Movie/Concert of the Week

I am a fan of David Cronenberg’s work, finding the time to see his latest, A History of Violence, in a theatre. It stars Viggo Mortensen, of that little known trilogy written by some dead guy called Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson. This movie is not set in Hobbitville but rather in Anytown, USA. It does show how pernicious violence can be
and could be considered the first thinking man’s action movie.

I also went to see John Legend. Get his album, Get Lifted, people! It’s interesting to see that even if he is part of Kanye West’s posse, John exuded humbleness. The show was very enjoyable and the singer came across as simple and effective.
I don’t regret my evening. It was refreshing to see a young black man just being himself, not trying to play the role he is assigned by mainstream society.

the G Day!

Friday, December 23rd at 8:30, I will be writing my GMAT test.
Wish me luck!

The Elements of Style

Those who have been reading my posts may have noticed that my command of the English language can be shaky at times. I have then decided to invest two dollars of my hard-earned money and purchased a copy of “The Elements of Style” by Strunk & White.
Prepare to be amazed by my command of the semi-colon!
Rejoice at my impending taming of the English language!
Let’s see if this little book will really help for the Verbal GMAT section. At two dollars, it’s still cheaper than the Kaplan seminar!

LBS/Oxbridge

I attended the London Business School’s presentation last Saturday morning. What have I retained from these hours spent in company of fellow possible applications, 2 alumni and a member of the admissions’ committee? It seems that LBS competes directly with INSEAD for the same pool of applicants with 2 significant drawbacks: cost and duration.
However, LBS possesses the London advantage. Yes, I read some of the propaganda and I am still able to remember it. It is my impression that the average LBS grad is more mature than the typical INSEAD alumnus/ae. For those interested in applying, HSBC seems to be able to loan all of the tuition + living expenses at a competitive rate.
If I remember correctly, 70% of LBS grads stay in London afterwards, mostly working in the City for an average of 2 years. That would mean 4+ years in jolly Old England. Uh, I’ve only been to London once but frankly I don’t know if I would be willing to commit to that. New York seems closer, much more manageable than London in my mind.
Then again, there’s the London advantage. Basically, it is a question of choosing between spending a weekend in the Hamptons or in Barcelona. With Easy Jet and all the other carriers flying out of airports like Gatwick, it is very easy to hop around while in London provided one has some time off.  Academically-wise, LBS is top-notch and offers exchange programs to the usual schools and more exotic locales like South Africa.

I also took a brief look at Cambridge and Oxford. It seems to me that Oxford has a somewhat stronger program but at the same time, Cambridge’s policy of not charging for an application fee is very alluring. Oxbridge has a great brand name and I am sure the programs can’t be sorely lacking. They may not have the same reputation as LBS but living in the English countryside is definitely cheaper than living in London’s zone 1 or 2. Writing exams wearing a robe sounds very cool to me. I don’t know, maybe I read too many of my little cousins’ Harry Potter’s novels but I envision that it would be cool to eat dinner in a big hall. Then again, studying at Oxbridge would also mean staying a few more years in London, most likely. Well, London is definitely not Louisville, KY but I never imagined living among Sloane Rangers. Well, would it better than spending my time around Patrick Batemans in an apartment overlooking the Federal Reserve building?

le temps....

Wow, time flies by so fast… I realize that I will most likely not be ready to apply for Sept. 2006. It breaks my heart but frankly, I am overwhelmed with many issues and don’t think I can give my whole to writing essays,etc…..

Daniela Mercury, Muito Ligao!

Last Friday, I ventured out and attended a concert of an artist I knew nothing about: Daniela Mercury. Man, was I not disappointed! This Brazilian singer, originally from Salvador de Bahia, my favourite big city in Brazil, knows how to move a crowd. She does have much experience as she performs during carnival 6 hours a day for 5 days straight. The music is meant to make one dance but Daniela doesn’t shy away from tackling issues affecting the Afro-Brazilian community.

If she ever comes to your city, drop everything and go!