Monthly Archives: October 2010

Shopping is a Disease.

Posted by RahilBerani on


I’m currently finishing my fourth and final undergraduate year, majoring in Finance, specifically Corporate Finance and Investment Banking.  One would assume, “Hey, this rad dude is doing business, so he must be good with handling money.”  One would be severely wrong.  I suck with money.  No, suck doesn’t correctly describe it.  Saving money and I are as relatable as Two and a Half Men and comedy.  I will probably leave the University of Texas at Austin with over $30,000 in student loans, and possibly $5,000 in credit card debt.  I know what you’re thinking, “Hey, that is the average debt for a college graduate.”  Maybe, but mine was and still is preventable.  You see I have a sickness.  One I have been battling with since I entered my freshman year.  My first year in college, I purchased a brand new iMac.  Oh it was beautiful, fully equipped with a newly released leopard OSX, and my first encounter with Apple, which soon blossomed to a beautiful and expensive relationship.  As the college years passed, more material possessions were added to my collection.  A brand new iPhone came next.  Followed by a plasma TV, a SlingBox, clothes (living near San Marcos is like an alcoholic living above a bar), and many items that I just did not need.  Safe to say I was digging myself into a hole in which I cannot escape.

When I made the decision, and was ultimately accepted to study abroad in Paris this semester (Fall 2010), I knew I had to fight my disease from bankrupting me at the young age of 21.  I made up my mind, I had to ration and budget my funds correctly so I can have a great time, and still have some savings when I return to the US.  That lasted as long as Eric Crouch’s professional football career.  Being a shopaholic and visiting Paris is the complete opposite of rehab.  I just waltzed into a field of narcotic apparel and intoxicating accessories.
“No worries,” I said to myself.  “I have an X amount in my savings and I won’t need to even touch it.”  I have exactly two months left in Europe, and I have already transferred my savings funds into my ‘I can’t control myself’ checking account.  Not to mention beginning on Thursday I will embark on a full pledged trip around Europe for ten days.  Why am I in such a pickle?  Maybe it’s my infatuation of brands such as Burberry, which really doesn’t do anything more than a departmental brand except for that fancy name.  And maybe those cool patterns.  Maybe it has something to do with my mind telling me, “I’m in Europe, its acceptable to spend more here for something I can probably get at a 15% discount in the States.”  Or maybe it’s just a viral infection deep within my mind where I have no control.  Either way, I need to change what’s going on.

In a matter of months, I will return home and back to the responsibilities I left behind.  Credit card bills, phone bills, rent, living expenses all will come back to me, and I will most likely have eaten up all my funds, including my savings, on this Euro, stress-filled, vacation.  Now, I’ve been blessed with a full-time position waiting for me once I graduate.  But how will I survive until then?  Not to mention my inevitable return to Europe next summer after graduation, something must be done to save me from this infection that causes fascination with the loss of money and gain of nothing really.
Paris has a higher cost of living than any place I have known.  I will travel purely through an obligation whenever you visit Europe for the first time, and I will probably go to Champs Elysees and Gallerie Lafayette a few more times.  But don’t blame me.  I am sick.  Shopping is a disease.




*Disclaimer:  Please don’t be offended with the fact I called shopping a disease.  I know it really isn’t.  That is all.

Step 1: Just Forget What Happened.

Posted by RahilBerani on

I’m currently in Week 7 of my epic semester abroad in Paris.  What have I learned while here so far?  Knowing French would be most beneficial.  Now, I haven’t had much trouble getting around or communicating (Luckily, other students were prepared and have been my personal translators), but still, learn the native language to a country you are planning to spend half a year in.  Also, being super paranoid about getting mugged or pick-pocketed can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy.  Losing my iPhone 4 in the 3rd day here was like losing a child.  Hell, it was worse than losing a child because a child does not capture video in 720p resolution and have retina display.  now i’m stuck with a whack-berry with a weird french keyboard that does not MAKE SENSE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.  Those are very important lessons to have learned in the first 7 weeks in a different, foreign country.

Now, as this being my first post on my awesome blog, I had to think long and hard (That’s what she said) about what I want the world to know.  As i’m thinking, I’m drinking an ice cold Coca-Cola, eating barbeque potato chips, and watching SportCenter via SlingMedia, which allows me to watch cable subscription TV from my home in America anywhere I have an internet connection.  That is a true gift from God.  It seems no matter where you are in the world, “home is where the heart is”, and I’m doing everything to keep my home with me.  This brings me to last night’s events and the topic to the first Imaginarium of Mr. Berani:

Washington looks to his bullpen after C.J. Wilson
 pitches a brilliant 8.3 Innings.  The bullpen fails, miserably.

ALCS Game 1 occurred last night and like everyone predicted … The Rangers lead 5-0 going into the 8th?!  I was thoroughly thrilled, not because I’m a Rangers fan. I will not admit to this because I am not a bandwagon and was not there when they were at their worst.  Although, I have been with the Cubs since I could breathe the word sports and have more to complain about, but that’s a whole other story.  I was thrilled because of the Yankees.  They are the empire.  And like all feel good stories, the evil empire must be brought down.  The Rangers have a chance at this, a good chance.  Doesn’t hurt that I’m currently from Dallas and Dallas fans need something to root for as the Cowboys completely crush all hearts deep in Texas.

The game started approximately 7pm CST.  With a little math, they equates to 2am Paris time.  At 2am on a Friday night/Saturday morning, I stayed in my tiny room and watched game 1 of the ALCS.  Sadly, I passed out right before the 6th inning and would have to wait until the morning to learn of the outcome.  A true choke job by the Rangers.  C.J. Wilson had done a spectacular job keeping the heavy bats of the Yankees at bay, with some great defense from the outfield.  When Ron Washington decided to take out C.J., which he did at the right time, he went to the bullpen he thought would succeed.  Sorry, Ron better luck next time.  I’m disappointed because the Rangers do deserve a chance at the World Series, especially in a year they won 90 games.  Today, game 2 will be played and is nearly a game win situation.  No one wants to go to New York down 0-2 in the series.

Side Note:  Lincecum vs Halladay tonight = a pitching match-up no true baseball fan should miss.


So, as my first post comes to an end, There are a couple of items for tonight that need to be carefully considered.  Texas looks to rebound in NCAAF against 5th ranked Nebraska.  We completely shattered Nebraska’s dream last year by kicking a last second field goal to win the Big 12 and go to the National Championship.  This year we are much weaker and I’m sure they want to murder us.  The two LCS matches will be must watch for sports fans.  Yes, I’m in one of the most, if not the most romantic, cultural, straigh up partying capitals of the world, and I’m talking about US sporting events for Saturday, October 16.

I guess home really is where the heart is.  Let’s hope the Rangers can bring some of that heart to their home.