The Beauty of Technology
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 30th, 2009
So, last Friday at the Chevron near Salon Supreme (Kingsway and Rupert) I see these two people looking for intersections on a big Vancouver map. Being the nice cat that I am, I ask where they’re going. They gave me some street I had never heard of and I replied “I’m from the West, I have very little clue about this area.” Fortunately she has the address on paper and it looked like they were making a few stops. Boom! What do I do? Pull out the i and load up google maps. Type in the address and moments later I got them directions. “Oh thank you..how about one more?!” Sure why not – anything to be a “good citizen”. Gave them directions from where their first stop was and off they were. But yo, they should have at least offered me a loonie or something! Data charges dammit! Jokes, but I was glad I helped them out.
See..I think we need to realize how useful technology can be. Our phones are expanding their features at a ridiculous rate. Something like GPS on a phone is a godsend especially if it doesn’t cost you extra. One of the reasons I switched over to the i is because of it’s google maps integration. Just this weekend I was driving back from Surrey and used to map to ensure I was on the right path. We should learn to maximize the utility of our resources (sounds like something from Business 101 right?). But it’s true – technology, phones in particular, are a valuable resource aside from letting us communicate with people. Heck I’m typing this from my phone and it’s great.
Moral of the story – ain’t nothing wrong with helping people out even if it costs you a bit.
Activity: Pin the traits!
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 29th, 2009
Have you ever taken the time to ask yourself why you are the way you are? For example, if you’re stubborn, do you know where it comes from? For a few years now I’ve been trying to pinpoint most of my traits to my parents. Example: both my parents are very caring people and listen to everyone that comes to them – I get that from them. I won’t go into detail but it’s a good activity to try. Think about how your parents or siblings are then look at yourself and say “am I like that?” You may discover characteristics you don’t like and wanna change – that’s one benefit. But you may also see how easy it is for others to rub off on you.
Example – last year I used to quote my man MARTIN alot, just stupid things like “dammn Gina!” even if I wasn’t talking to a Gina. What do you know..a week later some people in the circle are using the line and they never seen MARTIN!! It shows how easily people can be influenced.
Take a few moments and play the game..write your discoveries down or keep mental notes – it could be a start to changing your behaviour.
Reflections
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 20th, 2009
Has anyone ever taken a few moments to sit and evaluate where they are in life? What they’ve done to get here? Are they happy? Are they settling for everything that comes to them or striving for more?
I still remember being 7 years old and looking up the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s website and looking over their programs to see what I was interested in. The “big 3″ career choices: laywer, doctor or computer programmer. Even going into grade 10 I remember talking to my counselor as if I had a legit chance of getting into UNC and making it to the NBA. If not the NBA, well, there was the D-League. Somewhere along the way all of that went down the drain.
Last month I took some time to talk to moms and told her about a little thinking I had done. I looked at where I am now and I found it funny because when I was in high school I’d always tell my sister “yeah, I’m taking computers, I’m guaranteed to make 36K at least straight outta college.” Then in college I had a classmate who was exceptionally smart and he was a few years older than all of us so he had more experience. He got a co-op job somewhere and then only a few weeks into it they gave him a raise and a full-time offer once he was done school. I remember saying to myself..”yeah I wanna make 40K before I’m 25.” My dad always said that if you have your degree before 25, you’re set. I guess that’s saying “get your education done early, and you won’t need to worry.” Another “goal” I had set for myself was to get 2-3 years of experience and then move onto another job. It’s funny, because it seems all of those have happened just as I’m about to hit 25. Now my purpose isn’t to brag or boast but rather give an idea of what I mean by reflecting.
I strongly believe that life is about constantly re-evaluating where you are, I’ve said that before and will continue to reiterate it. We need to push each other to evaluate life and decide what we really want and how to get there. I find that far too many people are trying to live a certain life, but really they have no clue what they’re doing. Or they’re trying to force it. I know that sounds extremely judgmental, but look around in your circle of friends and think about anyone that fits the profile – you’re probably bound to find someone.
There’s much more to life than just work, school, sleep and the like – we need to shift our focus to being truly HAPPY. It seems people think making money brings you happiness but I think that’s only a momentary thing. I was texting back and forth with a female friend and we concluded that it’s great to travel while we’re before the “commitment” stage – aka committed to our careers, our significant other, our child, etc. This is coming from someone who was an extremely late bloomer – I was never the kid to have a camera on hand, or go on group trips or even travel anywhere until my 20s. Even now, I look back, I’m 24, still ain’t been to Las Vegas (that’s not a “big” thing, but most people hit that when they get 21). But it’s okay, I know all things will come with time.
My advice to everyone is: TAKE THE TIME to reflect on your life. If you need to, jot things down – people say that helps. If you need to, talk to someone about it (my email inbox – yash[at]realtalk.ca is always open for people). It’s a good and simple exercise to catch up with yourself. YOU should be #1 in YOUR life.
