I have not yet come to the stage to select offers while am still interested in collecting information from different b-schools. Duke MBA attracts me because of its No. 3 rank in marketing and comparatively better reputation national wide; however, California sunshine, beaches, Hollywood industry are something few people can turn down. Anyway, finger cross on other schools. This is a time-consuming and effort-consuming procedure, not sure whether it will be the longest waiting time in my life.

FuquaVision is a student-run organization producing videos regarding the MBA life. Just search out some interesting ones.

Fuqua Girl

Banker, Brander, Consulting and non-profit ranked the most popular occupations for Fuqua MBA graduates. Though no one can be 100% sure where he would be after two years, it does not hurt to enjoy the songs, anyway~

最近比较空，今天去了一次Palm Springs附近的Desert Hills Premium Outlet, 算是赶圣诞折扣的末班车。

因为担心停车难，早上八点多就出发，一个半小时左右到。昨天我已经做好功课，打印地图，把感兴趣的店家都标出来，这样就更有的放矢。虽然原来工作忙，能逛街的时间不多，但锻炼出来了高效率。对适合自己的款式和尺寸一目了然，同时也摸清楚喜欢的几个品牌的规律，网上查pre-view款式，什么品牌永远不会打折，那些东西不值得原价购入，每季时候会开始折扣，最大折扣会是多少，什么款式那个品牌最经典、几折就可以入手不然肯定没货，甚至哪几个商场货会比较全，哪些东西小店买性价比高，等等，都要明明白白，不亚于一个衣橱管理系统。

到了加州，也慢慢开始积累这些经验。但是因为要搬家，一直不能有大手笔，只能先小打小闹。

今天去的这个outlet, 两个wings组成, 算是中等规模。

Ferragamo: 从SGI开始就认识它，当时还在做intern, 陪着几个大老板到美美赶它的折扣。因为章子怡，估计这家在国内也很知名了。经典款平底鞋，在mall里面也就很普通的摆着。它家是今天碰到的唯一有帅哥door man的店家。

Coach: 这个在这里好多好多。一直不喜欢它家的经典花纹系列，今年新出的纯色帆布stripe还不错。Vicky建议我买个做书包，考虑是用它家的还是选一个longchamp的算了。在店里看到好多人，一个款式的手包每个颜色买一个。随便挑了几样，排队，买单。Sales们忙得连包装的功夫都没有。

Tod's: 这个是我今天最后悔的了，因为喜欢的豆豆鞋在打折，原来outlet price上再60%off, 最后两百多。但当时看到的时候已经有点买不动了，而且前阵子刚买了平底小红鞋和跑步鞋，Anada就威胁我再买鞋肯定箱子装不下，要扔，所以最后犹豫再三没有买。估计下次去不会有这么好的折扣了。

MaxMara, MaxStudio：一直没怎么弄明白两家的关系，大部分感觉太老，但还是有喜欢的，特别是上衣和dress. 这两家Marshalls, TJ也经常有，所以没有花太多时间。

Miss Sixty: Jeans的样子很好，够长。但今天吃得太多，不能试Jeans. 一般都是５折的价格，５０左右before tax. 原价比上海还是便宜很多。它家，除了jeans,　真没有其它适合的。

Polo Ralph Lauren: 这个和CK, Gap(相对更差点), Nautica, Tommy, 感觉都差不多，和Anada都蛮喜欢。不过我还好，女生反正衣服多，各个都买一些也无所谓。但是今天还劝Anada, Nautica和Gap就out of list吧，实在太多了。CK总喜欢把店搞得酷酷的，原先的fitting room关了，本来已经打算好直接埋单算数，后来sales热情的告诉我可以到哪里去试，在Tommy也碰到了好心的sales, 运气不错。还有，这几家都有小孩的衣服，太cute了，下个目标就是回到上海，打扮嘟嘟。

Dior: 只看了一下，感觉这里的outlet 和mall里面的店铺没什么区别。

Gucci: 真是受亚洲人欢迎。据说香港Gucci是街包。看到了圣诞节在Saks试过的墨镜．

East Wing差不多就逛了上面的几家，Anada已经饿得不行．Easy Wing的Food Court 很小，我们选了墨西哥菜，味道实在一般．整个East Wing居然没有找到咖啡店．

下午Anada没兴趣了，留在车里看片子．因为我早就料到他会这样，坚持让他把笔记本也带上．对Anada来说，柯南远比shopping有意思．

West wing从Columbia开始．Anada几年前就跟我说要买冲锋衣，当时我就没搞懂一千多块买这种衣服能"冲锋"几次．后来和其它朋友聊天，原来晓得男生都有买"冲锋衣"的情结，估计就和女生要little black dress一样的吧．

Aldo: ０３年来美国就看到了它，后来莱福士也有了，现在估计上海有很多了吧，不过从来没有买过它家的鞋子．

J.Crew: 网上炒疯了，从１５～３５岁似乎都很喜欢它．但我就是提不起对它的兴趣．倒是和它家经常一起提起的BR, 蛮喜欢的．质量不错，也比较fit size, 买起来比较放心，好搭配．就是中文名字很怪异:香蕉共和国?

