wandering the wide world in search of wonders
(Dongdaemun, Seoul) Where does my future lie?
Dear qui tacet:
Thank you for your interest in Boutique Consulting Firm.
After reviewing your qualifications and our present requirements, we regret that we will not be pursuing your application further at this time. Our decision only reflects an attempt to match the talents of prospective employees with our current openings.
Posted in Business.
– October 24, 2009
(Hong Kong IFC. View from RED Bar) It’s a long way up, and a long way down.
Congratulations! I’m happy to say that we’ve finished reading through all 1500+ applications, and your name has come out on top. You should all be extremely proud of your accomplishment, as this was the most competitive year in Business Today conference history (our acceptance rate was even lower than that of Princeton itself)!
You come from over 20 countries and 100 colleges; You speak more than 50 languages, you’ve started your own businesses, you’ve won international awards, and you are all around world-class students. It didn’t take me long to realize that I wouldn’t have been accepted to my own conference.
This will be my third time at Business Today, and I’m looking forward to seeing old friends again. I wish that more of my friends from GIS had been accepted, though. Some of them are far more accomplished than I. Unfortunately, I suspect the selectivity of the program rises proportionally with the cost of flying the candidate over, and for me that’s a $2.25 subway ride.
Posted in Business, College Life.
– August 29, 2009
(Taipei 101 store) Don’t touch the general!
Regular posting will be delayed yet again as I will be in Taipei for the Global Initiatives Symposium at National Taiwan University. GIS is an Asian business student conference, modeled on the St. Gallen Symposium – I met one of the organizers when I went to SGS – except that its Asia focused and not Eurocentric like SGS is. It’s the first time Taida is putting this together, and I’m optimistic that it will be just as professionally organized. This will be my first visit to Taiwan, and a welcome break from my summer of Stata.
Posted in Business, Other Asia.
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– June 24, 2009
(Pyongyang station) The train station has a curious architectural style… ionic columns and an eight-sided pagoda-like tower.
As the train rolled into the station, I looked out the window and saw the sign above the entrance: 평양 (Pyongyang). Finally – the capital of the hermit kingdom. KPA soldiers herded us out of the train onto the platform, and down through a dark tunnel underneath the tracks. There were no lights, and it was too dark to make out the red script on the walls, but I had some idea of what revolutionary things they said. Only a few hours earlier that day, I had been in a similar tunnel at Dandong station, except on the walls there were advertisements. I was disappointed, because I really wanted to see what advertising was like in the DPRK.
Posted in Business, Korea - Pyongyang Diaries, TV Dramas.
– June 20, 2009
(Dandong station) The path to the Dandong train tracks was full of advertising (e.g. GOG sneakers). However, the equivalent in Pyongyang station had none.
I heard them chattering away even while getting through security screening at the Dandong station entrance. Thirty to forty (2 busloads worth) of middle-aged mainland Chinese people old enough to be my parents were clustered on hard plastic seats around the tour operator’s flag. I was the only ‘foreigner’, but thankfully I don’t look too different. Just younger. Hopefully if I kept my mouth shut, my crummy Mandarin and accent wouldn’t betray me.
Posted in Business, Korea - Pyongyang Diaries, Politics.
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– March 26, 2009
(Balinyouqi town, Inner Mongolia) One of his indirect beneficiaries?
One of the best things about going to an ivy school is the chance to listen to world leaders that come to campus quite frequently. Recently, Muhammad Yunus came to talk about the Grameen Bank and his new book on ‘creating a world without poverty’, and I managed to get into the lecture theatre before it completely filled up. I got one of the last few available seats, and there were hundreds of people in line outside (including a Bangladeshi friend) that were quite upset about the seating capacity. Here are my notes from his speech:
Posted in Business, Development, Other Asia.
– January 31, 2009
(Hong Kong new territories) HDBs are actually pretty nice in comparison.
While in Singapore, I met a friend (local grad) who had recently got a job at a bank, which is quite impressive in this economic climate. However, she does not like it very much, and is looking for a better one – good luck. When I asked her why, she gave me this analogy: “IBD is Orchard Road, PWM is Bukit Timah, and retail banking is HDB.” I guess the prestige-consciousness and status hierarchy of the financial industry has been localized, though I suppose PE isn’t on the radar yet.
Posted in Business, Singapore.
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– January 15, 2009
(Yonghegong road, Beijing) Actually, I prefer menus with pictures.
I had a conversation with an entrepreneur friend who told me he had hired a Beida grad to join his AI-development team, and I jested that his Mandarin must be much better than mine to have cross-lingual collaboration, to which he replied that he was also learning Spanish. When I asked him why Spanish, he proceeded to list languages in order of the number of speakers worldwide.
Posted in Business, China Trip, Economics.
