Baseball season in Chicago: LA Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs

Hi everyone!

I hope you are doing great! I wanted to share with you my experience this Saturday at the Chicago Cubs stadium.

The student body at the Harris School organized a group event to go together to a baseball game. It was nice to share with people outside of the school, but I must say the game itself was the best of the day.

Having the chance to see the great Bobby Abreu playing was just perfect! We really enjoyed and even tried to get an autograph (unfortunately unsuccessfully).

Here are some pics that show that not there is more outside of school!

Venezuela's public opinion: The Need to Polarize

As many countries facing crisis or significant changes in their social consensus, Venezuela has become a fertile land to polarized opinions and often violence derived from it.

These days, a college-students-made video was released and was extremely controversial. The video explains loosely the feeling behind a significant migration wave of young professionals that the country has experienced over the last decade.

Regardless of the content and quality of the video, what strikes me most is the fact that the Venezuelan society has developed a NEED to polarize and generate hate among others that just think different. Intolerance to different opinions have emerged among all sectors of society.

In addition to the sadness this situation generates me, there was one issue over which people were discussing about: the "right" to be Venezuelan.

According to many, migrate makes you a less valuable citizen. Because you are not "contributing" to the country situation, you have lost your "right" to be a "real" Venezuelan. "Those who "really" care about, stay and fight on Venezuela"; that's one of the main discourses.

Although I'll go back to Venezuela, I do think it is because I made a personal decision, but that doesn't make anyone less or more than others. If for any reason I decide to not go back, then I believe I have no reasons to believe I've betrayed the "national cause". However, this is a feeling of guilty that tortures you every single day, for no reason.

From a technical perspective, polarization is commonly associated with radical nationalism (from both parties involved in the conflict). However, the real risks and social costs are not commonly addressed....

The levels of verbal and physical violence that the public debates have achieved are worrying. But it is worst to note that this anger has been spilled from leaders to the rest of society.

Maybe we aren't as different as we think of politicians.... And perhaps that's why they are our leaders.... Indeed, we have chosen them because they represent something hidden...

Working authorization in the US: CPT vs OPT

Hi everyone,

So in addition to the quarter, midterms, projects and life, as an international student you have to apply for your working authorization for your part-time jobs or summer internships.

One common question is whether your are eligible for CPT or OPT. Here I will try to provide some information, but feel free to contact me if you have any doubts.

Basically, there are two visa status for international students: J-1 and F-1. If you was awarded with a scholarship o 50% or more of your tuition costs, you would be probably in J-1 status. Otherwise, you are in F-1 status.

F-1 and J-1 basically differ in the working restrictions. Depending on your visa status, the US government allow you to work in campus, off campus, and a certain number of hours within the first two options.

The advantages of having a J-1 status are obvious: you have a scholarship of 50% or more of your tuition! However, it is generally the case that J-1 students have more working restrictions than F-1, presumably because J-1 are expected to "compensate" for the scholarship in some way or another (going back to their sponsor country, working for the university, etc).

On the other hand, F-1 students have more relaxed restrictions on working hours. In addition, with an F-1 you are allowed to work up to 12 months, (including 12 months after graduation, ONLY IF you find a job within the next 3 months after graduation). This figure is called the OPT (Optional Practical Training).

In theory, if you work during regular quarters, your working hours are discounted from your OPT remaining time. However, many schools have an option to work during the summer using what is called the CPT (Curricular Practicum Training).

Each school has its own procedures, but the main feature of the CPT is that it allows you to work during specific periods of time without discounting your working hours from your OPT. Note that the CPT is an employer-specific authorization (in contrast to the OPT), so you will need to have a job offer to apply for it.

The OPT is issue by the US government, while the CPT is issued by your university, so it's usually faster to get it. In any case, do not start to work until you have your corresponding work authorization!

Let me know if I can help with anything!

Studying abroad as a couple

In this time of admission release decisions and deciding on where to pursue your studies, there is a common question to many people... What if I have a couple? Do I bring her/him with me? What if we are both studying? Is that "too much"?

The life as an international student has its beauties and it's challenges. For me, coming as a couple has make things a lot easier and certainly more pleasant.

