New Blog Address

Blogger has served me well. It was one of the few blogging sites which the People's Republic of China did not block (at least the publishing side of it... I still had to use some tricks to view my actual blog once it was published). Now that I have left the umbrella of Communist censorship (oh thank you Beijing for protecting me fromall of that dangerous, malicious information that is floating around on the internet), I finally have the chance to switch from Blogger to an easier to use, more customizable blogging site.

Hence forth Pastey White Guy shall reside at: http://pasteywhiteguy.wordpress.com .

It's pretty easy to remember... just replace "blogspot" with "wordpress" and you'll find my new site. I appreciate any comments that people may have about the new look.

I will no longer be posting to blogspot.

Blog Updates

Well, since I'm moving to London in one week to start the London Business School MBA, I thought I should update by blog. I don't live in Yantai and longer, so the blog description had to be changed. I'm no longer a factory manager, but now a poor MBA student. I'm also toying with the idea of changing from blogger to typepad or some other service. If anyone has any thoughts or opinions, let me know. Since I no longer have to deal with the pain-in-the-butt that is Chinese web censorship, I have a greater range of blog hosting sites I can choose from.

More to come later! For now I'm busy running around visiting friends and family, and doing some last minute shopping before I head back to England. After all, everything is half the price here in the US as it is in the UK!

Writing sample to become an LBS MBA blogger

I can hardly believe Aug 26th is nearly here. My level of excitement couldn’t be higher, and I feel as if I have been waiting a long time for the LBS MBA to begin. I suppose I have been though…

Shortly after my first visit to London Business School in June of 2006, I decided that LBS was my number one choice for b-school. I knew it the moment I walked onto the campus. When I walked into the reception area and asked the woman at the help desk where the admissions office was for the weekly open house, she replied, “Oh, you’re considering LBS? You should definitely apply here! Coming here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I couldn’t be happier!” The shear enthusiasm that she and the other students I met that day had for the school sold me instantly. Every person I spoke to was incredibly friendly and helpful; not the stereotype ‘cutt-throat’ personality types that some other schools are known for having. That, combined with London Business School's reputation for excellence in the fields of entrepreneurship and finance (both, fields I am considering), caused me to scrap my other MBA applications and focus all of my efforts on one school. LBS matched my personality and career goals perfectly.

It was a tough road. I applied in December of 2006. After the alumni interview, I was placed on the wait-list for what would turn out to be a very long wait. As the beginning of classes got closer and closer, I finally informed the adcoms that I would be unable to accept a spot in the 2009 class with such short notice. They thanked me for my honesty and said I would be considered for a deferred admission to the class of 2010. One month later, I got the good news; I would be attending LBS beginning in Aug, 2008!

In between packing up my life in China to move halfway around the world, applying for student loans and scholarships, and flying to London to open a UK bank account and find a flat, I’ve gotten to know many of my future classmates through both the school’s Portal and the Facebook group that I created for the class. I have only met a few of my classmates in person so far and already the high level of accomplishment that these people have achieved in their lives floors me. I know I will be surrounded by some of the most interesting, dynamic people I have ever met, and Aug 26th cannot come quickly enough. I’ve only been waiting for 20 months!!