starWorld

perspectives...

2009-01-16T06:33:00.001-05:00

Like this Quote by Francis bacon:

It’s not what you earn, but what you save that makes you wealthy;
It’s not what you read, but what you remember that makes you learned;
It’s not what you preach, but what you practice that makes you a Christian.

ignorance is not bliss....

2009-01-16T06:12:00.004-05:00

From 'The You Docs':
"A study of 3,000 young men and women revealed that people who chose fast food two or more times per week gained the most weight over time and were more likely to suffer insulin resistance, a precursor of diabetes.

No wonder: When it comes to fast food, it's not always obvious which items turn you into an Orca lookalike and which leave you thinner than a guppy. Take, for instance, the fact that a reduced-fat blueberry muffin holds 400 calories at Dunkin' Donuts; a glazed doughnut contains 230 (not that either of them is a good breakfast choice, of course). And would you know that two slices of a large Domino's pizza delivers 360 calories; a Southwest salad with crispy chicken at McDonald's brings you 430, without dressing?"

wow...who would have thought?!
...I had a reduced-fat blueberry muffin at Starbucks yesterday...with a skinny mocha...opppss...

I miss India

2007-08-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

I had a blast in India- enjoyed everything about it...the food, the people, the hustle and bustle and all-round activity of the place.

You never know what you're going to see or who're going to encounter- that was definitely part of the charm of the experience.

I love this old dude....can you even begin to imagine his life? the story that his wrinkles tell? the thoughts behind the twinkle in his eyes??

But the kids were by far my favorite- they're busting with life and energy and so much potential...

Yep... I'm definitely going back!

Prom

2007-04-16T02:03:00.000-05:00

Counting down the days till I officially graduate!
We held our annual Capitalist Ball last Friday (our version of Prom)- had a blast! I've met some awesome people at Owen and I'll be sad to say goodbye to them. Here are some snapshots of the night. Click on the pic to view the album...Don't judge mom!

Cap Ball

Party on dude...

2007-04-16T01:32:00.000-05:00

Don't generally party in school...too much work, and knowing me, I'll end up getting distracted and having to work extra hard to refocus. However, Bobby is leaving before graduation, so I had to make an exception to attend his going-away party.

Had a great time for most of the night...loved hanging out with my fellow students and meeting Bobby's friends who flew in from NY for the event. They were too cute and extremely available (don't worry mom, I'm always a good girl....)

Bobby is going into Investment Banking and will be starting at UBS (NY) once he graduates. We had our NY final round interviews on the same day...and what a day that was. I lost my reading glasses (which I was seriously banking on to make me look extra intelligent), got locked in the bathroom of my hotel room at the start of the day, and had my cell phone cut! Everything that could have gone wrong probably did go wrong that day! 'Murphy' was getting up close and personal and I wasn't liking it one bit.

Anyway, lucky for me, Bobby came to store his baggage in my room and was able to get me out....my hero. The rest is history.

As for the party- it was awesome....we arrived to see the cops outside his door! The neighbours were complaining...

Click on the album below to enjoy pics from the event!

Bobby's party

2007-03-25T14:24:00.001-05:00

Just reminiscing about the India trip...as I mentioned previously, it was a class trip designed to help us explore ways of alleviating poverty, which generally exists at the bottom of the society pyramid.

Anyway, someone came up with the inspired idea of forming a pyramid, in honor of our 'project pyramid' class when we visited the Buddha statue In India.

Here's the video clip:

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLSMQn1DBzI

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbU1fS3xSVY

This other clip is totally hilarious!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9WSQgg6jFc

You'd never guess the guy in that clip is a soon to be NY Investment Banker and the gal is a soon to be McKinsey consultant!

Global food festival

2007-03-23T19:36:00.000-05:00

The Global Business Club hosted the 'Global Food Festival' yesterday at school.

It was soooo cool. We had about ten countries/ regions represented. The premise is that groups of students get together based on the country/ region of origin and prepare a table of delicious foods, representative of part of the world.

(Hwee, Blair and I)
Don't ask me how, but I was somehow recruited into the Asian table! (Mind you, this wasn't even the SE Asian group, but the Chinese/ Thai/ Korean contingent!) Oh well, I had a blast! Unfortunately, I can't claim to have contributed to the mouth-watering dishes at our table (though I did stir the peanuts). My value added was in making the decorations- I think I missed my calling! Had soooo much fun doing those decorations, you'd swear I'm not a soon-to-graduate MBA student.

