Life, Spring & Summer 2015

The spring semester was a quick but difficult one! My advanced accounting course, Japanese course, my consulting course (with a company in Omaha!) and financial modeling and firm valuation course in the first quarter gave me many stresses and little sleep (not to mention Hebrew school and Radiology Protocols), but I pulled through. In order to graduate early to go back to medical school, I took a spring break course called Rapid Continuous Improvement in Pella, IA, learning the ins and outs of a company in order to watch it progress. The second quarter was one filled with group work, from a corporate finance course filled with case work to a course focused on strategic management. I added a night class on some Monday and Thursday evenings (6-10 P.M., awful time but great class) on wealth management, upping my credit total for the year to 43. Somehow, I made it through the semester with a strong GPA and plenty of new insights into the world of management and finance.

Over the summer, I enrolled in our capstone course, business integration, due to its being given only in the spring, an impossibility for me given my return to medical school mid-fall. Additionally, the phenomenal Ethics and the Law professor agreed to teach me over the summer pro bono, since I otherwise would’ve missed his class as well. So far, with just one exception, I have spent nearly every weekend away from IC as I continue working for Radiology Protocols on weekdays. I got to do things like explore St. Louis and see Imagine Dragons in concert as the Hawks claimed the Stanley Cup in my fair city!

On top of that, one of my good friends came from Wilmette to visit me, which was a great excuse to explore parts of Iowa yet unknown to me (such as the Vander Veer Botanical Park and the Putnam Museum, as well as all four Quad Cities).

I found a dinosaur!

Over the Mississippi and back again

While taking my work with me, I had the chance to celebrate the marriage of two dear friends in LA. I chose to save $40 and fly out of Des Moines. Not a great choice. On Thursday, June 19^th, after my initial AA flights were cancelled due to weather in Dallas, I was annoyingly delayed on the outbound by nearly eight hours in Phoenix (thanks, U.S. Airways) after a very late inbound flight, a part fix, and an overheated wing requiring the plane to be shut down with us in it on a 113F day in order to bring an A/C unit out to cool it down. This forced my travel companion, my good friend Eric (now living in Orlando who had taken a direct flight into LAX), to wait eight hours for me as my flight continued to be delayed. Still, I made it safely to LA, dining with the groom and his family on a delicious brisket dinner. We then headed with some friends to Santa Monica Pier for a great sunset and people watching (including a guy who was the spitting image of what Americans picture Jesus might have looked like!).

Dusk on the pier

Friday, Eric (who works at Disney) got us free passes to Disneyland! We arrived before it opened, park hopped, strategically planned out rides for the day, and had a number of successes before heading back to LA. We then proceeded to two different Shabbat dinners, I to the bride and groom’s meal, and Eric friend to the synagogue’s meal to indulge in a new Jewish experience.

The 60th "Diamond" celebration was on!

We finally found parking and walked a few of these to hit the beach

Saturday was a very relaxing day. Eric wanted an extra day at Disney, while I joined the bride and groom for morning Sabbath services, a hearty lox, bagel, and cream cheese lunch, a relaxing afternoon with some of my friends also attending the wedding, and an evening “beer garden” at the groom’s home. Despite repeated pushes to coax the groom into a Vegas trip that night, we failed, instead spending time finding another friend’s hosts’ home and his car before finally getting a ride home.

Sunday, after picking up some shtick material for the wedding and a gift for our amazing and gracious hosts, Eric and I hit up Venice Beach for a nice and relaxing morning. We then headed back, and I changed and headed to the wedding. Spectacular hors d’oeuvres. A wonderful wedding. I even received the honor of being a witness to the ketubah, or marriage contract. After dancing the afternoon away and nearly missing our flight, Eric and I embarked on part two of our trip, to San Francisco.

The blushing bride and groom, in full Jewish attire

We landed late Sunday night, and my good friend and second gracious host of the trip came to pick us up and took us back to Palo Alto. We quickly and happily crashed. The next morning, we received a tour of Palantir, as well as their cafeteria in which everything was free. Fancy sandwich? Free. Cliff bars and other snacks? Free. Thirty types of beer and many other types of fancy bottled drinks? Free. Unreal. Even the bathrooms were stocked with tons of free toiletries (sunscreen, floss, toothbrushes and toothpaste, Axe deodorant, mouthwash, and even nail clippers). The company culture is just that awesome. We then headed for a very San Francisco afternoon: crossing the Golden Gate, riding a cable car (which was halted due to a convoy of mayors from some national conference in San Francisco), enjoying the samples at the Ghirardelli factory, walking down the pier, admiring the sea lions, getting lost in a house of mirrors, and enjoying some of the local brews. We then stopped back at Palantir for some kosher food delivery. Free, of course. Like I said, unreal.