BCBG: 最近才关注BCBG Girls的鞋子，今天居然看到有凉鞋才9刀，还是皮的．但平时，它家虽然折扣大，但也没有到这个地步，应该比NW要贵一些．

NW: 和Anada聊起来才枉然原来中文翻译的那么好，久熙，完全逐字翻译但用了两个都很美的字。喜欢它家的高跟鞋，原来一直很佩服自己穿高跟鞋的能力。还记得生好嘟嘟月子结束第一次穿高跟鞋出去逛的兴奋，果然高处空气好。今年的红鼻子款很好，但皮的我们这里已经找不到了，只有绒布款的，不喜欢，显脚宽。

Ann Taylor: Office风格的很多，但实在不愿意挑尺寸试了。它家很有意思，门口站了一排神色很哀怨的男士。估计他们的Significant Others都在里面挑衣服。

Burberry: 还不错，有些东西可以挑. 二十分钟，心满意足地出来。

Liz Claiborne: 这个加州真多啊。TJ一半的包是它家的。今天也碰到一个好大的店面。因为太大了，不愿意浪费时间，所以也就路过。

Guess: 一开始注意它是因为它家很多搭扣就是一个G, 会想到我的名字。不过在这里并不敢大买，它家的reputation在这里远没有在国内好。今天碰到了很大的折扣，也就忍不住了...

这个Wing兜完，又把Anada从车里叫出来，去了对面的outlet.  两个outlet紧挨着，也少见。

晚饭我们去吃了台湾小吃。不知道上海有没有台湾小吃了，以前只去过鹿港小镇，似乎不是台湾小吃。今天照样直接报蚵籽煎、猪血糕，连老板娘都夸我们会点台湾菜。还有其它３个点心。这家店是第一次来，服务很好，就在Jeffrey的华人超市square.

今天走的够多，晚上就不去跑步了，累了，睡了。

偶然看到的。

感觉很温暖的表演，佩服这样的校长。

北京大学校长许智宏演唱《隐形的翅膀》

还有一个很早以前看到的哥大商学院学生做的为他们的Dean鸣不平的video. 因为Dean没有选上FED Chairman.

今天是长周末的第二天，安排得非常丰富。

早上自然醒，煮了银耳汤。这次是我第三次煮了，经验非常的丰富。还有我喜欢的华夫，完美的中西结合早餐。中午约了Cathy一对在LA的避风塘吃饭。按Cathy的说法是四人约会，赫赫。我第一次听到这个还是在流星花园里，杉菜和小优两对到游乐场去的四人约会。

我和Cathy两个即将开始MBA的老女人叽里呱啦一顿饭聊下来，Anada都没啥机会插话。从避风塘出来，我觉得嘴好干啊。接着我们去了Century City Shopping Mall. 我其实喜欢这样的shopping mall, 有一部分专卖店在室外，可以不时在阳光下走走，在遮阳伞下坐坐。不像我们家附近的south coast plaza, 全是在室内，进去了就感觉是不分日夜的shopping.

买好东西我们心满意足的又去了一年一度的Asian American Expo。在路上碰到了很长一组摩托车队．其实平时在高速上开，经常可以看到摩托车党，一色的黑衣黑裤．但今天看到的一行特别声势浩大，领头的不但骑的飞快，还在高速上飚车技，把车头翘的老高．高速出来时前面一阵黑烟，两辆消防车加一辆警车，开近看到一辆车已经被烧得面目全非．

再回到说这个Expo, 我们第一次在LA过年，这个集市又号称是全美最大的华人集市，自然凑热闹去看看。到那里发现比我们想象的大许多。门票加停车费两个人总共24刀，所以到了里面自然要把所有试吃都一一吃过来才值回门票。Expo分好几个展厅，有专门卖宠物的，专门卖吃的，等等。各种小吃都有，新疆羊肉串、臭豆腐、台湾小吃、韩国烤肉，有的要花钱买，有的就有试吃，逛了一圈基本上也饱了。几个有特色的地方:

• 进门就会发一个很大的购物袋，方便大家把买的东西、宣传单什么放在里面，也一定程度上使场地更清洁。
• 很多演出演员都很敬业。有华人小朋友的空手道、白人小孩的拉丁舞、日本民族歌舞等等。特别是日本民族歌舞，虽然都是业余演员，但真的表演非常认真。
• 对于在这里住了几年甚至几十年的华人，这样的展会颇有意义。但因为我们刚去，知道很多卖的东西其实国内更好更便宜。
• 展会专门有车在停车场和展览场地接送。回来时，工作人员还亲切和我们道别，说明年再见，颇有点春节联欢晚会结束时的味道。

今天总算了了Anada的愿望，去了一次Desert. 原来对加州的印象几乎都是阳光、沙滩，Anada教育我加州著名的还有沙漠、雪山、等等等等。从我们家开一个半小时就可以到沙漠，有一个National Park, 也是Desert Park, 叫Joshua Tree Park.  好吧，附近的沙滩和shopping mall都去过了，就答应Anada去沙漠看看。

