4.12.2004
Enjoyed a terrific weekend with my friend and her husband who came from the Bay Area for a visit. It was pleasant to wake up in the morning and think OH! My friend is just across the hall! We went to a great Mexican place down the street, watched Goodbye Lenin, and took in a museum exhibit and a stroll along the beach. Though I don't normally distinguish between 'my' friends and UB's, it was nice to entertain someone I feel so close to and with whom I have so much in common. We completed our MA together, took many of the same classes, and keep in touch with the same people from the University. And she was my matron of honor at my wedding. Our conversations never seem to have empty spaces. There are many things that I miss from the Bay Area, but she is one of the people I miss most. It was hard to see them go, knowing that our contacts will again be limited to emails and phone calls. It's never the same as sharing a dinner together or meeting up at a café and savoring a latte along with the latest news.
UB's classes are going well. He's decided to continue with a beginning Spanish class, though it meets 5 times a week and thus requires him to be on campus every day. Normally, MBA classs run Monday-Thursday, making it more convenient to balance school life with home life and allowing students more time to complete homework assignments. But UB is becoming increasingly active, participating in a wide range of classes and events. In addition to his 5 classes, he's now enrolled in a 6th course, too, which is something of a symposium dedicated to discussing M&A. Then there's volleyball, soccer, and now racketball. And let's not forget the Finance Club and a few others I can't even remember. The sheer quantity of activities makes my head spin; I'm not sure how he's able to balance so much and still focus on coursework. Having an internship already set up for summer relieves a bit of the stress, I guess.
Speaking of the summer internship, UB has arranged for housing and is happy with the results. There's an organization in NYC that rents out furnished rooms and studios to students studying and interning in the city. UB will be staying in Midtown, fairly close to JP Morgan's building. No worries now about how to sublet or how to arrange for furniture for a 10-week stay. Everything is provided, just as in a hotel room, except for sheets and personal items. There's a communal kitchen, a laundry facility, a cafe and a workout room on the premises. I still haven't decided if I'll be visiting him during his stay. Money is tight these days and I'm not sure it's worth it to spend several hundred dollars on a trip to NYC when I'd rather have it available for our later sojourn to UB's home country.
I do know that my mom will be visiting for a few days this summer once UB leaves. I bought her a ticket for her birthday, which caused much happiness and excitement. There's a lot here that I'd like to show her, but I'm somewhat apprehensive about the visit. My mother has a tendency to complain constantly, smoke like a chimney and ask enfuriating questions. None of these are qualities that I can put up with for an extended period. This is where Benjamin Franklin's quote is so appropriate: "Fish and visitors smell in three days." My mom will be here for 5, so the apartment will definitely need a good airing-out afterwards.
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UB's classes are going well. He's decided to continue with a beginning Spanish class, though it meets 5 times a week and thus requires him to be on campus every day. Normally, MBA classs run Monday-Thursday, making it more convenient to balance school life with home life and allowing students more time to complete homework assignments. But UB is becoming increasingly active, participating in a wide range of classes and events. In addition to his 5 classes, he's now enrolled in a 6th course, too, which is something of a symposium dedicated to discussing M&A. Then there's volleyball, soccer, and now racketball. And let's not forget the Finance Club and a few others I can't even remember. The sheer quantity of activities makes my head spin; I'm not sure how he's able to balance so much and still focus on coursework. Having an internship already set up for summer relieves a bit of the stress, I guess.
Speaking of the summer internship, UB has arranged for housing and is happy with the results. There's an organization in NYC that rents out furnished rooms and studios to students studying and interning in the city. UB will be staying in Midtown, fairly close to JP Morgan's building. No worries now about how to sublet or how to arrange for furniture for a 10-week stay. Everything is provided, just as in a hotel room, except for sheets and personal items. There's a communal kitchen, a laundry facility, a cafe and a workout room on the premises. I still haven't decided if I'll be visiting him during his stay. Money is tight these days and I'm not sure it's worth it to spend several hundred dollars on a trip to NYC when I'd rather have it available for our later sojourn to UB's home country.
