I picked up random groceries on my way back from work. This is what I found in my bags when I got home.
1. Milk
2. Bananas
3. Cereal
4. Bran muffins (some mornings I don't feel like cereal.)
5. Granola bars (I may get hungry during class.)
6. Frozen veggie burgers (I may be too tired to cook after work/gym/class/studying.)
7. Bread (for the burgers)
8. Gingersnap cookies (taste awesome with chai, will ensure I don't finish the box within a week this time.)
9. Feta cheese (they taste good on salads! Umm, no other salad ingredient bought.)
10. Canned soup
Hmmmm. No vegetables, no fruit (other than bananas) and all processed foods. Until last week I was regularly cooking daals, curries, rice dishes, pastas, hakka noodles, thai curries, and making salads, panzanella, smoothies and soups from scratch. Sigh. Hello again student life.
Speaking of food, favorite email comment of the day from a former roommate and close friend - Good luck for school tomorrow! I wish I could pack you some lunch in a box and wave you bye =)
:):)
Showing posts with label Summer '10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer '10. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Fear of embarrassment - conquered!
"When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance."
- from one of my favorite songs, by Lee Ann Womack.
That's why, when asked if I'd like to participate in a surprise flash mob sequence for my company's anniversary celebrations, I readily agreed. The plan was that we flash mobbers would be mingling in the crowd until the music began. We would start casually swinging to the music and then suddenly break into choreographed steps with the professional dancers.
To be honest, everything about the plan made me anxious. Right from the part where we start dancing in the crowd, up until when we finish the sequence on stage in front of 10,000+ people including all our executives. There couldn't possibly be a worse situation where I could make a fool of myself. I had visions of forgetting my steps, tripping up on stage, or worse - tripping up other people in the crowd! A friend who was part of the plan sent me this before the event - ‘Nervous? In 5 billion years the sun will burn out and nothing you did will matter. Feel better?’ Mmph, thanks Alex!
To be honest, everything about the plan made me anxious. Right from the part where we start dancing in the crowd, up until when we finish the sequence on stage in front of 10,000+ people including all our executives. There couldn't possibly be a worse situation where I could make a fool of myself. I had visions of forgetting my steps, tripping up on stage, or worse - tripping up other people in the crowd! A friend who was part of the plan sent me this before the event - ‘Nervous? In 5 billion years the sun will burn out and nothing you did will matter. Feel better?’ Mmph, thanks Alex!
But I'm happy to report that yesterday, I did it! No fiasco and no injuries, just a whole lot of fun. I even got rewarded with VIP access for my participation which meant front row seats to the Dave Matthews band, VIP lounge, open bar and hobnobbing with executives. Not a bad deal, huh? :)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
We're not being pretentious, we're networking!
Sometime last month -
It is a class of '12 and '13 FEMBA networking event at a downtown lounge. It also happens to be the night of a bachelorette party and a high school reunion so the place is chaotic. I walk in with a couple of girlfriends and start looking around for familiar faces when an NDS (nice-looking but drunk stranger) suddenly grabs my arm.
NDS: "Be my date tonight and let's go make new friends!"
If I weren't caught so off-guard I would never have let him drag me away but the next thing I know, we're in a crowd of people and NDS puts his arm around me and starts talking to a friendly looking couple.
NDS: "Heeeyy good to meet you both! How's the night going?"
At this point I'm squirming and trying to get away but his grip is tight and I don't want to create a scene.
Friendly couple: "We're great! How about you guys? Where are you from?"
NDS: "We're great too!We're from around here and looking to make new friends!"
Friendly couple: "We're here with our MBA friend. Are you here for that party too?Where do you work?"
NDS: "I studied sports medicine but we don't wanna talk about jobs and careers okay?"
Me (finally struggling free): "Actually, I do want to talk about it. But I need to go find my friends so if you'll all excuse me...."
NDS: "Yes, let's get out of here. Such a pretentious crowd! Asking me right away about my job and stuff. Damn these MBAs!"
