After The MBA

How To Surprise Your Parents

As I mentioned in a previous post, I never told my parents that I was moving to San Francisco from Ithaca, NY. In fact, they were drooling at the prospect of me being forced to move back into their house while i continued the job search.

I however, had other plans.

So how does one finally break the news to their parents that they are 4,000 miles away from where they expected them to be? A nicely crafted email of course!

This is how it all went down:

--------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Alex
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 10:48 PM
To: Parents
Cc: Sister
Subject: Hello

Dear Mom & Dad,

Love,
Alex

Road Trip Day 6 & 7: Nevada & California

One thing I noticed is that Nevada does not have any lights along Highway 80. No lights at all. This makes the drive extremely dark, especially when you are the only car on the road (like me). I wonder why Nevada is so cheap that they can’t afford to put lights anywhere along a national highway. I mean, they get plenty of tax money from gaming right?

Winnamucca – Winnamucca is a little casino town along the way to Reno and I decided to stop there for the night because Reno was another 2 hours away. I have never seen such a sad casino strip in my life. I stayed in the Winnamucca Inn and Casino, which supposedly had the best hotel in town. The casino in the hotel did not have any dealers and everything was electronic/machines. I went down the street to the supposed “best” casino in town and the two dealer tables were closed for the night (it was only 1AM!). I guess I will have to wait another day to play a few hands of blackjack.

Sacramento – I really wasn’t going to write anything about Sacramento because it was relatively uneventful but I had quite possibly the best French toast that I have ever had in my life at Tower’s Cafe. If you are ever in Sacramento, you have to stop by this place for brunch and order their famous French toast! 

Tomorrow I finally make it to San Francisco and sadly, my trans-American road trip comes to an end.

Road Trip Day 4-5: Colorado & Utah

Instead of staying on Highway 80 and passing through southern Wyoming, which according to my buddy Jae is boring and uneventful, I decided to take Highway 76 and then 36 through Colorado and the Rocky Mountain National Park. The 3-hour detour was well worth it because I finally saw the mountains, canyons and forests that I was expecting to see on this road trip.

Rocky Mountain National Park – Highway 36 took me through here as I headed west towards California. The park itself was pretty amazing to drive through and I would say it is arguably worth the $20 entrance fee to drive through. Make sure you go in with at least half a tank of gas because you are going to be driving through mountains for awhile with no gas stations until you exit the park. Driving at 11,000 feet above sea level is pretty darn cool and there are plenty of elk and moose walking around that you can see from the road. I can’t say enough good things about this park except that once the sun sets, you have to be very cautious driving because all those wild animals that you saw during the day now like to hang out in the road. On the other side of the park, there is a cute little mountain town called Grand Lake that is worth checking out before hitting the road.

 

Salt Lake City – I decided to visit my buddy Sam along the way to SF. Similar to Cleveland, Salt Lake City is a lot smaller than expected. The downtown area is quite small and most of the city is residential-type buildings. Sam took me to Crown Burger, a local burger joint that supposedly had these legendary burgers topped with hot pastrami. The hot pastrami-topped burgers were pretty good but I think Sam definitely worshipped the burgers more than I did. On the plus side, I didn’t need to eat for the rest of the week.

Road Trip Day 3-4: Iowa & Nebraska

This leg of my trip was a huge disappointment. There isn’t really anything neat to look at around here. I was expecting to see some mountains and forests but all you see is GRASS, endless plains of freaking grass.  I know that this is the Great Plains region but damn, can’t there be the random mountain or canyon along the way? The next time I drive across the country, I am going to go around Iowa and Nebraska. 

Des Moines – There is actually a pretty large Asian population here, which I did not know beforehand. I was definitely not expecting to see Asian grocery stores and Vietnamese restaurants in the middle of Iowa. Des Moines is kind of spread out but quite small in terms of its downtown area. The highlight of this city is that I found an Asian-themed (tastefully done) pizza place called Fong’s Pizza. The pizza was pretty good and the story is that before the pizza place was in business, the space was occupied by the first Chinese restaurant in the state of Iowa and the next business owners wanted to keep the Asian tradition going.  

North Platte – When I asked the hotel check-in girl, “What cool things are there to see in town?” and she replied with “nothing”, I probably should have moved on with my road trip. Well, I figure I didn’t drive out here to not see anything in Nebraska so I drove around town and eventually found Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard, the largest railroad classification yard in the world. For $6 I had the chance to ride up in an elevator six flights and look at the rail yard. It wasn’t very good value for time or money but then again, what else are you going to do in Nebraska?

My buddy Jae, who also took Highway 80 from New York to California, informed me that southern Wyoming is also full of grass and just as boring as Iowa and Nebraska.  So I will be changing my route and taking a detour through northern Colorado.

