How to Excel at Small Talks

Imagine this. You’re walking in a mall alone, shopping. You meet a really old friend and go “HIII ITS BEEN SO LONG!” and she says “I KNOW RIGHT! HOW ARE YOU?” and you go “GOOD AND YOU?” and she says “GOOD TOO, THANKS!” and then ……………………….. *awkward*
Small talks are never easy. I am a proud victim of super awkward moments and have learnt to cope up with weird situations as such. Well, not completely, but much better than the dorky kid staring at her toes. Here are what you can do to save socially-awkward moments:
1. Ask them how have they been, and mean it! Ask where have they studied, where are they working, how are their relatives, and so on. Don’t ask overly personal questions such as “are you single?” unless you want to known as a creepy nosy-body all your life.
2. Talk about yourself. Share about your education, working life, pretty much similar as the above. Be considerate, don’t go on and on about yourself. You may sound like a self-centered person.
3. Find something in common to talk about. For example, if she happens to mention similar interest as you, dig deeper. You never know, you might find out a common interest to talk about ;)
4. If you are with company, introduce that person to your old friend. They might save you a teensy bit from the awkwardness 
5. Be genuine. You don’t have to give them a huge tight hug if you aren’t up for it. You don’t have to compliment her bag if you don’t like it.
6. Compliment them! Say something nice about the person’s weight loss, newly done hair, new family or anything you can find. Remember, be genuine!
7. Still awkward? Time to move on! Tell them it was a pleasure to have met them, exchange contact numbers and respectfully leave. Guess what? You still have your self-respect! ;)

Try them out and you will see how easy and pleasant it is to meet old acquaintances!

How To Make Your Customers Happy

So, as newly-employed individual, I have realized that keeping our customers happy and satisfied with the service we provide is a crucial determinant to ensure you stay on the job for more than a couple months! Where we work will differ from one person to another, but wherever it is, we are bound to make em happy, aren't we? For example, if you work in a travel agent, your customers should be satisfied. I work in a school in the English department and event coordinator, so parents need to see that I am doing my best. Anyway, here are some tips from my personal hands-on experience with the "customers"

1. When handling a complaint, ensure you understand the problem and handle it with meticulousness. Be diplomatic and sure. Always make the customers aware that we are on their side and want to work things out according to their desires.

2. SMILE. This is so simple yet easily forgettable. Try not to panic, keep calm and look cheery while listening to them. No one can ever shout to an amicable person. Trust me on this :p

3.Be patient. If you lose your temper, imagine your customers! If you cannot understand what they want, slowly muster the courage to ask what can you do to make sure they have what they need.

4. Don't be afraid to consult your boss/employer. They will have more experience in this and providing they are as nice as my bosses, they will be more than happy to help you!

5. Never promise something you feel is not possible. There is nothing worst than having promised your customer something and not being able to fulfill them.


I'll end here to keep it simple, but follow the above tips and you are sure to plaster smiles on your customers' faces! Good luck!

How to Survive Your Thesis

Ah. Thesis writing. It could either be the longest 6 months of your life or could tun out to be a pleasant experience. Its your choice at the end of the days. Having written mine couple of months earlier, I'd like to share some tips for my fellow juniors who are in delight (or pain) in writing theirs.

1. Choose a topic that is YOU! Think whether or not it will keep you worked up for 6 months or bore you to death. its not necessary to pick a finance, NGO, environment topic to simply sound smart if it doesn't interest you whatsoever.

3. Be good to your supervisor. I don't mean this to sound like you should be a kiss-ass (pardon me) but it is important to be in touch with him/her. Your supervisor will be helpful to you only if you are willing to help yourself. Remember, their job is to advice, not to write your thesis.

4. Do not delay. ever. being a procrastinator is one of the joys of life (who else would know better than myself?) but avoid delaying your work. Whatever can be done now, do it right this moment! Thesis-writing is a gamble, you never know what changes you need to do at the end, so the earlier, the better.

5. Keep a target and follow it. Whether its a daily, weekly or even monthly target, so be it. It helps you follow your own commitment. As for me, I had a daily target and it helped me BIG time.

6. Work in a group. even though thesis is an individual project, stick to people who is under the same "agony". There is nothing better than to have a friendly competition and motivating each other to help complete their targets. Have each other read someone else's work for inputs and ideas.

7. Dont forget to chill! Not delaying work doesnt mean you stay put on the laptop each and every weekend. Reward yourself a movie night or any other recreation whenever you find the need to relax.

8. Dont be shy to ask for help from your seniors. They are well-experienced and some of them may be more than happy to help you out.

9. Prepare and practice for your defense. No matter how good a speaker you are, the pressure is bound to get the best of you if you aren't well prepared. Know your slideshow, prepare your materials and be confident! do not be overly cocky, learn to accept your mistakes, and do not act if you do not understand a question, your examiners are way ahead in the education field and THEY WILL KNOW if you are bluffing.

