Quarterly Review...

Here are the stats (seriously, I can't believe that it's already 3 months into the new year!!):

What I'm doing for fun:

• Baking (bread, cookies...whatever)
• Tennis lessons - once/twice every week whenever I get a chance. (at less than $5 per lesson, I've got to pick up some skills!)
• Pilates - mat workout, twice a week whenever I get a chance (Monday and Wednesday nights) - I say whenever I get a chance, because work has been bleeding into my personal life more often these days. =(

What I'm watching on TV:

• BBC News - as I'm having breakfast. I'm going to purchase an atlas to keep on the table as I watch because I never know where these countries are!
  
• Heroes - we're only on episode 6 or 7 here in Bangladesh (but at least we're on the same season!)
• American Idol 2007 - only 1 day behind the States on this one! I'm rooting for Melinda Doolittle!
  
• The Apprentice - only an episode or two behind the States on this one as well. I never watched this show back home because it was too much like watching work. But - now that I'm out of the corporate world, I watch it to keep sharp and pick up interpersonal dynamics. =)
• Other comedies/tv shows available that I watch in passing - Friends, According to Jim, E! Entertainment, Without a Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Law and Order, CSI Miami...they used to have NCIS, but I never see it on anymore.
  

What I'm listening to (free iTunes Podcasts)

• NPR Podcasts - All Songs Considered and NPR Technology (got to keep sharp!)
• Buzz Out Loud from CNET
• The Economist
• Dreamweaver's Chill Out Music Podcast - mellow music tempos (electronic, instrumentals)
• Properly Chilled - downtempo podcasts of jazz and blues from around the world
• The Chill Factory - Music for busy heads - new age, world, jazz and ambient music to chill out to and relax.
  
• Full Moon - JPopcast - Japanese pop music
• "Quick and Dirty" Podcasts - Grammar Tips (my English is getting bad!), Money Tips, and Politeness Tips
• Spanish and Italian Daily Phrase podcasts
  

What I'm NOT doing:

• Laundry
• Bathrooms (thank goodness for housekeeping!!)

What I'm missing:

• Friends and Family back home
• Watching the kids grow up...having little ones around on days when you just need a reminder that work isn't that important in the whole scheme of things
• ...the easy life. It's just "easier" when you speak the local language and don't need a translator or help to accomplish simple tasks.
• High speed internet connections (everything seems to take twice as long)
  

What's different here:

• All the outlets have a switch (like a light switch) - so whenever you plug something in, you also need to flip the switch for it. (the switch is usually located right next to the outlet on the same plate.)
• Pion - that's an official title. The people who work for you are often referred to as your house "pion". You have office "pions" who get your coffee and run around for you. We call them "messengers" in our office. But the "official" title is "pion". (Can you believe that?)
• Money is bundled using a staple or a hole punch. I got a big wad of cash that was bundled together with string and glue. The string was run through the entire stack of money using a hole punch or huge sewing needle, then a label was wrapped around the string. That's how they separate wads of cash - vs. one of those little paper strips around bundles of money at the bank. I don't like having holes in my money - they rip easier and seem to start to fall apart a lot more quickly).
  

What I've learned about myself:

• I can rough it if I have to. I don't like to. I like comfort, I like to have my "things" around me to help me create my own personal space. Personal space is pretty important to me - I just need to have some place that I can call my own and personalize for myself.
• I probably could not be a peace corp volunteer - those guys ROUGH it...but are strangely still quite naive. People who run the program often call it a babysitting service. Strange, huh?
• Managing people brings out the control freak in me. I don't like how I become a micro manager when I'm working with less experienced team members. I prefer to be hands off and manage as a peer vs. as a "manager" in the traditional sense of the word...but things don't get done. *sigh*

What I'm learning in general:

• How to manage people using different styles per individual
• How to run a company
• How to develop and implement company strategies and business plans
• How to build an organization
• How to live in Bangladesh =)
• Lychee season in in July/July here
  

I just thought it was a nice way to look back at the past few months and note the stats. =) I'm going to try to do something similar every 3-4 months.