And So 2009 Comes To An End …

… It’s 5:20 p.m here in Mumbai and 2009 is almost at an end  .. I’m supposed to at least attempt to start getting ready and sorting my things out for a party tonight … Seems just like yesterday that I was writing about half a year going by !

Since yesterday I’ve come across some really thought provoking posts; a lot of reflections on the whole year – not to mention the new year resolutions … and I thought to myself … what are my thoughts about the year ?

 

2009 has definitely been a learning experience in many ways for me …

1. I was never meant to work for anybody but myself.  I’ve resigned from my job of 2 years and have started up on my own again.  The hours are long; there is no guarantee of how much money I will make – but I love what I do and that’s all that matters.  I’ve managed to incorporate my favourite social activity (going out, organizing parties) into my career .. and after over 7 years of doing this – I still want to keep at it.  Now I just need to own my own night club and I’ll be sorted !
2. Old friends aren’t always the right friends for you.  This summer, I saw a friendship of 13 years break apart through a series of texts and emails.  Apparently it didn’t even justify a phone call.  I never attempted to make that call – neither did she.  I saw PK again a few weeks ago and its like nothing happened.  But something did.  I think she still needs to come to terms with that.  After talking to Vixen earlier today, also realized that I had spent over a decade in being friends with TM – for it to just fizzle out after our old business partnership died.  Haven’t spoken to her in 2.5 years now.
3. Some friendships are just meant to be.  I started 31st December talking to my mates from London and Montreal – including 2 ex-boyfriends.  These people mean the world to me.  It doesn’t matter that we haven’t seen each other in years (7 yrs in the case of my ex) or haven’t spoken in months or even exchanged emails.  They are always going to be there.  A big shout out to my boys once again; to NC, Vixen, E-Goh, Dayo, My Boo (yes I can still call you that), and Nomiswamii !
4. Family is Important – even if they do get on my nerves.  I lost my grandmother earlier this year; and it was my first time seeing a dead body.  I can’t get over that.  I’m lucky to have been able to spend time with her because until 2 years ago – I would only see her when I came to India.  I told my grandma all the things I wanted to whilst waiting in the hospital.  In some ways after all the years of living away from home – I’m getting closer to my brother and trying to develop some relationship with my sister – which we do manage most of the time.  My mum is great and the relationship with my dad is getting better I suppose.  I am now doing business with my cousin NC – she’s a great person to work with..  I wouldn’t have known this if we hadn’t spent any time together. – and now I spend all my time (work and free) with her !  I also got to spend a lot of time with my other cousins and their respective other halves as well as all my nieces and nephews.  I really do love them to bits !
5. I am content with who I am as an individual.  Sure I’m a crazy party animal; and to my family it looks like my ad hoc ways will never let me settle down.  I tried that route – it’s not for me – when my time comes to get married – I will but for now – I’m very happy being single :)  I am who I am and I honestly feel that those who know me – love me exactly the way I am and wouldn’t want me to change.  I’m not perfect by any means – but I am confident about myself, my abilities and my capabilities. I know I will continue to be successful in whatever I choose to do and it is with that belief that I do the things that I do.  I like to live in my very own secret life =)

As I get ready to bid adios to 2009 with a face pack on, and oil on my hair (I need pampering before I go out tonight – been sick a few days!) – I’m quite happy to note that I got this post in on 31st Dec ‘09 as opposed to sometime into 2010 like I did with my Adios 2008 …

I’d like to wish all of you a very very Happy New Year and hope you all have a great time whatever you choose to do tonight.  From the bottom of my heart, I  hope 2010 brings you whatever you wish for … actually wait .. I hope you all get to enjoy some great Sex with lots of orgasms; hold your alcohol like you were 18 all over again; and that you win a lottery that you don’t remember entering … why .. because 2010 is a new beginning for us all !

Happy New Year Everyone !

Another Dazed Award !

I realized today that I’ve not had a chance to keep up my own thoughts and reflections due to the fact that I’ve been completely overwhelmed with work !

The Fabulous Bitch over at The Joys of My Splintered Life In Small Town has bestowed upon me yet another Award ! And this time – it’s not just ‘any’ award but her very own ‘Bitch Fab Award’

Now that’s what I’m talking about ! I knew from the moment I came across her blog that the two of us would get along like a house on fire .. at the end of the day – the fabulous ones stick together !  Haaa now I’m tooting my own horn – but hey – if I don’t do it – who else will right ?