Unfortunately we didn't win (did I mention it was a competition? The prize is not so much the measly $300, but the unlimited bragging rights!), but according to my Chinese friend Hwee, it's not about winning (of course Blair and I strenuously disagreed. We were however, persuaded to Hwee's way of thinking when we didn't win).

The Taiwanese crew were the winners of the night. We're trying to find out who exactly they bribed!

(Me after I was able to confiscate some Mardi-gras beads from the New Orleans table, and with a red - bindi on my forehead from the Indian table...so cosmopolitan :) )

(Chris just wanted to wear a skirt..eh ... kilt. [Chris doesn't realize he's black...we decided not to burst his bubble])

(Nat looking like this Kafia, traditional dress in Dubai, was made for him! He's was really getting into the spirit of this outfit and trying to recruit his harem of women! (JK)

Nat was responsible for organizing our trip to India and our activities while we were there. He did an amazing job!)

(What happens at Owen, stays in Owen :) )

India Tea

2007-03-23T19:03:00.001-05:00

One of the most interesting things about visiting another country/ region is the diverse array of cuisine. Somethings you come back dreaming about (I had mouth-watering dreams about curry chicken the first day after arriving in the US from my visit to India), other things are just too adventurous for your pallet (beetle leaves...don't even ask me what this is!).

One of the things to really appeal to me was the India way of making tea and the Arabian way of drinking coffee. In addition to the regular tea bag or brewed coffee, both drinks require the use of Eastern spices. The end result....delicious!

While in Dubai we had an amazing Desert Safari tour. In addition to the sand boarding, dune bashing, belly dancer and henna tattoos, we were introduced to Arabian coffee. The coffee is brewed with Cinnamon, Saffron and Cardamom. Very different, very exotic, and to me, very appealing.

(Cinnamon )

Indian tea is a bit different- very milky and very sweet, but also extremely spicy. This too incorporates Cardamom and Saffron.

So, one of the first things I did upon arriving in the States was to purchase my very own collection of spices and concoct my own version of India Tea...call it Ria's Brew or something.

(Saffron)

Ria's Brew: One bag of green tea (wonderful if you get your hands on green mint tea), 1/2 stick of cinnamon, couple grains of cardamom and cloves, some ginger and garlic (fresh). Brew this is some hot water, add milk and sugar to taste.

Can someone say 'Ummmmmmmmmmm....'.

(Cardamom)

at this moment

2007-03-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

I just took a break from studying and wondered outside for some fresh air. As I stood in the sunshine, huddling in my jacket against the somewhat chilly wind- it suddenly dawned on me:

At this moment I was meant to be here.
I was meant to be feel the sunshine on my face, to feel the wind on my skin.
At this moment, I was meant to be and not six feet under.

At this moment, I was meant to be in school, in Nashville, in the USA. I was meant to live in this time and place and understand all the associated dynamics.

Because I was meant to be here at this time, because I meant for this- this moment is mine. I own it (maybe as much as it owns me?).

What I do with this moment is my choice- I can choose to succeed, to pursue my dreams, to walk in my destiny, to grab satisfaction. That choice is mine- in this moment...this moment that spans my life.

This too shall pass

2007-03-15T18:16:00.000-05:00

They say the only constant is change...that could be either a scary thought or a liberating thought.

Some things, we're very comfortable with, and for those things we resist, even defy change.

Then there are situations we find ourselves in that hurt us. When we face those circumstances, we're consumed by it- by the emotion of it. All that exists at that time is our pain. Our present daunts us, we either forget our past or regret it, and our future pales.

At these times, we forget that 'this too shall pass'. Yes, we do need too live in the present, even this present. But remember that the present is dynamic, moving, ever-changing. To be optimistic even in the midst of it (whatever it is), and wait on that wind of change to revive us.

open the eyes of my heart...

2007-03-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

Thought for today, courtesy Corey Cleek: Work is a form of worship.

The Theology of work:
Work existed before the fall of man, it is not a result of the fall.
Work is a gift! It is a form of worship. It is a way for us to glorify God.
When we work we are co-creators with God.

