tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20107536575237241842024-03-13T09:35:59.823-07:00MBA MBA BlogMike Blogging About the MBA...BlogMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-16855106542087133792013-09-14T10:49:00.000-07:002013-09-14T10:49:09.429-07:00The benefits of visibility on campus<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello everyone!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You probably thought this blog was retired right? Well much
like what happened during the first year of my MBA, while I was going through
the interview rounds for my full-time job, I didn’t want to blog since if I did
write anything it probably would have been me being angry or frustrated that I
wasn’t employed yet which isn’t useful to you guys in any way whatsoever. Now
that I am set for employment, how I got my job is a good lesson on what TO do
when you are looking for a job post-MBA.
So here is my story on how I got my job:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I might have alluded to in previous posts, I was VERY
committed to making sure I get a job post-MBA. This meant many, many emails and
meetings with my career advisor to ensure I was presenting myself as strongly
as possible to potential employers. I also went out of my way to do some pretty
creative things with companies that recruited on campus (while I was on
exchange in Madrid and while I was completing my last semester in Toronto) so
that those companies remembered me as well as possible. As a result of all of this, the Rotman Career
Centre knew me very well and I was probably often top-of-mind to them- to the
point that I am pretty sure they wanted me to get a job so that, if nothing
else, I’d stop getting on top of them for help! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a result of the above, one day I got an email from the
director of the Career Centre telling me that the Admissions team was telling her in passing that it was interested
in hiring an MBA grad to join their team and the Career Centre director,
knowing my passion for the Rotman brand, my strong networking skills, etc,
thought I might be interested. I was indeed interested, so she told me to apply, so I did. Note
that this job was not listed on the Rotman job listings site (but it was listed
on the “careers at the University of Toronto” website). However if it wasn’t
for me being told about the job, I never would have even known it existed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I applied, did my interview preparation, did my interviews and got the job!
So I will be the new Assistant Director of Admissions for the Full-Time Rotman MBA
Program.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know some MBA students might feel like:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-They know everything they need to know for their job search<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-They want to go at their job search without Rotman’s help<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
But as my story proves, it pays (literally and figuratively)
to ensure people know you on campus! So get out there, get involved, be
friendly with people and good things will happen!!<o:p></o:p></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-54370589940619425532013-03-21T21:17:00.002-07:002013-03-21T21:17:39.999-07:00Future Rotman students are in for some real awesomeness!!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the directors of the full-time MBA program, Kevin
Frey, opened up time slots over the next few weeks to meet with us students to
address any concerns we have about the program, hear from us how we can make
the program even better, etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really like Rotman and want it to maximize its awesomeness
even when I am gone so I decided to attend one of Kevin’s sessions. SO
fantastic!! While I feel like I have
gotten a lot out of Rotman, I am jealous of the class of 2014, 2015, 2016, etc.
You guys are going to be SO set. Here are some cool things I learned:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Recruitment--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The recruitment process will have changed COMPLETELY going
forward. Rotman will be placing much more importance on employability upon
graduation. This means in part, an emphasis on admitting candidates with sufficiently
strong verbal and written communication skills and these skills will be
explicitly evaluated in the application process. I am SO happy to hear this as
this helps in so many ways:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Group work becomes less stressful as ALL members of the
team can pull their weight equally<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Class discussions become more enriching with more students
able to clearly express their viewpoints<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The pool of viable candidates to employers becomes larger
which increases the prestige of Rotman students on the whole<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The interview process is also becoming much more rigorous. This
means applicants can expect to be pushed a bit in their interviews. Also, each
Rotman recruiter is assigned to and is responsible for specific applicants. So
if, for example, X is interviewed by Y and upon admission, X turns out to be an
all-star, Y will be recognized for their good job spotting an excellent
candidate. Conversely, if X is a real dud, Y will be held directly accountable
for admitting a dud. As a result, you can be sure awesomeness per capita at
Rotman will increase. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something that I didn’t realize until I spoke with Kevin was
the importance of increasing the class size from about 280 (what it is now) to
400+. It turns out the big and most prestigious US schools have AT LEAST 400
students in the class (i.e. MIT). Many have about 1000 (i.e. Kellogg). Back
when I first heard that the class size was increasing, I was worried about the
talent pool diluting. But apparently MBA applicants don’t think that way. What
tends to happen with a small class size is that they think “the class is so small
I won’t apply because I won’t get in.” In reality, by admitting more students, you give more
confidence to the all-star people of the world that if they apply they can
actually get in and therefore more all-stars end up applying to (and getting in) the school. Increasing
class size is also important from a recruitment standpoint which was the other
big thing touched on by Kevin....<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal">
--Careers--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Turns out that the HQ’s of multinationals will only recruit
at a campus if that campus has a big enough talent pool. Having a student body
of 400+ makes Rotman more attractive to such companies which means more global companies’ HQ’s will be recruiting at Rotman going
forward because of our larger class size. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have spoken a bit about how I was a bit disappointed with
the career centre when I 1<sup>st</sup> started at Rotman and how pleased I was
with the changes that have been made in my 2 years here. Turns out Kevin was a
big part of that. So nice one, Kevin! When we met he talked a lot about all of the gaps he
found in the Career Centre and fixes that have since been instituted and I
agreed with all of them. I think Rotman is on a really good track going forward
for bringing the best companies in the world to recruit at Rotman. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What’s especially great is that Rotman positions itself not
against Ivey, Queens, etc, but Kellogg, MIT, Stanford, etc. As a result, the school
is able to market itself even better to US (and international) companies to
come recruit at Rotman. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Early in 1<sup>st</sup> yr, the career centre puts on a
career week where they do a bunch of workshops for students where they teach you how
to write good cover letters, present
well for interviews, etc. However these workshops were all optional. Also, I
have heard from my peers that many students have a lot of challenges writing
good cover letters, being sufficiently presentable in interviews, etc. So going
forward, career week will be mandatory for all students. I am super happy about
this. Even if you are an all-star at job applications, this will do so much for
the class on the whole: if EVERYONE is able to rock job applications (on account of mandatory career workshop attendance), the
Rotman brand becomes so much better which benefits you in the end as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should note that this is NOT to say that Rotman at the
moment is not a good school. The school is very, VERY good (there is a reason
why it is <a href="http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-ranking-2013">#1 in the country</a>). The above points are meant to say that rather
than Rotman resting on its laurels while other schools catch up and surpass it,
it is being proactive to find new ways to stay ahead of the competition and
continue to get better even when it is at the top of its game. I think that's a pretty good trait to have...Never get complacent! :-)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So yeah, if you guys are considering coming to Rotman, know
you will be in VERY good hands. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-27150805273259091602013-03-16T10:13:00.002-07:002013-03-16T10:13:14.188-07:00Insight into the fun world of product and service pricing<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello friends!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this semester I am taking my electives at Rotman, one of
which being Pricing. I took this class because I figured if I am going to be a
brand manager or work with brand managers, understanding how to price the
brands which I am involved with is probably pretty important. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, from when I worked at Dell, when we made any new
marketing initiative, the price of the products we were advertising was almost
always the biggest issue. Pricing was in
fact such an important consideration that several members of the marketing team’s
job was almost entirely pricing products! I had a basic understanding of what
they did but now wanted to really get it, so I could be a more complete
marketer upon finishing my MBA so here I was. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know MBA school often gets knocked for making students
study cases of really random industries unrelated to that which you will
ultimately work in but the cases are actually pretty useful for practice, in
this case, practice pricing products and services. Especially because there are so many ways to do it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a lot of math to even figure out how much your products
COST never mind what you will price them at! Things that one normally takes for
granted, like the electricity in your building (overhead), is actually built
into the costs of stuff you buy. This actually helps explain why Walmart can
offer such low prices- they cut corners on almost EVERYTHING in their company
(note that I said “almost”; they spend a lot on technology and such which helps
give them their competitive advantage but I digress). So for
example, by having offices that look like they belong in 1960 means their costs
are lower and therefore can ultimately price lower. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This also explains in part why when I was working at
Dell, we were always undercut by Acer. Acer had SUPER lean Canadian operations
compared to Dell- like 5 people working in its Canadian marketing department
while Dell Canada had like 25. So of course now, each Dell computer had to
recover the costs of more salaries than Acer thus the price difference (all
else being equal). This would be cost-based pricing and is I think, why my
pricer colleagues were using most of the time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides cost-based pricing there are some other pricing varieties
as well. One thing that I thought was pretty cool was a study my prof (Dilip
Soman) did on how different pricing plans influence product use. i.e. for a gym
membership, to encourage usage, it is better to offer monthly pricing plans
than annual ones. This is because when you pay each month, it is a reminder
that you are still paying for the gym and therefore should probably use it. But
if you pay annually, a month after paying your membership fee, life gets in the
way of going to the gym and you forget about it. (I am probably the exception
to this rule- annual or monthly membership…I am going to work out!) Consumer
psychology with pricing! Fascinating. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides psychological or cost-based pricing like what I
talked about above, another way is “value based” where you basically just pay
for what you actually want (i.e. what you value). This is why cellphone plans
exist, for example- by having different pricing options for different types of
people, Rogers, for example, maximizes profit because they can meet the needs
of every type of customer. People will be more likely to buy if they know they
are paying only for stuff they actually want.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks to our delightful pricing class, once I get back to
work in a few months, I will be ready to make some awesome prices for whatever
I am marketing to help my team make some big $$! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-53946240107043050342013-01-23T11:48:00.005-08:002013-01-23T11:48:43.858-08:00Back to the Toronto Routine!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am living in Toronto again after 8 months away and it was
a pretty weird feeling at first. After living exceedingly well abroad it was
definitely a bit of an adjustment coming back. Although Rotman being Rotman, I
got right back into the thick of things! Between:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Class<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-My involvement in the Rotman Marketing Association and Rotman
Entertainment and Media Association<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Helping 1<sup>st</sup> years with job applications/interview prep<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Keeping up with networking for my own job search<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My life has been pretty busy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I was gone, I was pretty removed from everything my friends
were doing on this side of the atlantic. But coming back, everyone has been
awesome getting me right back into the fold, like I never left. I am lucky to
have awesome friends and classmates! If I could have taken my classmates with
me during my time in Madrid, life would have been ever better over there!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those looking to go on exchange, some important things
to consider:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Before you pick which semester you want to go abroad,
consider when recruitment is for the jobs you are interested in. For example,
if consulting is your thing, recruitment happens almost entirely in the fall.
