Breezing Around The World

So I've been busy lately with work picking up a bit and all. Hence the kinda lack of updates. I usually write only when I am inspired, and work always get in the way of my inspiration. Isn't it kinda evident? I haven't exactly came out with a single prose after graduation. Well except that time when I was having my idyllic vacation at the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia. But that is another story to tell. Anyway I've been meaning to attend a performance or concert or recital at Juilliard for a long long time. Juilliard is one of the world's best music school and needless to say someone like yours truly that gave up pursuing piano any further when she found out she has to practice at least 6 hours a day will never in this lifetime make it into Juilliard. So you understand why I so wanted to see a performance there. If I can't have the pie smelling it is good enough. But I have no one but my sorry ass to blame for not seeing one because I live literally 6 blocks aw...

Has all hell broken loose again? Market was down 733 points today. I wasn't at work on Monday but was told the DJIA rallied almost 1000 points. Now, add the -733 to the -100++ yesterday, hasn't the market almost given back what it gained? The question becomes - when is the end?? Or more like, where is the bottom?? Soon I hope. Otherwise there will be nothing to catch. I don't want to think about that really. I am trying to look ahead into exciting times in front of me. Today is day 2 at the new office. Still trying to get systems up and running. Meeting folks at the "new" office. Everyone is trying to be friendly. But I think it is hard for everyone. Because at the end of the day, there will be more eliminations by the end of the year. It is not fair to anybody. Not to them, not to us. Well, perhaps more so for them. What have they done really? And to think they have to suffer more because of us. Which brings me to my question of the day. Is there room for everyon...

Thud...thud...thud. Thud...thud...thud. What's that? It's the sound of your heart beating. Your consciousness is at a heightened state. Yet everything is standing still around you. The only activity in this confined space is the fan, churning the air on. In the next room, you can hear the trickle of water as it drops on the basin. Thud...thud...thud. And that reminds you that your heart is still beating. And how long has it been? As your consciousness moved from the water back to the clock in front of you, you started hearing it too. Tick tock tick tock tick tock. Oh dear, has it only been...1 minute? So you went back to pacing the room. Ah yes, what exactly is it that you are waiting for? The phone idiot! You are waiting for the phone to ring! And before you start formulating shallow thoughts that this is about waiting for a guy you like to call, think again. This is more excruciating than that. Add to that the fact that some people around you already know their fate. But ther...

Lately I have started to think about dog walking as a part time position and if I so unfortunately get laid off, perhaps a full time job. Here's the deal - as a dog walker, you have to have the ability to walk multiple dogs at the same time, and be able to scoop up all their poops and take them for a good walk for half an hour. And to make it a profitable venture, you need to have the physical stamina of walking that much all day long. Well ok this picture is a bit of an exaggeration. But I have to admit though - I am very impressed with this dog trainer. He was able to handle 14 dogs at one go and have them all listening to him. As much as I love dogs I doubt I have this ability to handle 14 dogs in one go. But then dog walking is unlike dog training. But I have to say though- New York with it's dime a dozen bankers, white collar professionals who live in apartments yet still cared for a pet and it's welfare enough to hire someone to walk their dog while they are at work -...

Those who know me knows that my short attention span coupled with a severe need for sufficient sleep makes the corporate finance arm of investment banking a non-option for me. But out of boredom (for lack of a better term), I decided to get myself a copy of Monkey Business ( supposedly a must read for those getting into that part of i-banking ) perhaps to read for myself if what they wrote about is really true about the industry. Walking through the park today on my way home, I saw this along the way: It reminded me of the opening phrase in the book: " A few years ago, Rolfe and I stood on the edge of what we thought was a desert. Across the desert we believe we saw a lush green oasis. The more we thought about the oasis, the more convinced we were of the untold pleasures that lay within its luxuriant borders. There was only one problem. The desert. " The authors likened the "oasis" to the Managing Director position within an investment bank, and as associates stra...

On an impulsive whim of eccentricity, I decided that this year I do not want to celebrate my birthday with anyone else. I want to be at a beach somewhere nearby, and just be able to read a book and fall asleep under the warm Mexican sun. So I booked myself on an award travel flight, booked myself an all-inclusive resort and then off I go. Little did I know what a trip it would have turned out to be. Day 1, Friday: Arrived at the airport and greeted by the friendly representatives of Olympus Tour who escorted me to a van and within 30 minutes I am at the hotel Riu Caribe. It was rather windy and rather cloudy so I was thinking..oops, is it going to rain all weekend?? But turns out it did not. In the evening, after a humongous lunch, I went to La Isla, the biggest open air mall in Cancun. Wandered around but realized that everything is pretty expensive. It is a unique mall though, a reminded me of the open air mall at Los Angeles where I was last October. And then I happened across this:...

From To So I got back to New York on Monday night September 15th. Initially I thought I'd go to the office and try to grab whatever I can like everyone else is doing - But notice the press following him - so I think twice and decided there is nothing much worth taking anyway. Besides my studio is too small to pile in more junk. September 16: Went in to work without my suit blazer on and realized that I was actually overdressed - folks were in jeans and shorts and t-shirts! Sat around for half the day just catching up with what happened. And then in the afternoon news came that Barclays has bought us. Then Barclays' CEO and Chairman, accompanied by our Global head of fixed income and our CFO and President, visited the trading floor, announcing the purchase. They left followed by applause. Shows you how bad times are that now everyone is happy because at the very least, we will have a severance package. And we will get our paycheck this Friday! How lucky we are compared to our co...

September 14, 2008 - I will remember this date for the rest of my life, for the good, for the bad, for the inevitable. So there I was happily lazying on a bed under a big umbrella on Playa Norte ( North Beach ) on the Isla Mujeres ( Island of Women ) which is a 20 minutes fast ferry ride away from Cancun. I was congratulating myself on finding a nice relatively quiet beach with the perfect beach/turquoise waters that I am so obsessed with. And the best thing is, you can walk like 50 meters out and water is still up to your knees. It was amazing, and it definitely reminded me of Kailue Beach Park in Honululu, Hawaii. Although I have to say, having a bed to chill on under an umbrella is way better than lying on the sand on your beach towel. So anyway I was happily thinking to myself, wow what a trip. First of all, Happy Birthday to myself. I am a year older, and a year more ecentric. Yeah - who in their right mind run off to Cancun of all places to be alone on their birthday right? But...