twenty ten

someone should start a discussion on this

2009-12-27T11:15:00.001-08:00

An interesting and thought-provoking read.

Cleaners 'worth more to society' than bankers - study

westwerk

2009-12-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

View from a gallery in Westwerk. Taken with the handy-dandy iPhone. Edited with Camera Bag.

From the WACC*-o-land of Finance Management, I have re-emerged!

I wish I could have followed that with, "Victorious and with laurels on her genius little head!" But I think "unshaven** and packing on a few extra stress-eating pounds" is more appropriate.

*Weighted average cost of capital. Am I a nerd or what?
** Okay, so I'm a girl. But if I were to spurt a beard, it would have been last week, believe me.

---

I was able to play hooky for a couple of hours on Saturday though. On a tip from a friend, K, his friends, and I went to Westwerk, one of the several warehouse districts in Leipzig that has been converted into art galleries.

There I stumbled into the quaint works of Franziska Neubert, and the artist herself. One of the things that caught my eye was her Rue Blanche postcard set. Her settings really brought out the feeling of Paris within me, and I love how she captured the bustle of one of my favorite cities in the world. Hmm, do I hear a "ho-ho-ho and a merry Christmas to moi?" :o)

I got to speak to Franziska briefly, and she was really lovely and helpful (and pretty!). When I told her I'd love to do something creative, she immediately grabbed a pen and scribbled down the name of an art college in Leipzig (HGB Leipzig), of which she is an alumnus. She said, "I love what I do, but sometimes it can be hard to survive."

Hmm, I heard that exact same words from a photographer / acquaintance. And I wonder why it must be so, that the circumstances of our society is making us choose between surviving and doing what we are passionate about?

Ick, look who's talking. My muse is supposed to be capitalism. Or something. Haha!

Or maybe, I can eventually find a way to merge those together? A future business perhaps, which melds both survival and passion?

An interesting development in my MBA is that we're going to have field projects next semester, where we will be working with organizations--big and small--on particular issues. We got our group assignments today, and I was assigned to an entrepreneurial/consumer project who's looking to expand into international markets. Having only worked in big corporations so far, I'm really looking forward to this change in viewpoint. A close look into an entrepreneurial company in Germany! Should be exciting.

connect the dots

2009-12-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

While our social networking class talked about the importance of core ties and weak ties, of degree of separations, of distance and centrality...

...all I can think of is how pretty the social networking diagrams look, and if there was any way to artfully blow them up poster-size and hang them in my study room walls?

The first and last diagrams look like IKEA patterns, don't you think?

Sometimes, I still cannot believe I chickened out of going to design school and went for an MBA instead. Each in its own time, I guess. I'm still hoping that one day, I'll be able to go to design school. It could even be in a long-distance learning school, who knows? :o)

In the meantime, I'm trying to be in the present and enjoying what I can learn from the MBA.

And to prove that I don't only have pretty diagrams in my head, I'm attaching a link to what I wrote for our social networking paper / blog ;o)

http://crtunnard.blogspot.com/2009/11/online-or-offline.html

Okay, break time's over, and it's back to revising for Financial Economics! *Gaaaak*

bayang bulilit v2.0

2009-11-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

Downloading the Google app for iphones, I found that there is a nifty feature called voice search, where one can just state the word one is searching for, no typing needed.

So I said, "covariance*", and Google voice search got it right.

And then I said, "Toyota Production System*", and Google got it right again.

For fun, I wanted to try voice search in another language, so I thought of our national anthem Bayang Magiliw, and said, "Bayang Magiliw".

Google came up with "Buy Menu Maker".

* I apologize for the nerdy words. We had a horrible production management exam this morning, followed by an equally gripping afternoon session of Financial Management assignments.

happy 20th, germany

2009-11-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

"On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall - a physical and symbolic boundary between communist East Germany and democratic West Germany - began to come down, ending decades of separation and marking a turning point of the Cold War. Widely regarded as one of the most influential events of the 20th century, we felt it important to recognize this historic moment."
Pictures of the Berlin Wall from the LIFE Photo Archive and Time LIFE Pictures

{via Google}

just in time

2009-11-09T05:31:00.000-08:00

Regardless to what K says, he is excited about having an iPhone in the house...even if it's mine. Hehehe! (Well, now, he can invoke conjugal property as his line of argument. :o))

I never would have had thought of getting an iPhone, but a bunch of things convened together:
- I have to give back my work phone tomorrow;
- T-Mobile announced a special student rate (sign up until end of December this year to get it!);
- I am surrounded by wifi all the time at school;
- Homework, groupwork, career events, and deadlines are getting harder and harder to keep tabs on everyday...

