Comments for The Ego Chronicles

Comment on The View by ramblingperfectionist

ramblingperfectionist — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:53:13 +0000

Yes man. You scared him a bit referencing what I wrote, did you?

Comment on The View by Just A Techie

Just A Techie — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:41:54 +0000

Unsurprisingly I can draw a lot of parallels.

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The oil industry does not tend to attract idealists. There are few humanitarians or do-gooders in there; plenty of people who are doing something they feel is necessary, something that’s “gotta be done”, perhaps, but at the end of the day, most oil field workers are mercenaries**.
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I am tempted to conclude that this applies to all industries – hell, if it is true for the most self-righteous, highly glorified one (which is mine), it must be true for the others.

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The money is what gets you mucking about in the grease in a dangerous environment, miles away from your friends and family and “civilization”, often for weeks at a time.
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Again, tempted to conclude this is universally true. The money is what keeps engineers in California 8000 miles away from parents, working 12-14 hour workdays on far-from-intellectually-stimulating-stuff, returning home past dinner (even those who have a spouse and kids to come home to).

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But of course in the college recruitment speeches that bit tends to get played down (I assume because everyone already knows about it), and what they try and pitch to you is The Experience***. The Experience is what’s supposed to motivate you. The Experience is supposed to Build Character, Teach Life Lessons and Make You into a Better**** person. This is a different version of the same thing that the investment banks tell you, and it is mostly just a different version of crap. Most people will always do this for the money.
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You forgot a lot of things
“working with smart people”, “solving the world’s problems”, “building a better tomorrow”.. blah blah.

Comment on The View by Ekansh

Ekansh — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:34:44 +0000

Is that very non-Marxist enjoying in the US of A ??

Comment on The View by ramblingperfectionist

ramblingperfectionist — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:06:44 +0000

Haha, thanks. The very non-Marxist friend does the same job and was with me on the rig. It had been almost a month and he was getting kind of pissed .

Comment on The View by Han

Han — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:53:26 +0000

Very interesting! Great to read well-written stuff on lifestyles that are so strikingly different from the ordinary. Marxists be damned! Keep it up!

Comment on 30 Things Travelers Must See and Do Before They’re 30 by ramblingperfectionist

ramblingperfectionist — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:03:09 +0000

Hahaha. I’m sure you don’t, but I’d rather not just yet all the same. What additions would you make to this list?

Comment on 30 Things Travelers Must See and Do Before They’re 30 by PS

PS — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:01:21 +0000

Woah. I don’t feel _that_ terrible and I turn 30 in a couple of years.

Comment on 30 Things Travelers Must See and Do Before They’re 30 by kalafudra

kalafudra — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:17:35 +0000

I hope you don’t mind if I do this quickly here?
1. Jump off something.
Jumped off a bridge. A small one, but hey.
2. See one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
I’m afraid I’ve seen none of them. Yet.
3. Party in Las Vegas.
Not really interested, though I do want to see Vegs.
4. Take a vacation that isn’t Spring Break.
I think that’s more of a problem for USAmericans. But yes, done.
5. Attend at least one large celebration.
New Year’s on the Copa Cabana in Rio counts, right.
6. Hit up a nude beach.
I don’t see what’s so special about it. Be naked, don’t be, I don’t really care.
7. Spend several days with only what will fit in a backpack.
I’ve travelled a couple of times with only a backpack. I don’t need much stuff. But usually I stayed in a hostel when I did that, so I don’t know if it counts.
8. Swim in the ocean.
Done.
9. Sleep somewhere where you have to light a fire to stay warm.
Meh. I’m really happy with modern luxuries. Like heating and beds.
10. Do some sort of adrenaline sport.
Rafting counts, right? Even if it was children’s rafting?
11. Hit up one of the Caribbean islands.
Really want to.
12. Take one ultimate road trip.
Took a mini-road trip, but am planning to do a huge one.
13. Go somewhere alone.
Done.
14. Take a train somewhere.
Done. [In Europe, that's normal.]
15. Go to a music festival.
Done.
16. Have one iconic Americana experience.
I want to see The House on the Rocks. That counts, right?
17. Go to at least one of the Smithsonian museums.
Want to.
18. Summit a mountain.
If we’re being generous, I’ve done that. And I don’t care to do any more.
19. Be able to name your top five dream vacations.
Mongolia, Cambodia, India, New Zealand, USA/Canada.
20. See a game at a classic ballpark.
I second your meh.
21. Visit a neighbor to our north or south.
Well, I’ve been to all of Austria’s neighboring countries, but neither Canada nor Mexico.
22. Do something so adventurous that it requires a doctor’s visit.
Vaccines: done that. Fell of a horse and bruised my jaw – does that count as an adventure?
23. Save pennies to go somewhere you really want to go.
For the past 8 years or so, I saved for every single one of my vacations.
24. Go to New York City.
It’s a plan.
25. Sleep under the stars.
I slept in our garden as a child.
26. Eat an iconic city meal.
I always try the local food.
27. Know all of the best places to take tourists in your home city.
Do you know how many places there are in Vienna? Impossible to know it all. But I know a few.
28. Have one close encounter with a wild animal.
Saw a buffalo in Yellowstone. Very closely. And I’ve seen monkeys a lot.
29. Do something you can’t tell your parents about.
I could tell my parents pretty much everything. But I don’t.
30. Know a dance well enough that you could keep up with the locals.
Done.

Comment on Other lives by ramblingperfectionist

ramblingperfectionist — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:38:03 +0000

Awww, how sweet .

The facts have been stylized, obviously, but I am trying to not be ashamed of saying that the story is substantively true, so you could certainly find out if you wanted to.

Comment on Other lives by Aruna

Aruna — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 07:04:47 +0000

Punnoose! I wonder who the girl is? and if its any consolation, I am pretty sure I have always liked you

And for all the spats and arguments we’ve had, Pallikoodam and our class wouldnt have been the same without you.