The frequency of blog postings is a testament of precisely what came to pass – me. By the seat of my pants.

Finally. I fulfilled the graduation requirements and last week achieved my last outstanding personal goal: find a job.

And – finally finally finally – I know. I know.

• Always think like a 3-year-old!
• Never take “no” for an answer.
• If you do something, make it count – leverage.
• You go there, set it up and disappear.
• If you’re doing grass roots, listen to them and do what they need.
• DO IT. NOW.

“Each of us at each moment of our lives has the ability to change the world. For the better. To use everything we’ve been given up to that moment to make every moment after better, for as many people as we choose. I love life. I love people.” – text2LM

I believe it was the 18th of December?

Output is a win.

Today was a good day.

I floated in a haze of solitude, punctuated by a nice little visit with Francoise across the street. We had a coffee and a smoke in her 1860′s-built home, and I got caught up on all the goss about our neighbors, and I got to know her better, and I got to practice my French. She brought me a rhubarb pie later in the day (she knows I’m alone), while I was belting out some of Mary J. Blige’s “One” with the guitar on my break from scheming.

It was good, the pie. I like pies, and I don’t recall this often enough to eat them.

Recipe time!

Speaking of eating, I made a winner of a dinner this evening. Started with three fat slices of tomato, half an avocado sliced nice and thin, into half-moons, and salad greens, with a lime squeezed over the whole lot. This entree kept me from starving while I was making my champion chicken soup. Lightly brown some mashed garlic, just quickly fry the chicken (over which lime is to be squeezed first) on top of it, then add water. Salt and pepper. Boil. Add shallots. Simmer. Stir. Simmer. Sip. Season. Add tomatoes. Simmer. Stir. Sip. Season. Then in go the haricot verts, simmered and stirred, then finally the champignons. Simmer. Done. Two wee slices of six-grain bread topped it right off nicely. Happily eaten with a glass of jus d’orange. Lovely.

End recipe.

My retreat to the War Room today was a success. This is war, and I am a tiger.

I’m violating all of my past OCD time-wastage by putting up with an ugly spreadsheet. This is good because I’m focusing on the beef and not the bun. I made progress today, and I’m getting results, and I’m quite pleased with myself.

Tomorrow is another day and I advance my campaign. I need to start laying Plan C down, get Plan B in motion and continue to set up for the two-front all-out assault.

This is very exciting.

Later tonight, I do a bit more training before I go to bed. I’m not a whiz just yet, but I see myself moving forward and this is good.

Progress is a win.

Ups, that’s the laundry done. There are few things like household chores to provide a bit of clarity in an otherwise hazy period break.

So it’s the end of P3. Very strange. Consistent with the rest of this madcap adventure, the last few months went by in the blink of an eye.

I really do feel like it was just yesterday I was walking through the streets of Paris in solitary muteness, shoes crunching softly on the snow as I made my way along the Seine towards the Eiffel Tower, mentally composing a French rhyme and wondering how I was going to get to Fonty, and when I did, what I would do there and how I would cope. Well. I’m still around and I’m still alive.

P3 in Fonty gave me room to breathe. Granted, lots of the breathing was beleaguered huffing and puffing through the snow- and cold-laden 25-minute walk to campus, I’ve had good, quality time for introspection. I actually got my act together somewhat – not as much as I would have liked, but I started the job search and actually did some hard work for class.

So in distilled form, from IPA, Macro, Investments, IFM, Nego, OCR networking events, INDEVOR and job hunt, here is a menu of takeaways:

• It matters who owns you (IFM) 
• Ask the right questions to the right people (Nego, DB networking cocktails) 
• Market exposure (beh-tah or duration) matters and is different on the upside and the downside (Investments, The Neverending ISP) 
• Engage – it’s the only way to make things happen (INDEVOR, jobs) 
• Interviews: people will see how much of your heart is in it, and that is what sets you apart from other equally competent people at the end of the day (INDEVOR) 
• Trade execution is an enormous new can of worms! (Investments) 
• REER! (Macro) 
• WACC or CF’s compare apples to apples (IFM) 
• Don’t make big mistakes! Focus on the big picture and then go into the numbers. (Nego)

“A lot of those good leaders who came out of Sun understood and knew what I was trying to do when I picked an enemy, or when I picked a cause or when I put all the wood behind one arrowhead. It was about trying to align a bunch of really different people around a commonality of purpose. That’s what really great leaders do.” Scott McNealy, interview in Forbes magazine (McNealy: “Hire Great People and Delegate”)

Necessary but not sufficient. Be like Jack. Nimble. Quick.

