Change in Career

"Lets do something else", "For how long will we do this work", "Lets start something of our own", "I want to do something that really excites me". Those are the typical topics of discussion when I hang out with my friends (usually, I am the one who triggers such topics). And such discussions become all the more interesting after a couple of pegs!!! Apart from the drinking sessions, this topic always pops up on Monday mornings!!! Understandably so.

Everyone seems to be bored of his/her job but "cannot" think of a way out!!! Some people cannot take the risk, some have capital constraints.....the list is endless.

In my case, there are multiple reasons. There is no capital; there is a huge risk involved etc etc. But the biggest problem is that I cannot make my mind regarding which "new career" to pick. There are several things that excite me. I decided to list some of them;

1. Photography. I would love to leave my job and turn into a professional photographer. I admit that I hardly know about cameras (people think I do but when I talk to professionals, I come back with a long face). But I have the enthusiasm to learn.




2. Restaurant. I would love to start a restaurant. I have made plans to open a restaurant a zillion times with multiple friends (read: prospective business partners). But each time it has hit a roadblock with a sign called "No Capital". I think a better option will be to start a catering business first. Its comparatively low risk as it requires lesser capital and one can gain good knowledge to take bigger risks




3. Travelogue: I am not sure about the business potential of this particular option. I want to do it as I love travelling, clicking pictures and writing about the trips.




4. NGO. Sometimes I feel like leaving everything and working for a cause. Not that I have reached the "Self-Actualisation" stage in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Its just that I feel that it will give me immense satisfaction. I would like to work for the elderly but I am afraid to do that as it makes me too emotional. I want to be part of "Project Tiger" or "WWF".

Those are some of the many things in my mind. I am confused....I am afraid of taking the risk....and sometimes I stop by telling myself that probably I am trying to find an easy way out. The bottom line is that I am not doing what I want to do. But ya, I am sure I am not an endangered species as there millions like me!!!

Recently, we bought a new TV. Our first LCD TV!!! Though it is the second TV in the house, the decision was totally "need-based". IPL-3 is round the corner and I was given an "ultimatum" by my wife that there "has to be" another TV for her in the house before the matches start!!! We decided that we will buy a small LCD TV for the bed room.

The timing was perfect. Due to the festival season, most of the shops/brands were offering discounts. One saturday morning, we landed in an electronics showroom....only to get confused!!!

What these electronics showroom do (source: a salesman in a well-known organized electronics retail showrooom) is that they put normal cable in the TVs they do not want to sell. They play DVDs in the little costlier ones. They play blue-ray discs in the ones they actually want to sell. And they play "hi-definition" videos in the "not-for-middle class" ones. We went to the showroom with an intention of buying a small LCD TV but, quite naturally, we got attracted by the bigger ones (32 inches and more). We called up a friend and proud-owner of a 26 inch Samsung LCD TV. He told us that the clarity is better in the bigger ones (more than 26 inches). That solved the problem....only to an extent. We decided that we will buy a 32 inch one but then there were so many options!!!

Sony Bravia was costly and did not have many features so it was ruled out. Samsung looked pretty good. We liked the model LA32B530, which is a 32 inch TV. The clarity was amazing. The MRP was around 44k. They were offering the TV for 38k with a digital camera. I already have a camera shop at home so I asked them to provide a quote for just the TV. 34k was their quote. Perfect!!! Just when I was about to finalize the purchase, I noticed a LG TV. Clarity was pretty good. But it had something else....something that is bound to attract guys. "10 speakers with 700 watt sound output"!!! Obviously I was fascinated by that. But the TV was costly. The MRP was 43k and they were ready to offer it for 40k. Though it was costlier by only 6 thousand but we had stepped in the showroom thinking that we will buy something which is around 20-25k. From that angle, it was a huge jump. I decided to buy the Samsung TV but 700 watts and 10 speakers pulled me back in their camp. My wife, as usual, played the spoilsport and indicated that we do not need a 700 watt TV as we already have a 3300 watt music system. Women!!! They will never understand such things. They are just so.....practical and sensible (psssch). It made be even more confused. After spending around 6 hours in multiple showrooms, we came back home......without a TV.

The next day, my cousin sister solved the problem. She knew someone in LG!!! Its so good to know people who have good network!!! Thanks to my cousin and her contact, I finally got the LG TV (32LH60YR) at a much cheaper price. (I wont share the price as I want you to buy the TV at a higher price so that I derive sadistic pleasure. Hu ha ha ha!!!! And I do not want you to know the price as that might give you a chance to derive sadistic pleasure!!!).

The TV is great. The clarity is amazing. The sound is todu. And the best feature is that I can directly play movies from a pen drive or external hard disk!!! Thats the best part. No other brand has that feature. Its definitely worth the investment!!! Cannot wait for the IPL to start. Feel free to drop at my place for a free demo.

On 1st January 2010, I turned 30. I was not excited about this birthday at all. It is not that I wait for my birthdays and feel special or different on that day. However, this time around I was not too happy as I was turning "30". Most tennis players retire at the age of 30!!! Not that I have secret ambitions of winning a Grand Slam...in fact I have never played tennis in my life. Yet, 30 sounded pretty old. So I was wondering what would life be like after 30.

This new year and birthday could not have been any worse. On 31st night, I went to bed around 11 pm with high fever. On 1st morning, I was admitted in a hospital where I stayed for the next 3 days!!! I hope it was not the trailer of the life to follow.