Greetings from the UK!

My name is Daniel, and I'm a new blogger for Business Casual this semester. Before starting the juicy content from the adventures in London, a little bit about me. I'm originally from Iowa and made the move to the city to study Business and Political Economy. The major has a curriculum with integrated study abroad in London (Sophomore year) and Shanghai (Junior fall), so naturally I haven't regretted a single day since beginning in Manhattan. I very much enjoy food, and have recently begun a foray into something called cooking, so look forward to hearing about the joys and dismay of eating in and out. Being in London allows for all sorts of musical experiences as well. This lifelong musician feels right at home with all the concerts available almost every week.

Alright, now into London. It's my second semester here, and I must say I couldn't be happier to return. London has grown on me (warning for some NYC blasphemy here) a bit more than New York. The city is amazing and crazily multicultural. The thing I use to describe to people the global connection of London is the diversity of destinations on the departures board at Heathrow. It really gives JFK a run for its money. The classes here are particularly stimulating, especially with the seasoned professionals that we can luckily call our professors. This semester should be remarkably interesting with classes like Islam and the West, Understanding the European Union, and International Political Economy. Ah, the life of a Sternie. At least I perk up with class names like those.

I hope the semester has begun well for everybody, I know mine certainly has. May London, New York, or wherever you are in our global network university provide experiences of a lifetime. Until next time, Stern.

Cheers!

Ahoj [Hello] Sternies!!

I've just experienced my first full day at NYU Prague!! Besides this ridiculous cold weather, I couldn't be any more excited to be here. Today we started our orientation week with info sessions and group tours, and after getting lost with a couple of friends I think I'm going to love living here. Honestly, I thought I was going to experience the initial culture shock of not understanding anything I hear or see, but this is surprisingly refreshing. I'm beginning to understand why every time someone mentions NYU Prague a student that went before goes wild and freaks out about how amazing it was. Its only been 24 hours so I don't have too much to say but its only the beginning ladies and gentlemen.

- Bunmi

Happy Spring Semester! I hope everyone had a wonderful break and is having a great beginning of the semester.

Since school in Australia got out in mid-November, I had a longer than usual break! So I took my free time and put it to good use. In recent years, I have helped organize and participated in the Mexican Red Cross’ annual carnival, which is their biggest fundraising event.

I am from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico and each year there is a city wide carnival the weekend before Mardi Gras. It is not a carnival like the ones we have here with Ferris wheels or cotton candy. It’s a celebration of color, joy, happiness, and diversity. It consists of shows, costumes, and parades all linked to a theme.

Around that same time and a few months before the city's carnival, different organizations and clubs have their own carnival. The Red Cross has their carnival open only to women and it consists of a show, food, and live music afterwards. The show is put on by women (mostly older women) who love to dance and volunteer their time to this magnificent event.

This year the theme was Fantasy Without Limits. The theme is portrayed mainly through costumes and sometimes through dance moves or parts of the music. I participated with my mom’s friends who are all mothers, housekeeps, and work but still make time to participate. We were Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

The person in charge of choosing the theme is the “Queen.” Each year a new Queen is crowned, from one of the participating groups. Each group is in charge of finding a choreographer, rehearsing several days a week, finding a design, tailor, and paying for the costume. It is a great way to have fun but also give back to the community.

Rehearsing

With this year's queen

Having fun after the performance

At the Red Cross' office, being silly

Our Maleficent dance!

Warm regards,
Alejandra

"There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good."
Edwin Denby

During my Winter Break, I had the wonderful privilege to go back to my hometown in Los Angeles. Although I was eager to spend all my emergency savings at The Bazaar by José Andrés and Animal in West Hollywood, I threw my ambitions aside and recreated my favorite meals from five years ago.

My First Stop: In-N-Out with my best friend in Downey, California

I had dreamed about a double-double for a long, long time. Although Shake Shack & Five Guys are nearby, many Californian NYU students and I can pledge that In-N-Out is at the top of the burger chain.