Road Trip Day 1-2: Ohio & Illinois

So I started my road trip way behind schedule. Instead of leaving Ithaca at 12 noon, I departed around 12 midnight instead. Packing and moving ALWAYS takes longer than expected. I will admit that I probably dragged my feet a little because I was sad to leave Ithaca but once I had hit the road, I was pretty excited to start my latest chapter. Probably, the funniest thing about this whole road trip and everything is that I haven't told my parents about moving to California yet. I plan on surprising them once I get to Cali so hopefully no one has told them about my blog yet!

Cleveland – I arrived in Cleveland at sunrise around 6AM and drove around the city. Cleveland wasn’t as dirty and ghetto as I had expected it to be but it certainly is a lot smaller than I had imagined. Shaquille O’Neal is going to be bored as hell on his off days.

Chicago – I took Route 41 up along the west side of Lake Michigan to get into the city. I do NOT recommend taking this route because you go through some pretty sketchy neighborhoods. The Sears Tower does not look that tall or impressive even though it is still one of the tallest buildings in the world. And the lines to get to the top are a lot slower than the Empire State Building.  However, it does have the new glass balconies that jut out like 4-5 feet from the edge of the building so that makes the trip a lot more worthwhile.

One cool feature about Chicago is that it has nice beaches along the east side of the city where you can swim in Lake Michigan or lie out in the sand. Who would have expected to find beaches in Chicago? (Certainly not me) 

I also tried the famous Chicago-style pizza at some famous place called Giordano's. I prefer New York-style pizza better because in my opinion the crust is the worst part of the pie so why would you want more of it?  

NYC Thin Crust Pizza > Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

 Tomorrow I head out for Iowa, home of the Iowa caucuses!

The Best & Worst Buildings at Cornell University

After conducting an intensive study of all the buildings on campus, the best and worst buildings on campus have been identified by a blue-ribbon panel consisting of me. What does the “best” ranking mean you ask? Well basically it means that it is worth your time to check out the building while you are in Ithaca. On the flipside, the “worst” building ranking means that it is ugly and boring and that it would be a pity to have lectures in that dumpy place.

*Note*: The ILR building and the Biotechnology building were not included in this study due to conflicts related to accessibility.

Worst Building

Ward Center For Nuclear Sciences - I had high expectations for this place. I mean, anything related to nuclear science has to be pretty cool right? WRONG! Maybe if this building was named the Ward Center for Ugly, then I would not have been as harsh. This place is tiny and hidden within the Engineering Quad. Unfortunately, I managed to find it and had the unpleasant experience of exploring an abandoned building that looks and smells like it hasn’t changed a bit since it's glory days with the Manhattan Project.

Worst Building Runner-Up

Baker Laboratory – This building is huge and sits on top of the hill right before you cross the main bridge heading towards north campus. From the outside, it looks like a grand structure sitting on its throne, looking down in contempt at its ghetto neighbor, Rand Hall, which ironically houses the top architecture program in the country. However, once you enter the front doors you will be greeted with a dark lobby filled with brown tables and chairs, reminiscent of a Bingo Night at your local senior citizens center. Besides the lackluster entrance way, the lecture halls are filled with algae-green chairs and they didn't even bother to finish laying down the linoleum tiles in front of the library.

Best Building

Uris  Library – Nestled at the foot of the McGraw clock tower, this building is epic in scale and grandeur. There are many parts to this library, but the timeless A.D. White Reading Room with its crisscrossing catwalks is the most impressive room to visit. And if you ever wondered what was inside that panoramic window overlooking the slope, well it is the cocktail lounge in the basement of Uris. Walking and exploring Uris Library will take at least 10-15 minutes and as the "best" building at Cornell University, it is definitely worth a visit if you haven’t checked it out already.

Best Building Runner-Up

Mann Library – I guess the libraries at Cornell have to be well-designed and adorned because everyone studies so hard. Mann Library is like Uris’ newer and shinier brother but lacks the charm and class of its counterpart. Nonetheless, Mann Library, which is located in the Ag Quad, is a pleasant surprise amongst the old and drab buildings that surround it (*ahem* Warren Hall) and is also worth a look around. The 2^nd and 3^rd floors also contain additional study areas to check out.

One Last Weekend In NYC – Where To Eat?

After spending 9 memorable years in Manhattan (before going to B-School), I spent the past week saying goodbye to friends, and visiting my old haunts. I definitely will NOT miss New York drivers who honk at you 0.1 seconds after the light turns green and rude people who try to push their way onto the subway train as passengers are trying to exit. But I digress. The one thing that I will miss MOST about NYC is the food. With my final weekend in NYC, I had to narrow down my list of favorite places and make some tough decisions about where to eat.

In no particular order, if I had one last weekend in NYC, this is where I would (and did) eat:

2^ND AVENUE DELI – 162 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016

 

Sure it isn’t the original location anymore but it is still yummy. Love the matzah ball soup, tongue and pastrami (sandwiches). The sandwiches are pricey but are big enough to split between two people. And the free pickles and cole slaw are a nice bonus.

