Awards Ceremony

We figured it out. EDGE, you're busted. Give yourselves up now -- we know you're trying to turn the world Scottish.

That was the premise of the 20-minute performance made by our cohort on the final day of the Encouraging Dynamic Global Entrepreneurs program here in Scotland. We based our skit around the idea that Mags, the logistics director of EDGE, was in cahoots with the NEDs of Glasgow and other international University leaders to dominate the globe. To be perfectly subjective (not that I have any bias, right?), of the three cohorts, our performance was the most creative; it had a plot, and still managed to incorporate a rap song and a bhangra dance.

That night, at the EDGE Awards Ceremony, over 140 students joined their clients, their business advisers, their team mentors, and the different coordinators of the program to celebrate the end of the program. Everyone was dressed up, and most of the men wore kilts. Renting a kilt is an interesting procedure, a bit like renting a tuxedo. Like most guys, I chose not to wear my kilt the "traditional" way; I opted for underwear just in case there were miniature creatures crawling around in the rented kilt.

At the awards ceremony, the dinner was followed by a traditional céilidh (pronounced "kay-lee") dance. After the trial run of the dance at the Highland Games, we were ready for a bigger challenge, and sure were given it by the musicians. But the dance was only part of what made the night so special. The wine flowed, as did the tears eventually, as sentimental goodbyes took the form of strong handshakes and even stronger hugs. Though most of us were seeing each other for the last time, EDGE had been the new beginning for many lifelong friendships.

Glasgow by Bike

Sorry about going MIA for nearly a month!

Last Saturday, another Columbia EDGEer and I biked up from Glasgow to Loch Lomond, a 30-mile journey factoring in pit stops and detours. Although it was a bit tiring, the journey was scenic and quite beautiful -- check out the photograph! On the return trip, we ended up biking back at 3 a.m. from Dalmuir and through Clydebank. It was relaxing, perhaps a bit soothing, having the vast night roads of a foreign country all to yourself. Once we crossed the border into Glasgow, we got a helping hand from a jolly old taxi driver, Gordon, who gave us a free lift to our dorms!

That little incident is a good example of Scottish culture. Here's a great thing about Scotland: the people here are in general very friendly. They'll ask you how your day is going and be sincere about it, invite you out to a pub with them, and lend a helping hand when necessary. You can see this caring, people-focused attitude permeate to their work culture; it's not uncommon for most shops to close at 5, and for most workers to be packing up their bags by 4:45. My cousins who visited from India pointed this out too: perhaps living to work, instead of working to live, is the American mentality we have grown way too accustomed to. Sometimes, we lose sight of the friends, family, and humanity that matter most.

In other news, I made some delicious chicken alfredo pizza here with a friend of mine. I'm quite proud of it! I'm used to making pizza with my mom (she mainly takes care of the dough), but making the entire pizza without her help was quite an experience.

We met a Columbia alumnus from the Glasgow region the other day, Martin. He graduated from the School of Journalism just a few years ago, and is now a BBC reporter working in Afghanistan. He told us about some of the challenges he's faced -- learning the language, dealing with the heat -- and it was definitely quite interesting to see how one man could have had such a fascinating gloabl experience.

Anyways, we've finished up our consultancy reports and are now wrapping up our presentations. Only four days until (most of us) head back to the States! I can't believe how time has flied.