All about me

Flight Frustrations

2010-03-08T08:16:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting in the Pittsburgh airport trying to get on my third flight. I'm also wondering where my carry-on bag ended up after they plane-side checked it on my first flight. The adventure started at 6am, when I arrived at the airport ready to board my first of two flights to LGA (connection through Philly). After USAir took my bag (full overhead) and packed us all into our seats, they informed us that our flight was indefinitely delayed due to a mechanical difficulty.

I managed to get on a flight into Newark on Continental, but was told that there's no way for me to get my carry-on bag back in hand now that it's gone wherever checked bags go. Now, that flight is indefinitely delayed due to mechanical difficulties. I'm supposedly on the next flight to Newark (at 11am), but am not holding my breath. With luck, my bag and I will both arrive in New York by tonight. This is not the best start to an otherwise exciting week.

Becoming an "expert"

2010-03-01T20:56:00.005-06:00

I had a strange moment today when a manager told me I was a subject matter expert. There is something wrong if I can become a resident expert in six months. Hopefully she just meant that I sound like I know what I'm doing.

Oh, did I mention how excited I am to be starting my new project this Weds? I have a good feeling about this one!

New Beginnings

2010-02-26T22:13:00.003-06:00

I'm making a daring move to restart my blog while maintaining a crazy consulting lifestyle. I hardly have time to do laundry, much less write but life is flying by and this is my best chance at keeping track.

There's no way I'll ever be able to make up the last two years of posts, but here's a quick recap:

In August, 2007 I started my MBA at University of Michigan. I met some amazing friends, learned to love the Midwest and college football, and learned a lot about myself and the business world. In May, I graduated and in July Deepak and I got engaged (he proposed in front of the Jefferson Memorial after fireworks). Soon thereafter we traveled to SE Asia for a few weeks to visit my dad in Thailand and cousins in Malaysia and Singapore. We also explored beautiful Angkor Wat, Thailand beaches, and Cameron Highlands. You can see our pics here: http://madala.smugmug.com/ (password: Madala)

In September, I moved to Pittsburgh and started work at Deloitte. I joined the Human Capital Consulting group, working to develop people-related solutions to business needs. I am exploring a range of services and industries that interest me and am trying to adjust to the constant travel. The work has been keeping me busy, but I'm learning a lot quickly. While I am still deciding if this is the career for me, I'm in a good place for now.

As I navigate my new career, I'm preparing for another big change: marriage. Stay tuned for more updates.

Home Sweet Home!

2007-06-21T08:16:00.000-05:00

I'm home at last, though i'm still readjusting to be in the US. I went to the office yesterday and felt like a visitor -- I just know a few people, have no official office, and keep getting lost between he 20th and new 19th floor offices. It's really strange to know that I'm down to my last days at Ashoka after so many years and to try to fill my last few days before the Philippines trip with friends and errands, too. This summer is going to fly by!

Get Ready MD!

2007-06-14T16:14:00.000-05:00

In less than five days, I will be back in my old stomping grounds of Potomac, MD. I'll be around until the end of June, so if you're in town, let me know and let's meet up!

Oaxaca

2007-06-04T21:28:00.000-05:00

Thursday through Sunday I took my last trip in Mexico. It was a work trip, but I took advantage of a few days away to do some last-minute shopping, eating, drinking and relaxation with the girls (Sagrario and Lulu). We may have done a bit too much Mezcal-drinking, but we made up for it with a few long days of successful meetings. Here's a pic of the team (sans moi)

ps. T-14 days and counting.

Homeward Bound

2007-05-26T17:36:00.000-05:00

For those of you in DC with busy social calendars, save some space for me!

I will be in the area June 18-30 working, then until July 4 relaxing. Although I will be in the Philippines and Thailand July 5-August 2, I'll be back August 3-6 preparing for the move to Ann Arbor, my new home for the next two years (except summers, i guess). Let me know when you want to meet up and as soon as I get a cell again I will let you know the number (probably not until August, though). Hope to see you soon!

Transition Pains

2007-05-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

As a lovely reminder that life is unpredictable, my team transition plan was thrown to the wind yesterday when I found out that Lulu, my teammate who was supposed to ease the team through transition while both Sagrario and I were out of the country, is taking a new job starting June 1st and, at best, can help us out two days a week until the end of July. Needless to say, 2 days a week is hardly enough to keep the program running for the next few months. So, in an unexpected turn of events, Sagrario will be coming back to Mexico next week and I will press on to hire not 1, but 2 teammates in my last three weeks. Not what I was hoping to do with the last of my time here, but I'm hopeful someone great will turn up.

If you know of someone who speaks spanish and english and has direct experience with young people, let me know and I'd be happy to send along the job description!

Where have I been?

2007-05-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the long time no write. It has been an intense few weeks given that:
1) I have very little time left in Mexico and a lot that I'd like to see
2) My other half at work left for two months in the US, so I'm trying to do the 1000 last-minute to-d0s with one less person to help out.
3) Three cousins came to visit for three weeks from the Philippines and my mom came for a week, too.

I don't know whether to nap and catch up on sleep and prepare for the coming few weeks of craziness or work as much as I can to plow my way through all of the things I'm hoping to accomplish in the short time I have left. I can't believe that it's been over a year and a half and that in no time I will be back in the US getting ready for grad school!

I'll try to post a bit about my recent travels, visits, dramas as well as my reflections and preparations for the coming months (if I have the time to think ahead) little by little.

Whirlwind Mexico Tour

2007-05-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

With a whole week of vacation to show my mom and cousins around, I took them first around Mexico City, then on trips to nearby cities. Here's a brief overview of the tour:

Day 1: Xochimilco

Day 2: Teotihuacan, Convent, Basilica

(RJ, Lena, me, Ria)

Day 3-4: Taxco

Day 5-6: Puebla

Day 7: Morelia (just me and mom)

Day 8: Mexico City center

Homeless no more

2007-04-11T01:09:00.000-05:00

I officially have a home in Ann Arbor! Starting in August, I will be living in a lovely 2BR townhouse 2.5 blocks from the business school. I haven't seen it or met my future roommate (who kindly coordinated all the on-the-ground search), but I figure I can make whatever work. Now, if only my bedroom furniture would work itself out... .

Queretaro

2007-04-09T08:07:00.000-05:00

To take advantage of yet another holiday in Mexico (semana santa), I took a few days to explore the city of Queretaro and San Miguel de Allende. It was a nice, relaxing four-day weekend with lots of walking and eating. On friday, I got in just in time to see a viacruces (stations of the cross) procession around town. Below is a picture of the "angels" at the front of the procession. The last picture is the Hostal I stayed in and highly recommend: Casa Hostel de Allende.

Here are some pictures of San Miguel de Allende (picturesque town of mostly ex pats and artists):

and a cute church in San Miguel el Viejo (old town center of San Miguel de Allende):

Primavera

2007-03-25T22:55:00.000-06:00

Suddenly, it seems as though everything's teaming with "spring." Skirts, flowers, outdoor cafes, concerts and much more. I don't remember it being this way last year, but it's nice to feel the change of seasons through the change in excitement than in air temperature. Hope you're feeling the springtime energy wherever you are.

Spring Break 2007

2007-03-15T20:39:00.000-06:00

A week after returning from Brazil, it was time for a vacation. Deepak came to visit for the last time while I'm in Mexico and, since it was spring break, we decided to do it in style. There's not much of Mexico you can see in four days, but we did our best. Here's our trip in pictures (with captions):

We explored Mexico City for a day and went to see the oldest hospital in America (as in both North and South). It was founded by Cortes himself in 1524 and is still a running hospital to this day. Since I didn't bring my camera, check out Deepak's blog for pics and more details.

From Mexico, we spent a day in historic Taxco, an old mining city still known for its silver and it's charm. We arrived in time for lunch, wandered the small town square, had dinner, dessert, and stayed the night in a cute inn, before heading off to our next destination: Acapulco.

We arrived in Acapulco in time for lunch and, after checking into our fabulous hotel, we found our way to the beach where all of the spring breakers were being hosed down and walked down a bit to where we could get beach chairs and watch the boogie boarders wipeout. It was an excellent mix of crazy nightlife and relaxing vacation only 4-5 hours away from Mexico City.

I would show post pics of me in my new bikini, but then you would see pics of me in my bikini ;). If you ask Deepak, he may probably show you a video of a wave knocking me over. Stay tuned. I may post some more pics soon.

