Dublin + afterwards

Recovering from a slight cold, I can commence my blog once again. As you can see from the pictures above, I flew to Dublin, Ireland and stayed at the Marlborough Hostel for 2 nights (3rd night slept at Starbucks and got kicked out). During my first day in Ireland, I took St. Kevin's bus out to Glendalough, located in the Wicklow Mountains. Eating a Quiznos sandwich with the sight of a lake trapped by two mountain ranges was breathtaking. A group of friends and I hiked for about 4 hours (I've never been that tired from a hike) into the beautiful mountains and stopped by some monastic ruins. Supposedly, the ruins are from one of the first churches in Ireland that happened to be attacked by the Vikings repeatedly.
Chilled in the Temple Bar area for a while before hitting the sack at 3 in the morning. Marlborough Hostel was a great place to stay because they have hot showers, locks to the doors, a personalized locker, free internet, a Tom Clancy novel (Teeth of the Tiger if you were interested), free breakfast (toast and butter), and a pool table. So basically, a 5 star hostel.
Anyways, spent the next day exploring Dublin after picking up my baquette at the local bakery. Went to kilmainham goal, a famous jail in Ireland, where I was lectured on Irish history (they had a civil war!). Then off to the famous Guiness Factory where I learned that the water used in the process of making alcohol is called liquor, Guiness is supposedly good for you (false advertising), and loads more. After climbing 7 floors you end up at the bar where they give you a free pint of Guiness or some fanta (I drank the fanta because fanta over here is delicious). I had a great time in Ireland, with many crazy stories to supply from there. That place is sin city.
Managing to operate off of little sleep, I arrived back in Cambridge in time for class (which takes up like 7 hours of my day). Immediately after class and barely awake, I went to the Pembroke formal dinner where I was confused with all the traditions. For example, standing up every once in a while when a fellow (a tenured professor) stands up to leave. The 4 course dinner was great, and the espresso was amazing (maybe this was because I was exhausted). I had a great conversation with a professor specializing in leisure activities and researching the political and economic effect sports has on the European Union. Tried to watch American Gangster afterwards, but ended up falling asleep.
Today was actually a basketball tournament, and my team won the whole thing! We dominated. Since I'm sick, I would like to think of my role as Michael Jordan in the NBA finals when he played despite sickness. Although his sickness was a little more severe, I would like to congratulate myself on playing 3 hours of high quality basketball. My professor ended up showing up after the tournament, so I played another game with him. Since my team had won the tournament, we went with Ryan and Claire (two King's students) to the local Japanese restaraunt to eat some food. Ended up consuming an incredible Miso Ramen dish with Duck Gyoza. O yeah, random obserations:
1) I'm forgetting about many things back in the states... for example, the name of the residence hall I am living in next year.
2) I say "cheers" when I mean to say thank you or good bye.

Anyways, off to sleep before another busy day tomorrow. Cheers!

Morning Jog

You may or may not know, but there is a vibrant countryside that completes Cambridge. On my occasional morning jogging sessions, I run through land owned by King's and pass by all the landmarks you see in the photos. I would like to point out the Mercedes A class and the dinky red car I have never seen before in the states. As you can see, there is a chemist (pharmacist) on the way to the countryside. And to last AND least is the acronym USC. But here, USC is the University Social Club. That's right, USC will always have an identity crisis, in the states and abroad.

Moving on to contemporary role models...
Since there is no perfect human (except Jesus), I am going to identify three individuals who portray great qualities I respect and strive after. Please do not interpret this as me saying that I don't respect other people's characteristics...I am merely identifying three individuals who have been on my mind in recent times.

First, Warren Buffet. His blatant identification and scrutiny of the class struggles that exist in the world is strange for the richest man in the world to do. He appears to actually care about what is happening in others' lives and how his blessings can be used as tools for positively influencing lives. I also love his statement, "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get."

Second, Kobe Bryant. Before you start accusing me of supporting adultery and other infidelities, let me say what I respect about the man. First, he is a man and an imperfect human being. But, so am I. Despite being the best at his respective skill set, he continues to pursue excellence. His constant pursuit of defining and improving his already excellent skill set is what marvels and inspires me.

Last, but definitely not least. My father. Knowing this man up and close for my entire life, I have been able to scrutinize and identify what a man should embody. His constant sacrifices and willingness to live for others have inspired me my whole life. Humble and extremely diligent in what he does, my father has and will always be my role model. Of course he is stubborn and ignorant of social situations at times, but he may be the most genuine and good-hearted person I know. As a result, I can only hope I become half the man my father is.

MI6, Trailer of Life, Hair Cut, and Basketball

In case some of you were interested in what my apartment looks like, see the pictures above.

