Monday, November 16, 2009

End Of Semester Blue

Everyone is wrapping up their projects and papers for this semester. I am done. The only thing I need to do is the 360 ESCIU survey for the Exit Lead class which is zero credit hour. I've talked to my OB professor and requested that it be postponed until Spring. I would like to get quality feedback from my classmate so I 'm in no rush to get it done.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Half of the semester is gone!!!

I have been on hiatus for more than a month. The reason is simple. The school is in full throttle and half of the semester has already finished. The work load is OK, not too much. But still I need to stay up in order to stay on top. The good thing is I can see the end of the tunnel. Only two months left. On the other hand, that means I need to start looking for a job in earnest. The market is a little better than last year, but it's still slow. Some fellow students who went to job fairs this month told me that the companies were recruiting more graduate candidates. That's good to hear. I hope the Florida job market is recovering at the same pace or more. I have found a couple of interesting jobs. One is a program manager with a technology services firm based in Franklin, TN. The other is a brand manager. I have already applied to the program manager job and am waiting for their reply.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Rent a Husband?


Any husband out of work? Not a bad idea in the current recession. Hire a husband to mow your lawn, do handy work, and paint your house.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The 2nd year has started!!!

Yesterday was the first day of school. I ran into many classmates. Everyone looked exhausted after the summer long internship. I had Finance II and sat in for International Finance. The hours are from 6pm to 10pm for these two classes. I like International Finance which covers the history of the formation of post WWII global finance system. It sucks that the class is from 8pm to 10pm. And the next day I have class from 10am til 8pm.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Back to Cleveland

I'm back to Cleveland. I landed on Tuesday. I sucks without a car. I had to take the RTA which is not bad at all.

Cleveland is in the 90's. It was sweltering hot on the day I landed. My room isn't quite ready yet, so my landlord put me up in another room.

Yesterday I finished moving my belongings to the basement in the new house.

I am looking forward to finishing my MBA degree by December.

More to come. Gotta go now. I need to update my resume.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

To continue with my internship....

The very first day I felt like I was dropped behind the enemy line. My direct reports and I had meeting with corporate executives to discuss sponsorships. We also had three kick-offs last weeks in three different cities. Since the economy is down, we needed to work extra hard to convince the corporations not only to join, but exceed their previous goals. It's no easy task. Sometimes it took a bit of arm-twisting and coaxing.

Fundraising is fun. I love to interact with different people and tell them stories to convince them to join the StepOut in October. Several people that I talked to initially didn't want to join, but I convinced them in the last minute.

It's nice to see your efforts paid off.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

My internship

Since having moved to South Florida area, I've been busy with my internship. So far I've not talked about it yet. Here I'm giving you a low down.

I am working in a local chapter of American Diabetes Association. The priority is to raise money for the StepOut walks in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in October. You might think there is plenty of time until the walks. No, two and a half months are not a lot of time in the fundraising world. They are barely enough.

The very first day I was assigned to contact Walmart to follow up on our grant requests. I needed to make sure the applications we submitted were being processed and followed through. Walmart requires that grant applicants submit one application to each store. We know that the economy is still down and the number of applicants has gone up. However, we managed to secure a 50% approval.

Not bad to start my first day at all. It was full of excitement.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Guest Speaker Events

I want to invite guest speakers to talk in the marketing club guest speaker events. Anyone volunteer? I will pay you a night of hotel and two nice meals, plus the plane ticket to fly you in from out of town.

Give it a thought.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

I'm back online

I've been incognito on this blog for sometime cuz Julia and I were busy moving to South Florida. We are settling down. Today we've finished setting up the living room.

South Florida is hot and humid. Fortunately the coast brings breeze in the evening. It's nice to take a walk at night by the coast. When we first got here, we spent a week in the hotel because our furniture was in transit. Everyday we went to the beach. The water is blue and clear. The beaches here are much nicer than those on the other coast. You can actually dip yourself in it without freezing you ass off.

I started my internship on the 6th. The first day was already like a battle. I felt like I was dropped behind the enemy line. The fundraising campaign had been ramped up the week before I started. My first big assignment is prepare few presentations for the meeting next week. My direct report is very energetic and my co-workers are very helpful and easy-going. I wish we had few more hands to help us.

