Elephant in the room to start the blog (strange metaphor, who the hell would sit politely not discussing an elephant in a room): Why am I unemployed again? Well, after many a fun year at Mako, the desk I was on wasn't going to plan, and the other avenues at Mako just weren't for me. So, I resigned just in time to gatecrash my better half's adventure to LA, and I decided to join the unemployment statistics as opposed to watching them published on Bloomberg.
Now, for those who don't know what I do, I am an interest rate options trader. Or in the words of my parents, an 'internet banker'. Anyhow, in simple terms, I look and trade made up numbers that are created by using implied numbers, that are also made up, but try to predict how another made up number will move. This made up number is driven by what people think the main underlying made up number will be at sometime in the future. Anyway, I digress, but my main point is that having stepped away from fantasy land for a short while, I've decided to try and do as many 'real' things as possible, and hence figure the best way is to try and create a really long bucket list (apparently a term that arises from 'kicking the bucket'/ dying), and hopefully that'll ensure I get to do at least some of the things in the next three months..
1) Get fit enough to do an endurance running event/cycling event.
I've been putting 'Ran New York Marathon' on my CV for so long that when I looked at it this time I was tidying it up, it felt so long ago that it felt like one of those lies on your CV that you have made up and repeated so many times its the truth in your head. Well, although it's true, it'd be nice if that sense of achievement was a fresher memory! Plus, it'd be nice to be in shape that wasn't round for when me and Sonam get married next year!
2) Do an interesting new job that I've not done before
a) Well, I always figured that being a labourer would be a really easy way of getting fit. But then, looking at the general shape of most of our builders here in the UK, I'd only be heading in towards a more spherical shape. Still, I like the idea of trying that.
b) Another job I thought of trying was working in a restaurant, as an assistant, or waiter, or something like that. Ideally cooking, but I can't see an American Diner arming their kitchens with a vegetarian with no professional experience.
c) Well, this is probably the most ridiculous, but I always thought it'd be fun to be a detective (I have based this on solid evidence; Columbo, Quincy & Perry Mason were amongst my favourite TV shows) and the closest I could find on google was Private Investigative Assistant. I can only imagine I will get myself killed or beaten up, but still, I reckon it'd still be pretty thrilling. Saying that, perhaps the reality of this job is just watching husbands and wives be very unfaithful to one another. So far, 2 pretty solid negatives for one hopeful positive. Maybe put a pin in it for now..
d) I am currently doing a stint of volunteering in my local area for Older people. Its pretty rewarding, and I'm helping a quirky ghanaian ex-prince write his autobiography from the smallest studio in London, on the oldest and slowest computer in London. Anyway, while I'm over in LA, I want to find another ghanaian to sit next to and type for. Well, not quite, but I do want to do some form of voluntary service, it feels good to occasionally get some perspective.
e) Do some journalistic work out there.
3) Work on a couple of start up ideas - I couldn't possibly go to the west coast and not start a new business. That'd be like going to the west coast and not eating kale. Which, by the way, is a disgusting version of spinach and letuce, and can see it being one of those vegetables increasingly thrown at vegetarians in nice restaurants. Like butternut squash. This has none of the goodness of butter, or the tastiness of nuts, and isn't even a nice colour like orange squash. It's a miserable vegetable that hasn't really decided what sort of taste its going for, or what exact texture it wants to be when it's cooked. Anyway, can restaurants just use potatoes please? They're fine. Anyway, start up stuff - to be continued.
4) Learn to play a sport better, ideally with Sonam - I'm open to Cycling, Tennis, Badminton. We shall see which piece of equipment I plan on using just the one time.
5) Visit 3 New countries
6) Find a new job that provides the option of moving abroad one day!
7) Learn how to shoot. One of my good friends, Simon, is a bit of a gun enthusiast, and he lives out in LA. He owns weapons and has asked me to learn how to shoot. Pretty simple why it made the list really.
8) Try 3 new cuisines. I like to think I've tried a fair few different cuisines, even as an awkward veggie. As much as I love my mum's gujarati cooking, I hope to explore all sorts of new dishes as I can.
9) Buy American Convertible car. Something cool like below:
So that will do for now, I feel I've already got a list longer than is humanly possible in the time I have out there.
In the meantime, this song is cool, and its apparently about Buckets. Let the adventure begin!
1) Get fit enough to do an endurance running event/cycling event.
I've been putting 'Ran New York Marathon' on my CV for so long that when I looked at it this time I was tidying it up, it felt so long ago that it felt like one of those lies on your CV that you have made up and repeated so many times its the truth in your head. Well, although it's true, it'd be nice if that sense of achievement was a fresher memory! Plus, it'd be nice to be in shape that wasn't round for when me and Sonam get married next year!
2) Do an interesting new job that I've not done before
a) Well, I always figured that being a labourer would be a really easy way of getting fit. But then, looking at the general shape of most of our builders here in the UK, I'd only be heading in towards a more spherical shape. Still, I like the idea of trying that.
b) Another job I thought of trying was working in a restaurant, as an assistant, or waiter, or something like that. Ideally cooking, but I can't see an American Diner arming their kitchens with a vegetarian with no professional experience.
c) Well, this is probably the most ridiculous, but I always thought it'd be fun to be a detective (I have based this on solid evidence; Columbo, Quincy & Perry Mason were amongst my favourite TV shows) and the closest I could find on google was Private Investigative Assistant. I can only imagine I will get myself killed or beaten up, but still, I reckon it'd still be pretty thrilling. Saying that, perhaps the reality of this job is just watching husbands and wives be very unfaithful to one another. So far, 2 pretty solid negatives for one hopeful positive. Maybe put a pin in it for now..
d) I am currently doing a stint of volunteering in my local area for Older people. Its pretty rewarding, and I'm helping a quirky ghanaian ex-prince write his autobiography from the smallest studio in London, on the oldest and slowest computer in London. Anyway, while I'm over in LA, I want to find another ghanaian to sit next to and type for. Well, not quite, but I do want to do some form of voluntary service, it feels good to occasionally get some perspective.
e) Do some journalistic work out there.
3) Work on a couple of start up ideas - I couldn't possibly go to the west coast and not start a new business. That'd be like going to the west coast and not eating kale. Which, by the way, is a disgusting version of spinach and letuce, and can see it being one of those vegetables increasingly thrown at vegetarians in nice restaurants. Like butternut squash. This has none of the goodness of butter, or the tastiness of nuts, and isn't even a nice colour like orange squash. It's a miserable vegetable that hasn't really decided what sort of taste its going for, or what exact texture it wants to be when it's cooked. Anyway, can restaurants just use potatoes please? They're fine. Anyway, start up stuff - to be continued.
4) Learn to play a sport better, ideally with Sonam - I'm open to Cycling, Tennis, Badminton. We shall see which piece of equipment I plan on using just the one time.
5) Visit 3 New countries
6) Find a new job that provides the option of moving abroad one day!
7) Learn how to shoot. One of my good friends, Simon, is a bit of a gun enthusiast, and he lives out in LA. He owns weapons and has asked me to learn how to shoot. Pretty simple why it made the list really.
8) Try 3 new cuisines. I like to think I've tried a fair few different cuisines, even as an awkward veggie. As much as I love my mum's gujarati cooking, I hope to explore all sorts of new dishes as I can.
9) Buy American Convertible car. Something cool like below:
So that will do for now, I feel I've already got a list longer than is humanly possible in the time I have out there.
In the meantime, this song is cool, and its apparently about Buckets. Let the adventure begin!
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