The Curious Case of Mr.Thirumurugan Ponnusamy

Here is another self-boasting blog post. Well, it is my personal blog, what else would you expect people? Since my childhood, I thought (still I think) I was different. I see things differently. When given a problem, most probably I would think of some stupid solutions, but they will be quick and easy to work with. I believe there is nothing in the world you can not do. Anything can be done. No limits. Some of these statements will annoy my friends, but that's how I am.

• If I am into something, I will do a pretty good job or I would get out of it asap if I can't make a difference.
• I think I am good at creating a 'good boy' image. I wish I can match the image.
  
• I wouldn't buy a thing just because others have bought it. I will buy only if I think it is necessary. Even if it means I have to stand alone in a crowd.
• I care less about everything. But, I give more importance to people than materials.
  
• What will you do when you see a long lost friend in a market? I would prefer to run away unless he / she is a very close friend (or they see me first and give me a wave).
  
• If someone says something can't be done, I will try it first.
• For me, the world works on an equilibrium. Things that you lose will come back to you. Robbers will be robbed, my money will come back to me. So, I don't argue / bargain most of the times.
  
• I talk too much (if you haven't found out already) on what to do. I need to do at least half of what I talk.
  
• I would always try new things. New tastes, new experiences, new people, new blah..blah.
  
• I change my decisions quick and fast. If situations change, I change my decisions. I thrive on change.
• I see the world as a perfect one with only few, negligible flaws. I believe all the people are good, they have been good to me at least.
  
• I will get bored by routine tasks. If you ask me to turn up exactly at a same place, same time for the next 7 days, don't expect me there on the second day. My married life wont be a pleasure, I bet.
• If you ask my opinion about something on two different days, my answers would be different. That doesn't mean I am not dependable. I would've grown/changed that much.
• I learn good things from my friends. I unlearn bad things from my friends.
  
• I hate mediocrity. Either I want the worst thing or the best thing - nothing in between.
  
• I am good at listening. I would like to listen. This is why I have got more friends than anyone else in our friend circle.
  
• Oh, I almost forgot this - I won't advise anyone unless they ask for it. Some of my friends think that I do not care for others, but I think everyone should mind their own life unless they are making a terrible mistake and don't know how to get out of it.
  
• I will not be hurt if you tease me or say bad words. Simply I would not accept it as I would never accept any compliments. I know how good or bad I am.
  
• I wont get angry at all. I forgot when I was angered last time. May be the day, when my father refused to get me a bicycle at age 15.
• I am good at letting things go. I know if something is not mine, it wont come within my reach how much ever I try. If it is, then I will be led to it.
  
• I believe my future will be always good, things would get better as it has been.

Never mind all the above statements, I would change myself so often these may go irrelevant in a while. Are you confused enough? If you have a blog/notebook, do such a list or keep to yourself. Doing a self-discovery is a great exercise.

I have started writing this a few weeks ago, adding now and then. Then, I retook a personality test with Personal DNA (Result: Considerate Inventor; when I checked an year ago, I was a faithful inventor - look, i have changed!).

You might want to start from discovering your Personal DNA.

P.S:- In case if you haven't noticed, Blogger allows you to Follow this blog (on your left column, down below), and I will follow your blog if it appeals to me (works for the blogs hosted on Blogger.com only). If you have a personal blog and would like to follow me, send me an email :-).

20 things that I learnt working for others

Working in a company/office has its advantages. You come across different kinds of people and you can learn so much about life from them. You encounter same kind of stereotypes wherever you go. Following are the things that I learnt in my previous jobs.

1. How you appear is most important than how you perform in your job. Remember to create a professional image all the time; learn what's going on in your industry; speak them up whenever you can.
2. How you communicate is more important than how you do the job.
3. Any job will become a routine, mundane job after some time. You need to stretch yourself to make it interesting. If you can't do it, then quit.
4. Always have some ideas up your sleeve to tell your manager on how to improve things.
5. Take responsibilities when offered, they are the pathway to move up the career ladder.
6. Come at least 5 minutes earlier than the office start time. You can go home on the dot.
   
