tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29482548505537869042024-03-07T23:43:11.274-05:00k.schULMAN!En Guete, Darden!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-31498297859202138732013-02-27T19:03:00.001-05:002013-02-27T19:03:27.048-05:00#ifihadglass<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." - Thomas Jefferson</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would Thomas Jefferson do with Google Glass?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Courtesy of Andrew Kritzer - Darden '14</em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Twitter <strong><u><a href="https://twitter.com/kritzer">@kritzer</a></u></strong></span></em></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-79784782155342991972013-02-26T19:09:00.000-05:002013-02-26T19:16:51.383-05:00O Canada<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The cool thing about being famous is traveling. I have always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff." - Britney Spears</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In MBA world, case competitions occur nearly every weekend. This upcoming weekend, three Darden teams head to the <u><a href="http://www.rotmandesignchallenge.com/">Rotman Design Challenge</a></u> in Toronto at the University of Toronto. Loyal blog troll, you're probably thinking - why are business school students doing a design challenge? And you are very right to challenge my actions! Before Darden, I had not thought of business and design together - but they do meet each other in a theory called <em>Design Thinking</em>. In fact, here at school we have a club dedicated to design thinking; the <u><a href="http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Student-Life/Organizations/Business-Design-Club/Business-Design-Club/">Darden Business Design Club</a></u>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will report back after my trip to the great white north aka America's top hat (this is a Simpson's reference, no disrespect or cultural abrasions intended). In the meantime, do you mind telling me about a terrible checkout experience at a store. It will help five heroic design challengers take home gold:</span><br />
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<a _fcksavedurl="http://virginia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5c3pfEh8nDcEndP" href="http://virginia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5c3pfEh8nDcEndP" id="link" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>http://virginia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5c3pfEh8nDcEndP</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Canada's Finest</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-230279574368307982013-02-22T11:58:00.000-05:002013-02-22T11:58:22.406-05:00The Darden Shake<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before the meme dies...</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-61168339207040462102013-02-18T16:42:00.000-05:002013-02-18T16:42:28.714-05:00Darden Section C Harlem Shake<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"Con los Section C"</em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">(Yes I know that is incorrect Spanish)</span></em></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-51467423201455081882013-02-02T16:34:00.001-05:002013-02-02T17:07:01.994-05:00Darden's Superheroes of Stoke<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I’m so excited, I’m so excited, I’m… so… scared…” – Jessie Spano – Saved by the Bell</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I ain’t never scared” – Bone Crusher</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Term 4 officially began two weeks ago. Let me be clear, I ain’t never scared. I’m extremely excited about the upcoming semester at Darden, the final two terms of my first year. Below are some of the highlights that I’m super stoked about:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>DSA and Club Elections</u>: Darden is a student run school. The faculty is here to help, but all clubs are 100% student guided. People are getting riled up about the opportunity to lead the school next year. Some people may look at as a negative, but I see this passion as a huge positive that displays how much the student body cares about the school. My undergraduate university suffered from apathy at times and Darden is the complete opposite, it thrives on people caring. Hopefully, I’ll be able to be involved with the DSA and/or Clubs in the upcoming year – I’ll keep you updated on the results throughout February.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Darden Cup</u>: My parents passed through Charlottesville on their way to their first winter as snowbirds in Naples. To give them the true Darden experience, I brought them to the Darden Cup Dodgeball tournament. Section C, the best section at Darden, came in second after a huge David v. Goliath victory against Section B where we were outnumbered 2:1. Unfortunately we couldn’t repeat the underdog feat versus Section E, who had trouble self-regulating when they got hit. The next few events include bowling, basketball, and cricket. I’m not going to be able to participate based upon a nasty ski accident on Darden Ski Trip which resulted in a broken arm and torn-up shoulder, but I will be there cheering and beering on my section-mates! (I predict Section C victories in basketball and cricket).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Class</u>: In term 4 we take Finance, Global Economics, Operations, Decision Analysis, and Business Ethics. These classes work nicely in tandem and are different enough that the days go by smoothly. Ethics is going to get interesting as the section’s comfort level with each other is at an all-time high, this will keep us on our toes and allow for some heated friendly debate. First year term 5 is when electives start, I’m not sure what I’ll be taking at this point, but being able to focus on some more entrepreneurial classes will get me stoked for my summer venture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><a href="http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Global-Opportunities/Global-Business-Experiences/Israel/">Global Business Experience (GBE</a>)</u>: I’m headed to Israel on a GBE to do a consulting project for a start-up. I’ve been to Israel twice in the past and it is an amazing place; I especially like Tel Aviv for the intellect, lively atmosphere, and night life. Heading to Israel in a non-vacation capacity will give me a fantastic new perspective on the country. I’m also stopping in London on the way home to meet up with a buddy who is doing two years there as a trader, which happens to be the same weekend as the Champions League final!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Day @ Darden / Darden Days</u>: If you are newly accepted student – congratulations! Come to the accepted student weekends here at Darden (and come to Darden, you will have no regrets about your decision). I went to Day @ Darden last year and it pushed me over the edge to accept my offer. The current students have the same excitement level about your visit as you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>UVA Basketball</u>: Watch out for Virginia basketball this year, we’re sneaking up in the ACC. On Tuesday, a huge crew of First Years watched as the ‘Hoos upset number 19 North Carolina State. My buddy behind <strong><em><a href="http://www.baconsports.com/">BaconSports.com</a></em></strong> will be happy that the classy Cavaliers fans did not rush the court. He’d also love the Tony Bennett, UVA Coach, throwback Charlotte Hornets jersey that this UVA fan was rocking…</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zfiQ5EauMrg/UQ2EJBuR_rI/AAAAAAAABfU/gfynm6HiPwU/s1600/TonyBennetCharlotte.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zfiQ5EauMrg/UQ2EJBuR_rI/AAAAAAAABfU/gfynm6HiPwU/s320/TonyBennetCharlotte.jpeg" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">UVA Fans showing Coach Bennett some love</span></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Foxfield Races</u>: Last year was my first Kentucky Derby experience. Six of us RV’d it down from Chicago for three days of debauchery. Virginia is home of Foxfields, which is embraced by the Darden community. My Derby experience will surely let me make the most of Foxfields with my Darden friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Bowties and Beers at the Derby</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><a href="http://www.rotmandesignchallenge.com/">Rotman Design Challenge</a></u>: Three Darden teams are headed up to Toronto to participate in the Rotman School of Management’s design challenge in early March. As a former summer camper the Great White North, I’m excited to visit Toronto again and claim victory at the competition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Other highlights</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><u>Super Bowl Sunday</u>: The Monday after the Super Bowl should be a National Holiday as Monday AM will be a waste. My famous taco dip will be making an appearance in preparation for a beautiful Ravens loss.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1et8EcRNik/UQ2DaNxomJI/AAAAAAAABfA/hR4GzirMShQ/s1600/24layerdip.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1et8EcRNik/UQ2DaNxomJI/AAAAAAAABfA/hR4GzirMShQ/s320/24layerdip.jpeg" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>My famous 24 layer dip</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Breckenridge Trip</u>: Even though skiing is done for me this winter, hanging out with my Chicago / Miami buddies in Colorado is going to be awesome. Mountains are my happy place. </span><br />