Me (grinning): "Yeah, I can see why you think that's pretentious. And Oh!, I'm with that crowd. So I think this is where we say goodbye."
Don't feel too bad for the NDS. I believe he had a grand time with the bachelorette party later that evening ;)
It is a class of '12 and '13 FEMBA networking event at a downtown lounge. It also happens to be the night of a bachelorette party and a high school reunion so the place is chaotic. I walk in with a couple of girlfriends and start looking around for familiar faces when an NDS (nice-looking but drunk stranger) suddenly grabs my arm.
NDS: "Be my date tonight and let's go make new friends!"
If I weren't caught so off-guard I would never have let him drag me away but the next thing I know, we're in a crowd of people and NDS puts his arm around me and starts talking to a friendly looking couple.
NDS: "Heeeyy good to meet you both! How's the night going?"
At this point I'm squirming and trying to get away but his grip is tight and I don't want to create a scene.
Friendly couple: "We're great! How about you guys? Where are you from?"
NDS: "We're great too!We're from around here and looking to make new friends!"
Friendly couple: "We're here with our MBA friend. Are you here for that party too?Where do you work?"
NDS: "I studied sports medicine but we don't wanna talk about jobs and careers okay?"
Me (finally struggling free): "Actually, I do want to talk about it. But I need to go find my friends so if you'll all excuse me...."
NDS: "Yes, let's get out of here. Such a pretentious crowd! Asking me right away about my job and stuff. Damn these MBAs!"
Me (grinning): "Yeah, I can see why you think that's pretentious. And Oh!, I'm with that crowd. So I think this is where we say goodbye."
Don't feel too bad for the NDS. I believe he had a grand time with the bachelorette party later that evening ;)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Odyssey
odyssey n. , pl. , -seys . An extended adventurous voyage or trip. An intellectual or spiritual quest: an odyssey of discovery.
The Leadership Odyssey we went through during the LF week certainly lived up to its moniker. We were divided into groups of 18 and taken through a series of intellectual and physical tasks that tested our skills and mental strength many times over. I won't elaborate on all the tasks here, but a couple of them really stand out and I feel I must mention them.
THE POLE:
We were taken to a shaded corner of the field and asked to put on harnesses and helmets. At this point I wasn't sure what we were expected to do but I noticed a trapeze swinging high up and I was starting to get a tad nervous. In the next few minutes, after we were told what we had to do, I was not just a tad nervous but positively chattering with fear. Turns out, we were expected to scale up the 40-feet high pole, STAND on top of it, turn around 180 degrees and then LEAP out to catch the trapeze! For a minute I thought it was a joke. You know, maybe they were recording my reaction or something. But then reality hit me as I watched the first of my group mates go for it. It was harrowing to even watch the others go through it. Until then I had only heard the expression "knees shaking in fear" but that day I saw it and I felt it. And when the knees shake the entire damn pole shakes. And you're STILL expected to go through with it.
I yelled encouragement to all my mates who went before me. "You can do it!", "Remember you're harnessed, so you can't fall!", "Don't look down, look at the trees!".
And then it was my turn. I scaled up the pole quickly enough, but when I got to the top, I froze. There was barely enough room on top for my two feet! Also, how does one stand up in that situation with nothing to hold on to?! And I was waaaay above the ground! All the words of encouragement I'd shouted simply flew out of my head and before I realized it, my knees were shaking and the pole was dancing. I refused to stand up when the pole was still wobbling but the instructor shouted up at me,"The balance is in your body and your mind. The pole won't stop shaking until you calm down. Put your hand on your knee and stand up." I didn't want to do it. My mind and body both rebelled. I just wanted to get the hell off that pole. I looked at the trees in my line of view but it only reminded me about how high up I was. The next few seconds were a blur as I gritted my teeth and somehow managed to stand up. That was it. I didn't have it in me to slowly turn around. So I simply swung around in one swift motion and lunged for the trapeze. Of course I didn't catch it. But at least I jumped. And I couldn't have done it without all that encouragement from below.
