Graeme Scott

Greatist Hits

Firstly, apologies for only getting to this closing blog now.  I have just arrived back in Glasgow today after Matt and I travelled down the eastern coast of the US for a week after our placements finished with Liberty.  We took in the sights of Washington DC - my highlight being a visit to the Smithsonian Air & Space museum (where I won a paper aeroplane contest no less).  As well as trip down to Miami where we partook in some sunbathing on Miami Beach and some alligator spotting in the Everglades.  As Will Smith once said 'South Beach, Bringing the Heat' – I have to concur with the Fresh Prince on this one.

This summer in Boston with Liberty Mutual will stay with me forever.  I don’t think there could have been a better way to spend it – I got to work in a challenging and rewarding internship position with fantastic people for an amazing company. As well, I was able to experience a new city and country, make new friends, do some travelling, and generally have an awesome time.  The best way I can describe my Saltire Foundation experience comes from my new found appreciation of American colloquialisms  - this summer has been ‘ballin’.

Some of my highlights –

• My project and presentation – all the hard work paid off and my contribution to the company was meaningful and hopefully long lasting.  I got a real buzz after presenting in what was a high-pressure and important context

• My colleagues – Carla, Kelle, and Mercedes were brilliant throughout.  Thanks guys

• Red Sox v Yankees – bad result but I’m now hooked on the sport and on the Sox.  Pedroia for MVP anyone?

• Coldplay gig – best album of 2008? Sounds even better live.  Plus I had better seats that Gwyneth Paltrow don’t you know

• New England Patriots match – I’m still not certain of the rules but it was a great experience and the Liberty box wasn’t bad either

• Radiohead gig – possibly the best live performance of my life.  Good way to celebrate Matt’s bday, although Mansfield is tricky place to get out of

• Morning ‘T’ rides over the Charles river – despite the congestion and lack of seats, the view it offers of Boston is something I am really going to miss

• American food/drink – I am going to have to enquire about the availability of Gatorade over here.  Also bagels and cream cheese is definitely going on my shopping list now

• My fellow SF Bostonians – Matt, Jemma & Chris.  Was fun out there with you guys

Lastly, I want to say a massive thanks to Helen Sayles, and everyone at the Saltire Foundation for giving me the chance to experience all of this.  It was a blast.

Peace out

Graeme 

The Gambler

Ok time for an update -

My big presentation was last week and it went really well.  With a number of ‘virtual’ people on conference call as well as the more traditional physical audience, I was a little anxious at first.  These nerves were heightened by the fact that my presentation decided not to show up on the conference center network system.  However a USB pen came to my rescue, and I was able to get started.  I was given a wireless remote control which moved the PowerPoint slides on the LCD screen behind me with far more coolness than a mouse-click could ever muster – I felt a bit like Steve Jobs during one of Apple's new product seminars, as I strode about with this clicker.  I automatically went into presentation mode, making sure to enunciate throughout, as mumbling added to low Scottish tones is not a good combination over here (how now brown cow…unique New York).

About half way through, one of my slides created much debate, but Carla was quick to point out afterwards that this was a positive thing, as it shows I sparked an interest with the audience in the subject matter.  As I neared the end, in a fleeting moment as I caught myself thinking, I realised I didn’t want to stop.  I was really enjoying the dynamic of being up there speaking and getting a positive response.  The best comparison I can make is with my experience of ‘The Oblivion’ at Alton Towers. Nervousness as the car cranks to the summit, suspense as it hangs over the edge, but enormous thrill as it comes falling down – the presentation ended up being as thrilling, although there was no commemorative novelty photo afterwards!  However I did get ‘good job’ comments all round and even some congratulatory e-mails, so I felt a little proud of myself that afternoon.

Then today I met with Helen and briefed her on my research and my findings.  We are now in a position to request a quotation from vendors, and are going to pilot the new electronic system.  If that goes well, an electronic I-9 system will be rolled out company-wide. It is frankly amazing and hugely rewarding to know that work I have carried out has impacted the decisions of such a huge, Fortune 100 company like Liberty, in such a big way.  Again I feel a little proud of myself.  I think I may go over the allowed weight on the flight home, with this new big head of mine! 

