L'Auberge Australienne

Yo!

What's happening? How's everybody doing? Personally, I'm doing amazing. Writing to you from the UWA business school, I'm sipping some premium white tea, and blasting Gareth Emery's newest podcast (a monster!) in my headphones. Basically, I'm in the ZONE right now haha.

All right so there's been quite a bit of change in my life since my last post. Basically, I got kicked out of my house and had to scramble to find a new place to live. How crazy is that eh? Fortunately, as is often case in life, what initially seemed like a bit of a disaster turned out to be one hell of a blessing in disguise.

Let me tell how this happened.

As some of you know, I had found a house nearby the Uni, and I was living with 2 girls and 1 guys. Claire, one of the girls, didn't drink, didn't go out, and basically was pretty boring. Lauren, the other girl, was actually quite cool. But she was also a lesbian Australian football player, and while I fully respect that, she just hung out with a different crowd than what I was looking for. Finally, Nathan, Lauren's twin brother, was an all right guy, but he mostly hung out with his long-time girlfriend and made no effort whatsoever to help me meet people and get integrated.

Overall, my living situation was all right, but not ideal. We didn't fight or anything like that, but I could already tell that I was never going to become good friends with these people.

One morning, Claire told me "Phil, we need to talk".. with a weird tone. You know, that tone, the one that indicates that you're about to have an unpleasant conversation. We sat down, and basically she told me that her and the others had talked, and that they came to a consensus that they didn't feel like I fit into the household. And that they wanted me to move out within a week. Boom. Just like that.

At first, I was a bit shocked, and humiliated... I mean, I'm far from perfect, but I had been trying hard to be a good housemate. I was friendly, I cleaned after myself, I wasn't loud when they were sleeping... And here I was, halfway around the world, getting kicked out of the place I lived.

I went for a run to clear my head, and over the next 45 minutes, I realized that this was not a setback, but rather an opportunity to make the Australian Dream even better. I got back home and got busy. Started looking at websites, sending emails, making some calls.

That same night, I went to visit a house even closer to the Uni, in a neighborhood called Nedlands. The house itself was quite old, but it was spacious. It also had a massive backyard, and 5 guys, all UWA students, lived there. One of the counters in the kitchen was full of big tubs of protein powder and other supplements. A real boys' house!  I stayed there for about an hour, chatting with the guys, and really felt like there was a good vibe in that house.

The next morning I woke up, and it was clear-cut in my mind what I had to do. I texted Gabe, the guy in charge of renting out the room, and told him I wanted to move in. He texted me back a few minutes later, and said I was in. Boom. Just like that.

So now, let me explain to you why this post is titled "L'Auberge Australienne". As some of you might know, my favorite movie of all-time is called "L'Auberge Espagnole".

This movie changed my life. Like, it actually changed the course of my existence.

The movie is about Xavier, a 24 year old Frenchman about my age. His life in France is fine, but he wants to do something exciting and crazy. He wants to live it up. So he decides to move to Barcelona to do his Master degree in Economics. He flies over to Barcelona, doesn't really know anyone in the city, and his spanish isn't all that great either. He initially has a hard time finding a decent place to live, but he eventually moves into an apartment with 6 other students. One from England, one from Belgium, one from Spain, one from Italy, one from Germany, and one from Denmark.

Over the course of the movie, they all become really good friends and have amazing adventures together. When Xavier returns home to France at the end of the movie, he realizes how much this experience has changed him as a person, and he even ends up ditching his career as an economist for the government (on his first day!) to pursue his true passion: being a writer.

I saw this movie when I was 17, and trying to figure out my future. It really struck a cord with me, and inspired me. I realized that I wanted to live something like that too. I wanted to have crazy experiences, meet people from around the globe, and to do so I had to pack up and leave. That's what lead to my decision to move away to Vancouver for school, even though I didn't know a soul in the city, and my English wasn't all that great

Ok, so I still haven't told you why I named this post "L'Auberge Australienne". Although, I'm guessing that by now you have a feeling of where I'm going with this...

As I mentioned earlier, the house I moved into last week is comprised of 5 guys + me. Well, to put it simply, let's just say that amongst us 6, we have a solid representation of Planet Earth, and a cast of pretty interesting characters :).

Here's a brief description of my 5 roommates:

Gabe is from New Mexico, USA. He spent 4 years in the US Marines and is now completing his degree in Sports Science. He has one of the best "Game" I have ever seen, and he's teaching me a few new tricks every day :) He's also into spirituality and we've already had some very interesting conversation on that topic (how funny is it that the 2 topics we talk about all the time are how to seduce women, and how to be a more mindful and enlightened person...)

