Internship Help

Summer is quickly approaching and I still don't know exactly what I'm doing - as an MBA student I was really hoping to have a high-faluteen internship with some fancy investment bank. I know that was a pipe dream (these are mostly reserved for ivy league schools), but I still went through the application process for several large investment banks. Only one bite, and their second stage, forced me (me of the low quantative skills) to take a numerical reasoning test, which I promptly tanked. But I did send a follow up letter to the recruiter with my transcript and a recommendation from my Stat's professor, to prove that I'm a hard worker, even though perhaps under the timed conditions of the numerical reasoning test I did poorly.

But my real passion was to spend the summer with an airline or some other top travel/aviation industry related firm.

I'm at my wit's end! I've applied all over the country, every airline that had an internship program, I sent in my resume. Heck even airlines that didn't have an internship program, I wrote, to inquiry if maybe we could arrange something. And for those companies I had a contact name with, I sent follow-up emails, reiterating my interest and yet I'm still sitting here waiting. What to do?!!

How do I convince these companies, these nameless people who are making the determination, that I am the best candidate?! I'm the most ideal because I have the deep burning desire in the pit of my belly to be in the aviation industry, I love almost all things about it and that when the chips are down, I'll be there (I'm not your typical MBA - in it for the money).

If anybody has any advice, I'm all ears. For example, if I've emailed the recruiter once already, is it polite to do it again? Should I do it again, to emphasis that I REALLY want the position?

Humorless G-Men

2007 World Figure Skating Championships are over....America did not do well at all. One medal, a suprising bronze from Ice Dancers Belbin and Agosto. I say suprising because they made a few mistakes but I was proud of 'em, I love their free dance Amelie program (I hope they bring it back next year) and they only unveiled it mid-season, plus they were riddled with injuries, so to do so well, amazing! As for the rest, I think for the top American figure skaters, they need to toughen up, less skipping out on international competitions, less blaming of injuries, equipment coaches etc. All the people who won this year, came out throughout the season, so they were well-practiced and the international judges really respect that.

On a sidenote, maybe its because I've started watching so much figure skating, but I completely agree with most of Dick Button's comentary, even when its mean.

Is it just me or are government types, and especially military people, lacking in serious senses of humor? Lately I've encountered more than my fair share of humorless guys in uniform - yes America has enemies, but haven't we always? If we fail to laugh, to use a cliche, "haven't the bad guys won?" (I'm not saying if I'm at the airport security checkpoint to joke, but if we are in an informal setting, say a library, isn't it ok to laugh?).

Read this amazing op-ed piece in the Post today about the use of fear in our current climate of poltics, which I think falls in line with my non-funny g-men issues. I guess I just can't take myself that seriously (I love to laugh and joke) and I have difficulty interacting with people who are serious ALL OF THE TIME as if someone took out their humor bone. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301613.html

(and I think what bothers me is that if that seriousness was effective than I could see using it, but clearly 9/11 and subsquent terror plots have shown us that no humor in a person's soul isn't a guarantee to a safer place/better security/peaceful world.

Guess I'm just pissed because someone said I wasn't American since I hadn't served in the military. Screw you is what I wanted to say, but I didn't. I wonder if that guy would have said that if I was a pretty blond haired thing, you know the quintessial damsel in distress, instead of a foreign looking girl.

Love Story

My economics professor let us out early today, so I can update my blog since I have some opportunity time!

Feeling a bit sad at the realization that perhaps the reason I still haven't gotten married is because I want this happily ever after, this magical romance where I'll be madly hit with passion for my significant other, so that I see no other man but the reality is that most people don't have that do they? And if I don't get that, will I be adult enough now to live with it...I think maybe, but it will be a life laced with perputual sadness and that is upsetting to me. Just another part of growing up that sucks!

Congrad's to my favorite ice-skating pairs team - did I not call it people?! http://virginiagal.blogspot.com/2007/03/caa-champions-and-figure-skating-update.html

They won the World Figure Skating Championships last night.
First: Shen and Zhao (China)
Second: Pang andTong (China)
Third: Savchenko and Szolkowy (Germany)
and in the spirit of full disclosure, part of the reason I love the always humble Shen and Zhao is the sweet love story they have. She was not originally suppose to be his partner, she wasn't even originally suppose to go the national training center in Bejing (sp), but her dad and local coaches fought for her to be paired up with the best guy in the program, Zhao, because she was so committed to the sport. Zhan is a cutie, very strong, silent type. Shen and Zhao worked together and as she stood by Zhao, never whining or crying despite being so far from home and the difficulty in the training. According to reports, he fell for her. I liken it to those 1980's films where the less than popular girl falls for the captain of the football team...a la 16 Candles (which I just love!).