So you’d want to be at Rotman for that. So obviously then go on exchange in the
winter. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Everyone that goes on exchange gets a scholarship that
essentially covers the cost of your flight. So no worries on that front!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-If you plan to get involved on the exec of a club, I
strongly recommend you DO NOT go on exchange AT ALL. More on that below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is really challenging coordinating things across time
zones and because the Rotman administrators (and any execs in the business
community you hope to work with to visit Rotman or whatever) get so much email
daily, dealing with them is faster and easier face-to-face/by phone. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s not to say it is impossible to manage club stuff
abroad (I managed club stuff abroad after all) but you have to be committed- which might be a challenge for some people when you are
living it up on exchange in another part of the world. :-)<o:p></o:p></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-81996415836046683942012-12-19T20:18:00.000-08:002012-12-27T06:22:39.358-08:00Reflections on Spain<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well here I am, back in Canada after my semester abroad in
Spain. So I thought I’d use this blog entry to write about some interesting
things I noticed during my time over there:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I lived in the neighbourhood called Salamanca. This is the
richest neighbourhood within the city (before you jump to conclusions about me,
I lived there because my school was there, not because I am a spoiled fancy boy
or anything!). As a result, I’d become accustomed to being surrounded by people
dressed impeccably well. All the time. I remember one day I needed to go to the
grocery store quickly to pick up some milk. It was a 5 minute trip and for such
a trip in the past (in Canada), that meant a hoodie and flip flops. But now, I
thought “wait a minute…I’m going to look like a bum compared to everyone else.
I can’t have that! Better put on something nice.” My oh my had I become “pija”!
(spanish for “posh”) I NEVER thought that would happen to me but there it was…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cheeses and meats are MUCH cheaper in Europe than in North America.
For example, a mozzarella ball in Spain: 55 cents. Here, $8. Very unfortunate state of affairs here. I ate very, very well in Spain. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Breakfast cereals in Spain are a bit different too. Here and
in Spain, the “healthy” cereals are basically the same- Corn Flakes, Special K
(although the Special K in Spain is SO much better than ours!! I love it so
much I brought some home with me haha), etc. Our sweet cereals in North America have a pretty
big range- honey, chocolate, cinnamon, frosted, fruit flavours (i.e. fruit
loops), other (such as French toast crunch). However in Spain for some reason,
sweet cereals are: honey, chocolate or frosted flakes. That is all. I can’t believe things
like Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Sugar Crisp wouldn't sell in Spain. I wonder what
the business reason is behind such a lack of variety?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the big reasons why I love Spain is how chilled out people
are. For example, if I tell you I will do something, you can trust that it WILL
get done, without a need to create a formal agreement stipulating every minute
term or condition, etc. I noticed this on day one dealing with my landlord and
found myself becoming this way as well by the time I left Spain. I really like
the idea of being able to actually trust people’s word and not worrying that
you are going to get screwed somehow. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Madrid has one of the best Metros in the world (in fact, that statement is part of their <a href="http://i54.tinypic.com/mr4uw9.jpg">slogan</a>).<o:p></o:p>However until I lived here I never realized how crazy
interchange stations were (that is, at a station, you switch from one line to
another). The lines at every station are SO FAR apart!! It’s nuts. If you need
to change lines, that instantly adds 5-7 minutes to your journey in walking from one train all the way to another. Also, most metros
in the world have timers at each station telling you when the next train is due
in the station. In Toronto, if it says “3 minutes” it always feels closer to 1.
In Madrid, “3 minutes” really is 3 minutes. So prepare to wait! That being said, Madrid’s metro is still
pretty freaking awesome. I enjoyed riding it (and have the metro chime as my
ring tone now!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pretty much everyone that knows me knows my time in Spain
was probably the happiest 4 months of my entire life. I absolutely loved it
there and sincerely hope I have a chance to return one day. But first, I have
an MBA to finish in Toronto!!<o:p></o:p></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-90581616407399159082012-11-27T04:34:00.000-08:002012-11-27T04:34:36.494-08:00Reflecting on my time at IE<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This week is sadly my last week at Instituto de Empresa. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span> With that, I thought
it would be a good time to reflect on my experience here. Hope you enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Things that were awesome—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-<b>Living in Madrid</b>-
IE is awesome if for no other reason than the fact that it is in Madrid. My
favourite city in the world. As I alluded to in previous blog posts, the
weather, food, culture, etc are all so phenomenal that having Madrid as a
backdrop to your MBA studies automatically makes your MBA experience pretty
great. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-<b>The Profs</b>- Among
the profs I had anyways, almost all of them teach and work in the field in
which they teach (rather than just doing research). I loved this. It made the
profs seem very up-to-date on best practices so learning how to use those best
practices in developing business strategies I feel has really helped prepare me
for success in my post-MBA career. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-<b>REAL diversity- </b>Every
MBA school seems to talk about how much it values diversity but for most, it is
just talk, with the student body being dominated by 2-3 countries or regions of
the globe. At IE, diversity actually exists. My classes included south
americans, north americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians and Australians with no
one region dominating over the others. This was a great way to open myself up
to tons of different perspectives on life and business.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-<b>The Campus</b>- IE
has several buildings spread out across a few blocks in the neighbourhood of
Madrid called Salamanca. The buildings are NICE. I mean, really, really nice. It
was pretty cool studying in such cool spaces!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-<b>Support for your own
entrepreneurial venture</b>-IE has A TON of support for people looking to start
their own companies- networking with venture capitalists, support on how to
build your business, etc. If you want to use your MBA to start a company, IE is
probably where you should study. Given I want to be a marketing director (which
is akin to managing a business), it was really helpful for me to be a part of this
environment, to be better equipped for becoming a marketing director one day!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Things that were not so awesome—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-<b>Student life</b>- I
could go on for a LONG time about the issues this school has with promoting and
facilitating a cohesive student body, creating
a more enjoyable student experience, etc but will just leave it at this. Rotman
is MILES ahead of IE in this respect. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-<b>Networking clubs</b>-
I was a member of several clubs (marketing club, north American club, etc) and in one semester, there was ONE event (a
speaker event) across all of the clubs I am a member of. Why do these clubs
even exist then? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Living in Madrid was a dream come true for me. I know I will
miss it here and hope I can move back one day. However, I really miss my
classmates at Rotman…I am excited to see them again soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-84857111944722873082012-11-07T01:11:00.001-08:002012-11-07T01:11:19.812-08:00Mike gets the Andalucian Experience in Granada and Malaga<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had another long weekend here in Madrid so I wanted to use
it as another tourism opportunity. Flying somewhere was out of the question and
I had yet to see the Alhambra (in Granada) and my cousin had told me very good
things about Granada as a city so I figured that would be a good option,
especially because a bus there was only $50 return. Even better was the fact
that an hour from Granada is Malaga where several of my friends live from when
I went on exchange in Amsterdam as an undergrad. So we could have a mini
reunion there! So off to the south of Spain I went. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Granada is famous for the Alhambra but there are some pretty
cool other other things there as well:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Student town--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Granada’s medical and dental schools are apparently very
prestigious and big meaning Granada is a student town. Meaning cheap food! Fun
parties! Huray!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Los Reyes Catolicos--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The king and queen of Spain from the late 1400’s to early
1500’s, Fernando and Isabella, (known as “los reyes catolicos” or “the catholic
king and queen”) are buried here. Why is this noteworthy? Well they united the
various regions of spain under a common flag, began the spanish inquisition and
sponsored columbus’ voyage to the new world. Pretty influential monarchs! In the church they are buried, you can see their actual tombs!! It was pretty cool to see these actual monarchs who were so influential in world history. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Tapas- -<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I read in my Lonely Planet guide that Granada was
notable for its sizable tapas, I knew I had to see this for myself. And boy
was Lonely Planet right! In very commercial establishments in Spain and
elsewhere, you have to buy tapas separately and they are small plates of things
like olives or tortilla española or whatever. In traditional Spanish
restaurants the tapas come free with your drink, mimicking the traditional
manner of serving them (which you can learn more about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas">here</a>) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For some reason in Granada tapas are almost like small meals
and the more beer/wine you order, the bigger the tapas. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Example 1: I bought a
small glass of beer for 2EUR and got a ham sandwich and fries for free!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Example 2: I was with a group of 5 people and we each got a
beer for 1.80EUR. With it we got a PLATTER of burritos!! WHAT!!??? Awesome!! (and they weren't gross burritos either!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an MBA student I was curious to know how this could
possibly be a sustainable business practice. My friend Jose from Malaga (who is
a recent MBA grad) informed me it is funded through people buying lots and lots
of alcohol at a time at the bars. Oh Spain…how I love it. Haha<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Moorish-themed stuff—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because Granada was such an important part of Moorish Spain,
there are muslim-themed things everywhere. The Albayzin (old Moorish quarter)
feels like you are in Aladdin or that
part of Raiders of the Lost Ark when Marion is hiding in a basket while Indy is
getting chased by bad guys. It is very
crowded and everyone is trying to sell you tacky carpets, Moorish tiles, hookah
pipes, etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Moorish influence combined with Granada being a student
town means there are maybe more shawarma places per capita than in Ottawa (my
hometown). So much shawarma! And so cheap and delicious!! I loved it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--The Alhambra--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was a fortress that began in the 900’s by the Moorish
rulers of Al-Andalus (the Moorish name of Andalucia) and grew over time to
become the giant fortress it ended up as. The architecture, design, etc. is
awesome and is a MUST see if you visit Spain but rather than talk about stuff
you can see for yourself in person or Wikipedia, I wanted to touch on a few different
things I found notable:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-For a few hundred years, the Alhambra was a dump, used as