Me and my husband were admitted together in a set of programs to choose (this is more common than people usually think). So we decided to come to Chicago and study the same program, although with very different academic interests and professional paths. Is it too much? I think it depends on your own relation's dynamics, but here is the balance for me:

1. Leisure and company: you spend some time in recreational activities that favors your concentration, overall happiness and lessen the sense of frustration.

2. Shared experiences: the ability to share experiences, build team working and divide tasks (either at home or at school) is a relief.

3. Knowledge pool: specially if you take different courses, you get to know a little bit more about other areas of thinking and this maximizes your exposure.

4. Time management: there is so much stuff going on that you develop skills on how to manage your time according to your preferences. For me, being a whole rounded person and not solely a geek is a priority, but I know this might be controversial.

5. Dinner time!: having dinner together is one of the most pleasant moments in the day. I know having no one to talk to after school might be very stressful, even if you describe yourself as a very independent person.

I have personally enjoyed VERY MUCH coming as a couple. I think it has enhanced my capabilities as a persona and as a professional and it definitely has make the experience one of the greatest moments in my life. I am thankful for that.

That being said, there is a full range of alternatives on how to live your student life as a couple. Many people decide to have children abroad for several reasons.

In this regard, my experience (watching friends and peers) is that taking advantage of the numerous resources available through the university is often the wisest choice.

So if you are convinced about your relation! Give it a try and come together! It is a wonderful experience that tights you in!

175 days to love Chicago

Hi everyone!

I hope you are doing great. The City of Chicago celebrated its 175th birthday on March 4th, 2012. To celebrate this special date, the city promotes 175 days of special events, festivals and promotions, many of them FREE. Until August 26th, Chicago's summer will be offering visitors and chicagoans dining deals and guided tours created exclusively for this celebration.

In addition to the annual events like the Taste of Chicago, Air and Water Show (the biggest in the US), LoolaPalooza and the Chicago Blues Festival, the City is promoting multiple events across the city. Also, the baseball season has already started and will last until September 30th! It's going to be a nice summer to stay around Chicago!

One of the most interesting activities are the ones offered by the Chicago Photography Center (http://www.chicagophoto.org/). They offer Certification Programs, Boot Camps, FREE SRL classes and FREE camera cleanings. I've actually wanted to take classes for a while, so this is a nice chance to finally go for it!

If you are visiting Chicago, check out the official website to get more info!
http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/supporting_narrative/events___special_events/special_events/tourism/175_Days_to_Love_Chicago.html

Wonks and Hacks: soft skills vs hard skills

Hi everyone,

I hope you are doing great. Getting over the quarter is a relieving experience. You know get to pick elective courses and can spend more time on specific career issues.

Every time more often the literature and documented cases show (and this might sound to MBAish) that current successful leaders in any area need to balance their analytical, quantitative, statistical skills (hard skills) with their managerial, interpersonal, organizational skills (soft skills). Note that this is true even for doctoral and post-doctoral students in their academic careers!

However, not many graduates programs have completely account for the importance of achieving this balance. Although all seem to converge to this trend, many schools focus more on the technical tools while others emphasize their students leadership profiles through networking events.

The other fact is that, with a more competitive labor market, the trend had been to more specialization among professionals by area of interest.

Therefore, if your focus is more as a leader, decision making top level official, it has become a priority to understand the technical aspects of the issues that you are discerning about, rather than relying solely on your staff members or outsourcing service providers.

On the other hand, the academic world is also converging to an environment in which the capacity to communicate knowledge has become critical to effective address changes through research. More often you see academic and analytical nerds taking writing and public speaking workshops to develop communicational skills.

In the public policy arena, this is even more evident. Junior legislators come know from more policy-area-specific backgrounds. At the same time, technical staff in consulting firms and public offices is increasingly being trained on management programs.

So if you have been recently admitted to a graduate program or are thinking about applying, take this into account.

In order to be competitive, you nut be able to outperform in both sides of the coin, even if you have comparative advantages on either the technical or the managerial side.

I will try to post material on this!

Got an internship at the Mayor's Office!!!

Hi everyone!

So finally summer internship positions are out and I got the one I wanted the most. I am pretty excited to work as a City of Chicago Mayoral Fellow this summer.