Isn't it nice to see things in a different way? To embrace a new way of thinking that expands your horizons and broadens your boundaries?

We hear so much about the prayer of Jabez, "Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that Thou would bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast [territory], and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou would keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!' And God granted him that which he requested." 1 Chron 4:10

I've always thought about this in physical, materialistic terms.
But while not wrong, I now think it is incomplete- God can broaden our horizons, and extend our boundaries - by opening our minds and broadening our understanding, by allowing us to see, understand and know things we didn't before. That is a true freedom, a true expansion of ourselves, and a true growth.

It's the transformation we should strive for- 'be ye transformed (into the image of Christ), by the renewing of our minds (understanding, knowledge, perspective)'. [Words in parentheses are mine for explanation.]
Change is never easy, and this transformation is probably one of the more extenuous processes we will ever go through- because 'our ways are not as His ways, and our thoughts are not as His thoughts'.

called to the market place

2007-03-14T14:24:00.000-05:00

So the Christian Business Fellowship session with Corey Cleek just finished. I actually turned out to be very good. I'm glad I came- I believe that everything happens for a purpose, that my steps are ordered, and I know I it was purpose that brought me here- at this particular point in my life.

I mentioned in my last entry that Corey is a MBA from Duke and is very heavy in the business world- he's into the Internet/ tech environment and has worked at such giants as Amazon and EBay.

Some of the things he said really hit home to me. He spoke about knowing that he was called to the market place. But to reach this realization, he had to really struggle. Traditionally, ministry was not necessarily perceived as being outside the church. But he knew he had a passion for business- that he was 'wired' that way. I totally understand that- from my earliest memories, I remember being fascinated by business- the running and organization and creation of it. Most kids pretend to be a fire-man or a police man- I pretended to be a business woman, with my brief case filled with papers for me to sign, sitting in my office...to ensure my brothers were able to play with me (they wanted to be the police men and fire men), we would pretend that they had to report to me, and I'd direct to what needed to be done. It's been a natural progression in the business field since then.

Corey spoke about finding the intersection of your passion for business and your passion for ministry. About searching the scriptures to see what was said about business, stewardship and work. I know these things, but I'm really glad I hear them today. I've been struggling with this- my parents might know abit about this, because I was very indecisive for a while about accepting my job offer in Investment Banking- Was this my calling? Was it my purpose? Was this what God wanted for me at this time? Sure, I wanted it. But did God want it for me?

But, I'm of the position that my steps are ultimately ordered by God- He's lead me up to this point, I know He has opened doors in my life for me to walk through, and I know He has closed certain others- I know this to be true. So I trust Him here- and so far, things that seem impossible have been happening. My desire to come to B-school was so strong, my desire to work in IB was so strong- but it was at that point where I actually gave it back up to God, where I said, yes Lord, I want this, but not my will- but yours be done - it was at that point that I got my breakthrough and God delivered to me my desire. I know this to be true.

So I may not have completely found my life's intersection of business and ministry- but I'm definitely moving in that direction.

Selah

What would people say if I tell them I'm a Jesus freak...

2007-03-14T13:09:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in the Christian Business Fellowship Club meeting in my MBA school...sad to say it's my first visit. I know, I know it's sad. My dad is a pastor, my brother is the president of the students for his theological school...and this is my first visit to the CBF club.

It's so easy to get caught up in the MBA life. It's a vortex that sucks you in. It's hard to break a momentum that is already going- but I know I have a strong foundation that keeps me rooted, even if sometimes I get blinded by all the dust that this vortex is raising as it tries to suck me in. I wish I could say it was only me in this quandry. Sadly, I can't. I'm one of 10 people at the session. Two others are not even students here! As I sit here waiting for this session to start, I overhear the president speak about the leadership succssion of the club- she's trying to persuade a first year to become the secretary and she mentions that she 'cornered' someone else to try to talk him into taking up her position as president. Compare this to the landscape of other clubs, where there is usually a highly competitive race to enter club leadership positions...sad indeed.

