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Self-isolation = maybe good?

You, like me, might be in a state of shock following the emergence of this global pandemic and whilst lots is being said about it, I thought I’d take some time out to reflect on what I see coming out of it. Generally less anxious than most and maybe even a bit positive. Whilst there’s no shortage of positive messages and support being shared globally, this video from Russell Brand really struck a chord with me. So much so that I actually just want to build on three points he raises, so might be worthwhile watching before reading on? Or not. The first 2mins are worth it and the rest you can skip... bit of a ramble. 1. Rehumanising One of the positives I see coming out of the pandemic is that we’re taking greater care for one another and, in general, being better humans (leaving aside panic buyers). I suppose it’s the revelation of how truly interconnected we all are – that we all breathe the same air. The virus doesn’t discriminate against nationality, ethnicity, age, ge...
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LDN vs NYC - which city is better?

Both cities contend to be the world’s best, but which really is? I have the absolute pleasure of living in London and recently had the equal pleasure of visiting New York City. I thought it was blog-worthy to share the points that differentiate the two cities in my mind. As a heads up, this comparison isn’t based on a standard set of indicators, but more my rambling observations – five differences that stuck out for me :-) Let the games begin… Music My first impression of NYC was a delightful one. When I stepped into the immigration hall at JFK airport the sweet sound of music filled my ears. MUSIC! It was a bit of light jazz, nothing special, but mixed with the chatter of recent arrivals and the colourful space, it completely lifted my mood. I think the reason it had such an effect on me is because you will not find life in many public transit spaces in London. For tube stations, it’s usually the march of footsteps laid over a background of silence. In addition, the newe...
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Lisbon is my new home!

Well I did visit Lisbon, but I can’t say I’m staying there currently… read on to find out how I discovered a home there ;-) I’ve been thinking about the concept of “home” recently and what that really means. I reckon the reason why it’s prevalent to me is because I moved around a bit last year which didn’t make me feel “settled”: Sydney – Auckland – Sydney – London. Today marks five months since I arrived in London. I’m starting to feel settled, but is London home? What do others think Speaking with fellow Sydneysiders in London, the generally feeling is having one foot planted in Sydney and the other in London. Their upbringing and connections anchor them to Sydney and their living in London is a temporary escape. I totally get this mindset, it makes logical sense, but I don’t particularly like it. The notion that staying in London is temporary, however, ironically lasts at least two years, is unsettling. It feels fleeting and not entirely real (cue Neverland),...
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Pinballing through life

Living in a foreign land has got me thinking about who I am – where I’ve come from and where I’m going. Deep, introspective questions which I managed to rationalise into a game of pinball. Read on if I’ve piqued your interest with pinball ;-) Establishing my identity   Everyone has a unique set of parameters that makes them who they are, that forms their identity. The two cultural influences that have shaped me the most are being Parsi and being Australian. I’m incredibly proud of both and only recently realised just how significant the combination has been in forming who I am. On being Parsi – yeah, it’s great. Being part of an ethno-religious group that can trace its roots back to the first ever monotheistic religion, around 2,700 years ago, is not something many people can lay claim to and I’m incredibly proud of that. Damn. Just typing “2,700 years ago” triggered something in me – like that weight of all my ancestors preserving their identity is still sitting with...
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2017 in review

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve enjoyed the festive season and that you’re feeling excited for 2018! I wanted to reflect on my bumper 2017 in this post. I didn’t know how to collect my thoughts, so I’ve grouped them under eight random headings :-) Here we go – Karl Desai on… On travelling I’ve been lucky enough to visit seven countries (lived in three) across three continents this year. Yeah, it’s been great! I guess what I enjoy most about travelling is the personal journey. You get to spend time with yourself removed from the constraints of your routine life. You’re exposed to new experiences and forced to live outside your comfort zone… I think I might have said this stuff previously, so let me get to the point. The point is that although I’ve explored quite a bit of the world this year, it’s really been the exploration of myself that’s been the most enriching experience. Woah, this post got deep real quick. Hold your breath, because it’s only going to get deeper… Me ha...
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A shitty week

Warning: this post contains sad themes and frequent coarse language. What an exhausting week this has been. I thought it’d be nice to share it with you to paint that richer picture I keep talking about, but please don’t expect an uplifting message coming out of it. Also, it'll be cathartic for me to have a rant  J Let’s begin from last weekend  – Saturday: I went to Copenhagen for the weekend for a friend’s 30 th birthday. The day was full of hygge , including a home-cooked breakfast, intriguing Danish cuisine and cosy downtime at home. Then we ramped things for the house party at night. The party was so cool. Danish people are SO cool. Very chilled vibe, not a rager, which I liked. It was nice socialising with the Danes as they don’t faf around with idle chit-chat (as I’ve noticed Brits like to do), but rather dig deeper in discussions. 3am: sophisticated drunk. At some point during the night a thought struck me that may make a good blog post… who a...
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London as Neverland

Wouldn’t it be nice to live a carefree life? Where you have no troubles and can be whoever it is you want to be. Well there is a place, and that place is called Neverland… but if you’re Aussie and looking for a place that’s a bit easier to find, then London might just be it. What is it that attracts hoards of Aussies to take the well-trodden path of a “two-year stint in London”? What’s the appeal? Well, I think it’s the possibility of finding Neverland. A place where you can leave your previous life behind and create a new one. A few friends have described it as a fantasy world. They no longer have the pressures of living a routine life in Sydney where their story reads like a script. “You want me to describe myself? Oh, well, I work [enter comfortable job] and live [enter convenient place], my friends are [enter established social group] and this is my lifestyle [enter a routine lifestyle]” This is all great. But I think a lot of people move to London to break all...
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Humble brag

I got a job! Yessss. This will take the pressure off job hunting, which honestly sucks. Whilst the liberty and freedom of being employed (read: whiling away days doing sfa + “job hunting”) was fantastic, the security of knowing I have a purpose in the world, in the form of a job I’m passionate about, is nice. From next Monday I will be a Sustainability Manager at JLL. In the role, I’ll be aiming to embed sustainability strategies across large portfolios of buildings. This might mean energy efficiency schemes, fitout improvements for the health and wellbeing of occupants, energy/water data reporting for CSG etc… I think. It’s great because it’s similar to what I was doing back at the GBCA and I’ll hopefully be able to affect positive change across large swathes of buildings.   Here is an accurate representation of what I’ll be doing most days: I'll let you know if the job really does meet my expectations once I get settled in :-)
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Big Bud & Lil Bud do London

How do you explore a new city? Do you:     A)  Research a few weeks in advance and plan a considered itinerary? or     B)  Sort through the top sights on TripAdvisor and check out the ones that appeal? or     C)   Plan your trip around meals based on friends’ advice and Google ratings? Well Rohan and I had limited time in London so we chose Option C, the winner’s option. London is amazing for the culinary diversity on offer and we wanted to make the most of it. We had to pack in as much good food as we could – wasting a meal on an “ok” meal was not allowed. So one day we set off early to begin our foodie adventure – Breakfast @ Australian café (Granger & Co.) With a dose of Australiana in our bellies and the twang of Aussie accents from the waitstaff ringing in our ears, we planned a route to our lunch stop. We had time for sightseeing, including a nice bike ride, however this had to fit within the constraint...
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