2011 Annual Review

At the end of the year, the blogosphere is alive with many annual reviews as a way to reflect on the past year and to help in the planning for the upcoming year. Previously, I’ve done more comprehensive reviews and found them to be a good way to see all the adventures, successes and failures I’ve had in a year.

This year, I’m going to this review process slightly differently. Chris Guillebeau, one of my favourite bloggers, challenged his readers to answer just two simple questions: what went well in 2011 and what did not go well in 2011?

What went well in 2011

Leaving a job I didn’t like for a job that I really enjoy – This was probably one of the best decisions I made all year. Having a fulfilling and enjoyable job goes a long way to happiness. Its not just a cliché! I’m happy that I was able to get myself out of a miserable situation and into a fulfilling job. I’m learning loads with each passing day. Not to mention in another country! Which brings me to my next point…

Living and working abroad – I had always talked of going on an AIESEC internship. I wanted something where I would be living abroad for a long period of time – at least a year. Well, I am currently in month 8 of an 18 month internship in Budapest. I was scared to be away from home for so long, but it has worked out so far and I’m really enjoying my time in this European country.

Hero`s Square in Budapest during my first week.

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Reflections on Changing Technology

The other day I came across this article that listed 10 things that kids today wouldn’t experience.  I started thinking about things that I use to have or do, that I don’t anymore.

1. VHS tapes and player – My parents still have one in the house.  They were huge fans of recording everything my brother and I did and then transfering them onto VHS tapes.  A lot of memories on these things.  My mom has talked of transfering the footage onto DVDs, but it has yet to happen.
2. Life without the internet – I grew up just as the internet was gaining popularity.  I remember my parents were really adament against having cabled internet.  I have vivid memories of dialing up, along with the noise and the inability to use the phone, when I need to do research on the internet.  When we finally got cabled internet, it was a whole new world had opened for me.  Do you remember ICQ?  I was so excited when I got my first account.  Now, the internet is everywhere and I’m so obsessed.  I’m not sure if I could revert back to pre-internet days.
3. No cell phones – Align with no internet not having a cell phone is probably a weird concept to today’s kids.  I didn’t get my first cell phone until my last year of high school.  I didn’t get a plan until I moved out and needed one.  I use to have people’s phone numbers memorized.  Now, all I remember is my home number.  Every thing else is programed into my phone (and google contacts as backup).
4. Reading physical books – Today on the bus, the person sitting across from me had a kindle.  More often than not, I see people reading on their iPads when I head to work.  When I was a kid, I read a lot.  I would stay up until odd hours of the day reading just so I could finish it.  Now, I do most of my reading online and if I do read a physical book, I have a lot of trouble trying to finish it – I’m working on it though!  Trying to get back into a habit of reading consistently.
5. Buying CDs – What was the last CD you bought?  Mine?  I don’t remember.  Probably back in high school.  What was the last song you bought online?  This is probably more recent for most people.  I definitely don’t remember the last time I walked into a physical store to purchase a CD.

Its just strange to think that many things that I grew up with and only vaguely remember are not as prevalent.  My brother who is only a couple years younger than I am, probably doesn’t remember dailing up for the internet or buying CDs.  Its just so strange.  Technology has changed so fast in my life span.  I love it.  So exciting to see what else could be invented in the coming years.

UPDATE: Another thing I came up with – being able to spell properly aka life without spell check.  It always annoys me when there are careless mistakes and spelling errors when reading online, especially on Facebook, Youtube and other places people can post.  With computers and word processors with built in spell checks, dictionaries are barely used.  I’m guilty of being using spell check to double check my spelling, but the computer can’t catch all grammatical errors.  Soon people won’t be able to string together a decent sentence!

Ageing with Style

I spend a lot of time in transit between home, work and other engagements.  Tonight, I was at a Skytrain station, waiting for my bus to take me home.  I noticed to the side, an old couple sitting down on a concrete wall and the gentleman had his arm around her waist.  I thought that was interesting, but didn’t look twice.

It was when the bus came that things became interesting.  He walked her to the bus and helped her get on, but didn’t join her.  She then proceeded to walk all the way to the back of the bus and sat on the last bench (where mostly teens like to sit and put up their feet).  He waited outside, standing near where she was seated.  It sort of looked like they were talking with their hands.  When the bus started to pull away from the curb, he blew her a kiss.  As we passed him again, he gave a final wave that she returned.  That exchange was so adorable.  I feel like they were on a date and she was headed home after a long day of adventures.  At least that is what I would like to believe.

Moments later, another elderly gentleman got on the bus.  He had ear buds in his ears and you could clearly tell he was enjoying his music.  Where are all these cool seniors coming from?  Maybe they only come out at night?  When I get older, I want to be like them.  Ageing with style.  Guess the saying is right: “growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional.”

Striving for Perfection – The Balancing Act Between Perfection and Creativity

If I do something, I want to do it well and be the best at it.

To most people, I don’t think I come off as a very competitive person, but really I am.  I want to be the best and do the best.  To the point that it becomes too much.  I was flipping through a friend’s photo of a recent dance performance and I was thinking to myself, I should start dancing again.  But then I realized, if I did, I would want to excel and do everything perfectly.  I would want an environment that pushed me beyond what I’m capable of and what normal people would enjoy.  That push and then success is what makes it so satisfying for me.

It seems backwards, but that was essentially the reason I stopped dancing and didn’t start again.  I wanted the best and wanted to be the best that I could.  The time tradeoff wasn’t worth it to me in the end.  I could either keep dancing (but much less committed compared to the 30+ odd hours I spent at the studio previously), but at a less competitive level, without that push to be better or I  could just stop.  I tried the former, and that didn’t make me happy.  Yes, I liked the movement, I liked letting go – but half the fun was the struggle, was trying to top who I was yesterday, and then succeeding.  Without it, there was no point.  It would be as if I were Sisyphus, contemned to push a rock to the top of the hill over and over again, only to never make it.  Not to that extreme, but you get the point.  [Funny I just alluded to Sisyphus because that came out of my IB English class, essentially what I gave up dancing for – education]

This drive to be the best and to do everything well has definitely moved across my life, seeping into every essence of my being.  Maybe that is why I like cooking and baking so much, because without that perfection, a cake may not turn out the way you want it, or you’ll get sick because something wasn’t cooked the right way.  It requires planning, thinking ahead – attention to details.

Despite all that, I still like creativity and having room for changes and adapting to what is happening.  I don’t see things in black and white, more as shades of grey.  Maybe that’s why I enjoy parts of math and accounting, but cannot see myself dedicating my life to something so clear cut.  Yes, I like perfection, but I also like the ability for self expression and creativity.

Yesterday, I had my one to one performance feedback session with the Local Committee President and we were talking about the AIESEC values and which ones I demonstrate the most.  Acting sustainably and striving for excellence were both things that came out over and over again.  In everything I do, I make sure its the best for me and for the local.  But I just feel like that is a part of who I am and what I value.  Why commit to something if you aren’t going to give it your all?  Why commit to something if its not going to make a difference?  You’ll just be like Sisyphus, pushing a rock nowhere.

My attentions to details, making sure everything is thought of ahead of time – its just who I am.  Parts of that can be attributed to my intense dance training I received from a young age, where if you’re an inch out of line, or your head is place incorrectly warrants a sharp yell for correction.