Are we dating or just hanging out?

I know everyone is waiting for the fourth segment in "Sugar Daddy", but I haven't had time to write it yet! I am going to try to have it ready for tomorrow. Just a few random thoughts for today...

Are we dating or just hanging out?

Now days, it's so hard to tell! Forget about someone being a boyfriend or not. How do you know if someone is even hanging out with you for dating purposes? A lot of times I don't really know where I stand with anyone. I have never been a relationship girl. I have been in relationships, yes, but the one I was in that lasted a decent amount of time was when I was in college. Since then, the others have all been maybe three, or at most four, month stints where I liked someone enough to stop seeing other people. Most of the time, that managed to backfire, and in the end, I wish I had just kept seeing other people anyway.

So it's so hard to really know when you are really dating someone. I've created a few guidelines to help me.

1. The guy wants to, and usually does, pay for everything.
2. Dating is when you actually go to the movies, go to dinner, or go do something, not just meet up at someone's place to hook up.
3. You maintain a decent amount of contact -- maybe two or three times a week at least.
4. You see them at least every other week.

Of course these are not hard, fast rules, but it helps give some clarity to a questionable situation. There are still so many gray areas. And when do we start to feel guilty that we are hanging out with other people when also hanging out with / dating someone else? Iknow when I wnat to date someone because I feel guilty for hanging out with others, and I wish I was hanging out with him instead. That doesn't really solve the problem, does it?

We'll see if b-school is any different? (Although, at GBR, the girls did say it really wasn't.) Anyone know any cute medical residents at Ann Arbor? ;)

In Search of a Sugar Daddy, Part 3

With CW's interest in real estate quickly waning, (Or maybe it was my tolerance for her interest in real estate that was quickly waning?) she had to find a new hobby to occupy her time while the rest of the roommates were at work or school. I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier, but after a few days of watching her sulk around the apartment in her thong and bra (yes --- that was her typical outfit during the day when there were only girls around), I realized that CW is Persian and we live in Westwood... home to numerous Persians. I asked CW if she wanted me to drop her off on the other side of Wilshire for the day so she can explore all the Persian shops on Westwood Blvd. Of course, I would pick her up five hours later on my way back from work. She begrudgingly agreed and went to her room to put on her painted on jeans and ripped up, too small white t-shirt. Oh boy, here we go again.

Five hours later, I picked up a smiling, frizzy-haired crack whore on the corner of Westwood and Wellworth. The day had been successful, no doubt. Not only had CW managed to find two cute Persian boys with a GS400 to drive her around, pay for her to get her nails done, and smoke hookah at Habibi Cafe, she quickly announced to me that the minute we get home I need to get ready. We are going out with the boys. They are coming in their Range Rover to pick us up and take us out. There was no way I was going anywhere alone with CW and two random Person guys, so the second I got home I pleaded with my other two roommates to come too.

The three of us tossed on jeans and tops, and then we watched CW emerge from her room looking like she was wearing too little to even be rubbing up against a poll in a strip club. With hair that big, it's a shock she was able to get through the door to her room. Her phone started vibrating and we all rushed outside to meet the guys. I have to hand it to CW. For someone that looks like a crack whore, she can pick up some attractive men. While these two guys were definitely on the shorter end, they were pretty good looking and polite. They opened doors for us, asked us how we were, but there was a sleazy element to them I just couldn't put my finger on.

We piled into the Range Rover, and the guys drove us around mid-Wilshire for a bit. They asked us questions: "What are you studying?", "Are you Persian like CW?", "Where do you like to shop?", "What clubs do you go to?", "Where do you like to eat?". Per CW's instructions, we carefully evaded questions that could pinpoint our financial situation in anyway. We neglected to answer questions about our favorite clothes, food or clubs. According to CW, "Never tell a guy that you like to shop at Bebe. Then all he'll get for you is clothes from Bebe, when if you didn't tell him any better, he may have taken you to Versace." So mum was the word through much of the car ride. Finally, they decided they wanted to take us somewhere to eat. Considering we were in Beverly Hills by that point, all of us were eager with anticipation to see where they would take us to eat. Spago? Il Fornaio? Maybe Il Cielo? Nope, they turned the car around and rushed us right back to Westwood and pulled into the parking garage of the Olive Garden.

Now, I have no problem at all with the Olive Garden, and I would never, ever think badly of a guy if he took me there. CW on the other hand, has serious problems with Olive Garden. We could tell that she was hopping mad that we spent all this time with these guys and all we get out of it was a crummy dinner at Olive Garden. What's worse is when the hostess announced we had a 45 minute wait, CW literally blew a fuse. She told the two Persian guys, "I don't know who you two normally hang out with, but this is absolutely unacceptable." They registered confused looks on their faces, spoke in Persian to each other, then finally turned to CW, said a few "choice" words to her in Persian and stormed off. So in the end, not only did we not get any clothes (not even from Bebe), or any dinner, but we had to walk a mile home because CW managed to anger the two guys she picked up and insisted we go out with that evening.