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– December 31, 2008
I woke up late and rushed downtown to the Marriott to register for the conference, and I got there just in time for lunch. I enjoyed the strawberry parfait and talked to some of the other participants before the keynote speech, which was quite interesting.
Posted in Business, College Life.
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– November 23, 2008
My translation: Caring about the lives of others is to treasure one’s own happiness. (Road sign on Chang’an Avenue near Tiananmen Square, Beijing)
I hate how people assume that I’m going to be an investment banker when I tell them I’m an economics major, so I’ve started to introduce myself as ‘majoring in saving the world’. I considered having that on my business cards: ‘Bachelor of Arts, Saving the World’. I even asked the dean of the college about whether I could do that officially. He asked me “do you think the world can be saved?” I couldn’t give a definite answer, so I guess I’m stuck with my current major.
With the market the way it is, I’ve been looking into grad school options. I attended an info session about the Earth Institute’s PhD program in sustainable development by one of the doctoral students.
Posted in Business, College Life, Development, Economics.
– November 13, 2008
Climbing a mountain with Price Waterhouse Coopers (Mt. Santis, St Gallen)
1. An incredible experience
SGS is truly the best student conference I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve been to quite a few of them. I met the most amazing people there – networking opportunities abound – including Nitin from NextBillion. Naturally Geoffrey was there charming the ladies in his bespoke suit.
Posted in Business, College Life, Education.
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– June 28, 2008
That’s a… different kind of leadership (Forbidden City, Beijing)
So I get to stay at the Marriott again:
CONGRATULATIONS! You have been accepted to the 34th Annual International Conference, “The Dynamics of Leadership: Transformation and Innovation in the 21st Century” held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York City from November 22nd-25th. Out of over 1,100 applicants, you have been selected to participate in our all-expenses paid affair. The applicant pool was outstanding, with over 100 schools and 30 countries being represented. The conference will be a phenomenal experience as you now have the opportunity to meet over seventy CEOs from across the United States in small seminars and explore New York City with fellow students from all over the world. Get ready to break down Harvard Business School case studies with your peers, discuss crucial topics in politics, business, and entrepreneurship, meet recruiters from top companies, and have an overall incredible experience! To give you an idea of the types of executives you will meet, I’ve attached a list of executives who have participated in our programs over the past year.
Posted in Business, China Trip, College Life.
– June 8, 2008
Separate but equal? (Tokyo Metro)
Zettai Kareshi (絶対彼氏) / Absolute Boyfriend
Fuji TV Spring 2008 season
I find it strange that I like Zettai Kareshi so much. Although I love the romantic comedy genre of j-dramas (as opposed to the melodramas) in general, I can’t help but be reminded of the horrible conclusion that the title is everything that I am not. I’ve only seen the first few episodes since the summer started while stuck in airports and planes without in-flight entertainment, but here are some initial thoughts on the series:
Posted in Business, Japan, TV Dramas.
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– May 20, 2008
I’m going to Switzerland.
On behalf of the International Students’ Committee (ISC), we would like to cordially thank you for your excellent contribution to this year’s St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award. We are very delighted about the challenge you have undertaken when working on the topic “Global Capitalism – Local Values”. In the past few weeks the jury has thoroughly evaluated the around 1,000 entries in order to choose those 200 students who will be invited to the 38th St. Gallen Symposium.
Posted in Business, College Life, Development, Economics.
– March 6, 2008
(Ghibli Museum Mitaka, Tokyo) Whose children can best pilot the Japanese economic machine?
I attended a Weatherhead institute seminar on the ownership and board structure of Japanese family firms by Prof. Yupana Wiwattanakantang from Hitotsubashi University, hosted by b-school Center on Japanese Economy and Business director Hugh Patrick. I actually had the opportunity to visit Hitotsubashi while I was in Tokyo this winter, where I stayed with my friend and co-JFTC-winner Dyna in his Economics RA office. Prof. Yupana presented her a working paper on the performance of family firms in Japan, which I found quite fascinating.
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– March 4, 2008
(Bank of Japan, Tokyo) I walk this empty street/ On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams/ Where the city sleeps/ I’m the only one and I walk alone/
In one of those cosmic accidents, my seat at the alumni LNY dinner was right next to someone who shares all my personal and academic interests (development, asia, microfinance, social enterprise, BOP etc), we have the same major and concentrations, we have the same career aspirations and life goals.
Posted in Business, College Life, Development.
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– March 2, 2008
In retrospect it was probably a bad idea to leave interview preparation for ViD and FACES to the last minute. After pouring out my heart and soul to the University of St. Gallen and the GSGLP selection committee, I’m just too drained to reflect on such philosophical questions as “tell me about yourself”, “what would you say is your greatest weakness”, “what is something special about you that isn’t in your application”, and “how many piano tuners are there in New York City”. That and the fact that my heart was beating like a jackhammer may have contributed to a less than positive interview experience.