7. Use Emails more often than phone. You have got a written proof when you send emails.
8. Assume that your browsing habits (for personal use) are monitored. In all probability, the company would keeping an eye on them.
9. Be nice with your receptionist / administrative assistants. They run the company.
10. Avoid gossiping. Be neutral.
11. If there is a specific lunch time, get out of the office and go for a walk. You will feel better when you return back to your desk.
12. When you like something about your colleague, tell it in the next meeting. When you don't like something, tell them in private.
13. Bad people. They will be everywhere. Know how to handle them.
14. Don't do the works allotted to your colleagues. You tell them how to do and let them do it.
15. Trust people. Tell them how much you depend on them and how only they can pull-off a work like that.
16. Compliment people; Give credits to others. Nice employees leave company not because of less salary, but for the lack of recognition.
17. Tell your team members that it is "OK" to take risks. Only by taking risks, you can invent things.
    
18. Remember birthdays of your colleagues. 
19. You can't expect a person to be loyal to your company when you don't trust him. Read that once again.
20. If you are good at phone, you can get more things done.

What are things that you learnt from your workplace?

Kids and Grand 'Kids'

I like listening to kids (4 and below) and elderly people (70 and above) - grand 'kids'. I believe they have very beautiful stories to share with me. The guys and gals in between, no offense but you all are plain boring (myself included). Let me try to explain why.

We have lost the real of joy of living; enjoying the present moment without worrying about what's coming next. When a person smiles and waves at you in the streets, you look them suspicious as if they come looking for your money. We search for money, relationships, love, power, recognition and everything else at present. We postpone present happy moments for 'future happiness' that may not arrive. Endless search for some things that we think we don't have. We never satisfied with what we have.

While at office, we would be thinking of home and while at play, we would be worrying about next day's troubles in office. We are all searching for something with so much greediness that we have forgotten how to enjoy the present moments. When was the last time you did something with undivided attention for at least 30 minutes?

But for the kids, the big search has not begun and for the elderly people the search has been complete. I like seeing this world with kid's eyes. You can see a world with no barriers. If you are struck with a problem, ask a kid on how to deal. They will tell a beautiful solution. We make things complex. Only few fortunate ones keep their childhood alive as they grow.

On the other day, I asked a friend of mine, 'how is your sister?'. To which she replied, 'oh yea, she is happy'. Immediately, I asked, 'happy, what for?'. Did you see the problem? We need a reason to be happy. Birthday, job promotion, marriage or whatever, we need a tiny reason to celebrate. But, kids are always happy, to become sad, they need a valid reason. Got that?

The design of life is so beautiful, you are born as a kid and when you get old, you become a kid again. You no longer respect material things. All you need is undivided attention from the loved ones as a kid would expect. Be gentle with kids and elderly people. Because, you were looked after by your grand parents when you were a kid and your kids will look after you when you become old.

But, I thought they were for

If you are a shy person like me, you would understand this. I never ask anyone about anything. I assume things (partly because I am an egoistic Engineer). Sometimes I am right but most of the times I would be wrong. I will list some of the common misunderstandings I had as a child. I forgot many of those stupid assumptions.

• As a kid, I thought the moon was following me wherever I go. Even when I started running, it would follow me.
• When people were electorlocuted (touched a live electric wire), I thought their blood will boil, evaporate and then they woudl die eventually.
  
• I thought God would be watching all my activities and listening to all my words (lies). My parents told me so and I believed.
  
• I thought the elevators / lifts are for disabled and old people who couldn't climb up the stairs.
• I thought if you hurt an ant, in your next life, you will become an ant. That ant will become a human and it will hurt you. Same pinch.
  
• After seeing some hoardings showing "Contact: 8345678", I thought that was a brilliant idea. Make people to call a phone number to know what the hoarding's advertisement is. Curious, huh?
• When I first signed up for an email account, I came up with a strong, cryptic password which I thought would never be guessed by anyone else. A day later, I forgot that password and lost my thirumurugan @ hotmail.com account.
• And I thought all those free newsletters that I signed up with the new Hotmail account would make me smart. Duh!
  
• When using a slow dial-up connection, minimizing the Internet Explorer windows, I thought, would speed up the loading of web pages. Have you tried? It works.
• When I came to Australia, I never attended many lectures / concerts because they demanded a "Gold Coin Donations only". Gold coin for a 2 hour lecture? I thought no way. After an year, some one told me that the $1 and $2 coins are called 'Gold coins'. But, in my country a gold coin is a gold coin. Bugger all those concerts!
  

