Busy week!

Today is wednesday evening and the last time i posted something was Sunday. We are swamped with work at the moment so I have spent the last few days at Hult working with my teams on our projects. We are currently working on a business plan due at the end of this week as well as our consultancy project. So all in all its a very busy week with most of the days spent in study rooms therefore I have no interesting photos to post. I can't even post any interesting restaurants I've been to this week other than Starbucks. Yes there is a starbucks on every corner and like many of the Americans I am now a regular customer because when you spend so long working on projects, caffeine is essential.

My stress relief at the moment is going jogging or walking around my neighborhood. I live in the Marina and Russian Hill area and its a beautiful location. Its great for jogging because there is a huge running park with an outside gym on the lawn for the die hard gym freaks here- Im trying not to become one! The area is also full of great boutiques, restaurants and wine bars! Unfortunately I have not consumer that much wine here but that should change this weekend when we have some free time.  I want to try the different wines from Napa Valley and Sanoma Valley to say that I at least know what they taste like. Yep this week has been crazy and the next two days will be equally just as busy so the weekend couldn't come any faster.

I will hopefully have some more interesting news to post this weekend including some photos and some restaurant and wine reviews for my fellow foodies and wine connoisseurs :)

The residents of Pier 39

If you are in San Francisco and you happen to head down to Fisherman's Wharf (and I suggest that you do) you will certainly visit Pier 39. Pier 39 is full of activity consisting of fish restaurants, tourist shops and a huge amount of tourists. But it really is a spectacular part of SF. My friends and I love going to the pier for coffee and a cookie to see the sun setting after a long day or week of work.

Anyway once you are down at the Pier you are likely to hear barking sounds. These barking noises do not come from dogs but instead from the sea lions who reside close to the Pier. They seem to be used to us tourists going to take photos of them as they are always ready to pose. I took these photos at 8am whilst I was out jogging so indeed they will be up for taking a photo at any time of day. 

The embarcadero is the waterfront area where Pier 39 can be found. Its a long but beautiful walk with amazing views of the waters and the bridge. Whilst it is a tourist attraction and can be busy at times, it is certainly not as busy as tourist attractions in say London or Rome.

But if you do end up in SF and go to Pier 39, going to see the noisy but photogenic sea lions must be on the to do list!

Beach day!

Yesterday my friends and I went for a long walk in the Marina area. The plan was to walk until the Golden Gate bridge, but the sandy beach close by was too tempting. We decided to stop for a break and lay on the sun soaking up the sun- despite the annoying wind. The break lasted two hours followed by a coffee and brownie. The beach was great and as usual in SF it was filled with families and dogs. The Sea was freezing for us humans but the dogs seemed to love it a they were jumping in and out and playing with their fellow canine friends.

I also found a shop dedicated to pampering you dog, from grooming to day care to a boutique for clothes to making your own dog food for your pet! Yes only in SF!

Business culture in SF

An interesting comment I heard this week:

"Silicon Valley is successful not because of any geographical position, but because of the attitude."

I heard this interesting comment at a talk by an entrepreneur in the healthcare industry based over here. I think what he said does have a significant meaning to it. The West Coast has become synonymous with the start-up culture potentially due to the laid back attitude. This laid back attitude translates to being less scared of the unknown- the unknown of whether a business venture you would like to pursuer will be successful. Here if you business fails it does not mean you are failure and will forever be branded as such. Instead it shows you have guts and talent and can try again learning from your previous mistakes. The laid-back attitude also translates to the business dress code: Comfortable. This means flip-flops, shorts, t-shirts and the infamous hoddy as seen on Mr.Facebook.

Thus this is what he meant when he said it is the attitude. Whilst I have only been here for a short while I think thats why I really like living here. I come from a somewhat entrepreneurial family background and it is inspiring to be in a city where the concept of risk in business is understood but not feared. This attitude allows ideas to flow which is not something that you can feel in every city.

Hopefully I too will pick up some of the 'laid back attitude' however I still won't be seen entering any office in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops like most of the business start-ups here- thats where my European culture comes in.

