Nikki & Business Cards

It is late and I wanna go to bed. I am not used to going out on Wednesdays but today it was a special day b/c we have celebrated that one of my colleagues (i.e. bosses) from work just got a great opportunity somewhere else, so we all have gone for a few drinks to celebrate with her.

I am happy today – I have changed my Facebook profile to “just happy” – mainly b/c I have presented to my bosses the stuff I have been working on for almost two months and they have liked it. Happiness and relieve at the same time!

So, as I was saying, after work we have gone for a few beers. First, at a pub on 36th St. and 5th Av. It has been my first opportunity to mingle with some work mates in a relaxed setting and it has been a lot of fun…many things have been said and, who knows, some good work stuff may come out of this, though I do not want to be very optimistic…

After that I have headed to the Meat Packing district with some mates. We have gone to an exclusive club (not a disco club, but rather a real club, with its lounge, a bar and a restaurant) thank to a mate who is a member. After some talk and laughs three of us have followed the “girl in red” and the “girl in green” to the smoking room. They were hot, particularly the one in red. We have ended up talking to them and I have had the chance to talk to the one in red. Nikki.

Nikki has hard “a tough life”, traveling from Pennsylvania to New York and then to L.A. and Hollywood… she really seemed to be the kind of beauty queen who was the most popular girl in high school. She has told me her story but I haven’t had time to tell her about me in the beginning…

But before leaving we have engaged again in a conversation, up to the point where she has asked me – from scratch – for my business card. My colleague who is a member of the club had advised me not to say that I was a student (I thought he was exaggerating at that point) and to rather fake that I was a banker or an attorney (I can do the latter, I guess). I have told Nikki-in-a-red-dress that I never go out with business cards…and I have asked her that what the matter is if you do not go out with your cards (I don’t have any, just for the sake of clarification!). Plain answer: “you are nobody in NY without business cards”…

In the end, you realize that there are people who are really like that. Patrick Bateman, the protagonist of American Psycho, has come to my mind straight away. If you have seen the movie you probably understand what I mean about appearances.

It’s been a funny night and now I just want to sleep. But I really needed to tell this story. Anyway, I am not getting business cards printed !!

Ciao

Thanking

Today is Thanksgiving. One of the most famous days in the American calendar, I dare say. Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Halloween…those days that are just (or mostly) celebrated in the US. It is a weird feeling to walk in the street at 11 am and see the majority of the stores closed. Only the delis (I have bought an large iced coffee), Dunkin Donuts (I have bought a pumpkin muffin) and the kind are open. This only happens a couple of times a year in NY.

I was taking a look a few minutes ago at “A VC” one of the venture capital blogs I usually read. On today’s post, Fred Wilson, the blog’s writer, essentially thanks for what he has. And I feel like doing the same.

I have to thank for the amazing one and a half year that I have spent in NY so far, for the opportunity of living a once-in-a-lifetime experience that may (or may not, depending on what the next months bring) change my life forever.

I have to thank my parents for supporting my decision of quitting my job and coming to the US for my MBA, for making this opportunity possible and for believing in what I am trying to accomplish.

I have to thank my friends in my country for being there and keeping me posted on whatever happens 5,000 miles away from NY, so I don’t forget where I come from, where I truly belong to and where I will most likely settle in the long-term.

I have to thank my NY friends because all this would not be the same without them.

And I have to thank NY, the city that inspires these memories and that I am still in love with.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Quiet

The city is quiet. I have bought a sausage slice at the Bagel Café on 3rd and St. Marks and I have just enjoyed the silence as I was coming back home. It is true that it is almost 4 am but the East Side streets, otherwise vibrating throughout the year, are quiet. It is crystal clear that Thanksgiving is just a few days ahead of us and that many people have left the Big Apple to spend some time with their families.

I am staying, though, and I am sure I will have a great time with my friends. Last year we went to a restaurant in Greenwich Village, near Bleecker St., and it was a nice first-time-ever Thanksgiving dinner, but this year I am in the mood for something more personal. We will buy a cooked turkey, stuffing and everything else at Whole Foods, Fresh Direct or whatever, and we will enjoy at home with some people. Feels better.

It is funny to see how significant dates such as Halloween or Thanksgiving, which did not mean anything at all a few months ago, have now become part of my life. I do not really need to celebrate them but I feel like doing so. I want to.

Ciao

D.C.

And the Houston Dynamo are the new MLS Cup champions!! I have been able to be part of it and see it more live than I ever thought.