Day 2: An Appetite for Wako Donkasu

When Asian children get sick, parents usually resort to porridge (jook or congee). I usually feel much better after a steak sandwich or a plate of deep-fried pork cutlets. Even though Udon West on St. Marks is a wonderful place for a nice college-budget meal, Wako Donkasu is just beyond comparison. I don’t care for the side salad very much, but THE PORK….every piece of pork is delightful.

Final Stop: Ham Ji Park (Koreatown)

I celebrated my last night with Pork Spare Ribs. Slabs of unctuous meat & bones marinated for a long, long time and then charred to perfection. Whoooops, drooled on my laptop, AGAIN.
My break was absolutely delightful. My friends and warm weather definitely helped me unwind after finals.

Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that my Calvin Klein belt has stretch marks. Those weren’t there before my trip...

For more belt-stretching photos, head over to The Insatiable Palate. Happy New Semester! T.I.P out.

Hello From India!

I'm currently in Mumbai, India right now staying with fellow Stern student Raj Parekh and my younger brother Joey Silver. I'm here on vacation before I join the SEED: India course taught by Professor Srivatsan in Chennai on January 6th. It is New Year's Eve, so tonight is expected to be a blast. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures for everyone right now, but they will come in a future post.

Now, to the title of this piece. What was Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google doing at Stern? Well, basically imparting tons of awesome knowledge. He spoke for nearly 2 hours in the Paulson Auditorium (which I was in for the first time since it was redone, it looks amazing). His main points were that the future is moving to three words: Mobile, Local, Social. It is these three words that will guide the next great companies. He also outlined that companies that serve as platforms will be the most successful. An application can only be as successful as the platform upon which it is built.

Overall, this was an unbelievable experience, getting to see Eric Schmidt, seeing him at Stern, and listening to what the future will potentially look like.

A note on the awesomeness of Stern, while here in India, as I mentioned, I'm staying with my friend Raj. I also got to see my friends Gaurav, Saransh, Sagar, Nakul, Aanya, and others. I don't know any of my friends from home who could say that if they went to India, they could just call up a bunch of friends and grab dinner. Stern truly is part of the global network university, and I'm grateful to be part of it.

To conclude, I just wanted to give a personal plug and show everyone something that I am very proud of. Many people really helped me out and nominated me for NYU's Most Influential Student, and I won. Here is a link to the article: http://nyunews.com/life/2011/12/15/15silver/

Hope everyone's break is as amazing as mine has been so far.

Keeping it Casual,

Justin

Although I love loading up on Xiao Long Bao from Chinatown and Lamb over Rice from the street carts on 14th Street (I’m not forgetting about the iconic 53rd and 6th), I often dream about dining at all the Michelin-Star restaurants in the five boroughs. There are approximately 20,000 restaurants in New York City and there are only 62 restaurants privileged enough to hold the prestigious Michelin-Star title. I’m only 60 restaurants away from completing my mission.

My close friends from Commerce and Culture (A Stern Freshmen Writing course) and I pay a visit to Laut, a Michelin-Starred Malaysian restaurant tucked away in the heart of Union Square. According to my friend, Jeff, Laut serves some of the best Hainanese Chicken in the city. It’s not comparable to the Chicken/Rice he has back home in Singapore, but the Chicken at Laut will definitely do for now.

Roti Canai: Crispy Thin Pancake Served Over Curry

Chicken Satay: Ranked #2 on my List of Foods I Want to Eat at 2am

Hainanese Chicken

Laut definitely does not disappoint. I often feel heavy after consuming dining hall food. That day, my stomach felt a sense of gratification after its first round of satay and Hainanese chicken. If the chicken at Laut is this delicious, Singapore must be a culinary wonderland.

