World Cup Fever

I was supposed to start my thesis this semester, but I've been procrastinating. Major procrastination! But I have a couple of reasons. One of them, I'm taking an extra class (Business Dynamics) so I have less time than I was envisioning. The other is, World Cup Soccer. I'm so wrapped in it! I don't know why. Maybe because it's only every 4 years. Or maybe because the school schedule has made it easy to catch a game here and there (well, ok, almost every other game) between classes, homeworks and other reading assignments. It also helps to have an on-campus bar that shows every game (Muddy Charles has been my official WC Soccer headquarters). Regardless the reasons, I think I'll always remember the summer of 2006 as a hot summer spent between watching soccer games and doing Dupont ratio analysis. cheering for Mexico and Portugal to support my friends...

Summer School

I love summer school! It reminds me of my undergrad days when I took summer classes to catch up with studies after my internships. I love it because it's so laid back, it's not crowded and I can always reward myself with some outdoor fun after studying for Accounting or Business Dynamics.
I'm taking four classes this semester, more than I had planned, but if I can finish my engineering electives this summer (with Business Dynamics) I can take it easier in the fall when there are many more activities and distractions. Business Dynamics is, in fact, turning out to be the most interesting class this summer. I was reading an article in the NY Times this morning about the rising ethanol production in United States and I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the positive and negative reinforcement loops that drive this new business. Ok, that's a sign of too much studying! I need to go watch a soccer game...

Avian Flu?

Romania was in the midst of an avian flu warning when we travelled which made this sight quite common as we drove through villages that had the unfortunate distinction of being hit by the virus that COULD cause avian flu. Of course, no one in Romania died of it yet (the virus hadn't been detected in humans), but the authorities didn't want to take any chances. With the European Union decision hanging over their heads, a good showing in the fight agains avian flu was very important. Yup, that's our fate! Always defending the rest of Europe from some Eastern invasion. :)

Transylvania - Myth and Reality

If there is one tourist trap in Romania, it must be Sighisoara, the birthplace of Vlad The Impaler, also known as Dracula. He was a famous in Romania not for his vampire shenanigans, but for defeating the Turks and keeping his kingdom independent. Growing up in Transylvania I had never heard of Bram Stoker's novel until I moved to America. People's eyes would lit up when I would tell them I'm from Transylvania. "You mean Dracula's land?" "How cool!" "Are you a vampire?"

Why Bram Stoker chose Transylvania for the setting of his famous novel, I'll never know. But a centry later, we can credit him for launching Romania's tourist industry as old, medieval towns like Sighisoara have become "must see" tourist attractions. I had a chance to visit Sighisoara this time around (I was there a long time ago during a school field trip so I didn't remember much of it). If you ignore the other tourists, the vendors who try to sell you everything in sight and the beggar children who know they can make a good profit from clueless tourists, you'll enjoy the sights. I was surprised how small the town is. I walked through the narrow streets and up to the 14th century gothic cathedral on the hill.

The tower at the entrance of the fortress looks as imposing as it did centuries ago. One of the smaller towers used for defending attackers still shows the pockmarks from the last assault a few centuries ago.
Of course, you can't miss Dracula's birthplace; it's been converted into a fancy and expensive restaurant. So that Dracula's spirit may suck the blood out of all those hapless and hungry tourists.

Signs of Progress

Just got back from Romania, my second trip in less than a year. I'm still amazed at the progress the country has made in the last few years. But the old ways of living cannot dissapear overnight which makes for an interesting contrast everywhere: the old and the new living side by side. Take for example the new trains that run now between the major cities: fast, clean and comfortable; a huge contrast with the old, clunky and dirty trains that still carry the majority of passangers.

It's easy to confuse this with the rich vs. the poor, but I prefer to think of it as the old vs. the new. Outside Sighisoara I ran upon this old couple with a donkey-pulled cart. It's quite rare to see them these days. On the same road that this cart travels, you may very well see the latest BMW flashing by.


Further down the road I saw this old man with his hybrid horse/car contraption (I guess we'll call this a one horse-power car). A rare sight indeed. Ok, so not everyone can afford a BMW yet.