I went into Bank of America today to do some basic checking related things.  You know, order new checks, get a cashier check drawn up, and order a duplicate debit/check card.  Everything was going great until I asked the Teller to please order me a duplicate card since my CVN (security code) on the back had faded away.  When I tried to use the ATM machine afterwards the card didn’t seem to work, whereupon, the teller informed me my card had been locked because I inputted the wrong pin a few times at the ATM machine.

The teller told me the computer system “accidentally” canceled my ATM card and once that happens…guess what?  You have to wait for your NEW card to arrive. Ok, normally this would not be a huge issue, but this weekend was one of the few weekends I can go shopping for Christmas.  All Bank of America did was give me a sorry, and insist that it is a computer error and not a teller error.  Of course I was irate but the Branch Manager came over and looked at the screen and said, “yup it is a computer error.”

So I call up the customer service number to complain about what happened and the manager told me that in reality, the Teller didn’t issue me a duplicate card, he issued me a NEW card.  So that whole story about it being a computer error was to just get me to leave the bank.  I became customer services problem then.

In the end they said they would expedite my card, and when I asked what kind of remuneration they give in situations like this.  They said that the fact they were expediting it in the first place was a remuneration.  I was thinking, “Hello!  If you hadn’t SCREWED up in the first place you wouldn’t have to expedite my card to me.”  I tell you I was so tempted to close my account right then and there, but the bank was gambling I was to lazy to cancel all my direct deposits and bill pays…and for now they are right.  BUT Bank of America, if you screw me a again like this…I am as so going to maybe close my account!

Someone asked me the other day why would I want to live in London and as I sit here in the lounge in Heathrow Airport I start to wonder that myself.

“Why would I want to live in London?”

It is 5,000 miles from my family. It is a LOT colder here right now in the winter. It is 2x as expensive as the US (actually with the exchange rate is more like 2.5x). The people are more unfriendly in the UK than the US. Sushi (my favorite food) is almost unaffordable.

Although on the flip side…

The Indian food here is much better than the US. I have some great friends here in the UK, while my friends in San Diego have all moved away mostly. The Guinness tastes better here than in the US. My MBA has more value here than the US (or at least that is what I feel sometimes). The nightlife and culture is better here than San Diego.

Wow…I can see a whole new entry for the future. London vs. San Diego…

It is cold…not just cold, but REALLY cold.  I think the temperature here has been hovering around 8 degrees celsius.  And rumor on the street is that it will go below zero.  Now mind you, we are talking celsius here not Fahrenheit.  But still that is damn cold.

I luckily have my long warm, wool coat.  Too bad I accidently left behind my gloves in San Diego.  Oh well…what does not kill me, makes me stronger.

I have been getting almost daily calls from Carphone Warehouse, I realized my contract expired like 9 months ago and they really, really want me to renew my contract. Ideally for 2 years, so much so they call almost every single day. Good thing it doesn’t use my minutes to talk them, because I get put on hold a lot lately.

I finally gave in to them and I really wanted to get a Nokia N95 8GB, but Vodaphone is the only carrier who has exclusive rights to the damn thing. So now the phone I want is unavailable to me. They kept telling me how bad the phone is with battery life and that I should get a SonyEricsson K850i instead. But they don’t get it. I WANT a N95 8GB, not a N95 with a 8GB memory card…the upgrade to the phone (including the revamp of the battery makes it totally worth it.

Has anyone played with either of them? And if so, what are your thoughts?

Well I am flying back to London next week, for a little fun. Well actually I am flying back to get some of my stuff from the UK. I was marveling on how much STUFF has ended up in the UK. I think over 2 years I have been bringing and leaving at least 20kg of stuff per a trip, which over the years has added up to a LOT of stuff.

What is this stuff? Well mostly clothes, but also books. School books and lots of them, and school folders…yeah I am a bit of a nerd. I also have the UK Xbox 360 Charger and SCART cables (I do have my priorities) and I have paintball stuff (although I never played in the UK). So basically, in a nutshell, I have tons of STUFF that I have to get back. Wish me luck in the mass migration home.

Personally, between you and me, this is going to take more than one trip.

So my flatmate and I talked the other week and I have to get some of my stuff.  Over the past two years of going to London Business School I have managed to transport a TON of stuff to the flat.  And he kind of wants part of the room I have been using back.  I have taken over the entire closets and sprawled out into the room by buying a wardrobe shelve thing.

And to make it more of a no brainer the cost of the ticket is only $480 round trip.  Sure I will miss out on Thanksgiving, but that is ok.  I get a chance to return to the UK for a week and that should be fun.  I hope I don’t get sick this week…I seem to always be sick lately.

So I am off on a much needed vacation to the Bay Area.  I am planning on:

(1) Seeing my brother if time permits and schedules coincide

(2) Seeing a few alumni buddies from London Business School

(3) Visiting a few of the chapters in the Bay Area of the organization I am Executive Vice President for

(4) Speaking at an MBA Information Session for London Business School in San Francisco

(5) Popping into the San Francisco office of my company to network quickly and meet a few people

It should be an action packed four days.  I am especially excited about visiting with San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, and Stanford.  It should be a great weekend.