Joys of Singledom

Six Ways to Sunday Series

Joys of Singledom
In the spirit of the erstwhile Valentines Day, a tongue in cheek logic of why all girls should remain single
1.   You can always flirt
You can flirt with cute guy in the coffee line, not feel guilty of checking out the hottie in the gym. No more thinking twice before accepting a Facebook friend request from the sweet IT guy
2.    You are the master of your time
Anyone and everyone who has been in a relationship can testify to this, no waiting indefinitely for someone. You make your own plans and not have to endure 3 hours of a soccer game or 6 hour PS3 session and pretend to like it.
3.    You don’t have to deal with a whole other person’s set of problems
Your life is complicated and stressful enough, imagine being burdened by another persons stress as well. Listen to him whine about a bad boss, convince him that you will still love him even if he loses all his money or worse his hair.
4.    You can dress the way you want
We can wear that sexy top or those skinny jeans and not have to endure a lecture on “how this is not appropriate clothing”, not worry about your new Steve Madden boots result in you towering over him.
5.    You don’t have to fight for the remote
You can enjoy a marathon of Romedy Now with no interruptions to stop the see the score on a cricket match being played between Bermuda and Scotland or a fight between two men who have more hormone issues than pregnant women
6.    You save money
It’s the best thing ever, since you really don’t have anyone to go out with you have nowhere to spend the money. You can spend it on the gorgeous Bottega clutch you always wanted

First Dates

Over the years I've had my fair share of first dates, most of them have been for the dreaded arranged marriage purpose. But nonetheless they were dates. Some of them have been so charming and romantic, some absolutely disastrous. I think if ever a Wall of Bad First Dates were built I would contribute more than my share of bricks.

So being a veteran at First Dates I have a few Do's and Don'ts for guys out there hoping to find a special someone in their lives, even if its for a romantic interlude and not a life long commitment.

Do's

1. Dress smartly- By that I dont mean a three piece suit, but a crisp well fitted, ironed shirt with comfortable pair of jeans that are not washed out or frayed is the safest outfit. You can never go wrong and you would never feel out of place. Wear comfortable shoes but smart shoes. Wearing flip flops or slippers is only if you are meeting at a beach. Even then loafers or sandals would be preferred. Dont wear more jewellery than her. 

2. Groom yourself - No need for facials and mani-pedis. A proper haircut, your nails cut and clean. Clean shaven or a well trimmed beard is all that is required. Your perfume or deodorant should not be an announcement to your arrival. Also do not have any kind of BO. Nothing is a bigger turn off than a smelly person. Always have some breath mints before you meet, more so if you smoke. 

3. Take Charge of the Date - A girl would like if you decided the place and time to meet shows you are willing to take charge and also responsibility. Be assertive but not aggressive. Choose a place you have been before or is well recommended. Make reservations in advance, so there are no surprises when you arrive. Also don't go to a place which you frequent all the time. Its no good if you bump into people you know on your first date, you dont want the situation to get more awkward than it already is. 

4. Research your Date - Simply means try finding out few basics about her before you meet her. Also doesn't mean you facebook or twitter stalk her. Find out where she works, which school did she attend, where did she grow up. These things if known help as conversation starters and will help you keep talking. 

5. Be a Gentleman - Even the hardest of feminists expect chivalry, open the door for her, stand up when she gets up, ALWAYS PAY THE BILL. Do offer a ride back home or to be dropped where ever she wishes to go, especially at night. It doesn't matter if you dont have your own car it is the thought that matters. If you have your own car avoid bringing a chauffeur/driver. She is not going to be comfortable getting in the back seat of your car. You can also come across as pompous.   

Now comes the Don'ts which are much more

1. Don't Drink too much or if possible don't drink at all - This is a no brainer, you dont want to come across as a drunk or someone who needs to have alcohol in their system to talk to women. Overdoing drinking on the first date shows that you enjoy your drink more than the company. 