barracks, a place for bums to hang out, etc. It may sound hard to believe but
what helped me envision what this place looked like in the past was Assassin’s
Creed II (the videogame). This may sound silly but that game takes place in
early renaissance Italy where you get to see, for example, the Roman Forum
being used for the same dumphole purposes. People just didn’t really care about
managing and preserving classical architecture at very points in history. I
guess they had bigger problems on their hands...The Alhambra was "rediscovered" in the late 1800's by American writer Washington Irving. He stayed in the Alhambra for some time and was inspired to write about it (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_Alhambra">The Tales of the Alhambra</a>). This led to renewed interest in the fortress and it becoming the tourist destination it is today. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The only thing I never liked about Lonely Planet guides was
that there are few pictures for each tourist attraction. So it was sometimes
tricky to follow what Lonely Planet was describing because you had to rely on
the book’s description and assume you were indeed looking at the correct thing
the book was describing. To tour the Alhambra, you have to follow a fixed
pathway through the various parts of the fortress. Lonely Planet’s descriptions
of the Alhambra follow this route EXACTLY!! I was very pleasantly surprised
about this and it made it a lot easier to understand what I was looking at
when, in each part of the Alhambra. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Entering the Alhambra is a big chore. You MUST buy a ticket
in advance online and your ticket is only valid for a set period of time of the
day. And because the Alhambra is on the top of a hill, you need to walk for a
while or take a bus up there. Worth it, but different from what I am used to
where you can just go and walk into whatever tourist destination you want,
whenever. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that’s the gist of Granada. Now for Malaga. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should note a few things first: I had been to Malaga
before as a tourist so didn’t need to do much touristy stuff this time and I
went to Malaga this time around to visit friends, not do touristy stuff. That
being said, there are some worthwhile things to note about my visit:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-If you really want to go to Malaga as a tourist and have
never been, I strongly recommend going in the summer. Outside of the summer,
the city is chilly and/or rainy and all of the tourist stuff there is pretty similar
to Granada but better in Granada (i.e. muslim architecture, churches, etc). In
the summer in Malaga you can go to the city’s beach (called Malagueta) and
eat/drink on outside terraces all day and night which is super fun and
fantastic and worth it, time permitting. (which you cannot do in landlocked Granada)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Malaga has completely redone its waterfront. The redo was
completed like a few months ago according to my friends. Now on the port is a
long promenade of nice restaurants and stores. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-You might have read in your tourism book about “teterias”
which are basically restaurants that specialize in serving tea. Because I am
not really a tea guy, I never would have gone to one on my own initiative. But
because I was with my Malageño amigos (that is, friends from Malaga) I followed
their afternoon routine. So after a big lunch at one of the most famous
restaurants in the city, “El Pimpi,” they took me to El Haren, one of the most
noteable Teterias in Malaga for some post-lunch chill time. It was SO cool!!
The place is a converted very, very old house. Inside it felt very bohemian.
Cool scene to chill out on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The place had tons of
varieties of tea, none of which taste like the “typical” stuff we are used to in
North America. My friend recommended “la jamiacana” (the Jamaican) which tasted
sort of like tea mixed with a warm pina colada. The perfect way to organize my
stomach after our giant Spanish lunch. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I didn’t do any “typical” touristy stuff, catching up
with my friends I hadn´t seen in 6 years and spending an day like a typical
Malageño was a pretty fun experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good times in Andalucia!! I am pretty sad I have to go back
to Canada in a month and a bit; I could really have spent more time in the
south for sure. Such a cool place. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-15230455891874834752012-10-28T04:17:00.000-07:002012-11-01T14:36:51.941-07:00Dear prospective employer, here is a great example of “managing ambiguity” and “overcoming challenges” <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As some of you many know, 2 of my biggest passions in life
are consumer electronics and athletics. So companies in those 2 spheres are at
the top of my list for places I’d like to work once I finish my MBA. That is
also a big reason why I chose to go on exchange in the fall rather than the
spring: most of those companies do not recruit in the fall so I wouldn’t miss
out on them by not being at Rotman in the fall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However late last month I was surprised to learn that Nike-
one of my target companies- was coming to Rotman in October and I wasn’t there!
This is the story of my experience managing this job application process from afar.
It’s a long but good story so get ready to read!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first challenge was twofold:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A. How do I get top of mind at Nike without physically being
present?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
B. How do I create a good application for the marketing job
Nike was hiring for?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Managing Part A--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the members of the Rotman class of 2012 interned at
Nike in the summer of 2011. Given I was always interested in learning more
about what it’s like to work at Nike (with the idea to maybe work there), I had
spoken with her a year ago about my interest in the company. She began working
full-time there after graduation and was luckily part of the recruiting process
for Nike’s on-campus visit this time around. I tried connecting with her on the
side, to get some additional info about the role which I might have missed in
the Rotman on-campus visit. And having met her previously, gone to the same
Rotman events with her, etc, it wasn’t like I was some random stranger out of
the blue either. So this helped me get as top-of-mind with Nike as I could
given I was in Madrid and Nike was visiting Rotman in Toronto. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nike also has a very specific and unique culture that
involves wearing “Nike-appropriate” clothing. After discussing how to be top-of-mind with my career adviser I decided I send over a picture of me in such clothing so that they have
an idea if I look the part sufficiently for Nike- especially important given I
couldn’t be gauged in-person at the recruitment event in Toronto. I don’t know
if the email with a photo of me was ever seen but I was happy I sent it so that
the Rotman Alum who works at Nike if necessary, could pass who “Mike Moses” physically
is on to the Nike HR team even though I wasn’t physically at the Nike
recruitment event at Rotman. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Managing Part B--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was also lucky because one of my friends interned at Nike
this summer and is living in Europe this fall as well. Same time zone made
things MUCH easier. So in talking to her I got a sense of what sorts of things
Nike values, how to communicate to them, etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, after writing my cover letter, I sent it over to
my career centre adviser for feedback and input to ensure it all looked good. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So with that, I sent over my application. I never like to
“count my chickens before they’ve hatched” though, so I decided to move on with
my life once my submission was in. This meant among other things, that since we
had a week off school in mid-october, I decided I’d use that time to visit
Portugal for the first time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Little did I know that TWO DAYS before I was to leave, I
found out I got shortlisted for Nike!! They wanted to interview me! Except they
wanted to interview me in literally the middle of my Portugal trip!! AHHHHH<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted to prepare as much as I could before I left meaning
I had to prepare everything: company research, interview question answers,
questions for the interviewers, cool ideas of my own for the Nike team, etc. in
a whopping ONE DAY before I was to leave. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Additionally I had a big dilemma on my hands:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Do I cut my trip short (because I flew with ryanair,
cancelling anything meant paying HUGE cancellation fees)?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Do I do my interview in the hostel and risk strangers
coming in (at worst, naked!) unexpectedly? Does the hostel even have the
infrastructure to let me do an interview??<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Do I find some sort of business centre in Lisbon and pay
for an hour to use a quiet room and internet service?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And even if I did do my prep in advance this meant I would
be studying said prep in a hostel!! Not the most conductive environment for
studying anything. Haha <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s take a look at what I did now:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Prep--<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found out I was shortlisted on Thursday night (Madrid
time), was leaving to Portugal on Saturday and on Thursday night was a big
party for the IE student community. I am never one to miss a party though so
while I went out on Thu and enjoyed myself thoroughly, I forced myself up
Friday morning and got straight to work on Nike prep. I worked literally all
day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had also been emailing my Career Centre adviser with
various questions about how to prepare and luckily that Friday evening (Madrid
time; afternoon Toronto time), she had some free time and rather than send me a bunch of long
emails, called me to talk Nike prep for about an hour. SUPER USEFUL!!!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because I wasn’t sure what the computer situation would be
in Portugal I printed all of my prep documents and brought a USB stick with those
documents on it as well so I could have everything with me while away. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the end of the day on Friday, I was sufficiently prepped
and had my bags packed, ready for Portugal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Saturday at the airport I had some free time while
waiting for my flight so what did I do? Found I quiet part of the terminal to
practice my interview questions answers! And because I have an iphone, I
recorded myself giving said answers so I could make necessary tweaks to my
tone, speed of voice etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my hostel, whenever I had some down time, I pulled out my
Nike prep notes and went over them again and again to ensure I remembered
everything I needed to. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now I was sufficiently interview-ready. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Dealing with the interview itself—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As soon as I knew I was getting interviewed, I emailed the
Rotman Career Centre to find out what medium I’d be interviewed in (phone,
audio skype, video skype). However without a concrete answer until EOD Friday Toronto
time (which meant I was asleep by then), I just assumed it would be the most
involved alternative possible, meaning video skype, so I packed a cool golf
shirt to wear for Nike just in case. On Saturday morning I found out it would
indeed be a video skype interview. Good thing I planned ahead! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless of how the interview would happen, I knew I would
need privacy. After pricing my various alternatives, the cheapest (but risky) was
getting privacy in my hostel. Luckily I was staying at the best hostel in the
world on the day of my interview (seriously; The Travelers House Hostel wins
the award for best hostel in the world like every year on Hostelworld.com) so
was hoping I might be able to be accommodated. I emailed them as soon as I knew
about my interview and asked if they have a quiet room I could be in to do my
interview and if necessary, access wifi (I didn’t know if I would be doing a
skype call or not yet). Travelers House got right back to me and said they
would hook me up with a room for a few hours to do my interview with an ipad!