What was the whole point of this exercise you ask? Well, I'm not sure but it was something about facing your greatest challenge and getting through it. Mind over body. Or vice versa.
RIVER CROSSING:
My heart rate had just about returned to normal when we were taken to this task. Two people scale up ladders side by side and stand on parallel ropes facing each other. The ropes are arm distance apart to start with and then diverge. The task was to walk sideways across the ropes to the other end, while leaning over and pushing off on each others' shoulders for support. This was a less frightening but way more physically challenging task. I experienced the knee-shake again, but my partner AH was wonderfully calm and she got us through most of it. Due to the divergence it was hard to judge how much to lean over and push and I kept worrying that I'd push AH off.
Me: "OMG this is hard, my rope is shaking too much!"
AH: "It's okay. Don't look down. Look at me. Push me more!"
Me: "Okay I'm not looking down but I'm still nervous and my arms hurt!"
AH: "Talk to me. Don't think about it. So, tell me about your family. Any siblings?"
Me: "Whaa?!"
The surprise question actually managed to calm me down and we got through a decent distance while chatting about family. Props to AH! :)
Both the activities taught me a lot about myself, my strengths and weaknesses. As a bonus, I met wonderful people who I hope to continue being friends with. I realize the Odyssey isn't over. It's only just begun. And I think I'm ready for it. Next time, I'll catch that trapeze ;)
The Leadership Odyssey we went through during the LF week certainly lived up to its moniker. We were divided into groups of 18 and taken through a series of intellectual and physical tasks that tested our skills and mental strength many times over. I won't elaborate on all the tasks here, but a couple of them really stand out and I feel I must mention them.
THE POLE:
We were taken to a shaded corner of the field and asked to put on harnesses and helmets. At this point I wasn't sure what we were expected to do but I noticed a trapeze swinging high up and I was starting to get a tad nervous. In the next few minutes, after we were told what we had to do, I was not just a tad nervous but positively chattering with fear. Turns out, we were expected to scale up the 40-feet high pole, STAND on top of it, turn around 180 degrees and then LEAP out to catch the trapeze! For a minute I thought it was a joke. You know, maybe they were recording my reaction or something. But then reality hit me as I watched the first of my group mates go for it. It was harrowing to even watch the others go through it. Until then I had only heard the expression "knees shaking in fear" but that day I saw it and I felt it. And when the knees shake the entire damn pole shakes. And you're STILL expected to go through with it.
I yelled encouragement to all my mates who went before me. "You can do it!", "Remember you're harnessed, so you can't fall!", "Don't look down, look at the trees!".
And then it was my turn. I scaled up the pole quickly enough, but when I got to the top, I froze. There was barely enough room on top for my two feet! Also, how does one stand up in that situation with nothing to hold on to?! And I was waaaay above the ground! All the words of encouragement I'd shouted simply flew out of my head and before I realized it, my knees were shaking and the pole was dancing. I refused to stand up when the pole was still wobbling but the instructor shouted up at me,"The balance is in your body and your mind. The pole won't stop shaking until you calm down. Put your hand on your knee and stand up." I didn't want to do it. My mind and body both rebelled. I just wanted to get the hell off that pole. I looked at the trees in my line of view but it only reminded me about how high up I was. The next few seconds were a blur as I gritted my teeth and somehow managed to stand up. That was it. I didn't have it in me to slowly turn around. So I simply swung around in one swift motion and lunged for the trapeze. Of course I didn't catch it. But at least I jumped. And I couldn't have done it without all that encouragement from below.
What was the whole point of this exercise you ask? Well, I'm not sure but it was something about facing your greatest challenge and getting through it. Mind over body. Or vice versa.
RIVER CROSSING:
My heart rate had just about returned to normal when we were taken to this task. Two people scale up ladders side by side and stand on parallel ropes facing each other. The ropes are arm distance apart to start with and then diverge. The task was to walk sideways across the ropes to the other end, while leaning over and pushing off on each others' shoulders for support. This was a less frightening but way more physically challenging task. I experienced the knee-shake again, but my partner AH was wonderfully calm and she got us through most of it. Due to the divergence it was hard to judge how much to lean over and push and I kept worrying that I'd push AH off.
