Bye-Bye 2013, Welcome 2014...

Here ends my most awaited and loved Holidays. Holidays are like dessert for me, no matter how many I have, I still crave for them ;)

So I, obviously, am sad that holidays came to an end but I am also glad that I utilized this time to fullest. These days were spent vacationing with my family and friends, an exiting trip to spectacular Catalina Island followed by a get-together and potluck with friends in a big regional park. What a great fun it all was!

I can't believe one more year has come to an end. Although it has been a year full of events, it seems like it went by too fast. This calendar transition period is always filled with lots of retrospection about good and not-so-good events of last year, lessons learned, new memories made, hopes and resolutions and plans for upcoming year. Also, there is an irresistible desire to peek into future and see what coming year holds for me, my family, everyone around and associated with me. I think I am not alone in this wish to know future; it's just human nature, I guess.

As always, I have kick-started New Year with some resolutions, some career related and some personal. I don't want to put them here yet as they are still very vague, I need to properly out-line them in order to be clear what I want from this year. (Also, I am scared that it will be embarrassing if can't abide by any of them). One of them is reviving this blog, let's see if that happens.

So, with all these feelings and thoughts, let me bid goodbye to the year that has gone-by and greet New Year with a wish for the best!

Happy New Beginning!

Wonderful Words # 2

Quote on Starbucks Cup as mentioned in How Starbucks saved my Life

Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we all agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, food and coffee. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone's human right. ~ Bill Brummel

A Cricket Crazy Nation Called India

Many achievements may go unnoticed in a Cricket crazy nation like India. While whole India is ecstatic about winning a quarterfinal match against Australia and all out there on streets dancing and celebrating this victory, some important sports news that are likely to go unseen.

• Saina Nehwal is world number three of women's singles in BWF rankings, after wining
• Viswanathan Anand finishes third in Amber chess tournament at Monaco after defeating against Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan

I know, I am no sports queen and don’t possess enough knowledge to comment on Sports environment but sometimes I feel frustrated (disappointed at times as well) on craziness India shows for Cricket and complete negligence towards other sports. To an Indian: No Cricket means No Sport.

I feel it unjustifiable when I read about hefty amounts cricketers earn from their fees and from brand endorsements and other such events obviously using their position as a brand. In India, You are not entitled to glory if you are not a Cricketer. Here a cricketer of half the caliber may earn more money and fame than any other sport person just because people worship Cricket while refuse to acknowledge presence of other sports. For instance, Viswanathan Anand has been world number one in chess for many years and has shown exceptional games like his contemporary Sachin Tendulkar does in Cricket but while a common Indian may regard Sachin as God but may even not be aware who Viswanathan Anand is.

I completely understand that each individual and nation has it’s own favorites but this is more like nourishing one plant at the cost of others and suppressing growth of others. Nevertheless, I hope at the end of the day all this euphoria around 2011 Cricket World Cup proves fruitful and India wins highest title of its much-revered game, Cricket, after drought of 27 years ends this time.

Image Source: Wikipedia

I saw this cover on a blog and loved it instantly. There is something about this cover that intregued me in a strange way.

Review: How Starbucks Saved My Life

“ How Starbucks Saved My Life” is a autobiographical endeavor of Michael Gates Gill; a fortunate person since his childhood, a Yale University pass out who holds a successful career in a well-known advertising agency. His life graph has always moved in upward (progressive) direction, with frequent promotions at company until he was struck hard by life. Suddenly his well-organized, “complete” life falls apart and at times he struggles even to make ends meet. But out of blue comes a hope in form of Starbucks and starts a new phase of his life at the ripe age of sixties. This autobiography is a tale of a reputed company’s top creative director’s new “Avatar” as a Starbucks partner; his struggle to forget his past and getting adjusted in new life, with new kind of people, new environment and work culture, changing social life and most importantly new JOB PROFILE.

I had read about this book on a blog and instantly conceived it to be an appealing book (Although now I think I overestimated to some extent). After reading about it wanted to get a copy of this book so badly and wanted to finish it ASAP :). Michael Gates Gill is not a professional writer, as some someone can perceive, but has done a fairly good job with words and has managed to narrate episodes in free flowing manner. Book is an easy read, incidents are narrated as it happened. Gill lapses into past sometimes but it barely looks irrelevant to me. Most importantly, what I liked about the book is that it’s full of positive thinking, a particular type that one needs in times of crisis. I liked the way Michael Gill took the opportunity so positively and tried to make the best out of one chance (and possibly the last chance) he got from life amidst the entire crisis.

Only thing that bothered me was more than necessary words of appreciation for “Starbucks”, I mean it’s obvious to feel gratitude towards something that helped save your but over sweetness is bad for health and you know what I mean, right? ;)

But overall you can grab the book and feel good when you are struggling with blue kind of mood and want to read something light yet encouraging.