2. Don't be Late - Not respecting her and your time is definitely considered rude. A give or take of five to ten minutes is acceptable. Always helps to be early, you can choose a table of your liking. Makes you more relaxed and calm. You will have the opportunity to pull a chair for her. 

3. Don't check out other women also don't stare at her - She would be well aware that you might find another woman attractive but its not something which you make obvious. If you stare at her chest or ass, you simply come across as shallow and petty. Compliment her genuinely, the girl would be well aware of her strengths and weaknesses so if you come across as fake she will figure that out. 

4. Don't check your phone, put it on silent. 

5. Don't talk about your Ex

6. Don't talk about how much money you make

7. Don't go to places which are too crowded or loud 

Ladakh - The land of passes

Ladakh is nature’s example of a dichotomy in a region. Everywhere you look you realize the polarity of the place for a bitter cold and dry desert its definitely heaven on earth. The summer turns the mountains and the passes into a naked and bare obstacles, which transform into gorgeous sparkling white snow glossed entrances into an enchanting world.

For a terrain that is predominantly dry and dusty with little or no rain, gets one the highest snowfall in the entire subcontinent.

The dichotomy is always not this subtle, while driving through the various passes you cant ignore the gushing and fast flowing rivers that are as much an intricate part of the landscape as the barren lifeless mountains and peaks. An irony and antithesis that can put the best poets to shame. The lush green farms provide a brilliant contrast to the rocky mountains that have tufts of grass and cacti to declare as vegetation.

A land locked district is handcuffed between the two most hostile places in the world Kashmir and Siachen, and this is for a district that hasn’t fought a war on its soil in over half a century.

For a peace loving, hard working and god fearing demographic the omnipresence of the military sure is an unhealthy aberration.

India is traditionally known as a Hindu nation with a Muslim minority even though traditionally none of these religions were indigenous to the original subcontinent. Buddhism one the first religions that originated in India is the religion of majority of Ladakhis with Hindus being a distant minority after a scant Muslim population.

But within this ambiguous head are consistencies, of nature at its purest forms , Chinese and Tibetan influenced architecture and definitely its people who couldn’t be more proud to be Indians. 

Conversations by Goldman Sachs Employees in Elevators

Compilation of the finest tweets by GS Elevator

1. #1: If people never trust a skinny chef, they shouldn't want their bankers to be poor.

2. #1: The Euro is dead. They're just bickering over who pays for the funeral.

3. #1: I drive better drunk. I go the speed limit. I concentrate. And I don't use my Blackberry. 

#2: The new S-class drives itself.

4. #1: I saw Zuckerberg at the IPO luncheon in his dopey-looking hoodie. #2: Heard it had 'Team Zimmerman' on the back.

5. #1: My tie collection is worth more than your car.

6.  [Leaving for Teterboro] MD#1: Simple rule. Act like you've been there before. And that applies to everything in life.

7. #1: Insider trading is like pissing in the pool. It sounds dirty, but really isn't that big a deal.

8. #1: A guy came up to me at the gym and asked me what event I was training so hard for. Life, motherfucker.

9. #1: Haircuts are the ultimate economic indicator. In bad times, it's every 8 weeks. In good, it's every 6. #2: I go every 3 weeks.

10. #1: You only live once, and most people don't even do that.

11. #1: Those who can do, do. Those who can't, work at Morgan Stanley.

12.  Associate to Analyst: "My Tuesday night is your Friday night." ED to Associate: "My bar tab is your paycheck."

13. #1: On our anniversary, I send my wife flowers with a Congratulations card.

14. #1: Every guy I know has paid for sex. One way or the other.

15. [CLASSIC] #1: Some chick asked me what I would do with 10 million bucks. I told her I'd wonder where the rest of my money went.