Living the interviewing process in the US job crisis period was pretty competitive and meaningful. It is always a challenge to compete in a foreign environment. Sometimes you feel you are not well connected or that you don't actually know the job market, but after hard work it has great rewards.

For this position I prepare myself A LOT! I ask for advice at the Career Development Office regarding resume building, interviewing and negotiation skills in a completely different cultural environment. That sole experience was absolutely worth it! I would recommend that you take advantage of any resources available to you at your graduate institution.

I now have to fill out out the paperwork for the job. I've found out that apparently the size of bureaucracies are similar in every single country ;) (below the pic of the first page of the endless paperwork)

Trip to Washington DC: Plan Pais 2012

Hi everyone! Last weekend I went to a Venezuelan conference organized by Venezuelan students living in Washington DC.

The meeting served as a platform for debating major national issues and facilitated the networking process among the assistant.

Although most of us had different backgrounds, working together by policy area allowed me to gain a new perspective on the Venezuelan political conflict.

Assistants were majorly undergraduate students who has been living in the US for the last decade or so. This actually provided me a new approach to whom the new generations are going to be and what are the new and very different challenges we now face as a society.

I would say that staying connected with your country while studying abroad is a very good idea. However, don't let that overwhelmed you. Having an outsider perspective also gives you meaningful insights that you wouldn't be able to consider otherwise.

Below are some pics during my presentation on final conclusions regarding Violence, Crime and Democracy in Venezuela.

PS: If you have the chance, go visit Washington DC. Is a very beautiful and interesting city (although a small city) for meeting people and having great food :)

Great blog related to Industrial Organization and Managerial Economics

Just wanted to highly recomend this blog for those of you who are interested in Industrial Organization and Managerial Economics. Check it out!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/

A little bit of unrelated stuff... Finals, Spring break and Admit decisions

Hi everyone, I hope you are doing great. I'm on finals now so there is a little but of crisis time again...

But hopefully all will be over by tomorrow and we will be ready for sprig break.

Many people use to travel on spring break, but if you are on a tight budget, staying at home is also a nice strategy.

As internships are about to come, I am taking advantage of the fact that I will stay in Chicago to meet with some of the employers I am more interested about. So I recommend to enjoy your experience, but also to think strategically about your short and long term professional goals!

In unrelated news, to those of you who are waiting on admit responses, I know several public policy programs have been releasing their final decisions, so keep posted and good luck with that!

PS: the picture below shows my final study crisis that its about to end in a few hours!

Between Research and Practical Policy

In many graduate programs you get the chance to choose elective courses matching your professional and academic interests. In some of them, you have the opportunity to choose between different alternatives even when you are taking the core course.

Although this might seem trivial, it actually becomes in a ver distressing activity. This situation not only forces you to choose a professional path or specialization, but also requires you to define your academic career. In fields like Public Policy, the variety of options is huge and you can specialize in areas from Public Health to Economic Policy (and all the subareas within those ranges). Many people actually choose not to specialize and decides to go more broadly. 

In my particular case, I was between choosing something more research oriented and something more practical. After taking different courses, I think I will let the PhD for the future and focus on practical policy matters. When competing with people like you, you also get to know where are your competitive advantages and what you really are passionate for.

At the end, my motive for pursuing public policy studies was to make a real contribution to practical issues that affect people in major urban concentrations. So I've decided to go for areas like Transportation and Crime Prevention in cities, from which I can learn from of the best professors in these fields. 

There is no such thing as a free lunch

Even though studying abroad is a great experience, there are things that are quite important to notice when living far from your friends, family and well known culture.

This last month I have experience the classical adaptability crisis thing. Things like finding a job, making long lasting friends and even the evaluation system can make you feel like an alien in a world that you feel is not yours.

When English is not your first language, you may not sound as intelligent or funny as you are used to in your native language. This might sound as a silly thing, but after the months passes and you realize this is your new life, you kind I get tired of it.

The same thing happened to me with with the academic system. You know you have to adapt to a system that is not yours and you really do your best. But sometimes you inevitable get frustrated because you don't score the highest grades. With the grading system, it also happens that you feel you don't have complete information and so you might fail in little things and this process might be frustrating over time.

