All Hail the New York Giants!

In a week that was all about New York City, the Giants capped off a pretty good with a victory in Super Bowl XLVI (46)! A huge congratulatory shout out to the G-Men and their millions of supporters. Before that, however, the main event of the week was my trip to NYC!

With the Super Bowl between the Giants and New England Patriots set for yesterday, I took Kait on a business trip to one of our satellite offices in downtown Manhattan. Bart, Nona, and Eric all share office space around Wall Street, so the two of us went down there to see how things were going in New York City. She stayed in Astoria (Queens) and I stayed in Hamilton Heights (Manhattan), with people who work in that office. Working in New York City is always a totally different experience, especially trying to navigate the MTA Subway system. With Kait staying in Queens, I made it a point to accompany her back to the place that she was staying. However, this proved to be costly for me as I ended up at the wrong train station on the return trip a couple of times. Once, I ended up in the Bronx and literally walked from one borough to and another borough to get to the apartment I was staying in. Not only did I have to make some long treks, but it was very early in the morning (between 1 and 3:30 AM), which is not the safest walk through Harlem! Anyway, I made it! Even though the production wasn't as good as we had hoped, we had a good time in NYC and an even better time hanging out with some of our friends that live and work there. I even found time to meet up with Tals and Christine, which was one of the major highlights of the week! While we missed our bus on the return trip, there weren't too many complaints about the overall trip last week!

The major news of the week, of course, belongs to the New York Giants and their come from behind victory against the New England Patriots in the re-match of the 2008 Super Bowl. I remember being at RWU for that game and how crazy people went in Rhode Island when the G-Men tarnished the perfect season. This time, it was much of the same as the underdog Giants came back to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots again. My lucky red Tiki Barber jersey has continued to help my Giants win in every important game that they play! Even though Barber hasn't played in years, his jersey is still coming in handy! The lucky jersey, some really key plays by the Giants, key miscues by the Patriots, and timely clutch plays by MVP Eli Manning helped the Giants to victory by a score of 21-17. WR Victor Cruz and RB Ahmad Bradshaw had the TD's for the Giants, who scored the first 9 points and then the last 12! While the game wasn't pretty and the Giants didn't come close to winning in dominant fashion, they still pulled it out and are now the 2011-2012 NFL Champions!

ALL HAIL THE NEW YORK GIANTS!

In a quick side note, I'd also like to mention that I read Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazi and really recommend it to anyone who is trying to get ahead in their life! It's a book about building lasting relationships in and out of the workplace, while really focusing on building yourself as a person. The book is just under 300 pages and is a fairly easy read. I finished it in 5 days, pretty much sitting on the NYC subway trying to get from one place to the other. Check it out!

Wifey's Birthday and January 2012 Update

Things in 2012 have been fairly average, which is why I haven't really been motivated or inspired to update the blog. However, today at least brings some news and noteworthy things have definitely happened in the last couple weeks.

First and foremost, today was Wifey's birthday. Chrissy, pictured right here, is the newest Administration member. While we work together, our relationship has gotten significantly stronger over the last couple months. As of now, we even refer to each other as "wifey" and "hubby" which makes the situation a lot more fun. With an easy re-shuffling of the Administration, Wifey now has found her own spot. We went out for her birthday last night and things are fairly good with us, regardless of what is to happen with us in the future. Right now, our biggest priority is fixing the struggling office and make sure that we can both achieve the success that we've set out for. Either way, I'd like to wish her a very happy birthday!

Outside of that, different noteworthy events have come and gone so far in 2012. The New York Giants won all three of their playoff games and will now face the New England Patriots in a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl. I remember exactly where I watched the game and how the reaction was at RWU when the Giants upset the Pats 4 years ago. I'm super excited to see if that can happen again this year. Another story in the world of sports was the passing of legendary Penn State head football coach, Joe Paterno. It's very difficult to  take a logical side in the scandal that surrounded the ending of his football career and subsequent death. All I can say is that he is an iconic and legendary football coach and should be remembered as such. Rest in Peace to Joe Pa. Otherwise, nothing really has happened in my life. Work continues to be a battle, with the lack of of consistent production still being the biggest issue in and around the office. Family life is fine, but there isn't much time for that with all of my time being focused on work. I don't have much time for anyone else, so I have really been giving a majority of my time and effort to the job. Hopefully, it'll all pay off in the end.