Feijoada

2007-03-05T22:37:00.000-06:00

I apologize for my bad blogging habits of late. I should be used to travel and long work hours by now, but it's still a struggle. I have lots to write about, so set aside some time and be patient because I may not be able to post it all right away.

First, my trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Day 1: Learning from my last trip when I saw nothing but the inside of the office, I came a few days early and left a few days after our latin american team meeting. I didn't, however, have anything planned when I got there and I forgot that I don't speak Portuguese. After a 14 hour overnight trip, I arrived on Saturday morning, Feb. 24 and. After a long ordeal getting from the airport to my hotel, met up with a colleague and explored Pinheros' saturday market in the summer heat and humidity.

Day 2: Sunday, more people began to arrive and I went to explore the city with another two colleagues who showed me some favorite spots of the city including the historic district and the market, where I bought some Cachaca (aka Pinga) for Caipirinhas and tried Pastel (Brazil's version of empanadas).

During the week: The team gathering went well, though a bit short for all we tried to cram in. The Brazil team took us out past Sao Roque to a tranquil retreat where we spent the whole week eating and working. We got our first taste of all kinds of traditional dishes, including feijoada, a historically-charged food of the slaves which is a rich mix of pretty much everything (rice, beans, meats, etc.). Overall, it was a good week to get to know our teammates better, asking the same questions and trying to find answers, and creating a new language mixing english, spanish and portuguese.

Day T-2: After our meeting, I still had a weekend left to explore, but most people returned home right away. I managed to recruit Marcelo (a colleague from Argentina) and Daniela (a collegue from Brazil who was recovering from a long hospital stay) to flea the city and head to a "nearby" beach. I figured I had to see a Brazilian beach before leaving. We took off on a road trip and ended up at Ilhabela, a gorgeous getaway 3-4 hours from the city, near Sao Sebastiao.

The island is 70% national park, a weekend escape for the rich and has an impressive mix of mountains, lush vegetation and tropical beach. Although everything in Brazil is ridiculously expensive, we managed to find a hostel for $18 a night per person and a 5 min walk to the beach (to be honest everything's close to the beach 'cause it's an island). We began our stay swimming in the beautiful pool with naturally warm water and a view of the stars.

Day T-1: We went to a nice warm breakfast, we visited Dani's old beach house (they'd just stopped renting it a month before). We couldn't beat the view!

Around lunchtime we went to the Ferry to met Yadira (my roomie in mexico who came to Brazil for a meeting the following week) and went to a delicious lunch overlooking the sea. Dani took us around to all of her favorite spots and we ate, drank, slept, swam and sunbathed to our hearts content.

Last day: We went back to the beach one last time to get our fill of vitamin D and to test out the water before speeding back to Sao Paulo so I could catch my 8pm flight. The 14 hour flight home was a bit more bearable with remnants of saltwater and sand and memories from a great week in Brazil.

Decisions, Decisions

2007-02-21T09:52:00.000-06:00

I just faxed in my enrollment form to University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross school of business. It feels nice to have that decision down. Now I can move on to looking for housing in Ann Arbor. Anybody have friends there?

Sightseeing

2007-02-18T21:28:00.000-06:00

It's been a loooong week, but a great chance to see some of the south of Mexico with work footing the bill. Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to see the towns we stopped through. I did manage to take one day at the end to see Palenque's majestic mayan ruins. I had heard so much about them that I had to see for myself. I put some pictures below, but if you want more, visit my Snapfish album. You'll have to log in, but if you have any problems, let me know.

So, I started out monday evening by bus (this whole week's been long bus rides) from Mexico city to Oaxaca, Oaxaca (8 hours), arriving just about midnight. We had a whirlwind day of meetings before leaving again at 6pm for San Cristobal, Chiapas (12 hours). We got in bright and early, checked into a hotel to leave our stuff, and went straight to Guaquitepec, a community in the nearby mountains (4 hours away). From there, we went to Ocosingo (2 hours) and made it back just around 11pm to San Cristobal (2 hours). The next day, our meetings were all in San Cristobal, supposedly one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico, so I was looking forward to exploring the mix of colonial and indigenous (mostly Maya) culture. Unfortunately, since our meetings kept getting pushed back, we only had time for a 30 minute brisk walk from the center back to the bus station. Here's a quick glipse of the cathedral:

We left just around 6pm for Merida and arrived bright and early (14 hours later), just in time to freshen up before our 9am meeting. This time I made sure to take some time to see the center, even if was just an hour. Since we didn't manage to get reasonable plane tickets in time, I bought bus tickets for that same night. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was a long weekend for Merida residents. Almost all the buses were full and I was lucky to get a spot leaving at 7pm, just when the second night of Carnival was starting. I didn't get to see any of the celebrations, but I did get the idea with the air of excitement around preparations and the last-minute street closings all over. I almost didn't make my bus because no taxis could get through and with all the people (especially kids in costumes) walking around the streets between me and the terminal. I made it, though, and took off on an 8 hour bus to Palenque, Chiapas.

Palenque was well worth the trip. I got in around 3am, found a hotel, and prepared for my last and only rest day before heading back to mexico city. Though known for its Mayan ruins set in the jungle (supposedly the best, second only to Tikal in Guatemala), I grabbed a day tour that also took me to two nearby waterfalls: Misol- Ha and Agua Azul (wasn't so blue that day). Though they weren't their finest that cloudy day, it was a beautiful, relaxing tour.

Final Round

2007-02-05T21:03:00.000-06:00

I have officially heard from all of my schools and am now trying to make the decision between debt and more debt as I weight the benefits of University of Maryland, Michigan and North Carolina to make a decision soon.

As I wait to hear about scholarship options from Maryland and North Carolina, I am trying to figure out how much I would need to be offered from MD and NC to sway my choice from Michigan. Taking 10k in loans could make a huge difference over 100k, but they say bschool's an investment and in the long run the money won't matter. Any insights?

Social Entrepreneurs

2007-02-02T19:58:00.000-06:00

It ocurred to me after spending a few hours trying to explain what I do, that many people have no idea what a Social Entrepreneur is. There's lots of fun literature out there, but here's a nice post by Roshan to give you a brief idea. You can, of course, visit Ashoka's website for more examples.

Smints

2007-02-01T08:24:00.000-06:00

I have decided that I am addicted to Smints (www.smints.com). No other mints seems to cut it and, now that I am having trouble finding them, I find myself particularly obsessed.

When I discovered Smints a few years ago, they were readily available in any drug store. Soon, though, they became scarce and soon I couldn't find them anymore. I had begun to give up when, to my surprise, I found them in Mexico (though a bit expensive). Until a few months ago, I could walk into any supermarket, drugstore, 7-11 and find them. Now, though, I am finding myself in the same deficit as before. To my dismay, I learned that the company that makes Smints was recently bought by the company that makes Mentos. Hopefully the corporate takeover is just stalling distribution, but I'm crossing my fingers that my beloved mints don't get phased out for good.

Bolivia

2007-01-30T20:36:00.000-06:00

After lots of travel to the same places, I got to spend a week enjoying a new country -- Bolivia. As usual, I was there for work and only had a few opportunities to explore, but it was nice nonetheless. Here are some initial impressions:

Bolivia is a very poor country by economic terms, but it still has a little of everything you could want and is very rich in cultural terms. Everyone is very much enamored with Evo Morales (the current pres) for his efforts to respect indigenous culture into his development plan and policies. There is a lot of mysticism that survived the spanish colonization and even Bolivian Catholicism is a unique breed. We spent most of the week planning collaborations and learning about ethics, but got to learn a little about Bolivia's culture, history and politics in the process.

Although we spent most of the week in a hotel in La Paz (the high altitude kept us from doing too much moving around), we did get to spend two days in Copacabana on the edge of lake Titicaca. I had seen the lake from the Peruvian side, but had a noteably bad experience, so it was nice to go again and have a great time. Again, we spent most of the time in a hotel, but did get an hour for shopping and a short, early-morning mountain climbing expedition.

Overall, it was a nice, relaxing trip with some good market shopping thrown in. I ended up having to buy a second bag to bring back the few goodies I bought. Also, to make it a real experience, I got sick the last few days and was grateful to make it back to my bed in Mexico. I probably won't be going to Bolivia anytime soon, but I'm glad I got to go and highly recommend it. If you go, though, try to go light on the Llama meat and Quinua juice.

I didn't bring my camera with me to Bolivia, so I am waiting on some of the beautiful pictures to post. In the meantime, I will post someone else's picture of Copacabana from the mountain that I climbed:

Ding

2007-01-18T21:32:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure where the word came from or why admissions411 decided to use it for bschool admissions, but it seems appropriate enough. Aparently Stanford doesn't love me. Sigh. Three more schools to go....