When I came here to Australia, everything that I came across were so alien to me and I had to ask people to know what it is. Thankfully, I had a friend Chelsey from USA, Chong from China and Preeti from India who patiently explained to me.

Stupid assumptions make you look stupid. But, aren't they cute?

108 things I wish to do in 2009 (reviewed 30.Nov.2009)

First things first. I wish a happy, healthy and wealthy new year to you, your friends and your family. May you get all the things that you wish (be careful though) for in 2009.

Here is a challenge for myself. I wish to do the following 108 things before 31st December, 2009. Let us see how many I complete. I am planning to update this list as I progress through each of these things. I have never tried many of these things before (for eg. marriage) and I am excited and thrilled. I dont tell what I wish to do even to my close friends (except with the one friend). I think 2009 is going to be a big year for me in more than few ways. I will add more details to each and write blog posts how I am doing / not doing with each of these at later dates.

The status as per 31.Jan.2009 is within brackets.
Blue - Not yet started.
Orange - Doing something about it.
Green - Done, Yay!

1. Watch F1 race in Melbourne (Yay, Done!).
2. Remember to wish people on their birthdays (Marked all the birthdays in Google Calendar. Now, I will never forget).
   
3. Watch a real whale (Winter is the best time to do it).
   
4. Try bungee-jumping.
5. Reconnect with all the forgotten friends. Keep in touch with them through phone calls / emails (Must do more it more often; Email seems so much better).
   
6. Drive a car on a dirt track in Australian Outback (Done with Magna).
7. Watch Sydney Fireworks.
8. Visit Perth and travel around for two days.
9. Watch AFL final at MCG.
10. Go on a dating trip with a girl friend (Done).
11. To be a better human being (doing).
12. Watch a broadway musical ('Wicked') in Australia (Wached "Chicago" instead. Done!).
13. Write a screenplay for a short movie (Abandoned).
    
14. Fly in a hot air balloon (should try in Melbourne or Sydney).
15. Visit a saturday night party at an Australian pub. Ask the DJ to play a tamil AR Rahman's song (Without asking, I heard "Jai Ho" song.).
    
16. Watch snow/snowing and try sking (Missed, better luck next year).
17. Watch Ned Kelly's helmet and visit the prison (Done).
18. Be organized (a little more) (trying, doing).
    
19. Learn to play Golf (tried once).
20. Travel from Adelaide to Northern Territory by the train 'The Ghan'.
21. Attend a opera concert at Sydney Opera House.
22. Read at least 10 tamil novels (ordered 2 novels).
    
23. Visit Ulluru (Ayer's Rock).
24. Try snorkelling at Great Barrier Reef.
25. Travel to Tasmania by ship 'Spirit of Tasmania' (Booked for next year).
26. Go to the underground town at Coober Peddy.
    
27. Buy a full-frame 35mm Canon DSLR and develop a decent system of lenses and accessories (for year end-2010; buying other accessories).
28. Publish an album with photos of Victorian landscapes (April).
29. Learn photography formally (Done; Doing).
30. Visit Singapore for 2 days (Visited KL for 3 days).
31. Get smart (dress ).
    
32. Work for only 3 days a week (should find a day job).
    
33. Write a tamil novel (e-book).
34. Develop a photography site displaying my photos (see www.kalpaphotography.com).
35. Stay at a boat house in Kerala.
36. Ride on an elephant (I have done horse riding this month for the first time. Elephant, huh, it's easy in India?).
37. Read all the poems (at least 50%) written by 'Mahakavi' Bharathi (Got it; Reading it).
    
38. Appear in a local newspaper article (with photo). Not any national newspaper, just local (trying).
39. Take participate and win at a photography competition.
40. Publish a coffee-table photo book (shoot more photos; organize portfolios 31, March).
41. Make at least $500 cash flow from Google Adsense. Invest in photographic accessories (half way up; move HTLO to wordpress).
    
42. Get a good digital video camera (how much is a camcorder).
43. Find the right girl and marry her (i know what i want; searching for her now).
44. Shoot a documentary about friendship (friends are ready, a video camera is needed).
45. Work on improving memory skills (rely on notepads?).
    