Considering I just gave out a set of awards – I’m wondering now who is eligible for these awards … There really isn’t any criteria so I’m gonna dish it out to – you over there, and you too on the right, and yeah you with the coffee – you get one too ;)

The Guilty Hyena writes an amazing fashion blog where I’m a regular lurker .. I am so overwhelmed with the new trends that all I can do is lurk in fear of coming across as totally clueless to the rise of these trends ! Drop by and check her out and catch the hyena tweets whilst you’re at it too.

Ellie is one adulterous young lady who’s blog and tweets are most definitely bitch fab ! Her writing makes you ‘want’ to experience each of her adventures and leaves you coming back for more … and some more ;) 

There are a lot more Bitch Fab blogs out there – but I’ve passed on other awards to them .. so I thought it would be better to introduce some other bloggers as well. 

I hope the rest of you enjoy these two Bitch Fab Bloggers as much as I do =)

 

Video Blogs or Vlogs Anyone ?

It seems all I have been hearing about lately has been video blogs … the first time was a few months ago and I was quite curious about it as well.  I never actually got around to setting myself up with a Vlog .. which I perhaps should … I do have some really funny videos captured over the years. 

Some of my friends have used Vimeo – which is a fantastic platform for anyone wanting to share their creativity and more personal videos (family, friends, fun moments etc) to a larger audience.  I checked out Vimeo and turns out that a free account allows for 500 MB of storage every week ! That’s a great start for any new business looking at testing the cyber waves of video blogging especially since you can share and even post videos on other sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, or Digg !

The last couple of weeks I have been meeting with some of my clients and looking at creating long term marketing and branding strategies for them and I had suggested that they ought to look at online video for business or video hosting services to really create an impact with their brand.

Just like Vimeo – another service I came across was Viddler which offers more features for direct B2B services.  It’s hard for me to explain exactly what the features are as I’m not the most technical person – however this screenshot should make things more clearer.  

I really like the custom logo & permalink feature as it’s essential when creating brand value and increasing brand awareness.  It’s also important for a business to be able to track their user and view statistics – and here’s where the Viddler Analytics come in very handy providing in depth statistics on bandwidth, views, embeds, map views of users as well as something called ‘attention span’ which tracks the engagement of viewers.

Video Hosting is all about adding a personal touch to your blog and also serve as a better visual representation of what the brand or business (and the personal blogger of course) is trying to portray.  Written content is always great, but a nice video twist to your business site will surely give your readers reason to stick around a little longer.

Personally, I have always enjoyed just sitting back and watching a good video post on a topic I’m interested in.  I try to incorporate videos into my blogs – but they are related to a specific post and are more music / advertorial based. 

What about you – what are you thoughts on Video Blogs – especially for business related blogs ? Have you come across any really good online videos for business that you care to share ?

Tis The Season TO Be Jolly

 

….. Here’s wishing all of out there in Blogosphere a Very Merry Christmas !

Enjoy the yummy Xmas desserts and wine !

And if you’ve been on Santa’s Nice List – then the pressies are in order … and if you are on the Naughty list … you know what kind of presents are due =P

Getting into the Xmas Spirit

Wednesday night saw the first of a few Xmas parties and it was really quite nice to be out with friends and taking in the very pretty Christmas tree that my mate AA had arranged at her gorgeous city view apartment.

The party was in full spirit with a gingerbread house cake, along with giveaway Xmas cookies shaped like trees and stars and not to mention enough alcohol and snacks to cater to an army !

 

There was a Christmas tree as well – and it was one of the first ones I had seen this week considering all I’ve done the past week or so is just work – work and more work !

It just felt nice to be at a chilled out party … got to see some of my friends and actually have a conversation with them as opposed to raising my voice to be heard over the speakers at a club ! Also managed to meet a few new people which was great … although I’m sure one of the guys would have preferred to have left the party much earlier considering just how much a few of us were teasing him.

 

12 Reasons Why My Blog Does NOT Suck !

… and no I don’t think it sucks =P

It;s 5:01 a.m as I start this post and I’ve had a REALLY long few days .. been working from 10 a.m to 10 p.m as of yesterday on the documentary shoot and some client meetings; rushed home to get ready and head over for an Xmas party at a friends’ apartment by 11 p.m; got back around 4 a.m and I’m still awake !

