Ch 26: My Billion Dollar Dinner

Nov. 19, 2006

No it wasn't anything expensive. It was in fact free. Which is to say that the returns were infinite. I just had a great meal at Oriel College with a very privilidged set of guests. A set of guests that had been collectively responsible for billions of dollars worth of wealth/value creation and investments. I mean these were people with their own legitimate Wikipedia articles!
The event was a pre-dinner for Silicon Valley day here in Oxford. The guests were phenomenal. I had the privaledge of sitting next to the founder of linkedin.com Reid Hoffman. It was an awesome opportunity to speak to and bounce my ideas off of one of the internets great minds (he's also an Oxford grad). Across from me was the head of Oriel College Derek Morris.<-I wasn't kidding Wikipedia approved.
A number of other guests were present but the entire event did two things for me. Firstly it reiterated by beliefs that I was getting a world class experience on top of an education here at Oxford. Secondly, and more importantly to me it has given me a boost in both my energy and confidence that the direction I have set for my life is the right one for me. Just another day at the dream factory.

Ch 25: A Unique Place in the World

Tonight was the Pembroke College MCR (Middle Common Room- a social gathering place for graduate students) Michaelmas dinner. The night was kicked off with Champaign in the reception hall in typical Oxford fashion. The meal itself had additional servicing of white wine, red wine, followed by a port (see where this is going?).

I learned a new word and Oxford tradition that night. It's called scouncing; a tradition here that demands that a person drink a tankard of ale or some other alcoholic beverage as a penalty for some breach of accepted etiquette. Quite a way to get a party hoppin'.

"How wonderful" I thought. "I learn something new here every day".

Ch 24: Dawn of Dreams

"How fortunate am I?"

That's something I often think about in the mornings when I wake up. I live and study within a nexus of dreams. That's why people do MBAs is it not? Every MBA here has a dream for there future which they are working toward everyday (maybe not as much on weekends and pub nights but almost everday...).

Everyday I get to witness the progress, interplay, and evolution of 223 individual dreams. It's one of the most fascinating experiences in the world. I know because I am a collector of experiences- a number of which can be defined as "fascinating" =) But dreams can be fleating and this is only a one year program, a drop in time. So I also have to tell myself to pay attention to my surroundings, enjoy the moment, help those around me, keep learning, and keep growing.

After all, everyone has dreams.

However, some dreams fade into memory... While others become lost with the passing of time... But every once in a while a little magic happens and a dream today that's been given the proper nourishment, blossoms into tomorrow's reality.

Ch 23: Overcoming Obstacles

I am finally settled into Oxford after a little trouble in getting here and a lot of trouble in finding a place to call home. But those obstacles are behind me now and I feel fortunate to have both found a great place to live (just down the street from the Said Business School, and to be living in a great place (Oxford is awesome- A great place to study... an equally great place to have fun).



Funny thing about Obstacles, they can really get you down from time to time. But I suppose life would get pretty boring without them. Everyone needs a little challenge now and then.



A long time ago a friend of mine told me that the more you challenge yourself the more your boundaries grow. And the more your boundaries grow the more capable you become. I would suppose then, that obstacles are just natures "accidential challenges".