还有一个想去的原因是去公园可以picnic. 好久没有picnic了。老外搞野餐都很隆重其事，装备一套一套。我们家没有那么多东西，下面是我列的单子:

- 咖啡 (我最爱的香草咖啡)

- 百合汁 (这两天上火厉害，煮了老大一灌，结果去的路上就喝完了)

- Pizza (deluxe的，我自己烤得)

- Pancake+腊肠(也是我自己烤得，不过都是半成品，我唯一做的就是送入烤箱再拿出来)

- 土豆色拉(第一次买，味道还不错)

- 水果是甜橙(我们在Orange County, 橙子最多也便宜，唯一和加州橙竞争的就是德州橙，这两个连环打折)

- 薯片（其实是corn chips, 做所有无聊事情的时候都需要有它，比如看片子，再比如Anada开车，我在旁边唠叨)

本来还要带巧克力，Anada说已经太多了，那就算了。

这个月我们开的是一辆和宝莱差不多的车，很小，很好开,转弯特方便。

早上９点多，我们就出发啦。开始一路还是典型的加州风景:蓝天＋棕榈树，慢慢走近山路，然后就靠近沙漠，可以看到很多仙人掌。但这里的沙漠和印象中的还是不一样。感觉中的沙漠都来自三毛的描述，而这里的其实还是有蛮多绿色植物的，就是比较荒凉。途中我们还经过一个风车厂，据说是用来发电的，所以造的不好看。

到了Visitor Center, 我们拿了地图．那里的接待员很热心的为每一位访问者介绍适宜的路线．想想在人工那么贵的加州真不容易．后来在公园里我们也讨论到，这个National Park有８０万英亩左右，里面的公路和各个Exhibit Area都修的不错．还有picnic的设施等等，维护成本应该也不低．但整个公园没有任何商业设施，餐厅、商店，通通没有．每辆车就收１５刀的7-day pass, 但可能公园大，觉得游客也不多，政府应该在后面support了很多．

Visitor Center

一路有很多picnic的地方，我们在最饿得时候找了这里．

有很多游客是在公园里住的，要么帐篷要么就开那种后面有房间的车(像葛优在不见不散里开的那种)，吃好饭，他们就会在太阳下坐一会聊天、看书．我们比较土，就在那里吃、吃、吃．然后我比较皮，幸好我和嘟嘟没有一起出来，不然Anada要累死．

下午我们沿着印第安人寻找水源的路线走了一段Trail. 在很多岩石的小路上走了很久，豁然看到一个池塘．

据称Joshua Tree就是下面这种树，这个公园以此命名是因为这个地方这种树特别多．我觉得就像把仙人掌长在了脑袋上．

笔直往南开，就到了整个公园的至高点，海拔１５００多米，可以俯瞰到大海和墨西哥．

我们还找到了一个好玩的，拍阳光下的倒影．

接下来一路我们又看到很多奇形怪状的岩石．路上有一头狼挡在面前，我们只能让它老人家先走．Anada说他有个同事因为路上突然穿出来的鹿，整辆车都报废了，所以我们在公园开的格外小心．

比较有意思的还有仙人掌花园，属于沙漠特色了吧．指示牌上说了有毒，不要碰，Anada还是在Trail上撞到了，哈哈．

回来的路上比较堵．加州的交通啊，连纽约人都嘲笑．经过著名的沙漠outlet, 但是忍住了，没有去.

感觉今天运动量不大，回来还是蛮累得．明天计划去LA Downtown看看，报纸上说有春节集市，找点过节气氛吧．

This time not from a provider, nor a client, but from a VC perspective to evaluate which kind of BPO enterprise is worthwhile for investing.

Some ideas in the below article are quite fresh, though the focus are still on management team, client base and operation effectiveness. Even the study is mainly relevant to Indian BPO and was conducted several years ago, I think the points--a consulting background in the leadership team, a global exposure especially in the U.S. and U.K. as well as a management control in hiring and manpower prowess--are still applicable to the current market in China.

How One Venture Capitalist Views Opportunities in BPO Investments

Two long years ago, when executives of any IT-related firm in the U.S. needed capital, they could as good as hold out their hands and expect wads of cash to plop into them. A tidal wave of venture capital was flooding Silicon Valley, Silicon Alley and other Silicon wannabes, and takers were in high demand. Analysts estimate that venture capitalists invested more than $100 billion in 2000, and firms ranging from dot-coms to telecom upstarts claimed a piece of the action. Today life is different, and dramatically so. Venture capitalists are busy "right-sizing" their funds, and VC investments in the first three quarters of 2002 have fallen to less than $20 billion, about the same level as 1997. Tech ventures have been hit particularly hard, thanks to the IT slump.

An exception to this trend does exist, though. Firms that provide back-office services such as customer-relationship management or document processing in developing countries such as India and the Philippines have been on a roll, signing up clients in the U.S., Britain and other high-cost countries. As more and more buzz grows around business process outsourcing (BPO), as the trend is called, venture capitalists are starting to take notice.