So now that I’ve filled you in and you can appreciate my state of mind … I was blog hopping around the neighbourhood when I came across a tweet to 10 Reasons Why Your Blog Sucks by Edward Khoo.  The reasons come about pretty obvious when you read them but the perception described comes about in a really harsh manner.  If someone had to feel so angry or disgruntled after reading my blog – I would come away feeling pretty shyte ! I won’t put it all here but will give you a summary instead.

10 Reasons Why Some Blogs Suck =(

1. You use syndicated content. You cut & paste articles from sites across the net onto your blog.  You can, but you shouldn’t. Without unique content your blog is nothing.
2. Your blog is boring.  Write about topics that your reader, not topics that interest you.
3. Your blog revolves around your person. Stop talking about yourself already. Readers don’t know you personally, and couldn’t care less about your ramblings. Tell them Facts or stories, not boring personal stuff
4. Oh no, not your favorite music on auto-play!  Don’t add music to your site. Half the people won’t like it and the other half will find it’s a distraction.
5. You use clip art
6. No search boxes or archives.
7. Bad Grammar, typos, misspelled words, and poor punctuation.
8. Spinning Articles.  You write the same things others do that belong to your niche.
9. Irregular posting.
10. Your blog looks like 12023532989 other blogs.

Why My Blog Does NOT Suck

1. I don’t use syndicated content. I swear ! Last time I checked, I hadn’t copy-pasted anything other than my scribbles from my word docs to Live Writer once I got it downloaded.
2. My blog is NOT boring ! At least no one has said so or sent me ‘yawn’ comments.  I like to think I’ve got a variety of topics on hand ranging from Music; some Blogging Tips; Poetry new blog discoveries; and some deep & meaningful reflections as well.
3. My blog revolves around my person.  Why ? Because I am more likely to relate to things that interest me – impact me – and hence better able to convey those thoughts to my readers.
4. I don’t have any music on auto-play.  I have blogged about some of my favourite music and the Magic Of Melodies by using links and video streams but none are on auto play. 
5. I use any and all sorts of videos and images that I feel will enhance my sporadic thoughts and help you relate to whatever it is that I am writing about. And that includes clip art.  I don’t own a personal database of over a billion images representing all walks of the universe.  That’s what the Gods of Google are there for.  However I’ve been lucky enough to capture some real Mumbai Moments as well as some great shots on my camping trip with my own camera so that should count for something !
6. I have a search box on the top right corner of my blog !  I also have a really cool tool-bar (that took me forever to find) at the bottom of this page.  And even if the feature was not available – there’s always the CTRL F feature right there on your keyboard !
7. Did yuo konw taht as long as teh frist and lsat letetrs of a wrod are palced coerrclty tehn you can from the snectnece wihtuot any turolbe.  I got an A in English through my schooling years.  I am quite a stickler for good grammar so not only do I use spell-checks when writing posts – I have also added certain words such as ‘woohoo’ to the dictionary just so that I have less errors during the spell-checks =P  Being a blogger is about being able to express yourself at leisure, or even whilst on the move – and hence small errors every now and then is still acceptable. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt!
8. I don’t spin articles – at least not intentionally.  I write about anything and everything (although I probably will never be able to write about ‘everything’) and considering there are over thousands of similar articles and posts across the blogosphere – there are bound to be similarity to my posts as compared to those who write with no fixed agenda.
9. My blog has been around for about 1.5 year and 152 sporadic thoughts old.  There were 28 posts between July ‘08 – Dec ‘08; and as of today excluding this post – 124 posts between Jan ‘09 and Dec ‘09 which is about 10 posts per month and 2-3 posts per week.  I’d like to think that makes a pretty regular blogger.  Ofcourse I could always try to write more .. but I can’t because I really can’t find the time to always be able to make a note of ‘everything’ that could perhaps be the most interesting content one would ever read.  I blog when I can – about whatever it is that I can – because I just ‘can’.
10. Some people actually like my blog and that’s good enough for me. I don’t blog because I’m trying to become an expert in my niche - I don’t even have a niche !  I’ve managed to receive awards from fellow bloggers – and  it was a total dazed blur of awards for me when I got 3 in September.  A few people out there thought my blog worthy of an award in the form of a JPG image which is pretty cool =) In fact one went on to call me an Awesome Girl too :)  My newbie blogger ego got the better of me at the start of the year and I nominated myself for the Bloggers Choice Awards (just for fun) and I’m proud to announce I got 18 votes – out of how many thousands I don’t know – for Best Blog About Stuff !
11. Various Blog Communities have given me some sort of decent ranking – even though I never asked to be ranked.  Don’t most of us belong to various blog communities or have been reading blogs for a while and hence got encouraged to write ?? because that’s how I got into blogging.  Besides the ranking status or Cyber Highway Traffic (as I like to call it) sort of gives one an idea of how other bloggers perceive their blogs.  I am not an expert – I’m not trying to be one – but I’d definitely like to know how I stand in the overall realm of things in blogosphere.
12. Lastly I’m not writing this post because I think my blog is ‘the bomb’ – that’s Bombchells department =) It’s not because I think that my blog is a Bitch Fab blog – that title totally goes to the Fab Bitch herself :) But the main reason that my blog doesn’t suck is because it’s MY blog and it’s all about My Sporadic Reflections =)

