My professor gave me $10 for participating in a game theory example for my Economics of Global Business class. I suppose that just goes to show you, you should always participate in class -- you never know when your professor might hand over a $10.
BAM!!!
-Emoinacloset
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BTW, I'm sure you guys are wondering but I did not get that job that I interviewed for last week. Bummer.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Cupparty!!
New Jersey. That’s where my friends and I went to celebrate Nick’s brother’s birthday. Unfortunately, he died of heart failure nine years ago. Turns out, his family hosts a huge party at their house every year in his memory. They invite all their friends, family, and neighbors, but don’t worry – it’s no funeral. They had a bartender (plenty of alcohol!) and got a DJ to play music for the party. There were a lot of older people, but it was to be expected since they invited everyone, including grandma and grandpa
They have their own tiki bar. wtf.
From left to right: Aleeha, Stephanie, Nick, Ana
Nick was my roomate last year who I told you tried to get into NY Fashion Week. He made it, but was caught by security five minutes in and was almost fined and jailed for doing so. Thankfully, he is still with us today.
From left to right: Mark, Joe, Micaela, Ana
The dancefloor lit up
Party people!
The man dancing on the right was Nick's dad, who hosted this party. He partied harder than all of us college kids, dragging unwilling people onto the dancefloor and challenging everyone who was willing to a game of beer pong. By the end of the night he was undefeated. He also called all of us "wusses" for not partying as hard as he did -- and rightfully so.
It was a good night with the Cupparis. Plus, they had a ton of Italian food which I took advantage of.
-Emoinacloset
Additional pics online
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A week full of pranks
Instead of doing anything productive over welcome week like going to the career center and working on my resume I just pulled pranks with/on my apartment mates. My RA has told me not to put up pranks of him on facebook, so I will just put them up here.
1) Mattressing up the door
From the inside
From Milan's POV
2) Cardboarding up the RA - This did not actually work because the RA was not in his room at the time
3)Unbolting Milan's door
4)Boxing up our Neighbor's door - Our neighbors are hella weird and they looked at us funny once so I gathered up some girls I met recently and boxed up their door
5) Bottle to Nuts - Another prank on the RA that failed, the supports gave out as the duct tape was not strong enough
6)Spider Webbing - The one prank that succeeded against the RA. Kevin and I broke into the RA's room and crisscrossed his room with yarn. The RA gave me props on the prank but told me to not go into his room and to take the pictures off Facebook, which is why they are here.
The RA was calling me out for my 2 failed pranks, so I had to rub it in
-muffinman
1) Mattressing up the door
From the inside
From Milan's POV
2) Cardboarding up the RA - This did not actually work because the RA was not in his room at the time
3)Unbolting Milan's door
4)Boxing up our Neighbor's door - Our neighbors are hella weird and they looked at us funny once so I gathered up some girls I met recently and boxed up their door
5) Bottle to Nuts - Another prank on the RA that failed, the supports gave out as the duct tape was not strong enough
6)Spider Webbing - The one prank that succeeded against the RA. Kevin and I broke into the RA's room and crisscrossed his room with yarn. The RA gave me props on the prank but told me to not go into his room and to take the pictures off Facebook, which is why they are here.
The RA was calling me out for my 2 failed pranks, so I had to rub it in
-muffinman
Thursday, September 24, 2009
First Day of School/Torture
Today was the first day of class and it sucked. As I am tying this entry I am already dreading going to my next class. Today I was reminded why I never went to class last year. Sorry emoinacloset, though your focus and actions were inspiring, I do not think I can replicate them.
Besides class, however, school is a blast. It feels really good to be back on campus.
Still working on my need list for college though
First Vlog entry with sound
-muffinman
Besides class, however, school is a blast. It feels really good to be back on campus.
Still working on my need list for college though
First Vlog entry with sound
-muffinman
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
My First Real Interview
Yes, for a real job. Here I was right before the interview, nervous as hell, a thousand possible scenarios going through my mind -- visions of me triumphantly conquering with an ethereal glow on my face were juxtaposed with images of my body strewn on the ground -- yet the only thing that went through my mind after the interview was, "Huh."
They didn't grill me like I thought they would; there were no questions like, "Describe your biggest challenge to date", "Tell me about a time you showed leadership", "Why do you want to join us", or "How many fire hydrants are there in Manhattan!?" (No joke, I studied the subway map on my way there). The only questions they really asked were, "When are you graduating, what is your major, what do you do in your spare time?" which is all small talk. To be fair, the job I interviewed for is basically for an adminstrative assistant position, but even still, not asking me about any of my qualifications or anything on my resume -- I mean, why did you even bring it in with you in the first place?
I suppose you could say it's a good thing they didn't ask me hard questions that required on-the-spot thinking (EX: How many ping-pong balls can fit in a bathtub) but them not asking me any substantial questions makes me even more worried. Are they interested in me? What kind of critereon are they using to judge me? Why did I bust my ass to prepare for this interview?
I'll hear from them in a few days, so we'll see what happens. In the meantime, I should write a thank you letter to follow up. Hopefully I won't make any critical errors this time.
--Emoinacloset
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As a side note, today I went to two more recruiting sessions, one for JPMorgan Chase and another for Goldman Sachs. I also went to a Barclays Capital recruiting session a couple of days ago. I plan on pledging for Beta Alpha Psi -- an honor society/professional frat so no jungle juice and frat parties there -- and trying out for Fed Challenge this week (Federal Reserve policy-making simulation), for which I am working on a presentation.
