Federer vs Nadal

A year back I was a great fan of Roger Federer. I always believed that there is a lot I could learn from him. He was my idea of a perfect role model. He was an awesome player with all the shots in the book, was equally strong on backhands and forehands, and finally was a very good human being off the court.

A year later I admire Nadal more. Don't exactly know the reasons, may be you always favor the 2nd best. You feel for him, want him to succeed. Nadal seems to be the guy with an imperfect range of shots, can't really match Federer stroke for stroke. And thats what makes him much more admirable. His is a story of living with your limitations, and yet strive to be the best.

I believe I can't be perfect, I can never be a Federer. But atleast I can be like Nadal, living up with my limitations, and yet never lose it.

The Flying Machine

Time is flying in HK. I had decided to maintain an account of my day to day activities, and I haven't written a word in more than a month. It only 4 more weeks here for me, and am already counting my days here. I would be flying to Manila after my assignments here, and then would finally go to Mumbai.

I'm currently working on a lot of stuff, and am usually very tired by the time I am back at my apartment. We have a meeting tomorrow in the morning to discuss some important issues, and here I'm, at 2 AM in the night writing this post. So many things have happened in last one month that I wouldn't be able to put them into words. I'm growing, am learning a lot of things, both inside and outside the office.Investment Banking is a strange world, full of caricatures. Everyone is idiosyncratic in their own way, and there is a great scarcity of normal people whom you can miss in a crowd. The trading floor is an amazing place to be, it has a pulse of its own. And when you go to the office on a weekend, you feel like you own the place. Its so silent, the contrast is maddening. 

Realized that there are three companies that drive the investment banking industry - (a) Bloomberg, (b) Microsoft (Excel), and most importantly, (c) Starbucks. Someday will write on the trading floor in detail. Have to catch up on sleep now.

Life @ HK

Life has been good in Hong Kong so far. There were a few days in the middle when I was completely frustrated with the HR and the company. Have learnt not to expect any good or sane things from them.

Now its back to normal. I have been working pretty late hours (I'm on the public side, so even 10 PM is considered late). Have been given some real good work, and usually am brain-dead by the time I leave the office. But am enjoying the brainstorming sessions with my desk. I'm the youngest guy there, and I hardly speak anything there. Most of the times they are discussing the implementation part of the problems, and given my 6-weeks-only experience, I avoid speaking there. Will be a more active participant once the work really kicks off.

Celebrated a friend's birthday last week and most people from our college were present. We had our dinner at the an Egyptian restaurant called 'Habibi'. Last year my boss took me there for the first time, and it was then I realised that their cuisines were very much like the Indian ones. A little difference in preparations, but the materials and tastes are very similar.

What Next?

Why is it that even after 6 years of the best education in the country, we still aren't able to decide a single dimension of our job? Why are we so option-less?

Sometimes you should be humble enough to accept the impossibility of the improbable, and let life take you where it wishes.

1. Before Sunrise

2. Before Sunset

Lantau Island

Weekend No. 2 at Hong Kong was much more fun than the first one. We went to Lantau island, one of the biggest islands in HK. Lantau is worlds apart from the HK mainland (referred to as Central). While the mainland is very fast and noisy, with people walking everyone, Lantau is like the countryside. Twice as large as the main island, this place has one sixteenth of the population. So, as a result, it has greenery all around, mountains, virgin beaches and of course the great Buddha.

The Buddha statue here is the biggest Buddha statue in Asia. Sitting 26 metres high and weighing 220 tonnes, it leaves you mesmerized. Add to that the fact that its kelp at one of the highest peaks of the region. Its a must visit tourist destination for anyone coming to HK.

We came back from the island, and went to Tsim Sha Tsui. Had dinner at the woodlands, the south Indian restaurant with an awful service. Though food was nice though, and in the end, thats what mattered to us. We had a bit of everything - Idlis, Masala Dosas, Chole Bhature and Rava Dosa.

Here are few of the pictures of the Lantau island.

1. Lantau Island

2. Bar near the ferry terminal

3. Buddha as viewed from the Po Lin Monastery

4. The Mountains @ Lantau

5. The statue from the back

6. Lovely evening view

7. The monastery from inside

8. The monastery again

9. Door to salvation :)