I don't want to make a drama out of it, but I think it is worthy to know that not all the experience is pleasant. The quarter system is also exhausting. There are weeks that you literally dot move from your chair or don't even have the chance to see the sunlight because the assignments keep you so busy. And this is what you wanted right?! A demanding program from where you can get as much knowledge as you can! And they really accomplish this goal! Hahahahaha. But this doesn't mean that you don't get tired!

I am a very organized person and I was not used to study until 3am every week. I though this wont happen to me, because I am very rigorous, but let me tell you it happens!!! Hahahaha

The thing is that I just wanted to keep you posted on these things that you usually don't have the chance to know from the programs websites or FAQ. sites.

The funny thing is that this might seem to be happening for a lot of my friends here, but no one speaks about it because everyone thinks is a "cultural shock". It's more natural than we think ;)

If you are considering to study abroad, try to keep a balance between your academic and personal life! And enjoy the whole experience!!!

No wonder why the Econ Department from the University is Chicago is well known from it's lemme: "there is no such thig as a free lunch"!

See you!

Traveling to..... Wisconsin?!

Hi everyone!

So this weekend we went to Merrimac, Wisconsin for a ski trip, disregarding the rare winter with no snow there! After an exhausting week, I had the time to "relax" (quotes for my magnicent fall while snowboarding that unabled me to do literally anything on Sunday)

People usually don't take advantage of studying in the US to make some affordable tourism. Even though Europe gives you an incredible life experience when talking about travelling, a big country like the US gives you the opportunity to met incredible cities and beautiful places that otherwise you would not be able to visit.

I've never though about travelling to Wisconsin, but this trips in fact give you the sense of how the people really are beyond the metropolis. Getting to know the true US is in fact meaninful for understanding the culture, history and public issues of this country.

If you are studying abroad, don't miss the opportunity to travel around your host country, even if the academic routine is driving you crazy. Travelling around (even for short weekends) provides you with insightful understandings of how things really work beyond your university cristal bubble.

Venezuelan Primary Elections: what's really going on?

Hello everyone,

I hope you are doing great. As some of you might know from the media, last Sunday Venezuela's opposition parties held the first national primary elections to choose the candidate that will challenge Hugo Chavez in the next presidential elections on October 7th, among other public charges for Mayors and Governors.

The results were given the same night, thanks to the automated electoral system runned by the national authority (CNE in spanish). Henrique Capriles (39 years old) won the election with more than 62% of the votes, more than doubling his nearest adversary, Pablo Perez (42 years old). More than 3million people voted, from a universe of 15million people registered. This big convocation represents the major achievement for the opposition parties in Venezuela, who had not been able to cohere in a single movement for the last 13 years. 

Even though the elections were held with the joint action of the national government authorities (mostly pro Chavez) and opposition partisans, the controvery arises from the fact that the opposition agreed to destroy the electoral rolls 48 hours after the results were given, in order to ensure the confidentiality of the vote. However, the Government calls for fraud (even when they control the electoral authority). 

This situation has provoke several popular manifestations from the opposition side. On the other hand, the authorities took actions that result in violent situations and the unfortunate balance of one student killed defending the electoral votes in his community. 

After all, disregarding of whether either part have the right to call for their arguments, the political polarization in Venezuela has lead to this radical balances over the last decade. My call is to rescue the values that someday identify us as nice people and work in favor of people's need instead of people's ego.

Above, all the opposition candidates sending a united message after Henrique Capriles was elected as the unitary opposition candidate to challenge Chavez next October.

If you want to know more about the elected candidate, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17006224 or contact me at any time!

I also wanted to recommend a blog from good friends of me that relates better than anyone the Venezuelan situation: http://caracaschronicles.com/. To be fair, they try to show what's happening in Venezuela from an objective point of view, but all of the writters's ideas are more common to the opposition, so their posts are rather critical. However, they make a pretty good diagnostic of the situation and evaluate objectively both parties.

Here are some pics from the Sunday afternoon at Chicago's electoral center. Thanks to the people of Ciao Amore Restaurant who facilitated their amenities. Roughly 950 venezuelan citizens are registered at Chicago, but only 150 came to vote.

Luminous Field! Chicago's new exhibit at Cloud Gate

Hi everyone!

