Laffs

Me: "You know what is a really good, funny movie? Enchanted."
Coworker: "Oh, yeah, I saw that. It wasn't bad. Not that good though."
Me: "I thought it was hilarious! I loved how it made fun of itself, yet still managed to be Disneyesque. It was cute...definitely cute. You gotta admit that."
Coworker: "Yeah... maybe I should have gone with my girlfriend instead of my dad."

Capetown Ahoy!

Jan 3 2007 6:45am capetown, south africa

It may have taken over a day to get here, but I’m finally here! After a 10 hour flight from SF to Frankfurt, a 7 hour layover, and an 11 hour flight to Capetown, it’s been quite a long haul. Everything went surprisingly smoothly though as I was half expecting to discover that my baggage had been lost (a fate that befell both Ian and Vidya when they arrived here). I breezed through customs (they request to see your return ticket, guess they want to make sure you leave!) and am sitting in the SFO-like lobby, waiting for Vid to pick me up.

It’s early but the sun is already shining brightly. I stepped outside to take in the not-very-Evanstonlike 70 degree air. I think I’m going to like it here. It’s bustling outside, with people flowing into the International Terminal. It’s a really diverse crowd of families and jetsetters of all ages and ethnicities. I know I’m jumping the gun, but it really feels like I sat on a 30 hour flight and ended up back home!

Capetown has a very cosmopolitan, busy yet laid-back feel to it. Well, at least the airport does. I can see how people liken it to the Bay Area. One thing’s for certain though, it’s a whole lot prettier. The view as we descended into Capetown Airport, was breathtaking. Table Mountain, Lionshead, the Cape … I hope they’re as magnificent as they looked from a mile up. Guess I’ll find out.

Ok, time for me to head back out and look for Vid. We’ll be spending the day getting settled – getting my phone card, some cash, and booking the Tanzania tickets. I’ll be staying at a famous party hostel – the Big Blue Hostel. It’s a 10 person room (hey, how can you turn down 13 bucks a day?!) so we’ll see how it goes.

...Now, what's a guy gotta do to get some Keg popcorn around here?

Mamma MIA!

It was the best of times, then the worst of times...then the best again! To what do I owe this great emotional roller coaster ride to? Why, recruiting of course!

Everyone goes to business school with the aim of getting into some company or industry they've been eyeing. For me, it was to get into a management consulting firm like Bain/BCG/McKinsey or get into product management at Yahoo or Google. Somehow, after the crazy twists and turns of ridiculous world travel, feverish socializing, miraculous semi-conscious knowledge osmosis in class (only thing that saves me time after time), and intense competition in the recruiting arena, i found myself flying into the Bay Area this week to participate in the only final round interviews I managed to get this whole quarter - with McKinsey and Google!

I was counting my lucky stars to even have a shot at these jobs, but I knew that I was up against some of the most qualified individuals in b-school for the few open positions that were available. I was nervous but ready to do battle. Eye of the Tiger played continuously and I knew that I should only focus on what I can control. These were my fights to win...or lose.

GOOGLE, Wed 11/8, 9:00 AM
Our recruiting shuttle pulled up to the Googleplex in Mountain View right on time. I couldn't believe what I saw outside my shuttle window. Outside the giant, oddly-shaped office buildings, people in all sorts of crazy, colorful outfits were riding their bikes, milling around, and zipping by on motorized scooters. I would soon learn that these were some of the 9000 Googlers at the firm.

The shuttle dropped off the respective groups and my Product Management group was let off last, along with the Product Marketing Manager candidates. We headed into the G-plex and jumped into a talk about how the most exciting people work at Google and how great of a time we'd have it we were there. If that wasn't preaching to the choir, I don't know what is. This was one amazing place and I think we were all drooling a bit at the prospect of getting an offer. Oh ho ho, what a silly idea to entertain so early in the day! But entertain it we did...

We were sent off to our interviewing cubes, which, oddly did not have any ceilings and it was possible to hear the other interviews next door. Anyhow, it didn't matter as I was focusing solely on what my interviewers were saying. 2 PMs and a software developer quizzed me on all sorts of product management questions, as well as some theoretical technical stuff. There was only 30 minutes per interview, so it felt very rushed. The fact that one of my interviewers looked like he was ready to sleep right there in my cube wasn't too encouraging. I headed into lunch thinking that I was dead meat.

After a tasty Mexican lunch (Google has free food all day, if you haven't yet heard), the PMs were ushered back into our first meeting room, where we were then informed that some of us would make it to the never-before-mentioned Round 2, where we would meet with directors. Ohhhh....kay. They handed us some fancy Google bags and we were called into the hallway, three by three. I started having flashbacks of the Apprentice and hoped that I would be sent down to the street. Amazingly, I was brought back for the second round and I had some fluid and interesting conversations with the next two interviewers. I left the Googleplex, feeling better about myself. But man, I could not wait a whole week to find out the results! This was by no means a slam dunk, so the wait on pins and needles began.

So, with one down, I had another to go and this time, it was time to do battle with McKinsey Palo Alto on Friday...

Being Back

It doesn't quite feel like the summer is nearly over. Yet, lo and behold, it's July 20. July 20! My internship at Accenture is over half over, I've finally had a chance to see most of my Bay Area friends at least once, I only just yesterday unpacked the suitcase i've been living out of since moving back, and I just got word that it's time to book my Fall classes once again. I never fail to be amazed at how each day can slip by when you're not looking.