Berny is originally from South Africa, and he has lived in Australia for the past 10 years. He studies mechanical engineering, owns 3 cars and he's really into tuning them up. He also knows just about everybody at UWA (well, mostly the cool kids) and has already introduced me to a bunch of his friends. He also has the unusual talent of being really good at cutting hair. He might or might not have given me a bit of a fauxhawk 2 days ago haha!

James is a local, born and raised in Perth. He studies engineering as well, and really looks like a hobbit haha. He's into trance music, which is awesome as we will certainly be hitting up a few good DJ shows together.

Nish is from India. I actually haven't met him yet (he's been home writing his thesis) but he has been described by the others as "the craziest Indian dude you'll ever meet", and a "mad genius". He is infamous for going to bars stone-cold sober, and approaching as many as 100 women in one night. He also apparently makes some amazing Indian curry chicken, and loves to cook for everyone. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to meeting this guy!

Last and not least, John (aka Johnny), from China. At first, I wasn't too sure how he was going to fit in, given he comes from such a different culture. However, I have been pleasantly surprised. In is own way, he's one of the funniest kids I've ever met. While he knows very little about Western culture, he's really keen to learn about it and to fit in. We're helping him with his english, and he's teaching us to cook some amazing Chinese food. We advise him on how to meet girls at school, and he makes us laugh to tears everyday. Because he is so new to this whole culture, he often gets confused or asks the funniest questions. He also really likes goon, which the guys have him believing is a drink made by the Aboriginals. Whenever he pours himself a glass, he shouts "Aboriginals' favorite!!!" in his thick Chinese accent.. Priceless!!!

The man himself showcasing his DJ skills!

I have been in this house for exactly a week now, and it has definitely been the best week of the Australian Dream. We're not just a group of guys sharing a living space, we're a group of guys sharing an experience. It's not just a house, it's a home. We're all happy to be here, we all want to make the most out of the experience, and we want to live it together.

We don't even own a TV, and it made me realize how unimportant they are to everyday happiness. We have a massive kitchen and there's always at least a couple of us hanging out, chatting, making some food, DJing like John in the picture. Everything is quite communal, we share food, we help each other with the cooking, etc. And it's SO much better that way.

Yesterday, Johnny, Berny, James, Gabe and I were hanging out in the kitchen, and talking how crazy/amazing this all is. As recently as 50 years ago, this would have been totally unthinkable! A Chinese, a South-African, an American, an Australian, and a Canadian sharing a meal together (Mexican food prepared by an American!) and having a great time doing so.

Over the whole course of humanity, we are among the first generation of people who have the opportunity to do this kind of stuff. This is something truly special.

7 years after first seeing L'Auberge Espagnole and being astounded by it, my dream has finally come true. Sharing a house with other students from all over the world, and having an experience of a lifetime in the process. We've also already had a bit of crazy adventures together, but those stories are for another time, another place... :)

Have a great week, and if you are looking for something to do one night, rent/download L'Auberge Espagnole. I guarantee you'll enjoy it, and who knows... maybe it'll change your life too!

Adios!

Phil

College Life 2.0

G’day everyone!


What’s up? Wherever you may be, I really hope you’re enjoying summertime, and making the most of it! Believe it or not, it’s freaking 2 degrees outside here in Perth tonight! Since it has a huge window and no heating, my room is probably around 11 degrees. I’m in my sleeping bag AND wearing a hoodie as I’m writing this! I’m still trying to figure out how this all fits into the whole Australian Dream concept! :P

Fortunately, it’s warm during the day and things are good otherwise. I just finished up my second week of Uni, and it gave me a good taste of what a “typical” week will be like for the next year and a half of my life. It was fast-paced, a bit hectic times, and certainly not boring. While it has only been a couple weeks since school started, I’m already get a distinct feeling that my College Life at UWA is gonna be quite different from the original, much-praised, UBC College Life .

I don’t think I need to go into great lengths explaining what the College Life 1.0 was all about... You’ve heard the stories, you’ve seen the pictures (or better yet, you were there living it with me!)... Yes it was epic. Looking back, it feels like those were carefree days and it was all pretty simple. Go to a few classes, hit the gym for a bit, have a few beers with the Wolfpack, and see where the night takes us. Maybe some wolf-style hollering (“AWW AWWWWUUH” ) and if things got a bit wild, some wrestling at the church and perhaps even a lil’ dumpster flipping action on the way home! Hahah. Those were the days. If you want to know more about College Life 1.0., take a listen at Asher Roth’s instant-classic track I love College (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYx7YG0RsFY). Whilst what he sings about may not ALL be true, it definitely gives a great idea of what it was like!