Throwback Sunday!
Posted by yash in throwback sunday on September 20th, 2009
Heard this slow jam last night at AuBar nightclub where J-Fresh was on the 1-2s killing the last few minutes!
Usher – Nice and Slow
Year One
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 17th, 2009
Today marks one year that one of our closest family members left us. He was only a year half old, and he left us. It was an unfortunate accident, but we learned a lot afterwards. For those not aware, read this. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of or miss him. He was one of my best friends and I’ll love him dearly forever. Rest In Peace.
Gorgi on day 1…..
Routines (I ain’t talkin’ about dance) & Change
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 16th, 2009
You ever feel like your life is a routine? Wake up, engage in optional activities (brush your teeth, shower, shave, use the bathroom – trust, I know people who DON’T do some of these), breakfast, head out to school/work/wherever, come home, eat, watch some tv/use the computer/hit up some video games, optional activities (see above), sleep. Repeat.
Sound familiar?
You got to break the habit! Trust me because I went through that this summer. I’d go to work, come home, do nothing, eat, watching Martin or a movie in bed, sleep. Repeat! Weekends were nothing special…watch movies at night (because everyone knows the club scene in Vancouver’s going down the drain!).
My dad was telling me the other day “You need to get out of it, you need to do something, go play volleyball (hey! we won our league two years ago at work), basketball, whatever.” I’m a HUGE NBA 2k9 fan and I stopped playing that, and Fight Night Round 4. You know something’s wrong when you quit playing video games. MIA from Facebook and MSN (which I don’t mind), but I somewhat disappeared (I admit, most of that was by choice). But emotionally and physically I felt like shit. It was a process though and I’m working my way out of it.
But I changed jobs and now my routine’s different. I wake up earlier, take different buses, see different people. At work, I deal with a wealth of new people I don’t know, I’m learning new things every day, so little-by-little things are changing up. I’ve found that people seem to repel change. Why? I got no clue, but why don’t we understand that change is good? I’ve had people say they’re afraid of change but that it roots from a fear of failure. I don’t want to go too much into failure but to fear change is to put yourself in a box (remember I talked about “the” box!). I was reluctant to change, I really was, I didn’t want to leave my job, but I knew I was doing something good for myself and that was backed up with assurance from others.
One of my homegirls once told me she didn’t want to change because she liked how her life was routine – everything she did..work, hit the gym, hang out with friends and so forth. She didn’t want that to change but down the road she saw she had to, so she adapted and has a different routine. Don’t be afraid to change things up and that applies to everything: fitness, work, relationships, friendships, activities, etc. You never know if the slightest modification in your life could make you happier. You’ll repel a bit at first, but you’re bound to ease your way into new things – embrace that shit.
Living is about constant re-evaluation – where you are, what you have — where you want to be, what you want to have. But NOTHING is given to you in this world..you have to want it. And to get there…you may need to change.
Don’t forget..Obama’s whole campaign evolved around Change and everyone bought into it - “Yes we can.”
P.S. Off-topic – Cadillac Records is on right now, if you ain’t seen it…GET ON IT!!!! Columbus Short does a wicked job.
Air ‘Ye Deals with Death – How would you?
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 16th, 2009
So, I’m sure everyone’s heard about how Kanye West aka Air ‘Ye (at least that’s what I been calling him) took the mic from Taylor Swift this weekend at the MTV VMAs. The next day he was scheduled to be on the new Jay Leno Show, and was and attributed this outburst to emotions that stemmed from his mother’s death:
When Leno asked West what his mother would have thought of his behavior, he fell silent for more than a dozen seconds and appeared near tears. Leno pressed him again.
“Would she be disappointed in this? Would she give you a lecture?”
West gave a rambling, emotional answer:
“Yeah, you know, obviously, you know, I deal with hurt and, you know, so many, you know, celebrities, they never take the time off, and I’ve never taken the time off to really, you know, I just, music after music and tour after tour on tour, and I’m just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else’s hurt.”
West said he wasn’t trying to justify his behavior, “because I was just in the wrong. That’s clear.”
“But I need to, after this, just to take some time off and analyze how I’m going to, you know, make it through rest of this life, how I’m going to improve,” he said. “Because, I am a celebrity and that’s something I have to deal with.”
(transcript copyright: CNN; image copyright: CNN/Getty Images)
Now I don’t wanna talk about whether he’s being sincere or not because that would be challenging a man’s sincereity. After this event, people are gonna have different opinions about West, but I’m sure the consensus remains the same: he makes good music (admittedly, I’m not much of a fan). What he said on the JL Show made me think about how people deal with death. Oddly enough, I’m reading a book called “The Enemy” by Lee Child (huge fan!) and in it the main character’s mother is about to pass away. He knew his mom’s psyche in that she only wanted to see her boys one last time and nothing more, so after they leave Paris (where she resides), his mentality is “it is what it is.” Death is the end of life and it’s something that is inevitable – it’s going to happen to us all.