Sweet!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My interview was at 3pm Lisbon time and the afternoon is
typically the quietest part of the day for a hostel. My bedroom in the hostel
has maybe 6 beds in it but Travelers House let me have the room completely to
myself for the afternoon for the interview. What cool and helpful people at
that hostel!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prior to the interview I set up a call with the Rotman Career
Centre on videoskype to work out any technical glitches and I was happy we did
this. The ipad I was going to use from the hostel had some video issues so
thinking on the fly, I decided to try with my iphone instead and it worked
perfectly. So there I was, sitting on
the floor of my hostel in Lisbon, doing a video call on skype on my iphone to
people in Toronto. Isn’t technology amazing??<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With everything all set, off to my video skype interview I
went. I was really happy I took all of the preparatory steps I did because the
next morning I found out I made it to the next round!! AWESOME! Round 2 wouldn’t
involve another interview but rather doing a project for Nike due in a week.
Just one problem: I was still on vacation for 4 more days!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I “wrote” my project in my head while away and did as
much prep research as I could while in my hostels. Once I returned to Madrid, I
worked almost literally for 3 days straight to get my submission on paper and done
on time. I was so focused on Nike that I didn’t even unpack until after I
submitted my Nike project!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In round 1 I was just competing against the other Rotmanites
but round 2 would be vs. everyone else in North America (and possibly the
world?) applying for Nike so the challenge was very, very fierce. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still don’t know how I fared in the second round but if
nothing else, I can hold my head up high that:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-I overcame ridiculous odds to land a job interview with one
of the best companies in the world AND made it at least to the second round<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Given my situation I created the best project I possibly
could have…If I had to do it again, I would have done nothing differently. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that is my story and is a lesson to all you prospective
employers about Mike Moses- when I am passionate about making something happen,
I will do everything short of moving mountains to make that something happen!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-53879494046033302612012-10-08T06:17:00.002-07:002012-10-08T06:17:47.563-07:00Recruiting season at Instituto de Empresa<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I may have mentioned in previous blog posts, job
recruiting as facilitated by Rotman basically involves companies visiting
campus whenever and then you applying for jobs as they are posted on the Rotman
careers website. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here at IE it is interesting to note that the website IE
uses for you to search and apply for jobs is the EXACT same one that Rotman
uses. I guess good MBA schools share similar tastes in job tools. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything else though is a bit different. IE has 1 specific
week where ALL companies that recruit at IE come to campus. Rather than each
company having info sessions whenever, IE has a career fair: each company that
recruits at IE has a booth on campus during 1 or several of the days of the
week and you come to the booth and talk to the companies. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I like about this approach:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-You don’t need to sit through tons and tons of info
sessions where every company says “we’re the best ever! You can grow your
career here like nowhere else! Everyone likes working here!” So you have more
time to allocate to other things in your day :-)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Although if you do like info sessions, some companies that
recruit at IE do do them as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The chances of you getting to talk to an employer
one-on-one are much higher given you don’t have 100 people who just sat through
an info session trying to speak to the same 3 people at the exact same time
with this being the only time you will get a chance to speak to the recruiters
(given they have a booth at the fair as well).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Companies can weed out people with poor communication
skills right away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-You know you will have been exposed to all of the companies
coming on campus by the end of career week so can plan accordingly (i.e. if a
company you want to meet isn’t on the career fair guest list, you can plan
appropriately to meet them separately).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I don’t like about this approach:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Talking to a recruiter in one company while the recruiters
from every other company can see you is kind of awkward. Like say you weren’t
as articulate or polished as you would have liked with company A. Company B’s
recruiters can see this in plain sight. So when you go visit company B’s
recruiters they may already be biased against you. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The recruiters are at the career fair all day. If you meet
the recruiters at the end of the day they might be totally wiped and
uninterested in talking to people anymore, thus reducing your chances to
connect well with them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-If you can’t be at IE that week for whatever reason, you’re
screwed (unless you take the initiative to find a way to meet the companies you
are interested in a different way).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyways, after getting exposed to the corporate world from the
North American point of view at Rotman, it was also pretty cool seeing things
from the European side here at IE. It is interesting to note that apparently MBAs
are in relatively high demand in Spain despite the employment crisis. Like, my IE
classmates have been telling me they have had no problems getting interviews/job
offers thus far. Interesting…Another reason why an MBA is valuable ;-)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-77709332057760263642012-09-29T10:15:00.001-07:002012-09-29T10:15:42.187-07:00Random Observations About Things in Madrid<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now that I have been here for just over a month, I’ve gotten
a pretty good sense of the city, the country, etc. So I thought I’d share some
interesting things that I’ve learned:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Despite the economic crisis, apparently MBAs are
very much still in demand from employers. My classmates looking to work in
spain or the EU generally, have had no issues getting job interviews or
employment offers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Given what I am used to in Canada (and from my
summer in London, UK), coming to Madrid, everything seemed incredibly cheap by
my standards. So I thought working here would be pretty awesome, thinking the
cost of living would be lower. However, I learned that most conglomerates don’t
pay very well. So madrileños purchasing power parity (yeah that’s right, I just
said “purchasing power parity.” This IS an MBA blog after all!) ends up being
about the same as residents of Toronto. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Because of the above, most middle-class madrileños
live in the suburbs. I learned though that in spanish, the word “suburbio” (the
literal translation) has a negative connotation. Think the suburban immigrant slums
outside of Paris. To talk about a “normal” suburb, it’s just your “barrio,”
meaning neighbourhood. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->As you may know, contemporary Spaniards are a
very secular and liberal bunch. Across Catholic and Jewish (not sure about
muslim) people- especially those my age or younger- it is catholic or Jewish in
family background only. “Madrid culture” supersedes religion by a landslide. So
for example, a Jewish Madrileño and Christian madrileño are probably more
similar to each other than a Christian Madrileño and a Christian Canadian.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->In Madrid, when it rains, it pours, literally.
It was sunny with more or less clear skies every single day since I arrived (so
about 35 days in a row). Yesterday we got our 1<sup>st</sup> rain. 24 hours
non-stop POURING. Today it is cloudy and all next week, back to sun. What a
city…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This coming week is “career week” for the IE student
community. I am excited to see what IE has in store for us! I’ll tell you guys
about in in my next post!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-40153980685485626652012-09-22T10:43:00.001-07:002012-09-22T10:43:59.256-07:00Jewish New Year in a 600-year old synagogue<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Toledo (the original one; not the one in Ohio) is about 40
mins from Madrid. It was also jewish new year and given Toledo’s jewish
history, I figured it was an appropriate day to go visit with a free afternoon
I had. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prior to the Spanish inquisition, jews, muslims and Christians
all lived here peacefully which was a pretty big deal in the 1300’s. As a
result, the architecture in the city is a mix reflecting each culture’s styles.
While the Islamic legacy lives on in the form of architectural style,
everything else muslim has been wiped out from the city more or less, except
for a few of the mosques which have been preserved and are now museums.