SHANGHAI CAFÉ – 100 Mott St,  New York, NY 10013

This place makes the best crab meat soup dumplings in my opinion. Even after visiting Shanghai, I still think this place is the best I’ve ever had. Some people complain that the skin of the dumpling is too thick, but everyone agrees that the broth inside the dumpling is pretty darn good.

CHINATOWN ICE CREAM FACTORY – 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

Their ice cream has a nice firmness to it and it is the perfect way to wrap up a meal in Chinatown. My favorite flavors are lychee, sesame and almond cookie. This place won the NY Citysearch Best Ice Cream award in 2005, 2006 and 2007 so it can’t be too shabby.

CONES – 272 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

A real gem in the West Village, this Argentinean gelato place makes some awesome flavors. I have never had a flavor here that I did not like and this place isn’t super trendy like so many of those other chic gelato places around town. The corn flavored gelato is pretty interesting.

MAMOUN’S FALAFEL - 119 Macdougal St, New York, NY 10012 or 22 Saint Marks Pl, New York, NY

This place is a hole in the wall sort of place that isn’t exactly fancy or anything. However, I can think of no finer meal than a Mamoun’s lamb shawarma after a late night of partying and drinking.  The falafel is pretty good too. This place is just as good during the daytime or when sober. I prefer the Macdougal location but both are good.

SUSHI OF GARI – 402 E 78th St, New York, NY 10021

I have only been to the UES location but this place serves the freshest sashimi that I have ever had in my life. My ex-gf who grew up in Japan also agreed with me about their amazing sashimi. The omakase is pure gastronomical ecstasy but not very traditional so a lot of the sashimi or nigiri pieces are partially cooked or marinated with some sort of sauce. If you are in the mood for a traditional raw fish meal, just get the sashimi entrée by itself but both are great options.

STAMATIS - 2909 23rd Ave, Astoria, NY 11105

I know venturing to the outer boroughs feels like going to a foreign country for most Manhattanites but this authentic Greek place is worth the trip. It is an easy commute by taking the N or W train to Ditmars Blvd. Astoria is a very residential and safe neighborhood too so no need to be scared. If you visit, you must try the grilled octopus (so tender!). The mousaka, pan fried smelts and lamb fricassee  are also very good.

I Hate Moving

One of the worst things about going to B-School is that you have to move at least TWICE within a 2-year span. This is especially true at Cornell University because it is located in the quaint little village of Ithaca in Upstate New York, where there is a 99% chance you will not stay here after graduation.

So to put it bluntly, having to move sucks. Moving is one of worst experiences in life, especially if you have accumulated significant amounts of furniture and housewares like me.

Moving is also quite expensive if you graduate unemployed and have to pay for the move out of pocket. The cost of renting a moving truck and shipping my car to California would have been about $2,600. The cost of hiring movers and driving my own car to California is about $2,100. The cost of replacing all my furniture (after selling the existing furniture) and shipping everything else by UPS would have been about $1,500. 

I decided to pay the $600 premium to not have to deal with hassle of selling my stuff and then having to go buy new furniture and then having to assemble it (shout out to Ikea). It also was a pain in the butt trying to find movers because apparently, the end of June is the BUSIEST moving week of the entire year.

So everyone graduating in the future, keep that in mind when you plan to move out! 

The Roommate Interview Process

So a week ago, I got back from San Francisco, where I have decided to figure things out now that I have graduated from b-school, unemployed. Because I am not from the West Coast and have never lived on the West Coast, I figured that it would be funner and more interesting to get some roommates rather than live alone. Getting random roommates off Craigslist might sound kind of risky, but apparently it is a pretty common practice out in the Bay Area. I mean, when you think about it, San Francisco is the ideal place for this to happen because 1) many people live in multi-bedroom Victorian-style homes 2) the people are generally nice and laid back and  3) Craigslist started in San Francisco. When I first heard of this idea, I thought it was an insane idea but my sister moved to SF several years ago and got random roommates and she hasn't been assaulted or attacked by a crazy roomie yet so that helped me gain acceptance of this practice.

The beginning of the process begins like this: You go on Craigslist and search under "rooms & shares" and go through the postings and idenfity the ones that match your interests. Then you send the poster an email telling them that you are interested in living with them, what date you are looking to move in, why you would make a great roommate and a little bit about your background. It sounds just like a cover letter for a job posting right?