Monday, June 29, 2009

The Confederation Cup title was within grasp for the US until the second half when Brazil rallied up and scored three goals. It looked as if Team USA were about to stage another upset and show the world that US soccer had finally arrived. US led Brazil 2-0 in the first half and the team and its supporters broke into euphoria. However, the joy was premature. The Brazilians made sure the Americans knew who the champions are.

Another disappointment for the US. I hope US didn't underestimate their opponents just because the Brazilians fell behind 0-2 in the first half. Like Spain's captain Puyol said "It won't happen again." after Spain lost to the US 0-2 in the semifinal. I'm sure powerhouses like Italy, Spain and Brazil played only half-ass in this tournament. There are lots of works for us to do in the next 12 months before the World Cup begins in June 2010. We have made a good run in the Confederation Cup, but we should look at previous tournaments. In 2001, Japan made it to the final and only lost to the champion France 0-1 in the final. However, the Japanese didn't make it through the second round and got eliminated by Turkey in the World Cup 2002.

I'm sure the powerhouses will dominate in South Africa. If Team USA wants to surprise the world, they need to get their act together and make a lot of improvements.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Kosher Chinese Restaurant



I knew all along that a Kosher Chinese restaurant must exist somewhere in the US. Well, I've found one online today. Mister Chopstik is owned by a Jewish guy. The kitchen is operated by an all asian staff and the food is kosher certified. The food is American Chinese, so you'll find dishes like General Tso's Chicken or Huan Beef etc. In addition, the restaurant sells sushi. Check out their menu. There are lots of items to choose from.

I am hunting for restaurants for us. I am sure there are plenty of fine restaurants in Miami and Fort Lauderdale area.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Say good bye to two legends




It seems that the news of the death of one famous celebrity is not shocking enough. Another news of the death of a more famous celebrity ensues in the late afternoon. Both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson die today with few hours apart. Farrah succumbs to cancer and Michael allegedly dies of some complication after a cardiac arrest.

Of both tragedies, Michael's death is least expected. His antics derailed his career, throwing him to the bottom. He started his career at the age of 6. His father Joe allegedly often abused his children. Perhaps, that explained Michael's eccentric behavior. The traumas screwed up his mind and turned him into a freak show later in life. (I chose to post a pic of Michael before he underwent a series of cosmetic surgery.)

Farrah was the most gorgeous Charlie's Angels of all. I watched that show all the time as a kid. The curly blonde locks were her trademark in the 70's. Women between 18 and 40 wore the Fawcett's hairstyle on the street. Too bad that Farrah had no big show following Charlie's Angels. But she didn't need it. The show turned her into an icon overnight.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

A Sequel To The Miracle

Just happened a short while ago in South Africa where Team USA pulled another major upset. US beat European Champion Spain 2-0 and made it to the final. They will likely face powerhouse Brazil, who is scheduled to play the host South Africa tomorrow, in the showdown.

The Confederation Cup may be a filler event and the Europeans might have played half-assed simply to fulfill their tournament obligation. Still the victory is encouraging, proving that US professional soccer is up to par with their European or even probably South American counterparts.

I hope in the World Cup US can proceed to the 2nd round at least and show to the world that US soccer is not to be taken lightly.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Team USA Made It!

Against all odds, US beat Egypt 3-0 and made it to the semi-final. They'll face favorite Spain tonight. Though nobody expects US will pull it off against Spain, but I do hope a miracle will occur in South Africa.

Soccer has been shunned by Americans for many years. It's considered a marginal sport primarily for immigrants. Pele, Beckenbauer, and Beckham have failed to ignite American interest despite their international stardom. Let's see if Americans will change their hearts about soccer in these two years. If Team USA can somehow stun the audience in the Confederation Cup and the World Cup, I think MLS can unseat baseball to become one of the three major sports.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

British Airways asked their staff to work for free

In the mid 70s, 歌神 Sam Hui had a legendary hit called "半斤八兩". It's about the unfair reward system faced by Hong Kong working class.

The song can describe how British Airways treat their staff. Yesterday, BA asked their staff to work few days without pay so that the struggling airlines could have cash freed up to cover the record loss. The effort was spearheaded by the CEO Willie Walsh, who volunteered to forgo the salary of July. He hoped that other staff, especially the unionized operations crew, will follow suit. But they've given him a cold shoulder.

