MBA - Master of Bag-pack Administration

To a man, ‘travelling’ is like that hot flirtatious babe who says "do what you like, I love everything about you".

To a woman, ‘travelling’ is the gentleman who looks straight into her eyes and says, "go chase your dreams, I am right here".

What appeals to both the sexes is an unbiased raw energy, exactly what a traveller experiences. 

#Life Hack: “I CAN”, is more important than “IQ”.

I think 20's is too early for us to pick a career and stick to it for life, but most of us anyway follow the norms and go for the kill. Sadly it’s you who’s being killed!

The Real world demands you to be sharp, street smart, easy going and always hungry to learn and grow. No classroom can prepare you for this, but real experiences surely do. 

When you travel alone, even if it’s to Ladakh, you plan everything from scratch, evalate multiple sites, pick the cheapest tickets, explore best deals, network with friends who have travelled to the same place, make an itenary, eat at random places, make friends on the way, learn about their life and culture.

If I could, I would exchange my 2 years of MBA with travelling, I can bet the traveller will have better finance skills, he will give you extra ordinary marketing ideas because he has seen so much and will definitely deal with people much better than any one of us.

Roughly the cost of preparing for these entrace exams and course fees comes to almost 8-10 lakhs (In India).What if some one gave you the same amount to travel for 2 years. Would you be wiser? At 30ish, when you have “been there, done that” does a Master of Bag-pack Administration promise you super powers?

What did my MBA teach me? RACE , do not look around just run. Run for placements, run for promotions, run against time… keep running.

What did travelling teach me? BREATHE, look around you, feel yourself, listen to your surroundings, smile, observe, trust.

In short if you consider this degree on self development, its stocks will only rise as you explore more. I am not saying chuck your job… but even if you do, it’s no big deal. 

As a travel blogger, I have come to a conclusion that the only thing you possess your entire life is yourself. So fly free.  

  

Work Smart @30ish

The first rule of working smart @30ish is to make sure you have spent enough time working hard in your 20'ies. There’s no substitute to hard work, but once you have learnt and absorbed the necessary be brave enough to move on to bigger dreams.

There are 3 primary orientations towards work.

• Job - Your main focus is financial rewards.
• Career - You are driven by prestige, power and growth.
• Calling - Work as your ‘purpose for life’. 

Know what works for you and use that orientation to work smart.

#Life Hack: They call us dreamers, we are the ones who do not sleep.

I have personally spent insane amount of time travelling to work, and having a monotonous desk job. No doubt the security is very important, but there comes a point in life, when you want to drop everything and start working smart and challenge yourself. 

Some of us stick to our jobs , because according to them 30ish is too late to take a risk. A few of us, jump the bridge and scream 30ish still gives me 20-30 years to experiment and live happier. Its all about your perspective.

Read how I talk to myself when things seem difficult
Work smart, work quick. Have more time for family and yourself.
Its not about how much you earn, its about how much you save. Sort your finances.
Invest in experiences, this will give you lot of ideas about smart life hacks.
Learn from others mistakes, will save you effort and time.

30ishblogging.blogspot.com is a classic case of working smart@30ish. I am using the digital interface to connect brands with their target audience and create love marks. I use my personal experiences of travel, fitness, lifestyle, photography and relationships to write stories that make me a part of your life... (Tight hug to my readers)

If you like what you do, you will find smarter ways to action it. 

Thanks for believing in me and following every post, love 30ish.

  

Bling is King, Punjabi Sunburn

I have entered a Punjabi rave party, it will put “Goa Sunburn” to shame. Instead of #Grass you will be fed #cholebhature. Effect is the same, insane energy levels followed by unconsciousness. I naturally repulse everything flashy but what is the option when there’s no escape? 

#Life Hack: The whole wedding scene starts with a ceremony called Roka, it basically is an announcement that the boy and girl have found their soul mates and will look no further for prospects! After a few years of marriage everyone is convinced, Roka was a Dhokha*

A Punjabi wedding will be incomplete without these stalwarts

*Oh I am so young Aunties, they flaunt all the latest brands and the most obnoxious outfits. The pallo (Saree) is going to fall if you dance like Daler Mehendi. It just takes one safety-pin to sort it, but they won't.