So, call it fate, if you will ;o)

---

iPhone = iLove, seriously.

I had no idea how many fabulous applications are out there. (Welcome to the 21st century, cave girl.)

One application which I am sooo tempted to get (but is hesitant due to its redundancy) is the design-savvy QlockTwo.

It is based on the beautiful clock by Beigert & Funk.

Isn't she a beauty?!

But with real clock priced at 800 eur ++, I don't think my wallet can handle it. The 0.79 eur iPhone version is more...er...timely for now :o)

However, since the QlockTwo app cannot be used as a screensaver, and since--practically-speaking--iPhone has a default clock function anyway, I wonder if it'll have enough hold on me to just have it in my phone?

It's so pretty though!

Hurm. iPhone = inDecisions? :o) Happy indecisions, though!

applications of financial management

2009-11-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes it is useful to think of the firm as a pie...The way the pie is sliced could affect its value. If so, the goal of the financial manger will be to choose the ratio of debt to equity that makes the value of the pie--that is, the value of the firm, V--as large as it can be."
- Modern Financial Management, 8th Edition

Hmmmm, pie. I didn't know financial management could be so appetizing.

---

A couple of weeks ago, one of our classmates celebrated her 25th birthday. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and bake my very 1st carrot cake. It caused quite a ruckus in the newly-assembled Ikea kitchen, but all the mini-mishaps--flour explosions, hazelnuts clattering on the floor, etc.--were worth it. The carrot cake was a hit! Beginner's luck, I suppose. But I intend to do a repeat performance :o)

Carrot Cake III
{via All Recipes}

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

what's up, DOK?

2009-11-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Orgesticulanismus (2008), by Mathieu Labaye

---

Teacher: "Antoine, what are your favorite colors?"
Antoine: "Green and orange."
Teacher: "Why?"

And Antoine, a charmingly precarious, blind 6-year-old, answered: "Because orange tastes good."

From the wonderful film, Antoine, a part-reality, part-fantasy documentary by Laura Bari.

---

Of recent subjects, MBA has been reducing life into two-dimensional x and y axes. I am super glad the annual documentary filmfest in Leipzig, called DOK Leipzig, came at the right time to breathe some life back into me--literally, visually, in subtle underlying messages, via pulsating music, through symbolism, through emotions.

Within a week's time, K and I watched a not-so-shabby total of 14 films and animations:

Orgesticulanismus
Berlin-Stettin
Put the Way
The Monument
Leipzig im Herbst
Freiheit
Actors
The Living Room of the Nation
Shanghai Fiction
Cooking History
Nyarma
The Eskimo Experiment
Tulpan
Antoine

That's still way below batting average though, considering the whole festival showcased over 200 films! (I wonder how the jury went through all of them--hat tip to you guys.)

It was an enriching and eye-opening (and sometimes, heart-squeazing) experience. I am all the more thankful of the filmmakes out there, who have given me an opportunity to parttake in the worlds of other people I normally would not have the privilege to see, or would not even have had the awareness to know about.

---

"Under the northern star,
I cry a tear for you..."

- Finnish song

guess what we did this weekend?

2009-10-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

We got hitched.

Civilly.

No chair throwing or grooms running away on horseback or anything uncivil. Hahaha :o)

Up next, the "traditional" wedding next February--with long white dresses, smart barongs, bouquets and all that!

the uniform project

2009-10-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

The Uniform Project Trailer from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

A tale of one dress + 365 days + tips = a good cause.

Both visually and morally inspiring, the The Uniform Project is about a girl, Sheena Matheiken, who decided to wear a dress for 365 days to raise funds for the Akanksha Foundation in India. Check out the official website and the blog. It is so inspiring to see what you can do with a versatile black dress, recycled accessories, a creative mind, and a lot of good heart.

Coincidentally, today is the day that I clean out my closet--living in a country with 4 seasons + seasonal sales + a girl with a schizo fashion identity = lots of pieces that I've outgrown. Plus, I'm transitioning back to a more laidback, funky student look from corporate power dressing. It's a nice feeling, although going to business school still unfortunately imposes some creative limits. :o)

After seeing the trailer though, it made me think that maybe, all I need is a sustainable, little black dress, after all.