Nope... as good as those days were, this time around it’s going to be a bit different. Both for the better, and for the worse.

How can I describe it... Well for one, this time I’m really trying to kick ass at school. I did well at UBC, but like my dad pointed out to me before I left, good is not always enough. It’s about being the best that you can be. So now I’m actually trying to do all the small things that make the difference between a good and kick-ass grade. I even try to look clean-cut when I go to school. No more going to class in my sweatpants with a 5 day beard. If I want to be top of my class, I figure I gotta look the part. Furthermore, beyond getting good grades, I actually am interested in learning all this stuff. The way I see it, the next year and a half of my life represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can gain the knowledge and the tools that will serve as the foundation to, hopefully, a successful career down the road. I think I’d have to be a fool not to do everything in my power to seize this opportunity to the fullest.

Secondly, not only am I trying to do well and be committed to school, but it is actually much more challenging this time around. I guess it’s not supposed to be easy to become a Master of Marketing right? The projects are larger in span and all the classes require me to do work every week, unlike undergrad where you could basically crack the textbook open a mere 2 days before the exam and still figure it all out with the help of one of these:

Thirdly, since I have a “real” job on the side, I need to be sharp for that. By the way, I should tell you that I have already had a promotion of sorts. My boss realized that by having me doing Administrative stuff, he wouldn't be fully using the ressources I can provide. As a result, I have now become the French Market Representative (I actually need to choose my title for my business cards... If you have suggestions please share them with me). Basically this means that I’m responsible to maintain and develop our customer base in the francophone markets of France, Switzerland, and eventually Québec. The best part is, I’m going to be travelling to Bordeaux, France, in October to attend a tradeshow there. And it seems like Im might also be going to Germany at the end of November, and possibly the USA in December. Great opportunities, but like I said, gotta stay sharp. I'm really grateful that this is happening and definitely plan on making the most of it!

Finally, with all the great stuff that Australia has to offer, I want to be in top shape during the days as to be able to explore and see as much as possible. Spending days being hungover seems like such a waste with all this cool stuff waiting outside. This means living a relatively healthy lifestyle with less partying , more exercising, and more power foods (I’ll write a post about those soon).

To give you a concrete example of what the College Life 2.0 lifestyle might actually look like, I invite you to take at how my nights unfolded over the last week (the daytime was basically a mix of work, school, and gym).

Monday night

Did "The Terminator" workout, and came home pretty destroyed. Ate some dinner, then settled down in my room for a solid reading session. No Facebook, no messing around, just 3 hours of good ol’ reading for my ethics class. Fortunately, the material was quite interesting. It discussed the responsibility that Business Schools have in teaching ethics to their students, as they are the business leaders of tomorrow. Historically, the schools’ curriculum had been built around the concept of maximizing shareholder value (maximizing share price and profits), no matter what it took. But with all that’s happened in the business world recently (Enron, Worldcom, Great Financial Crisis, etc), the B-Schools’ focus is on training responsible leaders who will look to maximize profits, while also taking into consideration the impact that their decisions will have on the environment, the community, and society as whole. Great stuff to read about and it was definitely good source of reflection over the rest of the week.

Tuesday night

Went to my Buyer behaviour class from 5pm to 8pm (after a full day of work). Came home, made some dinner, and got settled for another solid reading session. This time, the reading was for my Marketing and Society class. Here's the book we're reading for this class:

Definitely a more lively read than a textbook!

I could try to describe the book’s concept, but Bill Gates (who probably knows a whole lot more about the subject) has already done that so I will simply quote him. From the backcover of the book: “C.K. Prahalad argues that companies must revolutionize how they do business in developing countries if both sides of that economic equation are to propser. Drawing on a wealth of case studies, his compelling new book offers an intriguing blueprint for how to fight poverty with profitability.” Another fascinating read, which built on a few concepts from Monday’s reading. Helped push my reflections to new heights.


All right so...So far, 2 big nights of reading... and it’s only the second week of the semester! What the hell? We’re definitely far from the days of taking the plastic cover off the textbooks after a month.

