept my mouth shut. Was the same through the Merrill presentation. I'm sure the Bankers thought I had no drive. And was on drugs.... (my sleepy-stoned expression must have gave it away).

So I went to Amgen to see if I could try my luck at Pharma. Ended up passing notes all session with Daamian. Went up to talk to the Pharma guys. They seemed so uninterested in me. Felt a little sad. And still drugged.

At the career forum panel, I tried to talk to some Bankers. The whole thing went over horribly! I was so used to being over on the other side with students coming to talk to ME, that I had forgotten how horrible the process could be. I just couldn't seem to make a good impression. And I felt feverish.

All in all I was feeling pretty down and out. I thought maybe banking wasn't for me.... maybe the month I was away from it I had become slovenly unkept... and average. Maybe I'd never be a banker again. I didn't know what to do with my life.

Then suddenly, it was time for cocktails at Lehman. We had tapas and drinks. And I had a fantastic conversation with a Director of Equity Derivatives. Lehman was it, I thought. I loved the culture. Fantastic bank.

Before I had a chance to catch my breath was the Merrill dinner at Botafumerio, apparently one of the best restaurants in Barcelona. (Apparently, because that is where the Morgan Stanley dinner will also be). We had a great time, lots of seafood, and lots of champagne and white wine. The Merrill banker from Global Markets was really nice. I look forward to applying. I believe I got my confidence in Banking back. Hurray.

So I head to bed around 130AM, only to get up the next day at 6AM (DAY 2) for the Lehman informational, which was actually a mini interview. I think I did alright, but not impressive. Lehman was still my first choice.

After Lehman was the JPMorgan presentation, which was pleasant. I have always, always liked and admired JPMorgan but somehow I didn't quite fit into the culture. Today was no exception. Everyone was so nice, but it seemed I was a little too excentric. Well, to me at least. JPMorgan is still at the top of my list. (Behind Lehman).

I was pretty stressed from Banking presentations and starving from not having breakfast when the American Express guys came in. Each one seemed so Disney special happy. They all loved their jobs. They were so... nice. And carefree. And shiny. They showed us witty advertisements the whole time. And they said "why spend your life in banking when you could come work for us. You will actually have time for a life. We care about all of you. We hold your hand. You have alot of vacation..." And I thought, "Wow. These people are scaring me. They are waving a form of Never-Neverland in front of me and I'm scared. No more struggling in Banking not knowing what's going on; they'll hold my hand. No more long nights at the office; they don't work late. No more fancy suits and starched shirts; you can relax now. Wow. This was not for me."

Maybe I was too scared to face the fact that I could actually have a good life, that I don't always have to strive to be the best or have the most prestigious job. Just what does Ann want? Well I don't know. Why was I so disillusioned that I honestly thought I didn't deserve to have a good life, and that I must always stay in Banking and whither away under Type A stress all night in a hallogen-light cubicle. Maybe Banking wasn't for me....

Until I met Barclays.... and they had me at hello.... or rather "And here are some numbers showing how good we are, and here are some other numbers, and... Now, do you have any questions for us?" It was so refreshingly honest. They had the reputation of being the fun bank, with nice people. I wouldn't have guessed it by how seemingly intimidating the speaker was, but he was actually really nice. When a collegue of mine had to sit down because her shoes hurt so bad, he went to bring her a chair. What a gentleman. I was so impressed. And he was Head of Global Markets. He told me he was the biggest nerd when he was younger. He also said he never turned down an offer to go for a beer. I felt in love. I loved Barclays. I hung out at the Barclays cube all day during the career forum, just chatting with all the bankers. It didn't matter if they didn't work in my prospective department. I just felt at home. And this was a good sign.

One notable mention today at the Career Forum was Pharmaceutical Company Novartis. Shared jellybeans from the Bear Sterns presentation with Miguel during the presentation. It was nice. Anyways Novartis had a strong presence in Spain and a great Pharma rotational program with only 6 months in sales, then the other year and a half in Finance & Marketing. It felt perfect for me. But again, the reps didn't seem to be too interested in me. Perhaps I didn't know how to talk to people in Industry, and perhaps I came off as too aggressive. I'll send my CV anyway.

