A load of crap from an idle brain

A bit late into the year, but its always better late than never. Its been a practise i have followed for the past 3 years, so here it goes.

• Moved to another department in the company. Got a salary hike, a higher position and not to mention work related stress.
• Attended a weeklong ISMS course and got certified as a ISO 27001 lead auditor at the end of it.
• Read 33 books at an average of more than 2 books a month. The increase mostly due to listening to audio books.
• Watched more than 85 movies.
• Went for a relaxing holiday to Kuala Lumpur towards the end of the year.
• Celebrated Christmas at Hyderabad for the first time post getting married.
• Met some net friends personally after having chatted with them online for a few years.
• Investments in stocks and mutual funds went on as usual.  Towards the end of the year, the whole equity portfolio was in red barring a few stocks. Though the mutual funds portfolio is quite profitable.
• Completed 11 years in Singapore.
• Blogging took a backseat.  I have no plans of abandoning this medium though i have been more active on Facebook.
• Took the longest vacation (of a month) ever since i started working. It started off as a normal vacation but circumstances forced the vacation to be extended.

Previous years recap: 2008, 2009, 2010

More excited about 2012 as i have some big plans lined up and if they all work well, it should be yet another defining year in my life.

Update: And ya, this is my 700th post. Cant believe i have managed to spew out so much in 4 years.

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Its that time of the year to clear leaves and also to stretch your legs and relax.  What better time to spend Christmas back home with family and friends.  Going back home to Hyderabad tonight.  Will be back in Singapore only in the new year.

Lots of cakes, cookies, appam, stew, hyderabadi biryani and the festivities await.  This will be our first Christmas back home since I got married.  Really looking forward to it.  Looking to go around the city and take the sights and sounds of the city i lived in.

Its really been a wonderful year. Tough no doubt but, professionally satisfactory.  At the beginning of the year moved to a new department, attended a course and got certified.  Worked in a more structured way.  Learnt the importance of documentation and keeping my foot down to say NO.

Raring to go into the new year.  Lots of things planned for the new year.  Gotta make some really radical decisions.  Cant wait.  Not to mention, completed 11 years in Singapore on the 4th of December 2011.  Time has just sped by.  Have spent a third of my life here in one of the most progressive and dynamic cities in the world.  Have made some great friends for life.

Let me take this opportunity to wish the best of the season to all of you and your loved ones.  Have fun and enjoy the holidays.

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With leaves to clear and my birthday on 19th November, i thought it was a good time to get away from the maddening stress of work and related stuff.  Took off for a 4 day trip with biwiji to Kuala Lumpur & Genting in Malaysia.

Petronas Towers at dusk

Christmas @ a mall

A fish sculpture

Fountain

Liberty on wheels @ Genting

Chilly, misty afternoon @ Genting

Looooooong cable car

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Orchard Road light up for Christmas more than a month in advance.  Am so used to seeing the light up for the past 11 years. Just felt ho-hum this time.  Nothing so exciting.  Maybe a classic case of familiarity breeding contempt.  Nevertheless, hats off for taking pains decking up the whole few kilometers of road in lights, glitter, trees and other paraphernalia.

Tree inside Takashimaya

Ion Orchard

Orchard Central

Orchard Central

Orchard Central Orchard Road

Paragon

Tangs

Takashimaya

Plaza Singapura

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As someone who is on an overdrive reading books this year (more than 28 already in the first 9 months of the year), i do get asked as to what kind of books do i read and why do i read the books that i read. These are the few loose set of rules that i follow while selecting a book to read.

It has to be non-fiction. Fiction is a big no-no to me. I cant bring myself to waste time reading fiction. If at all i want to read fiction, i would rather watch a movie that is made on that book. Saves me considerable time considering the fact that iam a slow reader.

Biographies are an instant pick up for me. Doesnt matter the background of the author or the person the book is based on. I have read biographies of Warren Buffett, Lance Amstrong, Louis Gerstner, Andre Agassi, Steve Jobs, Hillary Clinton, Michael Dell, Jack Welch, Kishore Biyani, Richard Branson etc.

Books on finance, investing, stock markets, management, science etc are also my favourites.

Book recommendations in magazines or by successful people like CEOs or other management people who have read books and recommend the same.

Random search on google or amazon after i have read a particular author and liked their writing.

Listening to audio books is my favorite method of reading. Earlier, audio books had someone reading out in a droning voice which could put you to sleep as soon as the books started. Today professional readers pour emotions into their reading with perfect voice modulation which makes listening to a book very much interesting. Sometimes its the author who himself / herself reads out the book. Sometimes its a professional reader and these have made listening to audio books much interesting.

Earlier i used to complain that i had no time to read books till someone nailed it as excuses. I spend at least 2 hours daily commuting to and from work. Mostly the time is spent looking around or listening to some inane radio DJ railing about some crap in between the same songs that you have been hearing for years now. Not to mention the ads that keep popping in between the songs.

I started with one audio book first. It was a bit difficult concentrating on listening to the book. 2-3 books later, you learn to control your mind and concentrate on listening to the book. Honestly today, i hate wasting time listening to songs or radio. I put on an audio book even when i go jogging or ironing clothes at home.

List of books that i have read are here

Above picture courtesy: ArabDetroit

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