On that note, I think it's funny that UMD, a school whose tagline is "Leaders for the Digital Economy" is MAILING admissions letters. That's about as low-tech as you can get. Needless to say, though Jan 15 was the announce date, I am still waiting for my letter.

As for Ross, they love me, but not enough to give me money :(. Maybe they'll change their minds or I'll strike it rich between now and the fall

Oops

2007-01-16T21:03:00.000-06:00

I've been so trapped in my Mexico bubble, that I didn't realize that Carnival is happening the week before my trip to Brazil in February. I found out an hour after I confirmed my tickets. I'll be there just about a week overall, but will make sure to spend the weekend before and after at the beach :)

For now, I'm packing for my Bolivia trip this Friday. Pictures to come....

Business Week Forums

2007-01-12T15:33:00.000-06:00

If you ever want some easy entertainment, stalk the business week forums. People are a bit high strung. On the other hand, if you're applying to business schools, you should by all means avoid the BW forums because they will drive you crazy.

Off to a good start

2007-01-12T00:20:00.000-06:00

So I'm back in Mexico, still a bit disoriented from a few week's vacation and an inhuman amount of work to do. Nevertheless (a word I just reintroduced to my vocab), it has been a good start so far:

First, I got lots of family time over the holidays.
Second, I am headed to Bolivia Jan 19-27(new country to visit), I get to spend a little over a week in Sao Paulo, Br at the end of Feb, and in the meantime will likely get a tour of the south of Mexico -- Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula, all sponsored by work (of course that means I have to work, too, but still) and
Third, I just got an early, unexpected acceptance to Ross, UMI business school for class of 2009! I'm still trying to process it 'cause it's late at night and I wasn't expecting a response until Monday, but last I checked it was my first choice, so it's great to hear from them first. I should hear from UMD by monday, too, and will hear from the rest of my schools over the next few weeks. Now I just have to hope the Mexican mail system comes through for all the admissions info.

Hope this keeps up over 2007! In the meantime, I've got to keep working on my resolutions.

Beginning 2007

2007-01-05T09:37:00.000-06:00

Hope you had a great end to 2006 and that you're starting off 2007 right!

After a relaxing week with the family over Christmas, I ended 2006 with a relaxing week in IN. 2007 began in Chicago, IL with my first-ever club NYE party (open bar, party favors, dinner and dancing). It was nice to see every happy, and my new gold shoes were very appropriate for starting off a new year. Here's a quick peek:

Looking back, I can't really remember where I lost track of 2006. The last few years all blend together and it's hard to beleive I've been in Mexico for over a year now and that I have less than a year left. I'm getting excited (and nervous), though, thinking about all the new things I'll do and learn, people I'll meet, and ways I'll change this year. Within a month, I should hear back from b-schools and can start planning a new chapter in my life. Who knows, though, so much could happen in the next month even. Stay tuned....

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-20T08:36:00.000-06:00

I am heading home today for a much-needed rest with family and friends over the holidays! I will be around Maryland for a week before heading to IL/IN for a week, then back to MD for a few days before heading back to Mexico on January 8.

In the meantime there are gifts, coffees, parties and all kinds of fun vacation activities! (Of course, I'm bringing lots of homework with me and will work some from the VA office, but at least it's a change of pace).

Here's wishing you and yours the best in the comming year!

Time Travel

2006-12-15T00:40:00.000-06:00

I lost my last post (pictures and all) to my shaky internet connection, but before I attempt to repost, I thought I'd add a new reflection.

I have officially been living in Mexico for over a year. In some ways I've done several years' worth (I feel a good 5 years older at least), but time is flying by. I'd love to do a better job of posting the play-by-play, but there's never really enough time. I'm looking forward to a few week's vacation, but am almost worried that the next few months will pass before I'm ready and that I won't get to see even half of what I'd like to see in Mexico. I guess it's always a good excuse to come back and visit!

Second down

2006-12-12T20:45:00.000-06:00

I just had my interview for Smith (UMD). I think it went pretty well since it was short and the interviewer spent more time trying to sell me on the school than asking me questions. They say I should hear within the next 3-4 weeks. Hopefully the time between now and when I hear will pass quickly. Then I just need to figure out where I want to go and what I want to do.

Waiting

2006-12-02T15:35:00.000-06:00

I just turned in my fifth and last business school application -- this one for UNC Kenan-Flagler. I should hear from all schools by Feb 5. In the meantime, I still have two interviews to go over the next month. Now I just sit back and wait....

Sigh

2006-12-01T15:17:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy few weeks of work and I'm exhausted. Our big launch event came and went, as did a visit from a collague in Argentina. Luckily we did get to see some sights along the way. Here are some pics from the last few weeks:

Above: 1. Carolin in Garibaldi with some Mariachis, 2. View of volcanoes from the Cholula pyramid, 3. view of the cholula pyramid (with church on top) from the town center, 4. Sagrario and I in Coyoacan

One down

2006-11-23T22:16:00.000-06:00

I just had my Michigan interview. I think it went pretty well, but I'm a bit too tired to analyze. My interviewer said I'm a strong candidate. Problem is, now I just have to sit and wait for decision time to come around. In the meantime, I have some essays to wrap up for UNC.

3 out of 5 and counting

2006-11-14T09:42:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to shout to the world (or at least my adoring fans) that I have received 3 invitations to interview so far out of my 5 applications. Michigan (scheduling), Maryland (Dec 13) and UNC (Jan 3), get ready!

Now I just have to prepare for the interviews. Any advice?

End of year updates

2006-11-11T19:52:00.000-06:00

I forgot to post that I turned in my apps on schedule. I'm interviewing with UMD in a few weeks and am just waiting to hear from Michigan, Stanford and Berkeley. In the meantime, I'm applying to UNC. Wish me luck.

There are a busy few months ahead. Here's the schedule in case you want to meet up:

Nov 15 Monterrey (to be confirmed)
Nov 16-19 Youth gathering in Zautla, Pue.
Nov 28 Launch cocktail in Mexico City
Dec 2-3 Cuetzalan
Dec 4-10 Youth gathering in Guatemala
Dec 16-17 Morelia (butterflies)
Dec 20 - Back to MD
Dec 27-Jan 2 Chicago/South Bend
Jan 8 - Back to Mexico
Early Feb - Regional team meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil

See ya soon!
Lorraine

Dia de los Muertos

2006-11-04T19:33:00.000-06:00

I got back to Mexico just in time for Dia de los Muertos. It's technically a holiday, but we had lots of work to do, so I just got a chance to celebrate at night. Here are some of the fiestas we saw around town including some ofrendas (altars to dead loved ones with favorite foods and momentos). Mexican traditions, thuough, are mixing some with Halloween and the holiday seems to be getting more and more materialistic.

Notes: 1. balloons in the plaza in Puebla, 2. the ofrenda at the town hall in Puebla, 3. eggs decorated for the occasion, 4. scenes from a Lila Downs concert in Puebla.

Homestay

2006-10-31T18:59:00.000-06:00

Time has been flying by, so I figured I'd catch up on some posts so you know what I've been up to. Oct 13-30 I went back to the US of A for work and play. I had a great time in MD with some family and friends and exploring Fredericksburg, VA, before heading to WV for a global team meeting which was great, too, except for the 12 hour sessions. Always nice to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.

Here are some highlights in pictures:

Catching up with YV Alums. (Me and Gudrun)

Celebrating Watson's visit (Saxy, Maura and Prabs, Watson and Cay)

The view from the place where we had our global team meeting in Harper's Ferry, WV.

The pumpkins we carved at staff training in Shepherdstown, WV

Home Stretch

2006-10-09T01:46:00.000-05:00

Here's the current status of my business school applications:

Michigan - done
Maryland - done except my career goals essay needs a final polish
Stanford - almost there. Need to fix my "what matters most" essay and finish a short answer
Berkeley - on the way. Need to write my career goals and one short answer, then polish the rest

I am still waiting for the last of my recs to roll in, but this is home stretch, though I have very little time left before I head home. I hope I can finish these up by Thursday.

Oh yeah, I'm coming to MD on Friday, Oct 13. I'll be around until the 30th, though I've got a bunch of work and play already packed in. Hope to see you soon!

Huejotzingo

2006-10-05T20:52:00.000-05:00

Last friday I went to Huejotzing, Pue. for the town's annual fair.