They didn't grill me like I thought they would; there were no questions like, "Describe your biggest challenge to date", "Tell me about a time you showed leadership", "Why do you want to join us", or "How many fire hydrants are there in Manhattan!?" (No joke, I studied the subway map on my way there). The only questions they really asked were, "When are you graduating, what is your major, what do you do in your spare time?" which is all small talk. To be fair, the job I interviewed for is basically for an adminstrative assistant position, but even still, not asking me about any of my qualifications or anything on my resume -- I mean, why did you even bring it in with you in the first place?
I suppose you could say it's a good thing they didn't ask me hard questions that required on-the-spot thinking (EX: How many ping-pong balls can fit in a bathtub) but them not asking me any substantial questions makes me even more worried. Are they interested in me? What kind of critereon are they using to judge me? Why did I bust my ass to prepare for this interview?
I'll hear from them in a few days, so we'll see what happens. In the meantime, I should write a thank you letter to follow up. Hopefully I won't make any critical errors this time.
--Emoinacloset
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a side note, today I went to two more recruiting sessions, one for JPMorgan Chase and another for Goldman Sachs. I also went to a Barclays Capital recruiting session a couple of days ago. I plan on pledging for Beta Alpha Psi -- an honor society/professional frat so no jungle juice and frat parties there -- and trying out for Fed Challenge this week (Federal Reserve policy-making simulation), for which I am working on a presentation.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Be back later ASD
The last two summers I have been spending my time at the Academy of Self Defense (ASD). Joining this place was a turning point in my life (no joke) and one of the best decisions I have ever made. Training in Krav Maga and jiu-jitsu gave me another joy in life. Landing that combination in sparring or the arm bar in rolling are achievements that I take pride in and a real confidence booster. For once, I feel pride in my abilities.
However, ASD was not always a source of pride, my first day was a terrible experience as I gassed out after just 15 minutes of the workout. I had a huge headache, my vision got really blurry and I could barely stand. Afterwards for the whole day I felt like shit. Not sure what made me want to go back, especially since Tom bailed on me, but I am glad I did.
Fast forward to now and I cannot wait to get back to ASD. The friends I made there are the most supportive ones I have and each time I go back, I learn just a little bit more. And of course I love the fighting aspect of it all.
I am going to introduce some of my "other" friends in San Jose
Ev
Ev is the oldest in the picture, but do not let that fool you....
Ev is the head instructor at ASD. Besides appearing deceptively old, he is a very generous man and a great instructor. Whenever I on vacation from school he lets me train for free! I still remember the day I sat in on a sparring class and watched Ev spar. This guy threw a flurry of 6-8 punches and Ev just blocked them all with one hand while smiling. Nowadays I am no longer watching on the sidelines, I get to personally have my ass kicked by him in sparring. I still need to go to one of his amazing camping trips.
Stan
My Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor is like one of those classic kung fu masters. He always talks a lot about life and how it applies to jiu-jitsu or vice versa. Finding balance in life and jiu-jitsu is a reoccurring theme in these talks and it is something I have taken to heart this summer. Also I had the opportunity to see Stan drill on my last day and it was simply amazing. His fluidity and grace in transitioning from position to position was awe inspiring. I hope to be that good someday.
Will
Will is just about to perform a headlock escape from his girlfriend
Will was my first friend in Krav and the one who taught me all the basics, even my first submissions! He is always supportive and has told me that I can get a hug whenever I need one. Things have changed though, suddenly Will gets a girlfriend, thinner, stronger and even a house ( I was invited to the housewarming party and I totally regret not going). What has not changed though is the fact that he is ever as helpful and supportive as the first day I met him, except now I get to teach him stuff too.
Cal
After this picture Cal went and did a 1000 push ups and sit ups
To get a good idea of how Cal is like at Krav, one only has to imagine the energizer bunny. Simply stated, Cal never stops, ever. To get an idea of how much energy he has, I will tell you what he did on Wednesdays this summer. Cal gets to ASD at around 10am and begins working out or sparring till 11 and then he does 2 hours of Krav with me and then after we grapple for maybe 15 - 30mins. During grappling he consistently overpowers me. He is a soft spoken kid who is quick to help and a great training partner. Oh and in sparring he runs straight and punching him in the face does nothing. It is scary as hell.
Katrina
Katrina's smile hides her violent side well
Katrina is my new friend at Krav. I met her just this summer, where after I learned her name began to quickly submit her with a rear naked choke. Katrina is one of the most unique girls I have ever met. Her love for fighting and her enthusiasm to learn is second to none. Sparring with her is a pleasure because I always win (YES!) and she always tries her hardest and shows true heart. She was a great partner for my belt test and I hope to see her at UCSD soon! I am also sure that she will soon be able to match me in sparring, once she begins to go to classes again.
Thanks for the fighting spirit ASD and see you in 3 months time
-muffinman
However, ASD was not always a source of pride, my first day was a terrible experience as I gassed out after just 15 minutes of the workout. I had a huge headache, my vision got really blurry and I could barely stand. Afterwards for the whole day I felt like shit. Not sure what made me want to go back, especially since Tom bailed on me, but I am glad I did.
Fast forward to now and I cannot wait to get back to ASD. The friends I made there are the most supportive ones I have and each time I go back, I learn just a little bit more. And of course I love the fighting aspect of it all.