Consider just a few recent deals. On November 18, two VC funds, Oak Hill Capital Partners and Financial Technology Ventures, acquired Exlservice -- a BPO service provider with three call centers in India -- from insurance giant Conseco for an undisclosed amount. Exlservice’s clients include Conseco, Deloitte & Touche and 1-800-Flowers, among others. In addition, in November Westbridge Capital Partners, an India-focused VC fund floated by Goldman Sachs, announced that it would invest in two BPO firms in the next few weeks, according to a report in The Economic Times, an Indian business daily.

Two months earlier, in September, General Atlantic Partners, a private equity investment firm that focuses on IT ventures, invested $100 million in India-based Patni Computer Systems, a provider of BPO services. General Atlantic Partners also owns a stake in Daksh e-Services, another Indian BPO provider, but it is not interested in just Indian firms; last month it increased its stake by 50 million British pounds in Xchanging, a leading British BPO services provider, following a previous investment of 60 million pounds. More recently, General Atlantic Partners announced an investment in Liberata, the former outsourcing arm of Deloitte & Touche, which will result in a windfall of 100 million pounds for the accounting firm’s partners, according to an article in the Financial Times.

Jitendra Singh, a management professor at Wharton who has been researching trends in BPO, points out that the increased interest of venture capitalists in BPO ventures is hardly surprising. "Silicon Valley and Bangalore (India’s high-tech capital) connected during the boom years of the late 1990s," he says. "Now that the tech sector faces a meltdown, the nature of that connection has changed. The primary business proposition of BPO firms -- providing high-quality service at a low cost -- has become attractive to U.S. firms. This translates into more opportunities for BPO providers, and it also makes them attractive to venture capitalists."

How do venture capitalists looking at BPO investments view their opportunities and risks in this sector? Knowledge@Wharton spoke with Eurindia, a VC firm headquartered in London, to find out. (Note: Singh is an advisor to Eurindia.)

Eurindia is bullish about business process outsourcing to India - but it’s also picky. The firm has funded just two of nearly 30 BPO firms whose leaders it has interviewed. Last year was generally a slow funding year for Eurindia, admits CEO Vinod Ganjoor. But the choosy approach also stems from the scarcity of key ingredients to a successful BPO, such as top-flight managers, a compelling client list and operating effectiveness. Even so, Ganjoor and Eurindia are far from done with BPO. Ganjoor expects his next one or two investments to be with BPO firms, and plans to increase the BPO portion of his portfolio from about 30% to 50%. "It’s very exciting," he says. "The whole BPO market to India has barely been opened."

Eurindia is three years old, with a fund of about $20 million. The firm focuses on early-stage investments of about $2 million, and so far it has invested in seven companies: five information technology firms and BPO firms Allsec Technologies and Inaltus. Allsec is a Chennai, India-based call center outsourcer, while Inaltus is a London-based finance and accounting outsourcer with operations in Mumbai, India.

Ganjoor says the name "Eurindia" reflects his firm’s international strategy. "The aim was to take European capital and European know-how and bring Indian IT companies to market to Europe and beyond." Although Eurindia started with strictly IT firms, it made its investments in Inaltus and Allsec this past year.

Eurindia’s roots are similar to the origins of back-office work in India. The company’s four professionals all were born in India but joined the international business world. Just as some Indian IT leaders familiar with the global business scene have helped jumpstart the BPO industry in India, so have Eurindia’s founders transformed their international finance expertise into a vehicle to bring capital to the country. Ganjoor, for example, had 11 years of experience as a bond analyst, corporate banker and credit analyst before launching Eurindia. The 38-year-old worked at both Bank of America and Deutsche Bank and has spent the last seven years in London.

With such banking experience under his belt, it’s not surprising that Ganjoor has developed standards for investing money in BPO outfits. One of the most crucial elements in a deal, he says, is the management team. Ganjoor looks for a group of people who have worked together in the past, and who have experience managing client relations. A consulting background is particularly attractive, he says, given the way business process outsourcing involves close interaction with corporate customers.

Another part of the management puzzle, Ganjoor believes, is hiring and personnel prowess. That’s because BPO firms depend on expanding a workforce quickly and coaxing high performance out of employees. "It’s a people and scalability issue rather than a tech product," he says. "Hiring people is extremely important. The managers have to be willing to hire people and pay them well for performance."

A BPO provider’s particular niche market also weighs heavily in Ganjoor’s investment calculations. If a BPO provider has targeted a growing industry or domain, it can be small and yet have a promising future, he believes: "In this game, it’s not that big is necessarily beautiful." Even small BPO firms, though, should have a presence in Europe or the U.S. Ganjoor would ding a company that was based solely in India without offices in the West. "Clients are looking for that kind of comfort and the kind of hand-holding which can only be provided by a local operation," he adds.