Forgoing one month's salary might not have an adverse effect on Mr. Walsh's lifestyle, but those operations crews count on every dime to meet their ends. Executives's biggest pays come from profit sharing and stock options. The salaries are like a pittance to them. If Mr. Walsh really wants to convince his staff of his altruism, he could forgo his profit sharing or stock options. Because they amount to multi-millions of dollars.

Western CEOs still have a long way to go before they will abandon their short-term thinking.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Confederation Cup

The tournament quietly kicked off last week. The first match between the host South Africa and Iraq had a good turnout, but other matches failed to generate much fanfare. The Confederation Cup is a precursor to the World Cup in the following year. The host country gauges the feedback from the audience and adjusts the program for the World Cup.

However, the tournament has not been given much support by participants and critics since its birth. Maradona once critcized it as redundant, unneccessarily stretching the season into the summer.

This year due to the economic downturn, not as many fans could afford to travel from Americas, Europe and Asia to watch the matches. In addition, some fans loathe traveling so far away to the the host country. South Africa is thousands miles away from any of the major continents.

Given all of the above, you can tell there isn't much incentive for players, especially well-paid stars, to give their 100%. Because of that, some obscure teams are able to surprise the crowd. Brazil was almost forced to a draw with Egypt. The Egyptians fought hard to come back to 3-3 in the second half. They only lost to Brazil on a controversial penalty in the last minutes. The Egyptians vow to file a protest.

Regardless the Confederation Cup is always considered a lackluster event, a filler to squeeze a few more bucks from the soccer fans.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Church Ushers Association




I've just taken the photo of this sign few minutes ago. The sign first caught our attention a year ago right after we moved into the neighborhood. Julia and I have been wondering what this association is about. By looking at the sign, it is obviously an association for church ushers. But which church still uses ushers nowadays? Is there a job called church usher at all? We always think church goers volunteer to be ushers.


We wonder what the size of their membership is.


Sunday, June 14, 2009

Bye Bye Rabbit Ears

Analog TV is now history. FCC switched off analog broadcast after midnight on June 13th. The dipole antenna sits on top of my TV has been rendered useless.

Yes,you're right. I don't have cable subscription. Ever since I started my MBA program, I barely have had time to watch TV. Once in a while, I watch an episode of CSI Miami or The Mentalist. When it is close to midterms or finals, I stay up studying until 3 or 4am in the morning.

The Fed postponed the switch in February, extending analog broadcast for 4 months. I recieved one of those $40 vouchers to purchase a digital box, but I let it expire. I requested a replacement voucher, but so far the Fed hasn't send me one yet. I don't think they ever will because the money is better used for rescuing GM.

We will have cable subscription in our new home in Florida. It comes with the lease. I don't think I will watch much TV though. The time is better spent strolling down Ocean Drive and laying out on South Beach.

Netanyahu supports Palestinian independence

Wow, what a surprising news. For the first time an Israeli official openly endorses an independent Palestinian state. However, the Palestinians quickly reject the proposal because Israel demands that the proposed state must not have an army. Also, there is no proposal on how much territory will be ceded to the new state.

Would the conflicts in the Middle East cease if the Palestinians re-establish their country? Not likely. The region has lots of anti-Jewish elements that want the Jews to be eradicated from the region permanently. I have no idea why there is no much hatred between the Jews and the Arabs and I have no intention to understand the complicated history behind it. All I want to tell these people is that they must stop the vicious cycle by any means. How much longer do they want to live in the fear of being blasted into pieces by suicide bombers? I am sure worrying about random killing acts stress the hell out of the Jews and the Arabs. I would go berserk if I need to check under the seat for a bomb every time I ride a bus or the subway.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Some Random Thoughts

I am lagging behind in posting. Julia and I have been busy arranging our move. Fortunately, the moving expense is covered and we have found our dream place. The remaining task is to find my new apartment for August through Decemeber.

I have recieved a syllabus of a comprehensive course on Argentine society study from University of Palermo. The course covers topics on business, socioeconomics, cultures and politics. I will not be able to take it in Fall since I need to take MGMT 498, but I hope I can take it in Spring 2010.

Recently, I have found a few social media sites on foreign language practice. I have yet to sign up on any of those, but the idea is cool. You log in and then practise the langauge with native speakers. It will be helpful in improving my oral Spanish. Here is one of the sites Happy Planet. http://www.myhappyplanet.com/ .