I am going to introduce some of my "other" friends in San Jose
Ev
Ev is the oldest in the picture, but do not let that fool you....
Ev is the head instructor at ASD. Besides appearing deceptively old, he is a very generous man and a great instructor. Whenever I on vacation from school he lets me train for free! I still remember the day I sat in on a sparring class and watched Ev spar. This guy threw a flurry of 6-8 punches and Ev just blocked them all with one hand while smiling. Nowadays I am no longer watching on the sidelines, I get to personally have my ass kicked by him in sparring. I still need to go to one of his amazing camping trips.
Stan
My Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor is like one of those classic kung fu masters. He always talks a lot about life and how it applies to jiu-jitsu or vice versa. Finding balance in life and jiu-jitsu is a reoccurring theme in these talks and it is something I have taken to heart this summer. Also I had the opportunity to see Stan drill on my last day and it was simply amazing. His fluidity and grace in transitioning from position to position was awe inspiring. I hope to be that good someday.
Will
Will is just about to perform a headlock escape from his girlfriend
Will was my first friend in Krav and the one who taught me all the basics, even my first submissions! He is always supportive and has told me that I can get a hug whenever I need one. Things have changed though, suddenly Will gets a girlfriend, thinner, stronger and even a house ( I was invited to the housewarming party and I totally regret not going). What has not changed though is the fact that he is ever as helpful and supportive as the first day I met him, except now I get to teach him stuff too.
Cal
After this picture Cal went and did a 1000 push ups and sit ups
To get a good idea of how Cal is like at Krav, one only has to imagine the energizer bunny. Simply stated, Cal never stops, ever. To get an idea of how much energy he has, I will tell you what he did on Wednesdays this summer. Cal gets to ASD at around 10am and begins working out or sparring till 11 and then he does 2 hours of Krav with me and then after we grapple for maybe 15 - 30mins. During grappling he consistently overpowers me. He is a soft spoken kid who is quick to help and a great training partner. Oh and in sparring he runs straight and punching him in the face does nothing. It is scary as hell.
Katrina
Katrina's smile hides her violent side well
Katrina is my new friend at Krav. I met her just this summer, where after I learned her name began to quickly submit her with a rear naked choke. Katrina is one of the most unique girls I have ever met. Her love for fighting and her enthusiasm to learn is second to none. Sparring with her is a pleasure because I always win (YES!) and she always tries her hardest and shows true heart. She was a great partner for my belt test and I hope to see her at UCSD soon! I am also sure that she will soon be able to match me in sparring, once she begins to go to classes again.
Thanks for the fighting spirit ASD and see you in 3 months time
-muffinman
Sunday, September 20, 2009
I'm trying to catch up!
In case we get a book deal and the number of entries we write determine our pay cut, I am going to try to catch up to emoinacloset. Rawr! Here we go!!
Goals!
1) Get buff.
I suppose losing weight would go hand in hand with getting buff.
2) Try to grow something that looks like a beard.
I've always had kind of a weirdly hairy face. I mean guys usually get peach fuzz on the upper lip during puberty. Ya shave it off, and it come backs a little stubbly. Ya shave it off again, and it comes back more stubbly, and so on and so forth. I, on the other hand, got peach fuzz on my cheeks. It's very light, so you can't see it, but it is there.
I got really bored this past week, and I decided to start an experiment. I shaved off all my peach fuzz and waited for it to start growing back. A couple days later, upon caressing my cheeks multiple times, I felt some stubble. Give it four months of shaving, growing, and shaving again, and I might have myself a man-beard before I go back to college!
If I end up not finding myself by the end of my year off, at least I'll have a beard.
Sometimes, I sit at my desk and flex my face muscles. Wouldn't it be cool if my beard just started growing like a Playdoh spaghetti toy?
3) Pick up a sport.
I had to quit tennis years ago, because I have this thing called Trigger Finger Syndrome although many people have corrected me and said it was actually Carpel Tunnel. These "many people" are not doctors, mind you, so I still think it's Trigger Finger syndrome. Apparently, I gripped my racket handle very tightly during play, so I jacked my fingers up for life. My fingers are fine when I don't grip a racket, but the doctor said that if I continue to play tennis, I might lose full functionality of my fingers, and that's no fun.
So, tennis is out the window. Any suggestions?
4) Popping!
I've really wanted to pick up popping for a while now--5 years to be exact. I watch popping videos obsessively, but I haven't really been able to find good tutorials online, and I don't have a place to practice that has a big enough mirror.
I did try going to this one place over the summer. It got the best reviews on Yelp, and a lot of people said that the place was really receptive to beginners, so I went with my head held high.
The first day I went was the day I realized that I was totally out of place in the popping world. Of course, I'm speaking strictly about fashion. I showed up in my "let's get down and dirty" clothes, which happened to be my basketball shorts and tennis club shirt that day. Holy shit, did I get a lot of stares from people decked out in all that was "fresh and fly." I did my best to try to make nice with everyone, but it felt like they had me pegged as the "ugly duckling" as soon as they saw my tennis-playing ass step over the threshold.
Even after about three more sessions, I just felt too uncomfortable and too out there to continue. Yeah, I basically chickened out. I still want to learn though! I just don't want to have to be the huge elephant in the room TWICE (they have a huge mirror in there, and I am once again reminded of how ridiculous I look) while I do it.
Popping probably should have been at the top of this list.
5) I got the desperation bug.