I can safely say, however, that 2012 has not started out on the most positive of notes... so I can only hope that things will pick up and get better very soon!

Happy New Year and the Top 10 of 2011!

It's officially 2012! The year that the world was predicted to end, according to some people that I don't pay any attention to! Regardless of supposed apocalypse that is coming in December, it is time to reflect on what happened in 2011 and how we can improve our situation for 2012! Some people like to focus on the negatives of the previous year, but I wanted to highlight 10 positive or happy experiences from 2011!

10) Rishwa's graduation from WIT- As with any college graduation, it's always such a highlight in a person's life when they are able to achieve their diploma and finish their Bachelor's Degree! The same is true with her and I was really proud and honored to be able to attend my little sister's college graduation. It was especially the case with Rishwa because of the extra time that she had to put in to finish up her degree and the few minor setbacks that popped up along the way! While it was a major accomplishment for her, it was definitely a highlight for everyone in my family!

9) New People- There is no question that 2011 brought some really wonderful people into my life. When I think about some of people that made a huge impact on my year, there is a definite smattering of new faces in that crowd. Sasha, Christina, Khadijah, Natasha, Christine, Riles, Stephen, Marqus, Amanda, Edouard, Brian, DC, Xavier, Kala, Shannon, Nona, and Marcus are some people that I met or became closer with in the last year and all of them had some impact on my year. While some of those people aren't a part of my daily life anymore, they still played some role in my work life in 2011!

8) PMG becomes C-13- There were some major work related changes that have made a significant impact on my life. When we changed our client and our broker, we also incorporated a new company and dissolved our old one. One really exciting thing about changing campaigns from AT&T to Action Aid was the chance to run and participate in more business trips. In the last few months, I've been able to get out to Philadelphia, Silver Springs, and New York City. Not only am I really glad that I got to spend a week in each of those cities, the business trips that came to our office also made a huge difference on how things are now run in Hartford. We switched offices spaces to go back to the original building that I started in and also partnered up with Frank in that same time period. While the campaign switch has been really tough in our office production and led to the loss of various people who worked with us, it has all-in-all led to some positive experiences!

7) Chicago Trips- In 2011, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Chicago 3 times. The first visit in January was an emergency trip that had to happen to ensure Behna's well being, but both of the other trips were for pure fun and pleasure! I got out there to see Soham Bhai's family and new apartment, hang out with Sabrina, catch up with HSO and SASA, and also sit in on some USGA meetings. This last trip in October was definitely the most memorable because it was right in time for Navratri Garba and also a surprise for both Romz and Behna! The other really great part of it was that I got out to both Lombard to see Vino and out to Evanston to spend some time with Shaleen! Anytime that I get the opportunity to get out to Chicago and see my friends and family is an awesome experience, but 2011 allowed me that chance 3 times and I'm grateful for that.

6) Fenway Park (Yankees vs. Red Sox)- One of the greatest things that happened while working with AT&T was the ability to attend a Yankees vs. Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Even though I've been to Fenway a couple times before and I've been to other Yankees/Red Sox games, never have I had the chance to sit in a corporate box at a professional stadium! Not only was it a beautiful summer night for baseball, but we were sitting in the corporate box on 3rd baseline! It's such a different experience being able to run in for free food being served in your own private box or going to the private bathroom and not waiting in line. I honestly felt like a VIP that night. Mike, Josh, and I had never had that type of experience so it was really amazing to be able to enjoy that. To top it all off, the Yankees won 4-2 which made the night so much better!

5) Business Building Blocks- An all expenses paid, three-day trip to Los Angeles and the opportunity to hang out with some really awesome people about to run their own companies!? Are you kidding me!? Mike and I flew out to LA to hang out at BBB and get some major insights on running your own company and how to really prepare yourself for all that endeavor actually encompasses. Not only was it great to get out there, but the best part was that I became much closer with the other members of my organization that were out there. I made some really good friends while out there, especially out exploring the local nightlife after our workshops were over! I also was named co-champion of a freestyle dance contest that was held there, which rocketed me to instant notoriety

4) "Rest and Relaxation" in Puerto Rico- Very similar to BBB, Puerto Rico was another first in my life. Many people had talked about how beautiful and amazing it was in PR and now I can join in the conversation! It was legitimately a 4 day vacation to a gorgeous resort in San Juan! We had one morning of meetings while the rest of the time was really about hanging out and just enjoying everything that the island and organization had to offer! We basically sat at the pool during the day and hung out in the casino at night! It was really amazing to just spend time in PR and get to really many of the other people that work in our business around the country. Our organization broke off from the broker right after that, so it was really a final event that everyone could come together and be in the same place! I met some amazing people, had a really wonderful time, and thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Puerto Rico!