By this point in time, my roommates and I had officially had enough. We ignored CW in the mornings as she sulked around the apartment in her thong and bra, but then a few days later we were forced to pay attention to her. We had promised to take her out on Sunset one night that summer, and that night had come.

Seducing the Ad-Com, Part 1: Who do I have to ....?

"In Search of a Sugar Daddy" will continue tomorrow. I'm sorry for the one day hiatus. Work has been insane and I haven’t been able to write the third installment, but I hope you enjoy today’s piece.

I was at a bar last weekend paying for a drink when I heard a frustrated girl yell out, "Who do I have to f--- around here to get a drink?" I was a bit put off by her crass announcement, but it did make me think. This girl was attractive enough that she certainly should not have had to wait as long as she did to buy a drink, yet the congestion, the loud music, the many older, wealthy, and unbelievably unattractive men waving their black American Expresses at the bartender probably did have an impact in her getting lost in the crowd.

I can't help but wonder, does the same thing happen to us in the admissions process? Are there so many wackos, superstars, and famous bureaucrats’ kids vying for the Ad Com's attention that many of us, no matter how sexy our figures, just sometimes get lost on the wayside? Naturally, this does beg the question, "Who do I have to f--- around here to get into XXX B-School?"

I'm not sure whether "f---ing" is really necessary, but let's say, we decided to go the f---ing route. Who do you have to f---? Well, first off, there are the members of the Ad-Com. But then, all members are not equal, and why should you put all that effort into trying to screw someone if they aren't going to have any pull in getting you into where you want to go anyway? So, all you MBA 1 and MBA 2 ad-com members: sorry, unless you want to round up every one of you that plans to review my application, you are out of the running. If I had to give advice on this, I'd say go the combo route. You know, an assistant admissions director here, maybe a few MBA 2 ad-com members there. Of course if you can nab someone of Caleel or Bolton's caliber, you should go for it. A dean or two may help your cause as well. Wealthy alumni that have donated sizable amounts to the school of your choice are always a great option – they have enough clout that the Ad-Com would certainly not want to make them mad. And what better way to validate their contribution than a "don't forget to tell the Ad-Com to admit me" tryst? But be forewarned: if you select the "f---ng" route, you may end up with a different sort of dilemma. The question will no longer be "WHO do I have to f--- around here to get in?" but rather, "Who ELSE do I have to f--- around here to get in?"

Keep an eye out for "Seducing the Ad-Com, Part 2: Get into B-School the Jenna Jameson Way".


DISCLAIMER: This article is for entertainment purposes only. No one was f---ed in the research or writing of this piece.

All Up in the Century Club (In Search of a Sugar Daddy, Part Deux)

The next episode takes us to none other than the infamous Century Club in Century City (Los Angeles). Well, it doesn’t take us straight there. Of course CW threw in a few twists and turns along the way.

As four underage girls in Los Angeles, there was little for us to legally do by way of a going out scene. Naturally, we took the CW to as many movies, malls, nice restaurants, and beach BBQ’s as we could. She was still not satisfied. I’m not going to say that my 19 year-old self had never been to a club or bar, but that summer I wasn’t really looking to go out of my way to get into one. Back then, I was pretty focused on school and my summer internship (at a well known entertainment company – very hard to come by!). We promised CW that some point during that summer we’d take her to Sunset for a night at Laugh Factory. She seemed more tolerant after that, “seemed” being the operative word.

Suddenly, CW had an intense interest in real estate. She claimed that her parents wanted to purchase a condo in LA, and because she was planning her career in architecture, they asked her to find one for them to buy. We thought it was a little odd that her parents trusted a 19 year old to make decisions like which $2 million to buy on mid-Wilshire, but then again, we were happy that CW had found something to do that occupied her time so she would stop begging us to take her to clubs or bars. Weirder things started happening. In the mornings, CW couldn’t wait for us to get out of the apartment to go to class or to work. She had new expensive clothes and accessories that she eagerly showed off to us. One afternoon, the roommate that lived in the same room as CW pulled me aside one afternoon to show me something interesting she found. Used condoms had started appearing in the trash cans in her bedroom. I definitely did not want to see that, but then we decided that it was up to CW what she chose to do with her time, just so long as she didn’t bother us or put us in danger. She had even stopped asking us to take her out, which was a relief. Then, out of the blue, CW offered to take us out to the Century Club.

One of the realtors she had been “working with”, wanted to take her and her friends to Century Club so that she can get a better idea of the nightlife in an area where she was considering purchasing a condo. This particular realtor is very well known in LA, so when she told us his name we were all incredibly impressed. However, when we saw him for the first time, outside of Century Club with a tight little red-head in tow, we were shocked: the only way to describe his appearance was grotesque. There was no amount of money or designer clothing that could make him any more aesthetically appealing. Clearly, the perky red-head was only with him for one reason: his bank roll. He was nice enough. After an up-down glance for each of us, he walked us right into the club – no lines, no guest lists, no cover, and most importantly, no ID checks. He had managed to give CW’s name to the bartender so all of our drinks that evening were comped as well. He ditched us the minute we got inside to go off into a corner with his girl, not that we minded. Overall it was a fun evening, and even CW was on her best behavior in spite of sporting her incredibly revealing red Bernini dress. The real surprise was awaiting us the next day.