*Butterfly youngsters, they have their own underground scene, screw the bride and groom. Let's get into the car park..hmmm.. (ENVY)

*Chakde Phatte, "assi te tussi peyenge whisky type uncles" (You and Me can bond over a drink).They also believe in burping and sleeping in public.

* The Car-O-Bar gang, is very focused on getting everyone happy-high. Secret drinks for the aunties, patiyala pegs for the uncles and vodka shots for the girls

pal

Everyone is super busy, except me. My favourite part is the FOOD! Credit goes to Roshan, Roopak, Bittu, Shera, Haldiram and Pammi. Roshan di Kulfi, Bittu ke chole bhature, Haldiram ki chat and Pammi ke golgappe. I cannot count how many cups of green tea will have to be consumed to wash this out of my system, but as Punjabi’s say “ki farak penda hai”

But when you see a happy and gorgeous bride* all the bling makes sense. I wish the lovely couple a beautiful life. 
  

Meet my latest obsession: Steve Jobs

I am at that stage in life, where I have million questions and zillion options. There's one man who's pace and vision can inspire any entrepreneur. His stories have been here long but somehow, just followed him like any other “non-apple user", until I got one myself. Known to be a follower of Zen Buddism. Regarded as “difficult yet valuable” by co-workers. He was complicated, but he sparked innovation and changed the way we spend 10 hours at work.

"What makes Steve's methodology different from everyone else's is that he always believed the most important decisions you make are not the things you do, but the things you decide not to do."

#Life Hack: "I believe life is an intelligent thing, that things aren't random," – Steve Jobs

How was Steve Jobs childhood?

Steve Jobs was adopted at birth by Paul Reinhold Jobs and Clara Jobs an Armenian American couple. His father was the one, who introduced him to working on electronics in the family garage. It all started as a hobby, that would be the foundation of his future empire.

Do you know who introduced typography?

Steve Jobs had dropped out of college, with so much time on hand he decided to take calligraphy and that’s where he started experimenting with serif and san serif typefaces. Mac was the first to introduce multiple fonts. This was obviously copied by Windows.

What was his personal style?

Steve usually wore a black long sleeved mock turtleneck by Issey Miyake, with a pair of Levis jeans and New Balance sneakers. He liked this dress code as it was a matter of daily convenience and a classic signature style.

Do you know, about his connection with India?

Jobs traveled to India and stayed here for almost 7 months while he became a serious practitioner of Zen Buddism. Meditation was his way to calming his mind.

Was his room messy?

He was a minimalist, his house had no furniture. Just a painting of Einstein, who he admired greatly. A Tiffany lamp, chair and bed. Too many things made him feel chaotic within.

I love knowing tiny details about people, it’s what shapes their personality. This post is an amalgamation of various things I read about him. He gave us a lesson on “how to anticipate change”. Can we use the same vision for ourselves too?

30ish started as a personal blog, today I have readers from all over the world checking my posts and writing to me. I anticipate something very exciting for the blog, and that's why I am ready to trust my gut and leap forward. Leave a comment and tell me if this makes sense to you as my reader.

Hugs, 30ish.

#CALM #AHH..#SUTRA

Trouble is you think, you have time- Buddha

We live such restless lives, never in the moment. Either thinking of the past or planning the future. On Monday we dream of Friday, on Saturday we dread Sunday evening. I do it too, and no matter how hard I try I barely live the moment.

Screw your SWAG, work on the soul. We get so excited if we get 30 minutes of "me time", sounds familiar?

#Life Hack: Kama means love* and Sutra is the thread*. We need to string our love towards ourselves, invest in yourself and most important "breathe".

There is a Buddist theory that says, when you meet someone and your heart pounds, your hands shake, your knees go weak, he is not the one. Instead if you feel calm, then that’s the one. Apply this logic to your daily life, it will give you clarity. If you dread your job, then you are probably in the wrong field.

Think about this

3/4 of the things we worry about, don’t even happen.

Disappear! I do this very often, nothing said, nothing done. I sit in my space shuttle and freeze time.

Go to a new place, always helps. When it’s uncertain, you pay more attention to your senses.

All you need is a perfect song on a perfect drive to feel like a superman.

Alcohol is not an answer, but may be you forget the question. If it works for you, fine..but don’t over do.