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<img height="77" src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 520px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 689px;" width="96" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-25022663495050310662013-01-16T10:02:00.000-05:002013-01-16T10:06:19.300-05:00Willkommen Zurück, Grüezi Mitenand! (Welcome Back, Hello Everyone!)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Lloyd Christmas: “Why you going to the airport? Flying somewhere?”<br />Mary Swanson: “How'd you guess?”<br />Lloyd Christmas: “I saw your luggage. Then when I noticed the airline ticket, I put two and two together.”<br />-Dumb and Dumber (1994)</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After six weeks of brainless activity, it is awesome to return to thinking. When most Dardenites are interviewing, I’m back at trying to create a business. Where did I head to find inspiration? <em>Die Schweiz</em> of course!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to head back to Switzerland so I wouldn’t be in Charlottesville bothering the stressed out interviewees. So after I returned back to CVille for a day after Darden Ski Trip, I jetted off to my old home in Zurich for some friends, brats, <em>stangen</em> (beers), and mountain fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><em>For many years, this man has been trying to slap this bird in front of the Zurich See</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past weekend, we went up to Davos, not for the World Economic Forum, but to celebrate my friend Charlotte’s 20 something-eth birthday. Delegates from UK, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and US descended upon the bars of Davos with a fury of fun. Great times had by all – highlighted by hours of dancing, <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammerschlagen"><span style="color: blue;">hammerschlagen</span></a></em> (a bar game where you hammer nails into a waist high stump), and being shushed by our Swiss waitresses for being too loud at dinner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Zurich, I’ve spent hours at my favorite café (<a href="http://www.cafe-bubbles.ch/"><span style="color: blue;">Café Bubbles</span></a>) working on my business plan for the Darden Incubator. They seem not to mind me sitting here as long as I continue ordering coffees. I’ve probably had over 100 Full English Breakfasts here in my life, so I’m not too worried about impacting their business.</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Brat in wax paper, Brotli, and sehr scharf senf (very hot mustard) at the famous Sterner Grill at Bellvue</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The current idea is to create a piece of carry-on luggage that fits more stuff than any other carry-on bag currently on the market, thus avoiding added travel time and expensive airline fees. If you don’t mind taking a survey, please see the link below:</span><br />
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<a href="http://virginia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3Ia5vKPtgxNDN09"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>http://virginia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3Ia5vKPtgxNDN09</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The incubator process is very logical and I find it fun – somewhat like the write ups for the concept competition, but expanding upon your idea. Next up for Darden entrepreneurship competitions is the <u><a href="http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Entrepreneurship/Competitions/Effectual-De-Risking-Competition/">Effectual De-Risking Competition on February 28</a></u>. If you want to talk luggage, I’d love to chat – please contact me via email SchulmanK14 [at] darden.virginia.edu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up for me is St. Anton this weekend – where the Mooserwirt can inspire mountain goers to imagine the unimaginable. Wish me luck and see you back stateside next week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tschüss, Ciao, Schönen Tag, Bye, See you!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-62425177366336691022013-01-15T05:13:00.000-05:002013-01-15T05:13:43.921-05:00Darden Ski Trip 2012-2013<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“This is how it all starts. I've seen it all before. I was there. I was there. Yeah! It was called the 80's! Ford was President, Nixon was in the White House, FDR was running this country into the ground. I was bumming in a hole in the wall town in what is now called "Utah". Some fellow from Colorado shows up- starts making all kinds of so called "improvements", right? Before we knew what hit us, the streets were running with lattes!” – Stumpy, Out Cold (2001)</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darden Ski Trip is awesome. If you come to Darden – go on this trip sponsored by the Outdoors Club. This year, 70 Dardeners headed to Park City, Utah for some ski, sun, and fun. There were a few different packages we could jump on: <br />-four days at Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR to the locals), <br />-two days at PCMR, a day at Deer Valley, and a day at Canyons<br />-three days at PCMR and a day at Snowbird.</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Drop into The Canyons</span></em></div>
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Being over Winter Break and not focusing on focusing, I chose the second option and rode at as many resorts as possible in the stretch of the week. Actually, about 30 people arrived just before News Years, and I was able to extend for an additional two days on the snow (one at PCMR and one at Canyons).</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My initial impressions of the three resorts that I rode:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deer Valley: Posh squared. I’ve never skied at a resort quite like DV. Upon arrival, for the people who drove, mountain hosts valet your skis to the lift. As I was a public transport goer, I had to carry my own skis – oh the horror! The mountain hosts were pretty awesome though and we rode on a free expert tour for 2.5 hours, covering more ground than we would have skiing on our own. I made up for the free cost of the tour with my $17 salad at lunch and $45 drinks during Après Ski at the Stein Eriksen lodge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canyons: Huge squared. I’ve never been much of a tree skier learning to shred the gnar in the Alps above the tree line. What amazed me about Canyons was you could duck into inbounds trees, get lost for 20 minutes, and pop out on to a groomer with access to a lift. Canyons was by far the best bang for your buck skiing we did in Utah.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Park City Mountain Resort: (*Let me preface this analysis by stating that I tore my rotator cuff at PCMR, so this is completely biased.) PCMR is a convenient resort, dependent upon powdery bowls. Unfortunately we had no powder during our days at PCMR. The runs at PCMR dump you right into town which is very convenient when your hotel is crawling distance from the town lift. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJzUT6TO-58/UPQ8_a824-I/AAAAAAAABdU/VmJLuIqWq1g/s1600/Mountain+Break.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJzUT6TO-58/UPQ8_a824-I/AAAAAAAABdU/VmJLuIqWq1g/s320/Mountain+Break.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Post bum shoulder break at PCMR</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My injury came on a solo ski day when I wasn’t skiing as hard as I should be on a difficult run. Using a ski tracking iPhone app aptly named <em>Ski Tracks</em>, I recorded the stats of my tumble. At 10:57 AM, I was at 9,600 feet elevation. At 10:58 AM , after a 33 MPH head over heels over head over heels over head over heels over head over heels slide, I was laying at 9,300 feet elevation. Luckily, a polite snowboarder and skier, along with adrenaline, helped me collect my yard sale and I skied a few hours more. Later that night, and into the next week, my shoulder went numb with pain and the doctor confirmed a rotator cuff injury. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Ski Tracks</em> did confirm some awesome non-injury filled highlights though while skiing with my buddies Peter and Jeremy who are damn good riders:<br />-Day 2 at Canyons we skied 24.2 miles and 23,820 vertical feet<br />-Day 4 at Canyons we broke 51 MPH<br />-Overall in six days of skiing I rode 125 miles and over 113,000 vertical feet</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Non-skiing highlights included:<br />-Costume Ski Day (Spider Man Boarder was my vote for the winner, I skied as Beer Man – the caped purveyor of cold beverages)<br />-Dingy Après Ski Bars: O’Shucks, No Name Saloon, and Doolans<br />-Neon Dance Party - after all, it is not a Darden party without neon</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T0RQz2-hA9A/UPQ9FTiM7iI/AAAAAAAABdk/LgRXANuHBEY/s1600/SpideyandDino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T0RQz2-hA9A/UPQ9FTiM7iI/AAAAAAAABdk/LgRXANuHBEY/s200/SpideyandDino.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oe_BNsVfHa4/UPQ9CX7KUMI/AAAAAAAABdc/3uBKiHW2vlo/s1600/BeerMan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oe_BNsVfHa4/UPQ9CX7KUMI/AAAAAAAABdc/3uBKiHW2vlo/s200/BeerMan.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Costume Ski Day Highlights</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m already looking forward to next year’s ski trip and hoping I can help plan it. Maybe a return to Park City is in store or an adventure some else – regardless the streets will run with more than just lattes.