Unfortuantely death comes earlier or unexpectedly for some which is unfortunate, but it happens. We all age, this is human nature, nothing’s going to prevent this. Yes, some things may be avoided, like taking care of your body, but truth is: anything could happen to anyone. Some people may be against this point-of-view, but I think it’s true. However, that’s not justification to not look out for yourself. A friend’s family member passed only a few months ago and it hit her really hard because she was so close to him. This man had the benefit of living MUCH MUCH longer than most of us probably will and to think he experienced so much more than most of us is a benefit in itself. Simply put, it was his time. I know none of us want others to die and we definitely don’t want to..but it happens. If you know someone’s time is coming, don’t fret about “oh my, oh my..what am I gonna do?” Rather you should make the most of it! In movies and reality they always say “remember the good, not the bad” and this applies to death as well. When you grieve that someone’s about to pass, how do you think that makes them feel? What you should be doing is taking their mind off it. In grade 10 my class at Magee Secondary was hit with a huge blow. A good friend and excellent hoops teammate was diagnosed with cancer. He was only 15/16 and had cancer – let that soak in for a bit. He had come to school a few weeks before he passed and he looked nothing like himself. But I noticed that nobody paid any attention to it – we were in the counsellor’s office and he held my hand. I admit, at first it was awkward but then I knew, who cares? Don’t make him feel any less comfortable than he already is – and I’ll never forget that feeling. His good friends stuck by him, they treated him as if nothing happened – that’s what we need to do.
When it comes to grievance, take your time with it. Everyone has different ways of going about it – so do you. It’s a process and most people will say it’s important to undergo because you need to get it out of your system. But don’t let it take you over and depress you. THINK! Is that how person A would want me to be? Reacher was able to let his mom go because he knew what had happened and there was nothing he could do about it. At the same time he knew what his mom wanted him to do. He had his withdrawal from her and the process was easier. Yeah, it’s just a book – but I’m sure it happens in real life. My mom always told me she would never want to die weak – if it happens, it happens, but never weak. Death can steal a person’s spirit – but is that how your family or friend would want you to be? Did your parents raise someone who didn’t have a solid heart? It’s DEEP and it’s TOUGH, but people can overcome these things with just a bit of effort and thinking.
I asked a good friend if she ever thoughtof making a “if I die today” type letter, she said ’yes’ and my answer was the same. Why, you might ask? Because if I die today, I don’t want to die with regrets.
The Essence of Family
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 13th, 2009
This weekend was one of my good people’s birthdays and he just turned 3x so Friday night we went out to Hudson’s Landing and it was cool about 6 of us just chilling. It was something of a long night, but tons of good laughs and an all-around good time. Saturday his mom was having a little feast over with some family and friends and so he invited me. Now…imagine looking at me and you’ll see this invisible box around me. It’s not a cardboard box or a plastic box or nothing, it’s purely invisible. It’s like an Invisible Woman’s shield, it protects me but rather it’s holding me back. If you know me, you know I can be insecure about my hearing impairment but I’ve come a LONG way with it. So, D invited me and really wanted me to come, he wanted me to come so bad that we made an…”agreement” we’ll call it. And his lady knows so he has to hold up his end of the bargain. So, after toying with the idea back and forth, I told myself ‘okay, you’re gonna go and see how it is.’ Now D and his family have invited me camping, to his momma/aunt’s house and to any birthdays they go to, which I truly appreciate. It was his birthday, so I figured, okay, I’ll make the plunge and try to step out of this box. The reason I went is four-fold:
1.) It was his birthday
2.) I wanted to meet his family (I knew his sister and had seen his mom twice, but there were more to meet)
3.) I wanted him to hold up his end of the “agreement” and he knows he has to!
4.) Lastly and most importantly: I wanted to make a statement, not only to myself but to him and his family. A lot of what I do these days is all about making statements, it’s about telling people “hey..it’s okay to come out of your isolation..it’s okay to change” b/c it seems people fear this (more on this in another post).
So I had multiple motivations to get up and go and did so. Upon arriving I knew off the bat that the family and friends were aware of my hearing impairment and maybe even my little box. Which was cool because it tells me that they care enough about me to let people know in advance to prevent any awkwardness. On top of that, I wasn’t the only hearing impaired person there, so you could say that kind of help. Introductions were made, and I met his grandma, his uncle (I didn’t even know he had one), his other younger cousin and some family friends. I also met the aunt and uncle I had heard so much about so it was great to be in that family atmosphere.
