I went to Lancaster County, the Amish country, with Pietro from Italia and Fred and Karine from Montreal. We didn’t do a whole lot, just driving around and a guided tour in a horse carriage. It was pretty fun, but nothing incredible There was way more tourists than there were Amish there. The 325ci handled the journey very well, so my hat goes off to German engineers.
On Sunday, I dropped my horse-powerful carriage at PHL and flew to Toronto. My old friend Jon picked me up at YYZ. We reminisced about the time when I lived in Toronto and drove around our old neighbourhoods: Leah Crescent, Mill Street in Richmond Hill. We then drove down Yonge street, which holds some kind of record for the longest street, all the way to the waterfront and had dinner at East Side Mario’s.
I interviewed all day Monday, and flew back to Philadelphia at night. I missed three straight VC and geopolitics class because of interviews, so my grades will likely be affected. I believe I will have to kiss the Dean’s List goodbye this semester, but it will have had its desired effect: securing consulting interviews. On Thursday, I showed up to school for the class picture, and I will be remembered in eternity as the guy hanging off the skylight on the right side of the picture, Wharton MBA class of 2006. On Friday morning, I had my last final exam of the MBA. The Venture Capital exam went down ok. On Friday night, there was the final Wharton party called “Save the last dance”. It took place in a fancy ballroom, with an open bar and poorly rolled sushi.
On Sunday, I flew back to Toronto for a recruiting event all day Monday. I went to dinner on Sunday night with Renzo and Dimitry, two good friends from my days at Schulich School of Business. I hadn’t seen them in over a year, perhaps two, so it was great to have a chance to catch up with them. We went to The Keg, where I had a steak with a half Dungeness crab, as a way to prepare for my Californian trek. I returned to Philadelphia one last time on Monday night to pack my bags and get ready for my early flight to Cali.
On Tuesday morning, I kissed West Philly goodbye and flew to SFO via Las Vegas, where slot machines litter the airport. I picked up my rental Jeep Grand Cherokee and headed to the hotel I booked online at LAS. The hotel is simple but comfortable, and located within walking distance of Fisherman’s Wharf. After checking in, I took a long drive around the city, visiting the Coit Tower, Union Square, Alamo Square, the Twin Peaks etc. I dropped the Jeep at the hotel and walked over to Fisherman’s Wharf, where I had delicious Dungeness crab with a half bottle of Californian Chardonnay. My Dutch cab driver on the way home was 7”4’ (actual height, I asked him) and looked very uncomfortable in his ’96 Bonneville. His knees were flying right by his face.
On Wednesday, after a strange phone interview, I decided to head to Sonoma County to visit wine estates. After a decent lunch on the main plaza in Sonoma, I visited the Benziger estate, which was reported as being the best winemaking tour in California by the Wine Spectacle Magazine. After a tractor drive in the vineyard and a tour of the manmade caves, I had the opportunity to sample nine of their finest products. After a relaxing nap in the shade, I headed back to San Francisco, which is less than an hour drive. I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge twice during the day, and contributed to its beauty by paying an outrageous $5 toll! On Wednesday night, I had dinner on Forbes Island. (http://www.forbesisland.com/) While the concept was a lot of fun, and the food was very good, I didn’t enjoy my experience fully because I felt a little seasick as soon as I went down in the galley. My meal was accompanied by a half bottle of Californian Zinfandel made from 50 year-old vines. These vines produce very few grapes, which are very rich in tannins and flavour. After a complementary glass of port because I spoke French to the French staff, I headed off the island as soon as I could, in fear of returning the delicious meal to its makers by the same way it came in. After the fastest $5 spent at the tourist arcade, I hailed a cab back to my hotel.
On Thursday morning, I will be flying to Montreal for a very short two-day stay. My parents happen to be in town during the same period, so I will have dinner with them on Friday night. We will likely visit Milos, one of our favourite restaurants. (http://www.milos.ca/) The Greek restaurant also has a location in New York, and serves some of the best seafood in the world. Montreal is blessed with many amazing restaurants!
On Saturday morning, I will fly back to California. I hope to visit Alcatraz on Sunday before going to the Silicon Valley on Sunday night. I will be staying with a family for a week. Thanks Leo! I am in Palo Alto all of next week to complete an elective. We will meet some VCs, lawyers, entrepreneurs and established firms in the tech industry. Famous names include Google, Intel (we’re meeting the #3), Yahoo! etc. It should be both fun and educational.
While job search continues, I have decided not to share too many details in this forum, given the wish for privacy from the companies I am interviewing with. I will surely post my final decision once it has been made. Some picture of the past week are to come soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment