A Fellowship Kind of Weekend

I named this blog post a fellowship kind of weekend because I spent the entire weekend with some of the other people who are here in Palo Alto for the fellowship program.  Actually, many of you may not know why I'm here and for how long, so let me explain.  My company, SAP, likes to recognize top performing employees - so we have a special group called Top Talent.  Every year, all managers go through their employees and decide if any of them meet the "top talent" criteria and nominate them for this group.  Upper management has to sign-off on who gets to be part of the Top Talent group because they try to restrict it to approximately 2% of the employees worldwide.  Part of the Top Talent program is the fellowship program, which allows the employees to apply for a six-month fellowship in a different area of the company.  The idea is that the people who are top performers are more proactive with their career and are quickly moving to the top.  So by allowing them to work in an entirely different area of the company without any risk, they are able to build up their skill set faster and advance their career more quickly. The fellowship may or may include relocation, it depends on the receiving team's requirements and budget. 

Previously I worked in product development.  I'm not a software engineer, but I'm part of the product management team.  I met with customers to understand their business processes for their sales teams and then designed the software to meet those business requirements.  Part of my product slightly touched the marketing teams, but it was primarily focused on sales teams at larger consumer products companies.  However, I wanted to understand the big picture better and get hands-on marketing experience - after all, that was my major in university, and yet, I've never worked in marketing.  So I applied for the top marketing position which was available - working as the assistant to our Chief Marketing Officer.  Just to be clear, I'm not a personal assistant but an assistant who helps our CMO manage projects, gather information from all of his teams, give strategic advice, etc.  It may sound like a sexy job, and I've already had some pretty cool experiences so far.  But it's not all glamorous. Anyway, I digress, but that's the background as to why I'm here and the small group of fellows who have bonded so far.  I will be in California only until mid-February when I will return to my love, Montreal.


So last Friday I took myself out on a date, and I finally discovered an amazing restaurant here in the area.  Everyone I speak with tells me how incredible the food is around here, but I was really struggling to find a place I considered fantastic.  I've found it now!  Flea Street Cafe - they have a seasonal menu which is to die for!  In Montreal, there is an Italian restaurant which makes a Gorgonzola gnocchi that just melts in your mouth.  I haven't ever tasted anything which rivals it... until now. :-) I'm so excited that I have a place to introduce to people when they come to visit. :-)  And it rained for the first time since I arrived in California - a heavy downpour which is apparently quite unusual around here.  I thought someone was watering the plants outside of the restaurant and turned to look out the window and saw a wall of water coming down.  It was both surprising and refreshing.

On Saturday I rode my bike to Philz - he's becoming my weekend habit. :-)  That was the farthest I've ridden a bicycle in a long time.  While I was in Montreal, I would try to bike to work on most days but it wasn't very far - I think just 8 km.  But Philz's is about 10 km from my house.  I was all nice and sweaty when ordering my cup of joe, but who cares.  The bike ride was so enjoyable!

Saturday afternoon I spent with Barbara, another fellow from Germany.  She's pretty cool.  We did a tour of some of the Silicon Valley towns and ended up in San Jose at Santana Row.  I don't know if this place is well-known outside of the area, but wow, this place is unreal.  Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Tesla, Gucci, and many more.  There were Ferraris and Lamborghinis lining the road.  I really felt like I was under-dressed in my shorts and t-shirt.  As Barbara and I were walking, we saw all of these really tall women walk past us.  We guessed that they were models.  Two blocks down, there was a very tall woman modeling in front of said bright yellow Lamborghini and some photographer taking her picture.  Then several more blocks down, we see a runway.... ooooohhhhh... FASHION SHOW!!!  Barbara and I were elated.  While it was a "private party," there was only a waist-high fence separating the public from the party.  So we could see everything.  We staked out our spots and watched the fashion show... in honor of Fashion Week in NYC.  It was so much fun!

I spent Sunday at the beach with some other fellows, Roman and Celeste (from Montreal - I previously worked with Roman on a project) and the "other" Roman, from Germany.  Roman and Roman took wind surfing lessons while Celeste and I baked on the beach, reading fashion magazines and talking. It was a beautiful, relaxing day... even if I did bake my boobies (first time in a bathing suit all season - they were not prepared for the California sun!).  Afterward, we munched on some yummy Italian food and walked around Alameda before returning home.

After last weekend, I finally felt like I was making some friends that I could hang out with during the week.  Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Mikey and Brett, but it's hard to see them during the week with my demanding work schedule.  So it's nice to be able to expand my friend network here. 

Palo Alto Personality

I typically blog when I travel.  And when I travel, I'm able to see the cultural differences between myself and the place I'm visiting.  Usually it makes for some funny fodder, if nothing else, but also a worthwhile experience when learning about and adapting to other cultures.

However, I really haven't done the same since I've been here.  In part, it's because I'm back in the States and feel like I should already know the culture and know what to expect.  And for the most part, I do.  Furthermore, it almost feels like a betrayal to my home country to critic the culture... especially when for so long I was part of it.  But since I have lived in Montreal for the last four years, I think I am able to compare and contrast.  So I will try to be diplomatic... but really... I am just speaking about Californians... I mean, they are a different breed, aren't they? ;-)

I have noticed that Palo Alto, and the greater Silicon Valley, is nothing like anything I've experienced.  The people are nice and open but disingenuous.  And while the scenery here is beautiful, you could go from one Valley town to the next and you wouldn't know the difference - you would have no idea where you were at!  It all looks the same, feels the same, smells the same.  Every place, every day is exactly the same.  I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day sometimes.  That's kind of how I see the people here as well.