*****

What was interesting to me was that today, after lunch I sat out on the patio and watched some company representatives talk outside. What I noticed was subtly striking. There was one guy in Industry talking with a banker from Deutsche Bank. The Industry guy wore a lavender shirt, fun patterned tie, and wore sunglasses on his head. He had a broad smile and seemed to be so relaxed. And the banker, she wore a black skirt suit and crisp white button down shirt and her hair tied neatly in a low ponytail. She looked so professional but a bit cold. I looked at the two and I saw who I was (the banker) and who I was afraid to be (Industry). And I couldn't help but wonder, if I leave Banking, will I leave my entire identity as well?

Mojitos

This Saturday I met Alejandro at Mojito club, a salsa club in Eixample. And I realized that the one thing I missed in the States that Spain did not provide was salsa and Latin clubs. Latin music hits me in a certain way that nothing, not even hip hop can reciprocate. I love the rhythm of salsa, of cumbia, of vallenato, of samba, of merengue, and even of bachata.

I cannot wait for salsa club meetings at Mojito to start. My goal is to get inside the Barcelona salsa scene to scope out new ideas for the salsa club next year. I would be so happy to improve it, for my true passion lies in salsa. Maybe someday, if Heaven smiles upon me, I could even open a salsa dance studio right here in Southern Europe where I could be teacher, dancer and administrator all in one... now that would truly be Heaven.

Dare to dream.

Bar Crawl

Apparently drinking traditions transcend international borders. Wachovia has this IBD Analyst tradition of Bar Golf, where we all dress up in the silliest golf clothes and go to 18 bars taking "shots" at each par. The one farthest away from par-18 is the winner. Man, I can hardly remember what went on that night... I do remember someone getting into a cop car thinking it was a cab....

So IESE has an annual tradition of Bar Crawl, a team excursion where each section (A, B y C) is given a costume theme, and the teams within each section go through certain drunken tests to compete amongst themselves. Here are the themes, some photos I have lifted from a classmate’s album because 1) Drinking and shooting pictures requires some focus 2) investment bankers go by the saying "don't reinvent the wheel", and 3) I was too busy dancing the night away to whip out the camera…

Section A (my section) were sadistic cops.


Section B were naughty school girls and boys.


Section C (the Spanish section) were crazy doctors.


The first competition involved blowing up a balloon and popping it on another teammate’s lap. Well I wasn’t paying attention during the directions, and before I knew what was going on, I was pushed to the front of the line, given a balloon and told to blow.

“But I don’t know how to blow this!” I said; I had never successfully blew up a balloon before.

So I just went for it, and before I knew it, the balloon was getting bigger! Woo go me! And then afterwards, everyone was yelling at me to sit on this guy. I was so confused, so Felipe just popped it & I didn’t have to sit on him! Who the heck makes up these games?

The next bar, Pepsi Club, involved a competition of sexy dancing. We made up this corny boy band style routine and worked it on the stage-floor. I think I had a little too much fun with my baton…

And the third bar, we had a silly little obstacle course. We easily beat the other team on that one. Then all of a sudden, they started playing great music, and me and Sudar started dancing. Before we knew it, everyone was clearing the floor so that we could have a little dance off. He was pulling out some Indian style dancing and hip hop and I answered with hip hop and salsa. Was maybe my favorite part of the night. But me, I’m a partner-style dancer, I’m not so accustomed dancing alone, but I can pull it off. I love hi-jacking my partner’s moves though so that I can become the center of attention! Alejandro and I started dancing some salsa before going to the last club.

At the last club had a great few dances with Daniel from UK. I was shocked how good he danced! But this guy knew how to have fun. Danced some Brazilian dances with Felipe as well, which was really special. I quite enjoyed it. Dancing with my classmates is the best thing I can do. You can really feel the connection and respect we have through dance, without even saying a word.