Elsewhere, we took advantage of the Labor Day holiday by going to the Mohegan Sun casino in the neighboring state of Connecticut.  This Native American owned casino is the second largest in the world, and has every gaming table you could imagine (pai gow poker anyone? ... no me neither).  I’m afraid I wasn’t very adventurous but did play a little roulette.  I was $60 up at one point but greed and bad luck meant I finished $20 down for the night.  It was a fun experience, although not as glamorous as I had imagined and even slightly depressing - there was an old woman playing a slot machine when we arrived at 11.30pm and as we left at 3.30am she was still there.  You gotta know when to fold them.

Also went whale watching on Monday.  We sailed out one hour towards Cape Ann until we got close to the whales. It was amazing seeing them up close, the Minke whales were happy to show off for the audience but the Humpback whales were a little more reserved, staying further away from the boats.  However the moment they jump out of the water is truly spectacular.

Speak soon

Graeme

College Dropout

Another week has been and gone in Boston.  Only two weeks left now, scary - its gone so fast.  Anyway here's what went down -

Liberty Mutual had an employee appreciation day last Wednesday for the HR department.  It was great fun, there was an Olympic theme and there was food from all around the world.  We took part in Wii Olympics – I won a round of the 110m hurdles competing as Yoshi.  There was also a raffle, and I managed to win an iHome (stereo/clock radio that syncs to iPod)!  I felt quite bad, as the prizes were meant to reward the loyal employees who come in everyday of the year, but I have since consoled myself listening to some beats on the system.  It was a fantastic event, and shows the commitment Liberty has to its employees.

My presentation is this Thursday.  I have the slides complete, and am just tinkering with it now until I feel happy.  Having read through it numerous times, I am pleased with the result.  Now I just have to make sure I do a good job presenting.

Solomon, who works with Matt in the company, kindly took us to the New England Revolution ‘soccer’ match last week too.  The standard wasn’t as bad as I had originally feared and they were even some stand out players – Sainey Nyassi, a 19 year old Gambian right winger is not the biggest but is blisteringly quick and has a great final ball.  I may have to send a dossier to Walter & Ally, we need some help right now!

On Friday we were given a ‘Restaurant Week’ reservation for Mistral, the best restaurant in Boston by all accounts, from my colleague Kelle.  Thanks Kelle!  I had the best steak ever, and it was fairly inexpensive too due to the discounted promotional nature of this particular week.  I think the waitress liked it when I broke all fancy-restaurant etiquette and asked for “the $7 red wine” - some bottles were getting close to the thousands of dollars!

Also went on the unofficial Harvard tour this weekend.  We were guided by two undergraduate students, and as well as all the historical facts, they divulged what the students really get up to.  Before final exams, a number of students will streak through Harvard yard and scream at the top of their voices, in a strange tradition known as Primal Scream.  Possibly the most prestigious Uni in the world, and they are all running about naked!  I am now intrigued as to what they get upto over at MIT.  Also found out that Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore shared a room together here as students, and Matt Damon actually dropped out of Harvard.

More irreverent celebrity facts next time…Graeme

Jigsaw Falling into Place

Update time –

Early last week, with the afternoon off, we went to the Greater Boston Food Bank in the south of the city. All the interns at Liberty were helping out as part of the company’s community service program. We were carrying pallets, breaking down cardboard, sorting food, and ultimately providing for the city’s hungry. At the end we were triumphantly told that our work had produced 7,000 meals - it is difficult not to feel good after that.

I have been working on my presentation in the last week too. I have a basic layout and order in place, and I am now beginning to flesh it out with my research. It is a challenge to try and use all of the important information I have, as well as keeping it concise and punchy.

Away from work, we went to see Radiohead on Wednesday night for Matt’s 21st birthday. We headed to the Comcast Center in Mansfield, which is about a 40 minute train ride outside of Boston. The gig was amazing. I hadn’t heard too much of the new album, which they played in full, but they did loads of their other stuff too. 20,000 people singing along to Karma Police is a memory that will stay with me for a while. (I have now been listening to In Rainbows constantly, and is fast becoming a challenger to Viva la Vida as the album of the trip). There are plans to see some local bands as well, as flying 3000 miles only to see two British bands is pretty wack I realise (after 5 weeks, I am getting pretty good at the American chat).

Also, I was able to take advantage of the Massachusetts sales tax holiday this weekend, and bought a nifty pair of Bose headsets. My iPod sounds infinitely better now, although I resemble Craig David from the Born to Do It album cover with them on – “Craaaig David!”

