lunch time discussion

Does a person determine what happens in society or does society determine what a person does?

This was the conversation I had during lunch (with family) & started as a conversation about parenting style & if it's possible to raise a child the same way the an older generation raised children.

I don't think it is, especially in a multicultural country like Canada, where children will interact with many different people & with how different television (& other media) is right now which also largely affects the child.

RAPTORS!!!

Finally!!! Good news for the Raptors! We not only will be hiring a new general manager, but the person they hired is among the best in the league right now.

This is the best news for the Raptors since the horrible Vince Carter trade & the even worse drafts for the last 2 years

In College basketball, Duke is still winning, but i'm worried about the quality of those wins, March Madness is SO close, March should be a really good month actually!

Olympics are finished, Canada got more medals than last Olympic, but did not win in Men's Hockey so it doesn't feel like a good Olympics. The USA did not do as well as last time, no countries got 30 medals or more

In AIESEC, I am working on a little bit of marketing when I have time, MQB is getting better as time goes by (& i've enjoyed it so much so far!), I should know about the CEED very soon

Internationally a new team has/is being elected/selected, I know we are going in a great direction, so i'll just say I am happy to see so many people stepping up to stay in AIESEC & take things further, & hope people who weren't selected find their place inside/outside of AIESEC

It's going to be so much fun congratulating our very own MCP, ARAZ!!!

I'm going to try & continue studying next month since finals are about a month away, but i'll probably be very distracted with basketball!!!

AIESEC.net!!!

ITS BACK & BETTER THAN EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to upload some files, i'm SO excited!!!!!!!!

Roots

Where is Roots (clothing company) during the Olympics???

To me they are like the official clothes of Canada so it's pretty surprising that I haven't seen commercials or their clothing & only knew about what they did because I read it online

Canada hosts the next winter Olympics so maybe that has something to do with it???

Stats

So i've had this blog now for a little more than 2 months.

And so far, there have been, on average, more than 11 vistors per day!

That is SO much more than I thought.

So, lets break down that 11, I would say 1 person from the West (sometimes Abby!!!), 1 person from Montreal (sometimes Pam!), 1 person from Western Europe (random), 3 people from Ontario (@Toronto, sometimes Llorene), 1 or 2 random clicks most likely by mistake, & the rest would be me checking if someone posted a comment (people usually don't)

I also average a little less than 1 post a day for this blog.

I'm enjoying school again, it's still an exam a week but I guess i'm use to it, or maybe i'm just happy that my sister is home for reading week

AIESEC is going well, some very important things coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Basketball is great! Duke is back at #1! The All-Star weekend if now over& there are some trades going on

Olympics are exciting, I don't get to watch as much this week, but as keeping my eye on the medal count.

My thought of the moment is "a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle"

Right after I post a message I think of more to say, but that's why I blog so much!

Thanks for reading, hope you also have blogs!

Doogal

It isn't a surprise to me that I haven't gone out much given the semester I have.

Marina Ran has informed me of a movie named Doogal which comes out Friday (note: my last name is Duggal, spelled & pronounced differently), so we may go see it simply because it is similar to my name!

Jon Stewart plays the voice of a character in it, there are some other famous people as well (Judi Dench, Chevy Chase, Ian McKellan), the trailer makes it seem like LOTR, I guess i'll give a review after seeing it.

I'm mentioning it here because I KNOW ALREADY!!! I DO NOT need to hear all the lame jokes you will come up with!

While we are on the topic of not telling me lame jokes, smarties is now offering smarties with peanuts. And the tagline they use to advertise it is says something with the word nutty in it (I don't remember it, & couldn't find it online) AGAIN, DO NOT tell me about this, I DON'T care!!!

Why do people enjoy picking on me so much? I figure it's the way I react

Click here for the Johari window

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

AIESEC.net will be down next week

Any updates will not be there after the week, so there probably won't be many
Any spams will not be saved in bulk mail history, so there may not be many

It will be better after, but a WHOLE WEEK!

So, I will NOT be going on AIESEC.net next week...

ASCII Art

I was browsing around & found that ASCII Art, which was always pretty cool but took long time to create has now been made into an easy to do software.

All I had to do was select the picture & it converted it into ASCII, I did it with my of my picture on flickr & than uploaded the result, it is SO hard to tell, until you actually zoom into it, that it isn't an original black & white picture! (it is actually made out of the characters from the keyboard, letters, numbers, symbols!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Isabel Dimitrov turns 21 today

Legal in most countries for a lot of things ;)

It is so hard for me to believe that Isabel is actually younger than me because she sure doesn't act it.