However, the jewish quarter has remained intact which was of particular
interest for me given I am jewish. Toledo really likes showing off its jewish
heritage…The jewish quarter is plastered everywhere with stuff showcasing
jewish culture, explaining the history of the jews there, etc. The main
synagogue of the city (sinagoga del transito) is now a museum that does a very,
very in-depth treatment on the history of the jews not just in Toledo but in
Spain in general. If you like reading a lot in museum exhibits, this will be
just the thing for you! Also, according to Lonely Planet it cost 2.50EUR to get
into the museum. But with my IE student card I got in for free! SCORE!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cathedral of Toledo is also pretty awesome. Mind you, I’ve
seen a lot of churches with pretty fantastic architecture so this one wasn’t
any more amazing than those of Italy or whatever, but still cool to see
nonetheless. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something else Toledo is famous for is its marzipan (or “mazapan”
in spanish) so I obviously had to try some. SOOOOOOO good!! Super delicious
dessert!! I was a fan. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The city walls of Toledo have been kept intact from the old
days although the city has obviously expanded outside of the walls.
Nonetheless, I can understand why Toledo is considered a UNESCO Heritage site.
Inside the city walls it felt like I was in the 1600s. Everything there is so
old (and well-preserved), from the tiny, winding streets to the architecture
that remains intact. However, to take me out of the sense that I was in the
1600s were the throngs and throngs of tourists. Honestly it felt like no one lived
in Toledo; that the town was only “populated” by tourists passing through. But
whatever; for a short and cheap bus trip out of Madrid, this was definitely a
worthwhile visit!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-77357952468871525602012-09-16T01:02:00.002-07:002012-09-16T01:02:33.320-07:00Life on exchange at IE Business School<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me in Spain isn’t all just fun times; I AM here for school after
all! I am studying at Instituto de Empresa (loosely translated as “Business
Institute”). According to the rankings in Financial Times, Business Week, etc.
it is one of the best MBA schools in the world so I was pretty excited for the
opportunity to be in it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The student body here is similar to that of our exchange
group in that it is a very, very diverse group of people. Like with the
exchange group, no one region of the world dominates the student population. In
fact, even though this is a school in Madrid, maybe only like 10% of the class
is actually spanish!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something else I found pretty interesting was the IE
curriculum. It is almost the exact same as ours at Rotman! In 1<sup>st</sup>
year they learned basically the same stuff we did, were subjected to the same
ridiculous quantity of work, etc. I guess that is a testament to both IE and
Rotman’s calibre of MBA schools (although why Rotman is ranked so differently
than IE in global MBA rankings is beyond me…).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, IE’s careers/networking portal is the exact same tool
that we use in Rotman. Good MBA schools clearly think alike…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At Rotman our class schedule ran like clockwork in that the
class schedule was the same every week for the length of the quarter (as you
may remember from my earlier posts, the Rotman first year was split into
quarters, not semesters). At IE, the class schedule is super random. I might
have a specific class 3 days in a row and then not again for like a week. Or
one day I might have a class for 3 hours and then the next day, only for 1.5.
It was a bit weird but once I got my schedule on my iphone, I could follow what
was going to be happening when so I am pretty fine with it now. (especially
because it also results in me having long weekends several times a month!).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, it’s pretty cool to be learning from the profs I
have. The profs at IE are obviously experts in their fields as would be
expected in any solid MBA program but my profs this term teach but also work in
the fields they teach. In fact, my Emerging Media class is taught by a guy who manages
and marketing agency and created one of the most successful iphone apps ever
(here: <a href="http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2010/07/02/ikea-takes-its-product-catalog-mobile-with-augmented-reality-app">http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2010/07/02/ikea-takes-its-product-catalog-mobile-with-augmented-reality-app</a>).
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that life here at IE! <o:p></o:p></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-990377925284781282012-09-10T14:35:00.001-07:002012-09-10T14:35:16.896-07:00A trip through Basque Country<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had been dying to go to Basque Country for years for a few
reasons:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The beach in San Sebastian is apparently the
best in Spain and the best city beach in Europe<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Basque food is among the best in the world<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Basque people are some of the nicest, fun people
I have ever met<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when I had a long weekend this past weekend, I decided to
capitalize. Me and some of my exchange classmates took a drive up north! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing you notice upon arrival is that Basque
country looks quite different from most of the rest of Spain. Most of the Iberian
peninsula is dry and pretty flat. Basque Country is quite mountainous and
green. Also, every sign is in Basque, not Spanish. The Basque language has no
linguistic relatives anywhere in Europe so the words are pretty different. If
you are in Spain and see a word with “x”-es or “k”-es in it, it is probably
Basque. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First stop for me was Bilbao, the capital of Basque Country on
Friday night/Saturday morning,. The city is however, pretty tame, harkening
back to its roots as an industrial city. Pretty chilled out crowd. Nothing
wrong with that but a far cry from Madrid, for example. What was pretty cool
though was visiting the Guggenheim museum. As you may know, it was designed by
Frank Ghery- a Canadian!- so I felt like it was my patriotic duty to pay a
visit. The architecture of that building is amazing. It is also located right
on the Bilbao River. The Guggenheim was part of a city revitalization project
and all along the river you can really see that at work. The view is awesome with
lots of cool architecture and landscapes and there are some amazing running
paths along the river. If I lived in Bilbao I’d definitely be going for runs
there constantly! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something else interesting to note is that Bilbao has a
smaller population than Ottawa and is more compact of a city. However Bilbao
has: a metro line, tram lines and buses. Ottawa has only buses. Ottawa really
needs to get its act together! It's transit system is so behind in the times!
Goodness…But anyways, I wanted to maximize my time in San Sebastian so my time
in Bilbao was quite short. On to the main event!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Basque Country their version of tapas are called “pintxos”
and are considered the best in the country. So I of course ate a ton of them
and they didn’t disappoint. Every meal I ate was basically perfect. What restaurants
here typically do is lay out a bunch of different pintxos across the bar. You
then pick the ones you want and just eat them (or the chef prepares them for
you if they are out of a particular pintxo at the bar at the moment). The bill
eventually comes later. Menus do exist from which you can order stuff but I don’t
think that’s the “normal” way to eat in these parts. Even if you hate seafood
(like I do), the food is so fresh and well-made that it doesn’t matter. I even
liked the seafood that I tried here. It was great.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The main beach in San Sebastian, playa de la concha, is
pretty awesome. Because San Sebastian isn’t a very big city, it is really easy
to get to it from almost anywhere in town. The beach itself is what you’d
expect in a solid Mediterranean beach. Although because San Sebastian is in the
north, the water was pretty cold. Not a problem when it is 35 degrees and sunny
outside but I prefer warm sea water to cold, personally. I’m not really sure
why Playa de la Concha is so highly considered- I liked the beach in Valencia
just as much, but whatever…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The weekend I arrived also happened to be the weekend of a
uniquely basque event, the trainera, which is basically a rowing race. The main
trainera of the year happened to be this past weekend in the ocean by playa de
la concha. So there were people EVERYWHERE watching the boat racers, people
decked out in their favourite rowers’ team colours, etc. It was pretty cool to
experience that first-hand!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And after stuffing my face and getting tanned, it was time
to get back to reality. Off to Madrid for more studies!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-19593916030968932392012-09-01T13:07:00.002-07:002012-09-02T13:50:43.287-07:00Mike’s Euro Adventure Part II: Madrid<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello Guys! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a short visit back to Canada, I am back in Europe,
this time, Madrid for a semester on exchange at the Instituto de Empresa (<a href="http://www.ie.edu/business-school/degrees/international-mba">http://www.ie.edu/business-school/degrees/international-mba</a>).
