Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
16 Finalists - One Best JOB!
Psst -
Monday, April 27, 2009
3 days Left!
The Final contest is in Hamilton Island from May 3rd to the May 7th. The final winner will be announced on the 7th. It will be all over International media. Let me know if you get to see me on TV anywhere or If you read an article post it here! :)
The winners stay back in hamilton Island and if not they are taking us to the north (to Cairns I think) till the 11th for "extended PR". Im free only after that for backpacking.Our tentative itenary now is as follows
- 30th April - Arive Brisbane
- 30th to 2nd - Brisbane - Stanford Plaza Brisbane
- 3rd to 7th - Hamilton and Whitsundays (contest) - Reef View Hotel
- 7th-11th - Hamilton or Cairns
- 11th Night - Halt at Brisbane - Stanford Plaza Brisbane
- 12th to 15th -Gold Coast and Byron Bay
- 15th to 20th - Melbourne
- 20th -25th - Syndey
- 25th to 30th - Bangkok
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Anjaan's New Dicky
Over the last 2 months I now know about things I never knew my whole life. Thanx to the internet I know about coral exoskeletons and the difference between a fringin reef , a ribbon reef, a bank reef , a table reef and a barrier reef. I know that polyps are approximately cylindrical and a part of the species of cnidarians.
So hey I do have a new dicky (dictionary) and im waiting to show it off on May 1st night when one of the finalists - Hailey - is throwing a yabbie on the barbie (throwing a barbeque). One week left - and now I actually cant wait for it!
Psst :- Head to Beautiful Queensland for a Holiday. Tell them Anjaan is your Friend! :)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Whats your Bet?
The "fame" quotient of the contest has also stepped up a notch now that "The bookies" have got to it. The Bookies have pegged me at - $23.50!!!!!! Now I know how the horses at the Turf Club Feel! :)
All of us have "bet" sometime or the other in our lives. Wether it is that harmless game of poker at the casino, or throwing away thousands at the turf club, betting and gambling as a "Social Phenomenon" actually has helped bring people together. If there was a tension at a table, those feelings dissipated as soon as the cards were placed! If there was domestic anger, it dissapears as soon as the cricket match starts.
Have you ever entered a room at a party or some other type of social gathering in which a group of men stood to one side of the room sipping a cocktail and talking and laughing? The chances are great that they were discussing the outcome of an athletic event, or discussing the odds on the upcoming cricket or football. It really didn’t matter that these men had different views on politics, religion, ecology, and the solutions to solving the economic crisis. What did matter was that these men had a social bond, and it was sports betting/gambling. For them, gambling transcended any and all ideological differences that existed among them.
I would say the bookies reaction to the "Best Job in the world campaign" is like Sports betting. The difference between the sports betting, and the other games of chance is the illusion for the probability of gain. The people who bet believe that they have bigger chances to win because they themselves choose the sporting events (and the sportsmen) on whom they will place their bets and make the possible combinations within the framework of the rules that are generally accepted by all the betting places.
Lets accept it - gambling is the most popular recreational activity among adults throughout the world today, and it is increasing in its popularity each year. Gambling has become the social phenomenon of the 21st Century, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
So who you betting on? Bet on Anjaan
After note :- Dictionary meaning A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets and pays winnings depending upon results and, depending on the nature of the bet, the odds.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The "CALL"
The Setting
I was at an "unconference" - Cerebrate 09 with a bunch of eclectic super acheivers in the Fort Hill Resort of Kumbalgarh, Rajasthan, India. The "coveted" phonecall from Tourism Queensland announcing the top 10 (and then they made it top15) finalists was due at 10pm to 11pm UTC(*GMT) April 2nd - which roughly translated to 3:30am-4:30am IST on 3rd April .
The Anticipation
My cell phone didnt have range in the hills, somehow I found internet access and managed to mail TQ the landline number of the hotel room. And then it was just this really really LOONG Wait. Time hardly seemed to fly!With the anticipation of getting the phone call in the wee hours of the morning - sleep itself was in impossibility. It is true that the chase sometimes is more exciting than the catch itself. The process always seems to conquer the result. The excitement of anticipation will never match the happiness of the news. Its something which has to be felt to understood. Have you ever felt like this??
The Faux Pas
The phone call didnt come at the planned time, and with dissapointment, disdain and restlessness, I trooped up and down the poolside until my body was giving in and so I finally decided to get some shut eye. The joke next day was that apparently I was sleep talking too (*says the CEO of Iridium - Sriram - My Roomate - the first to get the news) . Of course its a possibility. I was going through a rainbow of emotions including surprise, anxiety, dejection, stress, restlessness, confusion, amazement , shock, sadness and detatchment. Its no surprise that I wasnt mouthing my innermost, deepest feelings in my sleep! *sigh*
The Call
At around 6:30, The hotel front office calls me and tells me that I have a call from Australia. In my semi-groggy, semi-hypnotised state - I could hardly believe my ears when the voice on the other end said - "Hello Anjaan - this is Mr. Anthony Hayes from Tourism Queensland. I still remember the feeling of bouncing out of my bed and wiping my face quickly, clearing my throat and being mentally ready - or not - for what was to come.
The Prank
I guess he sensed my shock and disbelief and after hearing me profusely apologise for not being reachable on my cell phone - he said "This call is to say you didnt make it - we tried to call you but since you didnt pick up - we gave it to someone else" Usually I'm the one who throws fast ones at people - but this time it was him who got me. Hook Line and sinker! Phew! After 5Seconds of Dead Silence from my end I guess he realised that I was still shocked speechless and decided to give me the good news. I quiet dont remember how the rest of the conversation went, but I remember thanking him profusely and now am hoping that I was coherent in whatever i was saying! lol
The Next Step
Yup! Thats how I found out I was IN! Now Im part of top15 Finalists and now am headed to OZ on the 1st of May for the finals. This blog will give you constant updates on all that happens from here onwards. I hope you'll keep me company through this exciting journey! :)