Since the celebration coincides with rainy season, I was surprised how many people braved the torrential rain, streets-turned-lakes and overall cold to party hard.

The fair was an interesting mix of drunken stupidity (people drinking 40s looking to fight) and innocent fun (24hr church visits and carnival games). We basically wandered around, watched some bands, then got our eat on. What I love most about small towns is the food -- yummy assorted tacos and drinks. We managed to feed 7 hungry people (including 4 big guys, mind you) on $12. Here is a picture of Daniela and Sagrario chowing down.

Next up, we found our way to the fireworks. When I mean to the fireworks, i mean a few feet away from where they were lighting them! While I feared for my life and for the lives of those around me, nobody even blinked. To add to the excitement, two men consistently risked their lives to climb the scaffolding and light the fireworks display (see pic). I did see a few worried looks when poorly-fastened fireworks came flying into the crowd, but overall people were having a great time.

Afterwards, we headed back to Omar's house for more drunken debauchery.

Elelator tales

2006-09-23T18:51:00.000-05:00

I feared it might happen several times, but today it finally happened: I dropped my key down the hole between the floor and the elevator.

My roommate is away til october 4 and I don't have the spare key, so the doorman and I took matters into our own hands and stopped the elevator. To make a long story short, I got to go down into the elevator well for the first (and probably only) time! I have my key back and got a new memory out of it.

2006-09-16T20:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary, Milele.

Destruction and rebirth or something like that

2006-09-16T19:30:00.000-05:00

The recount confirmed the original election results, so technically we have a president. The campout on Reforma is finally lifting and it looks like things could be going back to "normal." Lopez Obredor is trying new tactics, but at least traffic should diminish for a while.

Here's a picture I took on Thursday of the dismantling of the camps down reforma (the street down the middle of the pic).

Viva Mexico!

2006-09-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Mexican Independence Day!

Field Trip

2006-09-14T19:16:00.000-05:00

Katie came to Mexico and we both took Thursday off to explore the city a bit. 9-3 is hardly enough time to see one of the world's largest cities, but we did pretty well. After coffee, we went to the Museo de Antropologia for a crash course in history, then ate and walked past the people camping out on Reforma, then walked around the Bosque de Chapultepec. We got a quick glimpse of the Palacio before rushing her to the airport.

I promise if you come to visit we'll make the best of the trip. It's always best if you can come for more than a day, though.

See you soon!

Speeding

2006-09-11T23:49:00.000-05:00

I observed this year's 9-11 from abroad, as I did for the event itself. I won't go into all of the reflections on what did and didn't happen five years ago, but it has made me think about all that has happened in the past five years and what could happen in the next five. Time's flying by so fast, nothing to do but make the most of it, i guess.

Getting to know me

2006-09-02T17:10:00.000-05:00

Since my only two topics of conversation these days seems to be work or business schools, I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on the essays that have become the bane of my existance. How does one express who they are and what they want in 250 to 1000 words. If that weren't hard enough, each school asks a slightly different questions so instead of writing four essays, you write at least four per school. Here are the basic questions that keep reoccurring and a few just for fun:

1. Why MBA? Why _____ school?
2. Discuss something you've changed (accomplishment, transform idea into action, etc.)
3. Describe your biggest challenge and how you dealt.
4. What have you done that was innovative?
5. How are you a leader?
6. What would you do if you didn't have to work for a living?
7. What matters most to you and why? (thanks, Stanford)
8. What's your favorite quote and why is it important to you? (thanks, Berkeley)

Do these questions really give the schools enough info to understand me? Why does each school need different questions? Wouldn't a common application do?

Now, a call to action: For those of my that know me well from an outsiders perspective, do you have any suggestions for how I should answer these? I'd especially appreciate quotes that could be used with the last question.

I've started working on these, but keep going back and starting over. Will likely be contacting some of you to review my essays over the next few weeks.

The sound of silence

2006-08-29T23:17:00.000-05:00

With our summer interns gone and everyone working furiously towards our ambitious end-of-the-year goals, the office has gone dead silent. I need to download some new songs or I may go a bit crazy. Here's a glimpse of the team at Alex's goodbye dinner (the last of the summer despedidas):

In order of appearance: Tiani, Yadira, Armando, me, Alex.

On a side note, Sagrario is now full time working and playing with me. Rodrigo is no longer a part of our team. I am starting to recruit if you know of anyone.

Is this the end?

2006-08-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

According to the recount, Mexico has a new president or, rather, the same one was confirmed. There are some crazy people out there, but hopefully this will bring the end of some of the protests. Dates to watch out for: September 1 - State of the nation, September 16 - Independence day and December 1 - swear in new president.

Now, if only we could end the violence in Oaxaca....

Dialogue in the Dark

2006-08-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

Tonight I went to see an exhibit designed by an Ashoka Fellow in Germany -- Dialogue in the Dark. Tiani and I gathered in the children's museum, el papalote (butterfly in Nahuatl), and took a 6:30 tour of the exhibit. It started with a tutorial on how to use a cane and use your senses to guide yourself, then we entered into pitch darkness and learned to see the world through blind eyes. Our blind guide led us fumbling through the darkness to smell, feel, and listen a series of scenes until we sat down at a cafe for a candid question and answer session. I'm always amazed by the work of our Fellows.

After the Dialogue, we attended the inauguration of a new exhibit of photography by the blind. We got to hear one person tell his inspiration for his photo (light and openness), but mostly mingled and marveled at the diversity of perspectives. As we headed out into the monsoon armed with chocolate covered strawberries we reflected that tonight was a good night. There is always so much more to learn and experience.

Ouchy

2006-08-20T23:50:00.000-05:00

Among other things, I got a tattoo this weekend:

Ok, so it's henna, but I still like it.

Will I really look back and laugh someday?

2006-08-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

Mexican's often complain about the bureaucratic process of getting a US visa, but I have had a horrible time with Mexico's bureaucracy. I think this back and forth has been the cause of much of my stress over the past month. Here are a few highlights:

In early July I put in an application for "change of migratory status" after I pulling together all of the items on the checklist (proof that the org i'm working with exists and has been paying taxes, my credentials, etc.).

When I called to see if it was ready 3.5 weeks later i was excited to hear i could come pick it up. Instead of a visa, I got a letter requesting more info (including some of what I had turned in). Unfortunately this was a week before my trip to DC and they told me i couldn't leave the country with an application in. They sent me to another window who sent me to the migration office at the airport where they told me I needed to fill out a form and pay about $25 to get a letter that would let me leave for up to 30 days. Of course this was two days before the flight (in the midst of work and meetings) and the letter took 24 hours to process.

When I went to pick up my official letter just before the flight, they couldn't find it at first (note: I called the afternoon before to confirm and they had trouble finding it). When they did hand it over, they explained that I needed a stamp when I passed through immigration in the US and again when I got back to Mexico. When I got back to Mexico, though, they told me I needed to go to immigration (seek out the stand even though I'd just come from the office) to get them to stamp the letter on the way out of Mexico. Since I only had four stamps from the same day (they couldn't figure out when i left with the round stamp, only the long one I didn't have), I had to pay a $50 fine. Of course nobody told me any of this before.

Currently, i am putting together the additional info they requested including a letter from the US headquarters and hope to put in my application tomorrow. Maybe I'll get my visa before I leave Mexico next year....

This is why I can hardly read the news anymore

2006-08-09T11:02:00.000-05:00

Mexico is a crazy mixed up place nowadays. Not that it's worse than other countries, but the current political situation is still a bit out of control. Here are a few highlights:

Mexican election results are still being disputed.
I understand that Lopez Obrador has a lot of support and wants to be president, but here's what I don't get:
- If he only questioned the results of some polling areas, why does he expect the courts to approve a full recount instead of just the areas he disputes?
- If he cares about Mexico, why create chaos and cost the city so much money and hassle?
It seems that the biggest losers at the moment are Obrador's supporters who are striking (ie. giving up their income) and who live or work in the areas most affected by the protests (downtown). The "rich" mostly live and work in the outskirts of the city and are generally unaffected by the chaos downtown.
I guess he never claimed to promote democracy, but what kind of government would he run if he doesn't respect "the authorities" (ie. if he'll reject the recount if it doesn't come out in his favor?)

Here's today's update:
Mexico "leftists" blockade foreign banks.
Attacking foreign investment is generally a good way to show the country that you will make strong, sound leader promoting economic stability.

I'm still working on getting the full story, but there are still lots of holes and I'd rather take the side of peace and prosperity.