On Wednesday evening I went to a guest lecture by the former head of MI6 (now the headmaster of Pembroke) focusing on terrorism and its effect in Europe and the world. It was very interesting to hear a different side to terrorism, and even praise for the integration of Muslims in the states.
After the lecture was the reception with free wine and pizza. I drank a little too fast, so I ended up leaving the very stuffy room and going with some friends to the Trailer of Life. The Trailer of Life is basically a British food truck open at the wee hours of the morning, and hungry college students go to eat unhealthy, but delicious burgers, chicken nuggets, fries, garlic mayo, you get the picture.

I also went to the Barber shop for the first time in my life (an actual Barber). First, he greeted me with hello in Japanese (there are very blatant racial stereotypes here)...he eventually talked about how he loves pretty American girls. To top it off, I paid 12 pounds (24 dollars...the most expensive haircut I have ever had.) for a hair cut that is not evenly cut. Arggg...I'm going to ask my friend cut my hair next time.

Since I have a final I'm supposed to be studying for, I will get right to the point. I had the opportunity to play basketball with my economics professor today, and it was so much fun! He's a big Greek guy and he was pretty good in the post. We played like 4 games, and won all of them. It always feels good to play basketball, even better if you win. It was pretty interesting because I got to ask him some questions about bond redemption values and such in between games, so that was definitely helpful. Well, tomorrow is the big day before I go off to Ireland and check out where Braveheart was filmed (I am actually going to one of the areas where they filmed).

Until next time,
Cheers!

Kobe

This past weekend I went to see a football match between Cambridge United vs. Everton. It was very interesting to see how dramatic some of these fans were...Jumping up and down at a goal attempt.

So, of course I then participated in a football tournament. All I have to say is that football is bloody tiring.

I also took some of my friends punting. Punts are little boats that are pushed along the river by a punter. A punter is basically a person holding a long stick that is used as a rudder and a device to push along the river bed. It is actually quite complicated, but I mastered it quickly and have obtain the title "Kobe of punting." (I actually gave myself that title...and everyone agrees, or appears to agree)

This week is finals week, so a lot of us are busy...except I just spent 3 hours in front of my house talking to some friends. I just hope I can tell identify the different components to bond valuations.

I just want to say that I've been eating a lot regularly...
breakfast: 2 bowls of cereal, cup of banana and orange juice, 2 yogurt packages with granola
lunch: 2 pb&j sandwiches, 3 slices of bread slathered in nutella, chocopies, digestives crackers
2nd lunch: McDonalds or just pick up a hot dog from a vendor
dinner: cat fish, veggies, pasta, chow mein, cake, blueberry juice or fanta, ice cream bar
night snack: maybe some ramyun or an orange if I feel like eating healthy

Cheers!

Evening in Cambridge

Pictures:
Punting, the Cow (2 for 1 deals for pizza and drinks from 5-7), farmer's market, and King's College.

I just came back from a splendid evening at King's College. Today was the fellow's reunion, so there was a private fireworks show and free champagne for everyone. A couple of friends and I ended up eating some fudge along with some champagne while admiring the amazing private fireworks display. Talk about exclusive! We plan on ordering some Pizza Hut soon as well as eat some KFC... :)

Yesterday I went punting in the river (amazing! I'm going to punt every week), and had a great time moving slowly along the river bank. Since King's owns some punts, we punt for an hour at only the price of a pound! Later that day and after a bacon cheeseburger, I went to play basketball for the first time in the UK. The indoor basketball court was very small (there is a cement wall right behind the basket...so no fast breaks!), but I had a great time. Of course, a group of us headed over to the cow for happy hour and consumed my favorite BBQ chicken pizza along with a Mai Tai.

On Tuesday a group of us are going to have bible study at Pembroke...so, I'm looking forward to that.

Before I end the entry, I would like to add a little history of King's College, University of Cambridge.
So, King's College is located in the city of Cambridgeshire (the city that houses the University of Cambridge which is made up of over 30 different colleges). The school was founded in 1441 by King Henry 6, but finished construction under King Henry 8. As you can tell from the name, the college had royal roots and was meant to be a feeder school for Eton (the famous boarding school academy for upper class boys). Since King's scholars were immune from local laws, many of the city's residents despised the scholars. Keep in mind that the king also forced out many people in order to have land to establish King's College. The malice that existed in the residents towards the scholars continued into the 60's. If scholars went into the wrong pub, they were risking a beat down from the residents. There is still a little bitterness, and this is evident when the locals are drunk and kick the students' bikes. Since I am now a King's man, it is definitely interesting to learn about the interaction among the royal family, local residents, and the scholars.