I forgot my badge at home when I left for work in the morning, so I rushed back to the apartment to grab it. I opened the door to find the realtor sitting on our futon, watching our TV, in his boxers.* Well, looks like he certainly left the club with a couple things to poke on. I stoond there stunned. He said CW was in the bathroom and then smiled at me. I didn’t know what to do! I mumbled a quick hello, ran into my room, grabbed my badge, and rushed out of there before CW came out of the bathroom. That evening, CW said that the realtor had come by to pick her up for a housing tour, and she’s sorry she missed me that morning. I didn’t tell her I saw him in his underwear. And most thankfully, I never saw him again.

Oh – but the adventures with CW were far from over. Stay tuned for the details of our adventures with the persian boys, a night out on Sunset, and CW's imminent departure from Los Angeles.

*Quick note: Maybe a few years back, the Century Club was the happening place to be, but I can promise you, no girl in Los Angeles (under-aged or not) needs to sleep with anyone in order to get into a club. What’s more, since reaching 21, my time in LA and my line of work granted me the opportunity to attend many celebrity parties and events (including Brent Bolthouse events --- if you don’t know who he is, you need to find out before you head down to tinsel town), and never, ever, EVER did I need to exchange sexual favors to get into a party or club. And if I were going to, not that I ever would, you can sure bet it wouldn’t be to go to Century Club.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Too much demand for me to go back to the old format! While I work out kinks with "simply gorgeous" I'll just post to the old format.

In Search of a Sugar Daddy, Part 1

As I get ready to depart for school, I can't help but think back to my college days at UCLA. A lot of people at the Ross event were saying the next big step is finding a roommate and figuring out where to live. During the summer before my third year at UCLA, my roommates and I came across somewhat of a roommate fiasco. Fiasco really is the only term for it.

With the impending departure of one of our roommates, we were set on finding a fourth girl to move into our apartment. We posted ads all over campus and online. Then, suddenly, a girl shows up on our front step. She's a transfer to UCLA from the University of Houston, and she plans to study architecture. She's looking for a place to live. She sounded totally legit. Of course, in our naivety, we didn't bother to check on whether or not UCLA has a School of Architecture (it doesn't). We got along well with her. Yes, she wore a bit too much makeup, and well, maybe seemed a bit tramp-ish, but then, who were we to judge? She had rent money and that's what counted.

Now, there were some interesting things about this chick. First of all, as she emptied out her suitcase, we stared in awe of her clothes. Everything seemed like it was hand picked off Rodeo Drive. She had a Versace butterfly top, a red Bernini dress that she claimed she couldn't wear underwear with, and so on and so forth. I admit, she had a killer body. The girl was maybe 5'5'' and slim, but with curves in all the right places. Before she moved to LA, she said that she was recruited as a model for the Leather Bikini Company. Crazy. The rest of her was somewhat of another story. With frizzed out hair, caked on make-up, and 5 inch nails (maybe talons is the more appropriate word), she could be best described as ''crack whore'' looking. Not my words, but rather what a guy friend asked me when he saw her for the first time, ''MBA Cutie, what are you doing hanging out with that ''crack whore''?''

When she had interviewed with us, she told us about her conservative upbringing in Texas. Her family is Persian, and religion was incredibly important to them (Islam). I thought it was weird that this girl wearing painted on jeans and a top that was just two pieces of fabric that came down over her shoulders and tied just under her boobs was a conservative Muslim girl, but then hey, who am I to judge? I asked her if she wanted to come to campus with me to sit in on a class. She said sure, but she needed to change first. She popped out of her room wearing even more makeup, her painted on jeans, and a white t-shirt that was way too small. Plus, she managed to cut slits in a V-shape all across the front of the shirt. Oh, and of course, she was unsupported. :)

There was something really off about the whole situation. She didn't care about school at all. In fact, the only time she had been to campus was to sit in on my business law class, most of which she spent making goo-goo eyes at any guy that walked by. All she wanted to do was go out and meet guys... particularly Persian guys living in Los Angeles, because supposedly they would help her maintain her lifestyle. That's right, all her dresses, her jewels, her bags: those were all gifts from various guys she ''hung out with'' in Houston. It took us a little while to figure this out, but the CW (crack whore) wasn't shacking up in Westwood to go to the non-existent UCLA school of Architecture. Nope, she was shacking up to find herself a sugar daddy. Well, actually a bunch of sugar daddies. Boy, we had no idea what we were in for next ...

LiveJournal

I had a fabulous story I wanted to post today. Absolutely fabulous. But I won't post it. Not today anyway. In fact, maybe not ever.

However, I have spent a lot of time thinking about my blog and whether or not this is the right forum for it. I had heard about LiveJournal from a bunch of my friends, and am now thinking of moving my blog there. I think it may find a happier home and not be under constant attack. Plus I can more readily regulate who reads my blog. I can use this blog and the MBA Cutie psuedo-name to post only MBA related information. I don't attack other people's blogs; I have respect for maintaining my friend's anonymity when I write about them; and while my blog may be a bit narcissistic, it is not hateful to anyone --- and that much, I cannot say about the many people read and enjoy my blog, yet chose to leave hateful comments to me. I have decided to monitor comments going forward. If the situation doesn't improve, I will take my blog private on LiveJournal.