So I wait for the session to start. I usually make a conscious effort to meet and greet people, even if I am the outsider in a new place. I assign that habit to my years as a youth leader, where it was my responsibility to ensure that the new young people were welcomed into the fold (that's sounds like something out of some spooky spiritual setting- sorry, you know what I mean). But sometimes I wait to see how/ when/ if ppl appr me first- I view it as a measure of the warmth and friendliness of the Church/ org...also the spiritual climate.
One of the non- students infront of me turns around and introduces himself to the person on my left. A while later, he turns and introduces himself to the person on my right. I'm ignored. Hopefully, it's because I'm sitting infront of my laptop and don't really appear too friendly. Hopefully I'm not reading too much into that slight. Hopefully, I don't have a chip on my shoulder.

Time to sign off and listen to our speaker- Corey Cleek, and a Duke MBA, with a great resume, including being the merchandiser manager for DC Talk on their Jesus Freak tour (hence my heading :) ).

dubai airport

2007-03-10T08:58:00.000-05:00

So my trip to India has ended-it was amazing. Can't even begin to describe the look, feel and sound of the place...will give more details later.

In Dubai Int'al Airport right now- have a 14 hour layover! Too expensive to get a visa to enter the city for a mere couple of hours.

With the two other non-American students from my group. Just hanging out and bitching about how unfair the treatment is against people within the same region...well, I'm sympathizing with them, one is from Jordan and the other from Bangladesh...so they aren't all that happy that our American counterparts have free access to Dubai, while they are confined to the airport.

The optimistic viewpoint however, is that we couldn't pick a better airport to be stuck in- Dubai's airport is huge, lots of shopping areas, there is an in-house hotel, fitness center, manicure/pedicure facilites etc...

School starts on Monday- still have to finanlize my classes.

Well back to my crazy friends here!

breaking the cycle of poverty

2007-03-05T15:38:00.000-05:00

Today we visited a remote village outside of Hyderabad to see micro finance in action.

Micro finance involves giving small loans to the poor, who can then use it to invest in an entrepreneurial venture. It's a means of channelling funds to these individuals and an attempt to break the cycle of poverty.

We were hosted by SKI Micro finance company, who's business model is very much similar to that of Gramean Bank. Loans are made to individuals to fund various projects- agriculture, trade, services etc. The business model depends heavily on the intense community atmosphere in the villages. Loans are non-collateralized, instead it's almost as if the collateral used in the individuals reputation in the village. Surprisingly, the loss of name seems sufficient to prevent loan defaults in these areas.

It was very eye-opening to see exactly how the system was executed at this grass roots level. Firstly, loans are made primarily to women, who are viewed as the more reliable target market. Each village elects a center leader who oversees membership. Meetings are held once a week, every week. Women gather in a central area, and sit in a semi-circle around on the dirt floor. The money collector is at the front of this semi-circle.

The money collector proceeds to call out the names of women with outstanding amounts due, the respective women proceeds to hand over her money to the collector in the presence and view of her peers.

Loans are also given to new or existing members. However, it is the group of members present who have the power to okay or deny these new loans! The loan collector asks for permission to lend and the membership will collectively deny or accept the request.

Individuals are placed in groups of five. Should one or more members default, it is the responsibility of the remaining members to honor the loan and ensure repayment.

Social accountability and peer pressure seems to be the key in ensuring the success of this system.

In addition to attending the meetings, we had the pleasure of viewing the businesses (small village shop, Buffalo's kept for milk, offspring) and interacting with the villagers and children.

Poverty in this region is not pretty. It's stark and dirty and real. Breaking the cycle of poverty here seems almost a herculean task.

However, by making funds available to these individuals, they have a very tangible means of not only surviving, but breaking the trap of poverty over themselves and family.

Very inspiring to know that alot of the villagers had children who were going to university and such...their ability to earn wealth opened up opportunities to further advance their economic status and elevate their standard of living.

Indian Wedding

2007-03-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

Had the pleasure of seeing an Indian wedding today. So beautiful and festive. I loved the way the groom's family danced in front of him as he entered the building on a beautiful, decorated white horse.

There were these men holding kerosene lamps on their heads that were used to fuel about six light bulbs. Very interesting, a bit scary because they were begging for money with these lamps on their heads!