My cubemate said to me today, I wish this day was over! Now, this is a pretty typical statement - particularly on sucky days when work is just killing you - but c'mon, it was only 11am! It's like pulling the ejection seat while the plane is still rolling down the tarmac. 11! I think I was still chomping down the last bit of the donut I bought for breakfast.

In another, completely unrelated incident (except that this, too, occurred at work), but another coworker came into our cube and chatted with my cubemate. As this transpired, I caught a glimpse at his shoes and was floored. They were some huge, scaly shoes made out of something that looked like alligator skin. The skin must not be too flexible - the shoes looked about 5 sizes too big for him. They were so loooong and weird reptiley - almost like flippers. I had to turn away and snigger to myself. It was the same kind of snigger I enjoyed oh-so-thoroughly last quarter when I realized that one of my team member's last name was iamthongthong. I AM THONG THONG. is it a name....or is it Sysqo's latest single? you be the judge.

So yeah, my brain's still a bit mushy and I can't spit out a coherent blog entry yet. It's like I snapped out of coma but forgot how to walk. it's all good, I'll just take this back to normal life thing one step at a time - or at least until I'm whisked off to school once again.

Jumble-Aiya

Hello peeps, I'm back from the abyss and have a bunch of random thoughts stored up in my noggin. Here goes, before I explode.

• it makes me sad when people who like taking pictures stop taking them. or when those over-eager video camera types start leaving the camera in the closet. does it mean they don't treasure the memories as much?
• office space is funny as a movie. not so much as your life.
• my little brother can go a whole day without saying a word at home. wow.
• you make up a whole lot of stuff in consulting. the rest you just ask your client.
• ok, i get it now. i have weird hair.
• i got cornered hy a weirda (it was a girl) at a party. she made weird faces when i mentioned people we both knew and was so proud to know senior management types. suffice it to say, i went to get a refill...pronto.
• bschool stuffed my brain. i think i'm still chewing on mid-november.
• 70% asian. 20% south asian. 8% white. 2 % other. Rogonacci numbers.
• i miss Recess, Orroroo, and Choose Your Own Adventures
• tots is great!
• Most of the people in my life go way back. Is that why they are the people in my life? Or is it that I've chosen for them to be in my life, hence we go way back?
• For some reason, I feel desensitized to a lot these days (maybe because I'm still chewing on mid-November?)
• I wonder if anyone will read this (FunAlley's been quet, I know).
• Congratulations to my bro Jer - you'll be a great doctor!
• Congratulations to my bro Danny - may you find your passion at UCR
• I think I need braces.
• I'm becoming one of those worker people who come home so tired they can only eat dinner and watch tv. And they spent all day in front of the computer so they don't want to go online much either. Couch potatoville, here I come...
• But how will I write my book that way?
• Bush never ceases to amaze in a jaw-dropping sort of way.
• Good night

Someone get me some Drano!

It's been thirteen days since I finished my first quarter at Kellogg and only now am I starting to comprehend my education. Every moment I sit and do nothing is a chance for me to play back in slow motion a bit more of the reel of Ferris Roger's Business School Education. It's actually a pretty dense and awesome flick, when you give it the time of day. During the first go-round, it was played at 10X and it was all I could to do to simply skim.

1/6 of my education is complete (read: $20K) and it felt like 4 weeks. Wow. Do I feel like a more high-powered business guy? Hmm, maybe. Do I feel more intelligent? (incrementally - but definitely not in Accounting! Curse you bonds!) Do I feel better connected? (yep. well, with my peers anyway. it's time to get started on those profs though.) I feel as though I bit off more than I can chew and am slowly mashing up and digesting the mouthful of knowledge, lessons, and experiences that got jammed into my face over the past few months.

Is business school a great time? Absolutely. Do I know why I love it? Maybe. Aside from the mountains of social opportunities and pretty cool classes, the value proposition of school is more easily said than fully grasped and understood. Lofty goals such as * gain a high-level understanding of business * or * become a well-rounded individual * or * contribute to my class through my various work experiences * can be lost in the shuffle of the madness that is maintaining your Outlook calendar, sifting through your piles of email, and running to and fro to different recruiting events.

Don't forget the prize, ladies and gents. Keep your eyes on the prize. And, perhaps, to do so, we all have to chew through the cud once in a while.

Chomp. Chomp.

Bailando Otra Vez!

Ring! Ring! Ring! My cell phone danced and I grabbed it, grateful for the break it offered me from my Marketing final.

214....

214...

It sounded oh-so-familiar but I couldn't quite place the area code.

"Hello?"

"Hola! Rogelio... Recuerdome? (remember me?)"

Like a bad sequel, a flurry of panicked-flashbacks swamped me as I dizzily stumbled in the hallway, clutching my forehead in silent panic. [to catch the first episode, please see the posting "Oh Boy Alberto"]

He was back. And more bailando than ever.

"Hola! Hola?"

"Um, hello! Si, I remember you..." came my sickly reply.

"Bueno! Donde estas?"

...And there I went down the slippery slope, explaining that I was very busy (try to escape), that I had class (Clases? Que clases?) and that I was in school (Porque? Por negocio -- ah, still got that AP Spanish skills :)...) and that I was in Chicago (que bueno!).

I tried to run away, but just like in those silly horror flicks, I stumbled, bumbled, and crashed into nearly everything along the way. The conversation, it was picking up momentum....pretty soon, I'd be caught having a real conversation! ack!

"OK, voy a ir. Bye bye. Adios!" Halt the JAWS score -- the water went still as Bailando suddenly left. I was left in a cold sweat, clutching my phone as the 214 phone number blinked three times and faded.

A year later, he had found me.

Ay caramba.