Fiat is now the new boss of Chrysler. Everyone wants to know what Fiat has in store for saving Chrysler. Would the Italian company take a more assertive stance in the US operations, compared to the hands-off approach by the previous German owner, Daimler-Mercedes? Perhaps we'll see those cute small Italian cars on the road in the near future. We'll see.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Managing By Design

Weatherhead will launch a new curriculum in its MBA program in the next academic year. All the concentrations will be eliminated and integrated into the core curriculum. Replacing them will be a series of courses on managing by design. The focus will be on leadership and sustainability. It seems that sustainability has been increasingly recieving attention in MBA schools across the US, especially after the finanical tsunami. Companies and corporations have finally realized that social responsibility has now become the central theme in the business world. Executives need to deal with the repercussions of their actions, even though it means forgoing attractive short term profits.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Hummer has a Chinese owner

This is so unexpected. GM is selling its military-rooted Hummer brand to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Who would think that Hummer will have a Chinese owner or that a Chinese company is interested in Hummer. The vehicle is a symbol of American pride, representing excess and brawn. Come to think of it. Only a few countries of enormous sizes will be interested in such a colossus. Russia, China, India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia have the space to accomodate Hummer's wide body on their streets. India is happy with its Nano. Brazilians are fond of their compact motors. Canada and Australia don't have the populations to support the sales. Russia would rather invest her capital in her natural resources. China is the only candidate left with the ambition and financial resources, especially after the financial tsunami. The new owner vows to re-desgin Hummer to make it more fuel efficient in order to pass the new federal requirement. I am not sure why we need such a colossal vehicle on our streets. To be honest, Hummer was born out of desperation. It was GM's last ditch to snatch a piece of pie in the automobile market. Hummer didn't disappoint GM's executives. The mammoth was well-recieved by American consumers, who wanted an All-American vehicle. However, it has a huge carbon footprint, burning too much fuel per mile. I hope the new owner will make a hybrid version or even an electric one.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

BAWB Global Forum


I am going to volunteer at the BAWB global forum this evening. In case you don't know BAWB stands for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. It is an organization at Case to create sustainable values in businesses. It looks at how businesses can benefit the society as a whole in areas like environment and social responsibility. The forum started yesterday and lasts until Friday. Case is really huge on sustainability. Starting next year, there will be more MBA courses on this topic. Unfortunately, I won't be able to take any of them cos they are all year long courses.

Stop by the forum and listen to some of their talks.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Anonyma Eine Frau in Berlin

This is a new German movie released early this year. It is about the mass rape committed by Soviet Red Army after Berlin fell. This piece of history had been rarely publicized until British historian Anthony Beevor revealed the horrified stories of these women in his book 'Berlin - The Downfall 1945'. In order to avoid being raped, some wise Berlin women fraternized with Soviet officiers. They offered themselves as mistresses in exchange for protection from rapacious Soviet soldiers, who were eager to avenge Russian suffering at the hands of the Nazis. Most of the raped victims led haunted lives afterwards, suffering all kinds of psychological trauma for years. Stifled from speaking out of their ordeals, some were not able to bear the shame and committed suicides. The mass rape was documented in an obscure WWII documentary published in 1959, but the then bellicose disposition toward the Nazis muffled the voices of these miserable women. Not until recently attention has been rekindled for their stories due to the renewed hostility between Western Europe and Russia. Talking about political convenience here.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Depeche Mode



There are only few legendary synth-pop bands from the 80's that are still active today. Depeche Mode is definitely one of them. It is the pioneer of synth-pop music. Over the last 28 yrs since founding in Basildon, the band's sound has morphed from light-hearted ditties to solemn tunes with pensive lyrics. Songs like "Just can't get enough" and "Personal Jesus" have been re-made by numerous artists including Saturday, Johnny Cash and Marilyn Manson. I grew up listening to Depeche Mode. From the beginning, I could tell this band is not just another teenage garage band. They were going to make history and shock their audience, reinventing themselves with new sounds and recording techiques in every new album release. However, electronic music has not been given a fair share of review since its birth. Critics don't consider it real music. Because of that, Depeche Mode has never achieved the same level of recognition and fame as other contemporary bands did. But they have earned a sizable international following, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe. After a 4 year hiatus, the band had released the new album "Sound of the Universe" and launched a world tour on May 6th. The tour was sidetracked when Dave Gahan fell ill and contracted gastroenteritis, but fortunately he is recovering fast. The tour will resume on June 8th in Leipzig, Germany. Julia and I have bought the tickets for the Sept 5th show in Fort Lauderdale. We are so excited about seeing DM and celebrating our 5th anniversary.