Also notable was that the groom's face was completely covered in beads and pearls...usually it's the bride that is covered. Nice having the tables turned.

buddha

2007-03-05T13:46:00.000-05:00

We visited the Buddha statue yesterday. It was placed on the rock of Gibraltar in the waters of the Hussain Sagar. It is the tallest standing monolith of 72 feet, built by over 200 sculptors over a period of two years. What is really interesting is that the Buddhas here are very skinny, directly opposite to the almost obese statues we're accustomed to in the West.

We had a blast! The view is gorgeous, and nothing beats watching the sunset over the waters. The women here wear the most beautiful Indian wear. I'm so fascinated by it.

Yesterday was the celebration of Holi. It's an Indian festival celebrating the start of the Indian New Year. Basically, you roam the streets throwing dyed power on others. Very colorful and festive. Most people were still dyed red from the day's festivities- very interesting against the colorful saries and shalwars.

Well, it's after 1 pm here - gotta run!

More pics at Golconda Fort

2007-03-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

The view is amazing! It was worth climbing those 300 steps to see this!

The entrance to Golconda Fort.

Golconda Forte, India

2007-03-04T06:09:00.000-05:00

Visited Golconda Fort, India today. Huge! You have to climb about 700 steps to cover the ruins (going up plus coming back down). The ruins are amazing, the view is otherworldly.

I can't help but try to imagine living in that time and civilization. (My overactive imagination was the only thing that kept me interested during history classes in high school.) Walking up and down those steps, threading the same path that kings and nobles, peasants and servers, would have followed hundreds of years ago. It blows the mind.

The whole castle took 62 years to complete! That's a lifetime. I can believe it after seeing the amazing craftsmanship and the overall vastness of the castle and surroundings.

As for the actual hike, it was hot and dusty. I'm wearing a scarf in this picture for very practical purposes. It does a whole lot to keep the sun off your skin and the dust out of your eyes. It also prevents your hair from getting tangled. I totally get the origin of the hijab (Muslim religious wear) now!

Taking the lid off...

2007-03-04T05:48:00.000-05:00

Mind blowing, phenomenal, nothing like I’ve ever seen or imagined- in less than my 10 hours here, I’ve had more first time experiences than I’ve probably had in the last 10 months. In my 40 minutes walking around shopping from saris, I’ve had more eye-popping, jaw dropping, breath gasping experiences than I’ve probably ever experienced in any single compact, continuous moment.

Blow my mind….

1. Motorized rickshaws.
One of India’s prominent means of transportation (imagine a bunch of yellow toy cars crazily zigzagging around, with no consideration to traffic lights, other vehicles and other pedestrians). I remember being most shocked to realize that they actually have breaks and will actually stop for you if you are in the middle of the road while attempting to cross it.
Our toy car supposedly holds three passengers, but Bill insists that he saw at least 10 people crammed into one!

My foray into the unknown:
Bana and I decided to be adventurous and take a motorized rickshaw in our quest for Indian wear…wow. We had to hang unto our seat for dear life, in our pathetic attempt not to fly outside, as our driver did some driving feats that are understandably outlawed in the west. We survived to tell the tale though (note to self: find out about the road accident and fatality rate here).

2. People’s apparent fearlessness in crossing the street.
Okay, so this doesn’t sound like much, I mean it’s a narrow, two-lane, two-way street. But imagine having rush hour traffic from the I-64 highway crammed onto these narrow, two-lane, two-way streets…then picture 5 clueless foreigners trying to navigate this traffic flow…you should fearing for our lives and limbs at this time!
In attempting to cross the street I’ve had my life flash before me at least 3 times, I think I’ve even seen the fabled light at the end of the tunnel (of course that could be several on coming headlights all blurred into one).

3. Bare feet school kids.
Three girls in their matching blue school uniforms with white cotton shirts walk in front of me, happily holding hands, smiling gaily, skipping along the pitch road. They are about 9 – 10 years old. The two on the end wear socks and shoes, the one in the middle wears bare feat, caked with dust and calluses. They skip along the road – to them nothing is out of the ordinary. They eventually cross the street, easily navigating the chaotic roads that leave my group of five - supposedly adult, experienced MBAs - extremely intimidated.

4. I’m not Indian
When you see me, you’d generally assume I’m Indian. It won’t be a bad assumption- I’m brown skinned with black hair, all my ancestors except one Spanish grand-mother hails from the shores of India.