Eye Candy

2006-08-08T00:02:00.000-05:00

For some reason I couldn't post pics with the last few posts. If this works, here's an album of the previous posts for you visual learners:

1. Deepak sampling wine at Tabor Hill vineyard

2. View of Lake Michigan from the top of the Dune

3. View of downtown Chicago from the Architecture tour boat

4. Me brunching near the Navy Pier in Chicago

Back to Business

2006-08-07T19:52:00.000-05:00

Feedback on the b-schools I visited in order of visit with a little commentary on the areas:

Chicago, the city: loved it and would love to live or work nearby for a little while.

University of Chicago
A last-minute addition to my schedule after a tip from a Kellogg '08 student who looked at Chicago, too. I was one of 3 potentials in the info session, so we got lots of personalized info from an associate director of admissions, but no student feedback. The tour was led by someone who didn't seem to know much about the program, but it was hard not to be impressed by the beautiful state-of-the art facilities. I fell in love with the classrooms and winter garden. On the way out, though, there was mention of how competitive registration is -- people line up down the hall. I guess the flexible curriculum doesn't let everyone take everything they want. Just because my gut likes the school, I'm not convinced to add Chicago to my list, it's still a backup.

Northwestern
I had high hopes and was pretty sure Northwestern was up on my list, but I was completely unimpressed by the campus. I missed the info session and class visit due to the time it took to get to Evanston, but did get a personalized tour of by a current one-year student. The community sounds great, but I couldn't see myself going there. Sad to see it go, but Northwestern's off my list, too.

South Bend, IN: nice town that pretty much centers around Notre Dame. The campus is really nice, though definitely geared towards Football season.

Notre Dame
Everyone was really friendly and I really like what I saw in the school (focus on ethics, strong Catholic influence, strong alumni network, etc.). After more evaluating, though, it doesn't bring much more value than Maryland would and would cost more, so it's coming off my list, too.

Ann Arbor, MI: A little more out-of-the-way than I'd like, but pretty and a nice college town. Undergrads abound, but I do get a sense that there are places to hide out in graduate communities. I get the impression it doesn't get quite as cold as I feared, just lots of snow.

I met with several different Admissions staff members and really appreciated their openness. They even tried to woo me a bit, reinforcing my confidence about applying business school. I think I could get into Ross and be happy there, so I feel much better about this whole process.

Due to my school visits and conversations, here is my current list:
Top: Stanford GSB and Michigan (Ross)
Likely: Berkeley (Haas), UVA (Darden) and UMD (Smith)
Backup: Dartmouth (Tuck), University of Chicago GSB, UNC (Kenan-Flagler)

I guess it's time to start pounding those essays.

Meeting the Midwest - Part II

2006-08-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

It's nice to drive around and see corn fields and blue skies. I could do without the hot, muggy weather, but my biggest concerns have to do with snowy cold winters, so I can deal with heat. My week went a little like this:

Tuesday - Went to Shipshewana, IN for a little Amish food and market. The market wasn't what I expected (few Amish vendors, more like a sprawling garage sale), but we got a great all-american breakfast near the carriage rides and found some yummy fresh peanut butter, cheese and meat, handmade ice cream (in rootbeer floats), and local fruits and veggies. Got back to town and ate another full meal -- that means I'm recovering. In the afternoon, we got in a bit of putt-putt golfing to warm up the skills for business school.

Wednesday - Early morning interview for Notre Dame. Then we found a great new Filipino restaurant that had just opened in South Bend with an all-you-can eat buffet for $4.99. I get the sense the new owners are just experimenting in the restaurant business. They were very sweet, but not especially friendly nor accommodating to potential customers looking to order small dishes. I hope business picks up, 'cause they had a great menu-in-the-making. Finally, I got my real first business lesson at the Notre Dame driving range. I learned the basics of a swing and tried out some putting. I am now equipped with a golf glove and basic knowledge of clubs and swings. I may need a few more lessons before turning pro.

Thursday - After a midday mass at Notre Dame cathedral, Deepak and I ventured into Michigan for a bit of wine tasting and a yummy lunch overlooking the Tabor Hill vineyards. After lunch, we went to check out the nearby Warren Dune state park, expecting a little sand and some wildlife and found a full-blown beach full of swimmers and boogyboarders alongside a huge sand dune that families were sledding down. Since we weren't prepared, but were only 30 min from home, we headed back to South Bend to pick up swimsuit and dinner and made it back for some swimming in late Michigan and sunset from the top of the dune. We just made it back before the lightening storm hit.

Friday - Another Michigan adventure, this time in Ann Arbor. Deepak and I left bright and early to make the 2.5 hour journey to University of Michigan before the noon tour. After a quick breakfast in the Ross cafeteria, we got a personalized tour of the facilities and a description of the new building that will be finished in 2008. Summer's not the most interesting time to visit, but I did get lots of one-on-one attention. After the tour, I continued with my scheduled meetings: one with the Associate Director of Admissions and one with the Director of the Women's Inititiative. Both were friendly and open to answering any and all of my questions and I really felt like I could see myself at Ross. We left in good time and explored a bit of Ann Arbor before heading back to rest.

Saturday - After a homemade brunch, it was time for more local exploring. Deepak and I hit the poorly-funded Mishawaka botanical gardens, then stopped off at a historic drive-in for some rootbeer floats and finished off the afternoon with a hike a nearby state park. I still have the bug bites to show for it. After a nice long nap, we closed off the visit with a nice dinner and a long-awaited berry cobbler a la mode.

Sunday - The final episode in the saga implied an early-morning trek back to Chicago for brunch followed by an architecture tour by boat before heading to the mall to meet Deepak's mom and sister for lunch. It was an eventful day, but I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare and got home just in time to crash. It'll be tough to get back to work after such a long, relaxing week.

Meeting the Midwest

2006-07-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a trip to the midwest to release stress. I made it in to Chicago an hour late, but excited about my first visit to the windy city (the countless airport layovers don't count). Deepak tried to pick me up, but got stuck in traffic. It was a good lesson in avoiding the Dan Ryan. We headed straight back to Deepak's new place in South Bend, IN (a 1.5-2 hour drive) to crash since I was still recovering and we knew we'd be back in Chicago soon. Here's a brief overview of my first weekend:

Friday - arrive 4pm, nibble on Panera, drive to South Bend, rest
Saturday - rest, walk around Notre Dame campus, try to eat spaghetti, rest
Sunday - rest, train to Chicago, explore Millenium park with Deepak's friends, nibble on Thai food, rest
Monday - visit University of Chicago, nibble on deep dish pizza, visit Northwestern (after a mix-up and train trek to Evanston), train back to South Bend

Things I learned:
1. There's little sadder than not having much appetite for good food
2. Rest is the best medicine
3. University of Chicago has a beautiful campus and 2-year-old b-school. Although I'm not sure the school's culture and focuses are for me, I am tempted to put GSB on my list.
4. Despite all of my research and positive first impressions of the school, something didn't feel right on Northwestern's campus. I'm taking it off my list.

Icky

2006-07-26T13:27:00.000-05:00

I feel really gross, but hopefully a week's vacation will do me well. This can't help me grad school efforts. Here's where I'm at:

- Resume done to satisfaction for interviews. I'll probably obsess over it again in a few weeks.
- Visit planned for U Chicago and Northwestern on Monday
- Interview with Admissions Director at Notre Dame on Wednesday
- Meeting with Admissions staff at Michigan on Friday
- Stanford and Northwestern essays are out, so I've read them at least and am starting to think up answers. If all schools have 6 essays, I may have to narrow down my list even more.

Here's the current short list:
Northwestern
Michigan
Berkeley
UMD

probably: Stanford, just trying to figure out what my chances are

Still unsure about: UNC, Dartmouth, Notre Dame and another 5 schools still kinda on my list.

Resolutions

2006-07-25T01:30:00.000-05:00

The hardest part of narrowing down is getting to the last 5 from the last 10 schools. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for schools to release their 2007 applications. There are some crazy people out there on the business week b-school forums, but mostly they're really intensely focused on the top tier b-schools. Not really sure where I fit in or how much I should think about reach-target-safety balance. For now, I guess I'll start on the northwestern essays (3 + 3 short answers).

This is going to be a painful process, I can feel it. On the plus side, I guess this is a good chance to do some introspection and freestyle writing. New resolution: write a bit at least once a week (nightly if possible) to get the creative juices flowing again.

ps. T-3.5 days til temporary freedom and my first visit to Chicago, IN and MI. Stay tuned for fun posts about my midwestern tour.