46. Write an e-book on making money using your digital camera (started writing).
47. Buy an used Hyundai Getz (Red) car (saving money).
48. Create an income stream of at least $3000 per month through selling photos (half-way there).
49. Shoot underwater photos of coral reefs and living things (for Brisbane trip).
50. Visit Kangaroo Island (Easter weekend?).
51. Learn swimming (Enrolled; Swimming daily).
52. Organize all my photos into portfolios that are saleable (complete by 20, April 2009).
    
53. Sleep under the stars (try camping?).
    
54. Photograph wildlife at their native habitat (nearly done in zoos).
    
55. Bring Father, Mother and Sister to Australia for at least 2 weeks (2010).
56. Do a camping trip (should do).
57. Visit Gold coast / Brisbane (should do).
    
58. Attend Graduation ceremony at University of Adelaide (should apply).
59. Write and post 'snail-mails' to at least 25 of my friends.
60. Drive to Adelaide by car (where's the car).
61. Express your love to friends and family members (doing/trying).
62. Develop a successful portfolio at StockPhoto sites (need to shoot more saleable images)
    
63. Learn to do relationship counseling (talk to friends).
    
64. Read 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' book before watching the movie (Done. Movie on IMAX).
65. Watch 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' movie at IMAX in Melbourne.
66. Visit Immigration Museum at Melbourne.
67. Invest in good clothes (every month) (for this month, none bought).
    
68. Get a photo (taken by me) published at Melbourne MX (should try).
    
69. Invite friends and show them interesting places around Hamilton (need to do).
70. Fly around Great Ocean Road & Twelve Apostles (should try on a blue sky day).
71. Inspire at least 5 people to achieve their goals/potentials (doing).
    
72. Get at least 10 new friends (got 5).
73. Dress well for office (doing it).
74. Set up a charity fund raiser (online/offline).
75. Celebrate birthday with kids (mm..kids, where are thee?).
    
76. Meet old people and interview them (should try here in Hamilton).
77. Watch 100 best MGR movies (100, you are kidding?).
    
78. Read the unbiased political history of Tamilnadu.
    
79. Play pranks to those who played pranks on me in 2008 (secretly planning).
80. Visit a native Australian settlement and talk to the native kids (how).
81. Go to Canberra and watch Tulips festival (Done. Melbourne Tulip Festival instead).
82. Become a best friend of someone (trying).
    
83. Shoot and make a coffee-table book with Kids' portraits (Doing).
    
84. Collect best of Australian movies (Done; Doing).
85. Organize a photographic exhibition (organising photos first).
86. Watch an AFL match (soon?).
    
87. Set up a solar-powered gadget at home (Solar garden lights setup).
    
88. Attend a Film Festival.
89. Shoot, edit and upload videos at Youtube (what videos, should explore).
    
90. Learn to understand and speak Hindi (can someone help?).
91. Get a new scooter for father (Done).
92. Be expressive (trying).
    
93. Surprise friends often with some unexpected, inexpensive gifts (doing).
94. Read India 2020 (mm..).
95. Get fit by doing some physical activity for an hour every day (should try).
    
96. Buy a new Sony Ericsson smartphone (Bought a similar smartphone).
97. Develop a web service / social network with the help of friends (bought domain; webspace).
    
98. Set up Internet/Video chat at home (India) (Next year).
99. Learn to identify stars by skywatching (Telescope).
100. Write at least one blog post every week (Failed miserably; Have some posts planned).
101. Learn the gist of Islam (got the gist from my friend Sabina).
102. Shoot street portraits (photos) for free (started advertising; bought space).
     
103. Visit Tirupathi in India.
     
104. Meet a saint / yogi and have a conversation (saving this one for Indian trip).
105. Shoot a series of travel videos (i need to start editing them).
106. Learn foot massaging/Reflexology (Doing).
107. Save & Invest 10% of my total income (Need to find an investment fund).
     
108. Learn to draw with Adobe Illustrator.
     

I may change or improve these things. Stay tuned to know how I progress. By the way, what are you going to do in 2009?

Bookmark this page to track how I progress in each of my goals.