I’ve grown up in Trinidad and Tobago, a melting pot of different ethnic races, cultures and lifestyles. I’ve grown up in the midst of countless Indian temples and Muslim mosques, been to various religious ceremonies and festivals, eaten our version of Indian foods and had members of both sides of my family expound on the characteristics of Hinduism (on my mom’s side) and Islam (on my dad’s side).

But I despite this outward similarities, I think I’m more foreign than some of my Anglo-Saxon counterparts. Who cares though? This is my personal journey, my process of self discovery. I haven’t even begun to unravel the significance of this realization to me yet, except to note that I do acknowledge that some profound shift seems imminent.

But, I guess for everyone else, I want to stress the huge gap between the cultures that I’ve noted. It is true that globalization has taken hold with the effect of making the world smaller. It is also true that American culture plays a dominant effect on this globalized community. I know this, yet I was so unprepared for the huge gap between the world I know and the world I see in Hyderabad. As I stepped out of the airport, on my way to the hotel, in my hunt for Indian clothing, I was amazed by the distinctly unique feel of the place. I stress again, this has been an experience that I have not been able to find anywhere else, and that would be almost impossible to imitate outside of India. This fact will definitely warrant huge consideration as we proceed in suggesting alternatives for reaching the people at the bottom of the pyramid in India.

Well, off to day two- wish me luck in my adventures!

ZZZzzzzz....

2007-02-23T18:34:00.001-05:00

Studies have proven that you're much more productive, alert, creative etc with at least seven hours of sleep.
Some researchers say that it isn't enough to get sleep, but the timing of it is crucial- the body recuperates best during the hours of 10 pm and 4 pm. Keeping these sleeping hours can decrease your chance of becoming ill and can even reduce your risk of cancer and heart-failure.

That being said, I'm in the season of final exams...I have probably been in bed a total of 12-15 hours total in the last three days (an optimistic forecast)...and out of that 12-15 hours, I've probably had 7 sound hours of sleep total (did I mention this in the last three days?)
It's such a defeatist cycle- you need to stay awake to produce, you have to sleep properly to be productive...Oh well....

The road less traveled...

2007-02-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

Life as a MBA student (or any graduate student) is lonely.
Not a big surprise, but it dawned on me that I've been spending most of my days in front of a computer screen or hunched over some reading material or the other.

I guess it was thrown in harsh relief when I realised that I spoke to a total of 6 people yesterday! -->

2 (or was it 3?) were the quick, generic 'hi, how are u?' greetings...I know it shouldn't count but...

I got a 'hi toots' from Ike (smile...don't know how I'd survive Business Forecasting w/out you!)

One was totally school related- 'hi, sorry I didn't turn in my part of the project yet, you'll have it before the end of the night'...(so says Chris, my student body president - luv ya Bax!)

2 were actually more than 5 mins!

---Went beyond the 'hi's and hello's' with Justin -super smart guy sitting next to me in Law and Finance of Equity Markets class- yea, we actually got into 'how are classes/ exams going?' and 'how the hell do we study for this exam?!'

---Cheryl stopped by while I was having breakfast to tell me this guy from the Divinity school who is in my Project Pyramid class has a crush on me (oh yea, did I mentioned I've probably directly spoken to him only two times?)... this was pathetically my most entertaining conversation for the day!

Thank God I'm really good at entertaining myself (yes, I'm one of those people who are frequently carrying on another conversation in their heads...w/ themselves or the alter ego/ talk to God alot too. He even answers on occasion :) ).

Disclaimer: I totally blame this on the MBA experience and not my (gregarious) social skills and (extroverted) personality...smile!

(me: 'pretending' that the mere act of
putting on some spectacles makes me
appear more studious)

Don't be S.A.D.

2007-02-22T01:36:00.000-05:00

S.A.D. - Seasonal Affective Disorder aka Winter Depression

I have an intense dislike for the winter season!

Coming from the beautiful, tropical, warm, breezy, sunshine-filled, 'it's summer-all-year!' islands of Trinidad and Tobago, can you blame me?

So I reiterate- I don't mix well with the winter season. I tolerate it, but I generally spend my time unconsciously counting down the days till it's warm again.