Holla

500 Miles

Now into the fifth week of work here at Liberty Mutual, and I don't know where the time has gone.

My I-9 project is taking shape. I have most of the details in place and I am now putting together a presentation. My manager, Carla, has given me full ownership of the project and I will be presenting my findings to the company in a little over two weeks time. This, as well as being pretty nerve-wracking, is hugely exciting and will be a great experience for me.  I have done loads of presentations at Uni, but this will be my biggest ‘gig’ so far.  I’ll let you know how I get on.

It was the return leg with Leanne this weekend down in NYC, after she visited Boston last week. I can officially say that New York is mental. I don't care how many people there are in Mumbai, Seoul, or Mexico City - Times Square must be the busiest place on earth. It was great fun as well. Among the highlights of our trip: Avenue Q, probably the most offensive Broadway show you'll find (was class). The view of the city from top of the Rockerfeller centre.  Pancakes with maple syrup and bacon strips (whoever thought this combination up is a genius imo).   We also went to a singing diner, were all the waiters are aspiring singers/performers, and in between serving meals they belt out show tunes.  One waiter, on hearing of our Scottishness, couldn't contain his excitement and promptly gave the restaurant a stirring rendition of the Proclaimers!  Was a proud moment.

Matt and myself also got to the New England Patriots game last week at the Gillette stadium.  We were taken and shown around by Bill - who works for Liberty - and his son.  Unfortunately it was a pre-season game and star-man Tom Brady wasn't involved but we were lucky enough to have tickets in the Liberty box (I'm getting used to this lol).  We were fed and watered, and I learned enough about American Football to really enjoy the game.

Go Patriots

Some NY pics -
   

Viva la Vida

Another week in Boston and it just keeps getting better. 

With Leanne up visiting from NYC, we went to a club on Saturday night.  We managed to thwart a long entry queue by splitting a table with some Kurdish guys, and after walking through the kitchen (a la Goodfellas) we were presented with a table and some champagne.  We later discovered that instead of the cheap stuff, we had been given a $200 bottle by mistake!! It tasted a lot better after we found that out.  If that wasn't enough, Maroon 5 were also sitting round the corner from us!

I was also able to attend the Coldplay gig last night at the TD Banknorth Garden - in the Liberty Mutual box no less!  The grandeur of the executive box was only surpassed by the performance, which was amazing.  I have been listening to the new album constantly since I got here (best thing they have done in my humble opinion), so it was great to get to see them.  Also, I managed to get a glimpse of Gwyneth Paltrow as she made her way to her seat.  It wasn't long before I realised that I was sitting in a better seat than her!!!  Utter craziness.  Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Brady were also at the concert but I can't be sure how my view compated to theirs unfortunately.

The Liberty Mutual box stories don't end there though.  Matt and I are going to see the New England Patriots this thursday in LM's box at the Gilette Stadium!  We are also hoping to get to a New England Revolution game at some point as well - I am working my way around all of New England's sports teams.  Although I might have some difficulty supporting the Boston Celtics, with a name like that!

Oh, and work has been good too.  My main project is coming along, I am doing work for this as well as working on other projects and helping out with other tasks in my department.  The information I have collected makes quite interesting reading I think, and it will be exciting to formulate a business proposal from this research.

Until next time...Graeme

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

We were lucky enough to be given tickets from Helen to see the Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on Friday night.  Helen's son Iain and his friend Matt took us along and introduced as to the crazy world of baseball.  We found out that the Sox Yankees match is the most heated contest in MLB, and tickets were going for upto $1000!!  So after the purchase of a David Ortiz (star player) Tee and a Red Sox cap, I was good to go.  Fenway is one of the oldest baseball stadiums in America and felt quite intimate, plus we were sitting right behind home plate which meant we were right on top of the action.   

It was very different from football/soccer matches back home, and didn't really have the same intense atmosphere you get there in the big games.  However it was an amazing experience - floodlit advertising hoardings, whoops & hollers, hot dog vendors, 95mph pitches, foam fingers, $20m per year designated hitters, funny chants, and Strike Outs!   The crowd even gave a mysterious but rousing rendition of Neil Diamond's Sweet Carloine in the middle of the eighth inning.