• Prioritize. Figure out what you want – find out what sets you on fire – and make It happen. Life is too short to over-focus on things that are not important to us. Dig deep, separate the noise from the signal, do the analysis and find your own personal Goal. As soon as you figure that out, put your heart and soul into turning the Dream into Reality. That means (1) you also have to learn to let go, because there are tradeoffs, and (2) you have to treat the things of which you’ve had to let go with respect, because respect is non-negotiable. Alternative stock tip of the day: people. They are what matter, so to the extent possible, invest in them. Prioritize them over letters and numbers. Bugger off to the Raffles Hotel before FMV to spend some quality time with Mr. Messy. Stay up until 8am organizing that fundraiser and reschedule your class to the afternoon section’s. Recycle your course packs (scan them if you have WOWs you want to enshrine), spend the night before FOM sharing Brazilian food and beverages poolside. One way to prioritize people that requires no trade-off but time – my favorite one of them all, needed in large quantities on a daily basis  -CHINA!!!

• Be brave, be sure of yourself. You may not think it, but it is, after all, possible in 99 out of 100 cases. The only time it’s impossible is if you don’t try in the first place. You’re more of da bomb than you think. You have the power. From UDJ to LPG to Monsoon Ball with the Bottlenecks to The Calendar to INDEVOR to FOM to Africa Week to cutting it close with the Schengen visa – always and everywhere there are times when you have to step – or  leap – out of your comfort zone (after thinking first, of course). But there’s psychological safety in the world. So if it all goes pear-shaped, the world will not, in fact, crumble around your ears. The two things that are REALLY sure in life aren’t death and taxis – they’re change (interpret that any way you like) and being okay. Losing cash, losing the room you had in your hand – from these regrettable events you can recover, and you should. Losing One Last Moment to cowardice is unacceptable. But even if you do, life goes on anyway.
• Be able to make good decisions, even when you’re uncertain. You will NEVER have full information. No one will. There will come a time when there’s two minutes left to deadline, you’re getting yelled at, and you have to say to each other “No more. We send NOW.” There will come a time when you have to send that email to that MP, even as a holding email – or the opportunity passes you by. There will come a time when you have to make a crazy last-minute decision, even though you don’t know if you can get a visa in time, where you’re going to live, what classes you’re going to take, what life will be like or whether that last-minute ticket is going to cost you your soul. And what you know for sure is that you’ll be penalized for it – be it bid points, shipping costs or emotions. Comfort has a cushy couch in the world of uncertainty. Find it and chillax.
• Know yourself. And make no pretenses about anything – denial about who you are is one of the quickest ways to making bad decisions. Know what you hate, know what pisses you off and either try to avoid these things or crank patience up to full blast when faced with them. Know how you react to extreme turbulence on a plane (e.g. do I bite my seatmates?). Know that you’re not perfect, and know that it’s easy to say something today, but that you don’t know how you’ll actually act tomorrow (e.g. Milgram, anyone?). Know that if you’re a P, a J is likely to complement you. Know yourself so that you can take the piss out of yourself, so that you can sit well in your skin and so that you can resist crumbling in the face of adversity. Know yourself so that you can contribute to diversity, and therefore innovation and rich growth experiences.
• Serendipity (call it what you will, depending on who you are) DOES make the world go ‘round. Don’t turn her away when she knocks at your door. B-side Honda case in point. Coming here, to INSEAD, and wanting to become a bond trader, and potentially coming out trying to save the world. And wither the bond trader aspiration? Its role was to teach me how to let go (i.e. accept getting stopped out and exit the position tout de suite.) Got stopped out of the long SGP position, going long FBL. Natural disasters can also lead to a chain of events for this natural disaster that may or may not end in disaster, but by God I’ll go for it. It feels right, even though it’s brought a bit of pain. The seemingly eclectic progression of interest, action and emotion IS heading somewhere that makes sense. The universe is unfolding as it should, albeit with a good dose of volatility.
• Every moment is an opportunity. “Each one of us at each moment of our lives has the ability to change the world. For the better. To use everything we’ve been given up to that moment to make every moment after better, for as many people as we choose. I love life, …, I love people. There has to be a better way for all of us to make choices to get there!!!!” (A Text, 18 December 2009). Clearly, we won’t make these choices a hundred percent of the time. But it helps to make these choices once in a while, and to act, to make them count. Pull the right levers when the spirit moves you, and just do it.

