London is London is London

To be continued on the new blog

2007-07-31T03:07:00.000-07:00

This will probably be the last post here for now.

Basically since yesterday there is my new blog online. It is about all topics of digital life, but sadly it is in german. Google can translate it for you if you. I know that some things sound really weird after an automatic translation, but the only other possibility is to learn german, for example at your nearest Goethe Institut ;-)

Once you can understand it, it will cover all topics from internet, mac-stuff, media and business in more or less regular manner.

Please feel free to comment even in english! Would be happy to hear your opinions.

Have fun reading!

Cheers Mario

That was MEB

2007-07-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

That's it for now... last week of exams is over. A great time all together. India as well as London. And seeing the Paris campus on the last weekend was another good decision.

We will remain a community, thats for sure. But lets keep the MEBbers who remain in London united in evening activities... I will have to catch up anyway, as I missed this weekends farewell action in London!
Thanks everyone and keep in touch.

Exam preparation

2007-06-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that a "Mayball" lasting from 9 pm on friday until 6 am on saturday is not exactly the best preparation you can think of.
But still the afternoon today was quite efficient with preparations for International Management. One website I stumbled upon and I would like to share is businessballs.com. It sounds a bit obscene and the design is awkward and the usability poor. But it convinced me with a very likeable concept, neatly summarised and easy to understand content, no advertising, and a clear ethical purpose. Happy preparations.

Another take on global warming

2007-06-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

To me it seems the most friendly attitude you can have towards those, who still are not conviced by scientific evidence of global warming and overwhelming indicators on its reasons.
The solution is to just avoid the question of "global warming becoming reality or not" and changing discussion to the level of possible outcomes of acting or not acting.

Have a look yourself...

http://view.break.com/311805 - Watch more free videos

If you are still interested in solutions to pollution you may wanna read an interview with the sales manager of MDI. It's not our MDI in Delhi, but the French company, who invented the air driven car. You remember... the one which Guy Negre the former Formula 1 engineer as a founder. Quite interesting.

Historical Happenings...

2007-06-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well... we did know, that Stefan, Nico, Jonas and Dave – advertising crew from Berlin and Hamburg and former classmates – read a planning blog from london. Russell, the author of the blog, now held a conference here and luckily the faithful readers gathered in London. But we did not know how much fun it should be in the end...
Late at night after the ESCP-Gala on friday night Stefan and Jonas arrived from Berlin. We had lost Nico already after getting too drunk to find to my place and sleeping at Felix's place and Dave, who stayed with Meike.
Stefan and Nico obviously very excited by the small talks on freaky food, porn, a singing saw and other boring things. But it got really funny in the evening...
After failing to find bloody shunt club at London bridge we went back to 1001 on brick lane, meeting up with felix, jakob, seb and his girlfriend as well as a crew from my college including Pieter, Piero and some more italians ;-)
As our lovely town of London closed its only free locations at around midnight we went on towards Hoxton and while standing and making plans for the rest of the night...
we got passed by a black guy running past, requesting us to be silent with a "shhhhst". We noticed 10 bobbies running behind him, wheezing and talking desperately on their walky-talkies. We joined the athletics not to loose touch with the latest happenings.
Only to be stopped by an off-licence offering pineapple to snaffle, which two of us did very skillfully. Just in front of the police car dealing with the loudly swearing and screaming runner. Departing from the stage we walked on. Nico – in the manner of a lion slaying his antelope – literally destroyed the pineapple with his very own teeth. Blame it on the absence of a knive.

After a quick snack (party bucket) of chicken pieces at Dixie we found wet slides in highbury fields and freaky house parties at horsell road... what a night.
It was great having you here.

Gaaaala

2007-06-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Black tie event with many alumni, a large number of classmates and the majority of our faculty. It took place at Millienium Gloucester Hotel.
It claims to be a 5 star hotel... well the food wasnt bad, but nothing extraordinary. But the people were nice, funky pieter talking crap as usual, vinesh and fab and a whole bunch of italians!
After some average toasts, we heard a very entertaining speech of a former economic advisor of Tony Blair. About Europe's problems ;-)

By the way: I actually got the last tube at 20 to 1. Though my German crew came at 3:20 only...