Happy Birthday

Happy 22nd Birthday to my lovely and gorgeous sister! I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy all the love, presents and laughter that is sent your way.

I love you.

The Hot One

After a tough, tough Friday at work in New York City -- two baby showers, one business update seminar, and four champagnes later -- I managed to escape the office, slightly tipsy, and extremely happy, to meet my friend at the Time Warner Center. We were heading uptown to visit a retail store I had helped build out. Randomly enough, I ran into this banker fellow whom I met at an MBA Tour event last summer, and he decided to join me and my friend on our little retail adventure. The fellow and my friend are both MBA applicants for the class of 2009, and they were both eager to hear my insights and advice regarding the application process. When we arrived at the store, we were greeted by the manager, recognizing me as her finance counterpart at corporate. She gave me a store tour while my friends shopped. She then gave glasses of wine to me and my friends while we finalized our purchases. After the store, the fellow went on his way and my girlfriend and I headed over to the east side to meet some other girls for dinner at Yuva (58th btw 2nd and 3rd).

Yuva was fantastic: the food was contemporary, the drinks innovative, and the service excellent. However, the conversation soon edged from blase to spicy (probably to match the food). Of course everyone wanted to know where the youngin' was (at work still, so he couldn't make it to dinner... but he did managed to track me down later in the evening for a late night rendezvous --- no more details can be revealed!). Then started the griping of how hard it is to find someone to date long term in a city like New York. And then, someone announced that they don't want to date guys that are too hot. They want to be the ''hot one'' in a relationship.

I can't deny that I have been one of those girls that will lean over to her friends and say something like ''What is she thinking? He's so not cute enough for her!'' or vice versa. And what's more, I can 100% relate to what my friend said. When I was younger, I think I did sometimes go after guys who I knew were not as good looking as me, mostly because I was insecure that the guys that I thought were ''gorgeous'' wouldn't find me to be as gorgeous. And, perhaps attributable to being a late bloomer (yes, that's right ... MBA Cutie was indeed a late bloomer), this weird thing started happening. I began getting approached by guys who I thought were too gorgeous for me! And what's more, they even seemed nervous sometimes, worried that I would turn them down. I don't feel the same anymore. I'm not saying that I only date gorgeous guys, because that simply isn't the case. However, I do think it is important to me that I'm attracted to whom I date, but whether or not that puts them in the gorgeous category I can't say. There was a time when being the ''hot one'' in a relationship was important to me. But now, I think we can both be the hot ones. At least to each other.

Ross Happy Hour

After work yesterday I headed down to Bliss at 49th and 2nd to to see some of the New York people I had met at GBR. It was fun, but since I had to drive back to NJ, I couldn't really drink with everyone. I stayed until about 8:30pm. It was great to see everyone, and share the excitement of knowing where we are heading, M-trek, and finding housing out in Ann Arbor. Everyone seemed to concur that GBR was one of the most fun admit weekends out there... meaning everyone had a fabulous time. The only downside of yesterday is that I need to figure out how to explain to my manager why it cost me $70 to park my car in midtown for the day... I hope she just lets it go!

Today after work I'm meeting one of my girlfriends and we are heading uptown to visit a retail store owned by the company I work for. We have 30% off all product and 20% off all services in the store through September 1st, so I'm sharing the wealth with my friends. After that, we hope to meet up with some banker friends (if they ever get out of work) and possibly the youngin' (if he ever gets off work --- I hope he does, even if just for his own sake!) and have dinner at YUVA (58th btw 2nd and 3rd) to check out whether or not all the rave reviews are really true!

4/20

The day that will live in infamy… that’s right. 4/20 is here! Earth Day! Go hug a tree! Or even better… this is your chance to veg out like one! I’m not really sure how April 20th became synonymous with the day to run out the door and partake in particular activities. Activities that are acceptable all year in Amsterdam, but only one day of the year in the U.S. The great debate is which university can claim title to the most loyal “partaking” population. As a Bruin, I would say that living in proximity to Venice certainly made my school a 4/20 hot spot, however, the conservative nature of Los Angeles managed to counter the effect. I’ve heard rumors about NYU being pretty active, but my vote still goes to Cal. Those Bears really know what’s going on at 4:20 on 4/20.

Happy Earth Day!

Invitation to Brazil

Brazil is one of the most amazing countries that I've had the pleasure of visiting. The food is fabulous (yes, even for us vegetarians!), the weather is warm, the beaches are gorgeous, the men are hot. As we are in the midst of SPA WEEK, I thought I would write a little bit about my favorite Brazilian export --- alright, in light of Paulo to my left here, I will write a little bit about one of my OTHER favorite Brazilian exports... the Brazilian Bikini Wax.

