#blogboost 31 Day Blog Challenge expressing emotions perceptions personal reflections ultimate blog challenge

We all have certain expectations from those around us.  We have expectations of our friends, our families, our partners, our co-workers and we have expectations of ourselves.

When it comes to our friends and potential partners – our expectations could be the root cause of all sorts of heart ache. 

I’ve always maintained that that I don’t have ‘high expectations’ from my social circle and family.  The basics such as common courtesy, respect, and honesty – that I do expect (I think we all do – and if we don’t there’s an issue here).  All else I don’t hold expectations because I’ve discovered (sometimes the hard way) that it can lead to disappointment.

Perhaps we should all ‘expect’ to be disappointed one day by those around us.  Maybe that will somehow diminish the pain that we feel when we are let down by someone.  Or maybe we just not have any expectations at all ? Or do we just believe to expect the unexpected ?

I suppose in the end it’s about how we manage our expectations.  What are your thoughts on this ? Am I being too cynical ?

expressing emotions festive holiday videos just for fun lack of time overworked during the holidays

I know I sure as hell am feeling overworked this festive season !! My business partner NC is away for the holidays for a family reunion in Tenerife and won’t be back till 12th Jan; our creative designer NB is off to Singapore & Bali for a family holiday; and then heading to Vietnam for work. 

Whilst my two core players are away – I’m feeling the pressure of the growing number of enquiries coming my way – and worried that I won’t be able to get through each one without losing part of my sanity !

And then I came across this video – and I thought – damn I wish I could call up an agency to sort my worries out ! LOL It would be nice if recruitment agencies in India could come up with some innovative ways of promoting their services.  I love what Robert Half has done with this video.  Have a watch, have a giggle, and try not to work too hard during the holidays.

expressing emotions father daughter relationship fathers day its not easy being a dad its not easy being a daughter relationships

Note : This post was meant to go up on 20th June 2010

My family isn’t big on non-traditional holidays or celebrations .. the Indian celebrations are more than enough to keep one busy for the year …

It’s Fathers’ Day today and I’ve barely seen my Dad all day .. and when I did see him .. he was on the phone … I’ve contemplated wishing him today .. but I haven’t as yet .. I don’t know if I will either .. not because I don’t want to but more so because he’s not going to react to much to it.

Last year or the year before – I wished him – and he just looked at me in a weird sort of way .. something along the lines of the ‘oh really’ sort of look. I don’t particularly want to feel awkward especially when I know he’s not big on these random occasions.

Note : I made a second attempt to go and at least have a chat with him .. but he’s still on the phone ..

I don’t have the ‘best’ relationship with my father – in fact we have almost no relationship beyond the cursory hello / good morning / do you need anything sort of conversation. We both tried – and it did get better when I started investing in the stock market – but I gave up investing in the markets in the first half of last year – so even that relationship more or less discontinued.

There are times I wish my relationship with my father was better than what it is right now .. although I feel that ever since we were kids – he was never really one of those ‘hands-on’ type of dads. Although I do remember playing with him a lot as a child (badminton, scrabble, boggle) but that changed as I got older and more involved in school.

He didn’t quite make it to any of the parent-teacher meetings; nor to any of my athletic or swimming competitions – he did however attend the session for when I was entering my senior year in high school and suggested that Business & Economics would be a good subject choice for me. He was there for my high school graduation (and all the guys in my class were literally sh*tting themselves ‘cos they were so scared of him)

He wasn’t keen on me leaving home and going away to university (I am after all the first born and a girl – and none of the girls from my mom or dads’ side of the family had gone over seas to study back then) .. and yet – he let me go to university in Montreal and even rented me an apartment for the whole time I was there. For a man who didn’t like his kids having sleepovers – I was shocked that he let me go that far away from home (Dubai at the time).

When I graduated – I went back to London and never really got on to another flight to see my parents (they had moved from Dubai to Bombay). My mom would visit in London so I always saw her – but I didn’t see my Dad for about 4 years. We didn’t have much of a phone relationship either. I always thought my father would be the one to tell me to move back to the parental nest – but he didn’t.

I set up my business after leaving my banking job (much to the dismay of my father) and about 2 years into it – when I needed funding – my dad helped me out (and of course never lets me forget that till date). Before moving to India – I had to settle of quite a few things in London including some financials related to closing my business – for which my father did help me out.

We’ve now been living together for almost 3 years after NOT having lived together for 9 years … We have good days and we have bad days (so please don’t take this as a rant about my dad) … Both of us have hot tempers – and are pretty stubborn in our point of views .. I guess fathers will never stop treating their kids like kids – no matter how old they are .. I know our relationship will never be one of those ‘out of a movie’ perfect style father-daughter relationship … but doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like it to be that way … even if it is just once in a while.

For better or worse – at the end of the day – he’s my father – and I want to wish him a very Happy Father’s Day ! I may not be able to tell him myself – but at least I’ve put it out there to the world – and those energies will reach him =)

p.s I did go into the living room for the 3rd time thinking I would wish him myself – but I kinda chickened out .. he didn’t look like he was in the mood for any potential soppy sounding wishes !