Also vital is a BPO firm’s client list. Ganjoor expects even start-ups to come to his door with letters of intent from clients. Without customer commitments, a BPO provider can burn through too much cash. "The ability to lock in one or two clients is critical," he says. "We have turned down deals because we did not see a client deal for six to nine months."

Demonstrating a lean, smoothly running operation also earns points with Ganjoor. The labor-intensive BPO industry has thin profit margins, at best, in the start-up phase. So firms that can cut waste and achieve profits quickly stand out.

Operational effectiveness was one of the chief selling points of Allsec, Ganjoor says. The company hit the break-even mark 18 months after launching in November 2000. While other BPO providers don’t reach profitability until they take in $10 million in revenues or more, Allsec stopped bleeding red ink with less than $3 million in revenue, Ganjoor says.

Allsec, which expects to have 1,000 employees by March, also caught Ganjoor’s attention with its client list. Ford Motor Company, Lexis-Nexis, Dun & Bradstreet, a major computer company and a major software firm all have signed up for Allsec’s call center services.

Inaltus, on the other hand, won Ganjoor over with its U.K. headquarters and management team. The company’s leaders came mostly from consulting giants Accenture and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Inaltus’ Chairman, John Barnsley, had been the leader of PwC’s global BPO practice, and CEO Shashank Tripathi spent five years as a manager in Accenture’s finance and accounting outsourcing business.

Inaltus’s managers will have their work cut out for them on the hiring front in the coming year: the firm expects to ramp up its Indian workforce from about 110 to 600 by the end of 2003. But Ganjoor trusts his investment is in good hands. "These are guys that have ’been-there, done-that,’" Ganjoor says.

Of course, measuring up would-be BPO firms is only part of the venture capital dance. Eurindia also must woo entrepreneurs to see the best business plans. One feature of Eurindia, Ganjoor says, is its international connections. Along with the London headquarters, the firm has a presence in Asia. Eurindia partner Rajeev Ahuja worked as an investment banker for BT Alex. Brown/Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong and Singapore, and still is based in Singapore. Eurindia’s global business ties already are benefiting Allsec and Inaltus: the venture capital firm has helped hire sales people in England for both companies. Ganjoor also boasts of the ability to connect BPO service providers directly to clients.

Another Eurindia feature that may lure entrepreneurs is its philosophy on structuring deals. While some investment firms want 60% to 80% ownership of a firm, Eurindia prefers taking just 20% to 40%. That leaves founders and managers with bigger equity chunks - and therefore a stronger incentive to stick with the start-up. "We want everyone to have more skin in the game," Ganjoor says. "We want ownership to be fairly widely dispersed."

The life of a BPO venture capitalist includes other challenges. For example, BPO VCs are wise to keep an eye on company compensation and stock incentive plans, Ganjoor says. That’s because BPOs require many managers whose pay and equity levels could be vital to the firm’s success.

What’s more, BPOs force VCs to think about exit strategies different from those at typical technology start-ups. A rule of thumb for tech investments is that seven of ten fledgling firms die quickly, two limp along or do okay, and one hits it big. With an initial public stock offering or acquisition, the successful start-up can pay the VC back 30 times the original investment. In the BPO arena, though, VCs are likely to find themselves behind a company without the prospect of a blow-out IPO or buy-out, Ganjoor says. On the other hand, the BPO firm may well bring in a steady cash flow. The dilemma, Ganjoor says, is to structure a deal that allows a VC to reap five or six times the original investment. One tactic is to treat the investment as debt, which must be paid back out of the firm’s revenues.

Despite the difficulties, Ganjoor remains enthusiastic about BPO firms in India. He scoffs at the notion that the BPO market is already too crowded with players driving profit margins into the ground. Call center business from the United Kingdom is one fertile market, he says, and another is the finance, accounting and human resource divisions of major companies. Already, Ganjoor says, British corporations have "in-sourced" some of those operations - keeping them within the company but relocating the work to lower-cost areas of England. "The next leap of faith is you send it to Bombay," he says.

Indian BPO firms can learn something from the global consulting giants and from call centers in Western countries. But Ganjoor sees the field as a fresh frontier, where standards have yet to be set and his investment choices are defining a new way of doing business. "I don’t believe the model exists," he says. "We are seeing a new sub-industry (develop)."

为什么有的商学院的Dean那么自以为是，自己发表了一篇article, 就要求每个applicant都去读他的文章并作为applicant essay的一部分？一个学校application essay的题目就可以看出该校的文化和特色。明明是一所金融强校为什么一而再再而三的要focus在entrepreneurship? 欲盖弥彰却怎么能解释一半以上的admits来自金融业、一半以上的毕业生去了IB? "四不像"的尴尬, 模糊的定位，怎能引起共鸣和擦出火花？Creativity是把双刃剑。尽管每年新题可以筛去很多professional editor, 但往往也会促就很多pre-mature的essay question.