The Cheerleader Effect

I heard this phrase for the first time the other night whilst watching ‘How I Met Your Mother’ … and it made such an impact that I actually replayed the scene to jot down the definition onto my phone.

Basically the cheerleader effect occurs when you see a group of girls (or guys) and they look ‘hot’ … BUT when you see each person ‘individually’ they are NOT ! So really they only appear hot as a collective group and NOT as individuals.  The phrase ideally is used for women however can apply to groups of men too.

I found it quite funny the way it was described in the show and turns out that the Urban Dictionary does have a definition for the phrase as well ! The Cheerleader Effect is also known as the  Sorority Girls Syndrome or the Bridesmaid Parado; for a brief window in the mid 90s the Spice Girls Conspiracy...SCARY Spice, indeed :P Oh and according to TheHappyGoat the PussyCat Dolls are another group of hotties who actually cause us to fall victim of the Cheerleader Effect

Jillian Wertheim recently wrote about the The Cheerleader Effect and has gone on to suggest that it is closely related to the Distance Dispute a.k.a where an individual looks appealing from afar but becomes less so as you approach.  I’ve known of this particular theory but never quite knew its name. 

So for you to really catch my drift – check out the video from the TV Show

Have any of you experienced the Cheerleader Effect ?  I’ve always wondered why is it that some of friends (guys and girls alike) – have pointed out groups of men who are sitting at private booths at clubs looking like total stud muffins (I love this word) and groups of women at the bar / dance floor who ooze sex appeal – and whenever I’ve managed to have a look at them – have never felt the same way.  My mates put it down to me being very critical.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m ALL for appreciating a good looking man or woman but lately it just seems that there are none around these days. 

I suppose that just means I’m not privy to the cheerleader effect and the power on my lenses are correct – I’m not mistaking fake hotties for real hotties =P  So if you have ever fallen victim to the cheerleader effect – don’t let it get you down – and definitely don’t let let it prevent you from ever approaching a group of ‘supposed’ hotties ever again. 

Just follow Jillians’ advise and instead, keep in mind how easily our senses can be deceived, and your chances of becoming a victim of the Cheerleader Effect will go way down

Footie Fever

I was just watching an episode of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ which focused on the Super Bowl … and it got me reminiscing about how my friends and I would gather around at my flat in London and we’d watch the football matches.

My mates were huge Liverpool supporters, and I was almost torn between choosing a favourite amongst Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool ! Yeah I know they are the top 4 teams but still .. the games were always fun to watch and had us on the edges of our seats !

The guys in our group used to tease my flat-mate and I about how we didn’t know much about the players or what exactly was going on in the game .. and being the type of person I am – I went over to my uncle who introduced me to a wicked website called the World Sports Network which not only gave you the livescore of the English teams but for football teams across globe with instant updates as well !

There came a point – where the lads would get surprised at just ‘how much’ us two girls knew about the matches (not that they ever caught on to our secret) and would often call up randomly to ask us what the livescore would be or check on the bookmakers odds (as if chicks – sorry to be stereotypical which I’m really not – but really – know football betting odds!)