Yeah, it's true. Some of muffinman's desperation has seemed to rub off on me as well. I'm starting to like girls that I normally wouldn't like. I've been without a relationship since college. It's been too long.
I don't really know how to get over this one, but I will try!
6) And last but not least, find myself. But yeah, what the hell does that mean?
-Robocop
Goals!
1) Get buff.
I suppose losing weight would go hand in hand with getting buff.
2) Try to grow something that looks like a beard.
I've always had kind of a weirdly hairy face. I mean guys usually get peach fuzz on the upper lip during puberty. Ya shave it off, and it come backs a little stubbly. Ya shave it off again, and it comes back more stubbly, and so on and so forth. I, on the other hand, got peach fuzz on my cheeks. It's very light, so you can't see it, but it is there.
I got really bored this past week, and I decided to start an experiment. I shaved off all my peach fuzz and waited for it to start growing back. A couple days later, upon caressing my cheeks multiple times, I felt some stubble. Give it four months of shaving, growing, and shaving again, and I might have myself a man-beard before I go back to college!
If I end up not finding myself by the end of my year off, at least I'll have a beard.
Sometimes, I sit at my desk and flex my face muscles. Wouldn't it be cool if my beard just started growing like a Playdoh spaghetti toy?
3) Pick up a sport.
I had to quit tennis years ago, because I have this thing called Trigger Finger Syndrome although many people have corrected me and said it was actually Carpel Tunnel. These "many people" are not doctors, mind you, so I still think it's Trigger Finger syndrome. Apparently, I gripped my racket handle very tightly during play, so I jacked my fingers up for life. My fingers are fine when I don't grip a racket, but the doctor said that if I continue to play tennis, I might lose full functionality of my fingers, and that's no fun.
So, tennis is out the window. Any suggestions?
4) Popping!
I've really wanted to pick up popping for a while now--5 years to be exact. I watch popping videos obsessively, but I haven't really been able to find good tutorials online, and I don't have a place to practice that has a big enough mirror.
I did try going to this one place over the summer. It got the best reviews on Yelp, and a lot of people said that the place was really receptive to beginners, so I went with my head held high.
The first day I went was the day I realized that I was totally out of place in the popping world. Of course, I'm speaking strictly about fashion. I showed up in my "let's get down and dirty" clothes, which happened to be my basketball shorts and tennis club shirt that day. Holy shit, did I get a lot of stares from people decked out in all that was "fresh and fly." I did my best to try to make nice with everyone, but it felt like they had me pegged as the "ugly duckling" as soon as they saw my tennis-playing ass step over the threshold.
Even after about three more sessions, I just felt too uncomfortable and too out there to continue. Yeah, I basically chickened out. I still want to learn though! I just don't want to have to be the huge elephant in the room TWICE (they have a huge mirror in there, and I am once again reminded of how ridiculous I look) while I do it.
Popping probably should have been at the top of this list.
5) I got the desperation bug.
Yeah, it's true. Some of muffinman's desperation has seemed to rub off on me as well. I'm starting to like girls that I normally wouldn't like. I've been without a relationship since college. It's been too long.
I don't really know how to get over this one, but I will try!
6) And last but not least, find myself. But yeah, what the hell does that mean?
-Robocop
Saturday, September 19, 2009
It's been a while!
Hey there.
I know I haven't written anything in a while, but, in my defense, there really was nothing to write about. I don't really live next to a financial district; I live close to a Bank of America. I don't bake banana cream pies for fun either; I eat store-bought, already-made-for-you food for fun.
For the past few weeks, I have been going to classes, attempting to do homework, and spending the little time I had left with my buds and budettes. Boy, I have to tell you though that it wasn't a picnic, watching my friends leave for college.
I felt sad and happy at the same time. I was happy because I would gain a little bit more time for myself, which isn't to say that my friends were a distraction. I'm sure you guys understand. You set a schedule, your friends call you up to hang out, and you say to hell with it and go hang out. There would be no reason to do that now that they were leaving. I would have time to do some reflecting, exploring, and more reflecting.
On the other hand, I felt terribly sad. I was going to miss their company, and more importantly, I was going to feel left behind. The summer was a lot of fun, and we definitely did some pretty cool shit this summer. One of the many not cool shit I managed to do this summer was convincing myself that my circumstances were normal with respect to everyone else's. I managed to convince myself that I was here for the summer like everyone else and wasn't any different. When it came time for my friends to leave, it hit me: I am not normal. I am taking a year off!
Of course I knew that. I knew it all along. I guess somewhere along the line I slowly began to give up on what I had set out to do. I really didn't know where to start, and all my reflecting seemed to wind up in viciously confusing circles that offered no solution. I started to depend on my friends as an escape from my problems, and when they left, I didn't have that escape anymore. Now, when I don't feel like thinking, I can't just hang out with my friends. I have to deal with my issues.
Haha, this sounds pretty bad, seeing as how I should have had this mentality to begin with. I was definitely scared to begin with, and I am not afraid to admit that this fear hasn't diminished. It is still very much alive in me today as it was the day I landed on West Coast soil.
I'm feeling about a thousand more subtle emotions that I can't really describe, but what a mind freak!! (just watched Criss Angel xP )
I am definitely going to miss you guys and girls. You know who you are.
Oh, I rewatched a part of The Last Samurai today and was really moved by something one of the characters said.
Higen: Will you fight the white men, too?
Captain Algren: Yes.
Higen: Why?
Captain Algren: Because they come to destroy what I have come to love.