I hope you are doing great. Last night we went to see the opening of the new exhibit at the Bean (Cloud Gate). This is an amazing exposition that integrates lights and video in an interactive way with the audience.

People and performers can play around in this great exhibit created by Luftwerk. This exposition is one of several activities planned by the City of Chicago for this February and Valentine's Day.

Don't miss it if you are planning to come to Chicago! The exhibit will be available until Feb 20th. For more information, visit http://explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing/events/dca_tourism/luminous_field.html

Check it out!

Jin's Birthday!

Hi everyone!

Last week we celebrated Atushi Jinno's birthday, on of our best friends here. Jin is from Japan and has become a very special friend to all of us in the program. He is the kind of guy that is always happy and willing to help. And he is also hillarious!

This was actually Jin's first birthday party. According to Jin, his birthday is the same day at a national holiday in Japan, so he had never had the opportunity to share this day with friend.

Here are some pictures and video from that day, where almost everyone in the program assisted. Go Jinno!

The Lost of the Ring!

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing great. I'm in the midterms time again, so everything is crazy!

Last week, with almost a month of religious wedding, Daniel lost his wedding ring! We were making Anow Angels (how dumb is that? Jajajaja it was fun!) and suddenly he lost it! We realized about that around 5 hours later and the snow had already covered all the park and surroundings!

We went that same day and the day after to look for the ring, but obviously did not succeeded. Everyone told us: "that happen all the time", but we insisted! even though the snow was making people struggle around Chicago

Three days after (on our first month of marriage) We went to the park just before going to school. The snow was already gone because the night before rained all night long.

Following our silly pictures (and videos) of the snow angels, I tried to identify the spot where we were that day. And.... Suddenly! I found it!!! It was amazingly lucky! The wing was laying over the dirt just like that.

Lesson #1: the calm comes after the snow.

Lesson #2: watch out your stuffs in the winter! You literally shrink with the cold weather!

Here is the evidence of our success! Hope you like it! :)

Mini honeymoon: part I (NYC)

Because of the beginning if the next quarter, we only had chance to have a mini honeymoon. But we had an amazing time in New York City!

I personally love the Great Apple an Daniel have never been to NYC, so it was a great chance to show him around! We went to see The Lion King musical! Absolutely wonderful, even if you are not that kind of persons who likes musicals, it's definitely one of the pieces in the world!

Our only issue was the weather, and especially the wind. I think they styled Chicago with the "windy city" tag, in order to capture more tourists. Actually, the weather in Chicago has been great so far! It seems that this is a very rare year.

Let's see how it goes!

Venezuelan rhythms!

Hi everyone, 

I wanted to share with you some very special moments during my trip to Venezuela. This is a video of one the national rhythms (drums) performed by girls from the School of Dance. I hope you like it. For me, it remembers me our essence and identity!

Christmas carrillon at Rockefeller Chapel: a must!

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing great! This was before leaving for our wedding and it's one truly magical moment at the Uof Chicago!

I would like to share this video showing the carrillon being masterly play at the Rockefeller Chapel.

It is definitely one of the most amazing instruments I've ever heard. It is in some sense magical and in this season it becomes a perfect match!

If your are coming to Chicago, do not hesitate in passing by the University of Chicago to visit Rockefeller Chapel and be part of this.

Tours to the top of the belfry are guided every day at 11:00am and 4:00pm. Tours are free to UofC students and visitors are asked to contribute with a $3 donation.

It is one the University's best secrets!

Finally! The wedding pictures!

Hi all! I hope you are doing great. I sincerely apologize for disappearing since last December! The wedding time can really drive you crazy, but it is absolutely worth it!

Here are some pictures of the wedding! Me and my Dad walking in the church....

And here me and my husband Daniel, already married! It was the happiest moment of the night!

The wedding was incredible, with all my friends and family that I missed being here in the US. A very latin wedding, full of dancing music (mainly salsa and merengue), food and beverage for all our dear guests. However, we kind of break the rule at the "Waltz Dance", when Daniel surprised me (at least this is what he believes) with "Juliana", the song that we used to dance when we met. Enjoy the video!

PS: I will keep you updated with our honeymoon adventures in New York City and our very cold and snowy return to Chicago. See ya!