Who needs coexistence when you have Domino's?

California!

Thanks for blocking the road, conference of mayors...

Wut?

On Tuesday, Eric and I drove to see some coastal redwoods about an hour and a half south of Silicon Valley, at Big Basin. After that, we found ourselves so close to Cupertino that we just had to stop by Apple HQ. Without knowing anyone working there, we weren’t even allowed in the lobby. Heck, we couldn't even take a picture of the lobby. So much for having contributed thousands of dollars to Apple products. After that, we headed back home, relaxed for the afternoon while I planned out my next travels, and headed to the airport. My return flights also got rerouted due to a delay, but this time for the better, and after flying to Miami and then Washington Reagan, I made it for an on time arrival into the heart of the Iowa storms into Des Moines International Airport (never mind the fact that there are no international flights that fly the route), where my good friend, capstone course classmate, and former Dubai roommate picked me up and hosted me before taking me back to IC the next day. My only regret of this fantastic California adventure: no Mexikosher. Oh well, there’s always next time!!!

Apple HQ, as close as they'd let us come

Post-trip, I enjoyed a few weekends between Chicago and St. Louis, as well as two friends coming to visit me! We went to county fairs, up to Field of Dreams, and west to Des Moines!

Des Moines Kosher establishment--AMAZING!!!

After that, I finished up my coursework, and headed home. It's been a fun few weeks, but the real fun is yet to come!!!

Around the World in 180 Days Part 3

I know, I know. It’s the middle of July and I still haven’t given you part three of winter break that you’ve been waiting for and/or forgotten about. Well, here we go. Right now.

On Jan. 7, about a week after returning home from Ecuador, I set on another remarkable adventure, this time into the sands of the Middle East. After a lovely British Airways lounge visit in Chicago (the chef made me a lox plate!), I arrived on BA 294 at London Heathrow Terminal 5, made my way through security, took a quick shower at the BA arrivals lounge (wow, so many showers!), and headed straight to the apartment of a good friend and classmate from Columbia University. We spent the day catching up, enjoying each other’s company, and trying out new things, including Isola Bella, a Kosher restaurant in Golders Green that served Thai food, Mediterranean food, Italian food, and fish and chips (and as skeptical as we were, it turned out to be pretty good)!

BA Lounge, ORD

Lox plate--just for me! 

BA B-747...such an old plane!

Rows and rows of showers!!!

On Friday, June 9, I spent the day wandering through some museums before returning to cook us a nice Shabbat dinner. Saturday was another day of museum wandering before I took off at night on BA to Dubai. The flight was fine, but I somehow managed to crack my front tooth while biting on something. What’s the deal with airline food anyway?

After clearing customs early Sunday morning in Dubai, I made my way to the subway station, took the subway to our hotel, and made it just in time for our first class. The Global Learning Opportunity of the University of Iowa’s MBA program is truly incredible. I can’t stress it enough. From the nice hotels to the thoroughly planned visits and impressive speakers and beyond, this trip was a phenomenal experience. After hearing from our opening panel (and learning that some Americans simply are not meant for international acclimation), we took off for a city tour. During the break in between, I rushed to find a dentist. I had the chipped piece put back in, bargained down the dentist on the price (I love the Middle East), and headed back to the tour, making it back despite the heavy Dubai traffic. The tour and cultural experience were both impressive, and we returned full in body and spirit to our hotel in the evening.

My BA B-777 from LHR-DXB

Our hotel for all but one night 

Such a humble man, that sheikh!

On Monday, we toured both the Chamber of Commerce (in which a Palestinian woman gave an overview before the head of the chamber, an Emirati, did a Q&A with us) and the Dubai Financial Market (in which a Chinese businessman explained to us the workings of the financial system). The city of Dubai has made its entire fortune on business and trade. It has very little oil, unlike Abu Dhabi. Beyond the free trade zone, any businesses in Dubai require 51% ownership by a local. So, by signing a local symbolically to 51% and paying him 5-10% of all profits, you give a guy a fortune for nothing. It’s no wonder we saw so little of the 150K Emiratis in this city of two million.

Acting all business-y at the Chamber of Commerce

 A few of us took off that evening toward the Dubai Mall, complete with a full aquarium and all of the fancy stores you’d ever need in your life. We dined on fine foods (I once again lost the tooth piece, but the truffle pizza was so worth it) near the water to see a coordinated light show, followed by a trip up the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa (named after the president of the UAE after Abu Dhabi bailed out the Burj when Dubai fell on hard times during the 2008-2009 dip). The observatory wasn’t even on the top, but you could see everything!

Of course Dubai Mall has an aquarium inside of it! 10,000,000L tank! 

That's me and the Burj!