If you don't remember, watch it. I teared up, but I also felt like kicking some white people ass!
-Robocop
I know I haven't written anything in a while, but, in my defense, there really was nothing to write about. I don't really live next to a financial district; I live close to a Bank of America. I don't bake banana cream pies for fun either; I eat store-bought, already-made-for-you food for fun.
For the past few weeks, I have been going to classes, attempting to do homework, and spending the little time I had left with my buds and budettes. Boy, I have to tell you though that it wasn't a picnic, watching my friends leave for college.
I felt sad and happy at the same time. I was happy because I would gain a little bit more time for myself, which isn't to say that my friends were a distraction. I'm sure you guys understand. You set a schedule, your friends call you up to hang out, and you say to hell with it and go hang out. There would be no reason to do that now that they were leaving. I would have time to do some reflecting, exploring, and more reflecting.
On the other hand, I felt terribly sad. I was going to miss their company, and more importantly, I was going to feel left behind. The summer was a lot of fun, and we definitely did some pretty cool shit this summer. One of the many not cool shit I managed to do this summer was convincing myself that my circumstances were normal with respect to everyone else's. I managed to convince myself that I was here for the summer like everyone else and wasn't any different. When it came time for my friends to leave, it hit me: I am not normal. I am taking a year off!
Of course I knew that. I knew it all along. I guess somewhere along the line I slowly began to give up on what I had set out to do. I really didn't know where to start, and all my reflecting seemed to wind up in viciously confusing circles that offered no solution. I started to depend on my friends as an escape from my problems, and when they left, I didn't have that escape anymore. Now, when I don't feel like thinking, I can't just hang out with my friends. I have to deal with my issues.
Haha, this sounds pretty bad, seeing as how I should have had this mentality to begin with. I was definitely scared to begin with, and I am not afraid to admit that this fear hasn't diminished. It is still very much alive in me today as it was the day I landed on West Coast soil.
I'm feeling about a thousand more subtle emotions that I can't really describe, but what a mind freak!! (just watched Criss Angel xP )
I am definitely going to miss you guys and girls. You know who you are.
Oh, I rewatched a part of The Last Samurai today and was really moved by something one of the characters said.
Higen: Will you fight the white men, too?
Captain Algren: Yes.
Higen: Why?
Captain Algren: Because they come to destroy what I have come to love.
If you don't remember, watch it. I teared up, but I also felt like kicking some white people ass!
-Robocop
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wall Street, Bitches!
*[Name] denotes that this is not that person’s real name for privacy reasons.As part of my conviction to network aggressively and work my ass off this year, I had a friendly lunch with [Judy]. Judy works in the legal department at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. She is a relative of a family friend of ours and they were going to be in L.A. together for one weekend. My family conveniently planned our vacation to coincide with theirs so that I could meet her.
Fast forward to now, New York. I contacted her so that we could have lunch together – she told me I should call her when I come back to New York – and it happened. She introduced me to two of her co-workers before we had lunch together, which I didn’t expect. One was a senior economist and the other was another person in the legal department. However, the lawyer guy worked as an analyst at an investment bank before he went back to law school, so he talked to me about his experience in investment banking and why he wanted to and decided to go to law school afterwards. Both were great to talk to and I learned a lot about their various jobs from each of them.
After I talked with each of them for about half an hour, I had lunch with Judy. We had a good conversation, but I feel like I need to work on my small talk – I find that I run out of things to say to acquaintances after the standard, “How have you been?” and “So what do you do in your spare time?” and “Wow, this lunch is really good” (which it was). After our pleasant lunch, we parted ways. And, because I was in the financial district, I just had to be touristy for you guys and take pictures of New York!
New York Stock Exchange
Some important looking statue of George Washington 
Brooklyn Bridge 
This is a street fair in the Financial District. I had to look really touristy trying to take this picture; I held the camera up high and pointed downwards toward the crowd to get a good angle. I sacrificed my self-worth to get these pictures.
I think this picture is self explanitory, but while I was taking my picture there, a breakdancing crew started performing in the street, so I just had to take a video of it. 
Statue of Liberty 
Ellis Island While I was in Battery Park, I heard a bunch of noise and music in the distance so I went over to check it out and there was another dance crew breaking. Unfortunately, the camera’s battery died before they were able to do their “Leap of Death” with the rich and single white guy, but I stayed around for the rest of the show which was fun. I wasn’t able to take all the pictures I wanted, especially a picture of the Wall Street bull, but there will be other opportunities. Next time, I will make sure I am armed with a fully charged battery pack.