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-26304760517003890432012-12-22T13:21:00.000-05:002012-12-22T13:21:09.620-05:00SwipeOut!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“I had plastic surgery last week. I cut up my credit cards.” – Henry Youngman</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While most Dardeners, and probably most MBA students, run around perfecting their resume and crafting cover letters, the entrepreneurs of the group toss around ideas and plot to take over the business world (see <u><a href="http://kschulman.blogspot.com/#!/2012/10/the-art-of-spitballing.html">Art of Spitballing</a></u>). Every year, UVA holds a campus wide entrepreneurship concept competition. The premise is simple: submit an idea that solves a problem and could be a viable business. As I mentioned in a prior post, my buddy Peter and I presented our idea:</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>SWIPEOUT!</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is 5:00 A.M Sunday morning on Manhattan Island, the bars are winding down: how many unclosed bar tabs and lost credit cards are sitting neglected in the borough’s almost 700 bars? Credit cards left at bars are a problem affects two parties: 1) the bar that needs to get the bill cleared, and 2) the bar patron, who is hungover and may not remember where she left it nor has the inclination or time to embark on a wild goose chase to find it. SwipeOut will physically recover your credit card for you from bars and deliver it to your home or office the following Monday by bike messenger.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4g66VBpKrc/UNX3DTOA77I/AAAAAAAABcQ/g1ZSUIFEzBA/s1600/BikeMessenger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4g66VBpKrc/UNX3DTOA77I/AAAAAAAABcQ/g1ZSUIFEzBA/s320/BikeMessenger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To give you some further background, between Peter and I, we submitted nearly 20 business concepts. SwipeOut was our first idea and, from our perspective, one of the weaker ones, but it passed the sniff test of the entry committee. We knew of some of the other concepts in the competition and thought our only chance of winning was to blow the judges away with our presentation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our presentation was non-traditional, yet awesome. We focused on the crowd and walked <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">them through the process of losing your credit card from both the patron’s and bar’s perspective. As we covered our Bonobos in chalk dust mapping out the stakeholders' journeys, our simple jokes had the crowd rolling with laughter. We would have won the award “Best Performance in a (Losing) Concept Presentation” if this award actually existed. But the judges didn’t</span> bite. Their obsession with Google Wallet and the costs of bike messengers had one judge telling us “this idea would have been fantastic in 1998”.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTr_HKAzse8/UNX4CkpWC2I/AAAAAAAABcg/RiEh8njRSTs/s1600/SwipeOut_Market+Data.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTr_HKAzse8/UNX4CkpWC2I/AAAAAAAABcg/RiEh8njRSTs/s400/SwipeOut_Market+Data.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter and I were not discouraged by the results. The opportunity to participate was an enjoyable experience and our presentation entertained us as much as it did the crowd. The other participants did a great job with their ideas and deservedly won. Darden has two more competitions coming up that we plan on winning: <u><a href="http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Entrepreneurship/Competitions/Effectual-De-Risking-Competition/">Effectual De-Risking</a></u> and <u><a href="http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Entrepreneurship/Competitions/B-Plan-Competition-2-0/">Business Plan 2.0</a></u>. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-68589720938845283142012-12-21T14:00:00.003-05:002012-12-21T14:22:18.002-05:00Productivity Redefined<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"I think sleeping was my problem in school. If school had started at 4:00 in the afternoon, I'd be a college graduate today.” - George Foreman, former boxing two-time World Heavyweight Champion and Olympic gold medalist</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dardenites love to complain about the lack of free time in their lives. I am guilty – I tell people that I work more and harder at Darden than I did at my old job, however – this was all pre-winter break. Do you remember winter break as a college student? It is awesome. You wake up whenever you want, and set one goal for the day: get to the gym, go to the grocery store, wash ski gear for upcoming trip, etc. All of these are very simple tasks for anyone, especially in comparison to my usual daily schedule of three cases, learning team, and club meetings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My break has been filled with 11 AM wake up calls, tacos, and accompanying margaritas. On most days – I accomplish my goal, but it has been fantastic to sit back and call a twenty day timeout from life. For the people who stayed in Charlottesville, we spent the time trying out new restaurants, talking about business ideas or jobs, and projecting that the free time we’re experiencing now must be what Second Years experience at all times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Highlights of the past few weeks:<br />-My apartment is the closest in Ivy to Darden. It also has the best heckling porch. It is quickly becoming tradition on the day we finish finals to sit on my porch, blast hip-hop, and try to convince people to join me for a beer. My success rate is off the charts.<br />-Darden students simply don’t get to enjoy lackadaisical Sunday Fundays. The past two Sundays, we have dominated Wild Wings Café for hours while watching the Cleveland Browns become a formidable powerhouse to be feared by any opponent today and in the future.<br />-Restaurant tour – Mono Loco, Maya, Mas Tapas, Cinema Taco, Continental Divide, Citizen Burger, Blue Moon Diner, Bluegrass Grill, and Peter Chang’s all have welcomed my money with open arms. The Charlottesville food scene kicks ass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of break:<br />-Cleveland – I’m heading back to the CLE for Christmas for the first time since 2007. It seems like a long time, but my people eat Chinese food and go to a movie on December 25. It will be nice to spend time with the family and I plan on introducing them to Cards Against Humanity.<br />-Chicago – Wingy on Thursday night at the Nest, beers at Will’s Northwoods Inn, college football and basketball at Halligan, brunch at Uncommon Ground, Flo, and others – if someone doesn’t have have fun in Chicago, it is not Chicago’s fault.<br />-Park City – Eight days of shredding in Pow Town at Park City, Canyons, and Deer Valley. I’m excited to teach Dardenites how to Après Ski like the Austrians. <br />-Switzerland – My return to die Schwiez for Birthday CharFrick – we’re having a summit in Davos and the only talk will be of fresh powder and gluhwein. And of course we’ll cross the border to go to the most magical place on earth, St. Anton.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To all those newly accepted students of the Darden Class of 2015 – I know you troll these blogs and I love it (reach out to me if you want unfiltered commentary as you make your decision). My advice to you is come to Darden: it’s awesome, you’re going to love it here - you will have no regrets. And enjoy your six week break next winter. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-4266957099867023712012-11-05T16:57:00.000-05:002012-11-05T17:00:36.906-05:00The Hot Sauce Scale<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“The road to mediocrity is littered with empty ketchup packets.” – Taco Bell Hot Sauce Packet</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The American Society for Hematology states that the normal human has a blood make up of 55% plasma and 45% blood cells. My blood is made up of 45% plasma, 35% blood cells, and 20% hot sauce. As they say in the Frank’s Red Hot commercials: “I put that $#!+ on everything”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>These two would make</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>a great couple!</em></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTvZfTzmw-I/UJg1HoOOHyI/AAAAAAAABbk/t9TpHNp9Gv4/s1600/cholula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTvZfTzmw-I/UJg1HoOOHyI/AAAAAAAABbk/t9TpHNp9Gv4/s320/cholula.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o9YgWsp8Irg/UJg1IkOY7hI/AAAAAAAABbs/nla9VTjuS_8/s1600/tapatio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o9YgWsp8Irg/UJg1IkOY7hI/AAAAAAAABbs/nla9VTjuS_8/s1600/tapatio.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog has nothing to do with hot sauce, even though I’m addicted to it. Well – it may have to do a little about hot sauce, as I’m using hot sauce as a scale of rating the recent hurricane’s impact on Charlottesville, to explain the Darden Concept Competition, and hopefully my future entrepreneurial ventures.<br />
<br />School was canceled last Monday and Tuesday due to Hurricane Sandy. President T. Sully (we’re on a nickname basis) made the right call by cancelling classes even though Charlottesville barely got hit by the storm. On the Hot Sauce Scale, the storm was a Cholula (it looks like NYC got hit with Dave’s Insanity Sauce).