I do know that my mom will be visiting for a few days this summer once UB leaves. I bought her a ticket for her birthday, which caused much happiness and excitement. There's a lot here that I'd like to show her, but I'm somewhat apprehensive about the visit. My mother has a tendency to complain constantly, smoke like a chimney and ask enfuriating questions. None of these are qualities that I can put up with for an extended period. This is where Benjamin Franklin's quote is so appropriate: "Fish and visitors smell in three days." My mom will be here for 5, so the apartment will definitely need a good airing-out afterwards.
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4.05.2004
Yikes, almost a month gone by without a post. Things got rather hectic as UB's final exams approached as well as my conferences. And the past few weekends were unusually busy, with lots of friends dropping by. Oh, and there's that procrastination tendency, too...
The most exciting thing to have happened in the past few weeks is the week-long trip UB & I took with a friend to Havasu Falls in Arizona. It's an amazing campground located on the Havasupai Reservation south of the Grand Canyon. You have to hike in 10 miles to get to the village & campground; no access by road. Though my legs weren't entirely happy, the views once we got there were amazing: tremendous waterfalls, unique rock formations, beautiful campgrounds. Here are pictures that someone else was kind enough to put up on the web.
We returned Friday, exhausted but happy. And well-fed, too, since we stopped at Las Vegas for a night on our way back and took in two huge buffets (one at the Rio for dinner and one at the Palms for breakfast).
Today begins the third and final quarter of the year for UB. Not only will this quarter be the most challenging in terms of classes (he's taking 5 rather demanding courses in hopes of eventually graduating a quarter early), but once he's done, there's no break: he'll have to leave immediately for NY to begin his internship with JP Morgan. In fact, he has to take his exams early, since the term doesn't officially end until mid-June while JPM's internship starts June 7. So I relished our time together on the Havasu trip, knowing that it will be a long while before we can truly relax together again.
On a happy note, though, we've decided to go to UB's home country following his internship. This is really thrilling, considering the fact that we've been together for over 10 years, and this is the first time I'll be seeing the place where he grew up. A little scary, too, since I know I'll have to meet all of his relatives yet can't speak the language beyond an elementary level. Guess what I'll be doing in my spare time over the next few weeks?? When UB announced our travel plans to his parents by phone, they were so enthusiastic. His mom even suggested that I stay an extra month in order to partake in the country's biggest celebration. It would be nice, I think, but inconvenient, since I'll be applying for university positions at that time.
So many things to think about, plan, and accomplish in the next few months. This is such an exciting, interesting time.
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The most exciting thing to have happened in the past few weeks is the week-long trip UB & I took with a friend to Havasu Falls in Arizona. It's an amazing campground located on the Havasupai Reservation south of the Grand Canyon. You have to hike in 10 miles to get to the village & campground; no access by road. Though my legs weren't entirely happy, the views once we got there were amazing: tremendous waterfalls, unique rock formations, beautiful campgrounds. Here are pictures that someone else was kind enough to put up on the web.
We returned Friday, exhausted but happy. And well-fed, too, since we stopped at Las Vegas for a night on our way back and took in two huge buffets (one at the Rio for dinner and one at the Palms for breakfast).
Today begins the third and final quarter of the year for UB. Not only will this quarter be the most challenging in terms of classes (he's taking 5 rather demanding courses in hopes of eventually graduating a quarter early), but once he's done, there's no break: he'll have to leave immediately for NY to begin his internship with JP Morgan. In fact, he has to take his exams early, since the term doesn't officially end until mid-June while JPM's internship starts June 7. So I relished our time together on the Havasu trip, knowing that it will be a long while before we can truly relax together again.
On a happy note, though, we've decided to go to UB's home country following his internship. This is really thrilling, considering the fact that we've been together for over 10 years, and this is the first time I'll be seeing the place where he grew up. A little scary, too, since I know I'll have to meet all of his relatives yet can't speak the language beyond an elementary level. Guess what I'll be doing in my spare time over the next few weeks?? When UB announced our travel plans to his parents by phone, they were so enthusiastic. His mom even suggested that I stay an extra month in order to partake in the country's biggest celebration. It would be nice, I think, but inconvenient, since I'll be applying for university positions at that time.
So many things to think about, plan, and accomplish in the next few months. This is such an exciting, interesting time.
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