Pulling all of the above together, my Goal is to be successful a la Emerson: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success!”

I’m now getting over my immense sadness (read: recovering from a hangover after 4 months of living at the limits of my physical, mental and emotional boundaries, or trying – in vain perhaps – to loosen the grip of impossible attachments, or getting over nostalgia from packing my beachwear – with Phi Phi sand still! – to send home for the year), and enjoying these last few moments of Me Time and peace and quiet now that the madness has subsided. And boy oh boy, has there been madness beyond imagining in(dee/sea)d sin Gapour. INSANE.

And that was just the first half of the Big Adventure…

• The quest for a phone/line. Yesterday, I schlepped all along The Island in search for a red Nokia E75. Didn’t actually have to (as I discovered today), but I did, and ended up as far as Jurong Point shopping center. 2 stops away from the end of the line (I had arrived at the other end of the line after lunch, i.e. the airport). [Moment: 9pm in the dark by myself leaving the MRT station with a bit of trepidation in my heart.] This all meant that I became very, very familiar with the green MRT line, as well as bits of the red line.  Instead of getting a phone line (the universe was hell-bent against me doing that easily), I ended up buying a sim card from the convenience store at the MRT station (see bullet no. 6) from a sweet lady who today thought I was on my Day Off. As in a domestic helper’s day off. I told her no, I wasn’t working today. And this evening, I spent over an hour at Lucky Plaza picking the place apart for my target phone and haggling for/ensuring the functionality of my new red Nokia E75. Red is the key phrase – black ones come a 8400SGD a dozen. Nevertheless, mission accomplished.

• The quest for the nearest food court. My agent directed me exit the back gate and turn right (it was actually left, but anyway). Of course I decided to try to find it on my way home from The Quest for A Phone (see bullet no. 1) instead. To make life fun. Found a place. It was the wrong place, but it had food. It was far from my home. Found out today (see bullet no. 3) that the right place was something like 25 steps away from my building.
• The quest for the nearest grocery store. This was Carl and Jackie’s search for White Castle. I was the culprit of the misguided directions – we trekked to the “nearby” far-flung Wrong Food Court for brunch, and wended and wound our way to The Grocery Store. This ended up being 45 steps from my back gate. Huh. (And 20 steps from The Right Food Court, which we dubbed White Castle) ["Steps" in this entry, of course, are figurative ones.]
• Surprise rain. Of course I’d read in another INSEADer’s blog (forgive me, I have forgotten which one among the many out there, but it was one of the better ones) that we should carry an umbrella everywhere because of the surprise rains. Well, I dumped my Little Purple Umbrella in my Big Black Bag as soon as I got here, but, having encountered no precipitation since yesterday (yesterday only??), I was a bit skeptical about the weather situation. On my way home from another foray into Orchard Road, I felt gobs of water hitting my legs and realized that it was, indeed, raining. And it was raining on my precious brown paper bag (from the fabulous little shop at Paragon called Muji). So without missing a step to “Go Girl” by Pitbull feat. Trina, I whipped out my handy Little Purple Umbrella and carried on joyfully to my home in the tropical downpour.
• Humidity. With all the adventuring I did this weekend, I decided to rename myself Sticky for a few days. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to walking ’round the streets of Manila for an extended period of time (likely), but I’ve never had this feeling before. I was just… sticky. Sticky all day. And I had my immune system running on full blast because I’d be “glowing” (ladies glow, we neither sweat nor perspire) and sticky from all the motoring down the streets I did, and then get into a fully air-conditioned train. At least I was just sticky, though. There were other souls that were sticky AND smelly.
• The flat. Comfortable. Convenient. Not perfect, but, I feel, worth the massive amounts of money we’re shelling out. The One Disappointment: no TV5. This was a surprise to me because the heads of the housing services that put us up are French. Where is the patriotism in that!? Had myself a private housewarming on my first night (i.e., the only ones in attendance were me, a bottle of MRT-convenience-store-bought cabernet sauvignon, and Anthony and Breitner). Will plan a bubble bath within the next few weeks (if I can squeeze it in). Love the lighting, love the furniture.