-Emoinacloset
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Dude, I'm Hella Noob
Last week I went to the NYU Career Fair. I felt pretty good about myself; even though I was sure that I wouldn’t get a job offer on the spot, much less an interview, I was getting an early start on networking with professionals. After the event I went home and sent them a thank you letter for coming out to the career fair. I sent everyone I talked to that day an e-mail, but only one person replied back. Up till now I had been thinking, “Wow, these guys are either too busy to say ‘you’re welcome’ or they’re real douchebags to not even recognize my thanks.” At least, I thought so until I went back into my “sent” emails folder and was horrified to find this: Dear Ms. -----, Thank you for taking the time to meet with me at the NYU Career Fair on Thursday. I realize it must have been hectic all day in the midst of so many students seeking jobs and I certainly appreciate your time and attention. I will certainly take to heart the advice you have given me and take it with me going forward. Although it is unfortunate that Credit Suisse does not currently have a program more tailored to sophomores, I will be sure to inquire more on Credit Suisse next year when I can apply to PiperJaffray (An investment bank that is NOT Credit Suisse). In the future, I am certain my experiences at the Stern School of Business will enhance the analytical skills I need to be a successful intern at Credit Suisse and my appetite and enthusiam in learning about finance will make me a valuable asset to your program. My can-do attitude in all aspects of life, whether it be schoolwork or my extra-curriculars, I am sure will also help me in the workplace.Thank you again for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Emoinacloset Here's another one, this time sent to someone from Barclays Capital: Dear Mr. ------, Thank you for taking the time to meet with me at the NYU Career Fair on Thursday. I realize it must have been hectic all day in the midst of so many students seeking jobs and I certainly appreciate your time and attention. You were extremely thorough in explaining Barclays Capital's Summer Intern Program. Based on what I have learned through my talk with you along and other research I have done, I am even more certain that I would be a good fit for Barclays Capital. I am certain my experiences at the Stern School of Business have enhanced the analytical skills I need to be a successful intern at UBS (Again, NOT Barclays Capital) and my appetite and enthusiam in learning about finance will make me a valuable asset to your program. My can-do attitude in all aspects of life, whether it be schoolwork or my extra-curriculars, I am sure will also help me in the workplace and in being a productive member of Barclays Capital. Thank you again for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Emoinacloset
As you can see, I basically copied and pasted the same material to each e-mail, and in doing so, some of those names I was supposed to change slipped past me.
Fuck my life. -EmoinaclosetWednesday, September 16, 2009
Extreme Salmon Counter Kevin
Extreme Salmon Counter Kevin
Last week, I met with my good friend Kevin and took him to ARC. Normally this would be just another day, but this meeting was different because I had not seen Kevin since he left for Alaska, a full 10 weeks ago (10 weeks in summertime = 1year in real time).
Kevin spent his time in Alaska counting fish for the CIAA, a conservation group that is funded by government grants. He spent his days living in a trailer next to a campground with no running water and a roommate who was a pussy. The electric supply was minimal with just a solar panel and generator, just enough to power the lights, satellite and small electronics.
A lot of fish to count
He spent his days trapping, counting and collecting salmon scales. The job was not without its difficulties, holding on to the writhing salmon was frustrating and each attempt came with the risk of getting jizzed or egged on.
Sockeye Salmon
The excitement came with daily grizzly bear sightings. The bears were attracted to the fish that were trapped in the nets and often got in the way of counting the fish. Towards the end of the 10 weeks bear sightings became so frequent that headquarters issued Kevin and his roommate another gun and wished them luck.
Kevin’s roommate was a pussy when it came to bears, which is sort of understandable considering that a typical grizzly weighs around 500 pounds. He was so scared that even when holding a gun he would shake so uncontrollably that he had to hand the gun over to Kevin. However, he was brave enough to shoot a bear in the ass with rubber bullets while Kevin covered him with live ammo. When I asked Kevin why he did not shoot the bear himself as I am certain he was dying to do, to which he replied “I did not trust him.”
Bear being a bear
At first glance, Kevin’s trip may seem full of daring and adventure but that is only a quarter of the story because the rest of the time he sat around in the trailer reading and passing the time staring off into space. In the 10 weeks he was there, Kevin read 15 long books and he even reread some. Getting stuck out in the woods is not filled with Lewis and Clark adventures but more often than not staring at ants fighting Walden style.
Now back home, Kevin tells me odd things about being back. For one thing the trees around where we live are apparently “all wrong” and that the fact there are so many people bothers him. I can definitely see him as a park ranger no matter how hard he tries to deny it.
How Trees Are Supposed to Look Like
I wanted to share Kevin’s story with you all because it is a definite break from the usual. His internship sounds amazing but would I do anything like this? No way. Call me spoiled, but I cannot live without my internet and running water.
-muffinman
More Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42272795@N06/
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
There’s More to Life Than Having a Really, Really, Really, Ridiculously Cool Blog
Not.
I bought a mini-notepad to carry around in my back pocket so that whenever I have free time (for example when I’m waiting for the shuttle bus) I have something on hand where I can write stuff down and easily carry it around with me, whether it’s a blog idea, important events I need to keep in mind, or even something I need to pick up at the grocery store. I tend to forget things pretty easily so this should be a better solution than having to write to-do lists down on my hand; after a while my hand just looks black and splotchy from all the scribbles. When I write notes on my hand they gradually melt away throughout the course of the day. As if my memory didn’t have problems enough, my hand becomes illegible too; it's as if my hand were mocking my terrible short-term memory.
On the other hand, my digital camera finally came, although my friends have used it more than I have. The day I got it I tried taking some pictures of the party that went on that night, but my friend/former roommate abducted it because it’s Fashion Week here in New York. He’s a studio art major and wants to become a fashion designer, but he’s totally straight, even though I was unsure the first time I met him. Anyways, he wanted to use the camera to take a picture of a Fashion Week pass so that he can make his own and then get into all the exclusive events. I honestly don’t know if he’ll succeed.
I bought a mini-notepad to carry around in my back pocket so that whenever I have free time (for example when I’m waiting for the shuttle bus) I have something on hand where I can write stuff down and easily carry it around with me, whether it’s a blog idea, important events I need to keep in mind, or even something I need to pick up at the grocery store. I tend to forget things pretty easily so this should be a better solution than having to write to-do lists down on my hand; after a while my hand just looks black and splotchy from all the scribbles. When I write notes on my hand they gradually melt away throughout the course of the day. As if my memory didn’t have problems enough, my hand becomes illegible too; it's as if my hand were mocking my terrible short-term memory.