India according to German news

2007-06-15T02:31:00.000-07:00

A nice feature that they have put on the website of "Tagesschau" the most wellknown news programme in Germany. You are supposed to see all the news in e.g. the last week as small post-its on the map... but I have the impression that the Germans somehow lack news coverage of India. What a shame.

Free thursday party in willesden

2007-06-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the invitation, what a nice evening... A full fridge, Italians dressing up as girls and just a good time with great people. Cheers.

I just got a bit wet in the rain on the way back (by cycle) as the weather did not comply with the summer motto of the party.

Last minute defeat and relaxing at Stokefest

2007-06-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

We have to admit that it wasnt the day of the MEBs. In our controversially announced match on the Vale pitch against the GMCs we fought for 45 minutes but lost it in the extra time... Bad luck.

I relaxed on a nice biketrip with Julia, passing by highgate to Clissold Park where was the Stokefest going on. Some nice views on London and beautiful flowers on the way and relaxed open-air music on a sunny sunday afternoon...

Bikemania

2007-06-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

Just when I came here I got a bike from Brick Lane. A wise decision as I am using it everyday and its a fast, healthy, cheap and green way of moving around London. I got a mascot for it from Teresa. Its a donkey but more beautiful than all jumping cats...

If you want to drive through London as well, you can order free maps and let the computer calculate you a route from one point to another. Though its not as good as the Berlin one, where even the condition of roads are incorporated: a good start. You will find more news about cycling in London at LCC.

Company Project

2007-06-04T03:35:00.000-07:00

The design is done and some slides for tuesdays final presentation are ready... it got a bit late though. Still a lot of work on the content is left. Some statistical analysis as well. We have analysed more than 70 annual reports of the biggest European Companies in terms of the quality of their reporting and national differences.
Somehow glad that its almost done.

Sustainability

2007-05-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Have a look at Treehugger.com. It really became one of my most favourite website on green news. Its inspiring, informative and miles ahead of mainstream media...

Weekend at home

2007-05-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

A spontaneous trip to the south of Germany. More than 25 degrees and sun made it a pleasent weekend mainly at my parents place, who live about here. It's where I grew up as well. Nice scenery and green fields all over the place...
Even more on the countryside is the house of Julia's grandma at a small place called "Tautenhofen". And it's the sweetest grandma you can imagine...

photo shoot...

2007-05-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Nice action with Laurent happened yesterday. We did some authentic pics of our campus and some people here. Supposed to go on a ESCP website... we'll see.

Olivier and Piero:

By the way: These are Chris (my boss where I work at college) and Kinshuk (my colleague at work, classmate and buddy from India):

The Italian Job

2007-05-15T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hejo, what a great weekend. Good old friends, damn sunny and a beautiful scenery.
Its been a crazy idea though. Only 3 days in Torino but going to Venice, which is a 6hrs train ride away.

That's been the whole crew: Dinish (German, studying in Wuppertal), me, Akshay (studying in Torino), Kinshuk, Anirudh (the other guy from Torino), Vinesh and Nakul.

Our campsite in Mestre (10minutes outside Venice) was cheap and close to a supermarket. Only there was a highway in between our camping and the beer shop...
Anyway we managed to deliver beer to our pool with the help of a shopping cart and 45 minutes of spare time.

On the way back we stopped in Milano. Though I've been there as a kid already, I can't remember having climed the Duomo. Nice view but skeptic Italian look...
More Pictures...

My Team

2007-04-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

BVB is getting competition. It is a mistake to assume that I would not stay loyal to my home team. But you need to adjust to new circumstances. This is what I see from my rooftop (there is a small door in my room where I can climb up to the roof):

So when Klaus came from Germany and told me that he got some tickets for Arsenal vs. Fulham I just had to go. Though the ticket price probably equals a season ticket for any German team... but anyway.
You are amazingly close to the pitch and there are no fences or anything. And there were some stars like Jens Lehmann, Thomas Rosicky or Alex Hleb as well. Though Thierry Henry is injured and was on the stands only. Great experience with some nice guys from T-Systems UK.