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<strong>Hot Sauce Scale</strong></div>
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Rather than drinking my two days away like I would have in undergrad, I churned out concepts for the Darden Concept Competition. (<u><a href="http://conference.darden.virginia.edu/E-Conference/index.htm?utm_source=2012+EConf+Registration+Blast&utm_campaign=E-conference&utm_medium=email">Last day to register is today</a></u>!) By Tuesday night, I wrote four on my own and collaborated on eight more with others. Out of ten finalists, one of the collaborations was selected – a recovery service for credit cards left at bars. I’m pretty stoked to have been selected with my partner as a Darden finalist to present on Thursday. Even if you are not attending the conference, please come support all ten of the groups presenting, there are some awesome ideas – room 50 at 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 8.<br />
<br />Hopefully they’ll think our idea is like a Ghost Pepper.<br />
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</span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-22594750228717139992012-10-25T13:36:00.000-04:002012-10-25T13:36:19.539-04:00Bird Wars<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“Hey, did you know that dinosaurs are not extinct? Because birds are dinosaurs and they're everywhere.” - Seann William Scott, Role Models (2008)</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love college. My favorite movie of all time is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077975/">Animal House</a>. I think that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110759/">PCU</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283111/">Van Wilder</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0302886/">Old School</a> all have defined college for different generations. Other non-comedies like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113305/">Higher Learning</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107889/">The Program</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109305/">Blue Chips</a> capture various elements of college life. Please watch these for your benefit if you haven’t seen them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darden is not all work like you may read on other internet sites or hear from me when I complain about my regular 16 hour work days. We have a lot of fun. I go camping, tailgate, watch football, and attend ski movie premiers with the undergrads at the Chemistry Building (<a href="http://www.tetongravity.com/films/the-dream-factory/tour/">Teton Gravity Research</a>). The entrepreneurship conference is coming up in a few weeks, and I have been cranking out concepts to enter into the competition. (You can still <a href="http://conference.darden.virginia.edu/E-Conference/"><strong>sign up</strong></a> for this conference if you haven’t yet). I learn just as much outside the classroom as I do inside it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To me, college is about tradition. One of Darden’s traditions is that Section B, (Section A, C, D, & E’s rival), sings a song and has an old dirty stuffed bird as their mascot. The other sections try to take it and hold it for ransom. My section, the best section - Section C, has stolen the bird twice this year! To give you some context, it was not stolen at all last year. The first time we nabbed the bird this year, Section B had to sing their song, but substituted in how awesome Section C was for the original words. Then there was Monday night…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday was the end of our term 2 exams. Like any rational group of 300+ people, we got together and celebrated our successes and the finish of the term - from 8 pm to 2 am at a fine local watering hole. The bird joined in on the fun and was dancing the night away with my friend Amanda. Unfortunately for Amanda, her grip was a little loose, and as my buddy from Section E created a diversion, I slipped the bird out of Amanda’s hands and bolted out of the bar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I ran down the street, reveling in victory, Amanda called out “he stole the bird”. Being an uncommon scream, the local do-gooders thought she screamed “he stole my purse” – there in lied the problem. All of the sudden, four large men were on my tail and had caught up to me demanding I return Amanda’s purse. After the confusion was cleared up, the four do-gooders decided to let us hash out the return on our own. At once, I bolted off into the night and posted the ransom for the bird’s return.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night, the bird and I had a great time hanging out – the conversation went something like this:</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-47931961587710094572012-10-17T22:53:00.000-04:002012-10-17T22:54:28.514-04:00Exam Inspiration<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“I wish I could say something classy and inspirational, but that just wouldn't be our style. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever. It's been an honor sharing the field of battle with you.” – Shane Falco, The Replacements (2000)</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the hope of inspiring my classmates before and during our second set of exams, I’m trying my hand at the <em><u><a href="http://soyeahduh.tumblr.com/">#soyeahduh</a></u> </em>style internet meme. (HBS has a <em><u><a href="http://whatshouldwecallhbs.tumblr.com/">blog</a></u></em> similar to #soyeahduh which is pretty funny.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I’ll have to do to ace my exams:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lqp1BoeEIjU/UH9r_8eL2FI/AAAAAAAABaA/kjYJSe0WQAU/s1600/WallClimb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lqp1BoeEIjU/UH9r_8eL2FI/AAAAAAAABaA/kjYJSe0WQAU/s1600/WallClimb.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I’ll probably do on my exams:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKLwWKLz_Z4/UH9sExXKBiI/AAAAAAAABaI/JY3PkkpJ6jc/s1600/kool-aid-man-busts-a-wall.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKLwWKLz_Z4/UH9sExXKBiI/AAAAAAAABaI/JY3PkkpJ6jc/s320/kool-aid-man-busts-a-wall.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember FYs, we have been studying for these exams every day for the past four weeks. They can’t be any harder than a day filled with a FMP, DA, GEM case load, a CarMa session, and a company briefing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good luck / Alles Gute!!!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-22162303448387973252012-10-14T01:09:00.000-04:002012-10-14T01:10:47.771-04:00Darden Gone Wild(erness)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"While the Swiss Army Knife has been popular for years, the Swiss Navy Knife has remained largely unheard of. Its single blade functions as a tiny canoe paddle." – Unknown</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a young schULMAN, every summer my parents sent me off to overnight camp so they could enjoy multiple weeks of freedom. It turns out, I enjoyed the freedom as well. I learned how to talk to girls and found my love for the outdoors. While I’m still learning how to talk to girls, my love for the outdoors continues.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Id3VZ36sgjA/UHpD0E_im7I/AAAAAAAABZg/vGT0UkWnGsU/s1600/that-camping-trip-was-in-tents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Id3VZ36sgjA/UHpD0E_im7I/AAAAAAAABZg/vGT0UkWnGsU/s320/that-camping-trip-was-in-tents.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em><a href="http://weknowmemes.com/2012/07/dude-that-camping-trip-was-in-tents/">Source: We Know Memes</a></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite things about Darden is the Outdoors Club. We don’t do super intense camping (e.g., my car has been within 10 meters of my tent and we have access to flushable toilets). But sleeping in my tent in the wilderness is a great escape from cases. I’m luckily geared out from the AMEX points I redeemed before my 2011 road trip in Alaska with Gottlieb and I made good use of my tent on the first two trips here in VA.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ou-gAXdf1E/UHpHmtOdAbI/AAAAAAAABZw/BBoyJh4OoHk/s1600/WonderLakeExit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ou-gAXdf1E/UHpHmtOdAbI/AAAAAAAABZw/BBoyJh4OoHk/s320/WonderLakeExit.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Exiting Denali National Park 8/25/2011 sans showers for four days</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>First Year (FY) camping trip:</u><br />The weekend before orientation started, about 80 members of the FY class headed northwest across the Blue Ridge Mountains for two nights of camping and tubing. Highlights included my first slack lining experience, smores, and fireworks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’re a prospective and end up coming to Darden next year – <strong>do this trip</strong>! This was my favorite part of orientation week and I’m going to try to lead the trip next year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Whitewater rafting trip:</u><br />We kicked off the whitewater rafting trip at a Mexican restaurant somewhere in No Where, West Virginia. The food was surprisingly good, but tacos are dangerous when you’re spending the night in tents with strangers. The trip was a great opportunity for the FYs and Second Years to bond. We sat around the camp fire, making smores, shot-gunning beers (much easier when you have a Swiss Army knife handy), and climbing trees (a difficult feat in the light rain). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day we headed to the Gauley River for rafting. Our guide, appropriately named Ray Ray, delightfully tried to offend us for six hours as we paddled through class 4 and 5 rapids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Ski trips 2013:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a pow hound, I’m always super stoked to shred the gnar. Sixty Dardenites are headed to Park City January 1 – 6 to pay homage to the gods of deep champagne snow and thin air. A bunch of us are heading up a couple of days early to do New Years in the mountains. We also have a trip to Snow Shoe, WV and I’m planning on getting a season pass to skate down the icy hills of Wintergreen here in VA. Get excited, ski season is about six weeks away. My goal is an aggressive 20 days in my boots this winter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To pump you up, here is my favorite ski clip from last year’s round of movies – this is from Sherpa Cinema’s <em>All.I.Can.</em> It definitely teaches us to make do with what nature gives us!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-29612908309565267002012-10-09T00:35:00.001-04:002012-10-09T00:41:21.751-04:00YOLO<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You must unlearn what you have learned.” – Yoda, Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back</span></em><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19oOwSzKyp8/UHOn1KqO3YI/AAAAAAAABZI/N9is08Aam-0/s1600/StarWarsYOLO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19oOwSzKyp8/UHOn1KqO3YI/AAAAAAAABZI/N9is08Aam-0/s320/StarWarsYOLO.jpg" width="257" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: </span></u></em><a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/articles/4d4e1f1568/replacing-movies-quotes-with-yolo"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Funny or Die</span></em></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before coming to business school, I was an IT Auditor for eight years. I learned a ton and travelled the world during my time working for one of the Big 4 firms, but I was just never comfortable with one simple question: “What do you do?” My skin crawled when I answered that I was an Accountant. Don’t get me wrong, I fully respect the profession and enjoyed most of the people I worked with/for, but the work itself simply never fit my personality. My friend Mr. Jessie Van Aalst (one dudely girl) reaffirmed my thoughts a few years ago when she told me, “you are the least Accountanty Accountant ever.” I knew it was time to make a move.