But enough dancing talk. Let’s get to fashion. Dress was interesting that night, and I certainly did not capture the widest range of costumes, but here are a few of honorable mention:

The serious (Nuno with my teammate Hao)


The lovely (Can you guess which one is El Delegado de mi grupo espannol?)


Apparently how the cops dress in Italy, as evidenced by Marco


Drinking on the job I see…. So that’s how they do it in Brazil...


And these are the winners of Section B. Wonderful expressions….


So here is my beloved group, A8, to close out the entry.

Trends in Investment Banking

And now we are back to Ann’s career choice struggle: Investment Banking or Industry? Today Lehman Brothers held a seminar on “Trends in Investment Banking.” I wasn’t planning to attend, but somehow it drew me in. And strangely, I felt once again that I belonged there, and sure enough, Lehman felt like it was “My Company,“ the one I’m meant to work for. No matter how much I try to avoid Banking and Finance, somehow it pulls me in. My Organizational Behavior professor says that there must be some reason for the choices that we make… and that often it is wise to follow the path that you have set. As much as I try to fight it, as much as I don’t fit the typical profile, I guess I’m really meant to be a Banker.

The presenter from Lehman actually knew who I was. Probably because he reviewed my resume and cover letter just the day before. I’ve got a breakfast with Citi booked next Monday, then cocktails with Lehman, then a dinner with Merrill Lynch, then breakfast with Lehman again. It was like fate was saying “Welcome home.” It was back to the same old schedule and I loved it.

So the trends in investment banking por mi parte siempre esta cambiando. Entering IESE I vowed to go into ANYTHING but investment banking or finance. Two months later my plan is to go into to Sales and Trading, but try to stay in Southern Europe. I really want to work in Madrid. Little by little I am weaning myself off the United States, to create a new life in Europe. We shall see what happens...

El Fin De Semana De La Hispanidad

Last Thursday most of IESE left to go on the London Banking Tour, to meet with contacts from various Investment Banks. I had a friend from New Orleans come in on his way back from Norway, so I stayed in Barcelona. I got a ride with Lluis to IESE, a Catalan neighbor of mine. But he’s not rabid Catalan, he still appreciates his Spanish roots. I like that. When we were heading to his car I had the privilege of meeting his dad, who lived in the same building. “Encantada” I said. It was so sweet. Both guys are terribly nice, terribly nice guys.

Between classes, I was walking up the stairs and I ran into my Marketing professor, the one I despised because he always yelled that I was wrong whenever I spoke up in class. Well, he had been calm with me lately. And when he passed me on the stairs, he looked me in the eyes and said, “Hello, Ann.” I couldn’t believe it! He knew my name! Which meant he noticed me in class, out of all the people, he took the time to give me some consideration, which is all I really want. (I’m just a simple girl at heart). All my apparent hatred for him seemed to melt away at the moment. And in class that day, he actually called on me twice and wrote what I said on the board.

It was a really good day.

Attendance at Spanish class that day was almost abysmal. It was just me and 2 other students, and we were discussing in Spanish the Banking industry. I was with 2 others who wanted to go into Industry and this implied that they thought all Bankers cared about was money. That was true, but I felt I had to defend my industry just a little. Before we knew it, we all were in a passionate debate, not paying attention much to how horrible our Spanish was sounding.

Little did we know our Spanish teacher was quietly recording what we said aloud and then after the conversation displayed the broken fragments of our discussion on the projector, in order to correct them later. Whether you are familiar with Spanish or not, the results are quite hilarious:

“Quien dice eso? Mi.”

“…like…uh….”

“Okey.. I mean ‘vale.’”

"Tu no necessitas estar en banca."

“Soy una persona muy debil.”

“Banking es un droga.”

“Solo necesito dame un CV y en un anno tiene un trabajo.”