10. Do not stress (i did not follow this well). But honestly, if you keep calm, you will be able to work faster, better and prove better results. In my case, all i needed was some ginger tea.


Hope these tips will help all of you for your thesis. If you would like to add, be my guest. For those uninformed, I am an Undergraduate Alumni of Binus International. My thesis was titled "Factors Affecting The Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsements Advertisements". My 6 months were topsy-turvy. some months were good and some were filled with lots of coffee and all-nighters. If only i had followed the above tips better, I'd have better stress management :) and, oh, if you're curious, i scored an A- for my thesis. Good enough but could have been a little better. good luck to all of you *hugs*

Inspiring People

Ah, if only I had a nickel for every person who asked me "who are the people who inspire you the most? "

After careful considerations, I figured this would top my list

1. Coco Chanel


Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel (19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist thought, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel. Her extraordinary influence on fashion was such that she was the only person in the couturier field to be named on Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century.
What more can I say about this extraordinary woman?

2. Marilyn Monroe


Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson but baptized and raised as Norma Jeane Baker; June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an American actress, singer and model. After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. By 1953, Monroe had progressed to leading roles. Limited by typecasting, Monroe studied at the Actors Studio to broaden her range, and her dramatic performance in Bus Stop (1956) was hailed by critics, and she received a Golden Globe nomination. Her production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, released The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination and won a David di Donatello award. She received a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like It Hot (1959).
The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with. The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture. In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute. In the years and decades following her death, Monroe has often been cited as a pop and cultural icon as well as an eminent American sex symbol.
She was a great woman nevertheless and changed the face of American cinema.

3. Oprah Winfrey


Oprah Winfrey (born Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist, best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century,the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was for a time the world's only black billionaire.She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.If you don't know who she is, GOOGLE.

4. Warren Buffett



Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett",he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world's wealthiest person in 2008 and is the third wealthiest person in the world as of 2011.
Buffett is also a notable philanthropist, having pledged to give away 99 percent of his fortune to philanthropic causes, primarily via the Gates Foundation. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees at Grinnell College.

5. Beyonce Knowles



Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981), often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American R&B recording artist, actress and fashion designer. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.Apart from her work in music, Knowles has also launched a career in acting. In 2001, she made her debut in the musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera, prior to appearing in major films, including Dreamgirls (2006), which earned her two Golden Globe nominations, and Cadillac Records (2008). In 2004, Knowles and her mother introduced their family's fashion line, House of Deréon; Knowles has also endorsed brands such as Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and L'Oréal. In June 2010, Knowles was ranked second on Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world, and first on its list of the Most Powerful and Influential musicians in the world. Check our her classy act of calling upon Taylor Swift at the VMAs when Kanye West stole the latter's limelight.

6. Steve Jobs


Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs (born February 24, 1955) is an American business magnate and inventor. He is co-founder, chairman, and former chief executive officer of Apple Inc.Jobs also previously served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios; he became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, following the acquisition of Pixar by Disney. He was credited in the 1995 film Toy Story as an executive producer. Jobs' history in business has contributed much to the symbolic image of the idiosyncratic, individualistic Silicon Valley entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of design and understanding the crucial role aesthetics play in public appeal. His work driving forward the development of products that are both functional and elegant has earned him a devoted following.
On August 24, 2011, Jobs announced his resignation from his role as Apple's CEO. In his letter of resignation, Jobs strongly recommended that the Apple executive succession plan be followed and Tim Cook be named as his successor. Per his request, Jobs was appointed chairman of Apple's board of directors.

7. Mahatma Gandhi



Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement. A pioneer of satyagraha, or resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience — a philosophy firmly founded upon ahimsa, or total nonviolence — Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. In India, he is also called Bapu (Gujarati: બાપુ, bāpu or "Father") and officially honoured as the Father of the Nation. His birthday, 2 October, is commemorated in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence. Gandhi strove to practice non-violence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn he had hand spun on a charkha. He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as means of both self-purification and social protest.

8. Mother Teresa



We can do great things, only small things with great love. So says Mother Teresa, (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was a Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship,who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India in 1950. For over 45 years she ministered in her own way to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

9. J.K. Rowling



Joanne "Jo" Rowling,(born 31 July 1965),[3] better known as J. K. Rowling is a British author best known as the creator of the Harry Potter fantasy series, the idea for which was conceived on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990.The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies and been the basis for a popular series of films, in which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts as well as maintaining creative control by serving as a producer on the final instalment.
The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £560 million ($798 million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in the United Kingdom.Forbes ranked Rowling as the forty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007, and Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fans.In October 2010, J. K. Rowling was named 'Most Influential Woman in Britain' by leading magazine editors.She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and Lumos (formerly the Children's High Level Group). Oh, in case you are wondering, I am THE BIGGEST FAN of harry potter series, may they be books or the movies. She is an icon.