Cheers!

Korean food!

Part of my daily routine includes running in the morning. Why is this relevant? I was able to find the only Korean food restaurant in all of Cambridge! After spotting Little Seoul, I vowed to come back for some traditional Korean food.
For lunch, a group of us walked over to Little Seoul to try out my ethnic cuisine (Since this was a first for many of them, I acted as a guide). First, I met our waitress who was not Korean! Sorry, but I haven't been to a Korean restaurant with a non-Korean waitress.
Moving on...
They had my favorite dishes like dol sot bibimbap, ddengjangchigae, bbulgoki, soondooboo, donkasu....and that's basically all the had. I had hoped that this Korean restaurant would not follow the UK custom of giving tiny portions....but I realized that I better get used to eating less when I saw my dolsot bibimbap. The portions are pretty small compared to American or Korean standards, but the food was authentic and flavorful (unlike a lot of British food). I ended up not getting ddengjangchigae because they charge extra for a bowl of rice! I know, unheard of! But, yeah that's how it is over here. Don't get me wrong, the food was good and I my stomach was happy with the comfort food. After eating, I went to the local Asian market and discovered Chocopie, Shin Ramyun, Aloe Vera drink, and more! So, I splurged on lots of snacks, and picked up a McFlurry (there are only 3 types...mint choc, choc, and strawberry) on the way back to my place.

So, the past few days I have been preoccupied with a paper on the efficient market hypothesis (weak form, semi-strong, and strong forms), and want to say that I believe there is the potential for a synergetic relationship to be utilized between the EMH and behavioral finance. Although much of the rationale is based on theory, I would say that combining both would be a means to analyze the financial cyborg that exists. I use the term cyborg to describe the market as a medley of human investor sentiment as well as a system of valuating equity.

Well, it's getting late...so until next time, Cheers!

Church and Random comments

On Sunday I attended St. Andrew's Baptist church behind the Cambridge indoor mall. I am pretty sure I will be attending this church during my stay here in the UK. The pastor was very direct on the urgency of the gospel and how our message should not be watered down to "you can think what you want, and I'll believe what I want." He really focused on how we hold great responsibility knowing the truth and must relay the gospel message to others. I'm planning on attending bible study soon...they meet at different cafes on Wednesday evenings.

So, I would like to remark on strange things in Cambridge.
1) Terms - Flat, Snogging, Rubbish bin, fizzy water, to let, and other things I can't remember at the moment.
2) Days are super long...meaning there is light outside (4am- 10pm)
3) People drive on the left side of the street and the steering wheel is where the wing passenger should be.
4) The clouds move very, VERY quickly.
5) People always carry umbrellas.
6) Television sets are rare (at least where I have been).
7) Drying machines don't really dry your clothes.
8) Burger King is rare.
9) The British are very proud. (example: When France surrendered to Germany in World War 2, the headlines in the British papers were "French surrender to Germany, We made it to the Finals!"
10) I'm taking a midterm that is worth 0% of my grade.
11) A "bedder" comes into my room every morning to make my bed.
12) Food purchased at the market expires quickly (very few if any preservatives)

1st Trip to London

Before I get to London, I have to mention that I played volleyball for the first time in the UK. It was perhaps the most hilarious game of volleyball I have ever played. First, the British students were trying to play for the first time in their lives, and we all had a ton of fun messing up on serves, spikes, etc etc.

So, I went to London today for the first time in my life. After arriving in Westminster (right next to inner London), we started our day with a walking tour starting in Trafalgar Square. With an official "London Walks Touring Company" guide taking us around, we passed by Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben Clock, St. James' Park, and other random alley ways. My highlight of the trip was probably going to the street vendors and getting some ice cream and a hot dog (It's the simple things for me). After the tour, we headed out to the Thames River boats for a ride to the Tower of London. We probably spent around 4 hours walking around the Tower of London (which is actually more like a Castle or Fortress), and then headed out to town. Walking across the London Bridge was epic! I kept on humming the common childhood tune, but I think some people were disturbed...hahah :)
Dinner at the Pizza Express was pretty decent, but I had to follow that up with two more ice cream bars...
Since we delayed dinner for so long, we had to rush to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to get our tickets for King Lear. My ticket said "yard standing," so I was a little suspicious what that meant. It meant exactly what I feared. We were standing in the "common" people are, and watched the entire 3 hour play standing up. Despite the sore knees, the experience of watching these extremely talented actors and actresses perform was incredible. Without microphones, they were able to articulate every single word straight from the play.

London is a great city (I saw them preparing for the 2012 Olympics), and I definitely want to go back another weekend. Take care and God Bless!