This holiday, treat yourself to a satisfying meal. Whether it’d be with family or friends, eat the food you absolutely love. For more delicious food reviews, visit my blog at The Insatiable Palate. T.I.P out.

Hey there,

So as of 11:50AM today, I officially have but one semester left at NYU Stern. Finals were not that bad and the semester proved to be quite interesting. My Professional Responsibility and Leadership course, taught by Karen Brenner, was easily the top highlight.

Aside from studying recently, I finally got to do one thing I have been trying to do for three years. Last weekend I got up to Central Park and went ice skating with a friend of mine. I used to be a big hockey player when I was younger but haven't been on skates for quite some time. It was simply delightful to get back on the ice and show my skillz.

Further, as you Home Alone 2: Lost in New York fans will know, this helps complete my reenactment of the film. I also may or may not have run up of the steps of The Plaza and into the lobby as in the film as well.

I hope you have all enjoyed the blog this semester and that the prospective students are hearing good news from us. I wish you all happy holidays and a very happy new year!

Best,
Mike

A year before being on exchange in Australia, I did NYU Study Abroad in China. If you are not familiar with the organizations, they can seem the same so I want to share with you some of the differences.

These differences are based on my experiences. I will try to make it broad enough so it does not only reflect the specific sites I have been to in Shanghai and Sydney.

School:
NYU Study Abroad: You attend NYU but at a satellite campus. Many times the NYU campus is located in a local school's campus or NYU's own campus.

IBEX: The International Business Exchange has sites worldwide among the best business schools in each country. Because it is an exchange, you attend a local school during your semester. I attended the University of New South Wales. My classes were taught by UNSW professors and I had to adapt to new academic expectations.

Classes:
NYU Study Abroad: You are only allowed to take two Stern classes while abroad so that you explore other academic areas. You also have to take the local language.

IBEX: Since you are in a local school, the classes that you take have to be approved by professors at NYU so that the credits transfer back. I took four classes that transfered back as Stern requirements.

Housing:
NYU Study Abroad: In Shanghai we had to live in NYU housing. They had dorms and apartments. I know that not all sites have dorms, but living in NYU housing makes being abroad more fun. You have a stronger sense of community and it's easier to meet people.

IBEX: Many sites have dorms, which I would recommend. In Australia, dorms were not as accessible. I lived in a house close to campus owned by UNSW's Study Abroad department. It was great but I didn't meet as many people.

My little home in Sydney:

People you meet:
NYU Study Abroad: You get to make new friends from different NYU colleges and even other schools in the Unites States. I think its wonderful because you live great experiences with these people and then you go back to New York and they are all there also!

A few of the amazing people I met in Shanghai who are still my really good friends in New York:

IBEX: Many of these schools will have a fairly large group of international students. The friends you make will not necessarily be other American students. You make your network a lot more international.

NYU Study Abroad felt more at home and made my first semester abroad one of the best experiences of my life. IBEX was emotionally harder, but fully immersed me in a new culture and made me grow like never before.

If you have any more questions about study abroad or IBEX, please feel free to email me: ap2446@nyu.edu!

Happy Holidays!
Alejandra

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."
Unknown

Hi everyone!!

Hopefully studying for finals hasn't completely crushed the holiday spirit, especially because we're in the best city to celebrate it. I love New York City during the holidays! After finals are done and winter break begins, here are some things you have to look forward to:

Unfortunately, I couldn't make the lighting of the tree (and musical guest, Michael Buble) at the Rockefeller Center sometime after Thanksgiving, but it's still one of the prettiest things about the holidays in New York. Good luck trying to get on the ice rink though, because getting through the crowds is like being in a mosh pit. You wouldn't believe how ruthless parents are with their kids, so strategize ahead of time.

Fifth Avenue is already such a great place to walk around and shop, but you know the holidays are starting when the department stores put up their beautiful annual window displays to celebrate the season. It almost makes me want to go inside, but then I remember that I'm a broke college kid and keep it moving.