I saw them win their second World Championship in Washington DC in 2003 - it was so amazing!! She had sprained her ankle and they had numbed that entire portion of the leg, yet she didn't make one mistake. They skated beautifully! Before the program was even over, all of us in the crowd had stood up, cheering and clapping, if you watch the tape, the commentators are like, "oh my God the crowd is standing up, the program is not complete but the crowd doesn't care." I know for me, it was because Shen and Zhao have a presence on the ice, a connection between the two of them that is moving to behold. This was the ultimate sport story, her working through the pain and them working as a team, coming out to prove to the world they are the best. That moment was spectacular!

http://217.158.112.238/vsite/vcontent/content/transnews/0,10869,4844-128590-19728-18885-268020-3787-4771-layout160-129898-news-item,00.html

Spring Break - Newport, RI

Sorry for being out for a bit....last week was Spring Break (go VCU, we beat Duke to make it to the 32, but lost to Pitt State, so no NCAA Sweet 16). My dear friend from Mary Baldwin College and I went up North to Rhode Island, Newport. This is what happens when you wait till the last second to book spring break plans, hee hee. However despite my reservations of staying in the country for spring break - It was lovely!!

Newport is a delicious town, very friendly, warm and lots to do!! We spent a beautiful Tuesday morning walking Cliffwalk, which is this mostly paved walk between the beach coast and the big mansions of Newport. It was such a nice way to just take my brain away from all the worries of the world. The waves were crashing, the wind a temperate mode, big yards of manicured grass - even now I even breath deeply and feel it.

Sarah and I did other things as well...saw the big mansions, thought of Adorable Tony when visiting the Vanderbilt Breakers estate since Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt and Tony loves Anderson. I could have lived like that!! We also visited Touro Temple, the first Jewish Temple in America. One day we spent in Providence. It was nice (Boston light) but nothing compared to Newport. I scoffed at Brown University (I'm still in my anti-Ivy league stage as I continue to feel the sting of MBA internship rejections). I highly recommend a trip to this delightful New England town!

On a sidenote, I was feeling a bit down today, my love life is in the crapper...went out of my way to find a KFC. Pull up to the drive-up window guess what they say...."we are out of Chicken." I'm being deadly serious, yet even as I write this I laugh, how the the heck can KFC be out of chicken?!!! My God the whole thing is about chicken! It has chicken in the name of the establishment! If you don't have chicken than what are you? Just sides? KFS? Anyway I drove up and asked, "do you have anything for a bowl?" God Bless the guy found some chicken nuggets, put it together and here is the silver lining...didn't even charge me!! Wow!!! A lovely random act of kindness that this person will not soon forget.

Freedom and inaction

The beauty of academia is all the idealism, free-thinking. Wednesday night I went to an ACLU sponsored event on campus on how America is outsourcing torture to third-world countries on suspected terrorists. It was disturbing, particularly when you read the fact that the most amount of people killed in a terrorist attack were 3000 (9/11), which, while tragic, is a small number relative to the amount we are spending to prevent it. Do we really stop terrorism when we get information by torturing people? Are our acts of torture better than the torture enacted by our enemies because we believe we are morally superior and are we morally superior if we act in the same way our enemy does?

I suppose with everything that is going this week, Libby case, Iraq war timeline of pullout, my simmering outrage at this administration is refreshed anew. (ps I recently watched the Ghosts of Abu Gharib, sad story, interesting fact similar to the Libby situation, the brave whistleblower in that situation was suppose to be anonymous - Rumsfield outed him - while the guy was in Afghanistan and in grave danger, talk about vengeful - Rumsfield wasn't mad about the torture he was mad that this boy had said something, sick!).