随便发泄一下。

最近才发现家里附近的Ralphs原来是24小时的，加上Ralphs旁边24小时的CVS, 晚上看电脑累了就出去兜一圈，往往几排的货架就我们两个人，也蛮好。

今晚Ralphs回来，正好Skype看嘟嘟。妈妈特意在这个时候给嘟嘟洗澡，让我们看。这小家伙已经坐下、站起来、挪两步很灵活了；还会跟着你叫"木-妈"，"啊-娘"。嘟嘟胃口一直不算大，加上好动，现在不用担心过胖，属于瘦长条。最擅长对你迷人的笑，露出两颗小白牙；要么发起脾气，索性拿头撞你。

看好嘟嘟，去跑了会儿步。Hansen自从得知我们有同学现在还能跑半马，就坚持每天去健身房跑步，算是Sports Every Day(其实也就坚持了两个礼拜)。我呢，怕长肌肉，就every other day吧。我们小区的健身房真应该投诉一下，已经有两台机器in repair了，所以去的人也越来越少。不过这样也好，我可以大声地把MP3放出来听，不用老是看头上的CNN。

去健身房前，我们想down一点东西。现在国内是白天，所以速度很慢，还一直往下降，真像我们的股票啊。这两天citi的消息，唉，不谈了。

应米米要求，上两张嘟嘟近照。我觉得嘟嘟带这个帽子，有点哈那个，不过我们绝对是龙的心。

上个礼拜买了很大一盒布朗尼，人家开party用的，差不多都是Hansen消灭光．经典早餐: 麦片+牛奶+香蕉+蜂蜜+布朗尼，我最擅长做，红红绿绿，大俗大雅．经典饭后甜点:冰激凌＋巧克力+酸奶+蜂蜜．绝对减肥，因为越吃越瘦，不知是不是只对hansen有用．

今天在Ralphs买的，不知道叫什么cake, 椰子味+奶油+派，最适合运动前来一块。

这个周末又是一个long weekend. 初步决定去沙漠。正好用用hansen刚买的户外型手表，那我是不是也应该就买套配的衣服和鞋？

今年不用写PE, 总结一下2007，将来告诉嘟嘟也好.

１月： 因为Anada圣诞节就去了加州打前战，又是一个没有Anada的新年，还好有嘟嘟陪。当时体重已经疯狂长了40斤，每天感受嘟嘟在肚子里跳华尔兹。新年也是搬到紫竹的日子，还记得门口的第一串爆竹，小波又语出惊人。

２月: 嘟嘟开始倒计时，顺利当了“猪头"。他的第一声哭声，让我不能自己。推出手术室那一瞬间，父母的焦虑和惊喜，都历历在目。月子里的我最不安分，从来不听老人言，伤口好了马上开始锻炼仰卧起座。庆幸嘟嘟生在二月，还不是闰年，自然我的月子就比别人短了一些。

３月: 在一个月还差几天的时候就开始了GMAT学习，认识了一班志同道合的学友。每个周末听新东方老师的胡搅蛮缠，也还不赖。坚持每天记录嘟嘟的一举一动，最喜欢冬日里给嘟嘟晒屁股。还有，所有裤子必须重买，必须，重买。

４月:嘟嘟开始每天去公园。最初总归是公园里最小的宝宝，但是我们有志气，拼命的长，拼命的长，几个月后就盼来了别家的弟弟妹妹。别看嘟嘟在公园里大部分时间是呼呼大睡，在嘟嘟醒着的时候早已瞄准以后欺负哪家，抢夺哪家的玩具。

５月:扳着手指数Anada回来的日子，准备嘟嘟的百日party，准备签证，准备普陀山还愿。重新开始精彩生活，特别enjoy在Mango试衣服的时候，被夸根本看不出刚生宝宝。想想真是虚荣。还好体重基本恢复到能见人，每天最大的乐趣就是玩嘟嘟。

６月:定做了“小猪一家”的家庭T-shirt, 回头率据高。机场嘟嘟第一次见爸爸，温柔的很。喜欢Anada背着嘟嘟，我们一家人逛宜家、逛大卖场。不管多吵，只要我们走路，嘟嘟就能睡着。一停，嘟嘟就抗议。在普陀山，Anada带我走了他当初许愿的路线。因为他记不得当时去了几个庙，所以我们一个都不能错过。这个月，还发生了很多。正式离职，我把青春献给你，在那个晚上给６年的career画了个逗号。

７月: 早就忘了GMAT是怎么回事了，考试一延再延。发现东航的飞机上有电源插座，感觉上海到洛杉矶也不是那么遥远。落地、倒时差，买手机，买笔记本，新生活，不管美好不美好，从这里开始。Orange County, 以前只在美剧中看到，LA南面一点。Irvine是做新城，一切都很新，道路，建筑，包括Pacific Day Time和我。

８月: 正式开始Housewife的生活，二十几年来最奢侈的假期。记得第一年工作，年假一个小时都没有用。现在都攒起来了。开始做菜，不管好吃不好吃，不吃饿死。开始巴士生活，能去的地方尽量去。GMAT不能再拖，那就考了吧。另外开始学游泳，坚持隔天练，享受月光下，就我们两个人的花园。