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Darden, I’m unlearning to be an Auditor. My eight years of experience are definitely helping technically in Accounting class, but as my Professor says, at Darden “you have to think like a Manager and not like a Financial Accountant” (this is a common Darden saying that gets laughs during class when trying to prove a point).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What else am I unlearning? Technological distractions – TV, the Internet, my iPhone are all distractions. I don’t have a TV down here in Charlottesville, and it is a fantastic way to get stuff I truly enjoy done (e.g., write a blog rather than waste time re-watching re-runs of SportsCenter). During class, I try to put my laptop down, only popping it up when we are using a spreadsheet; this way I don’t have the ability to check un-urgent email or social media for an hour and twenty-five minutes when I should be fully absorbed in the discussion. And with my iPhone, I simply want to walk with my head up and see the scenery around me. Do you remember how much more perceptive and aware you were without information at your fingertips?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I’ve discovered some new blogs, one of which talks about about limiting your technological intake and other awesome tips on life - <em><u><a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/tv/">The Minimalists</a></u></em>.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> While I’m not quite ready to become a Minimalist, the concept is very interesting.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My short-term goal is to live more by unlearning my technological addictions. As Yoda does <u>not</u> say, YOLO – you only live once. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l9dPrPVx_ew/UHOo3axdcwI/AAAAAAAABZQ/bMYkwhNoUOU/s1600/YOLO+FOMO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l9dPrPVx_ew/UHOo3axdcwI/AAAAAAAABZQ/bMYkwhNoUOU/s320/YOLO+FOMO.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-64986053446046231312012-10-06T01:43:00.001-04:002012-10-06T01:43:49.216-04:00You're too busy to read this blog<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” – Thomas Jefferson</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter is great. I use it as a central place to get news: current events, sports, business, etc. If the news is actually important, multiple people will re-tweet it. If the news is about the Browns, I will gladly read about it from every local and national football analyst. If you’re not on Twitter yet, jump on it like Sir Mix-a-Lot, it is not going away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How should you use Twitter? Efficiency is key – the messenger has 140 characters to get his or her message across. Effectiveness is equally as important – most (all) readers don’t care that you are at the grocery store or if the bus you’re on smells like LeBron after the 2010 Cavs-Celtics playoff series (he stunk). But, they’re probably intrigued about the new blog you’re reading. Be interesting and people will listen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also remember, just because the cute girl who sat next to you on the bus in the second grade is following you, doesn’t mean you have to follow her. There is no quid pro quo in the twitter-verse. Read the news you want to read. Your twitter feed is your customized view into world of social media.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How is this relevant? At Darden we have so many brilliant people. During a one hour and twenty-five minute class there simply is not enough airtime for everyone to make an earth shattering point. My Decision Analysis professor has repeated on multiple occasions, “it is more important to be the most influential person in the room than the smartest person in the room”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can we be influential? Think like tweeters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow me on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/KSchulman"><em>@KSchulman</em></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. – Pop the champagne, I quoted Jefferson – U-V-A, Go ‘Hoos Go!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-16178139839396568132012-10-05T13:34:00.002-04:002012-10-05T13:35:56.903-04:00The Art of Spitballing<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Scientist: I've invented a pill that gives worms to ex-girlfriends. <br />Don: Uh, right, and what's positive about that? <br />Scientist: Well, it's a pill that gives worms to ex-girlfriends. <br />Don: Couldn't it also give worms to ex-boyfriends? <br />Scientist: This is a drug... for the world... to give worms to ex-girlfriends. <br />Don: Well, great. Thanks for stopping by. <br />Scientist: You just don't get it here!"</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since coming to Darden, I’ve come up with nearly 100 business ideas. Some are absolutely absurd and some are somewhat viable. Let me toss out a few to you:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Develop the ski industry in China and/or India.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Create an app that allows you to play virtual capture the flag with a buddy in another city.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make a low glycemic index breakfast bar – think Denver Omlette or English Breakfast on the go, that is not a Hot Pocket.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite byproduct of my Darden experience is spitballing. What is spitballing? Tossing out business ideas to your buddies, getting shot down, adapting, getting shot down again, adapting, getting intrigue, adapting, deciding to pursue or not, adapting, coming up with a new idea, repeat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spitballing is a part of my daily life. I pitch my business ideas to my friends who are aspiring entrepreneurs, to my Learning Team (six of us who meet every night to do cases), and to really anyone who will listen – i.e., innocent bystanders at First Coffee, girls at bars (this is not a succesful way to pick anyone up), Whole Foods employees, my bartender, etc. Maybe I take advantage of open ears, but, I love serenading whoever will listen to my raspy voice in the form of the abstract.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I afraid someone is going to steal my idea? No. Let me guess, you saw <em>The Social Network</em>? Well I’m not the Winklevoss twins and you’re not Mark Zuckerberg. I’m not afraid you’re going to take my multi-billion dollar idea and run with it. I need your feedback to even grasp what I’m thinking about. (If you happen to be either the Winklevoss twins or Mark Zuckerberg, please email, call, send a singing telegram, get in touch in anyway, I want to spitball with you.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why not just do it? I want to expand my sweet spot: the area where my business idea, your feedback, my absurdity, and my values, goals, hobbies, et al. intersect. The Darden environment is enabling my sweet spot to grow. It is not just about learning from my cases, but learning to live a forward thinking life.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sweet Spot</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dean Bruner wrote a timely <a href="http://blogs.darden.virginia.edu/deansblog/2011/09/but-steve-jobs-didnt-go-to-b-school/"><em>blog post</em></a> about entrepreneurship last year. I say timely, because it is what convinced me business school was right for me when I was teetering on staying in Chicago or coming to Charlottesville.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I arrived at Darden, I’ve heard Professor Saras Sarasvathy speak a couple of times. Saras is one of the leading researchers on <a href="http://www.effectuation.org/"><em>Effectuation</em></a>: a logic of thinking, discovered through scientific research, used by expert entrepreneurs to build successful ventures. In short, much her message is a “go do it now” approach. I’m excited to learn more from Saras when I take her classes this spring and next year. Go do it now is probably my biggest problem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you think Twitter was a good idea when it came out? Maybe this Swiss guy has it right:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-37786230996212305672012-09-25T22:27:00.000-04:002012-09-25T22:27:18.270-04:00The League of Extraordinary Dardenites, err People that go to Darden<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big "H". It was a most ripping victory. – Prince Akeem, Coming to America (1988)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darden’s schedule kills my chances of fantasy football victory. I usually watch one game a week –the Cleveland Browns, the best football team ever. This is greatly down from the Sunday noon to midnight watching schedule that I maintained in Chicago (+ Monday nights). In Chicago, and even in Switzerland, I found time to scavenge through waivers to find the hidden gem that would put me over the edge and lead me to victory! At Darden, I miss the waiver wire every week and think to myself “Dexter McCluster is a good pickup because you can play him at RB or WR”.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The above scenario is true in my best friends and family leagues, but not in the Darden league we formed. I’m not exactly sure what you call someone who attends Darden – Dardenite? Dardener? Dardenfolk? Person that goes to Darden? Regardless, the dozen Dardenites, including one fearless female, who joined our totally awesome league, are all in the same boat – we pretty much stink at fantasy football because of Darden’s grinding schedule, but we’re making the league <em>sehr geil</em> (super cool).<br />
<br />This league is incredible. To give credit to my buddies back in Chicago, we experimented with this idea last year and then we fine-tuned the rules here in Charlottesville:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Every week, you come up with a challenge for the loser of your head-to-head game to complete. </li>
<li>The overall last place player hosts the Super Bowl party.</li>
<li>We actually forgot to pick the prize for first place, but in the Chicago league with these rules, we all chipped in for an authentic game worn jersey. I’ll keep you posted on the Darden league.</li>
</ul>
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Three weeks in, we have some amazing highlights the losers had to carry-out:</div>
<ul>
<li>Drink coffee out of baby bottle at First Coffee (the later a Darden-wide attended tradition).</li>
<li>Use a children’s rolling backpack for a week of class.</li>
<li>Wear batting gloves to school Tuesday morning until Thursday night kick-off.</li>