If the poster likes what they read in your email, then they will contact you to set up an appointment to come in and see the place and to meet with all the roommates. When you go in to see the house/apartment, you are given a tour of the facilities, the room, the laundry, etc. Then generally you end up in some common area like the living room where most or all of the roommates are hanging out and then you begin the courtship process. Here you go into further detail about what you do for a living (my favorite question), why you are looking to move and what are your interests and hobbies. This is also a time when the prospective roommate (me) has the opportunity to ask the roommates their questions. Common questions usually relate to what their work-schedules are like and what sort of activities they do for fun. Unbeknownst to me, I thought as long as I show up and look and smell clean-cut, act friendly and enounciate my vowels, then I would have a great shot at being invited to become a roommate. This is going to sound cocky but I think I would make a great roommate. After all, I'm a Texan-New Yorker (a unique blend of laid back and edgy), I'm Asian (I won't leave alot of body hair behind), I cook alot (pancakes from scratch anyone?), and I am well-rounded and would be up for doing whatever (movies, museums, restaurants, concerts, camping, you name it). I'm also a very responsible and considerate housemate who always puts the toilet seat down thanks to my 5.5 years of experience living with my girlfriend (now ex-gf).

See? Don't I sound like I would be a fun addition to any household consisting of 1 other male and 2 females? Unfortunately, out of the 3 houses that met my requirements (the roommates were cool and the actual house was cool), I was NOT extended an offer to any of them. I was merely an alternate (2nd or 3rd choice) so if their top choice didn't take the offer, then I would get a call. So what the hell happened? Why didn't anyone want to live with me?

Well the problem is that the roommates don't know any of that stuff about me. They can't tell that I make some scrumptious pancakes from scratch just from looking at me. And there is no way anyone would guess that a guy would put down the toilet seat. What I learned is that when you go in and meet the roommates, you have to really sell yourself. You have to tell them why you would make a good fit to the house and what you could contribute. You have to also explain why them why you want to live with them over other households. Now this should all sound eerily familiar to any recent or current MBA student. It is just like the interview process for a frickin' job! Well at least now I know but unfortunately when I move to SF in a few weeks, my stuff will be going into storage instead of my future home as I have to go through the roommate interview process all over again in order to find a place to live.

I hope this isn't a bad omen or anything but if I can't even find a place to live, how am I going to find a job?

The Optimal Roommate Scenario

I just got back earlier this week from San Francisco, where I have decided to move in order to figure things out (life, job, etc). After conducting some empirical analysis and running some Monte Carlo simulations, I have found that the optimal roommate setup for me is to live with 1 guy, and 2 girls (4 people total). Here are the various roommate options and why they are flawed in further detail:

Me + 0 Guys, 3 Girls - Sure, living with all women might sound fun and any teenage boy would fantasize about this opportunity but the truth is that this is one of the biggest mistakes a guy can make. One of the cardinal rules of housing is that you do not hook up with your roommates. Sure it sounds hot but if things don't work out or if they get complicated, you are guaranteed drama every single day you wake up because it is living next door to you. And if you don't hook up with your roommates, then you just sit back and watch them bring home other guys while you end up feeling like the gay best friend. It is a lose-lose proposition and if you ever have any grievances, all the other girls are going to form an alliance and gang up on you because that is what women do.

Me + 3 Guys, 0 Girls - On the flip side, living with all guys is almost as bad as living with all girls. It sucks because you are living in a testosterone-filled home and it will probably be dirty as hell too (imagine all that pee accumulating on those toilet rims). On top of that, if you ever bring a girl over, it is like bringing in your girlfriend to visit you at prison. You are guaranteed to have at least one jackass try to cock block you. And if there are ever any disagreements, men settle things with their fists so there is always the risk of getting punched in your face in your very own living room. No thanks. I'll pass.

Me + 2 Guys, 1 Girl - This is a little better than having all guys because we introduce a female into the population. However, this also creates tension because all of a sudden all the fellas are going to be trying to win the heart of the lady of the house. The living situation will get hostile as all the men try to outdo each other and impress the lucky lady and if you end up losing, then you have to sit back and watch the alpha male parade his prized female around the house everyday. And if you end up winning the girl, then you have to always watch your back because the two other guys are undoubtedly planning how to bring you down.

Me + 1 Guy, 1 Girl - This is also another terrible situation because I would be in competition for the girl with the other guy (similar to the previous scenario). And if the guy and girl ever hook up (or might be already hooking up before you even move in), you automatically become the third wheel every time you are home. Can you say aaaaaaaaawkward? 

Me + 1 Guy, 2 Girls - Ding ding ding! We have a winner! The house will be perfectly balanced between 2 guys and 2 girls. There will be one woman for each man and vice versa should we all decide to violate the cardinal rule of hooking up with roommates. But really, you don't want to  hook up with your female roommates because that is like killing the golden goose. You have your female roommates introduce you to their female friends so you can meet more people without bringing the drama home. And if there are any disagreements, the balance of power is equal between the brotherhood and sisterhood.

In my next post, I will discuss what the roommate search process was like and how I failed to find housing during my week in San Francisco.