Finally the sun is shining in San Francisco. In the last few days it has been very cloudy, foggy and dull. But the sun decided to grace us with its presence! Unfortunately the sun also brought lots of wind with it so its not actually very hot! We're planning on going to Napa Valley this weekend so hopefully it will get better (will keep you posted on that)

However the weather isn't a very important discussion. Living in SF and therefore very close to Silicone Valley I would not be able to get away without mention of some very important news. Today is the eve of the Facebook IPO. Tomorrow FB, after much public hype and excitement, will go public. It is set to be the biggest IPO in history where the company is valued at 100 BILLION dollars!!

As a finance and business student we have been discussing often. We are wondering is the company actually worth that amount since its revenue model only generates funds from advertisement and this revenue does not actually add up to 100 billion dollars. Obviously the hype that surrounds the deal is surely having positive effect on how many people are probably queuing up to buy the shares after they are sold on the market. I think the hype is also generated because Mark Zuckerberg is going to be a multi-billionaire at the tender age of 27. He still owns 57% of his own company (which is not always the case when founders bring in outside investment) and yes he still wears jeans and jumper.

I will also be attending a pre Facebook IPO party. So yes all of SF is pretty excited about the Zuckerbergs big day tomorrow.

Whatever happens to shares in the next few weeks and months whether they do live up to the hype of whether it turns out to be another IT bubble, it is great to be in the city that is so close to where this is happening. SF is the city for start-ups, entrepreneurship, technology and venture capital. It could be the relaxed atmosphere of the city that makes people think if you have an idea just get up and do it! Try if and if it fails, try again! You will always learn from your mistakes!

If you need inspiration I suggest you stop looking and buy a one way ticket here . You are bound to think of some fascinating idea or to bump into the next Zuckerberg at your local starbucks.

SF is truly a fascinating city and despite being so busy with  projects at the moment, I still feel that part of my motivation comes from the city itself.

My view when I went jogging- I guess that why people love to jog so much here the views along the embarcadero and from the Marina are amazing!

The first photo I am posting a very touristy photo of Golden Gate Bridge at sunset! I was with a group of friends walking along one of the piers and the sun was just setting so it really was a great photo op!

Welcome to San Francisco :)

I am starting this blog to keep my family and friends updated about my life in San Francisco.

San Francisco is very unique and interesting city. If I had to describe in one word I would call it an eccentric city! From the architecture to the hills to the people, eccentric would be the best to describe it.
The houses are wonderful to see because they are all so colourful and uniquely designed. Walking around the city gives you a feeling of serenity almost because although it is a hip and happening city, the atmosphere is relaxed and laid back. After living here for a mere 13 days I would say the best way to experience the city is by walking. That being said there are a ridiculous amount of hills, but if you take in the atmosphere around you just might be able to power on and continue walking up the hill instead of hailing a cab (very american language that I am using here). The views of the ocean and the infamous Golden Gate Bridge are just fantastic. You may be lucky enough to see the fog coming in over the bridge which is like looking at a postcard.

San Francisco is split into lots of little neighborhoods each one very different from the other, all have their own lovely character and they are all very welcoming. I live between Russian Hill and Nob Hill which I have now decided is my favorite part of SF after the Embarcadero (waters edge). These neighborhoods are full of character, bars, restaurants and great boutiques (bad for my bank account).

People here are super friendly, as a European I initially though it was just really strange. But I have now managed to adapt to the this and I courteously say hi and bye to people I don't know. Also unlike the image we Europeans may have of Americans in general, the SF folks are very health conscious. lots of food here is organic produced and served a very big selling point. Jogging and cycling are also very common activities. Almost everywhere you go you will see people doing some form of exercise and enjoying outside activities accompanied by their friends and most of the time by their dog. Yes the SF people love their dogs.

A blog about San Francisco will not be complete without mention of the eccentric people who live here. I don't think I have ever been to a city and seen so many homeless people laying around. In most cities the homeless people I have seen just sit down at the side of the streets. Here they are drunk or high most of the time and up to some crazy antic. Its not the first time that I have seen someone speaking to a bin or a pole. They must have all been part of the 60's hippies revolution as they look like that have just stepped off a time machine from that decade.

That was a very brief description of what I have seen of SF so far. I do love SF thus far. Initially I though it was a city full of homeless and weird people. But you will learn to see the homeless drunk SF residents as part of the backdrop.


I will continue to post interesting facts and photos that will interest you.