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<li>And my favorite (being on the winning end) – loser must pass out fliers stating how AWESOME the winner is at Cold Call, one of Darden’s Thursday night social events.</li>
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<em>“Wow Kenny, you and your buddies at Darden like putting each other through pain” – Blog Reader.</em> </div>
<br />Well faithful Blog Reader, you are only 50% correct. Think about it a bit more in depth. Each week, twelve wonderfully intelligent people stretch their creative bounds further than the prior. Half of us are planning on starting our own ventures and the others’ creative ideas will help us incubate. Through our weekly gags, we built quick camaraderie. On Monday mornings at First Coffee, we created an outlet from the twelve cases we must prepare for the week and we toss around jokes over the free bagels and scones so politely provided by one of the many attractive recruiting companies that come to Grounds.<br />
<br />
This past Monday was the beginning of Term 2. There are five terms in our first year here at Darden. Term 1 included classes in Management Communication (MC), Leading Organizations (LO), Accounting (ACC), Marketing (MKT), and Decision Analysis (DA). Finishing MC and LO in Term 1, we added Financial Management and Policies (FMP) and Global Economic Markets (GEM) in Term 2. Add on recruiting for some Dardenfolks, and the Darden Concept Competition for the entrepreneurs of the group, Term 2 seems to present a more difficult road than the one previously moaned about. But, when asked by a classmate, <em>“Are you excited for Term 2?”</em>, my response is emphatically YES! Dardenites, the fantasy football league, SECTION C, First Years, Second Years, Alumni, and the challenges that Darden puts us through every day are the reasons why I chose to come here.<br />
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I hope you’re excited for the challenges in the weeks to come (fantasy football and class) – I know I am.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Charlottesville, VA, USA38.0293059 -78.476678137.9792759 -78.5556421 38.0793359 -78.3977141tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-62121379914906174382012-09-21T15:22:00.000-04:002012-09-21T15:22:11.270-04:00The Fun Table<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<em>En guete</em> is the Swiss German equivalent of bon appetite or enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is always said before meals, but I like to use the phrase in less formal settings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new goal of my blog is to let you enjoy the adventures of my Darden experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a two amazing realizations that come from being
sat at the fun table at a wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<ol>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your friends think you are fun.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are sitting with fun people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over my first Darden finals weekend, I flew up to Martha’s
Vineyard for the lovely matrimony of Luke and Jennifer Washbrook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An amazing time. One of the many highlights
of the trip proceeds as follows…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sitting at dinner, Jennifer’s friend Phil Collins (no joke,
real name – fantastic duder) mentioned they were planning a jump in the ocean,
fully board shorted up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This schULMAN thought,
“what a fantastic idea, I wish I was wearing a swim suit under my wedding
suit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without hesitation, as a gentleman whose favorite
rule is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Rules Allowed,</i> I joined the early evening Atlantic dive amazingly unprepared, but enjoyed every
single minute of the adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
mission is to enable adventures – specifically, learning through
experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The learning in this
experience: being unprepared is not an excuse to not take hold of
opportunities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far, Darden is an adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is full of opportunities and experiences
and often it is said people here suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I don’t see it this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I try to make my adventures and experiences what people fear they are missing out. Please be excited for me and and take a seat with me at the fun table.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some background – I am originally from OHIO and have lived
the past eight years in Chicago, IL and Zurich, CH (five in the US and three
in Switzerland – this is why I throw in the Swiss German lessons).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest influences in life are my friends
and family, in no particular order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
successful because of the my
best friends and the five schULMANs!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The present – my life is a grind and I love it. I work more today than I did at my job in
Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I wake up, I don’t care if
it is a Monday or a Saturday; I know life will be exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Preparing for cases takes up the majority of
my week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fantasy football teams are
losing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was voted section representative
for the coolest section ever (SECTION C).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am a budding entrepreneur, a cultural enthusiast, a community
advocate, a health nut, a constant innovator / thinker, and I make my best attempt of retaining
humility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Die Zukunft</em> (the future) – while living in Zurich for three
years, I visited <em>die</em> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zukunft</i>
often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, this is a fantastic watering
hole / dance club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But also, I loved the
symbolism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you walk in, the only
guarantee is you will walk out in the future (most likely the following morning).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you are done reading this blog, the
future will be here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the only
guarantee I can provide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I think – I think this blog will show you an
uncensored, but tactful, coverage of my life at Darden and in Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be stories of my experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be tales of my struggles and
successes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And t</span>here will be a mixture of
poor Schweizerdeutsch and unedited English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">En guete, Darden!</span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Charlottesville, VA, USA38.0293059 -78.476678137.9792759 -78.5556421 38.0793359 -78.3977141tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-48251836750271027032009-12-21T16:30:00.003-05:002012-09-21T15:25:18.391-04:00Thanksgiving it to the Swiss<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Fourth of July is the most patriotic American holiday, but Thanksgiving is the American holiday that we embrace the most. Look at the rumored facts that we hear every year:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest travel time in the US<br />-The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is the biggest ‘bar’ night of the year<br />-Subsequently, the most DUI violations are given that same night<br />-An average American will consume nearly 6,000 calories on Thanksgiving and will blame being sleepy on tryptophan, not the amount of food they have consumed<br />-It is possible to watch three football games and actually enjoy seeing the Detroit Lions play<br />-Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the biggest shopping day of the year; people line up at stores to shop at 4:00 AM<br />-Cyber Monday is the biggest internet shopping day of the year as people who did not wake up at 4:00 AM shop online rather than work the first day back from vacation<br /><br />*none of these facts are confirmed, but I will continue to repeat them until I hear otherwise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of these non-confirmed facts add to our love of Thanksgiving. The routines and traditions of the holiday are what make us love (and hate) being around friends and family every fourth Thursday in November. Spreading the Thanksgiving spirit to Switzerland was a challenge due to provisioning (finding a whole turkey is nearly impossible), but we completed this challenge with great success.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The integral part of Thanksgiving is the bird. You can celebrate any holiday at Chinese restaurant by ordering a succulent duck as displayed in the 1983 classic <em>A Christmas Story</em>. However, an all dark meat duck has nothing on a juicy turkey with the ying and yang options of white and dark deliciousness. After my epic search to find a fresh turkey, I was finally contacted by the local grocery store. They were able to deliver a fresh turkey the Saturday after Thanksgiving – two days too late. We opted for the frozen 6.2 kilogram turkey, which converts to nearly 14 pounds; the largest bird the store carried. This is also the largest turkey we could use as Swiss ovens are slightly smaller than their American counterparts. The bird almost touched each wall of the oven as it roasted for over four hours to near perfection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The festivities were hosted once again at Marcio’s flat. As he has the most comfortable couch in the country of Switzerland, this was only a natural choice (please note - the couch fact is confirmed by the authorities and not simply opinion). The party consisted of seven Americans, a Canuck, and three Swissies. Each reveler brought a home-made dish. Our menu consisted of the following traditional Thanksgiving delicacies:<br /><br />-Five layer taco dip<br />-Cheese and wine<br />-Samuel Adams, Brooklyn Brewery, and Feldschlössen beer<br />-Turkey and gravy<br />-Mashed potatoes (regular and chive)<br />-Honey glazed sweet potatoes<br />-Stovetop stuffing<br />-Sausage and bread stuffing<br />-Green bean casserole<br />-Broccoli soufflé, with a wonderful semi-burnt finish<br />-Creamed spinach<br />-Vegetables au gratin<br />-Pumpkin and apple pie topped with vanilla and/or bailey’s ice cream</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Swiss friends were truly amazed with the amount of food produced and consumed for the event. We even let my friend Yves, who serves as a chef in the Swiss army, carve the turkey. The holiday was a great success, noted well by the men squeezing onto the couch to watch football and nap, while the women cleaned in the kitchen. (The male-female distribution of napping and cleaning did not actually occur in this manner, but it seems to be a very American description of what could have happened.