The Burj Khalifa at night. It's dark inside because it's SO VACANT!

Long way down!

On Tuesday the 13^th, our group set off for a meeting at Johnson & Johsnon. Following lunch, we made our way to Nakheel Properties, an organization dedicated to building the best and most unique properties in the Middle East. Of course, like most businesses of that sort, the local government has its hands and pockets deep within the organization. Their expansionist dreams may have slowed a bit in 2008, but they are at it again. We toured the Palm Jebel Ali, the archipelago artificially created to appear as a palm tree, by boat. The houses and hotels were magnificent, and our tour guide told us that they were all sold, and that the hotels were always around 90% full. We saw nearly no one on the island and very few people on the beaches. We were skeptical, to put it lightly, but one shouldn’t dare question the mouthpiece of the Sheikh and the grandeur of Dubai, so we kept our mouths shut and appreciated the scenery while I secretly appreciated all of the Russian drug and prostitution money used to purchase property in Dubai as a sort of haven from prying eyes. But just check out these shots!

Grand plans of Nakheel

Palm monorail station

On a boat! 

Look! We found Atlantis! 

The dubious (get it!? because it was really suspect and also because Dubai) Club 7 in our hotel

On Wednesday, we toured Emirates Global Aluminum (full disclosure: we boarded a bus and I fell asleep to the technical of metallurgy and shipping). We also learned about the Jebel Ali Port and how the new airport will allow trading and shipping through Dubai to become the quickest in the world, with sea to air in just 30 minutes! We headed off to the Ibn Battuta Mall, with each area fashioned after a different part of the globe. In the Moroccan section, I had my name written in calligraphy by a witty man in a fez. “Charming prince,” he wrote, and gave me a leather bookmark. For free. Because it’s Dubai.

Check out the 7 sheikhs of the 7 Emirates! Plus the former ones of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

On Thursday, we made our way to the capital and founding city of the UAE, Abu Dhabi. Founded entirely on oil, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was a natural first stop, along with the Sheikh Zayed grand mosque, of course. We also went to the local mall, which was still sizable but nothing like in Dubai (did I mention that another mall in Dubai has skiing INSIDE of it!?).  If they sold that mosque, I’m convinced that they could end world poverty then and there. But whatever, for God and country or something like that.

Not as glitzy and impressive as Dubai, a theme I quickly caught on to

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque 

Our trip to ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) was particularly fascinating. Three speakers spoke to us, two of whom were local, and all were women. One spoke with hair uncovered, another with a hijab, and another with a niqab. There was something so unnerving and yet so awesome listening to someone whose mouth could not be seen, the power of the role of speaker juxtaposed with an externally perceived physical veil of female oppression. It momentarily threw all perceived norms on their heads, and it was awesome. ADNOC, incidentally, is also majority foreign-owned, due to a lack of job pursuits on the part of lazy rich locals, but they’re working on changing that. The low fuel prices around the world were also a good topic for discussion, but as long as barrels remained >$40, they said that they would still be financially solvent. I mean, check out the oil price from my drive back to Iowa that Sunday evening...I'm sure they had to be sweating! My awesome roommate throughout the trip ditched Abu Dhabi to go to a wedding in Egypt (when in the Middle East…), so I had the room all to myself!

Abu Dhabi by night

On Friday, our group got together in the hotel in Abu Dhabi for one final discussion of our experiences in the UAE. Following that, we were free to have lunch and explore before making out way back to Dubai. A few of us went to the Corniche to dip our feet in the water and soak up our last moment in the capital.

At the Corniche. Complete with flag.

After making our way back to the hotel in Dubai, we set off for a desert safari, rolling though the sands on 4x4s before seeing an amazing sunset, consuming a variety of delicious buffet items, and seeing a number of shows in this incredible desert experience. I taught my friends the art of bargaining at the bazaar and we made our way home.

Saturday was a free day. We slept in, had one final incredible breakfast at our hotel (every day the breakfasts were just unreal), and then my roommate and I walked through the town. We relaxed, rested, and then in the evening made our way to a Hookah bar and a vegetarian south Indian restaurant to cap off an amazing trip.

We made our way late Saturday night to the airport. Dubai Airport has a terminal for Emirates (which apparently is awesome) and a terminal for everyone else (which is not). Man, the bathrooms were gross and the BA lounge pretty sad. It was fine, though, as I was able to get to London Heathrow for a three hour connection and lounge hop between the BA, AA, and Cathay Pacific lounges (yay for Oneworld Sapphire status!!). British Airways had by far the best lounge, but Cathay wasn’t bad (and I was the first one there!). My AA flight was solid and the leg room was more that ample, and I made it back home to say hi to my parents before heading back to Iowa City!

My own private Cathay lounge (for a little while)

Who drove the prices down?