Pilot for a day

Today me and my friend went out on our first experience flying a plane. It was cold day (around 45 deg f) and partly clouds. After small briefing about key aircraft instruments and practicing for about half an hour on simulator, we were ready for our maiden flight. With trainer on the side and my friend on the back seat, I took control of small 4- Seater around 40 year old Piper PA -28 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-28). Starting from Van Nuys airport for a short 40 mins flight, we passed around LA downtown, Hollywood sign, Griffith park, and Pasadena to finally land at El Monte airport.

Personally, the take off was most scary of all. With takeoff speed around 60 knots - approx 70 mph which is not all that fast, and no horizon in sight for few mins (seemed much longer) and the plane gaining fast elevation, matched only by rising heart rate, the sheer exhilaration of takeoff was very soon replaced by the doubt and fear of placing trust on small and not so powerful and old piece of machinery. It made me wonder if this little escapade was well worth the risk and this adventure was nothing but a big mistake. Fortunately, once we leveled off around 2000 ft, the flight was much smoother and enjoyable. Sitting in small box floating in the air, it was strange feeling of freedom and helplessness, excitement and anxiety that hard to describe in words. Still occasional shake and slide of the plane would bring back the worst of fears. 

Good Magazine

A few years back I got introduced to Good Magazine during one of the Consumer Marketing class I took. Ever since I'm hooked on to this great magazine. In this blog entry, I'll review this magazine and outline what I like about it.

Good Magazine, henceforth referred to as GOOD (as they like to call them as), sets up their mission in their ‘about’ section on their website. It says and I quote “GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward. Since 2006 we've been making a magazine, videos, and events for people who give a damn."
Further their website defines their magazine as following in a very powerful and no-nonsense manner:

In a world where things too often don’t work, GOOD seeks a path that does. Left, right. In, out. Greed, altruism. Us, them. These are the defaults and they are broken. We are an alternative model. We are the reasonable people who give a damn. No dogma. No party lines. No borders. We care about what works--what is sustainable, prosperous, productive, creative, and just--for all of us and each of us. This isn’t easy, but we are not afraid to fail. We’ll figure it out as we go.

Funny world of Improv

Originally published on Feb 14, 2012

Completed my first ever improv class yesterday at Westside Comedy and wanted to share my experience. First off, I had general idea about improv, but had no clue about the dynamics and other details. Improv is more than just telling jokes on the fly. Wikipedia defines Improvisation as “the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or new ways to act.” My primary motivation in joining this class was to practice improv speaking on any topic and do it in a manner that is funny and engaging. The skills learned can be applied in any field ranging from public speaking to general every day conversation in formal or informal setting.

It was fun and enriching experience. Through the course of 6 weeks, we went though many activities and games to learn the tools and structure of improv. It is not just about cracking jokes; to be successful in this, you need to be constantly aware of what is going on - be active listener, and work as team and support each other. It was fascinating to see how playing a mundane act with varied emotions can bring so much laughs. What you learn here can be so contrary to how we normally think, such as - if you feel weird, do it more - if you are stuck, say the truth. You learn to avoid arguments and go with the flow. It’s all about relationships filled with emotions. Sounds like valuable life lessons!!

All in all, while this class might not have made me any funnier, it definitely taught me bits and pieces about how to keep a conversation engaging and entertaining. Also, confidence to face audience and not be conscious whether I might be sounding puerile or preposterous - as it might not be a bad thing after all. Finally, confidence to crack jokes, even if no one is laughing!