There seems to be little personality reflected in the people - how they dress, the homes in which they live, the cars they drive.  You know the saying that "all Asians look a like" or "all white people look a like" or "all Indians look a like"?  Well, I believe that all Silicon Valley people look a like - it doesn't matter their race, skin color, or hair color.  You can't tell them a part.  However, you can tell when you've met one.

There doesn't seem to be any individuality around here.  Coming from Austin, where originality is abundant, or Montreal where they live to separate themselves from the rest of the country, I've become accustomed to being different, to speaking freely, dressing freely, acting freely.  And yet, here, I feel very stifled. The air is clean and the skies are blue and clear (partly because Californians are very eco-friendly), but I feel like I can't breathe.  I just don't get the impression that people are who they present themselves to be.  I feel like there is an entire community here that needs to be liberated and set free.  They need to escape from this bubble they've built around themselves and just be.  I see that the people around here fill their days with many activities, but they don't look like they're really having fun.  I get the impression that they're doing those activities because everyone else does them and it's been deemed acceptable.

One last story and then I will stop my rant... Many weeks ago when I was shopping for my 49ers shirt, I went to the outdoor shopping center that is right by my apartment.  It's a very nice shopping center that includes stores such as Burberry, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's... the list goes on and on.  But I couldn't find one single athletic store or sporting goods store.  However, I finally came across a Nike store, and thought, "this place must have something!" 

I asked the girl at Nike if they have any "team gear" like the 49ers.  She looked at me like I was crazy and in the snottiest voice said, "no." And that was it.  She didn't elaborate.  So then I told her that I was new to the area and did she have a suggestion as to where I could go to find something like that.  She said (in the snottiest, snobbiest voice you've ever heard), "Oh. You'll have to go to Eeeasssttt Palo Alto.  You know, that's on the other side of the highway.  They may have something like that over there."  Hmmm...ok.  I found out from someone that East Palo Alto is considered the "ghetto."  Maybe there are poorer parts of the area but what I saw looked like suburban middle class to me.  I mean, there was a Sports Authority, IKEA, Home Depot, Best Buy... the list goes on.  It looked like a normal neighborhood to me.  I didn't even see any clunker cars or cars with hydraulics.  I'm not quite sure what world these Palo Alto people live in, but it certainly isn't my world.  East Palo Alto seemed perfectly acceptable to me. :-/

Anyways, there's my two cents on the personality and culture of the Silicon Valley.  It could just be that I haven't met the right kind of people yet.  And luckily, I have the other people who are in the fellowship program here to help ground me.  They are an incredible group of people so I still get a sense for what's "real."  Plus, I have Mikey and Brett and all of the Castro.  If I ever want originality and authenticity, I just need to travel 45 minutes north. :-)

Hiatus with the Hubs

Yes, I'm a little behind again. Yes, I'm a little slow.  However, better late than never, right??

The hubs was here over Labor Day weekend.  We thought we'd be really smart and use the only time off that we have in common until Thanksgiving to visit each other.  But alas, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  We were able to spend time each other but the time went much too quickly.

I introduced Esteban to In and Out Burger upon his arrival to California.  However, some of you may know that my husband grew up in the Oakland area when he was younger and then returned when he was in the military. So California is not as foreign to him as it feels to me. But needless to say, he had never been to In and Out Burger before. 

On Saturday, I introduced Esteban to my other love, Philz, and Esteban, too, had a coffeegasm.  Hmmmm... love me some Philz! :-)  I also introduced Esteban to my girlfriend, Pamplemousse, where we chowed down on some yummy French pastries in the glorious sunshine.  Speaking of sunshine, I find it so incredible how gorgeous the weather always is!  I think this must be the weather in heaven because it doesn't get any more perfect than this.

We drove up to San Francisco and hung out with the boys, Mikey and Brett.  We all went to gay beach at Dolores Park where I saw more than my share of nakedness - pictures were sent to a select few. ;-)  In addition, I got sunburned again... no surprises there so I don't even know why I mention it. ;-)  However, you all should feel kind of sorry for me because it blistered and now I have scabs on my back - not sexy but that's life.

Then we met up with some boys who were in town with the gay rodeo. (Note to self: I don't think I will ever escape from my Texas roots.) ;-)  Apparently they liked me and started giving me free jello shots.  I think it was only 5pm or 6pm and I was already schnockered... to the point where Esteban said I was just saying random words like "bubbles" and "rainbows" and "puppies."  I think I was living in my own fantasy world.  But I don't remember a thing about that... maybe he's just teasing me.  But if not, when I go crazy, at least we know I will be a happy crazy. :-)

We ended the evening with some yummy Mexican food and a drag show.  I made Esteban hold my purse during the show so he would fit in with the rest of the boys there. ;-) Hahaha!  The only problem is that now every time I hear the song "Extraterrestrial" by Katy Perry, I think of the drag queen who performed that song.  I can't get that performance out of my head.  So my apologies, Katy, but a drag queen upstaged you. ;-)

Both Sunday and Monday were pretty low key.  We visited Esteban's dad and stepmom in Oakland on Sunday.  I was surprised at how pretty Oakland is!  I just assumed by the bad reputation that Oakland has and the ghetto people I witnessed at the 49ers/Raiders game, that Oakland would be the armpit of America.  But that's not true.  It has the hills of San Francisco and lots of green.  It's actually quite beautiful.  We enjoyed dinner at Le Cheval, a Vietnamese/French restaurant that Esteban has been telling me about since the day I met him almost 11 years ago.

On Monday we enjoyed more Philz :-) and hung out around Palo Alto.  I thought that by having Esteban here, it would help make me feel more at home.  However, the longer I stay in Palo Alto, the harder it is for me to imagine myself here.  I think San Francisco might be a different story but can't quite say for sure since I don't live there.

So there was my Labor-less Day weekend (for once, a weekend that I didn't work!).