The Wonder Years!

Another year has gone by. And with it, the first decade of the the 21st century has gone by!

2009 has been an eventful year, to say the least. And this decade has probably been the most important ten years of my life. I call them the 'The Wonder Years!' because a lot of important and wonderful events in my personal as well as professional life have happened in this decade. Some of them are:

1) A fast paced 10 years at work working in diverse organisations with a diverse set of people. Huge amounts of learning with great fun! Some 20 hour days actually felt like 20 minutes.

2) I travelled abroad for the first time in my life during the past decade. It is another matter that I hate it a lot now! Especially the longer duration ones.

3) Got married to my childhood sweetheart / crush!

4) Became a father; not once, but twice! Two brats at home; tough to manage, but worth it all! In any case, managing them is a breeze compared to managing my lovely wife...;-p! (I hope this tongue in cheek comment doesn't land me in (or my cheek!) in trouble.)

5) Have been fortunate to have lived in a diverse set of cities; Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

6) Bought my first house in Chennai!

7) Bought my first (and now second as well) car!

8) Have worked with some very inspiring colleagues and seniors; who have played a key role in shaping my attitudes and behaviours. (Yes, it is not my fault. It is all their fault!;-p)

Thinking about the decade not only gives me a great sense of satisfaction but also spurs me on to challenge myself to make the most of the next 10 years!

Coming back to the year gone by: An eventful year. A year which began in uncertain times due to the financial crisis around the world. A year when I was awarded a deferred bonus; still not sure why, though! A year in which I decided to move back to Mumbai, closer to my parents and my in-laws. A year when I uprooted myself and my family from our cozy existence in Chennai to put up anchor in the hustle and bustle of the city of Mumbai. Painful, but worth it.

So, what is in store for the new year, 2010!? Who knows? The motto is to give everything my best shot and go with the flow. Because the golden rule applies: One can control only one's own thought and actions! I did promise though, in my last blog, that I would be thinking about my resolutions. After scratching my brains to come up with challenging and achievable resolutions, I could come up with only the below:

1) Spend more time with the family. More quality time.

2) Lifestyle changes to become more disciplined about my health. Weed out some of the undesirable habits in make room for some healthier ones!

I am determined to take care of myself and my family. Please take care of yourself.

Great Expectations

Two hours to claim one piece of baggage!

That is the amount of time it took me to retrieve my baggage at the international airport in Mumbai recently after a 9 hour flight. While there has been an effort to develop our airports by the Airports Authority of India and its private contractors, a lot still needs to be done in terms of services at these airports. There is no signage anywhere. Most of the times, utter chaos prevails. Compare this to Heathrow, Schipol or a Changi and you should know the difference.

The weather in London was really depressing, dull and dark (and wet, for good measure). However the visit was very productive. And I got to travel once more on my favourite public transport system, The Underground! The tube has changed, the traffic seems to be more, but it is nowhere near the Mumbai local train rush. The only regret, apart from the bad weather in London was not being able to meet up with some of my acquaintances in London due to the busy schedule.

Back home, got Suryanksh admitted to school (Jr.KG). The fees is probably equal to the entire spend on my graduation and post-graduation studies! And guess, what I might lose it all if I decide to enroll him into another school! The education sector makes great business sense to me, actually!

Next in line was my continued hunt for a car. After extensive research I did do a couple of test drives this weekend and have FINALLY booked a car! I just hope that it gets to me before Christmas begins.....

Speaking of Christmas, the New Year is not too far either and so is...resolutions-making time! Have been thinking about that lately and hence my next blog might just be all about my resolutions, which would, of course, last for a couple of days!

Till then...

P.S: By now, it should be amply clear, that the title of this blog has nothing to do with one Mr. Charles Dickens!