Unreasonable Expectations

The excitement of the summer has more or less subsided. They say “The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” This seems accurate. When I think of my accomplishments in first year commerce, they seem to far outweigh the accomplishments in my second year. What I forget was how much more challenging first year was for me, adjusting to the new environment. Second year was indeed less successful but perhaps I had a better time. As for the present, there comes a point where the status quo is taken for granted. This is wrong in principle but perhaps required as a motivating force going forward. And finally, the future is the cornerstone of this equation. The unpredictability of the future is the key to aberrations in happiness. Where your actual experiences do not meet your expectations, it is hard to be happy. It is when actual inflation is less than expected inflation that wages rise faster than revenues, creating unemployment. The key is then to manage expectations. But expectations are hard to manage. It is evolutionary to be optimistic (http://www.economist.com/node/21554506). 

A little bit of hope makes you go a little further in achieving your goals. Unfortunately, that sets your future expectations higher than reasonable expectations, which seems to be the underlying message of the quotation. There are many good reasons to be optimistic though. There has never been a better time in history to be alive. This applies to people in (almost) any geography and social economic status. The modern economy, as much as it has been slandered, has lifted almost a billion people out of poverty in the last century. The Rawls criterion that inequality must make the worst person better off has then been satisfied. My friends and I are turning 20 this year which begins the happiest decade in a human's life (it peaks at 26, I believe). So I guess I should be optimistic (but not too much).

Last week(s) in pictures:

I cooked dinner at my place in Richmond Hill. I made chicken and risotto. My mother made the fried rice (it was untouched - the reason I learnt to cook).

 One (half chicken $30 - great value)

Food IQ

Bar Centrale

A relaxing week / weekend

I am lucky to have had a light week and an equally light weekend as my friends. A pastime I have developed is reading (in this case last two issues of the Economist and Conrad Black's blog on National Post), from which I recently found the origins of Quinoa to be quite the underdog story. As many things these days (organic, field-to-table, etc.) we realize that our ancestors got it right. Funnily enough my Friday lunch consisted of an overdressed chicken and Quinoa from Food iQ, a bustling quick serve underneath the TD complexes purportedly opened by a banker to cater other overworked, malnourished bankers. The name "Food IQ" itself merits it a visit, I think (haha!).

Stories like this make it hard for me to imagine a better city to live in (though I understand my rather provincial experience gives me little credibility). The PATH hosts a pastiche of flavours unfound in touristy New York (Sandwich Box, another favourite is pictured above). A Sam James Coffee Bar will soon open, with whimsical latte art designs. Yorkville is a delightful place to spend the weekend. Quality is high but it isn't pretentious. The Winners is separated from the Gucci and Hermès by only a Starbucks. We went to the Manulife center, whose top floor is "Panorama". A friend pointed out that a similar establishment in New York would likely have hour long lines.

On a grander scale, Canada must be one of the best places to live. The recounts from those recently returned from exchange eliminate most places. Off the top of my head, it seems like Northern Europe and Australia/New Zealand are the only contenders. I am writing this on the 200 year anniversary of the War of 1812 and on the weekend of Queen Victoria, both reasons to be excited to live in Canada. No doubt our history has been dull. What that really means is that there have been no major wars, famines, genocides, political instability nor natural disasters. Knock on wood.

Another week; Normalizing

I'm privileged to write this while the sun is still up. Work has slowed a bit thankfully. Unfortunately the rest of bay street is still grinding by the looks of it, which makes lunch and dinner plans difficult. However, I encourage those working at Canadian Banks to work harder and expense less. Especially if you're at TD or BNS (and maybe CM if we buy into it soon). The acronym MLIF now seems to have two expansions. The better one is "My Life is Finance". Between QUIC, ONCAP and the people I'm always with, it appears accurate. Being able to pour a latte has never been so useful as it is the one non-relevant line item on the resume:

 

My math paper remains unpublished. I called cell phone number I found on google that was supposed to belong to the editor. I appear to have awoken him from his eternal slumber; the paper will come out February 2013, a year after the date I was initially hoping for. I will hopefully be celebrating my birthday in France at that time. 

Marks have all come out and I do protest against the 1% (in Ethics). I have a faint idea who the 1% might be and will set up camp outside their doors. 

Last week in pictures:

 Yoyo's

 Lakeshore, from my building

 O&B Front/Yonge

End of Y2 / Start of Summer & ONCAP

My random walk theory of life has recently been challenged. I should clarify that my random walk has momentum and trajectory. It says the direction you go in is important but abberations should be expected. I am satisfied with the trajectory I am in though some of the abberations are hard to deal with. 2nd year ended with a gust of stressors.  Much unlike the end of the first, I was dying to leave Kingston. My wish was realized when I was thrown into the second highest floor of Brookfield place only 72 hours after my last exam. All settled in now, the abberations have indeed reverted. Living at woodsworth residence is a delight. I am a 10 minute bike ride from work and surrounded by the nicest stores and restaurants (Bloor Street is the 20th highest grossing shopping district per square feet apparently). The U of T residence effectively turns into a Queen's residence, just a couple of notches nicer (with almost floor to ceiling windows and a almost-full kitchen). Here's the last week of my life in pictures:

 Yamato Sushi. 10 rolls for $26. Ouch.

 Din Tai Fung

 That's a big lobster.

 Going crazy over marché.

I've very recently started getting the hang of making the leaf.

Saturday night festivities.