2 years on...

My then fiancee (now wife) and I headed out to DC after we both graduated in 2007. A few others from our class came out as well, and since then we've met other great Alumni and have remained an active part of the Haas community, both socially and as part of the Berkeley MBA interview/info session process.

After a very long two years, we decided to return and spent a wonderful Memorial Day weekend in Berkeley. We caught up with old friends as well as those that we've kept in close contact with since graduating. To complement the social cycle, we hit up some of our favorite eateries and enjoyed some new ones. Most importantly (when it comes to food), we made the obligatory stop at La Burrita.

It's been two loooooong years since I've had a great burrito, and the large super carne asada burrito hit the spot.

In addition to La Burrita, here are some other great eateries that have stood the test of time for those lucky enough to be starting their Haas adventures shortly:

Ici (wonderful ice cream)
Cheeseboard Pizza
Le Cheval (French Vietnamese)
Brazil Cafe (tri-tip sandwich and mango smoothie)
La Note (awesome brunch)
Crepevine
Noodle Theory
Paragon (Mac & cheese at the Claremont)
Great Wall (best Peking Duck in the world, this from native Chinese who have travelled the world)
Trattoria La Siciliana

Now if we can only get back to Berkeley before another 2 years pass....

We graduated!

Yesterday, I, along with my classmates, graduated! All of us nearly died from the heat, but it was a wonderful day filled with lots of hugging, laughing, picture-taking, and meeting each other's parents. (I noticed that many of my classmates look EXACTLY like their mother/father!)

We came together as a class less than two years ago. The first semester seemed long, with core classes and countless study group meetings. But with each subsequent semester, time seemed to fly faster and faster.

This past week was especially fun. We had daily events during "Dis-orientation Week" including an unofficial weekend in Las Vegas, clubbing, BBQ, Cohort Olympics, gala, etc.

Some classmates are staying in the Bay Area, while others are moving to various parts of the world. Thanks to Facebook, Skype/gtalk, and our respective traveling budgets, we will always be in touch and will see each other relatively often. Classes have ended, but the fun and friendships will continue...

This will probably be my last post on this blog. It's been great writing about my Haas experience here. I am always happy to share my thoughts, so feel free to look me up on Facebook and get in touch if you have any questions during your business school application process. Best wishes!

P.S. I will be moving to London later this summer. I can't wait to make another country my new home!

Janet Yellen at Haas

Great speech last night by Janet Yellen, CEO of the San Francisco Federal Reserve and a member of the Federal Open Market Committee. Yellen had been a professor at Haas before joining the Fed and came back to Haas to discuss the current economic situation in an event that attracted quite a large crowd and received plenty of news coverage.

Overall she struck a cautiously optimistic tone. Some great insights into the risks of deflation and inflation and what tools (both conventional and unconventional) the Fed has to fight inflation going forward and to stave off deflation in the short-run.

Janet was a great speaker and clearly an extremely intelligent person. This was probably one of the last speakers I could see before graduating, and while I am busy finishing papers and projects, I am so glad I went to see her speak.

A video of her speech is online at http://www2.haas.berkeley.edu/Videos/Janet_Yellen.aspx.

Go Bears

Yosemite park, May 3.