９月: 办好SSN, 算是有身份证了。开始练车。当所有人得知我的教练是Anada时，都说我们是amazing的夫妇。其实争执总归有的，但是加州不是我的地盘，只好忍让。还要考个iBT, 烦死。每个周末都会去一个新的地方，去hiking, 居然没带防晒霜，去San Diego, 居然没有去海洋公园。幸好SD比较近，以后有的是机会，带上嘟嘟，一起。这个月还开始了OCCK的volunteer, 搞party, 发新闻，抽奖豪车。NPO(Non-Profit Organization)原来是这样运作的，也有CEO, COO。

１０月:终于搞定驾照。聪明反被聪明误，特意选了周五下午，以为考官心情会不错，没想到也是周末traffic 高峰。最后五分钟听feedback, 以为都不过了。幸好RP不错。Anada也为我高兴，红酒庆祝。开始准备申请学校，经历过的人都能体会其中的痛苦和漫长。这个月还去了底特律和拉斯维加斯。

１１月: 去了北卡和芝加哥，刚刚还在和cathy聊徒步闯过黑人区并遇黑人高中放学的惊心动魄。嘟嘟继续茁壮成长，每天skype看妈妈，可怜的孩子。现在的分离是第一次也是最后一次，我要以后和你一直在一起直到你离家上学或投入另一个怀抱。生活还要继续，每天被essay折腾，幸好有一班天南地北的朋友。感恩节开了一次一号公路。喜欢开车旅行。其实平时两个人在一起，真正交流的时间不多。都被生活的琐事、电脑、电视、电话分心。但是在车上，只有我们，反而更能交流。特别是走夜路，感觉周围什么都没有，只有车上的这个伴侣。

１２月:因为久远的原因，一直不喜欢圣诞节。幸好２００７年的这个节日，给了我一份大礼。并且完成了今年最后一次旅行，去了东北一圈，今后几年都不用再去了。在洛克菲勒的圣诞树前，许下了０８年的愿望。

２００７是不平凡的一年，２００８预计更加精彩，想到一句广告词，很土，但是就是想到了，

２００８，加油～

我和Anada平时逛的论坛基本不会有交集，难得今天他跟我聊得一个帖子我在我常去的地方也一眼看到，更难得居然会有人问我“你是外星人吗？”十年寒窗白念了。

你的配偶可能是外星人? (ZT)

你的配偶可能是外星人?科学家称500万异形藏匿地球 环球时报

据美国《世界新闻报》美国不明飞行物专家兼物理学家詹姆士博士说，美国境内现有500万外星人，他们外表看起来与地球人无异，而且男女比例平衡，大多数人已结婚，但未生子。
詹姆士博士在过去10年间，一直对地球人与外星人联姻进行研究，至少发现了1000对地球人与外星人结婚的案例。他说，每个美国人与外星人结婚的概率为50％。
詹姆士博士说，目前尚不清楚外星人为何来美国。“也许他们是来征服世界，或是到地球这个奇怪的星球上来感受一下奇怪的生活，或是因为自己的星球过于拥挤，而来地球抢占地盘。”
“外星人最初拜访地球时，担心自己很难实现与地球人联姻的梦想。但后来，他们发现在地球上，并不是所有的人都能找到合适的同类伴侣结婚生子，于是他们便消除一切顾虑，尽其所能施展自己的魅力，以吸引地球人。”
詹姆士博士在研究中发现了一个令人惊讶的结果，那就是，在地球所有的婚姻中，与外星人的联姻是最牢固的。尽管美国人的离婚率一直高达50％，但在地球人与外星人的婚姻中，离婚率却只有10％。对此，詹姆士博士给出的解释是，外星人在经营他们与地球人的婚姻时，比地球人更精心。
为了方便美国人判断自己的配偶是否是外星人，詹姆士博士还特地列举了以下几个判断依据：
如果你的丈夫是外星人，那他———
喜欢对房子修修补补，因为他们天生动手能力就很强；
与地球人不一样，他们不喜欢手拿电视遥控器，频繁更换频道。他们总是耐心汲取每一个电视节目的信息；
做爱之后，他们喜欢与另一半沟通个不停，因为他们想更多地了解地球人对**的看法；
方向感不好（真怀疑他们是因为找不到回家的方向而只能在地球上居住下来）。
如果你的妻子是外星人，那她———
对体育赛事入迷。看体育节目时，异常安静，而且无需就有关体育问题请教身边的丈夫；
做家务的方式特别，而且不愿男人插手家务，她们认为男人主动帮助做家务是对她们的侮辱；
为保持适中身材和非凡魅力，她们每天坚持体育运动，并十分注意合理饮食；
与丈夫理论时，逻辑性超强。

连续看了两部打着和"Sex and the City"关联的美剧《Cashmere Mafia》和 《Lipstick Jungle》，都是最近开播，关于都市女性题材，更像Sex and the City 和DH的结合版。Cashmere感觉更powerful, 节奏感更强，一眼就是喜欢的片子，Lucy Liu还是主角之一。Lipstick比较emotional, 开始觉得拍得有点“软", 但后来反而凸显细致和耐看。Anyway, 两部都还是Season One, 好戏还在后头(对这两部series, 也对自己).