On the other hand, my digital camera finally came, although my friends have used it more than I have. The day I got it I tried taking some pictures of the party that went on that night, but my friend/former roommate abducted it because it’s Fashion Week here in New York. He’s a studio art major and wants to become a fashion designer, but he’s totally straight, even though I was unsure the first time I met him. Anyways, he wanted to use the camera to take a picture of a Fashion Week pass so that he can make his own and then get into all the exclusive events. I honestly don’t know if he’ll succeed.
For those camera whores out there who are wondering what kind of camera I got, it’s a Canon SD780 IS, about $250 retail +tax, although you can probably find cheaper prices online. From what I can see it takes good pictures. I’m no pixel-whore so I can’t really discern the difference between the photos from a really, really, REALLY good camera and just photos that’ll serve my general everyday purposes, but it works for me. It’s got HD video which should come in handy as well, but the best thing about this camera is that it’s small. Ridiculously small. The camera is the size of a credit card and about as thick as your cell phone, which makes it… well, really, really, really, ridiculously tiny (and good looking!)
.
With that, expect pictures of my magnificent dorm soon (someday)!
-Emoinacloset
Happy belated birthday to muffinman!
Two days ago was my 19th birthday and with it came some revelations.
1) Robocop, emoinacloset and dontscuffmyshoes have still not given me a birthday present for the second year in a row. The thoughtfulness of my coffee group is astounding, robocop tells me they will get me something soon but I do not believe him.
2) I really wish emoinacloset and dontscuff my shes were here, but I realize since my birthday is on the 13th this is going to happen every year until I get out of college. The day after my birthday we went to an Afghan restaurant, an experience which I know you two would have enjoyed.
3) Afghan food is not that good but totally different from anything I have had before. The flavors were unique and I really liked the Afghan cookie and that orange shit.
4) Big groups can work out like tonight, everyone was participating in the conversation and laughing, a far cry from a certain someone's gatherings. In short this might signal a change from how many people I hang out with at a time. I am sure this is a relief for some of my friends.
5) My family are terribly boring people and hanging out with them on my birthday just ruins it. On my birthday, I went to lunch with my parents and then I got dragged into an endless stream of grocery shopping for 4 hours. Needless to say, this series of events would have sucked for any other day, much less my birthday. As Katrina so helpfully pointed out "friends are the family you choose," which means that next birthday I am going to spending it with my fun family next year.
Thanks for everyone that came tonight to my birthday dinner. Your presence was very much appreciated and I really mean that.
-muffinman
PS: I wrote this entry pretty buzzed
1) Robocop, emoinacloset and dontscuffmyshoes have still not given me a birthday present for the second year in a row. The thoughtfulness of my coffee group is astounding, robocop tells me they will get me something soon but I do not believe him.
2) I really wish emoinacloset and dontscuff my shes were here, but I realize since my birthday is on the 13th this is going to happen every year until I get out of college. The day after my birthday we went to an Afghan restaurant, an experience which I know you two would have enjoyed.
3) Afghan food is not that good but totally different from anything I have had before. The flavors were unique and I really liked the Afghan cookie and that orange shit.
4) Big groups can work out like tonight, everyone was participating in the conversation and laughing, a far cry from a certain someone's gatherings. In short this might signal a change from how many people I hang out with at a time. I am sure this is a relief for some of my friends.
5) My family are terribly boring people and hanging out with them on my birthday just ruins it. On my birthday, I went to lunch with my parents and then I got dragged into an endless stream of grocery shopping for 4 hours. Needless to say, this series of events would have sucked for any other day, much less my birthday. As Katrina so helpfully pointed out "friends are the family you choose," which means that next birthday I am going to spending it with my fun family next year.
Thanks for everyone that came tonight to my birthday dinner. Your presence was very much appreciated and I really mean that.
-muffinman
PS: I wrote this entry pretty buzzed
Monday, September 14, 2009
Moments of Inspiration From… Bank of America Recruiting Session
“We’re looking for people who are hungry, who are ready to hit the ground running at 100 miles per hour, who know what they want.”
“The most important thing a person in Investment Banking can have is time management and prioritizing their tasks.”
“What separates NYU students from other students in top-tier institutions is the fact that NYU is right in the city. You can get a part-time internship while going to school, join the mentor program you have here, or go do other things whether it’s going to the Investment Analysis Group or joining Beta Alpha Psi. Network! You would have to be an idiot not to take advantage of this. Sure, there are plenty of students who just go to school and sit in class nine to three, study from three to six and then go to sleep, but we’re not looking for anybody like that.”
“It’s a slow and methodological process, but it becomes pretty apparent when looking at the analysts to see the people who doesn’t want to just crunch away at their keyboards and build models for the rest of their lives and are instead looking for an opportunity to be an active part in the team by being proactive, or when their supervisors ask for A, B, and C, they come up with D, E, and F along with so-and-so reasons as to why these options should be considered, and then maybe ask to present these ideas at the next team meeting in a presentation.”