Thoughts, anyone?

2006-07-24T01:18:00.000-05:00

I am just becoming acquainted with the wonderful world of MBA bloggers, but thought I would ask my reading public for advice first (I'm just a spectator in the league for now). Here is what I'd like to know:

1. Should I apply to Stanford (a reach, but still a dream) or devote those resources ($ for application fee and time on essays) to another school I'm more likely to get into?

2. Any thoughts on the following schools? I don't know enough about them to know whether to consider them or not:
- Tuck School at Dartmouth
- Indiana U
- Ohio State

3. Any advice on what to look for and consider when picking schools? There's always the usual (cost, location, specialization, etc.), but are there any less conventional considerations I should keep an eye out for on my visits and interviews?

4. Know anybody at any of my target schools that I could talk to? (see the complete list in a previous post). Any help is much appreciated.

5. Know of any b-school scholarships I might be eligible for?

Lost in Provincia

2006-07-21T23:30:00.000-05:00

A colleague, Adam and I set out today for the small town of Cuapiaxtla to meet one of our venture teams for a focus group and, after a 3 hour bus ride through beautiful countriside, we ended up at the casa de cultura in the center of town, just as we were instructed.

As we discovered 2 hours later (still waiting for them to show), we weren't told that we were supposed to go to Cuapiaxtla in the state of Puebla (full name Cuapiaxtla de Madero) instead of Cuapiaxtla in the neighboring state of Tlaxcala. We were waiting in the casa de cultura in the center of Cuapiaxtla while the venturers were doing the same, only a state apart. Both are about 3 hours away from Mexico City, just in different directions.

It was a nice day trip, but kind of a bummer. Sigh. I guess these things happen to the best of us.

Happy Smiley People

2006-07-20T01:00:00.000-05:00

It's about time I show you some of the people I keep mentioning. Here goes:
Rodrigo and Sagrario
Armando, Kimberley, Leonardo, Soledad and Kayam

Tiani and Yadira

Alex and Kayam

Lapsing workaholic

2006-07-16T17:44:00.000-05:00

It has been an intense few weeks, but this last one will take a while to recover from. I spent a week in Monterrey with Sagrario and Rodrigo (my consulting team) participating in a week-long seminar for young leaders across Mexico and finishing our strategic plan for Avancemos. Lots of ups and downs, 12-14 hour days and strong emotions, but we learned a lot about how we work as a team and who we want to work with. Needless to say, we're all fried and I'm not looking forward to going back to work in the morning, but I also have a new list of to-dos that will take me 24 hours a day for the next year.

On the plus side, there's only 2 weeks until I go to South Bend, IN to visit Deepak and get started on my b-school visits: Notre Dame, Michigan and Northwestern. Now I just have to figure out what criteria I have and make some time to relax. Wish me luck.

Phew

2006-07-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

I am officially done with the GMAT. Until schools release their applications for next fall, I have some time for r&r (research and rehabilitation) until application crunch-time. Here are my top 10 at the moment (in order of preference):

U. Michigan
Stanford
Northwestern
Berkeley
UNC
UMD
Notre Dame
UVA
U. Washington
Yale
and, for good luck...
Indiana

Please let me know what you think so I can narrow these down to the 5 I'll apply to. In the meantime I'll be saving up money for application fees and tuition and warming up for application essays.

Webbed out

2006-06-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

After a week of obsessive programming, I'm done with this season's web restructuring (at least the basic structure). I've still got to add some content, but I'm a bit webbed out for now. Check out the new "movement" section on the Avancemos site. It's all in Spanish, but you just need to marvel at the beauty of the structure and organization.

Also, let me know if you find errors or dead links.

Countdown

2006-06-26T19:04:00.000-05:00

GMAT, July 3, 2006. Must study....

Football Fever

2006-06-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

There's nothing quite like world cup season in Mexico with a Brazilian, 2 Mexicans, an American, an Indian and a German. It's been nice taking long lunch breaks with the office to watch games and to schedule meetings around games and after-party traffic.

Yesterday, we laughed, cheered (in various languages), drank, ate and, ultimately watched Mexico fight hard against Argentina until they lost in overtime. Not sure when and how things will go back to "normal," but we have another four years to start getting hopes up again. Only the Brazil and Germany are left.

Furry Friends

2006-06-18T09:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my coworker Rodrigo invited a bunch of people over for a bbq at his place to watch the US-Italy game and Tiani, Alex and I came with our newest intern and a friend of his and a good time was had by all. Aside from loads of food, Caipirinhas, thanks to Alex, and a day of English (most of the guests were foreigners), we also got to meet Rodrigo and Vanessa's new jack russell terrier puppy, Rincon. He spent the party courting us all until he collapsed, exhausted, on the couch. It made me miss my Midnight and I almost ran out to the dog park near my house to get to know all of the puppies there. I don't think I'll be getting another dog anytime soon, but here is a quick salute to my furry friends and the love they bring us all.

Avancemos Milestone 1

2006-06-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

This Friday marked the biggest moment so far in the life of the Avancemos Program. We had an event with our two partners in Mexico City and Puebla (our partner in Oaxaca couldn't come at the last minute) and many of the members of our first 14 Venture teams!

During the day we did a working group with the partners to see where we've been and what we need to do moving forward and, though this will be an ongoing conversation, the feedback was generally positive. Just before the public came (some guests who we invited to see the first teams), we did a bonding activity with the venturers and made our first steps towards creating a movement. We have a long way to go, of course, but this made up for the kinkos run thursday night until midnight and at least some of the saturdays spent working. This means that my work since October is starting to pay off!

She works hard for the money

2006-06-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

So I worked all Friday and most of Saturday in Monterrey with a coworker and had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport. The only way we managed to not talk about work was by going shopping. Though I did lose half a weekend day to work, I did come out with some great new going out and beach outfits. Now I just have to make sure to go out and go to the beach.

Bittersweet

2006-06-01T20:29:00.000-05:00

Our global team meeting was postponed indefinitely, so as far as I know the next time I'll be home will be December 20 (ticket is booked). The meeting's still likely to happen in VA, just in Sept. or Oct. maybe. Not sure and am not holding my breath. I'm sad not to be going back anytime soon, but am definitely looking forward to some time to get settled in Mexico (a visa, classes, a routine, the works!). I'm eyeing the cafe around the corner that offers ceramics. Maybe it's time I get my hands dirty a bit. First, though, the GMAT.

Runaround

2006-05-30T23:25:00.000-05:00

I made it back to Mexico just in time to head to Puebla, Puebla for the day. It was nice to have a panel go smoothly, but mostly it was fun to get to see a new city. I didn't snap any new pics, but have a new place on my list, at least.

Growing up

2006-05-27T20:23:00.000-05:00

After the beach, I made a quick stop through MD for my cousin's wedding. It's hard to believe she's all grown up. Here's a pic of us girls (bride's maid and bride) at the rehearsal and again at the wedding (minus bride):

Sweet Release

2006-05-22T20:15:00.000-05:00

Finally some R & R. Here's a quick peak at the sunset over Puerto Vallarta (view from Ah Caramba). It was a quick 4 days with Deepak, Roopa, and Yadira, but did me a lot of good. I got my first-ever professional massage out of it and my first run-ins with guacamole boys. Aside from the getting sick part of the trip, I highly recommend it.

Sigh

2006-05-12T23:29:00.001-05:00

I'm back from an exhausting whirlwind trip to Oaxaca only to have a few days before my next two trips. Despite all that, though, I've seriously been considering taking a 12 hour trip for the weekend. Maybe traveling's just too much a part of my 'routine' now. I just finally managed to talk myself out of it and into wrapping everything up and getting rested before weds' trip. That is, of course, assuming all goes well with the next selection panel (wednesday night). Wish me luck.

Here's what should be coming up probably with a trip or two in between:
5/18-21 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (r&r)
5/24-28 Washington, DC (Joanna's wedding)
6/8-9 Monterrey, Mexico (seminar planning)
6/24-30 Washington, DC (YI2 Global Team Meeting)
7/12-15 Monterrey, Mexico (seminar)

ps. Oaxaca's still as beautiful as ever (at least it seemed so through car windows), just hot and humid at the moment.

Avanzando

2006-05-06T23:55:00.000-05:00

Today was our first Selection Panel! We have a few more coming up over the next few weeks. That means things are picking up for Avancemos Mexico (and me). Unfortunately, it has a way with interfering with personal life. Am hoping to make it to the beach sometime before my trip to DC (May 24-29). Stay tuned....

