A day on the high heel shoe at New York

As a tradition, the full MBA class will go to New York Yale Club and NYSE trading desk for one day during the orientation. Our class went to New York on Thursday. Almost everyone was wearing black suits. Although I am pregnant for 7 months, I was not different. I got a set of the maternity suit from A Pea in the Pod store, a special store for maternity fashion. The suit does not fit that well, but I cannot find anything else better in other stores such as motherhood, mini maternity etc. I was also wearing a pair of the black shoe with middle high heel. I should have brought a pair of the casual shoe with me. I stood on this high heel from 8:00AM to 11:30PM all day. Most of the network talking need standing. Plus we need walk a lot. What a torture! The other classmates even took the shoe off at the end of the day and walked with the naked feet. I didn't took off my shoe, I held on until I got back to New Haven at midnight. I suggested that if you are coming next year and not used to high heel, bring a pair of flat shoe with you to New York trip.

We have had a very nice lunch at Yale Club, which is in front of Grand Central Station at New York. I never like chicken. Almost all the meat provided during the orientation were chicken. But I want to say that our lunch, the chicken dish at Yale Club, is well prepared with great taste and the desert was very good. After the lunch, we were given a speech by an exceptional woman leader, a member of SOM class of 1986. I was inspired by her speech.

We had a few choices for the company visiting. I chose Merrill Lynch because I want to change my career from engineering to finance. I knew it is quit difficult, specially I will miss a lot of career events at the first semester due to pregnancy. I have to sacrifice this for my unborn baby. But I still want to try. It was a brief visiting at Merrill Lynch. A few alumni gave us a formal presentation followed by an question/answer section about recruiting and career at Yale SOM. When I asked one of them is it possible for me to interview for the investment banking job. He said he will first ask me if I fall sleep in the class because it is tired with pregnancy and heavy class work. Everyone laughed. I won't feel surprised by the people's response. And I know it looks difficult for me to find a good finance internship because I will give a birth right before the banking interview week. But I do not want to give up. I already take the challenge to be here with the rest of the class. I won't mind to take more challenge in the rest two years. I only can say, I will try my best.

At NYSE trading desk, we have had a lot of networking chat with the classmates. The market was closed by the time we went there. No one was there except for the reception servers. So many screens around made me imagine how busy it is in the day as shown in the movies. Maybe this is the first time and will be the last time I will be in this trading desk. So I took a photo there. It will be a good memory.

New York trip is definitely a good memory for my Yale SOM experience.

My unborn boy's first MBA practice

Yesterday was the first day for the MBA orientation. After the Dean of Yale SOM's speech, we were divided into three cohorts: Silver, Blue and Green and escorted in the different rooms to listen to the famous speech of "I had a dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King. I was inspired and touched by Dr. King's speech, and I felt that my boy was also actively responded to the louder applause from the speaker and he frequently kicked inside me. This was the first speech for my unborn boy. I guess he was touched by the speech also. Wow, I felt that I took advantage of the Yale by paying one expensive tuition for two persons-my boy and I.

The afternoon section was long and tired. Yale SOM is partnering with Strozzi Institute to introduce the martial art and leadership practices and concepts. 4 hours martial art practices were not easy and not fun for many others, special for me, a 6-month pregnant student. Frequently sat down and stood up, practiced with a wooden stick for fighting and no break at all. I was exhausted at the end of the day. But I was glad that I did everything same with the others and I made to the end of the day. (I should mention that the second day today, I felt that all these martial art practices start to make sense and I do enjoy more).

We had a wonderful picnic at the Lighthouse Point Park, where there is a beautiful beach and a light house. Many students brought their families and kids. I have had a fun there with my new classmates. It is so difficult to remember the names and countries for the classmates on the first day.

This was the first day of my MBA journey and I want to write it down for my memory.

Finally settle down at Yale

It has been a while that I didn't write any new post. I have been busy with the final week work transferring, home cleaning, moving packing, and all the other leaving arrangements. It was a release to get off work. But I immediately entered a new phase of the busy life. I didn't plan to sell the house at this bad housing time, but I didn't plan to move back to my old house in the future also. I packed all of my stuff and baby stuff for a permanent leave. It was a lot of work to do these moving arrangements. Finally I moved last Friday and got my apartment ready at Yale today. I was exhausted last night by long hours driving and unpacking. I am 6 month pregnancy now and my big belly pretty much shows off. I cannot hide it any more with any fancy clothing. I am stressed but excited to see how this Mom MBA goes.

I have a meeting with the director of SOM academic department tomorrow. I think I will need show my confidence that I can handle the school and pregnancy at Yale. I also need to have some confirmation support from the school. I cannot do it alone. At least, I might miss a few classes or defer some final exams. But I do not want to discuss this too much now since no one can estimate what will happen. I just want to let the school knows that I am ready for school, I am aware of the situation, and I will try my best.

Tomorrow is the other day and a new day!