Happy to me, happy to me!

I entered the quarter-century of my life on the 28th of last month, and initially thought there wasn’t really any point in writing a birthday blog piece, seeing as how I wasn’t doing anything terribly fascinating from a reader’s point of view that day. (To those of you who are interested, I went out for lunch with my family and it was a nice feeling to be surrounded by people who very obviously love you very much and always will, no matter what. Maybe it’s because they don’t have a choice in the matter, but that’s a different issue – I’m kidding!)

I was quite inspired by Jay’s birthday blog, who, I found out quite by accident, apparently shares the same birthday as me. So happy belated birthday Jay, and here goes:

1. Being fit is very important to me. Not thin as model-reed-thin, but fit as in being able to climb the 8 floors to work without huffing and puffing like a fire-belching dragon. Yes, yes, I want to mention Puff the magic dragon just because ‘puff’ and ‘dragon’ came up in the same sentence there but there’s no actual connection!

2. I have returned from New Delhi railway station at 11.30 p.m all alone in auto on primarily empty roads, and lived to tell the tale. I had a knife and some chilli powder in a packet in my bag.

3. I revel in eating desserts that I like. I become a silly little kid when I do.

4. Walking along the Seine in Paris is no fun without having someone you love by your side, but it’s gorgeous nevertheless.

5. Walking aimlessly along the roads of London just to avoid thinking about someone who was the be-all and end-all of your life for the preceding year can be heartbreaking and tiring but is a good way of learning more about the city. It only succeeds in taking your mind off things to a very minimal extent.

6. Being under the same roof as Michael Jordan, Sebastian Coe, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Wayne Rooney, LeBron James, Pete Sampras and Carl Lewis can be a humbling experience.

7. Surfing on Bondi Beach in Sydney for a newcomer can be extremely exhausting and the waves will probably batter you to bits, but the sport can get addictive.

8. Laser tag is much better than paintball because it is double the fun with none of the bruises.

9. Seeing people living in poverty day in and day out can numb you to its effects after a while, for a while.

10. I hate not being able to remember where I put something.

11. I believe that everyone can be attracted to many others in their lifetimes, but there is only one person who is really made for you.

12. Listening to a favourite song play when you least expect it can be instantly mood-lifting. Whether you are sitting in a pub with friends or alone at home, it gives you a total jump-start.

13. I don’t believe in stereotypes. Roses are supposed to be romantic, but I personally prefer carnations or tulips. Sorry, V!

14. It is important to spend time with people you love if you want to get to know them better. There really is only so much other methods of communication can do.

15. I respect people who do not have too strong a point of view on any topic (they do have some opinion though) but are able to respect other people’s points of view, rather than those who have a very strong point of view on something and are not tolerant towards others’ viewpoints. I belong to the former category.

16. Imperfection can be attractive.

17. The bonds forged with people who are there to help you when you need it the most can mean more to you than those that bind you to people you have known all your life.

18. Murky rainy days can be as poetic as bright happy ones.

19. If you want to own the stage during a performance, focus on the present and don’t let your mind wander. I made that mistake once.

20. Mustering up the confidence to take that first step can mean the beginning of a possibly life-altering experience. Believe me, you wouldn’t want to miss out on something just because you were chicken. I’m glad I went for those two auditions I did. I got central parts that got me standing ovations.

21. Is it possible to feel something stronger than love and if so, what do you call it?

22. I find crowds in malls and streets hateful, but those in clubs, concerts, sporting events and pubs add to the atmosphere of a place usually. I think it’s something to do with the psychology of crowd behaviour.

23. I believe the race for power and money can make people lose sight of the better things in life. It probably also corrupts them along the way.

24. I think it is important to nurture children, encourage their curiosity and ensure they grow up in the right kind of environment – intellectual and physical. No, I do not have kids yet.

25. I will not stop dreaming my little dreams.

Update on the presentation thingy

So my presentation went off quite well, was without any major hiccups and after a night of going over what I was going to say repeatedly in my head (!!!), on the whole a pretty decent experience for me.

Question for the day: is it better to be disliked by your co-workers and be a fast climber up the corporate ladder or liked by them and a slow climber?

Stress and excitement...work and intrapersonal dynamics

What does one do when faced with a dilemma like this at work: your immediate boss asks you to make a presentation one way, but another senior person asks you to do the same thing a different way. You tell them both what you are feeling: that the two are sending out different messages to you and you don’t know whose instructions to follow. The two of them lock horns, and you are caught in the crossfire. The two agree to disagree and go off in minor huffs to their respective cabins. Your immediate boss explains to you what exactly to do and why, but the other person is suitably miffed and considers the two of you, who were supposed to be part of a larger presentation, as now separate and ‘on your own’.

I’m supposed to make my part of the presentation tomorrow. Let’s see what the reactions are.

The world of business and the excitement it brings, I tell you…

P.S: The stress too. Thank God this does not happen on a regular basis to me!