sketches of the mind

So I came across this interesting thread on ITM about speed dating today and I couldn’t resist but get involved in the discussion.

What caught my attention were the posts made by people who hadn’t experienced speed dating for themselves who insisted on commenting on how they felt that speed dating participants (or anybody who was actively seeking a potential relationship) were in some way "desperate".

What possible proof or experience could they offer for that assessment? Absolutely none.

It’s a particularly close-minded perspective if you ask me, and totally unjustified. How does wanting to go out and meet somebody new because you’re a professional, time poor or simply are not able to put yourself in social situations in order to meet new people make you desperate? 

I’ve got a mate who went on a speed dating experience recently primarily to support his friend. He was actually surprised at how many attractive women attended, and he had a great time.

I think it’s important not to be too focused on possible outcomes. As one writer experienced it’s all just a bit of fun and a different way of meeting a lot of people in one night (as compared to at a pub, bar or club).

I attempted to get a few mates to go along with me to an event recently but I procrastinated and missed out. It was funny because two of my mates, both whom are in long term relationships, offered to go with me just so they could experience what it’s like.

Anyway, I was reading through the FastMatch dating tips and some of them are quite funny. Like this one:

Tip #5 -

It is a big mistake to boost your courage levels by using alcohol. If you drink a little too much you’re not going to be at your best. You don’t want to say too much or even end up drooling on her new, pressed clothes.

Dr Phil has some good advice on dating also. Refer here and here.

There’s a FastMatch event coming up soon and I’m considering going to that one. I’m sure there will be quite a few laughs, and it would be a great opportunity to test/develop my conversational skills and put some of those tips into practice. I’m undecided at this point so we’ll see how it goes…

Live today, because it is all you have. Everything.

Tomorrow is still a dream. In most cases it is a dream come true, although rarely quite as we imagine.

Yesterday is a memory, one that can help us navigate both today and tomorrow.

Today is happening. Today is life in action. Today is what really counts. It is the only time you can control how you feel, how you act, how you think.

Feel it. Live it. Love it right now.

Message courtesy of A Daily Dose of Happiness

Two days ago I redeemed 64 000 Qantas Frequent Flyers points for a one way trip from Sydney to Toronto (via Brisbane as it turns out). I always had it in the back of my mind that the moment I had a ticket then the whole plan to move overseas would become reality. Now that I essentially have the ticket it’s still a foreign concept to me. I guess it won’t be until I’m actually at the airport boarding the plane that I’m REALLY faced with the reality of it all. Who knows!.

"So why Canada?" people have been asking.

I decided on Toronto because I love Canadian people and it’s somewhere that I’ve always wanted to go.  I have a few friends there from my previous travels, and I’ve never been to that side of the world (North, Central and South America) before. I don’t know, there is just some natural attraction there that I don’t feel for the US. Toronto was always on my top 6 destinations to visit. The list really should be updated soon to include Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Dubai, Tibet, Machu Picchu in Peru, Russia, Egypt and China — shoot I want to go everywhere!

Yesterday I had a brief look at available Project Manager roles in Toronto so that I could get some idea of the market value for PM’s with 12 months experience (approx. $68K CAD).

I also started researching what to see and do in Toronto. I’ve got about six months for certain in TO and my plan is to do a lot of weekend trips to experience the best that Canada has to offer during that time. So I’m open to suggestions from anybody who’s visited Canada before.

Right now I’ve got the following on my list:

Niagara Falls
Toronto Zoo
Ontario Science Centre
CN tower
Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game
Toronto Raptors basketball game

I’m going to miss these
Film Festival - Sept
Jazz Festival - July

I wonder if there are any other arts festivals going on between Jan - May 08 that are worth a look. I’m sure I’ll find out more when I’m over there.

A little perspective on life, and what it means to really struggle.

I’m currently recruiting members to join my 40-Hour Famine Group. Originally from Laos myself, this year’s plight is particularly close to my heart.

I’ve decided to do the Food Famine. No food for 40 hours (eight hours if you’re 12 or under). It’s not about starving completely. Check out the famine guidelines here. I’m choosing this activity so that my team and I will get a taste of what life’s like for kids like Kaisong and Sangchen every single day.

Once the team is established I will post a donation link so that people can donate online.

I encourage everybody to participate, or at the very least make a donation. You don’t have to go without food, there are other options like no technology and no furniture.

Silverchair "Straight Lines" 40 Hour Famine video:

More info: http://www.worldvision.com.au/40hourfamine/index.asp

Email from A Daily Dose of Happiness:

Do you believe in the law of attraction - that if you really wish for something and you really believe it will happen, it will?

It’s true. It’s not infallible, of course, but consider the corollary: if you don’t wish for something and you doubt it will happen, it probably won’t. Neither you nor anybody else around will be compelled to make it happen.

Wishing alone is not enough. Believing alone is not enough. But without wishing and believing, there can be no action.

Wish. Believe. Action.
That’s attraction!