Everything so far has been totally amazing. Some observations since I arrived:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->IE and my flat are located in the wealthiest
part of Madrid. It is the Madrid equivalent of 5<sup>th</sup> Avenue in NYC or
Yorkville in Toronto. The neighbourhood looks pretty much the same as Yorkville
except in Spanish instead of english.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->When I arrived, I needed to buy various things
for my flat and school supplies, etc. Spain has a store called El Corte Ingles
which is the exact same as the Bay in Canada so you can get pretty much
whatever you need. But for cheap stuff, I was curious to know if something like
our Dollar Stores exist here. Instead of dollar stores, Madrileños call them
Chinese Stores because it is always chinese people that run them. I thought
that was hilarious. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->After getting killed on cost of living
challenges in London, it is so refreshing to be in Madrid where:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->I am on the Euro, not the Pound and therefore
have a much better exchange rate<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Things are priced pretty much the exact same as
what they would be in Canada, or cost even less. Huray!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The weather is unbelievable. Hot and sunny every
single day! I am totally loving it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Because I learned spanish from those who speak
castellano (that is spain spanish-speakers), I can actually understand the
spanish people are talking here, which is pretty great.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The food here is also fantastic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last 2 days we had our exchange student orientation, so
I got to meet my exchange peers. Because we are all focusing in different
specializations, it is unlikely many of us will be in the same classes but it
was cool to meet everyone. What was especially nice was to see ACTUAL diversity
in the exchange student class. Like, no one country or region dominates the
exchange student body.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That's about it for now, I think. More to come! <o:p></o:p></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-88531962099580309802012-08-02T19:18:00.004-07:002012-08-14T13:26:15.660-07:00Reflections on my UK adventure<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey Guys!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I am back in Canada now, internship all done. So it is
time to reflect on the highlights and lowlights of my stay in London. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Lowlights<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>THE WEATHER. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>As you may know, it was the coldest, rainiest,
cloudiest summer in London in 250 years. I didn’t expect this at all which
meant I packed incredibly inappropriately for the weather. It felt like it was November
every day which made me depressed and uncomfortable almost constantly. And,
because I was on an intern’s salary, it wasn’t like I could just get up and go
to a warmer place on the weekend either. I was stuck, forced to suck it up for
3 months. Pretty annoying!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>The cost of living for the most part. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Food at the grocery store is really cheap and
museums are free. Everything else is crazy expensive by North America and
mainland EU standards. A general rule is as follows: Take the price in dollars,
change the dollar sign to a £ sign and that is the price of that product in
London. That means everything in London is 1.56x the price in Canada (at today’s
exchange rate). And again, on an intern’s salary, this minimizes the amount of
fun you can have when you are always worried about expenses!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Depressing stuff, right? But never fear, I do have some good
things to say too!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>The Highlights<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>The food. I can’t say enough good things about
the food in London. <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>In North America we are used to chain quick
service restaurants (i.e. Tim Horton’s or Dunkin Donuts) having average food at
best. In London, those sorts of places serve fresh food that is delicious and
cheap. This was pretty great stuff!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>The markets- Borough, Camden, Portobello, etc
have such a range of such fresh and delicious food from peruvian to indian. So buying from these markets really helped make every
meal perfect and delicious! <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Because there is such a huge immigrant
population in the city and because of the UK colonial history, there is a TON
of culinary variety in the city and you can get some pretty amazing meals for
reasonable prices. <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>The meat and cheeses you buy at the grocery
store are ½ the price they would be in Canada if not even cheaper. And it is
all incredibly fresh and delicious stuff. So if you like to cook like I do,
this was a huge plus and cost-saver!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Visiting Newcastle<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>I’d never in my life ever experienced a city
like that (and I’ve been to some pretty crazy places). Based on the
conversations I had with the people I met there, it seems like North Americans
are unaware of Newcastle or what goes there (maybe because what goes on in
Newcastle, stays in Newcastle…haha). But seriously, if you like to go out for a
night on the town and have some fun, Newcastle, it’s people (“Geordies”) and
its culture must be witnessed first-hand. <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>My internship<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>You can read my linkedin profile to see the real
business-y stuff I did but basically, having the opportunity to take a real
leadership role in a business and see that business be hugely successful was incredibly
rewarding and awesome!! Knowing I could be a team leader and see success has me excited for when I get into the real world again post-MBA. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>The Olympics<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Being in the city where the entire planet is
focused was an absolutely incredible experience. It was so fun meeting people
every day from all over the world, experiencing other cultures at each country’s
“country houses” (that is, basically large banquet halls that each country uses
to celebrate its own athletes at the Olympics, promote its culture and such) and seeing history get
made right in front of my eyes. So cool!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyways, now I am back home in Ottawa detoxing from my
England adventure for a few days. Then back to Toronto for some meetings and to
see my friends and then…MADRID!!!! <o:p></o:p></div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-89143707330461147072012-07-15T10:55:00.000-07:002012-07-15T10:55:33.457-07:00One thing I hope North America never imports from England<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weeks ago I had a chance to go to the <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/">Wireless Music Festival</a> here in London. If you know me, you know I love electronic dance music
so with Calvin Harris, Kaskade and others spinning all on 1 day, this was
definitely the festival for me. And I figured it would be cool to experience a
music festival in Hyde Park, one of London’s most famous parks. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A big reason why I love electronic dance music parties
besides for the music itself is the atmosphere. From what I had seen so far in
north America and the mainland EU, everyone that goes to these parties are
super chilled out, happy, energetic and
just looking to enjoy some sweet music with people just like them. Great times
all-around. I expected the same here in London but I was wrong. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The scene was mostly what I expected but it seems as though
douchebags have infiltrated the electronic music scene which makes me sad. At
the show, some idiot thought it would be really fun to get on top of his buddy
and from there, jump on top of the crowd, including me. It hurt like hell! Not
cool. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then there was a big group of- to use the Jersey Shore term-
guido guerilla juiceheads just standing around in the middle of the dance floor
just taking up space, not dancing, with their shirts off and covered in mud, making it hard for us actual fans to enjoy ourselves.
Wonderful…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been to many electronic dance music shows and this was
the 1<sup>st</sup> time I saw either of these things happen. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last night there was a similar festival happening outside of
London that my flatmate attended. She arrived 1 hour into the festival and
already, several people were being carried out on stretchers on account of
various acts of violence. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if there is one thing I sincerely hope North America does
not ever import from England it’s douchebags infiltrating the electronic dance
music scene and ruining it for the rest of us. You are not invited so please do
not come. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you! :-)<o:p></o:p></div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-3599122213314283922012-06-16T11:34:00.001-07:002012-06-16T11:34:34.672-07:00Food adventuresAs you guys may know, I am a "foodie". Here in London, there is so much diversity of food and so much quality that I have been eating exceedingly well here. Not in the sense of eating a lot, but in the sense of eating quality again and again. Part of that is due to the markets here in London. I'm not sure why this is but London has a ton of huge open-air markets all over the city. Many sell fresh, authentic food from all over the world and random arts and craftsy sort of stuff. The food part is what interests me which is what this blog post is about.<br />
<br />
I'll take you through my experience at 2 of the best-known ones in the city plus some other food stuff:<br />
<br />
<u>Camden Market</u><br />
This is like Queen Street in Toronto on crack. The main Camden Street has tons of crazy stores that sell all sorts of things from weird t-shirts to hookah pipes. Off the actual street is the market. Here are a bunch of stalls selling food from every possible country you could think of- turkish, peruvian, italian, chinese, israeli, etc. Almost every stall gives out free samples so you can get tons of free (and delicious) food which is awesome. Also awesome is that the food you actually can buy is pretty cheap (you can get a fresh pizza for about $5.50!) and also delicious.<br />
<br />
At this market is also this shop called "chin chin labs" where they make icecream using liquid nitrogen! The place has a giant liquid nitrogen tank and vats of the liquid component of icecream. What they do is put the liquid icecream component into an icecream mixer followed by some liquid nitrogen pumped out of the liquid nitrogen tank. The ice cream mixer then mixes the 2 together. Because the liquid nitrogen is almost like a gas though, the resulting icecream doesn't have the same texture of normal icecream. It is much smoother, pure and tasty.<br />
<br />
<u>Borough Market</u><br />
My favourite of the 2 markets. Like Camden, there are stalls selling food from everywhere you could imagine. However the stalls look a lot less commercial (and less tacky). They are more open-aired too so you can see more of the authentic food being prepared. For example, at one of the cheese stands, I saw a woman preparing fresh mozzarella balls, right there on the spot! Camden's food stalls sell more meal-type food. Like, you can buy a pad thai dish, a serving of paella, etc. Borough has more of the typical stuff you'd expect in a market. That is, you can buy veggies, olive oils, breads, etc to bring home and use in preparing your own dishes.<br />
<br />
That's not to say though, that Borough doesn't have food you can eat on the spot. It is mostly things involving bread and some sort of meat, i.e. a chorizo sandwich, frankfurters, etc. (or you could always buy a block of cheese and eat it on the spot too...) The prices for such stuff run around $6 which is kind of a bummer but whatever, this is not the main purpose of this market anyways!<br />
<br />
<u>Top 100 Dishes</u><br />
Time Out London recently issued its top 100 dishes in the city. (you can find the list <a href="http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/2584/london-eating-2012">here</a>) Some of these dishes are quite expensive. So I am planning to try as many as I can of those that are $6 or less. The list has been an amazing guide. So far my eating experiences have been fantastic. In fact, the chorizo sandwich I at in Borough Market is on the list and did not disappoint (even if it wasn't very filling).<br />
<br />
Delicious times in London!<br />
<br />
<br />Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-66661057298573148632012-06-07T15:16:00.001-07:002012-06-07T15:16:51.326-07:00Important Life Lessons About Having London as a Base for Travel<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This past weekend we had a 4-day weekend and the weather here has
generally sucked. Which meant I was off to Spain. Previously I lived in
Amsterdam and getting to the airport from anywhere in the city was the easiest
thing in the world. For like 5 EUR, hop on the NS train (the national rail
service) and you get dropped off right to the check in counters at Schipol (the Amsterdam airport). Schipol
is extremely well designed and efficient as well. And the fact that it is a
major hub (along with Heathrow and Frankfurt, I believe for the EU) makes it an amazing
base from which to travel. Great for the time and budget-conscious.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flying from London is for those who care for neither time
nor budget. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Timing<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every single airport except for the new London City Airport
is extremely, extremely far from the city. Regardless if you take a bus, taxi
or train, the trip from the city to airport is an hour or more. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Additionally, every single airport is packed. Always.
