Light up

Hey all!

I took my first ever Chartered Financial Analyst exam today. 4 months of studying, 2 weeks of cramming, and 6 hours of the actual exam..very glad it was over!

I got up at 6am, arrived at RAI before 8am, and left a quarter past 5pm..such a long day. We were not allowed to bring snacks, so when I felt brain-dead in the afternoon session I had to resort to the random guy sitting next to me for a mint gum to stay focused.

I cannot disclose anything about the exam content. One part of the CFA curriculum is the professional standard, among which discussing the exam is a serious offense. But there are a few things that I can talk about without violating any rule:

The exam was held at Amsterdam RAI exhibition center. It is basically a place for many industrial innovation shows, as well as luxury lifestyle shows according to Niels (so rich people shop for yachts there I guess?) Because of the diverse types of shows and the different display/layout requirements, the floors/carpets are very flexible to be removed and installed. And we got the 'naked' floor option, a.k.a. boring and cold concrete ground with lots of tape marks :S

The funny twist was the proctors for the exams. They are either volunteers of CFA charter holders, or CFA institute staff, all had to wear very funny bright yellow or orange vest, commonly seen at train and tube stations lol. The proctors probably always suit up except for this  very special occasion, in order to distinguish themselves from the exam candidates (I actually know a place where proctors wear ridiculous gowns xD).

After the exam (or since this morning) I've got a crazy crave for sushi. Phoned Sherry and she recommended Kyoto Cafe around Dam Square, very good food. So far the best sushi I have ever had in Netherlands. Many fantastic items on the menu, among which scallop avocado rolls were heavenly tasty!

Now with Christmas around the corner the Europeans use many LED bulbs to light up the long and dark winter. De Bijenkorf building was glittering all night and I am completely in the festive mode now :D  

I did not get to go to the actual lighting ceremony (yes there was one and it was very popular!), but I found a youtube link for anyone who's interested :)

De Bijenkorf lighting night