3) ESPN: The Weekend- I will forever be able to say that I attended the last ESPN: The Weekend! With the CJC now being an employee of ESPN and his future father-in-law also being an employee, the Administration guys and I decided to go down to Orlando in March! Not only did I attend the event, I was there in style! I hung out with Mike Golic, Collin Cowherd, and Karl Ravich in the airport. Trey Wingo was the first guy that I saw in the resort. We stayed in a luxury suite right in Downtown Disney across from the boardwalk! Not only that, but we got the chance to sit in on a live airing of Mike and Mike in the Morning at the Wide World of Sports Complex! I also got to see people like Chad Ochocinco, Rashad Mendenhall, Roddy White, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Merrill Hoge, Karl Malone, Frank Thomas and many others! Not only that, but I also got to ask a direct question to Bernie Williams while they were doing a feature on the MLB! It was an amazing experience that I got to share with three of my best friends and two of their future wives! I love ESPN, I love DISNEY WORLD, and I love my Administration members so how could things not have been awesome!?

2) Promotion to Assistant Manager- There is no question that one of the top highlights of 2011 was my push and promotion to Assistant Manager in May! In a matter of two weeks, I built my team up to 15 people and smashed the necessary numbers to get promoted from Corporate Trainer to AM! That was the single biggest thing that has happened in this job, especially because of all of the doors that it opened up for me after that! There is no question that it made the last 6 months significantly more fun and educational. We had the official promotion and party in July, which my parents had the opportunity to attend as well! It was great to have everyone there for me and to be really just relish my accomplishments! While most of those people that were on my team aren't with our company anymore, it was still a great run at the push and was able to get it done as quickly as I could. I am so thankful to the people that got me there because without that, some of those other highlights definitely would not have happened!

1) India- The number one highlight of 2011 was my family's visit to India in July! Not only was it our first trip as a family in many years, but it was also the first time that everyone on my mother's side was all together in the same place! We went out there for Vishu's janoi ceremony and really as a family reunion for the Vasavada  side! It was really awesome to be able to spend time together in one house and have everything taken care of. The actual events were good, but the real highlights happened when everyone was just sitting around at the house. We choreographed our own dance, killed at the garba, and just all around had a really good time! The other crazy thing was my ability to sit in on some procedures at Nilesh Masa's hospital! I still find it hard to believe that I saw a live birth and other such procedures being done with no medical training or preparation! With my grandparents both being in their 80's and not being able to travel back and forth to the United States, there is no telling when we will be able to see them again! It was really great for us and for them to have everyone attend this time! It was especially good because the last time that they saw me, I was just barely done dealing with the issues at RWU and my transition to LUC! This time, there was no such stress and everyone could just really enjoy themselves!

New Year's Eve! 2011 In Pictures!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day!

Before we get to the actual day, Christmas Eve is a special day in my house because it's my parents' wedding anniversary. For that reason, it's usually a bigger deal than it would be in other Hindu households. Yesterday, I had the day off from work and was able to spend the day watching football with the dCOS and just being with my family. The highlight of the day was the Giants beating the Jets to keep their playoff hopes alive. Even though the day wasn't super eventful, it was still good to be able to relax and spend quality time with one of my best friends and my family.

Today, was a much different story. My family left for the airport at noon, as they are travelling to Victoria, TX to visit my uncle and the rest of my mom's side of the family. Everyone in four families is going to be down there for an entire week except for me. While I was just able to spend time with all of them in India over the summer, it still kind of upsets me that I wasn't able to go this week. On top of that, Behna and her family left for India today as well. This means that she and I will be out of contact (unless she finds time to get to the internet) for the the next couple weeks. As I usually speak to her on a daily basis, it's just one more person that I have lost contact with on Christmas Day. To top it all off, the Boston Celtics lost their season opener to the New York Knicks by 2 points! Needless to say, today has not been the best of Christmases.