Personally I hope one day Vince Clarke will play with the band again.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Jackfruit

I really admire this Viet-American guy. He twice trekked through South America on his bike. He deliberately avoided developed areas, exploring places where tourists normally won't go. His blog about his journeys is fascinating (Click here to his blog
http://davesnewadventure.wordpress.com/). He even published an online book called "Jackfruit" about his adventures, detailing his contact with native tribes in the Amazon jungles. Look it up on amazon.com. He used to distribute it for free, but later I think a publisher got interested in his book, so I suppose he pulled it off line.

I wish I had done something similar back in the college days.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Facebook Account

I finally created my Facebook account. I felt reluctant to join the FB craze. The reason I gave in because FB allows me to reconnect with lost classmates from high school. Email accounts get disconnected when the persons change jobs or ISP providers. I have found several old classmates from my secondary school in Hong Kong and English boarding school. They formed old boys and girls groups on FB, posting pictures of good ole' days. I have a nostalgia while looking at those pictures. They remind me of my early teenage years when I was not so sure of myself. The aspirations that we had in those days changed with time. I had aspired to be a mechanical engineer, but ended up working in the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley.

Facebook is very popular with people in their mid 30's and up. It helps tracking down lost pals, relatives, classmates, and co-workers. Not only it is a great social networking site, but also it is increasingly popular for business networking. College graduates put their FB accounts on their resumes, so that potential employers can get a broader view of their qualifications. Nowadays companies check job candidates' FB accounts to get an insight of their background. They want to see to whom the candidates connect.

Facebook is a microscope that can expose the finest details our social lives to everyone on the net.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

New Regulations For Credit Card Industry

Today Congress just has passed a bill to tighten up the criteria for issuing credit cards. President Obama is expected to sign it on Friday. This bill arrives at a critical moment and will affect the way we consume. America's economy has overly relied on credit card transactions and we are 2.5 trillion in debt less mortgage. Getting a credit card won't be as easy as before, especially for small businesses and young professionals. Next time we visit our neighborhood coffee shops or restaurants, we might need to pay cash. Paying with our debit cards is still possible, but generally merchants impose a 50 cent fee per transaction. I think overall this new bill will teach consumers to spend responsibly. Our economy is fed by our unquenchable appetite for things that we don't need. America becomes the biggest economy by overspending through the roof. Here is the dilemma though. If we stop spending like the way we used to, would America lose her status as the biggest economy. Would foreign investors stop investing in the US and divert their capitals to elsewhere?

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

238cm Chinese Giant

Can you believe how tall this guy is? He is taller than Yao Ming, standing almost at 7'8".


Train Uncle (Cousin of Bus Uncle)

I suppose HKers are under too much stress and have no outlets to blow off their steam. This guy is outrageous, bullying a mother and her kid on the train. I hope MTR will pursue this incident and hunt down Train Uncle. He deserves some jail time. At the end of the video, the guy takes out a handkerchief and demonstrated the "chivalrous" way to cough in public.....all after having blasted so much profanity at the helpless mother and her kid.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Internship with American Diabetes Association

I have been recently hired as an intern with American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Miami-Fort Lauderdale. I told my future supervisor that I could start in the first week of July. Julia will start her position at Cleveland Clinic Weston in Mid July. As I mentioned in my previous entries, I planned to travel to Argentina to take a Spanish course for foreigner. Well, I need to defer my study due the internship. Internships are hard to come by today, so I don't want to pass it up. It is a very interesting internship. Besides, how can I turn down an internship in sunny Miami-Fort Lauderdale area?

I will get to work with people from Julia's employer, so I can have lunch with her on some day. The position is fundraising for special events. Due to credits drying up, the Fed has cut funding for ADA researches. They need to explore other funding channels. I am glad I can help them solicit.