Well, we've been having some nasty weather here in Nashville for the last couple of weeks- and needless to say it's been somewhat depressing. I've come to the realization that I'm one those people who needs the exposure to sunlight ... While I don't have full blown Winter Depression (seasonal mood variation caused by exposure to light), my mood is definitely affected.
I know you're saying 'Ria- it's caused by light not temperature'.
Well- it's cold- Ria stays indoors, no natural light ... hence, I'm SAD.

Seeing that I'm not going to be able to get away from these temperate regions, I guess I need to learn to manage my mood - someone say light therapy? - until then, I'm just extremely thankful that the days are getting warmer and my trip to India and Dubai should expose me to enough sunlight until all out summer is here!

"There's nothing like cold weather, just inadequate clothing!" by one of my part time philosophizing friends

Globalization? Yes, but....

2007-02-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

So spring break is approaching! Yippee!
(Before I start jumping for joy, I have to get through my finals first! Say a prayer for me)

However, it is somewhat of a challenge concentrating on this task, when I'm all set to visit Dubai and India for my break. I'm so excited about it as I've never been to that side of the world, yet it's where my story begins as most of my ancestors are from India.

In going through the bureaucracies of obtaining my Visas, I made a very interesting discovery:
Having an Israel stamp in your passport will stop you from visiting: Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, UAE (Dubai) and Yemen.

Now this might not be a shocker for most people, unfortunately, I'm not part of that chosen group. It's sad when neighbours are so antagonistic with each other- be it on the individual/ micro state or the larger/ macro one. I know much of this has it's ties in the history of the region...so i have to say it's even sadder when we let our past determine our present.

Maybe that's too much of an idealistic view, but that's how change (positive change) happens. I think this principle holds true for both the individual and the nation state.

I pray our generation promotes this much needed change instead of holding on to our traditions which are more a barrier, than source, of power in today's globalized world...change- happening one person at a time.

KPMG: Story of salvation?

2007-02-20T16:36:00.000-05:00

As a young person growing up in church, I’ve heard the message of salvation being preached. Curious, and probably literal to a fault, I decided to look up the meaning of salvation. If memory services, my Webster dictionary stated that it was ‘the act of being saved’. From a Biblical perspective, we come to that place of salvation when we confess our sins before God, repent in the name of Jesus and by faith believe we are forgiven. Then begins the arduous journey of reforming ourselves…

What does this have to do with KPMG? Maybe nothing, maybe everything.

In May 2005, KPMG learnt that it was facing indictment from the Justice. One month after, then Chairman, Eugene O’Kelly, learns that he has a brain tumor with only months left to live. Five days later Timothy Flynn, personable accountant and one time HR head, is appointed chairman.

At this point I’m wondering- what the hell was Flynn thinking? Voluntarily stepping up to captain a sinking ship (or maybe that’s stepping down if the ship is sinking?).

Charged with this seemingly impossible task, Mr. Flynn did the unthinkable for most corporate leaders, he admits wrong! Three days after taking up his position as Chairman, Flynn admits to Justice that KPMG improperly sold shelters designed to evade taxes.

Risky? Yes. The act of a desperate man at the edge of cliff? Probably. A leap of faith? Hell yes- I mean, what else is a desperate man at the edge of a cliff expected to do?

This gutsy move gave KPMG a second lease on life. In August 2005, prosecution was deferred with the company having to meet some strict requirements. But in November 2006, Flynn was able to report that KPMG’s revenues had grown by 2% and in January this year, the deferred criminal charge against KPMG was finally dropped.

Admittedly it wasn’t smooth sailing after Flynn’s public confession, and KPMG still has some rough waters ahead, but hey that’s the story of salvation. The battle doesn’t stop after our ‘amen’. God speed Mr. Flynn!

Inflation: The power of expectation…

2007-02-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

It used to be that unemployment rates were a seen as a direct and prominent influencer of inflation, where traditional economic thought emphasized the inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation rates.

Now, there seems to be a new man on the block- the expectation of inflation (based on past inflation rates) seems to be a primary determiner of inflation, seemingly reducing the sway that unemployment rates have.

It is not that unemployment rates are insignificant, just that a bigger change is needed to have the same historical effect on inflation rates. Even Ben Bernanke, backed by the Fed economists seem to embrace this new way of thinking.

This evolving change takes the power of expectation to a whole new level…