While that is all the case, I cannot complain too much. Things are going okay right now, as other people are actually struggling around the world. Now being in the charity business, it's very difficult to complain about my personal situation when so many billions of people have so much less than I do. My girlfriend and I are over, six people will be getting demoted for not hitting production standards this week, I did not hit my goals for this year, and I spent the majority of the day by myself. Yet, there are many things to be happy for on this Christmas Day. I am blessed to have an great family and a solid support system when I need it. That is what continues to drive me to do the things necessary to get to where I need to be. One year from today, things are going to be completely different!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Holiday Leaders' Meeting

It's really crazy how we have arrived at the last two weeks of 2011. It's really hard to believe how much has changed since the last holiday party that we had in New York City. Everything has come full circle, with the same  person being my 1st generation leader. Last year, at this very same time, I had Oklan on my team and had no idea what was going to happen. I remember hearing the owner of our broker recall a story and really wanting to get promoted as soon as possible. After an entire calendar year, I still have Oklan and his guys on my team. However, I'm on a totally different campaign and have been promoted to assistant manager. As much as things have changed, they have pretty much stayed the same.

The conference was good, even though there was definite drama that always seems to accompany any major event that we try to hold. Not only was there personal relationship issues, but we had one guy from Philadelphia have to get sent to the hospital for mixing alcohol and prescription drugs. It's crazy how grown adults act when it comes to parties and drinking. Either way, besides all of the drama and related issues, it's always so wonderful to see some of my friends that work in other offices. As everyone is dealing with the transition of their new campaigns and new brokers, there is a heavy air of uncertainty and even some fear. While I'm not glad that everyone else seems to be feeling it, it definitely makes things a little bit more comforting going into the new year. We shall see what happens.

The Last Couple Months!

Where the hell did the last couple months go!? I don't even know where to begin about what's been going on for basically the entire Autumn season that just passed by. All in all though, things are pretty much the same.

In work, nothing new is really going on. We had the opportunity to take a few business trips to New York City and to Philadelphia, which were both fun. It's also been good to have some business trips come in to our office, from both of those places. With this new client, there is a lot more travelling that will take place. It's definitely one of the major advantages of being on the Action Aid campaign now as opposed to the AT&T. Outside of the business trips, the new stuff has definitely been a lot more difficult to pick up. The entire office has struggled with the transition, which hasn't made anything easier on me. Being the Assistant Manager, it definitely just adds more pressure on me to become a top performer. For the first few months with this, it has definitely been a struggle. I really hope that I can start to get better at this sooner rather than later, because I have already lost a few people on my team that just couldn't hack it. I know that it's all about business and these are the ups and downs of it, but it's definitely hard to deal with. This past week, we actually moved our office space back to the original building. That should help provide some extra excitement in the office, which will hopefully help us build some momentum before the end of this calendar year.

Thanksgiving came and went, which was probably the most depressing time of the year for me. My family went to down to D.C., while I stayed at home due to work. It was really rough sitting at home alone, as I knew that everyone was spending it with their friends and families. It wasn't the most fun situation, but I got over it and had to play the hand that I was dealt. Christmas looks to be a very similar event, which will not be any easier. I just have to keep in mind that I may miss holiday events now, but I'm working hard today so I can play hard tomorrow!

Outside of work, there hasn't been much to report on. Everything is really revolving around the work life, as it has continued to do since I took this job. I don't have a whole lot of time to really spend with other people when my work life takes up 6 full days in the week. Sundays are the only day for myself and those days have been really relegated to re-cooperating and energizing myself for the following week. There are plenty of things in the world of sports that would be worth mentioning, but none of those directly affect me or any of the teams that I specifically root for.  There was a girl in my life, but that is already over with... which really means that it doesn't even need to be discussed. It's just really difficult to have any type of relationship with the hours that I work and the amount of time that is needed to dedicate to a healthy and successful relationship. All in all, things are going along fine. They could definitely be better and they could definitely be worse, so I can't complain too much about the current state of affairs in my life.

I am going to make a concerted effort to really keep posting more, so stay tuned for me to get back to being a daily blogger! I'm back.