You can just guess which were my statements: something about banking being a drug???

That following night was equally strange. Nathan and I go out for some tapas, and before long we were drinking, drinking, drinking. So we are wandering down Barceloneta around 2AM when we discover a boat tied to a dock. It was then that we had the brilliant idea that it would be advantageous to us to jump off the dock and swing by the rope, as shown below:



Nate jumped and made it. I wasn’t so lucky. I jumped, completely missed, then fell completely into the water. I was drenched from head to toe. Naturally, we decided to go to some more bars afterwards. Naturalmente.

Friday was La Hispanidad in Spain, a celebration of all those who spoke the Spanish language. Que magnifico. We must have toured all the sights in Barcelona and ate every kind of tapa there was. We visited bars….

Comimos tapas….


Vistitamos Casa Batllo....


Vimos monumentos….


Fuimos a la playa…. Habia barcas de vela.


El mercado en las afueras de la Rambla


A half Thai half Italian American girl drinking German beer in an Irish Pub in Spain...


Had those little fried fish (pescaditos fritos) and some paella and sangria on the beach. It seems like those little fishies on my fork are saying "Noooo... waiiittt...Don't eat me! I'm just a babyyyyy..."



And then I realized something that week…. I love Spain. It feels like home. I love the cobblestone streets, the good food, the wine, motos, scarves, the lifestyle, the holidays, how wonderfully nice the men are… I had envisioned going back to the US, but now I can’t imagine paying for things in anything but Euros. I think I just might stay in Southern Europe.

Wall Street Women

I have a love-hate relationship with Finance. Some days I hate it, despise it, even say that I loathe it with the fire of a thousand suns...

But today I felt in love.

Today I had the priviledge of attending a panel discussion entitled "Women in Investment Banking" as a way of networking with other women in IBD (almost sounds like a disease, doesn't it?) and capital markets. Lehman Brothers presented. I really liked it. But the strange part was that I felt that I belonged there already. It was an interesting feeling. I waltzed in with a nice suit, asked prominent questions, displayed my knowledge of the industry, whipped out business cards and left.

But lately I've been struggling since leaving Banking with the question: WHO AM I? Am I a financier? Am I a sales person? Am I an entreprenuer? Or am I a politician? Or... as my flatmate Felix suggested, Am I a diplomat? I believe that I'm all those things, and all those things are personified in Wall Street Women.

Today I realized that I was drawn to Finance again. I really liked Equity Sales! I felt passionate again, and sure of myself. But was it because it was something familiar, or was it because we were meant to be? Am I too afraid to take a chance somewhere else, or is it just because my instincts are guiding me? The banking train was moving fast and if I blinked I would miss it. I had to get on.

But did I want to go back to the US? Did I have ties there? I feel somewhat wary leaving so much of my life up to fate. Banking interviews are coming soon, and real-time offers will be made by the end of next year. I still don't know whether I want to work in Spain, London, US or Netherlands.

When I walked home this song from No Doubt came on my IPOD... and I felt like it described perfectly my relationship with Finance:

"RUNNING" NO DOUBT

Running all the time
Running to the future
With you right by my side

Me
I'm the one you chose
Out of all the people
You wanted me the most

Be
Be the one I need
Be the one I trust most
Don't stop inspiring me
Sometimes it's hard to keep on running
We work so much to keep it going
Don't make me want to give up

Running, running
As fast as we can
Do you think we'll make it?
We're running
Keep holding my hand
It's so we don't get separated....

Random Skype Night With Some Spanish Guy

So I'm sitting in my flat Friday night, having just cooked a nice Colombian dinner, arroz con camarones y maduros. I'm supposed to be studying accounting, but instead I am reading Antonio's blog.