{via style swoon}

vat did you say?

2009-10-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

Four and a half years in Germany, and yet I sometimes still need a split second to think whether to say "schon" or "noch". It's not because they're difficult words; rather, they sound so different from "already" and "still", respectively, that it's still not second nature for me.

So I can totally understand when, the other day, as I squeezed into the tram and muttered "excuse me" in German, the gentleman opposite assured me with a hasty "thank you" in English. Hehe! :o)

---

Three weekends ago, K's parents came over to visit us in our new apartment. K's mom was especially eager to see the swath of cloth I brought over from the Philippines, for her to have her gown made.

No doubt thinking about the wedding in February, K's mom looked at me with wistful doe eyes, and sighed, "Oh, our first daughter-in-love."

It took me a few seconds to realize that she has mixed up her V's and W's, as Germans tend to do. (Remember Mr. Svenson the janitor in Archie comics? :o))

Daughter-in-love...I don't mind it at all :o)

fun can obviously change behavior for the better

2009-10-10T02:37:00.000-07:00

Fun! I wish I thought of that. Or, better yet, I wish they install one at my nearest subway.

But hold on, Leipzig doesn't have a subway system. Darn.

{via swissmiss}

after 14 hours at the university...

2009-10-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Relaxing in the flat, feeling a tad bit lonely as K is off to India for the week.

Munching on Tikka Masala Chips and -- to balance out the artificial stuff -- just sipping water.

Listening classical and jazz music on Radio Blau, a really nice independent station based in Leipzig, but which would be sadly taken off the airwaves by the end of this year :o( Due to lack of funds, I think. If I could save a radio station, I would like to save Radio Blau.

Listening to all these classical music, I am reminded of an MBA classmate who studied music as his first major. Once I spied him in cost accounting class, using the backs of his old, used music sheets as a notebook. How different are the "notes" he's writing down now!

Okay, break's over. Time to tackle my marketing management project.

tick-tock-tick

2009-10-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

What Makes the Average German Tick?

Found this article whilst researching for a case study. Long read, but entertaining, especially for foreigners like me, who have been living in Germany, yet still couldn't quite figure them locals out.

{via Spiegel Online International}

birds on the wire

2009-10-02T00:35:00.000-07:00

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

"Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.

I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper."
- Jarbas Agneli

I thought it was pretty original. Certainly made my heart flutter :o)

{via superherodesigns}

cross-selling works

2009-09-22T12:02:00.001-07:00

After a full day of accounting, group work (of which I plan to hang one of my group mates by his toes over a pool of piranhas), and German class, I am pooped...and craving for some well-deserved grease.

Mmmh, pizzaaaa.

So I rang up Uno Pizza, apparently one of the best-rated pizza deliveries amongst students in Leipzig, and ordered a Torero Pizza. (Chorizo, green mini paprika, red onion, and topped with gooey cheese, if you must know.)

"Anything else?" the friendly Uno Pizza girl asked at the other end of the line.

"Er, that's it, I guess."

Sensing my hesitation, the girl took plunged on. "Would you like to have ice cream to finish off your meal? We have Ben & Jerry's."

Ben & Jerry's?!?! Hesitation, is that even a word?

And that's how I ended up with a 150ml cup of Choco Fudge Brownie sitting inside my freezer, awaiting its fate.

Ohmygosh, my modista is going to strangle me with her measuring tape.

commencement

2009-09-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Moving to Leipzig. K behind the wheel, me behind the camera.

Coming home from a party last night, I tinkered with the (dorky) idea of testing an air guitar move in front of the mirror.

But then my almost 29-year-old creaking knees told me it might not be such a good idea. My graying matter agrees, citing sleep as a better alternative, to recharge for a new day of homework and readings.

Ah, such is the life of student--equating assets (sleep, schoolwork, party) and liabilities (aftermath of a party), and not just on the balance sheet.

Yes, I'm a student again, pursuing my MBA full-time.

This time, my sleepless nights will be spread out amongst homework, networking, keeping house, and planning a wedding long distance.

Yep, I'm engaged, too, and have finally moved to Leipzig to share the same zip code with my fiance K...after 7 years of dating!

What a 360 change from my previous life as a jaded corporate worker.

And all I say is: hooray to that :o)