Once upon a time, I was a brazilian virgin. That's right, I had heard about it, and I had winced in pain at the thought of it, but I had not taken the plunge and embraced it full force. While living Los Angeles, I remember complaining to one of my girlfriends about the hassle and upkeep associated with the upcoming swimsuit season, and the first thing she said was, "Well, why don't you just get brazilian like I do and not worry about it at all?" The first thing I thought was, SHE gets brazilian??? She is so normal. I mean, she didn't exactly strike me as the freaky type. So of course, I just had to check this out. I asked her a bunch of questions, including where she gets it done --- The Nance Mitchell Salon (330 N. La Peer, 310-276-2722) ---, how much it hurt (a lot), what it was like (weird the first time, but oh-so addicting), why she did it (it was cleaner, sexier, and her boyfriend loved it).. and so on and so forth. By the end of the day, I had my very own appointment with Nance for Saturday afternoon.

I was insanely nervous when I walked into Nance's Salon. She asked me a bunch of questions: Why I wanted it done (for swimsuit season), how I knew about her (through my friend), did I have a boyfriend (at the time, no), etc. She made me feel at ease. Interestingly enough, she also told me that at one point, she was the sole waxer for the entire cast of Showgirls. Talk about a reference! The procedure is painful... I will admit to that. But, then as I always say, beauty is pain. It's also somewhat embarassing. I never thought I would meet another woman who would tell me to "Strip, get on all fours, and grab a cheek.", and what's worse, that I would willingly oblige. Nance mentioned that, in her opinion, 99.5% of guys prefer the brazilianed look. I will leave that up to you all to decide. She also told me stories of girls that wanted different shapes waxed into their nether regions. Once she managed to wax a picture of a basketball for a girl who's boyfriend was a professional ball player. Another girl requested a mercedes benz symbol because her boyfriend was a car fanatic. My guess is the airbrushed designs of COMPLETELY BARE (www.completelybare.com) stemmed out of these sorts of requests.


My verdict on the Brazillian? Now that I've had it, I can never go back. It's so clean, the upkeep is only once every 4 to 6 weeks, and you can wear any swimsuit or lingerie you want and never have to worry about anything looking unkempt. And, to a certain extent, it makes you feel exotic. Since I left Los Angeles, Nance referred me to the J Sisters (www.jsisters.com), who are the girls responsible for bringing and popularizing the Brazilin within the US. They have many celebrity clients, including Gweneth Paltrow and Bette Midler. However, instead of Nance's "grab a cheek" method, they have a "legs over the head method"... which to an extent, I prefer --- it mitigates the pain when you are concentrating on holding a position. If I had to say what is most painful, it's the removal of ingrowns at the end. And remember ladies, the more you do it, the less painful it is.

Marina had asked about how much the procedure costs. Well, it depends. Nance (when I was in California) was $50 a session, and the J Sisters recently raised their prices to $65 per session. But when you are dealing with such sensitive areas, I rather pay a little more and get it done quickly and well. I think you can find places in Manhattan that do it for $40 or $45 a visit. Interestingly enough, since my departure from California, I've had a hard time finding other Brazilian worshipers. Maybe it's a west coast thing. Or mabye, there are still many brazilian virgins waiting to discover the excitement they are missing.

Completely Bare

I try not to post more than once in any given day but... IT'S SPA WEEK!!!

Most people know how I rant and rave about the J Sisters Salon (www.jsisters.com), and especially their brazilian wax, but I think I may have found a new guilty, and hopefully slightly less painful, indulgence. The Completely Bare Salon (www.completelybare.com). Why just go brazilian when you can get an airbrushed tatoo of your favorite picture... or boytoy's name... right where it would be least expected?

There are a bunch of other awesome spas to check out as well:
http://www.spaweek.org/

ENJOY!

Withdrawl

I’m definitely withdrawing from the normal day – to – day activities that used to keep my life so busy. Or maybe I’m just losing interest in them. Now that I know I’m going to school, and I know where I’m going. I have an apartment leased. I have a good idea what my life in Ann Arbor will be like. I feel like I’m in this excruciating waiting game. It’s not yet quite time to quit my job, but tasks that used to just be annoyances now make me want to pull my hair out. I have no motivation to learn anything new. Basically, I’m really just there to get paid and get free cosmetics for the next few months. On the weekends, I go through boxes of belongings, I try to meet up with friends I may not see again for a long time, I try to schedule time with any love interests that pop up… but all of it feels so mechanical. It’s hard to keep going when you know that a certain part of your life is really over --- done --- finito! All I can think about is what the next part of my life will be like. I hate having to keep living in the old part.

Ophelia at Work, Part 1

I was going to write a few pointers on the “What matters most to you and why?” essay, but Ash seems to have beat me to the chase. I’ll try that one out a few weeks from now when everyone is looking for more advice.

I recently started reading a new book, I Can’t Believe She Did That: Why Women Betray Other Women at Work, by Nan Mooney. It’s an interesting exposé on how women interact with each other at work and why women find it so difficult to work with other women in the workplace. Many of you that regularly read my blog know that I’m very interested in the dynamics behind female to female relationships, and for the next few days I plan to use concepts that Mooney brings up in her book to discuss various experiences and thoughts I have regarding women in social and career life.