Now, I really believe that a lot of us (people in general) take our families for granted. I know I have, but I’m also one to constantly remind my parents how much I love them for who they are and what they’ve taught me. I straight up tell my parents “I wouldn’t replace you guys with anything” because they’ve instilled so much into me. However, I do admit, I’m not the family member to be at every family gathering and truth is I have yet to attend any of my Victoria-based cousins’ weddings – but that was never by choice, rather b/c the dates conflicted with something. On the other hand, I’ve always been one to enjoy the “Soul Food” type gatherings. Sidebar: referring to soul food, I don’t mean that genre of food, but rather the movie, where they all get together on Sundays for a meal. Our family isn’t one to have Thanksgiving or Christmas together, if we even prepare such meals, but it’s something I would love to engage in. I always tell myself, when/if I have children, I’m going to be sure we have that environment around us because the feeling is priceless.
D has always invited me over for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving meals and it was actually at Thanksgiving last year that I had my first little plate of mashed potatoes and gravy (gag reflex comes into play with the mash). At this party, moms cooked up a storm with some mac and cheese, BBQ and fried chicken amongst other things I didn’t touch (picky eater!). His aunt (Corey, your moms makes the chocolate cake) made two BOMB chocolate cakes and told me to have more. It was really great to see how welcoming this family, so my insecurities were nothing.
It was at this feast that I really got that essence of family..the importance of it. No matter what people have been through in the past, family will/should always be there for you. Everyone has their trials and tribulations in life, and there may even be a family member that causes a little stir-up, but you know what…at the end of the day, all that stuff is out the door. It’s all about being around one another, even if you’re not talking to everyone, your whole…energy is there (I’m sound crazy aren’t I?).
As we grow up, it’s like we don’t spend time with our families or it’s deemed “lame” to do so. But family (for the most part) always has your back..you can’t say the same about your friends or the people you kick it with. And this family loves each other. Grandma K was just sitting there, looking around at everyone and you could tell she likes it. We had some good convos, like the difference between there, their and they’re 
. My boy’s going to see his #1 rapper Jay-Z in concert so he was taken aback by that surprise. All in all it was another great time and I’m fortunate to have friends like D & E, who not only invite me out but know that it’s a form of therapy and helps break the boundaries around me. They welcomed me to the family yesterday and just having said that to me, it gives me a spell of that family essence I’ve always wanted. So, thank you.
I left with a sense of accomplishment and a constant reminder to come out “next time.” Will I go? We’ll see, but I’m going to take the baby steps route on this one. Because once you step out the box, the rest is cake. But I know that that family has love for me and that feeling is reciprocated.
Throwback Sunday (NFL Edition)
Posted by yash in throwback sunday on September 13th, 2009
The other week Rachelle was in town and she made me a new CD with some bangers on it! She put that De Barge, Dru Hill, En Vogue, Ginuwine and her all-time favorite: Serani – No Games.
Now, I was going to slap up one of the songs she put on the CD, but seeing how the NFL’s kicked off this week and Michael Jackson was finally buried, I thought it’d be right to bring something back…
The King of Pop’s (Music?) NFL SuperBowl Performance:
I bought his HIStory and Live from Bucharest DVDs a few weeks ago – watched HIStory…just amazing, even though he’d do the exact same dance move multiple times (see: “The Way You Make Me Feel”), it was still crack.
Long Live the King.
Hiatus is Over
Posted by yash in Uncategorized on September 13th, 2009
So..I haven’t updated in what, two weeks? That’s all done with as over the past week I’ve been compiling a list of topics to write about and have kept this list in my iPhone. As summer winds down (last day is September 21st I think..) I’ve been keeping quiet at home and have started my new job which has been great. Also I’ve been looking into getting a Boston Terrier puppy since Cosmo (our Pekingese x Yorkshire Terrier) is in Toronto with my sister. Hopefully we’ll get the next Zandiyeh-family addition in the first week of October. Donno what to name him but I’m thinking Spazz, which has been my childhood nickname.
A bit of background on that..I don’t know how I got it but we used to play at William Mackie Park on 71st and SW Marine Drive all the time and in the summer the runs were really good. So one of Joey’s (my best friend) brother’s friends called me Spazz - I guess I used to flip really easily? So that stuck with me over the years, and when I did a bit of DJ-ing (pre-teen and two high school dances), I went by that moniker – DJ Spazz. Other names I’ve been given: Cosmo (no clue why some girls in grade 9 came up with it), Pumbaa and Bowling Ball (yeah they were killing me in high school). And now as a member of the JustUs League (Justice League anyone?), I get to be Hulk/Beast. I’m cool with that…everyone has their own character, it’s pretty sweet. Sounds lame, but trust, we all accept our comic names.
With that being said, stay tuned and spread the word, I’ll try to post something everyday!
Recent Comments