5 Things to learn from Sheldon Cooper

One of my favorite sitcoms is the hit American show called the Big Bang Theory. The lead character is played by Jim Parsons called Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon is a theoretical physicist at the Cal Tech University in Southern California. He is a very complex person. He has an exceptionally high IQ but lacks a lot of social skills. He life revolves around his work and his obsession for comic book characters and other sci fiction stories. To call him quirky would be as much an understatement as to call Bill Gates rich.

Nonetheless there are a few things about Sheldon which I think all of us should imbibe

1. His absolute adherence to routine in his life. Yes he takes discipline to a level of military code but all of us would be more productive if we followed some structure in our lives.

2. His astounding self confidence in his abilities. How often have we all suffered from self doubt and that nagging feeling of lack of self worth. Sheldon never waivers from his belief that he is the best, even when he is glaringly wrong.

3. His ability to refuse to conform to society's rules. He simply lives his life on what is right and wrong. He never worries about fitting in and keeping up appearances. He believes that his work speaks for itself. His private life is no one's concern

4. Sheldon's loyalty to his friends is remarkable. He often disagrees and argues with his friends but never ever hesitates to help them in true face of danger. Such loyalty is a rare exhibit and should always be regarded

5. Sheldon's most endearing quality is that he has kept the child in him alive. He creates time for things that make him happy even if it as ridiculous as dressing up in weird costumes and going for Comic Con.

Mexico's Abortion Stand

Mexico passed an important legislation in terms of abortions. Abortions are now illegal in several states of the country. I am not familiar with the laws of Mexico, but its clear that this issue is a state issue and not a federal one.

Any law that is a state law and not a federal one has the risk of not being executed to its fullest, for the simple reason that to enforce the law you have to ensure domicile and residency. Therefore women can definitely move from one state to another to have an abortion. Also the backlash of such legislation is that it results in illegal, unsafe and medically unsound abortions that can lead to serious corrupt services and medical malpractices. The common bane of developing countries is poverty and corruption that arises from that. Mexico has definitely made a gross error in this legislation by simply making it illegally as a state offense. If it had been a federal law it would be more effective.

In India we dont have such problems of abortions illegally because we dont mind killing the girl child after she is born. The government is cracking down on illegal sonography clinics where sex determination is performed. The thought and the rationale behind is well intended but it is only half the problem. Does the government care what happens to the baby after she is born. A follow up on how if a girl is delivered is she still alive after 5 years or 18 months or for that matter even one month. We need legislation for that, we need serious enforcing of a law that checks on girls born, and if dead under what circumstances.

Abortion regulations and laws are world over considered as a Women's Right to Choose. In our country its the other way around, keeping the child is considered as a Women's Right to choose. Millions of women every year lose their daughters because some archaic belief that we are a burden on them. Well they should be reminded that the Commander in Chief of the country and the Chairperson of the ruling party are both women.

Living Single

I read a very universally true thought today. People are alike all over, irrespective of their origin, financial status, genetics, social standing. They all are looking for the same things. They all want to be loved, appreciated, be successful.

Hence they also perceive in a similar fashion. They still have preconceived notions about women who are single after a certain age. God forbid if the girl is half decent looking and has the resemblance of a brain. She is either labelled as "easy" "slut" "frigid" or even worse a lesbian. It is quite likely that the girl wants to be able to create a name and position for herself before she decides to commit herself to someone. The odds of her being in a serious relationship are very high. Has it ever occurred to people that she chose not to get married or commit to a relationship because she simply didn't want to.

Hence post that men of all ages and relationship status suddenly gain the right to flirt with them, assume the women are definitely available and there is a void in these women's lives that a man alone can fill. Men need to grow up. We do not need you, we manage fine without you. Trying to be sympathetic cos we are single is not going to gain you brownie points. It just iterates the fact that all men are lecherous, cheating bastards. They can flirt with not only to random strange girls on the internet but with their partner's friends.

The sad end to this truth is that even the naive or pretend naive partners and wives of these philandering creeps blame the other women. They are constantly threatened by the single women and their independent lives.

Rest assured ladies, we dont want a man in our lives and if we did, we are definitely not interested in yours