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The holiday was such a success, that we are having a Passover Seder and with a <em>Cool Hand Luke</em> style matzo ball eating contest. Fifty matzo balls here I come!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Zurich, Switzerland47.3686498 8.539182547.2826163 8.381254 47.4546833 8.6971110000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-17859407155737592032009-12-21T16:20:00.001-05:002012-09-20T17:05:14.414-04:00The most beautiful Hooters girl ever<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This www thing helps spread stories quicker than Leahy can shotgun a beer. As you may have heard, I had a bit of an accident on Halloween this year. Rather than hearing the story from Littig’s memory of a gchat conversation, let me tell you first hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each year, I try to really get into the Halloween spirit. I pride myself in my costumes having some great ones over time (e.g. - Mugatu, Mr. T, Ricky ‘The Wild Thing’ Vaughn). Halloween is one of the greatest holidays of the year when everyone is in the spirit. But in Zurich, when my group of friends was in that select echelon of individuals celebrating, the night turned interesting. To begin, as I exited my apartment and jumped on the tram to the Halloween party, I noticed I was the only person dressed up. The night was chilly and I wasn’t dressed to keep warm. However, none of Zuri folk noticed my flowing dark hair, or my long legs extending out of my short orange shorts, or even my busty chest peaking out of my Hooters shirt. In fact on a tram of nearly 100 people, maybe three acknowledged the absurdity of my situation. Seeing a grown man dressed as a Hooters girl in Switzerland must be a common everyday experience. The only Swissie to truly notice was the bouncer who did not let me into a bar because my shorts were simply too short.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have ever been to a wedding, party, bar, etc. with me you know about my sick dance skillz (yes, they’re that good that skillz is spelled with a z). While busting a move at my buddy Marcio’s Halloween party in my short orange shorts, I got in some good booty shaking and even threw in a quality worm. Things made a turn for the worse though as I decided to try a James Brown style splits. As I got full extension of my legs, I heard three pops in my left hamstring. An MRI the following week confirmed that my injury was less of an Anquan Boldin nagging pulled hammy, but more of a Ken Griffey, Jr., potentially send you to the IR, out for two months rupture; I had torn a tendon in my hamstring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily the tear was isolated to one of three muscles and did not require surgery. I use luckily very loosely, however this is the term the doctor used. The results were ten days on Jimmy from South Park style crutches and a month of physical therapy. I’ll be missing the first month of ski season here in Switzerland. Come January, I will be carving chest deep pow brah! That is skier for I should be back in full effect come January (hopefully)!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Zurich, Switzerland47.3686498 8.539182547.2826163 8.381254 47.4546833 8.6971110000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-23340377993604504862009-12-21T15:49:00.002-05:002012-09-20T17:03:20.094-04:00Milan, where the toilet industry is crap!<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The perspective of close in terms of distance has changed for me since coming to <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>. My friend Steve from back in <st1:city st="on">Chicago</st1:city> was working in Northern Italy, so I decided to shoot down to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Milan</st1:place></st1:city> to meet up with him for a weekend of fun. These quick ad hoc trips are one of my favorite things about living in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>. The only things to which I can equate these adventures are college road trips, at which I became an expert in my four years at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Miami</st1:place></st1:city>. 'Shooting' down to <st1:city st="on">Milan</st1:city> for the weekend from Zürich is the equivalent of being in Cleveland or Chicago and 'shooting' down to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cincinnati</st1:place></st1:city> for the weekend because a friend is there for a few days.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traveling for the weekend with Steve was excellent. He was up for doing everything local (my standard M.O.), plus we sprinkled in some touristy sites. Steve also had a buddy Vince living in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Milan</st1:place></st1:city> who was able to show us some local hangouts.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I mentioned I was going to <st1:city st="on">Milan</st1:city> to my friends from Zürich, most everyone said they had stopped there for an hour on their way to <st1:city st="on">Venice</st1:city> or <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florence</st1:place></st1:city>, but had not heard good things. This did not lower my expectations, I simply did not know what to expect. I arrived in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Milan</st1:place></st1:city> around 9:30 PM on Friday after catching a train directly from work. A quick celebratory “we're hanging out in fucking <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country>” beer with Steve, then off to meet Vince. First stop was to get some pizza at a spot near Vince's place; absolutely the best pie I've had in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>. The rest of the evening we met up Vince's friends, mostly Italians, and bar hopped.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What stuck out the most about <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Milan</st1:place></st1:city> was the atmosphere at the bars. Each of the bars we went to the first night could have easily been in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> and would very successful there. The only difference being the way you pay for drinks. To get a drink, you have to go to the person manning the cash register at the end of the bar, pay for your drink, and in turn you receive a ticket that you hand to the bartender. Very simple, but after a few drinks the concept can be mind boggling.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another big difference is the toilets. Again after a couple of drinks I ventured to talk to a man about a horse. The locks on the bathroom doors were not highly operational and I walked in on a girl who I thought was sitting on the ground praying to the porcelain god. It turns out this girl was not puking, but only taking going #1. Her positioning was intriguing to me as from my understanding, most females pee with their back to the water tank; however there in lied the problem – no water tank. The toilet was simply a hole in the ground - a hole in the ground at a relatively hip bar in a first world country. The facilities were no problem for me as I could extinguish a flame on a birthday candle for 10 meters with my aim, but I felt the pain of my fellow female bar patrons.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday, Steve's friend Jim 'shot' down from <st1:city st="on">London</st1:city> to meet us up and take in the sites of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Milan</st1:place></st1:city>. Steve brought us to the Duomo and the adjacent famous shopping area. In the Lonely Planet guide book it mentioned how the architect of the famous shopping area had fallen to his death while finishing the construction. To show your respect to the architect, you were supposed to dig your heal in the testes of the bull on the ground in the center of the elaborate outdoor mall. I was convinced that this was a common phrase that somehow got lost in translation. But sure enough as we arrived at the center of the shopping area, there was a beautiful tile floor with a picture of a bull and area for us to dig our heels into its nuts. I obliged but cringed due to relational testicular sensitivity.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Site seeing activities lasted from 11 AM – 2 PM. From there on we saw the sites of the inside of fine and not-so-fine drinking establishments. Local beers at one joint, house wine at another, dinner time rolled around we were feeling no pain. We found an antipasti buffet in the canal district which was ten euro for all you can eat antipasti and a beer; bargains that could not be found in <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country>. After the quick snack, we headed to bar that specialized in beer dispensing devices.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Table taps, mini kegs, and yard sticks were options with which I was familiar. We opted for what I can only describe as an octopus fishbowl – the closest thing to a drinking hookah I've ever seen. We may have brought up the average age of the bar clientele by a couple of years, but we taught the young folk how to have fun. Unlike Oktoberfest where they not so kindly asked me to leave for dancing on the table, the whole bar cheered me on as I stood on my stool and tipped the octopus fishbowl head over heals (or head over tentacles), finishing off the last foamy drops.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Italian tourism continued on Sunday as we were able to get reservations to see Da Vinci's Last Supper. While I'm not the biggest of fans of art and tourist spots, I was very impressed with the size and detail of the painting.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve followed up my trip to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Milan</st1:place></st1:city> with a trip of his own up to Zürich. I showed him some of my favorite local spots, of course bringing him to Bubbles for brunch and later introducing him to late night doner kebaps. He was also able to enjoy the best meal of my year in <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country> with me as we discovered the Swiss-Mexican family festival. After three tacos, a burrito, two tamales, and a couple of Coronas, we hustled Steve back to the train station Amazing Race style to send him off on his train back to <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country>.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trip to <st1:city st="on">Milan</st1:city> made me very excited for my spring trip throughout <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country> with my parents. I want to learn more about Italian wines and even though it is riddled with bad carbs, Italian food is damn good.