Me: "OMG this is hard, my rope is shaking too much!"
AH: "It's okay. Don't look down. Look at me. Push me more!"
Me: "Okay I'm not looking down but I'm still nervous and my arms hurt!"
AH: "Talk to me. Don't think about it. So, tell me about your family. Any siblings?"
Me: "Whaa?!"
The surprise question actually managed to calm me down and we got through a decent distance while chatting about family. Props to AH! :)
Both the activities taught me a lot about myself, my strengths and weaknesses. As a bonus, I met wonderful people who I hope to continue being friends with. I realize the Odyssey isn't over. It's only just begun. And I think I'm ready for it. Next time, I'll catch that trapeze ;)
Leadership Foundations
The 5 day orientation for the FEMBA program was everything it was hyped to be. Intense, exhausting, challenging and very, very enjoyable.We had to take a few days off from work (and make our arrangements for accommodation in LA,) but I consider it vacation time put to excellent use.
LF highlights :
- 4 sections with a total of 280 students for the class of 2013, with each section having a dedicated professor for the duration of our stay.
- Catered breakfast, lunch and dinner where we got to network with fellow classmates from diverse industries, cultures, and educational backgrounds. (+ Decadent desserts with every meal!)
- Leadership lessons, classroom discussions and keynote talks. (We had some 15 papers to pre-read for the classes. Sign of things to come?)
- Student-initiated happy hours after 12 hour sessions at school, stumbling back to our rooms to read for the next day, crashing at wee hours and waking up in time for the 7am breakfast. Rinse, repeat.
- Improv comedy coaching and side-splitting improv sessions in the main auditorium.
- A day long outdoors session called the Leadership Odyssey (my absolute favorite part!)
- Mount Everest simulation - one of the many group activities. This one tested our decision making skills and scored us for successfully battling and navigating various adversities during the climb.
- A final written exam on the last evening followed by cocktail reception. (Never been less refreshed before a test!)
A crazy, unforgettable week in every sense. Hopefully the rest of the ride is just as thrilling and rewarding. :)
LF highlights :
- 4 sections with a total of 280 students for the class of 2013, with each section having a dedicated professor for the duration of our stay.
- Catered breakfast, lunch and dinner where we got to network with fellow classmates from diverse industries, cultures, and educational backgrounds. (+ Decadent desserts with every meal!)
- Leadership lessons, classroom discussions and keynote talks. (We had some 15 papers to pre-read for the classes. Sign of things to come?)
- Student-initiated happy hours after 12 hour sessions at school, stumbling back to our rooms to read for the next day, crashing at wee hours and waking up in time for the 7am breakfast. Rinse, repeat.
- Improv comedy coaching and side-splitting improv sessions in the main auditorium.
- A day long outdoors session called the Leadership Odyssey (my absolute favorite part!)
- Mount Everest simulation - one of the many group activities. This one tested our decision making skills and scored us for successfully battling and navigating various adversities during the climb.
- A final written exam on the last evening followed by cocktail reception. (Never been less refreshed before a test!)
A crazy, unforgettable week in every sense. Hopefully the rest of the ride is just as thrilling and rewarding. :)
Action, Reaction
Me: "So I'm going back to weekend school for my MBA."
Parents and sister: "So proud of you! You're gonna rock!"
Colleagues: "Good for you!"
Hang-out buddies: "Cool but why do you need another degree? This means we won't ever see you at weekend activities!"
Close friends : "Wow, that's awesome. Maybe you'll meet some great guy at the program! :)"
Other relatives : "WHAT! When will you ever get married??"
......
Parents and sister: "So proud of you! You're gonna rock!"
Colleagues: "Good for you!"
Hang-out buddies: "Cool but why do you need another degree? This means we won't ever see you at weekend activities!"
Close friends : "Wow, that's awesome. Maybe you'll meet some great guy at the program! :)"
Other relatives : "WHAT! When will you ever get married??"
......
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