After moving to Bombay – it seems like I rarely get a chance to catch up on football – let alone with friends … as I’ve mentioned before, most of my friends stay quite a drive away from me .. and the ones who are close by – aren’t that into watching footie.  Over the last week, whilst there have been some amazing football matches going on – I’ve been in Goa organizing a wedding for a client of mine.  The only way for me to keep up with the pace of the games and catch the highlights and match reports have been to log onto WSN.com and get my dose of livescores !

Watching this episode today just reminded me of how much fun it used to be to spend an afternoon at the pub or at home watching a footie game.  It really was footie fever – you can imagine what the English are like when it comes down to the game.  I can’t wait to get back into that mode again =)  Until then, I know where I have to go for my footie updates =)

If you are into football and haven’t been to the above site as yet – then you must check it out !

 

 

It’s Time To Save !

Wow ! Did I just clock on to that concept ?? I’ve managed to get into the habit of saving over the last two years … I’m 27 years old – turning 28 and I have only just realized the value of savings and how they come in handy. 

Tuesday will be the last day of my 2 year tenure as an employed individual – prior to that I used to run my own business and the itch has come back – so am leaving my job to start afresh on my own – again.  It’s the 5th day of the month; my November payslip hasn’t come in as yet and probably won’t for another 2 weeks (as I need to submit my exit form interview) and I’m already feeling slightly strapped for cash !  Talk about a blow to the wallet with Christmas around the corner !

I’ve always been a fan of online shopping considering I hate waiting in long queues and actually having to try on things.  So I’ve spent the last few days thinking about how to go about getting my Xmas pressies out to friends in the US and came across some super deals on Savings.com which showcases offers and discounts for over … hold your breath … 4984 Stores !!!

That’s like giving me the keys to my very own chocolate shop – better yet – it’s like having my own Theobroma ! There are some fantastic brands on the site and I came across quite a few that I liked.  Some of the killer deals included “Old Navy Coupons” ranging Free Shipping as well as discounts up to 75% on women's’ wear =)  In India it’s impossible to get Old Navy items – so I was excited to find this .. now I just need to figure out if they delivery internationally !

I also came across some "Body Shop Coupons” which is currently hosting a Friends & Family 20% Discount for another few days !  I’m definitely making my way to my local Body Shop to check out some of the local deals.  My cousin and sis-in-law are both handbag fanatics (ok which woman isn’t ?) and it was great to discover a new site (well for me it is) called E-Bags which has a stunning range of handbags as well as duffel bags, laptop bags and much more.  The best part about the site is that you can see the bags in different colours and it clearly shows the discounted rates so that you don’t have to wait till check-out to find out how much you are spending. 

To avoid bargain blunders if you are first time online shoppers – you must scrounge the web and do a comparison before picking up the first good offer that you see.

Don’t thank me – thank the Gods of Google and my new best friend over at Savings.com for some of the season’s best buys =)

8 Ways To Kill An Idea

I was browsing along blogosphere minding my own business, casually Flirting with the Crowds especially with the very cute Sami Viitamäki; when I came across something by Scott Campbell …

Absolutely brilliant ! Quite a unique way to capture how ideas and creativity get killed along the chain of command … what do you think ?

A Bit of This, A Bit of That

I can’t believe it’s the start of December already ! This year has really flown by … Well maybe not all parts of it – but majority of the year has for sure.  It just feels like a few weeks ago I was talking about having a half a year go by …

Today is the start of my last week at work … I’ve gone ahead and resigned from the company I have worked with for the last two years as an events and wedding planner.  I wouldn’t have minded staying on but my immediate boss who I reported to for two years, HA, resigned about a month and a bit ago.  And just prior to that in September, another colleague whom I had worked with directly for 2 years, also resigned =(

I filled out all my exit forms and have started packing my things … damn it’s going to be a task ! It was in early May that I had shifted offices and had managed to pack my things into 4 large cartons and shift them to the other branch office down the road.  Now I have to pack all over again.  I hate packing !

As I lay on my bed writing this post, I’m wondering how to get rid of this dull throbbing headache and the ache in my left ankle … Looks like I might have to go back for physiotherapy … My foot hasn’t hurt like this in a while now and I’m guessing all the walking around (and some dancing too .. heck and some driving as well) is taking its toll again … but seriously how the hell is one supposed to go about day-to-day things without the use of their damn feet ??  I’m just grateful that I have feet and legs ! and the rest of my body parts intact too !