Tomorrow is the orientation and welcome dinner for the Biz Foundations pre-session. A whole gaggle of INSEADers have already started the party. I’m just enjoying these last few moments of Me Time and peace and quiet before the madness begins. And boy oh boy, it looks like there’s going to be some madness in(dee/sea)d.

1. Stalking –> Due Dilligence
2. Partying –> Networking

I’m aces! Just need to practice these (oh the humanity!), learn the hard skills, and Bob’s my uncle – I’m on my way!

Maybe we can even plug these into an alternate-universe b-school curriculum as “Stalking for Business” and “Corporate Partying”. I can see it all now… Okay maybe not. Got a wee bit too excited.

1. You can’t play hard ball from a position of weakness. What Shearson seemed to try to do with KKR. It just made Shearson seem ridiculous. But of course, the reader knew what was up, whereas the parties involved didn’t have full information. Which leads to…
2. Information is queen. If cash is king, information is queen. There wouldn’t have been such a hoo-ha in a lot of places if, say, KKR had the benefit of management’s numbers (or more accurate ones), or if all sides knew where the bids were, or if Shearson knew KKR was still in the game.*
3. Transparency makes the game. It’s a Ring of Gyges sitch. What do people do when they think no one’s looking? And when People finally look, any decisions you made without PR in mind can shoot you in the foot.
4. Be tenacious, cos it ain’t over till the fat lady sings. Management got a chance to squeeze in another bid because it wasn’t super clear how the bid process was supposed to end. Now, I’m not giving pasaways unqualified praise, but really – it may not necessarily be over when you think it’s over. Give it a shot. It may not pan out, but at least you tried.
5. There is always life after a deal. Whether it’s a better or worse one, well… only time and circumstance dictates. But most of the people involved (including the employees of the company in question) will be around for you to deal with afterwards. And the closing of the deal is the opening of a new management adventure.

* Second mistake for the management team – ignoring the KKR threat. Granted, KKR did do a bit of misleading propaganda, but Shearson should’ve known better. Right? (See Yumminess #1 from “Barbarians at the Gate (Part 1)“.)

But here’s The Most Important Lesson I feel I got from the book:

Keep it real.

That means always stepping back and regaining perspective, which you just might lose in the midst of excitement and excess.

A firm’s always got a bottom line, whatever its capital structure is, right? And at the bottom of that bottom line are real things. Like Oreos and Chewy Chips Ahoy – my favorite snack cookies.

Big bravo for Burrough and Helyar – am very happy theirs was the first biz narrative I’ve ever read.

Campus: Pleased. Great facilities, good food – looks conducive to what we need to achieve. Logistically fitting an enlarged class a bit of a question mark. Can see some excess demand for the BORs (break-out-rooms).

Living Spaces: Pleased. Decent living, no headaches in terms of sorting things out. That’s pretty much what I’m looking for, really, given what needs to get done and my planned length of stay.

That Book: FOUND! At the campus book shop. Searched Manila high and low for it, so I still feel like I put my best effort forward. It’s a good workbook, and I’m very excited to… work… through it. God bless accounting.

Oh, yes! Singapore itself!

The City: I definitely WON’T find it boring (as people have been wont to tell me). Lots to do, lots of people to meet, things to see, things to learn, things to experience. Love love love Kinokuniya at Takashimaya. Heaven. But I’ll probably too engaged with “bubble” things to have a real go at the city. Nevertheless, a world of opportunity waiting to be shucked, Tabasco’ed and slurped.

Tahong.

Yammy.