All of a sudden someone adds me on Skype. His name is Rafa. Okay, probably some IESE student, I think. And then he sends me a message in Spanish. I couldn't read it, so I ignore it. And then he calls me. He only speaks Spanish!! We have a video conference. We talk about jobs, where we've been, a lot of things. I was so embarrassed I couldn't speak Spanish well. Omigosh, I was horrible. I find out he is 40 years old. I guessed his age exactly. Actually, 40 years old is just the perfect age for me. ;-)

Well it turns out he asked me out. He gave me his number and his email and asked me out for a coffee. He told me to call him whenever I am ready, and we will speak totally in Spanish. WOW! A random Spanish guy finds me and asks me out! He is very handsome yes, as I see from our video chat, but I also saw he had a wedding ring on. I asked if he was married and he said he was divorced hace un año. He sends me a picture. At least I'll have some evidence for the police if he abducts me, eh? I didn't tell him anything about me at all & I probably won't call him.

But how weird! ... what a soap opera that is going on in Barca... Better get back to studying Accounting...

Group A8 Dinner and BOW

Yesterday I took Alvaro's moto virginity. He said he never had a moto while living in Madrid and then he got one here, so, naturally, I was the first girl he had on it. He picked me up at IESE and we rode to our second year team facilitator Martin's house for tapas. He was Argentinean. He had tango playing when we arrived and even had empanadas. They were great.

So funny thing. We all had to bring some food to the party. I brought grapes. Typical American thing, right? Fast, easy, healthy, a safe choice. Everybody likes grapes. Oh and we did a case that day involving Reisling wine, so I decided to bring some of that. Alvaro was laughing at me and the grapes, and I wondered why. It wasn't until I arrived that Martin told me I might as well be seducing everyone here. Apparently it's some Spanish or Latin custom that when you bring grapes and especially wine it is seduction food and you should plan to spend the night... WHAAAAT? I mean QUE?

Had a great time talking with Felipe about Brazilian carnival and how there is all this random kissing going on. Like you turn around and kiss a Brazilian guy, and then another, and another until 50 guys later.... and I said "Ahh yes. Reminds me of Freshman year." Ha. Ha. Ha. No te preocupes, es una broma.

Felipe was so sweet, he kept getting me drinks. I didn't have to do anything, just sit there. I love that guy. And I love how Alvaro takes me around on his moto, like he is happy to do it. I got a little drunk last night and managed to say that he was manly and has big muscles. Oy....

So after some more drinking, we head to the BOW. It was at Bocayma. Had some more drinks and a great conversation with David about Southern dancing, yellow pants, and the differences between European and American dating. How in America, it takes forever for a man to declare exclusivity and how it is so much easier in Europe.

Went home around 230h on Alvaro's moto. It was the nicest ride. I didn't even have to hold on. But I did go "WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" alot in the streets...

Random Thoughts

So I was thinking as I was on Avenida Diagonal around 21:00h looking up at the empty La Caixa building.... "Why aren't there ANY PEOPLE in a Spanish investment bank at 9PM???" Wow. This just may be Heaven.

And I was thinking the other day as Felipe sent out to the group some excel files for the Marketing case, and then both our Accounting cases, hell ALL the cases.... "Man, people who speak Portuguese are amazing." They are some of the most intelligent people I've ever met. And handsome. Some of them are even super intelligent AND super handsome. Wow. Mindboggling.

And now some random quotes.

"Have you ever sneezed in your helmet?"
-Stefan

"Beer is good for the brain. It helps to make it grow healthy and strong."
-Antonio


Decision Analysis Professor:
"And so with this option, there is a 70% chance the director will finish the movie on time and you gain a profit of $100MM. If the director is late, you will have an expected profit of $30MM. And if you hire the mafia to make sure the director makes it on time, at these prices, you will have an expected profit of...."


Scene: Spanish class. We are supposed to provide 2 true comments and 1 false, and try to distinguish which is the latter.

David Binns:
"1) Hace 11 años, salto del avion. (11 yrs ago, I jumped from a plane)
2) Hace 4 años, era un piloto. (4 years ago, I was a pilot)
3) El año pasado, la policía me arresté... Cual es falso?" (Last year I was arrested by the police)

[silence]

Yang: Wait a minute..... You were a cop???