10. Eleanor Roosevelt



Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international author, speaker, politician, and activist for the New Deal coalition. She worked to enhance the status of working women, although she opposed the Equal Rights Amendment because she believed it would adversely affect women. Her famous quote, "No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent". So inspiring


I guess that would make the top 10 list. These people have made their own mark in each of their lives and while some may have been criticized for their deeds, they have managed to make an impact in the world and that is what makes them so inspiring. Not all of us can be an impact as big as they have been to the world, but what we can do is take a leaf from their book and try to create a little change in our lives and others' too.

I LOVE YOU BOTH ALWAYS

Dear Dad
I may not come with you for grocery shopping every sunday
I may forget to say goodnight
I may miss a lot of curfews
I may get a bad score now and then
I may run to mama and complain about you sometimes
I may forget to wake you up for your morning walks
I may get irritated when you force me to eat my vegetables
I may not like the suggestions you make on what to do with my birthday cash prize

But papa, no matter how old I may be
I'll always be that little girl who was afraid to open the socks drawer
I'll always be that little girl who chases you around the dining table
I'll always be that little girl who tries to tickle you until you surrender
I'll always be your little princess

Dear Mom
I may get irritated with the fact you are a career lady and have less time at home
I may say rude things and regret then
I may not agree with your fashion opinions
I may not get much time to spend with you at home
I may get mad at the fact that u take so long to read my bbms
I may keep asking for pocket money
I may not join your dance classes any more
I may even forget to say how much I love you, and I do tremendously

But ma,no matter what
I will still be that tiny girl who used to wear "I Love My Mama" t-shirt
I will still be that tiny girl who used to hold your hand and watch you shop
I will still be that girl who wears her indian outfit and imitate your dance
I will always be your best friend

live-in relationships. what say?

Check out these statistics. According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America, the divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%, the divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60% and the divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%. Quite high figures, yeah? Every day, one time or another, we hear somebody is getting divorced. Obviously, we do not wish anybody such ill fates, although a divorce can be a form of relieve by any means. However, sometimes, you can’t avoid fate. I was wondering the other day, how come our culture (Indian heritage) does not encourage live-in relationships? Why can’t an unmarried couple live with each other to figure out what they want for their future? I think live-in relationships can be a solid foundation for those who still need to figure where they stand in the relationship they are in. Yes true, the society may look at this as absurd and despicable but think about the possibilities it may offer. A couple can truly learn things about their spouses they never even knew about. Things like snoring habits, food penchants, dirty habits, mood swings, and so much more are easily overlooked and can really make a difference in one’s life. When two people get to know each other fully and are ready to take the next step, they can consider the idea of getting married, without the blunder of a messy divorce. If they decide that they are not for each other, then by all means, they can move on with their lives. Another thing is that, live-in relationships give couples an idea of how their married lives would be (minus the in-laws and children, of course!). They are able to give better thoughts to the marriage itself, be more matured individuals and make better decisions, both practically and emotionally.
Yes, there are consequences to undertake, mostly coming from the society. Our culture, in some ways, is still backward from certain regions in the world. Some people would come to think of live-in relationships as a sin or form of illegality. Some would consider that this is another reason for having sex, or irrational decision making. However, come to think of it, it’s all a matter of choice. If this concept is okay for a couple, than why not? We are in the 21st century and we have to open up our minds a little bit, don’t we? Anyway, this was just a fragment of my thoughts. Many might think differently. But, the most important thing is to be open-minded and less judgmental. Cheers

Crossing the line

New Moon-Edward’s undying love for Bella, Jacob-who loves Bella but can’t have her, and Bella who loves Jacob, not quite the same as she does to Edward. And there was this line that Jacob said to Bella “you’re about to cross the line” and she says “then don’t draw one”. This got me thinking, more often than not, we human beings draw lines, or boundaries, to what we are expected to stay within. But who draws the lines? Who creates them? Ourselves or others? And more importantly, what drives us to create those boundaries? Morals, or ethics? If we say moral, what are they based on? society or culture or what? If we say ethics, how are they developed in the first place? Lastly, do we ourselves, who have the boundaries drawn within, strive to keep ourselves from crossing the lines?
Some people say, rules are meant to be broken. Similarly, lines or boundaries are made to be crossed. But when we cross them, do we risk provoking the fragility of life? People may or may not have these answers. Or they may respond differently towards life due to different outlooks.
Isn’t it ever the best to NOT draw any lines at all? If they are meant to be crossed, why draw them in the first place, corrupting our hearts and minds? Isn’t it better to live life the way you want it, leaving judgmental idiots behind? Won’t we all want to live our life to the fullest without limitation? Isn’t there a saying that “the sky is the limit”?
I firmly believe that if we preserve the fragility of life, we forget how to live. Life is once, embrace it. Have no fear in your beliefs, for they take you higher. If you don’t want to cross the line, then don’t draw one…