Isabel & I got close before an AIESEC conference (NLDC 2005) we were actually on the same bus together and didn't realize it until we were in Ottawa. From Ottawa on I didn't stop talking, mostly about AIESEC!

She is one of my favourite people in all of AIESEC! I call her my favourite LCP & she truly is, I love the attitude with which she takes on her role & how much she has done with it! She is currently a 2-timing LCP.

Outside of work she is an incredible person & I really miss her despite the fact that she is gone for like a week. I look forward to working with her & spending more time with her as we continue our way through AIESEC, it is actually VERY hard for me to imagine doing something in AIESEC & her not being there. Thank you to AIESEC for having been what introduced me to her!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

He's back!!!

Eddie In (Incoming MCP AIESEC Korea) & (AIESEC York Alumnus) will be in town from March 5th, 2006 - March 16th, 2006

Google!

These google people are seriously, slowly taking over the world!

How many people are now on gmail??? And some how we are almost at 2.7 Gb of space!

So many people have switched to google for searching online (do you even remember what you used before?? how long ago was that???!!!)

This is a good thing since it brings in A LOT of innovation, there are a lot of partnerships being formed

The scariest is how there are 10 yr olds who are using the internet as much as, if not more, then we are! But at the same time, that is the reality for us, there is still a large digital divide (shortening by such projects as the $100 laptop) & there is regulation of the internet in some countries

In other news, Olympics are pretty exciting, mostly because of the competitive nature of them. The US is not doing as well as they hoped, which is good in a way since it means other countires are getting stronger, but also shows that we are investing a lot of money into these programs when there are other programs that need the money more.

In Basketball, NBA, the All Star game is this weekend, pretty excited about it since a lot of talented players signed up for the Saturday events (except for the dunk competition), the Raptors are definately exceeding expectations, but still not doing great. In College Basketball Duke may be ranked #1 again. Less then a month away until tournament time (one of the best times of the year!)
In boxing (yes, boxing!) there is this new 7 foot guy who's like 300 pounds, but is actually pretty good, who is making his way up to being a serious threat. Typically, such boxer did not do well, despite some advantages, but he may be different

There was this movie on the other day (I have Rogers On Demand) The Butterfly Effect, & I still remember the first time I saw it, it was VERY sad that the best thing for someone else is if you weren't in their life, I would definately recommend watching that or Memento. For documentary fans, I would recommend watching The Corporation, Yes Men, Outfoxed, or something by Roger Moore (although I don't necessary agree with all of them, and am VERY pro US & pro Corporation, I am open to the other view, & you should be too, so watch them!!!)

AIESEC is going well, for those of you in it you'll see. And I really have to get back to studying!!!

Chuck Norris???

I don't get this at all, and would REALLY like someone to explain it to me.

The is this site that lists a bunch of so called facts about Chuck Norris, they are QUITE exaggerated & I guess done because he is so tough???

Is there something I missed???

Nervous!

I'm applying for what seems like the 3rd last thing in something that has taken up a large part of my university life (AIESEC)

There are some other things going on today & i'm excited as well as anxious

I'm on reading week but there is a lot of work to do!

Happy Birthday

Today is Moiza's 23rd birthday!

I met Moiza at an AIESEC conference, & then again at another conference but she forgot my name! We ended up working on the very next conference together but I have learnt now that with Moiza you shouldn't offer to help (she'll actually accept!) Please do NOT ask me for her contact information (it makes me laugh if people gossip about us because she enjoys it, she gets amused by my reactions to some things)

Below is a picture of us, me serious as always, her smiling as usual! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOIZA!

Happy Birthday

Today is Dalal's 22nd birthday

I met Dalal though AIESEC & have definately enjoyed our times. We haven't directly worked together but I know that she is one of the best exchangers!

She is so good that she will be on the MC next year (country to be determined). Currently, Dalal & I enjoy discussing the Japanese Economy

Here is a picture of us from an AIESEC conference. It is scary how much she is like Llorene! Anyways, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALAL!

Olympics!!!

The Games have begun!!!

Although I live in Canada I haven't really participated in any Canadian sports, I can skate a little, definately CAN'T play hockey, but watching these olympics is making me want to try some of these sports.

Sam took me to the Olympic spirit building downtown & I tried to sit in a bobsled (did not go too well), but I would want to try the luge & possibly ski jumping or mogul, my brother says I would fall right after going in the air & that me doing any of this would be like a bloppers video

I'm on reading week & have been a lot of work so far, but it's SUCH a lazy day

Horrible!