Exams again...

2007-04-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

A whole week, one a day... sounds like fun.

Today we had consumer behaviour already, that was an easy one.

London Marathon

2007-04-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

If you thought you need to run to participate in a marathon, see this. He just took the firestones car in the London Marathon last weekend. There were some other freaky creatures making their way along the 40something kilometres. I liked most the kloo (promoting WaterAid), which was the starter of the water foundation promoting water saving flushes.
Julia and me got hooked by the great atmosphere and the running fever and bought a nike+ and signed up for the Berlin Marathon in September!
So guess what fancy dress we will wear...

Finally moved in...

2007-04-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I could finally move into my new room. Its pretty small, but with a double bed and a nice view on north London (I will post a picture tomorrow). The appartment is between Holloway Road and Finsbury Park which is fairly central, but not as expensive or poshy as central London. And the very best about it: The flatmates are really cool.
68c Isledon Rd, N7 7LB. My mobile is still 0044 7726 454833 and we even have a fixed line here, but its not working at the moment and I don't even know the number.

Apart from that I got a new bicycle! It may be a bit uncool, but its amazingly comfortable and with all the traditional features of your parents bikes (mudguard, dynamo-light, carrier, suspension...).
So I will check London on it's biking facilities tomorrow, hope I will reach college without being killed by a crazy busdriver or rushing taxi.

Gravis - Never again

2007-03-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

Some of the Germans with a soft spot for macs will have come across "Gravis", retailer of Apple products. Take my advice and do not buy any products there, they do not know what they are selling, and never ever try to mess with their so called "customer service".
The ethernet plug of my laptop somehow "broke" in India, so I asked them what to do. They kept my beautiful PowerBook for more than a month just to tell me now that the damn insurance is not valid outside Europe.

Anyways I will get my PowerBook back next week, though the ethernet still won't work.

Easter Holiday in Berlin

2007-03-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Another nice weekend at Cambridge is almost over. Yet I have finally booked my flight to Berlin. Will stay in the German capital from 4th (late eve) until the 11th (early morn) of April and will be happy to see all of you guys over there.
During this period, my UK mobile wont work, so try the German mobile number 0049 179 5479093 then.

Last thursday Teresa directed me to a cool Austrian Design Party at the Barbican Centre's Garden Room. Great location with loads of trees, plants, designer chairs, architects and free Austrian Egger Beer. Great fun.

Got a job

2007-03-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Have finally found a job at escp, from next week I will be working in the team to build up a "Centre for Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship" at ESCP London. My boss "Chris" is a very cool American guy and the other colleagues include our Indian friend Kinshuk.
Looking forward to working with you! Cant be for the money alone, as thats only 6 pounds per hour...

coming down to party

2007-03-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Mr. Stephan Farmer, from Berlin, Germany was this weekends guest of honour. His visit somehow coincided with getting drunk and heating up Shoreditch's parties.
First episode was about mowing the lawn of "woodsmans" nice house in suburbian "Golders Green" and having great pasta and Carlsberg "on the tube" (ya, SOMETHING like on the rocks). Paddys city flat in Goswell Rd than evolved to being our basecamp for buying carling (yess, British light beer), smirnoff and sharing Lola's Frigeo Brause (Thanks that was awesome!). Though we had spotted this great space close by it was just too cold to enjoy it there.

Anja, Meryl, Caro and many more joined our tour starting at the Old Blue Last, Bar Music Hall (at least from the outside - butthead bouncer) and famous 333. This pic shows dietz-golec on the left witnessed by the bauer-förster-countryside-connection. The right pic Anja, Lola and Stephan.