Allocate enough time for navigating for huge lineups at check-in counters,
customs, etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best way to cut into the amount of time you spend
getting to the airport is to research which airport you are closest to and fly
strictly from there. For example, I live near Regent’s Park and flew from
Stantead. Big mistake! My cousin told me that for central-situated people like
me, I should be focusing on Heathrow as an airport “base.” East-enders (i.e.
where the Olympics will be) should be the ones flying out of Stantead. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have plenty of time to kill, none of this is of much
concern to you but when your time is limited like mine is- I can only afford
being off on weekends (so Friday night to Sunday night)- this makes things
pretty tricky!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Cost<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To help welcome you to the expensive world that is London,
you start getting ripped off right when you land in the city. That is, in any
other city (maybe in the entire world) the express shuttle bus/train one-way
might be somewhere between $5 to $20 tops. In London, the cheapest, slowest
transit just to get to the airport is about $20. Faster transit costs about $30
and reduces the speed of your journey by maybe 15 mins tops.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To minimize cost it is extremely, extremely important that
you bring no checked bags. Every low-cost carrier charges fees for bags but
usually it is not that big of a deal- maybe a few extra $$s. However know that Ryan
Air MURDERS you for bringing even one checked bag. So ensure you review the
TOTAL cost for a flight (after taxes, bags checked, etc) before booking as an
alternative carrier will probably be cheaper once all costs are factored in (and less annoying- Ryan Air has a
lot of weird quirks that no other airline has). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other cost-minimizer is to fly (arrive and depart) on
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. Any other day and prices are crazy high. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The UK National Rail Service is also extremely expensive
without adequate planning. Prices increase exponentially the closer you get to
the date of travel. And unlike with air travel, this price growth over time is
basically a rule. So as long as you book several weeks in advance, you can rest easy knowing you got the best possible deal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this leads me to some recommendations to people living in
London hoping to travel: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->If you want to go somewhere that is outside of
the british isles:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Book extremely far in advance- at least 1 month
prior to travel, probably more<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Get out of the country for at least 5 days (or
more if you can ;-) since you will lose at 1/2-1 whole day in transit <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Ensure your boss is cool with you taking off on
weird days of the week (i.e. Tuesday)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->If you want to go somewhere in the british isles<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Book extremely far in advance<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Take the train (or a bus)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Go whenever you want…prices don’t vary as much
by day as they do with the airlines.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-52570359707751418282012-05-27T08:13:00.002-07:002012-05-27T08:13:30.525-07:00The cheap and not so cheap in London<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you guys may know, London is a VERY expensive city to
live in. And given I am on an intern’s salary, I find myself pretty much
constantly evaluating the prices of things here vs. what they would be in
Canada to ensure I am not overspending. Here are some observations:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Grocery stores<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Buying non-junk food (i.e. tomato sauce, pasta,
veggies, etc) costs about the same as it does in Canada after factoring in the
exchange rate. i.e. 10GBP worth of groceries at a grocery store here works out
to be about the same $16.40 worth of groceries at Loblaws<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Produce (chicken, beef, eggs) is oddly way
cheaper here. i.e. 500g of chicken costs like $10 in Canada and would be like
$7.50 here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Given the demographics here, obviously there is
A TON more Indian food than Chinese, or tex-mex. But it’s cool; I’ve had the
opportunity to make some awesome (and fast) dishes I never would have been able
to make in Canada!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->There are so many candy bars here that don’t
exist in North America and look sooooooooo gooooooood and cost about the same
as in Canada. I wish I could eat them all. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Given the size of the UK’s population, there are
several main grocery store chains. But I live closest to 2 of them- Tesco and
Sainsbury. The prices at both seem to be about the same. (although apparently
Tesco is supposed to be cheaper)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Eating out<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->I checked out the Lonely Planet’s guide for food
and what restaurants they recommended at the lowest price range possible. One
of such restaurants was this Mexican place called Taqueria. The dish I ordered (which was average priced
on the menu) was 6.50GBP or about $10.50!! I don’t know about you guys but to
me, a cheap meal is <=$5, not <=$10! These London pricing standards…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->So restaurants are by definition then, really
expensive. Having explored lots of London (the reasonably safe areas of London,
anyways!) it seems the best option for really cheap eating out is random
hole-in-the-wall restaurants serving Lebanese, thai, etc. You can get a good
amount of food for about 3.50-4GBP (which is about $5.50 tops). That is about
as cheap as it is going to get for eating out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Beer<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Prices for beer in the grocery store are what
you’d expect by deregulated liquor standards. You can get 4 bottles of anything
for like $5 tops. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->In pubs, I’ve found beer actually is not that
cheap. A pint in an average pub for an average beer comes to about $5.50 which
is maybe only $0.50 cheaper than what it would be in Canada. The cost savings
come into play in the fact that you don’t need to tip. So when you pay $5.50,
it actually is $5.50 and not $6.50 after tipping ;-)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->In night clubs, the price of alcohol is the
exact same as what it is in Canada. You are getting ripped off per bottle to
the max and end up paying about $7-8 per bottle. But again, no tips here, so
that helps soften the blow, at least a little.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So yeah, when you are living in London, when someone says
something is “cheap” be aware that the standard for cheapness is much different
here than in North America or even mainland Europe! <o:p></o:p></div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-22369308955193515092012-05-20T06:56:00.001-07:002012-05-20T06:56:09.665-07:00Cool things in London as of late<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last weekend I got a chance to do some more exploring. The
sun finally decided to come out so I checked out some of the parks in town. I
visited Regents Park and Hyde Park. I’d say Regents Park reminds me of Retiro
in Madrid and Hyde, of Central Park in NYC. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I say this because in Regent’s Park, it really feels like an
escape into a chilled out park with cool gardens, fountains, etc. to relax and
get away. Whenever it gets warmer here (the thermometer has yet to rise above
17 degrees) I will definitely be reading and taking naps under the sun there! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hyde Park is a ginormous park with ponds, soccer fields,
gardens, etc however despite being in a park, I was very much aware I was still
in the middle of the city. Not a bad place but different- and not as close to
my flat- so I’ll be sticking to Regent’s Park most likely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my friends is staying in this neighbourhood called
Shoreditch. It used to be housing projects but it has gentrified and now it’s
basically where the creative community is. As such, the neighbourhood is really
funky and relaxed. My kind of scene!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In an effort to minimize expenditures, I’ve been eating at
home as much as possible. However, I have found some pretty cheap and good eats
around. One thing that really surprised me is English chain cafes, i.e. this
chain called “Pret a Manger”. They have ready-made sandwiches and wraps that
you can buy (much like what you see at convenience stores and such in North
America) for about $5 CAD (cheap by London standards). Given the sandwiches
were ready-made I was reluctant to buy one, thinking they had been on the shelf
for 8 years or whatever, prior to me purchasing. Turns out, the sandwiches and
wraps that are ready-made, were only made a few minutes prior…and are very
good!! So don’t let the disgustingness of such sandwiches in North America skew
your judgement. The stuff here is great. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was also introduced to this bagel place called “Beigel
Bake” in shoreditch (not sure why they spell “bagel” differently on this side
of the Atlantic). There is a pretty big Jewish community here in London and a
family opened up this bagel store using the same recipe for bagels you’d see in
Montreal or NYC!! The bagels are AMAZING!! And CHEAP!! 50 cents CAD for a
bagel…YES! And there is a person carving smoked meat in a window next to the
front door of the place. So awesome. I will definitely be going there often. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, after about 12am, the tube stops and is replaced by
a night bus network, similar to what exists in Toronto or Vancouver. I always
hated night buses in Toronto because they rarely show up and stop every 4
seconds. A trip involving 1 night bus was bad. But if you were so far away from
where you needed to go that you needed to take 2 night buses, forget it. You’ll
be in transit forever. So I was at first a bit reluctant to use the night bus
system here the few times I have been out past 12am. However with taxis being
so expensive, I figured “whatever, I’ll give night buses a shot.” There are a
ton of night bus routes though and they are all numbered very confusingly. My
roommate who has lived in London for 7 years, gave me this recommendation “Instead
of trying to figure out the number system, just look for a bus going somewhere
that sounds familiar and go there”. Surprisingly that is a VERY good system!
Night buses in London come extremely frequently and only stop where the
tube-equivalent stations are (instead of at every 2<sup>nd</sup> intersection
like what the TTC does). So you can actually get home pretty fast as long as
you know approximately how to get home. Sweet! <o:p></o:p></div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-43111540502713488742012-05-10T16:16:00.003-07:002012-05-10T16:17:43.911-07:00Greetings from London!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello guys! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am now 1 week into my stay here in London and am settled
in quite well. Some random thoughts thus
far<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-My flight-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The flight here wasn’t the greatest. The plane was basically
full, there were no tv screens on each seat and no chargers for electronic
devices on each seat. And the movie everyone had to watch was Hugo which I
already saw. So I was going to be very bored for 7 hours. Not a great start! Also, the seat spacing was very tiny. I passed
out almost immediately upon takeoff but when I woke up about 1.5 hrs later, I got
really, really claustrophobic. I needed some space IMMEDIATELY! Luckily, a few
rows behind me was the emergency exit row where:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-There is a lot of space to accommodate the emergency exits<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The people sleeping in their seats in that row were not
stretched out at all<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As such, I made the floor there my temporary home. Having
some room to stretch my legs and have a good lie-down helped a ton! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, the food was terrible on the flight. I miss KLM…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Where I am staying-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got very, very
lucky. Through the facebook group for Canadians in London, I got connected with
someone. And not just anyone! So far, things have been awesome:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-My roommate is super chilled out like me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-She has a business background like me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The flat is in central London<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The flat is super nice<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However because this
is London (in a nice flat in central London no less), it is pretty pricey but
100% worth it in my opinion, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Food-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you guys know, I am a foodie. So of course, I had to
check out the food scene here….SO AMAZING!!! I’ll write more about food in
London on my food blog (bsgk.blogspot.com). One thing I am especially happy
about is most of the food I eat in Canada is available here at reasonable (by
London standards) prices. So I don’t need to sacrifice much. This was not the
case when I lived in Amsterdam, where a lot of North American grocery food didn’t
seem to make it there. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Work-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am only a few days into my job but it is pretty cool. I
will basically be doing marketing and strategy for my employer
(rainmaker-gbd.com). I am also helping organize and run the Canada Day
celebration here in London (<a href="http://www.canadadaylondon.com/">http://www.canadadaylondon.com/</a>).