Pretty inspiring. I attended a Bank of America info session at the career center with a friend. We were the only ones wearing t-shirts and jeans – everyone else had suits on (I was worried about the dress code situation but he unpersuaded me). When we split up to go talk to various people, I was pretty lost at first. I’d never been to one of those sessions, so I wandered around aimlessly at first – I probably looked pretty ridiculous and sheepish. Later I started listening in on the presenter’s conversation – he was surrounded by a bunch of students. He’s the principal of his division, which is pretty high up. He said all the things that I wrote down above, and every point really hit home for me. Now granted, I’m going to these things because I’m interested in Investment Banking; it might not be something others would be interested in, but I think advice like this can really be applied across the board.
It’s funny how things sound different when it’s not your parents giving you this advice (a.k.a. nagging to my ears). I’m definitely sure my dad has told me these exact same things before; not exactly the same way and in the same context, but the same gist of things. The fact that this stuff was said by a guy who could be my potential boss probably made a big difference, but I feel fired up now.
-Emoinacloset
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Cal Band Halftime Show
So, watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wvy19h9KNQ
It's backwards, in case you didn't realize because the band is facing the student section on the other side.
Muffinman, you would like the next show - we're playing Southern Rock today.
-Dontscuffmyshoes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wvy19h9KNQ
It's backwards, in case you didn't realize because the band is facing the student section on the other side.
Muffinman, you would like the next show - we're playing Southern Rock today.
-Dontscuffmyshoes
Thursday, September 10, 2009
First Impressions
Muffinman, I agree that this blog has become too depressing for its own good, so I decided to spice it up by posting the picture below.
I think Robocop is gay. You know I love you, but no homo man.
I wanted to update this blog more regularly but it’s been really hectic these past few days. Between fixing up my resume, going to the career fair today, and actually attending all my classes (without taking naps in them), I haven’t been able to make time to write about every detail of my amazing life story.
Recently, I have literally been living and breathing in the career center (Wasserman). I would go there in between classes, during my lunch breaks, after classes to get help on my resume and figure out what the fuck I am supposed to be doing in preparation for the career fair. It was especially hard to make my resume awesome based on the limited amount of job experience I actually have, but I came up with something that looked passable and went over to the fair anyways. It was a good experience – I looked good in my suit and I got a lot of great insights from talking with a lot of professionals in banking. Did I mention I looked good?
Because I’ve lived in Wasserman these past couple of days, I’ve been getting my coffee fix there. The coffee’s free and the free Wi-Fi is always a plus, but the coffee comes in a little pack that looks as if it should be filled with a Japanese mocha-flavored jelly – not coffee. At least my expectations were low – the coffee tasted like guess what, free coffee so I wasn’t disappointed. It’s not very good, but it’s free coffee and still drinkable.
On the other hand I was unlucky enough to encounter the worst coffee I’ve ever had. The coffee I bought in the Stern student lounge was a lukewarm cup of shit with cream in it. I am still in disbelief that I paid for coffee this bad. I needed to get it off my chest and put my devastation out into the world for people to see.
On the flip side, I like all the professors I have this semester. None of them are 80+ years old and look like they might go to bed one day and never wake up (One of my professors last semester was over 90 years old). Now that I’m taking classes that I’m actually interested in (Intro to Investments, Intro to Marketing, Macroeconomics/International Trade, and Chinese) I’ll hopefully be attending these classes more often than I used to in the past. The fact that Chinese is my first class everyday and attendance is mandatory doesn’t hurt either. As a side note, I’ve decided not to take tomorrow’s placement exam into Chinese II because: first, I haven’t retained much from Chinese I; second, I didn’t study Chinese this week like I told myself I would; and last, I want at least one easy class this semester.
BTW, where the fuck is my digital camera?
--Emoinacloset
Monday, September 7, 2009
Banana Cream Pie For All!
I am going to change up the blog today after Shari made me realize that we only have depressing entries.
I made Banana cream pie for the family BBQ today and took some pictures in order to share the process with all of you.
Baking the pie was bit frustrating this time around since I had to make 3 trips to the grocery store while baking. At first to get eggs and cream then flour because my mom failed to tell me we did not have any. And lastly to get bananas because my mom bought the smallest bananas she could find.
Despite these setback (story of my life) everything came together pretty well except for the crust which was undercooked (listened to my mom).
My Command Center in the Kitchen
First the Crust (Possible sponsorship opportunity?)
I love my stand up mixer, it is my favorite kitchen appliance
Best crust I have made yet!
The soybeans keep the crust from popping up when I bake it
On to the custard
I burned my first try so this is actually the second time doing it
The crust out of the oven
The custard finally thickens after I stir it for what feels like hours
'
Everything coming together
Made my sister decorate the pie
She did ok after messing up the first time
Ready to eat
-muffinman
I made Banana cream pie for the family BBQ today and took some pictures in order to share the process with all of you.
Baking the pie was bit frustrating this time around since I had to make 3 trips to the grocery store while baking. At first to get eggs and cream then flour because my mom failed to tell me we did not have any. And lastly to get bananas because my mom bought the smallest bananas she could find.
Despite these setback (story of my life) everything came together pretty well except for the crust which was undercooked (listened to my mom).
My Command Center in the Kitchen
First the Crust (Possible sponsorship opportunity?)
I love my stand up mixer, it is my favorite kitchen appliance
Best crust I have made yet!
The soybeans keep the crust from popping up when I bake it
On to the custard
I burned my first try so this is actually the second time doing it
The crust out of the oven
The custard finally thickens after I stir it for what feels like hours
'Everything coming together
Made my sister decorate the pie
She did ok after messing up the first time
Ready to eat
-muffinman
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