Saturday saw the prolongation of the party-time in Cambridge. St.Patrick's Days pubcrawl with Julia, Sarah, Suzy and other corpusles, followed by the great house party in extraterrestrial "alpha rd". John made red strawberry cocktails, Sarah promoted white sangria with Peach Schnapps (wie konnten die Engländer nur Schnaps und Likör verwechseln) and Julia gave a guided tour along the locked doors of an alien flat. Yes, I am rich too.

a fun flatshare

2007-03-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Vice says "First day at university means weeding out all the dickheads and finding the few people you can actually tolerate." Those three people are some I have found: Tolerable, though they are French and have funny accents, which proofs that they are really cool ;-) The Hoxton whores and their Kingsland pimp make the best "coloc" in town - aehm metropolis, of course.

Additionally, the hospitality of Olivier, Meryl and Julia is simply supernatural. What else can drive you to offer a fantastic couch - which isnt used for sitting on it anyways (right pic) - in a stylo IKEA flat in funky east-london to a lazy German gipsy like me. Thanks a lot, you are the best!

back to the uk

2007-03-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

A weekend trip with Julia to Weingarten, here on the upper part of the map, to visit my parents and relax in beautiful Oberschwaben. Saturday we chilled in an incredible Spa and Sauna Place in Meersburg (middle left of the map) and sunday we have been to the small island of Lindau (bottom right of the map) with its Lion Statue and Lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour.

Sunny weather and clear skys made beautiful views of the Alps possible. From our Ryanair Jet as well as from the waterside.
Although Islamists threatened with Terror in Germany, we somehow managed to get back to the UK safe ;-)

Indians in Italy

2007-03-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

Our cultural analysis at MDI had already shown a close proximity between the Indian and Italian Culture. Hence our two Indians (Akshay and Anirudh) in Torino seem to have a lot of fun.

Watch here and there for further infos.
Hope u make it to London in the next months, guys! Apart from that u are always invited to Berlin (e.g. for Easter) and Oberschwaben ;-)

Cambridge

2007-03-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

Though Ive been here most of the time during the last two weeks, it needed a visit of Teresa and her friend to do some sightseeing. This pittoresque town is full of history; mostly academic but with all its architecture, traditions, sports etc.
On the pics: St.Johns College from the outside, an eagle statue in its church.

Julias College is called "Corpus Christi". So she was rowing for the "corpus" boat, during the 120 year old LentBumps. Watching was a lot of fun and less tiring than rowing the 2-3 km long course on the cam.

Music, Arts and Architecture

2007-03-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

London is - obviously - all of that. Probably you are bored by Fosters Mega-Phallus already, but its the spot where I always board the nationalexpress-bus to Cambridge, so I just had to click it. Julia's room at the college there is somehow my home right now. Thanks for always welcoming me in your room there, sweeety!

The current examples for music and arts will hopefully be new to you. Somehow London HAS to fulfill the trendsetter-expectations: The 'black lips' and the Islington Art Fair.
So far when I stay in London during the week I can luckily sleep in Jo (a friend of my sister) and Teresa (his sister) 's apartment next to Euston Station. Thanks a lot for the great hospitality!

Last week Teresa invited me for the concert of the 'black lips' - an upcoming alternative band from Atlanta - at 'Bardens Boudoir' a unpretentious and very hip pub in the far north-east. Great show and funny music, some of which can be found here as well. A great evening anyways.
The Islington Art Fair is in an old factory in a tiny little road, and I discovered it by accident when I visited Manja during an open space discussion at the hub, not far from tube 'Angel'. Some interesting mirror arts, great comics and this picture or installation featuring liquid colour.

Contact Details

2007-03-03T04:17:00.000-08:00

Not that much time so far for blogging!

Thats maybe the most important thing for now: I've got a new (British) mobile number.
+44 7726 454833

Have seen about 15 rooms in different flatshares during the last week. Picked one of the cheapest in an appartment with three very easygoing people: a theatre manager, a teacher and a fashion designer. Its in Highbury, just around the corner of the new Arsenal stadium. Only problem is that it will only be free from the end of march :-(

Until then I will have to do some couchsurfing and come back to Cambridge more often ;-)