Posted in Business, China, College Life, Development.
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– February 10, 2008
My winter break on campus is dedicated to essays, applications, self-study, and exercise – which I had been diligent about all summer but neglected completely during the term. Now that the dorms are empty, I have the gym all to myself, and I intend to make full use of it. Gotta get back in shape, mens sana in corpore sano and all that. Now every muscle in my body aches. But I can’t be working all the time, so to prepare for my long-awaited Tokyo adventure, I am immersing myself in a semester’s backlog of j-dramas. All k-dramas and c-dramas have been put on hold. Here’s what I’m watching:
Posted in Business, TV Dramas.
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– December 28, 2007
As I wonder where my life is going, I look to where others ahead of me have been. I love reading the profiles of the incoming Lauder class of 2009, or Columbia’s Chazen fellows, or the 2008 Acumen fellows, or the Echoing Green fellows, because their life stories chart paths of achievement that inform not just where one can go, but how to get there step by step. I was inspired by Rory Stewart’s ‘extreme MBA‘ in postconflict Afghanistan in the new HBR issue. But at the same time, these role models seem so far ahead of me that it is sometimes hard to see how I could follow in their footsteps. Their first steps are like marathons for me.
Posted in Bildungsroman, Business, College Life, Development.
– November 18, 2007
I will be attending the BT International Conference at the Hyatt this weekend. As it turns out, Geoffrey and I are in the same case study group (Starbucks). Unfortunately, with my various papers due today and my takehome midterm and problem sets to do, it is unlikely that I will be an asset to the group because I don’t have time to research anything on Starbucks… but I have been assigned to some of the best executive seminars!
Posted in Business, College Life.
– November 16, 2007
I attended the Center for Japanese Economy and Business talk on comparative models of corporate governance by Todai professor Iwai Katsuhito, which I found pretty interesting, although for some reason my friends did not find the topic particularly compelling. I got there early to sit in front, and next to me was this oba-sama in an audrey hepburn hat laid her designer bags on a pink cloth, as if the floor of the classy business school lecture hall would soil them, and it looked like a little accessory tatami. I couldn’t help thinking that she epitomizes the Japanese economy – wealthy but aged by a lost decade, Western/modern yet culturally traditional. Anyway. I love business school talks since the food is always good, and sometimes, there’s an open bar.
– November 10, 2007
Why is my reflection someone I don’t know?
— Mulan, ‘Reflection’
I participated in a pilot career guidance program run by to b-school alums now at Mckinsey, and one of the program requirements was to do a self-assessment to describe myself in five adjectives from a list, and to compare that assessment to what a select group of 3-5 close friends picked. The point is to 1) externally validate identified strengths and 2) work on identified problem areas and 2) any discrepancy between self-image and the one that people see. But the problem was that I couldn’t really come up with five adjectives on my own, because it was very difficult to mentally separate who I am, who I would like to think I am, and who I want to be. Also, I couldn’t think of anyone who could do this assessment – I have few close friends on campus and the people from home who used to be my close friends haven’t seen me for ages. So I asked both.
Posted in Bildungsroman, Business, College Life.
– November 1, 2007
Looks like I’ll get the chance to stay at the Hyatt NYC for once in my life:
CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome to the 33rd Annual Business Today International Conference, “Sustainable Growth – Taking Responsibility for the Future”. After a long process, the admissions committee and I are pleased to offer you a spot as an attendee at the conference to be held November 17-20, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. You were selected out of an applicant pool of over 1,000, so there are high expectations for you, but we feel confident that you will rise to the challenge. The conference will be a fantastic experience for you in that you will have the opportunity to meet, speak with, and learn from over 75 Fortune 500 executives. The agenda is still being finalized, but the current version is attached for your perusal. We are in the process of securing seminar leaders and are beginning to create the case study project, so you should expect more updates about the executives who will participate in the event as the summer continues.
Posted in Business, College Life.
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– June 9, 2007
We study the economics of employment relationships through theoretical and empirical analysis of an unusual set of firms, large law firms. Our point of departure is the “property rights” approach that emphasizes the centrality of ownership’s legal rights to control important, non-human assets of the enterprise. From this perspective, large law firms are an interesting and potentially important object of study because the most valuable assets of these firms take the form of knowledge – particularly knowledge of the needs and interests of clients. We argue that the two most distinctive organizational features of large law firms, the use of “up or out” promotion contests and the practice of having winners become residual claimants in the firm, emerge naturally in this setting. In addition to explaining otherwise anomalous features of the up-or-out partnership system, this paper suggests a general framework for analyzing organizations where assets reside in the brains of employees.
I wonder how applicable this might be to promotion strategies in investment banking (or strategy/management consulting or any professional services industry), where client relationships are also equally important at senior levels.
Posted in Business.
– October 21, 2006