Brazilmania

2006-04-29T18:13:00.000-05:00

After a long drawn out visa application process, I now have a nice thick passport (lots of new pages added) and a 5 year visa to Brazil (woohoo)! The reason, you may wonder, was another latin america team meeting to discuss the program. After a frustrating series of distractions we didn't end up getting anything done. I did, however, get 4 days in Sao Paulo to get acquainted with Portuguese and a 5 year visa to Brazil (woohoo), which ensures me more chances to actually get to see something.

Here is what I learned about Brazil in the short time I was there (in no particular order):
1. Brazilians like their buffet lunches.
2. Brazilians like their Bingo.
3. There is a HUGE Japanese immigrant population in Sao Paulo.
4. Portuguese and Spanish are pretty similar, but you have to pay close attention.
5. Spanish is closer to Portugal Portuguese than Brazilian Portuguese (so I was told).
6. Afro-Brazilian dance is a good workout and can be done to hip-hop as well as to tribal music.
7. Tapioca can, through some magic, be cooked into "tortillas" for salty or sweet foods.
8. People in Sao Paulo don't know how to deal with cold weather (everything's built for heat).
9. Sao Paulo is expensive.
10. Guarana (an Brazilian berry from the Amazon) is used to make Red Bull.
and one remaining question:
11. Why did the hotel have a sauna and heated pool in such a hot climate?

Here's a quick peek at the city:

Power and Love

2006-04-23T14:07:00.000-05:00

There are many, many people who could learn from this:

Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It isthe strength required to bring about social, political, or economic changes. In this sense power is not only desirable but necessary in order to implement the demands of love and justice. One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites. Love is identified with a resignation of power and power with a denial of love. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. edited byClayborne Carson, pp. 324-325.

Thanks to Gift Hub for the reference.

Reflections

2006-04-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

There's a interesting series of posts on On The Commons around Filipino culture and chaos. Feed your curiosity.

Music to my ears

2006-04-18T19:24:00.000-05:00

Teehee. Listen to this (you'll need RealPlayer)

Rambling

2006-04-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

Do you ever worry that you're completely irrational, but can't do anything about it?

Maybe I should start an "I'm an idiot" thread, like B's, or counteract with an "I'm completely normal" thread to make myself feel better. Thoughts?

Back

2006-04-11T23:40:00.000-05:00

I made it back safely yesterday, but am exhausted. I'm still catching up on my inbox and suitcases, but have a 4-day weekend to sleep it off. I have over a week in town before my next trip (to Sao Paolo). I'm learning to celebrate the small victories.

On the Road: Part V

2006-04-10T00:21:00.000-05:00

We arrived back in Manila just in time for a shower (we missed two others with our trip) for Jamesey and Kate's wedding. We rushed straight to my uncle's house, stashed our bags, and made it just in time for dinner. It was a nice private dinner with both families (ours and Kate's) with an elegant dinner and a surprise performance by the Ateneo Chamber Singers. It's always nice to meet a few people before the wedding so you don't feel so lost.

The wedding itself happened a few days later in Makati followed a few hours later by a reception at the Manila Hotel. Since there was a lot of time to kill and all this took place a bit far from home base, we got a few hotel rooms and opted to party late and spend the night. I had a great time, though I didn't actually meet the bride until the end of the night. It's not often you get to dance with Imelda Marcos (for better or for worse). Since this was an international wedding (Kate's from the UK, she and Jamesy studied in Spain and they now live in Singapore), there were twists to the traditional Filipino wedding. Imelda and Julie (Jamesy's godmother):

Everyone had a great time from what I could tell and I got the chance to see cousins who have been living all over the world. I didn't get to talk to everyone, but it's nice to know everyone's doing well.

On the Road: Part IV

2006-04-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

To Inaugurate April, my mom and I jumped on a plane to Bangkok for a few day's visit to Damnoen Saduak to catch up with my dad. Since we've already seen about everything in a reasonable day's travel, we spend the 3 days we had with my dad (besides the 2 days in Bangkok) learning to medidate and taking it easy at our house near his Wat.

He's been busy travelling for the king's anniversary and will soon be heading to Taiwan and China to promote one of his newest pet projects -- an online World Buddhist University. He's got a few other proposals in the works which mean lots of work and lots more time in Thailand.

It was great to get a few days in while we could.

On the Road: Part III

2006-03-31T20:56:00.000-06:00

We arrived back in Manila in time to get new shoes for Tina's wedding. It was a small ceremony, but a good chance to see at least one side of my family and a traditional Filipino wedding.

back row: Ria, Mom, Aunt Eleanor, Uncle Bjorn, Aunt Sue, Sandra, Mario
front row: RJ, Len, Rico (groom), Tina (bride), me

On the Road: Part II

2006-03-27T19:39:00.000-06:00

We got to Bohol, an Island in the south of the Philippines after a short flight (1 hour) on a short plane and got shuttled to Panglao Island Nature Resort. The cabins were nice simple rooms each with their own hot tub and the Resort itself had a good mix of pool tables, pool, beach and buffet breakfasts. We were only staying 2 nights, 2 days, so we made the best of it and went scuba diving at the local marine sanctuary. Not quite as nice as El Nido, Palawan from last year, but still a great getaway from Mexico City. Here's the Resort's man-made island during low tide (as seen from our cabin):

The second day we went to see Bohol's sites, including the famous Chocolate hills (they turn brown in dry season and look like they're made of chocolate). Despite the many myths about their origins, the books say these hills were coral reefs that were pushed up and then eroded down. There are hundreds of similar, almost perfectly symmetric hills scattered around the Island.

We also got to see Tarsiers at a couple of stops along the way. They're odd looking creatures, but you might be, too, when caught sleeping (they're usually up by night).

On the Road: Part I

2006-03-26T20:27:00.000-06:00

After a frustrating date mix-up I began my 2 week journey to the Philippines and Thailand one day late, on March 23. Admittedly, it was not the best beginning and I left lots of work behind and lots to do ahead. I made the best of it, though, and had a good time overall. The following posts are selected moments from my trip.

Getting there:

1st stop, Los Angeles
I had a 10 hour layover in LAX from 11am to 9pm. It was a Wednesday, so I could only ask so much, but I did manage to get Rob to meet up for lunch. To kill the time, I rushed through customs and immigration and checked my bags straight through. Then, I tried my luck with the bus system and found my way to Venice beach. With my bathing suit in my handcarry and $40 USD to my name, I wandered the boardwalk, watched the waves and the graffiti artists, and finished my latest Harry Potter (in Spanish, thank you very much). It was the best layover ever. I made it in time for my 9pm flight and had no problem getting through the long trek that followed (Manila via Guam).

2nd stop, Manila
Ironic, I know. I arrived in Manila at 6am only to be met by my mom, aunt and uncle who quickly ushered me to departures for an 8am flight to Bohol. I guess it's never too early to head to the beach.

Why I do what I do

2006-03-22T21:14:00.000-06:00

I may not have the complete answer ready and none so eloquent as those from the omidyar network discussion, but I got a taste of why I got into working with Ashoka.

After Argentina came the World Water Forum, where people from around the world came to show and tell their problems and solutions related to water. Ashoka sponsored a closing dinner for Fellows attending the Forum. We had 16 amazing people working on topics from women's rights to science education from India, Egypt, and all over Latin America united under the heading of "water issues." All introductions and discussions had to be translated into both English and Spanish, but that didn't stop many from finding kindred spirits in each others' work. If only we could do the same with the rest of the world....

Chilango vs. Porteño

2006-03-16T19:55:00.000-06:00

I revisited Buenos Aires with new eyes. Last time I swept through, I had spent several months in Chile and adjusted fairly easily. This time, after a 13 hour journey from Mexico, I got a taste of the extremes of Latin America. I had almost forgotten that the accent, customs and many of the words are completely different and still needed a few days to adjust and understand. When I asked the hotel receptionist a question (in decent mexican Spanish, mind you) he asked if I understood Spanish. Go figure. Another humbling lesson in international relations and the need for personalized local solutions. I guess the process of adapting a US-based program for México has taught me a fair amount, but now that we're adapting the México program for Argentina and Brazil, I see all the more the complexity and consequences of globalization.

Anyway, I went for a week of work, but stayed with a friend for the weekend and had a few great experiences, which I will share by image:

1. Passing over the Andes in Late Summer:

2. A despedida de solter@ (bachelor and bachelorette party in one) with the cousins and me.

3. A leisurely day along the Rio de la Plata

Animated Inventor

2006-03-07T00:44:00.000-06:00

That's my Personality DNA according to my test results.