Sadly the Red Sox lost, it finished 0-1 and the Yankees went on to win the 3 game series 2 to 1.  I am now a Red Sox fan though and have a basic appreciation for the game - I can see why it is such a religion over here.  Also I enjoyed it when cheeky Sox fans held up Madonna posters whenever Alex Rodriguez came up to bat for the Yankees (see a recent edition of any celebrity magazine for explaination).

Elsewhere, work is going well.  My work on the I-9 project is coming along.  Last week I went to the HR Operations department to map their process for dealing with all the new employee paperwork.  I was able to analyse current procedure, which added to further research, will help build a business case which can be presented to the company for project assessment (and possible implementation).  I have also been given research ideas to start on for another project, I should know more about this in the upcoming weeks.

I am really enjoying my time in Boston.  This morning as I got the subway to work, and as I passed all the other formally-dressed people, on my way to Liberty Mutual's fancy city centre office, I felt a warm sense of achievement and pride at being here.  Then I remembered all the work they have in store for me!

Some Pics -

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

Arrived back from Cape Cod today after spending the weekend there.  The ferry from Boston took us 90 minutes before we set foot in Provincetown.  We spent yesterday afternoon and this morning on the beach which was great fun, but 35 degrees and insufficient coatings of sunblock has meant i've got a touch of sunburn.  Occupational hazard of being Scottish in warm weather I suppose.

Work is going well too.  I have been assigned a project in investigating the prospect of Liberty Mutual automising their Employment Eligibility Verfication system.  Every new employee has to go through checks about their nationality and their work status in the US.  Currently these immigration forms are filled out manually and stored/recorded/analysed in the same way.  With the amount of employees at Liberty, this mandatory process becomes incredibly complex and very difficult to manage.  My job is to put together a business case which will hopefully result in this process being computerised.  It is without doubt a challenging project but also very exciting as work that I carry out, could have a very real impact on the operartions and success of this massive organistion. 

My highlight of the first week (if I have to choose!) was when Matthew and myself met with Helen Sayles.  Helen is a Senior Vice-President of the company, and it was clear before we met that her time is very precious.  However she was able to spend over an hour with us talking about the city and her experiences.  Helen is a member of Scottish Enterprise's International Advisory Board and is responsible for Liberty Mutual being involved in all of this.  Helen's energy and enthusiasm for the Saltire Foundation was inspirational, and re-inforced how lucky I am to be part of this. 

Can't believe its only been 9 days here, have done so much already.   Still loads to see though - will update on all of that as it happens (sound like a Sky Sports News presenter).

Graeme

Hats off to the Buskers

So have been in Boston now for 6 days, and must say it is a pretty cool city.

Our luxury apartments are amazing and way better than I was hoping for (massive props to SF for sorting this out).  We are staying in Cambridge, close to MIT and Harvard universities and only a short subway ride from downtown Boston. 

The weekend was spent exploring the city and taking in a bit of the culture.  Harvard square and the Harvard area is quite a relaxed and bohemian part of town with loads of goods restaurants and buskers who really excel in the Bob Dylan/Beatles classics.  The centre of Boston is busy and bustling with lots going on.  It's a nice contradiction with two different atmospheres to experience and enjoy as you cross the Charles river.

I started work at Liberty Mutual on Monday and after the usual induction routine, met my new colleagues and found my desk for the next 8 weeks.  Everyone was really friendly and welcoming which was great  - as the company is so huge, it felt a little alienating at first glance.  However my teammates have been superb and helped me settle in.  I will be working in the Corporate Employment department and will involved in a number of exciting and challenging projects that the team is responsible for. 

As well as this, my manager Carla also mentioned it could be possible for me to experience other areas of the company, which I am keen to do.  I want to see as much and learn as much as I possibly can in this relatively short summer internship.

Everything has started much better than I could have anticipated.  Hopefully it continues in the same vein!

Graeme

T-Minus 12 hours...

It's the night before and I can't quite believe this is all happening, and that it is happening tomorrow.  It feels like christmas eve!

Cannot wait to get to Boston and explore the area.   Have already got my tourist guide book and there seems to be so much to do and see.  Plus the bonus ball - it's around 30°C in Massachusetts right now!

I'm really looking forward to starting work on monday and meeting everyone at Liberty Mutual.  It's truly an amazing opportunity to work abroad with such a massive company.  I've got to thank everyone at the Saltire Foundation for making all this happen.

Graeme