Sleep solves every problem. If you think sleep is a waste of your talent, then find someone and do it. Whatever works for your Calm-Ahh-Sutra. 30ish is mid life for an average life span, I am not scaring you just reminding that may be living edgy and free might be more rewarding and fulfilling.

Tell us about your "CalmOlogy".What is it that you like to do in your me-time, leave a comment and share your ideas.

  

Confessions of an IPL superfan

Indian's have a PHD on our cricket squad. Everyone has a proven theory which makes complete sense to themselves. I challenge none of you. This post is based on my personal experiences.

With sheer luck and the case of right time right place I got this fab opportunity.The craze was obviously insane during the initial seasons with everyone wanting to know everything about cricket, cricketers, scandals, after parties, owners etc.

#Life Hack: You can question India's PM in court but not Sachin Tendulkar -Sidhuism

What has working on IPL taught me?

• No matter how cool and unaffected you pretend to be, the moment your favourite cricketer appears, you behave “juvenile”. Giggle, lose all your snobbish SWAG and behave like a retard. He (The Wall) asked me in the most charming voice, "No makeup, is it fine for the interview" and I just looked at him like an awestruck idiot. My reply “Oh you want me to wear makeup” EPIC Disaster.(And see how brave am I, to put it on 30ish)

• When he (The Spin Wizard) calls his lads in a thick aussie accent to the pool for a warm up, you drop everything and pretend to work.. “Obviously by the pool”. That man is charming in the most unconventional way and redefines brat.

• There’s a reason why after parties earned the “wicked party tag”. You have to experience them to be convinced that they were not required. Every team has their own mellow version of post game celebration which is quite acceptable.

• Cricketers are as human as us. They experience fatigue and disappointment, have post game show-downs and lose heart after a tough defeat but the next game is always a new opportunity. They party, have a drink, shop and chill by the pool and that’s absolutely fine.

• As young cricketers they are exposed to so much money, pressure and stardom. It’s really tough to stand still. That knock of glamour can blind your game. In the last 8 years IPL has seen so much talent appear and disappear.

• IPL will collapse without its support teams. So much heart and sweat goes into managing this giant logistics nightmare. The amount of work put in by the management teams is most unnoticed.

• 

Working on this project has been my careers sweet spot. I travelled to South Africa, Dubai, most of the home games and collected crazy memories. If you mention a cricketers name, I have an after party story/trivia ready to entertain you. T20 is not the traditional cricket format and lot of fans are very touchy about the dynamics of this tournament, but as an IPL superfan I love all the entertainment.

As I gear up for the coming season, stay tuned for my next post. My perspective is that of a fan who got lucky, nothing more than that. 

PS: I have left enough clues to guess the cricketer. Did I take any names?? Nah!! and the pics are of a fan with their fav cricketers, no big deal ;)

30ish wants to be your quirky friend, are we doing a good job? leave your comments, we have exciting official IPL merchandise for you.

  

Ink'spiration

‘Body Art’, you either like it or you don't. There is no midway. If you were confused about getting one in your 20ies then the odds of getting one the moment you clock 30ish is very high. It’s a tested statistic, think of people around you.

Tattoos are so much deeper than what you see. It predominantly defines your uniqueness. Our society craves individuality and self-expression. Lot of people communicate through body art. It’s an unspoken language, more like a vibe you reflect.

Life Hack: Similarity between tattoos and botox? Both deal with self-esteem

Every time I noticed a friend get inked at 30, I asked why now?? each one had their own reasons which made lot of sense to their existence. They have candidly shared their tattoos with 30ish.**Hugs. One thing they all have in common is that it marks an important time in their life or a turning point. You fairly have an idea about things and people that truly matter.

Unfortunately tattoos border around stereotypes eg. He has skulls on his arm.. what a freak! We all judge, the first expression carries much more weight than reality.

Here’s a list of popular tattoos and their meaning

• Butterflies – Symbol of love, change and rebirth
• Lions – Stands for strength, courage and protection
• Stars – Shine in darkness, no fear
• Pin up girls – Ideal beauty, youth and attraction
• Birds/Wings – Symbolic to freedom, free spirit
• Alphabets – Faith and reminder of someone special

I am yet to find something that defines my spirit. The day I am sure, I will definitely get inked. Till then I am gonna flaunt "Muscles & Mascara" to amuse you  :D

Do share some ideas about your ink'spiration and how it matters to you.

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