“When the Professional gets Personal”

Have you ever encountered a coworker that revealed too much personal information to you too quickly? It’s not that you didn’t want to get to know this person, or even that you really minded knowing some of the juicy details of their life, but you didn’t realize how burdensome this information could be later on. Women often judge the depth of their relationships with other women through trust. In order to gain acceptance into a friend circle, women find that they have to open themselves up and reveal personal, and often intimate, details of themselves to others. In friendships, this may be ok --- but there is still a caveat regarding how quickly you want to reveal that type of information to anyone --- the workplace is not the place to do it. Aside from the obvious fact that today’s confidante could be tomorrow’s manager, personal details about your life floating around work could have other negative affects. Your coworkers may feel compelled to cover for you or may feel that your outside life is affecting the way you are at work. Depending on the severity of your issues and the details you share, you could be seen as someone difficult to work with, or not interested in her career.

While we all long to form those tightly knit bonds with other women, the workplace may not be the place to do it. Relationships, when good, can be wonderful, but when they dissolve, they can be terrible. There probably isn’t a girl out there who hasn’t shared personal information with someone (yes, even MBA Cutie has done it and lived to pay the consequences), in attempt to create intimacy, but then had the situation backfire. In a social setting, you may be able to distance yourself from the situation, but if you work in a niche industry or are a member of a particular business association, you may have to deal with the circumstances for the rest of your career.

Recap

The blogger event in NYC was a success... once everyone managed to find our group downstairs, we started in on the drinks and food. Although there could have been more vegetarian choice in the limited menu Spice Market provided us. I don't think it was nearly as exciting as the SF Blogger get together, but I admit that I was pretty out of it as the evening wore on, and even had to leave after just one bar.

I hung out with my girlfriend, her boyfriend, and his friends in Hoboken last night. For all the years That I've lived in NJ, I have only gone out in Hoboken three times. It was a fun night, although, we only went to one place, since a lot of people had to head home early because of Easter.

Driving back home this morning, I got a call from another girlfriend. It turns out that the guy she considers her "pseudo boyfriend" proposed to her last night. Not only has she been actively trying to meet other guys, she and this fellow have only dated for 2 months! He has been in love with her for eight years, so he thinks the proposal is justified. She, on the other hand, is at odds on what to do. She loves him "kind of", and she also lives 3000 miles away from him! Sometimes I really don't get it. Guys that we like become really non-responsive, but guys that we dont' really like that much propose. I need to spend some more time on Mars.

Fluid

I will give a blogger event recap in my next post tomorrow. Just jotting down a few thought from today.

So, I went to Columbia to see this band (Paper Doll) perform at an Asian Festival. My girlfriend knows one of the band members, so I went with her to check it out. They are really great, so if you get the chance to see them, you should!

Today has been a little off. I fought wiht my mom about how I am trying to overplan my schedule for the summer. I think I can really feel my relationships with people in the NYC area fading as it's getting closer to the time that I will be taking off. I'm not really sure where things lie with the youngin', and honestly, not sure where I want them to lie... especially after admit weekend. Just in a general state of confusion.

Funny story from today ... one of my girlfriends said that she actually received a thong in her christmas stocking from her grandma! It was a special type of thong, known at the "invisible" thong. Supposedly, her grandma didnt' want her to wear underwear to work that could show up through her clothes. :)

Tonight's the night!

The guest list is finalized! No more changes...

See you all tonight.

MBA Cutie
Vikram
MBA Jackass
Marina
Redwolf056
Wheresmydessert
QZoink
MBAformein08

Happy TAMIL NEW YEAR!!!!

Karma

Yesterday passed in a whirlwind of activity. Once I finished finalizing the reservation for the bloggers at Spice Market, I got roped into a project that kept me at work a bit later than I wanted to be. Then I managed to get home, eat a packet of fruit snacks for dinner, and then pass out in my inflateble bed… at 10:10pm, no later! Then was up and at it at 5:30am this morning to come to the NYC office. Bad news is I have to come to the NYC office three times next week. Good news is, next Friday, I finally get to catch up with a girlfriend that I have been having trouble connecting with the past few months. We're having dinner and drinks in Tribeca, and may invite some more girls. I’m thinking about inviting someone else too, but have not reached a final decision on that one. I have been playing phone tag with a bunch of people this week… everyone wants to know what I was up to a Ross! Of course, I say to check my blog, but then, my blog does not openly reveal the juiciest events of the weekend which my girlfriends … and some guy friends... are dying to know about.

I've been thinking about karma a lot lately. Especially after this last "uber-fun" weekend at Ross, and choices I made, I am now wondering… will these things transend and reappear in a didactic manner a year or two down the road? I have to say, I think everyone gets what they deserve and I am a 100% believer in karma. For all the bad things I had done in my life, maybe I got away with some in a certain sense, but I don't think I've ever gotten away with anything. This does provide me with some "revengeful" comfort, because I know that people that have hurt me in the past will get what they deserve, whether I'm there to see it or not. However, I still wonder what outstanding karmatic debts I still have left to pay.

A few quick things for NYC Event on Friday!