Do you know that there are currently 180 million people with diabetes worldwide? There are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The most common one is type 2 which is developed in adults later in life. Type 1 occurs at birth or in early childhood.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Weatherhead Student Clubs

There are many student clubs in my MBA program. The most active ones are Finance, Health, Marketing, Net Impact, IT, and International Student. I was elected the president of the Marketing club for the next academic year. Last year due to the economic downturn and other factors, our club did not have as many events we would like to. Next year I want to invite some local professionals and affiliate ourselves with American Marketing Association (AMA) Cleveland Chapter. I am still thinking how to recruite more incoming students to join our club. I think the affiliation with AMA is a good idea, but I need to test it first. I already submitted my request for volunteering for AMA this summer. I am still waiting for their reply.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Weatherhead Full Time MBA Program

Hi, in my first post I said I would talk about my experience with Weatherhead FT MBA program so far. Here is the low down.

Weatherhead has a modest MBA program for those who value more interaction and time with the professors. About 100-120 students are taken in each incoming year. The program requires a minimum of 57 credit hours to graduate. Like other MBA programs, the first year is required to take the core curriculum. Electives are taken in the second year. But you can adjust your schedule to your own pace. Weatherhead charges a flat tuition rate for full time. So you can take between 12 and 21 credit hours for the same bucks.

I think the Weatherhead program is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. The quality of the professors is remarkable. One of my favorite professors is Prof. Richard Osborne, a feisty octogenarian, who has been recently voted the most favorite teacher by students. He teaches CEO leadership and entreprenuership. His classes are unconventional and require students to think out of the box to solve problems.

Weatherhead is renowned for its OB (Organizational Behavior) courses. Every student must take the core course LEAD in his/her first year. It is taught by Prof. Tony Lingham. The opinions for this class are sharply divided. Some students loved it, and the others felt skeptical. I feel that this class is more like a life philosophy. It is useful to plan for your long term career and family life.

That's it for now. I will talk more about Weatherhead MBA program in the next posts.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Centro Universitario de Idiomas

CUI (Centro Universitario de Idiomas) is a language center affiliated with UBA (University of Buenos Aires). It offers many courses in foreign languages as well as Native American languages, such as Quechua,Guaraní and Mapuche, which I find interesting. Compared to its neighbors, Argentina has a small native population. I wonder how many students are enrolled in the native language courses. I have been to Argentina twice. Actually, I went to Buenos Aires only. I didn't see many Argentinos Indigenos. The ones who looked native were either Bolivianos or Peruanos.

Most of the foreign languages taught are European languages. There are East Asian languages courses, such as Chinese and Japanese. Reciprocally CUI specifically designs a Spanish course for Chinese students who come to Argentina to learn the language. After the financial tsunami, Argentina has been increasingly looking beyond North America and Europe for trade alternatives. Recently, China has agreed to a $10B currency swap with Argentina. This deal is a follow-up deal after President Hu Jingtao signed a $20B investment agreement with then Argentine Preisdent Nestor Kirchner in 2004. It's too early to tell whether all these deals will benefit the local Argentine people or not. But the news itself is exciting to a lot of people, especially among such a downturn.

I have inquired about their Spanish course as well as other Spanish courses in other institutions for foreign students. If things work out, I will enroll myself in the August class. Hmmm...I can't wait to feast myself on those delicious Parillas Argentinas. Yummy

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Thermalin

Thermalin is a design project that I worked on with my classmates in the fall semester last year. One of my classmates, Dr. Michael Weiss, is the creator of Thermalin. The heat resistant insulin can maintain its potency up to 40 degree celsius. The current insulin is NOT a drug and not meant to be taken as such. Also, it has a low temperature tolerance which requires the insulin to be stored at room temperature. In addition, it has a short shelf life and must be consumed within 3 weeks, or otherwise be disposed. The high temperature tolerance of Theramlin can benefit the poor in developing countries where refrigeration is not common in households. It is designed to be taken as a drug and have a much longer shelf life.

Monday, May 11, 2009

The first year is over....

Welcome to my blog. This is my first post. If you have read my profile, you know that I am a FT MBA student. I have recently finished my first year at Weatherhead School Of Management. I still can't believe the first year is over. Before I know it, summer is here now.

The next post I am going write about my experience at Weatherhead so far. It has been a fun ride and I have met many interesting folks.