The TTC is thinking of increasing fare rates AGAIN, they will do it by April 1st (not an April fools joke)

Also, the Grammy's are on tonight & they are SO long and SO boring

Next week I begin reading week, I have an exam on the Sunday of, so i'll be studying for most of it, otherwise I plan on doing AIESEC work.

This weekend, I might just take it off!

Social Understanding!

Wow, so I just had a talk with some girl, family friends daughter, who is in grade 12 & wanted to discuss what she's applying for in University

She's indian, & as such going to university is NOT optional.

She wants to study pyschology, & my dad was all like, where are you going to take that, & starts talking about marriage & stuff like that

But I say, is it what you are interested in? Do you do well in it? Then go for it! I complimented her on researching about where she would study it & started talking about how different university life is (she was getting a little nervous about not having gotten an acceptance letter yet) so I start talking about different clubs on campus, & she means a religious students association, & i'm like that's good but I like being involved in something that has a bunch of different cultures in it.

She asked if I was in any clubs on campus (KEYWORDS: SHE ASKED!) & so I get into the whole AIESEC pitch!

So by the end of it, & based on my recommendation, she is switching OUT of international business & INTO some pyschology course for this semester & then going into pyschology

As traditional as I am, as similar as my dad & I are, there are sometimes where I surprise myself!

Super Bowl

So the team that was favored to win won, blah blah blah, BIG DEAL

Let's get to the important news: the commercials!

Being in Canada, the only way I get to watch the ads are online, so i've seen them & have 2 comments

1) Gillette, you have taken us from 1 blade to 5, WHY???
2) Sprints ad about crime deterent phones was hilarious! I'll let you find it to see why I say so (the link on this sidebar of this blog should have it soon)

breaks!

I hate it when i'm looking for something, and then something else falls and it breaks!!!

Like just now! A plate fell & broke into MANY pieces so I had to broom & vacuum.

So I thought, why not ONLY have things that CAN'T break!

This will especially be useful for CARS. Think about a world where we drive around in a bigger version of the bumper cars. But instead of bumping each other away, the impact would be absorbed internally into the cars rubber & after some yelling you would be on your way.

Find below a picture of my future plates! Come to my house/apartment & this is all you will get! (stainless steel, different sections for different types of foods)

Impeachment

I thought this was a joke, but...

There are some people who are actually seriously about Impeaching President George W. Bush.

Now, I don't think they'll get enough support to even start something serious, but honestly, what did he do that was deserving of Impeachment?

He leads a country based on the decisions of the people in power. He was voted in, in a democratic process. He has economic indicators of success & finally, he is helping the countries that need it the most achieve freedom.

It is VERY difficult to try to work with countries which have leaders which are running dictatorships. And the Republican party is the best option for the US. I just hope Rudy Giuliani is next.

Here is a article about the impeachment

weather???

IT IS SNOWING???!!!

Although it is VERY normal to snow in Canada around this time, with global warming it has been more like Fall

Something i'd like to do soon is enjoy the snow by skiing or snow boarding

I'm also thinking, what is Canadian culture? How do you show other people what it's like to be Canadian when we are always saying to be yourself?

PASSPORT!!!

When I got home I saw a parcel from Canada Post in my name

I knew what it was!

So, I haven't left the country except to go to the US in 16 years.

Are you eating chinese takeout, or dining in Beijing?

My application is almost done (I usually look over things MANY times)

Here's to hoping!

This is SO not like me...

So, i'm sitting in the library (where else would I be) studying & doing AIESEC work (which means I am doing AIESEC work but I should be studying)...

And I notice this girl photocopying something...

And I think...not bad...

And then I go to check my voice mail (which means I go check her out, I did actually have voice mail but thats SUCH an excuse)

And so I confirm...not bad at all...

So i'm pretty distracted! My AIESEC work is done, but i'm leaving the library

I looked at the SWOT analysis & it isn't feasible for me to do anything about this

Otherwise I would develop a long term strategy & start implementing it!

It's the WEEKEND!

I have 2 exams & an assignment due!

There are SO many sporting events distracting me as well!!!

And it really seems like my education/career plan will get delayed because of my AIESEC plans

Very interesting...

tired!

AIESEC AIESEC AIESEC

The BALANCE I am aiming for has not been reached yet, but is still a WIP

Anyways, I am definately enjoying what i'm up to & VERY excited because the CEED countries are announced (I have 2 weeks to submit an application, i'm almost done!)

The countries are Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa, & Togo

Because of my internet requirement (because I am MQB Team Leader) I CANNOT go to Dominican Republic, Kenya, South Africa or Togo

Currently, based on job descriptions, I am ranking them China, Pakistan, India, Brazil