So. We're all from Barcelona.

How Sarcastic Can I Get?

So I was reading Antonio's blog (now that it's no longer in Portuguese) and I have decided to log my time in Barcelona for this entry as he writes... how sarcastic can I get? (No really, it is a very good blog, this is simply an act of admiration and not sarcasm) So here is a day in the life of Anna en Espana...

Hehehe here goes.

I awoke at 7:20h to the sound of my radio despertador. There is some lady talking very fast in Spanish, and I decide it is too early to be thinking. Last night I stayed up until 2:30h doing case studies. As I did the last 2 nights in a row. In the kitchen I run into my flatmate Guillermo. He is making coffee.

"Woah there. You are moving way too fast. It is too early to be moving around so fast," I say. He starts cracking up. I try to speak to him in Spanish but it comes out all slurry.

15 minutes later I hop on his moto and we drive to school. He always says we look like a couple because we bought the same helmet. I didn't have a choice.. they didn't have it in red.

We get to IESE and depart for our respective groups. I am in group A8; he is in the Spanish group C8. Today I am the case leader for the Marketing case. I've prepared a little outline which I distributed around 1:30h last night. "I'm ready for the class!" I think. WRONG!

The teacher is insane. He has no logical path or structure to the class. He moves from one topic to another and you have to have the quick reaction time of a floor trader. Participation credit is 60% so I must try to dominate the class! Just kidding. But the hazard in this is that he often quickly dismisses your comment if it is not what he wants to hear, rejecting it with a big loud "NO!" So I end up raising my hand all day and he never calls on me. I whisper to Marco that he hates me because he never calls on me. How could he not notice me, I am front and center in a bright shirt, and I have my hand raised very high, and I'm hot. Marco raises his hand and in an instant he is called on. The teacher acknowledges his comment positively.

So I'm still raising my hand. Even though the topic moves around all over the place I still have something to say. But he never calls on me. So I start loudly snapping my fingers. And I'm slouching a little bit, bored of pretending to care. Finally he asks a question and looks at me for a split second and I think, this is my chance! I have to speak up because he never notices me! So the second he looks at me, and begins to point at me to begin, I start talking loudly. And then he points at me and screams "NO!" before I could even speak!

Turns out he didn't like that I spoke out of turn. But I noticed that when other people did that he let them speak. I say "DAMN!" really loud and out of reflex. Everyone is laughing because they know how long I've had my hand up, especially Marco.

God. I was so glad when that class was over. The next class was Analysis of Business Decisions hosted by our section leader, a strict German. He expects you to be prompt, no drinking or eating in class, no laptops, nobody leaves class. The first day I met him, like many others, I thought he was a monster. Now I was so glad to see him. I was glad to see him because although he may seem tough, he is very fair and just. He actually listens and considers what I say. He actually calls on me. Because of that I want to do well and be prepared for him. He noticed I wasn't speaking much in class today when I normally do (that Marketing guy just took the wind out of me!) and he called on me for my opinion! He actually seemed to care, and he noticed that I was quiet today, so he called on me. I know others may think he called on me to see if I actually did the case, but I didn't feel that way. I felt... valued and respected. I almost wrote an email to him after class saying that I really appreciated his equitable teaching style. But I didn't.

Today after lunch we had a Spanish test. I bombed that. Didn't have time to study. I hope they don't hold me back a level. Although I wish they did because I feel I could learn a lot by retaking that class again, I simply did not have time with all the case work we have to do to stay an extra 2 hours at school. I cannot wait until I get my own moto, and I won't have to depend on other people to ride with...

So I came home, tried to take a nap, but I kept getting these phone calls! Hehehe. No I liked it. I couldn't sleep anyway. Had too much Accounting....

Firsts

Well I just found out from BOTH of my flatmates that I was their first passenger on their motos... which is to say I took their moto virginity... which probably explains why my Purity Test score is so low...