Wednesday night

After spending the day at school, I went to the office for a quick 2 hour work session. Afterwards, my boss, Wayne, took me and another new employee, Jordan, to a wine-tasting session nearby. I had never been to one before, so I didn’t really know what to expect... But I had a feeling it’d be cool. And it was.

The session took place in a fancy winestore near the Uni, and the sampling was for 5 white wines from a French wineyard. The organizer gave us a little course on how each wine was produced, what region it was from, and the characteristics that we should denote. There were bottles of each wine available for purchase on the spot, with the price tag ranging from 50$ to 150$. It was a bit of an odd environment to be in at first... Full of high-society people 2 to 3 times my age, and I didn’t know anyone except for my boss and colleague. Not really knowing what to do with myself, I just sorta hung out while drinking wine from the $150 bottle. :)

I eventually spotted 2 guys my age and realized that one of them was Macca, one of my new buddies from class. He’s doing his Master of Marketing right now but he did his undegrad in Wine Making, so he knew tons about wine. It was awesome to talk about it with him and he helped me understand better why is exactly this glass of wine I wa  holding was worth like 20$. He also knew the owner of the winestore so we got permission to go down and have a look at the wine cellar, which supposedly is one of the best in Perth. There must have been a thousand bottles down there and they were priced anywhere between 100$ and 2000$. It was really cool to see and I was extra careful not to get rowdy and break something!!

Not-Rowdy Phil enjoying some premium wine in the middle of a world-class wine cellar

After the wine-tasting, my boss took us out to a very nice italian restaurant. We drank some of his newly purchased wine while eating Barrimundi, which is said to be one of the finest fishes in Australia. Grilled to perfection, it was a superb culinary experience.

All in all, a memorable night, full of class and high-society living! Pretty far from the College Life 1.0, right?

Thursday night

While its' good to evolve, some things about the original College Life were just so damn good that they just couldn’t be totally eradicated. That’s why that night, my Irish buddies Sam & Robbie and I got on a party bus leaving the UWA campus and heading over to special 80’s party at a "secret" location.

Things got pretty wild, pretty quickly. All of a sudden, I was on a party bus, dressed up like a 80’s rockstar, drinking copious amounts of goon, straight from the bag. Now you may ask, what is this goon you’re talking about? Well my friends, it’s an Aussie specialty... A 4L bag of white wine sold at every liquor store for around of 10$. And it’s surprisingly good! So here I was on this bus, people I had just met were handing me their goon bags, everybody rocking out to classic 80’s song, dressed in their ridiculous costumes. It was hilarious, super fun, and totally ridiculous at once. Hard to see how things could have been any more different at that point than they were only 24 hours earlier!

We ended up going to a club called Electric Blue and it was truly a fun night... There’s just something about costume parties that makes them legend... wait for it.. dary!!!

Having a good time at the club with my new friend, Emily from Denmark ;)

Overall, this was pretty much a vintage College Life night (minus the wrestling and the dumpster flipping) and it felt great to just let loose and have a good time without worrying about anything.

Friday night

Went to a special guest speaker at the Business School. Sue Johnson, the CEO of a large company here in Perth ,was there to discuss the importance of worklife balance, and the art of harmoniously integrating all the different spheres of our lives. It’s a topic of great importance to me so I was excited to hear what she had to say about. The points that stuck with me were:

• You need to be plan well and have the discipline to follow the plan.
• You need to use the resources around you.
• You can’t expect to be perfect in all of your undertakings.
• If you’re well organised, there’s no reason to be stressed out.

Afterwards, I went out for Japanese food with my buddy Thomas from UBC who’s here with his girlfriend Hayley. It’s awesome that they are here as I really like them, and we have great fun together, like when the 3 of us went to NYC for New Years a few years ago. After dinner we went back to my house, built a bonfire in the backyard, and sat around the fire sharing some old stories and a good laugh. Perfect way to close out a week and finish out a day which, admittedly, was hampered by a mild goon hangover!


As you can see, College Life 2.0 promises to be different from 1.0, but very special in its own way. At first, I called it 2.0 because it is the second iteration, but come to think of it, it might actually stand as an upgrade for CL1.0. What do you guys think?

I reckon it will be crucial that I apply some of these worklife balance principles if I am to maximize the Aussie Dream on all fronts, without spreading myself to thin and ending up doing poorly in everything.

As a start, I will leave you guys for now and get ready to hit the books once again! I hope you enjoyed this second post and please keep the good comments and feedback coming, I really appreciate it.

Until next time! Cheers!

Phil