Hello!
A few quick things:

* Check to make sure you are on the final guest list if you are attending: http://www.mbacutie.com/guestlist.html

* Remember to bring cash!

* The event ends at 11:30pm, but we can decide what to do after once we are all gathered!

I'll see you all there.

I have decided to remove myself from the MBA Blogger community. I may be getting an MBA, but my blog is not 100% about that and after the slew of rude comments, hateful email, etc, I just think I may be better suited to readers in other forums. Of course, if you like my blog and want to continue reading it, I welcome your readership. But I have asked Hella to remove me from the applicant blog feeds and from Frontline Fridays.

The end of the $10 drink

One thing I will not miss when I leave NYC is paying $10 for your basic, run of the mill vodka -soda. I geniunely look forward to the deflated alcohol prices in Ann Arbor. My girlfriend is visiting from California and we went out in the city last night. Now, I'm at work, struggling to get through today. A few quick highlights and conversation snipets from last night:

* Getting free pizza. I negotiated with the pizza guy who was trying to flirt: he guesses my ethnicity right... we pay double for the pizza... he doesn't, pizza's free. He guessed Egyptian (go figure).
* "Sex Bruises"
* "My friend has a great job and a BMW, but he's not the best looking guy. Why does he never have a shot with girls like you?"
* "Can you imagine waking up each morning and have listen to that chick's voice???"
* Dip Cafe is 23 and up! Why?
* "God, they are not only fake, they are badly done fakes."
* "You want to go to Alphabet City? Dude, that's sooo far!"
* I blew off some guy that got me a drink (hey, $10 less out of MY pocket!) only to find out a few minutes later that he is a director at the W Hotel in Time Square. Whoops.. there goes that hookup.

What a night!

Home is where the heart is

Revelations from the heart of an MBA Cutie...

The past few days at GBR were amazing, and I'm so happy that I get to go to a school that really clicks with my personality and where I will have the opportunity to grow and blossom. By the end of GBR, I was definitely ready to come back home though. For as much as I complain and whine about New Jersey, I have to say that I missed this place. I missed my inflateable bed; I missed the craziness of navigating jughandles; I missed watching netflix DVD's on my portable DVD player. I really missed the crazy nightlife options I have grown accustomed to by living so close to NYC. Oh yeah, and I guess I missed a particular someone out here, too. I always say I miss California and I hate the weather here, but there is something that does keep bringing me back to this place. Maybe New Jersey has managed to edge its way into my heart, despite my constant distaste for it.

I had to go try something else to see that maybe I like what I have more than I thought. Ann Arbor is great, and I think the comfort, kindness, and relaxed nature in the midwest will be good for me. But I had to get out there, experience it, and realize that while I'll be happy there, maybe I do have it pretty good here too.

NYC Blogging Event Guest List

Posted at www.mbacutie.com. Click to the Blogger event details, then click on guest list.

RSVP ASAP if you have not already done so.

GBR

Everything people say about Michigan is TRUE! It's an academically astute, fun-loving school with such a friendly and welcoming student body. GBR was such a great experience and I got to meet so many people from so many different parts of the country (and world!). I managed to locate and secure an apartment, which is great! It just takes a lot of frustration with relocating away. I had heard a lot of complaints about the facilities before I got there. I really didn't think they were bad. And if anything, they were better than I expected them to be!

On Friday night, there was a party at this place called the "Hill House". A bunch of MBA 1 & 2 guys rented out this house and it seems to be a "gathering point" of sorts. They have this block of ice thing that people pour shots of liquor down. That I had never seen before. It was pretty fun. :) I know why drinking is so popular... it is really, really cold and it's the best way to stay warm. (Maybe not coherent, but definitely warm). My host was nice, but I lost her somewhere in the Hill House.

Last night, I wasn't able to enjoy the festivities at Scorekeepers... I had to attend a family friend's function. I wish I could have gone out. I think my personality fits in really really well with the school and student body. I've never seen a group of people that are so hard working but so fun-loving at the same time. And, interestingly enough, it seems like the students at Michigan really have a certain type of connection with their school. It's hard to describe how much the school means to the students and alumni. The dean described it as most likely resembling "love", and I think he's right.

The real deal on applications... and leaving for GBR!

As the last of the second round decisions trickle in, something is clearly evident. Admission to any given school is not necessarily dependent on the quality of a applicant’s personal accomplishments and merits. Perhaps (to the horror of all of us applicants, who painstakingly spent hours upon days creating our perfect applications, tailored to each school), the process has more to do with the Ad Com’s ability to “craft” the right mix for each class. If you happened to be what they think is the best of any particular category they are looking for or you fill a unique deficiency, you will get the spot. Pretty frightening. Rejections, most likely, have nothing to with the quality of our accomplishments. It’s probably that the Admissions Committee is just trying to create a certain type of class. I wish they would tell us that in the beginning of the process as opposed to indicating later that the “quality” of our applications could have been better.