As I said in the previous post I have been to D.C. for the w/e helping out my co-workers with MLS Cup and related events. It’s been fun. All the MLS stuff stayed at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown D.C. and we all went back and forth to the RFK stadium (home of the Nationals and the DC United) where the cup was to take place.

I arrived in D.C. on Friday afternoon, after riding on an Amtrak train for the first time. I had the chance to see Philly and Baltimore (I tried to listen to some Counting Crows songs when we first saw Baltimore but I had none at that point on my IPod) from the train. We went directly to the hotel and had just a little time to see the amazing Union Rail Station and a few buildings. We checked in and left for the stadium for a walk-through and to get acquainted with the people and the place.

On Friday night we had a party. It was my first party ever in the sports industry and I could check first hand that it is definitely all about relationships. I had the chance to meet some interesting – and friendly, generally speaking – people from sports agencies, media and companies’ sports marketing departments. I even had the chance to have a drink close to Cobi Jones and Alexi Lalas. It was kind of fun.

Saturday was a busy day and we spent most of it setting up and running a clinic for Hispanic kids sponsored by BK. Those of you who know me know that I am not very children-friendly guy. I like spending time with my friends’ kids for a while…and then turn them back to their parents. Spending some hours with 200+ kids was a challenge. I must say that I really enjoyed it. It is amazing how kids enjoy these kind events and it is impossible not to feel happy and smile when you see them having so much fun. They enjoyed every single minute, starting with the handing out of the gear – t-shirts, socks, shorts – continuing with a visit to the RFK stadium where they took pictures with, and got autographs from, MLS players, and ending with a 1-hour practice with the pros and some coaches. They were delighted and so we were once all was over.

That night we went to the MLS Gala where the season prizes were given to the most valuable players. A beautiful formal ceremony at the National History Museum and then dinner and some drinks.

Today it’s been game day and, after watching the first half, I have been right on the field to help set up the stage. It feels great to be on the field and I just wondered at some point how amazing it would have been to play in front of 40 thousand folks…it will have to wait until my next life!

In short, a great weekend, a great experience and hopefully some good contacts that will be helpful in the future. By the way, I had the chance to see the Capitol, the Obelisk and the Pentagon. D.C. seems to be a beautiful city, very monumental. Anyway, I will let you know how things develop.

MLS Cup

I have just come back from beer blast. I seem to continue to be able to get back to my usual life and I have really enjoyed drinking a few beer with the folks. I have come back early, though. It is just 1 am andI have to wake up in around 5 hours…

Tomorrow I am leaving for Washington D.C. I am going for work, though I am sure I will have time to have some fun. It will also be a great opportunity to cross out D.C. from my “to-visit list”. I have heard it is beautiful. I am really looking forward to see the White House and all the other stuff.

The MLS Cup will be played next Saturday between the Houston Dynamo and the New England Revolution. It is the most important US soccer event of the season and I will be lucky enough to be there. I will be doing a bunch of things, from supporting a soccer clinic with 500+ kids (my patience will be tested hahaha!) to setting up hospitality stands or even maybe taking players to press conferences. I will obviously attend the game and, in the meantime, I will go to a couple of parties that have been organized…maybe “Posh” will be around hahaha…my friends would love a pic.

Going to bed now. I will let you all know about this three-day trip next week.

Ciao

Getting my life back

I can’t fucking believe that this is over! After a few weeks struggling with my Competitive Strategy presentation, we have finally presented today. No case anymore, no long nights (yesterday, 330 am), no extra number crunching, no more ppt slides. I am exhausted and I am going to bed right now. But I really needed to write about this.

The presentation has gone fine and we have had a debriefing (sic) session after it with the professor (I have felt like Jack Bauer when the word debriefing has come into play – btw the beginning of season 7 of “24” has been postponed due to the screenwriters’ strike). It is kind of funny to go out for dinner with your professor and share some thoughts about your work. I still believe that the course is not worth the effort. I tried to softly tell the professor about how I feel but as I saw his face after my first not-very-positive comment I have backed off: B+ in the end. I guess we can’t complain.

Tomorrow at 9 am I have to give another short presentation in my Management Communication class. Since I have not had time to prepare it, I will have to wake up early, After that I will go to work. Although it will be a long day I do not feel the pressure any more.

I feel lighter now, a burden has fell off my shoulders and I feel like the next weeks – with Thanksgiving break just around the corner – will be good ones. Hopefully the life I was used to will get back to me. You can’t imagine how much I wish to replay to some friends’ emails, to have some good sleep, to spend a few days without rushing from one place to another and, more importantly, to dedicate some time to my job search. I just need it….