Given the insane demands put on us from Sep-Apr, I am pretty comfortable with
the pretty demanding schedule I am sure to have this summer. Bring it on!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The Tube-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My old boss spent many years living here so I used to tell him
how I wish the Toronto subway was like London’s to which he remarked “No, the
tube sucks.” I can see why he complained- every day random parts of the tube system
are broken or shut down for maintenance. As such, planning alternate routes to
work is super important. I am lucky that to get from my flat to work, there are
several routes I can take on the tube so if one line is messed up, getting on
another isn’t a bit deal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, some of my Rotman friends are here for the summer
too. I already got to see one of my Rotman friends the other day which was pretty
awesome. I am so excited to hang out more with them here on the other side of
the atlantic! It should be a fun (but very busy) summer! <o:p></o:p></div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-51815366996681178882012-04-29T18:24:00.000-07:002012-04-29T18:24:21.449-07:00And now a forward-looking blog post!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this past week I finished my last exams which means my 1<sup>st</sup>
year of my MBA is now finished. Pretty surreal! I’ve done the reflection thing
already so now it is time for a forward-looking blog post. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-For the prospective marketers- <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The class of 2013 (i.e. my cohort) includes a lot of pretty
passionate marketers (including myself) DETERMINED to make Rotman THE marketing
school for MBAs. We’ve learned a lot from: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Seeing how the Rotman Marketing Association did things this past year<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-What other MBA schools are doing for their
marketing-focused students<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Seeing what the corporate connections centre does and does
not do for us marketing people<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And how to build a better "marketing school" from this. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our Rotman Marketing Association exec team is amazing (full disclosure, I am one of the vice-presidents of the incoming Rotman Marketing Association executive team ;-); I can’t
wait for you to meet all of us! You will do well to come to Rotman next year if
marketing is your thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Rotman in general-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-We were actually pretty lucky that the Graduate Business
Council (GBC) this year was amazing. The events they had for us were so amazing
and fun. Through this, we got to see how a really awesome GBC can work
and will be leveraging this awesome knowledge as the GBC for the 2012-2013
academic year. Get ready for fun….to the max!!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-We get a brand new building. It looks pretty awesome (right next door to the existing building). So
you guys will be the first to break in the chairs, desks, etc. How delightful!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Despite what you may think, the profs are very receptive and
responsive to feedback that is given to them throughout and at the end of the
semesters by us students. You guys will get the benefit of our prof reviews with
a great 1<sup>st</sup> year curriculum..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Because I am living in London for most of this summer and
then going on exchange in the fall I may not see most of you newbies until
January (although I will be in Toronto mid-august so hopefully a Rotman social
event ensues so I can meet you guys) but rest assured, all of us soon-to-be-2<sup>nd</sup>-year
students are a delightful bunch…You will have a blast with us!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, while I am on my internship in London, I will be
using this blog to blog about my experiences working and living in London. I
hope you enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-24027199639161957492012-04-17T19:47:00.000-07:002012-04-17T19:47:03.141-07:00Ranking the Quarters of First Year<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a rumour floating around that the curriculum is
being redone for the 1<sup>st</sup> years next year and that quarters will be a
thing of the past. It won’t be 2 semester either but I am not entirely sure
what the deal is. Nonetheless, today was the last day of class! So I thought I
would take a moment to reflect on the 4 quarters of the 1<sup>st</sup> year of
MBA school to give you a sense of how each qtr stacked up against each other:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>First Quarter<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome to Rotman! We were busy for sure but with careful
time management, it wasn’t a big deal. This was mostly because: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Club events hadn’t started yet<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Recruiting hadn’t started yet<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-There was an even balance between quantitative classes (and
not that terrible quant at that) and qualitative ones<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Second Quarter<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The worst of the worst. Without a doubt. Never been pushed
like this in my life, ever. Why was this qtr so hard?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Club events started up<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-It seemed like there was another case competition for
another major (marketing, finance etc) happening every week<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Very demanding workload across all of our classes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you cared little about doing anything but school work, Q2
would maybe have been only slightly more intense than Q1. However, the moment
you added any extracurriculars (which was a given for almost everyone at
school), you got slammed with work. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While it was the worst in terms of stress, workload and
sleep depravity, I think it was also the most enriching knowing I could do all
of the above, do it well and come out the other side alive. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Third Quarter<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The easiest of the easy. This was because:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-We had only 3 final exams<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Most of the evaluation in several classes revolved around
in-class work (with little prep prior to class needed)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Not as quant heavy as Q1 or Q2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Few- if any- case competitions<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rotman plans this like this intentionally though. Because
recruiting season is in Q3, we needed the free time to go to company info
sessions, write cover letters, do practice interviews, real interviews, etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when you factor the job search in, the amount of work you
end up doing can end up one of two ways:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-If you get a job early in the recruitment process: You have
yourself a quasi vacation this qtr! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-If you are applying for jobs for the duration of the qtr:
You end up working (on school work or job applications) in total about as much
as in Q1. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Fourth Quarter<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have a job already, this qtr is about as time consuming
as Q1. Without a job (and assuming you are doing interviews/job applications
steadily), it is about as bad as Q2. Besides the job issues, what makes this
qtr tough:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-More case competitions!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Deliverables that are timed very close together <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Lots of assignments<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What helps though, is we only have 4 exams this qtr. Huray!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if I were to rank the qtrs, they would be as follows from
easiest to hardest:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q4<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is pretty much the consensus among everyone at our
school as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now, off to study for exams!</div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-32609978849992749832012-04-05T14:48:00.001-07:002012-04-05T14:48:59.031-07:00So what’s going on, potential future Rotmanites?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey Guys!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My friend Paige gave a pretty good synopsis of what has been
a big time occupier lately <a href="http://paigedonnellyatrotman.blogspot.ca/2012/03/not-so-little-littlefield.html">here</a>. This and our Integrative Thinking Practicum case assignments
(as alluded to in my own earlier post) have been occupying pretty much all of
my time as of late. In fact I have had little time to do anything else and was severely behind the game in all of my other classes. Thankfully we have a long weekend for me to catch up now!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nothing much else new to report. BUT I know for potential Rotmanites,
you have some big decisions to make in the coming days and weeks! So I thought
I would open the floor to you guys who have been reading my blog. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is there anything you are interested to know about Rotman? Don’t be
afraid to ask me really weird, obscure questions either….That was the kind of stuff I myself was looking to learn before coming to Rotman. I’m more that happy to
satisfy your curiosity on ANYTHING about school…No holds barred!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So ask away in the comments boxes below! <o:p></o:p></div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010753657523724184.post-21162802204719967972012-03-25T05:36:00.000-07:002012-03-25T05:38:29.384-07:00What the heck is integrative thinking??<p class="MsoNormal">If you have been on the Rotman website or read anything Rotman-related you have probably seen it plastered all over the place and you are probably wondering what it is. Most of us had no idea when we started school. This qtr we are taking a class called “Integrative Thinking Practicum” (ITP for short) in which we are supposed to take the concept of integrative thinking and practice it in case studies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Apparently there were a lot of complaints with how ITP was being taught last year so to figure out how to fix it, who better to teach the class then integrative thinking’s inventor (and the Dean of our school), Roger Martin! So Roger Martin is teaching us a class. Despite his stature in the business world, he is actually a super down-to-earth guy and of course speaks very well. Also, thus far, I really like how the class is being structured. First we did a few cases that happened in the past, so we could see how to use integrative thinking to come up with solutions. Then, we are given a bunch of cases of situations happening right now in the real world and asked to solve them. It’s cool knowing we can use what we learn in class to make an actual real world impact.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But now to answer the question in the title of this blog entry. According to Rotman’s website, integrative thinking is: “instead of choosing one (model of how to run your business) at the expense of the other, generate a creative resolution of the tension in the form of a new model that contains elements of the both models, but is superior to each.” I dare define it in a much simpler form: creative problem solving. That’s it. Basically instead of thinking in terms of very strict set of alternatives that are common in your industry, come up with some wacky new one that suits your needs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Because I am naturally a pretty creative guy, this is not really news to me. I think like this every day. However, for people with backgrounds working/studying in fields that are very “black and white” I can definitely see the value in teaching how to be more creative problem solvers. So, people with creative backgrounds, this stuff should be easy for you. Engineers, accountants, etc, have fun expanding your problem-solving horizons! <o:p></o:p></p>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05751155773975875823noreply@blogger.com1