No blogs for a few days… I’ll be in Ann Arbor at GBR!!!! My flight is at 7am out of Philly… and then I have to drive from Detroit to Ann Arbor. It’s going to be a LOOONG day. Having to work from the New York office today is really not helping. I hate being 24! I have to pay a 28 dollar surcharge PER DAY because I am not 25. I am excited to meet everyone! I am looking forward to securing an apartment (I hope within walking distance of the school), and getting a better idea of what my life will be like for the next two years. On Friday night, we have an event called “Whirly Ball”. I wonder what that is. I didn’t sign up for a one on one pre-admit career counseling session because I don’t think it will be helpful to me. Plus, I rather take the time to get to know Ann Arbor and secure housing. I’ll be back Sunday afternoon. Unless we have access to computer labs while we are on campus, I will not be able to update my blog until I get back.

NYC BLOGGER EVENT DETAILS

Hello NYC Bloggers..

For details to our April 14th event, please visit www.mbacutie.com and click on the corresponding link. The following is a list of Bloggers I have that are interested in attending the event, HOWEVER, I MUST receive an email confirmation from you, either directly, or from the the link on the website by SUNDAY, APRIL 9th, in order to remain on the guest list.

Thank you!

Guest List:

MBA Cutie
Marina
MBAformein08
Where's my dessert
MBA Jackass
Redwolf056
Vikram
Yolande
ZB
QZoink
Tycoon
Shuang W
Aditya C

Hope to see you all there!

The Last One

FOR ALL THOSE ATTENDING THE NYC BLOGGERS DINNER/DRINKS @ SPICE MARKET ON THE 14TH: UPDATE WITH EDITED LIST TO COME OUT IN TOMORROW'S POST. PLEASE CONFIRM, REQUEST TO BE ADDED, ETC... BY NEXT SUNDAY (APRIL 9TH).

It's really finally here. The last quarter close I will ever do for this particular company.. And possibly, for the rest of my career. I wonder if I will miss closing the books when all this is over. Because it is only the quarter, I technically still have two more official closes to go through before I can say goodbye to close forever, but this is the last "oh-so important", "everyone will be scrutinizing" close. I've had some interesting close experiences in the past four years of work. Year Ends are by far the worst, but the month ends can be pretty bad, especially if things are miscoded or if there are a million accruals that need to have sustainable back-up. The worst thing about close is that every month since I left college, I have not been able to take a vacation, or even think about being sick, the first week of ANY month. It's even funnier when you start keeping track of time by how soon the next close is and how many closes are left in the year. By far the best story I have relating to close goes back to my just-out-of-college interviewing days. I was interviewing for a finance position with a large mass beauty company. Speaking with the manager, she tells me "You would be responsible for the Men's line, Hand & Body, Cosmetics and close." I sit there totally puzzled and respond with "I didn't know that company XXX makes clothes!" Just so you know, they don’t. I still got the job.

WE WON!

To the LSU fans (as my brother says): Too bad, so sad.

To the BRUIN FANS: YAHOO!!! We did it. You all have to watch the game for me on Monday because in order to go to GBR, since it's during our quarter financial close, I have agreed to work late. So I won't get to see it. Maybe I can catch a few V-Cast highlights.

Last night I went to Blondie's East (the original Blondies was booked SOLID and our group couldn't get a table). We sat right next to 6 hardcore LSU fans. Boy, did they hate us. After a while, we decided to stop screaming because there was no point in losing our voices and futher pissing off our fellow viewers in the bar.

Weekend was great... relaxing, fun, and some quality time with someone ... (AWW, SO CUTE!)

Meet MBA Geeky?

UC-LA! UC-LA! GO BRUINS!!!!

I'm heading out to watch the game at a sports bar in NYC with other Bruin supporters. It should be a mucho-fun time. :)

In retrospect, maybe some of my anonymous commenters are right. MBA Cutie has gotten a little too full of herself lately. Last night, as I was out at the movies with someone (Inside Man .. go see it! Not what you'd expect.), I realized how ditzy, ridiculous and superficial I sound. And I wonder how much of that ditziness --- which many of my friends just chalk up to me being me --- is affecting the way that others perceive me. My posts just don't carry the substance that some of the other MBA Blogger's posts pull. But then, the question to myself is, do I want to? My posts do take advantage of an author's right to dramatization, and perhaps in some respects, fictionalization, but I do try to connect with and maintain the interest of my readers.

Perhaps if this was some sort of publicity scheme, my posts are attractive (although probably not as informative of the MBA process as a whole) to blog readers. What I can say is that this blog has resulted in a lot of unexpected publicity --- from friends, who did not know I had such a dramatic life --- to anonymous commenters, who I'm still trying to figure out. Sometimes I think they like me, sometimes I think they hate me. But regardless, they all seem to continue to read me. Maybe, to satisfy all, MBA Cutie should tap into her alter ego and blog as MBA Geeky... the unkempt, internet surfing, SIMS playing, ochem studying, four-eyed creature with an affinity for text messaging.

But I do want to take the time today, a few hours before UCLA kicks some serious a$$, to thank all my avid readers and fans. Without you, MBA Cutie wouldn't have many people to share the intimate details of her life with. And, I hope, that while busily working away at my MBA in Michigan, I can continue to provide all of you with humor, excitement, and drama as my life continues to progress and unfold.