Read my DNA Report and let me know what you think.

Or, just take your own.

Alternative adventures

2006-03-06T21:26:00.000-06:00

As part of my cultural assimilation to Mexico, I paid a visit to the Tianguis del Chopo, a market for music, clothes, graffiti tools, and accessories for the punk, rock, goth, ska and hip hop crowds. It's the place to find anything anti-mainstream. The Chopo used to be a gathering place for cultural barter, but is now mostly a market. Near the bandstand, though, people were exchanging videos and CDs. It was a good time and I had a great guide, Victor, who's well-integrated in the Rock and graffiti culture of Mexico City.

In the end, though, I only bought 3 CDs, which cannot be easily classified. None of them were Mexican, though (one French, one Afro-Latin group from LA). At least they're not all in English, right?

Time Management

2006-02-23T21:08:00.000-06:00

So, I'm officially 25 and I'm told I should be hitting a quarter life crisis anytime now. It hasn't hit yet (more than the usual worrying), but I figured I'd take some time to think about some questions spurred by the stress I've seen in my friends. I don't have any answers, but I thought I'd just lay them out there.

1. Do I need to decide now what I want to do with my life?
2. Do I need to be married with kids in the next 5 years? If so, do I need to start now?
3. Should I be unhappy in my job? Should I be making enough money to save up now?
4. Should I want to go back to grad school immediately? Do I need to know exactly what I want to get out of it, before I go?
5. Are these the best times of my life?

I don't particularly feel like I need to stress about any of the above, since all of my friends here are older and are doing just fine (as much worrying at I am, but fine). Give me a little time, though, and we'll see.

For now, here's my immediate future (travel schedule, at least). Everyone is welcome to visit, but if you're coming, book soon:
March 8-15, Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 22-April 10, Philippines (and Thailand)
April 9-16, ? Semana Santa/Holy Week
April 17-20, Sao Paolo, Brazil
April/May?, Monterrey, Mexico
May ?, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
May 25-30, DC
June ?, Monterrey, Mexico
July 11-15, Monterrey, Mexico

Wonder Woman

2006-02-21T20:18:00.000-06:00

Check out my girl Michelle on Allure's total makeover. She's keeping a weekly diary, so you can follow along. My diet and workout schedule's much farther behind....

Flying high

2006-02-20T19:13:00.000-06:00

Check out these Aerial views of Mexico City and surroundings.

Vacationing in Mexico

2006-02-19T16:27:00.000-06:00

I've been a bit out of commission the last week, but don't worry, it was for a good cause. Here are some highlights from my week off (yup, that's right, a week off work without any out of country travel). Deepak (my first visitor!) arrived Saturday midday and we alternated taking it easy and sight seeing. Here's your chance to see Mexico City and Guanajuato through our eyes:

2-11 Rest and Munich
2-12 Zócalo and Centro Historico including murals at the Palacio Nacional and Bellas Artes

2-13 Everything's closed mondays, so we took the Turibus around through Polanco, Condesa, Zona Rosa, and Centro Historico with some stops here and there.

2-14 A taste of the famous Museo de Anthropologia. An excellent stop on the tour of Mexico.

2-15 Trek to Guanajuato

2-16 Exploring the historic mining town of Guanajuato, Guanajuato. A view at night, modern elements of a colonial town, and callejon de beso, a local landmark.

2-17 back to Mexico city just in time to explore a local cantina (kinda). Can't beat the 2 x 1 special on drinks!

2-18 A worthy birthday spent exploring the markets and plazas of Coyoacan. At night, a little birthday get-together with food for the week.

2-19 Cleaned up house, wandered the chaos of the Bosque de Chapultepec on a sunday, lunched and then a sad farewell. Until next time....

Back to the DF

2006-02-03T20:07:00.000-06:00

Another week of travel for work. Paula, Olivia and I were in Monterrey Monday and Tuesday, Mexico city Wednesday, then Oaxaca Wednesday night through Friday. It's good to be back!

Highlights of this trip:
- 1st successful partner training
- strong interest in official partnerships ASAP (good and bad, i guess)
- 2 likely candidates to work with me
- ate Chapulines (grasshoppers) which means I can come back to Oaxaca
- team bonding with Paula and Olivia

Pictures and more stories to come....

Exploring Centro Historico

2006-01-22T21:34:00.000-06:00

This was my second venture to historical city center. This time, to see Diego Rivera's murals. I took lots of pictures, but with limited space I'm only showing a few. You'll have to come see them for yourself.

We went first to the palace to see his most famous works. What better way to learn Mexican history than visually.

Then we went to see the murals at Bellas Artes. There were a mix of artists, but I'll stick with Rivera's for this showing:

note: this is one mural on "time"

Flamenco and Fandango

2006-01-21T12:35:00.000-06:00

Paula and I left work early yesterday to head to check out the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe before watching Emiliana's last Flamenco performance in Mexico (at least for a while). After an amazing demonstration of Flamenco genius, she came to meet us and her crowd of admirers outside and we headed en masse to the goodbye afterparty, to wish Emiliana well in Spain. I finally got to meet the boyfriend, Enrique, I'd heard so much about.

With no idea where we were heading, Paula and I happily followed down the metro, on the train and out to Coyoacan. In the end we were less than 10 who made it back to Sylvia's home (a beautiful one floor apartment), where we spent the next few hours talking and brainstorming Ventures over tea and pasta.

When the time came to head to the mysterious after party, we found ourselves driving a few minutes away to a small lot among dilapidated houses where we entered a traditional Jarocho fandango in the middle of Mexico City (a block from a mall, 4 blocks from our old office). A group of 15-30 people encircled a small wooden platform, playing small guitars and other instruments, while people took turns dancing a traditional zapateo from Veracruz. I didn't have the right shoes for the occasion (character shoes with taps), but I'm not sure my feet could move that fast, anyway. I don't have the eloquence to describe the freestyle strumming and singing (seemlessly moving from one person to the next across the circle), but I wish you could have been there. We almost didn't feel the cold of being in the open under the smoggy, but starry sky. Here's a glimpse:

note: guys dance, too, with slightly different shoes. it was just too crowded to take pictures later on

On the town

2006-01-20T01:25:00.000-06:00

Here's me with Tiani, the birthday girl at dinner last night in La Condesa:

Quote of the night: "You'd make a great evil person if you ever wanted to be." - Deepak Madala

Album

2006-01-17T08:16:00.000-06:00

It just occurred to me that I have yet to post pictures of my coworkers here in Mexico. Here´s a glimpse from Kimberly´s baby shower (she is now the proud mother of Cecilia)

Tiani, Yadira, me and Kimberly
and the lovely Cecilia (born Jan 3)

My 'hood: Part I*

2006-01-15T23:49:00.000-06:00

This was the first weekend in a long time that I was around, so I spent it getting to know the area better (I'm on the lookout for my favorite secret spot in Mexico City and for new running routes). Paula and I spent the afternoon exploring the nearby Bosque de Chapultepec (the central park equivalent of the Distrito Federal).

We bypassed the Museo de Anthropolgia for another less crowded day (Sundays are free for Mexicans so everyone and their moms and dads and extended family visit)

First stop was to see the Voladores de Papantla in a spectacular sacred ritual passed down from indigenous Mexican groups, now exploited for modern entertainment. Four men (symbolizing the cardinal directions) hang from a tall tree (pole in this case) and spin 13 times (52 times in all) to the ground.

Voladores from afar and
one up close

We walked a bit past the paddle boating, food stalls, street performers, lovers, families, and Winnie the Poohs (photos for a fee), and hopped on a train to another part of the park. The train took us past some ancient trees and monuments and left us at the base of Chapultepec Hill. Paula and I climbed a bit to the Chapultepec Palace, but left the inside for another day. We climbed back down and wandered back home for a late lunch and movie.

*I named this post Part I, because I anticipate many more such explorations. Stay tuned for future local adventures.

The Palace from the base of the hill

Scheduling

2006-01-14T08:32:00.000-06:00

For those of you coming to visit, plan ahead. Here's a tentative look at what's coming up in my world:

January 25-27 Fundraising extravaganza in el D.F.
January 28-31, Monterrey
February 1-3, Oaxaca
February 11-19, Out of office (not sure where yet)
March 22-April 9, Philippines and Thailand
May ?, All Mexico Fellows meeting
May 25-30, DC
June ?, Ashoka New Staff Training (not sure where yet)
July 12-15, SELIDER leadership seminar in Monterrey