What is wrong with our values, our ethics when we have unlimited money to torture people and yet we can't afford to provide all children in America with basic dental care....to the extent they are dying (read this very sad story about a Maryland kid who died because of an abcess in his tooth which lead to an infection in the brain and killed him).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/03/AR2007030301032.html?sub=AR

I read this story and I want to scream and cry at the same time! Its all so frustrating....we voted in new people in Nov, they now act the same way the old guys did - what's the point? How can any change be affected, if we the richest country in the world, can't even get our act together?

How am I going to explain to God when I die that despite my anger over all of this - I was unable to move it? Does that not make me compliant? What can I do to stop the suffering of my fellow humans? How can I stop those whose souls have become corrupted by evil to rule us?

(another sad story that broke my heart - an Iraqi refugee living in limbo who wanted a normal life instead he is endless perscuted, another human suffering, I just want to enevelope this man in a hug and absorb his pain) - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/06/AR2007030602334.html?nav=hcmodulemmv

CAA Champions and Figure Skating update

VCU Rams win CAA Championship!!!! - cinch berth in NCAA tournament (64 teams).

I'm not a big b-ball fan, but even I got into the spirit, VCU is my current school and its nice for a change to be on the winning side of things. We beat George Mason! The campus was crazy this evening - everyone cheering and honking. Here's hoping the Rams can make it to the sweet 16!

oh also - I'm excited, the world figure skating championships are around the corner, my predictions....its a tough call, in a post-Olympic year generally its anybody's game.

Instead of predicting medals, here's who I think are the contenders:
Pairs - all about China, Shen and Zhao for #1 unless they majorly screw up, Zhang and Zhang, maybe the German's (whose name eludes me). And of course always be on the lookout for Russians.


Men - Brian Joubert of France (its his to lose), Evan Lyasceck, Johnny Weir of USA, Stephen Lambiel of Switzerland.

Dance - Belbin and Agosto of America, LOVE their Amelie program, hopefully it will win over international judges. Otherwise Bulgarians Dankav and Stavinski (sp), Canada's Durbrueil and Lauzon, France's Schonfielder and Delebel, I'm sure some Russian team will pop up as well.

Women -ahh...this is the biggie, its going to be all about who can land the jumps and bring the artistry. Wide open field!!! I'd love for American Alissa Czency to step up so I'm rooting for her, though she chokes a ton, so no money bets. Otherwise its about Kimmie Mesiner (sp) of USA, Mai Asada of Japan and the little girl from Korea whose name I've forgotten. Maybe Canada's Joannie Rochette or Emily Hughs of America if they don't choke.

World's are the second to last week of March - catch coverage on ESPN (where they have regulated it to am hours, i.e. 3am or 5am, lovely).

Potporri

• Thanks to everyone - for the pep talk after my near meltdown last weekend. I'm a bit better, I think part of why I took the baby shower so hard is because I'm desperately looking for an internship, which is like looking for a job and constant rejection is disheartening, so I was already in a bad place. Beat's me how actors do it....
• My mum is having surgery today - she fell on ice and broke a bone in her left wrist/hand area. I don't like the idea of her going under general anesthesia, but it should be ok right??? We know a family friend whose sister-in-law, in Pakistan, went under and never came out, which has since scared the bejezsus out of both my mother and me (my sister and dad, not so much). I'll keep everyone on posted.
• American Idol results last night - again proving how dumb many of the voters in America are...they kept that horrible Antonella. Lord, did they not hear her sing on Wednesday night??? It was sooo bad!
• Is it wrong of me to no longer want to communicate with a guy because I've seen his pic and well, he's not attractive at all? In my defense, I'm also turned off because of his bad English, in his e-mails. Am I committmentphobe?
• I continue to remain upset about the elitism of MBA internships...and mad at myself for not having considered this factor when applying for graduate programs.
• VCU Muslim Student Association (MSA) is having this lecture series about Islam this weekend, people talk about the Prophet (pbuh) and apply his lessons to our lives. I got the email and immediately my thought was, "what are the qualifications of the speakers?" so I wrote the MSA contact if they were professors at VCU or neighboring schools. Guess what, these are just people from the community...o...k...so than exactly what authority do they have to speak on these subjects? Have they studied them in some academic setting? Or, as I'm sure is the reality, are they just speaking from whatever they learned from their families/local mosques? These entities are all heavily influenced by their cultures, so how accurate are these men going to be in discussing these subjects (without putting their culture influence spin on it)? Am I wrong in thinking this? We are suppose to be at an insititute of higher learning, to me this goes against that idea.