Some extra effort

It is 125 am already and I have just arrived from school. Yes, usually I should be writing about some nice party but I have just arrived from another “competitive strategy in the marketplace" meeting… my group will present our case next Tuesday and I will hopefully then get my life back!

It has been a tough day. I have gone to work and I have almost finished the presentation on consumer electronics manufacturers that I have to prepare for my bosses. I will have to come back to work on Friday morning for a meeting to go through it. I hope it will go well.

After work and before the meeting we have had a great media event at school. The Media and Sports Association has done a great job and we have had a bunch of companies visiting. I have had the chance to talk to people from Starz, Madison Square Garden, Google or Comcast. I will follow up to see what comes next… In the end Joost did not show up but I may have a way to contact them…we’ll see. I wish I had more events like this more often…although I still hate all the networking thing.

I am gonna go to bed now. I just want to apologize to all the people to whom I owe an email. I promise that I will be back starting next Wednesday…I swear!

And before finishing, let me recommend you all Athlete’s last record called “Beyond the Neighborhood”. Tracks like “Tokyo” or “Second Hand Stores” are just great….and to celebrate the release I will be attending the concert they will be giving tomorrow at a venue near the Meat Packing. I deserve it!!

Until next time.

Hopefully not "Just for today"

3:54 am (it should be an hour later but time has been changed today) and as I was coming back home from the LES I was whistling George Harrison’s “Just for today”. Don’t ask me why. I have therefore decided to play it as I start writing this post.

It’s been a good night…a great one actually. I don’t have any of those stories that you are thinking of to tell but it has been great anyway. After a month, I have felt like I am – little by little, though – back. It’s been a walk in the desert, it’s been that girl that I liked who wouldn’t pay attention to me, it’s been not being in the mood for too much partying… but hopefully that is gone. Thank God.

Tonight we have headed to the LES. First, a few drinks at Piano’s, where a girl – she has hit on me (great beginning… for a change) – has confirmed me that “Okies” don’t get upset when you referred to them as such. It’s been a perfect time to bring up “Grapes of Wrath”, since that is where I took from the idea that the word “okies” for people from Oklahoma was not that appropriate. They like it, indeed. She has given me two free drinks and asked me to come back for a concert…not sure, though…well, probably not coming back, to be honest.

After a few Jackies and coke we have headed to Gallery, the place where I celebrated my birthday. Fortunately, the D.J. was not sick today and we have danced to great music ranging from Police to Joy Division or Blur. And believe it or not, we have had some game. A couple of chicks from Houston, Texas who were about to leave have stayed when we have asked them so; the blond girl who was so happy with some “grinding” with me, a group of Puerto Ricans (one of them was sooooo cute!) has also been in the mood for us… the amazing waitress Rachel (god, I couldn’t help but thinking about “Friends”) who still remembered my name a month after my birthday party. I have even seen a girl that I used to like a lot and we have just talked about this and that (nothing has changed , though, meaning that she’s not interested). I am not trying anything any more. She’s really cute but I can’t help it. I told her and “did my homework” (as a friend of mine said a few years ago in relation to the girl that she liked) before the summer. If she doesn’t like me I am not strong enough to try harder. I have never been like that. Today I have actually thought about this very good friend of mine from my hometown who has always had the will power to “fight” for (and get!!) the girl that he likes even if she’s not very receptive in the beginning. I really admire it. But I simply can’t…

I have come back home after a nice slice of pizza and I am going to bed now. The last notes of George Harrison’s “Across the Universe” are the perfect end for this post.

Ciao

Saturday at school

Damn it, two days in a row at school and tomorrow I will have to come again! I hate coming to school in the weekend. It’s all about this strategy course that I am taking that is making my life miserable. I was told last year that it was a heck of work but definitely worth it. After a month I am working desperately and I am learning close to zero. Or that is the way at feel…

Group organization is important at biz school. And my group for that strategy course is not working well. We have just been postponing over and over again our meetings and now we see our presentation date roughly ten days away and we panic. We all are busy with work, recruiting, etc. but I guess there is no justification…. So I raise my “mea culpa” for not pushing harder.

I have not seen much commitment in the group so, although I had decided not to go to L.A. next weekend for the UCLA soccer tournament – it takes place the w/e before the Tuesday presentation – I have finally jumped in. Why shouldn’t I? I keep asking to myself…

Anyway, let’s see if I do some work…..I was about to close the post when I have received a text canceling the meeting. Do you understand now why I am going to L.A.?