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd also like to thank Steve immensely for inviting me down to <st1:city st="on">Milan</st1:city> to hangout with his friends and showing me around – then in turn coming up to <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country>. As I previously mentioned, getting from place to place, especially from Zürich, is very easy and having a new travel buddy who is a familiar face is a blast. So if any of you make it out to anywhere in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>, let me know so we can meet up, pretend to be locals and pee in holes in the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Zurich, Switzerland47.3686498 8.539182547.2826163 8.381254 47.4546833 8.6971110000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-75837166873693317392009-10-11T12:26:00.000-04:002012-09-20T17:00:28.828-04:00A Bavarian Beating at Oktoberfest<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fighting through the work week after the Kohly Matrimony was tough. Tuesday marked the first day in my post-college life I left work early for actually being sick. Between the time I left work on Tuesday and Friday, when I was scheduled to leave for Oktoberfest, my goal was to get as much sleep as possible. Each night I headed to bed between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. By the time Friday rolled around, I had been upgraded from questionable and was officially listed in the injury report as probable for Oktoberfest.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we arrived in Munich for the party, men were stumbling around the train station in traditional lederhosen and women in dirndls (picture the St. Pauli girl). An easy night allowed for us to hit up the Hofbräuhaus tent at 8:00 AM the next morning. As my 10,000 new friends and I waited an hour for the kegs to be tapped, we sang German drinking songs in preparation for the day. As the beers came, toasting with 10,000 people was the highlight of the weekend. Unfortunately, the Hofbräuhaus tent and CJ's have the same rules – no dancing on the tables. Either not knowing this rule or knowingly breaking this rule, I was escorted out around 1:00 PM by an army of Bavarian bouncers.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it was due to being sick, maybe it was the Bavarian manhandling I was given, maybe it was my Pamplona experience, or maybe it was my vast resume of drinking events, but I was not as impressed as expected by Oktoberfest. However, I will return next year with an open mind and as always I am looking for travel buddies to yell at me to stop dancing on the tables. Encouraging me to dance on the tables will not be frowned upon.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Zurich, Switzerland47.3686498 8.539182547.2826163 8.381254 47.4546833 8.6971110000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-62378927749655392302009-10-11T12:23:00.001-04:002012-09-20T16:59:10.824-04:00A Family Wedding and the Kohly Matrimony<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fall marked my first two trips back to the US in 2009. The first to Chicago in late August for my cousin Jackie's wedding and the second to Detroit in September for the Kohly Matrimony.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My trip back to Chicago for Jackie's wedding was supposed to be a bit of culture shock. I didn't experience much culture shock at all. As I wandered through the doors of my friends' new place to find multiple kegs waiting, I was in a frat boy's natural habitat. Beers and BBQ chicken were a great welcome home gift! After a week of half-days at work, happy hours with dollar beers, and consuming as much Mexican food as humanly possible, my family came into Chicago for the wedding.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was awesome to see everyone come to Chicago. I was able to see both friends and family on my first trip back. Knowing my cousin Jackie and her husband Brian, the wedding was going to be a blast and it did not disappoint. My mom's side of the family was in town from Cleveland and Jacksonville; the funniest being the two youngest. I have to give props to my cousins Sharon and Brad for teaching their children how to be clean. Sydney (6) and Andrew (4) were the first two kids under the age of ten that I hung out with and was not deathly afraid of their germ carrying ways. My cousin Brad also taught Andrew some standard dance moves (running man, shopping cart, etc.) and if it were not for him passing out at the beginning of the reception he would have made a phenomenal little wing man.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wedding two, the Kohly Matrimony, the wedding of John and Jenn Kohl was an event that had been brewing for nearly nine years. My 15 hour plane ride from Argentina to Detroit was an adventure in its own. After an emergency landing in Buenos Aires, which I completely slept through, I arrived in Dallas a few hours late missing my flight to Detroit. A quick reschedule allowed enough time for a shower in American's airport lounge and for me to change into my suit for the rehearsal dinner. Wifi on the flight from Dallas to Detroit filled with Michigan alumni on their way to homecoming allowed me blast music from a 'Hang on Sloopy' video from YouTube riling up the Wolverine passengers. (On a side note, if you ever get a chance to shower in the Dallas airport, it is amazing. Six water jets hitting you from all sides and a rain shower faucet with great pressure. Texas's hidden gem.)</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing my friend's in Detroit (and my family who made the trip up from Cleveland for Saturday brunch) made the trip back to the States even better than expected. The reception was hosted in an amazing venue, an old grand theater John and Jenn asked me to announce the wedding party, an honor that I truly appreciated – and one that I had underestimated the amount of fun it would be. After channelling my inner Michael Buffer (i.e. ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls people of all ages, Mr. and Mrs. John and Jenn Kohl) I led the crowd in a traditional Dresden wedding dance – Blame it on the Boogie!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A great wedding game we played was betting on who would be the drunkest attendee. The horses in the race this time were the Eternal Pledge (Ty Coates – best man and brother to the bride), Sandra (Scot's fiance), Amanda (Littig's fiance), and all the Dresdenites (my buddies from college). And even though I could have thrown the contest by getting the drunkest, I wanted to enjoy the evening and I put my money on Amanda. After a slow start, she got to it and was pulling away with the victory. However, Mr. Ron Rittig saw his girl in the lead and pulled her from competition. Scot, being a gentlemen, allowed the sneaky Cuban to pull ahead and take the crown!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">72 hours and three continents later, I was back in Switzerland on my way to work looking forward to the next wedding. Please note that is not an endorsement to my friends to begin dropping to their knees proposing to their girls. But if you do, I will gladly be there to dance.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Zurich, Switzerland47.3686498 8.539182547.2826163 8.381254 47.4546833 8.6971110000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-81576066539737353472009-10-11T12:22:00.001-04:002012-09-20T16:57:13.662-04:00Deutsch-Spanglish<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My business trip to Buenos Aires marked my first repeat adventure of my life as an expat. Wandering the streets of the Palermo neighborhood, I was an old pro getting what I needed with my German-Spanish-English mix (e.g. Ich möchte dos cerveza please – translation, I would like two beers please).</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work this year in Argentina was easier due to the effort we put in back in Switzerland. This allowed us to enjoy the malbec and steak with less stress hovering over us. However, ten days of drinking wine and eating beef would eventually catch up to me when I got back to Zürich.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">The highlight of our trip was a Boca Juniors soccer game. Non-stop energy would be the only way to describe the game. From the moment we arrived at our seats to the final goal in the 89th</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> minute, the crowd was on their feet singing, chanting, and cheering. And they did not even serve beer in the stadium!</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Argentinian girls are beautiful. It may be the dark skin or the fact they sound like Penelope Cruz when they speak English, but they have the upper hand on the European women. In a country where you get a beef appetizer to start off your beef dinner that is served with a side of beef followed by beef ice cream for desert, everyone is super fit.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way out of Argentina the airline sat me next to a missionary returning to Utah from his year long trip to Uruguay. It may have been my ideals or it may have been the eight beers I pounded before I got onto the plane to help me sleep, but he and I did not share the same state of mind. After preaching to me how he spent the past year spreading the word of the lord and asking me how I could not be married at age 27, I think he realized I was more likely to be found in a pub looking for a short-term rental than in church with a ball and chain. </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Zurich, Switzerland47.3686498 8.539182547.2826163 8.381254 47.4546833 8.6971110000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948254850553786904.post-15651819279071714722009-10-11T12:19:00.002-04:002012-09-20T16:57:21.491-04:00The Four Bars of Summer<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without a doubt, my favorite part of summer in Zurich are the open air bars.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Near the lake there is a field where young hippies and others grill out, play frisbee, and kick around soccer balls. Also near this field is Bad Enge. This bar has a dock where you can swim in the lake. They serve free nachos with something that tastes similar to guacamole. As it's close to my gym, it is a great after workout spot.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For most of the summer, the city of Zurich turns it's history museum into an outdoor club. DJ's spinning makes this a great hangout where you can enjoy a beer or a bottle of wine.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fact that during the day Rimini is an Orthodox Jewish men's bathhouse does not make it my favorite outdoor bar, but adds to the place's lore. Rimini is simply a few docks above the Sihl river that turns into an outdoor lounge in the summer. Beer and pizza makes this a great after work Thursday night hangout spot. My last Rimini experience of the summer had us stripping down and doing flips into the river. The Swiss bar owner was not too happy with us and asked us to leave. As they had stopped serving beer, we happily obliged.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Letten</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the 90's Zurich had a bit of a heroin problem. One of the places the addicts liked to hangout was under the bridge near the Limmat river. To get rid of the drug town under the bridge, the city turned this shady area into an awesome, and my favorite, outdoor bar.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On each side of the river, there are bars and areas to layout in the sun. After a few hours of laying out, you simply walk up the river a few hundred yards, jump in, and float on down. In May, the glacier water makes this float very soberizing. But as the summer continues, this easy float in the warm water is very enjoyable. Towards the end of the summer, the city hosts a river swim, where you can pay 25 francs to swim the two mile length from the Zürich lake to Letten. Without a ticket, I jumped in about a mile up from Letten and floated back to my friends. </span></span></div>
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