天涯小筑上的介绍，都是官网上直接翻译过来的，比较粗糙。

Cashmere Mafia (ABC)
女人帮

她们的名字是Dylan, Juliet, Caitlin 和 Zoe，但人们更为熟悉的名字却是"女人帮"。这四个曼哈顿女人都毕业自"常春藤联盟"，都取得了事业上的巨大成功，命运就这样将她们连到了一起。该剧据称是"《欲望都市》的下一代"，剧中充满了不稳定的婚姻、同事之间的勾心斗角、事业上的野心、不听话的孩子、勾引丈夫的狐狸精这些常规的女性电视元素。不过，人多力量大。这些女强人总是将自己遇到的问题带到餐桌上与其他人共同协商－－三个臭皮匠抵得上一个诸葛亮嘛，何况是几个聪明绝顶的职业经理人呢？

The Lipstick Jungle (NBC)
口红战争

这些女人不许要找什么大人物来依靠，他们自己就是大人物。《The Lipstick Jungle》将根据《欲望都市》作者的最新畅销书改编，故事围绕纽约市三位相互熟识的商界女强人展开。Nico是一本热销时尚杂志的总编辑，一心想成为集团的CEO；电影制片人Wendy尽其所能在事业和家庭之间作出平衡；而自由自在的设计师Victory总是希望自己的一切美梦都成真，并且找到自己的白马王子。这三位现代女性对于成功的渴望让她们所向披靡，但是成功的代价又是什么呢？

被最想去的学校waitlist

被第二心仪的学校录取

过程还在继续，也许遗憾就是完美的一部分

奢侈的一年假期还剩一半

好多事情还没完成

还好，回国的日子越来越近

补祝Cathy, 生日快乐！

好不容易把十一月份的一段video从上海传过来，第一次share在youtube上试试看。

费城是我们这次原先没有计划去的地方，听朋友介绍还不错，是美国独立起源的象征。正好得一天的空闲，就从波士顿开到了费城。上午去了费城主要的两个纪念地：Independence Hall, Liberty Bell. 其实两个相隔才两百米。Independence Hall纪念意义比较大，是签署独立宣言的地方，所以保护的很好。有专门的tour, 进门要安检，不过不需要门票。感触比较深的是美国真没啥历史，这么点东西就当宝了。还有，美国对丁点历史的尊重，这里必须guided tour, 自己不能乱走，还有大叔讲解历史。还有还有，美国小孩参与性之重，大叔讲解的时候常常会问一些问题，组里的小孩都争先恐后地回答。

Independence Hall外面和里面

Liberty Bell, Anada做过研究，一路告诉我这钟的历史，还有为什么还是个破bell (对这个典故，我们一路笑了好久)，　Liberty Bell也要安检，里面像个展览馆，有很多图片介绍，最后才是钟的实物．

＂货币战争＂中提到的第一银行，　美联储的前身．（有情提示，有些地图把这个银行建筑画在街对面去了，害得Anada出了老大的丑，一开始兴兴冲冲地给我往对面指）

说实话我们对费城景点的兴趣一般，倒是对正宗"Philly Cheese Steak"向往已久．这是费城地方特色的三明治，地位相当于纽约热狗吧．在OC　Anada就经常去吃，面包里面加现grill的牛肉加洋葱加一种特殊的Philly Cheese加其它一些调料，现点现做, 价格一般在７～９刀（一个抵三、四个热狗了). 到了它的起源地，我们当然不能错过．在downtown找了一家Philly Cheese Steak 2007 Best. 店面很小，生意却很好，grill架上的牛肉加洋葱加cheese, 肆意飘香．

China Town还是要去的，因为我执意要去吃捞面．见识了两分钟打包一份捞面的师傅，可惜没有再买到糍饭团.

写着＂费城华埠"的门牌

我们从费城出来，就去了在New Jersey 的Anada姐姐家．晚上又吃到了正宗的火锅，一起迎新年．

我一定会记住2008年1月1日，我是凌晨４点半起床的，我们要赶８点从纽约飞回OC, 新年的第一个早晨是在机场迎接的太阳，第一顿早餐来自Newark机场，第一本杂志是"Glamour", 第一杯咖啡是Iced Latte, 第一部电影是Scarlett Johansson的"The Nanny Diaries", 第一声"Happy New Year"当然还是...

6个多小时后我们终于回到了加洲，起飞时纽约在下雨，落地是加洲毫无悬念的一片大好阳光．两个礼拜的新年旅游结束了．人生不知能有几次这样奢侈的旅行，奢侈的不是那份花费，而是这段时间、这份心情、这个过程、这位旅伴．

离开两个礼拜，最后一刻突然好想加洲，走出SNA机场，上405高速，５分钟到了我们熟悉的apartment，欣喜地发现这次住在三楼、有壁炉、阳台上多了椅子、停车位靠电梯间近了很多．