Passion Projects

All work and no play makes for a dull boy.

What's life without fun. It's easy for us to get caught up in the momentum of work and the cyclical routine of life to the point that we often forget to work on things that we're passionate about. These aren't necessarily things that we're great at but more so something that drives curiosity, pushes you to grow through uncomfortable situations or ignites a flame in your belly. For me, passion projects can be something everlasting you continue pursuing and work on for an unknown period of time or something out of the ordinary that you worked on and are proud of. It gives you a sense of purpose, a sense of achievement and maybe even keeps you going back for more. It's that little voice in your head that says "what if" which encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and see what you're capable of doing.

Health and Wellness

Fitness, Movement and the body

I was a chubby kid. Fortunately I was also tall and played a variety of sports growing up, so that part of me would often go overlooked. I played organized sports all my life, but when I entered post-secondary, it made it tougher to juggle schedules and commitments. It was also during University that I was introduced to weights and resistance training and started to learn about movement. As a newbie in the gym, my first barometer of success was measured by how sore I was and how much I was sweating. That had to mean I was working hard, right? As my body acclimated to the routine, the soreness and sweat also reduced. I then started to notice minor (like really minor) muscular definition and the gym bros were saying you have to lose the weight to see the muscle. This introduced me to my second KPI: the number on the scale. I was chasing a numbers on the scale for months without any real understanding of nutrition. I was being led by the gym bros, and they wouldn't mislead me, right? When things weren't progressing the way I envisioned, I knew something had to change and I fell into the never ending rabbit hole of fitness research.

Fast forward to my mid-twenties when I turned the gym into a lifestyle decision (cliché, I know). I started doing research on movement, programming, body levers, lifts, hinges and I grew a new found appreciation for the gym. My new goal was less about chasing a number on the scale and about how my body felt. I enjoyed how my body reacted to moving mass and my joints being pain free. When my body felt good, the greatest benefactor was my mind became clear. The gym had become meditation where I could destress. As an introvert, the gym was my escape to focus on things important to me. I reflected about my day, things that are going on in my life but also really focusing on my purpose at the gym. I came to the gym with a plan focusing on areas of improvement from certain lifts or mobility and really focusing on the movement. You wouldn't catch me in a stringer tank top cheers-ing protein shakes, but likely off in the corner taking notes of my lifts, lagging points and how my joints and mobility felt. At the same time with experience, you build a community at the gym. Recognizing regulars who were frequenting the gym and also had the same goal in mind - to get stronger.

When the pandemic started and gyms were closed, I really understood how important movement was for me, not only physically but mentally as well. We were encroaching this new territory of isolating and lockdowns which takes a toll on your psyche. I was always appreciative of the gym, but created a much deeper gratitude in being able to move my body and the ability to work on personal development. Fitness, movement, kinesiology will always be a passion because I've learned to appreciate the benefits it's provided me. I'm less concerned about the weight I move and more so about the movement and health of my body and joints. As I get older, I continue to read, explore and learn new ways to keep my body moving and mind feeling great, and I owe much of that to fitness and investing in my health and wellness. My goal is to continue working on my fitness and movement as long as I can and sharing things I've learned along the way.

Golf

The most frustrating sport to love

I've played a lot of sports growing up. You name it, I've probably tried it at least once and being competitive, I'd try to be the best at it. Being competitive, athletic and surrounded by some form of sport, you tend to build a sense of confidence that you'll naturally be good at most things active. Enter the game of golf. The most frustrating, sometimes annoying, simple yet difficult game you love to hate but cannot wait to play again tomorrow kind of sport.

Growing up we would scoff at the mention of golf. We'd be heard saying "It's an old persons game, I don't care about golf!". Now, not that I'm old, I would like to redact the statements made by my once naïve, young and foolish self. I only got involved with the sport a few years ago after visiting a driving range after a softball tournament. Hitting a few balls casually that shank left and right and even whiffing the club, hitting nothing but air wasn't out of the ordinary. It was a fun way to pass time so I figured I'd visit Golf Town, buy a driver to ease my way into it. That visit turned into an impulsive $1,000 spent and a full set purchased ready to go.

Over the next few years we were nothing more than weekend golfers who at the start lacked golf etiquette (slow pace of play and overly celebrating a long putt after hitting 6 balls into the water on that same hole). As the group played more and fooled around less, we improved and became more competitive. What you quickly realize about golf is although you're playing in groups of four, you're really competing with yourself. In my experience golf is much more mental than it is physical which is why I enjoy it, and especially now. It doesn't matter how big or strong you are because that doesn't translate to the focus and mechanics require to flush a ball, manage the course, play the lie, read the putt or shake off a bad shot. Golf is a game of consistency. Can you replicate your best shots repeatedly on various lies and is your mental game tough enough to brush off a bad shot so it doesn't ruin your next shot, the hole or even your round.

I enjoy playing golf because it's about problem solving. When you're put into a bad spot, how do you get out of it without making the situation worse? Do you play it safe and calculated, or do you test your risk tolerance and take a gamble? Understanding risk to reward ratio is important which can be the difference between a spectacular shot or one that has you deep in regret. I'm a mentally strong person, I'm resilient and don't get rattled under pressure - even when my buddies are 6 beers deep snickering at a bad shot. The sport has reminded me to make calculated moves and to stay calm, even when my surroundings are less than ideal so I can shake off a bad shot and not ruin my next - and that's not only applicable for golf by applies for a variety of situations. Golf legend Arnold Palmer said "Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears." and I truly believe that. When things go awry (in golf or in life), how will you react and how do you let it impact you. As I continue to build my game and lower my handicap, that's the area that I'll continue to work on because I know it'll transfer to situations on and off the golf course.

Building a cottage

The Mulligan Retreat

Growing up, I'd always hear friends talk about going away to their cottage for the weekend. They'd talk about all the fun water activities and time spent outdoors or around the campfire with their family. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious. As a first generation immigrant, it seemed so out of reach for my parents to do this. They already had their fair share of challenges acclimating to a new country and getting settled, that purchasing a cottage was out of thought. To be honest, having a cottage was a foreign concept to them. They didn't understand why you would have a house away from a house, in the same province.

As I got older, we would rent out cottages annually and it was always such a great time to get together. In 2015, a group of friends had our annual golf trip in Miami and I'd seen a house (more like mansion) on a course selling for a fraction of the cost of homes in Toronto. I thought why not purchase a rental property in Miami for passive income that doubles as a vacation home. After doing some research the full process was a logistical nightmare. I didn't want to give up on the idea, so I started thinking about a cottage. As a kid, although it seemed like a pipe dream for my parents, but what if I really planned this out and could make it happen. I started looking at listings and budgeting as a first step. The deeper I got I realized this would be a behemoth of a project to tackle alone and I approached two friends, both first generation immigrants who also never thought owning a cottage would be in the cards. I pitched the idea, highlighted the potential and they were ecstatically in. With partners by my side, we thought rather than buying a cottage, lets build one and build it the way we want. We went from never even dreaming of having a cottage, to now strategizing on building out own.

We spent nearly a year searching for vacant land which was not easy as we needed to identify if the land can be built on, regulations, ability to draw clean water, pull hydro and if the distance from our homes was reasonable (<3 hours). After finally securing a piece of land, there were multiple challenges that pushed us back several months, but we refused to give up. To secure a building permit required a ton of paper work for the Municipality which pushed us back even more. When we finally got over the initial hurdles, we found a builder and started to progress. We made frequent visits to the property and every time we were excited to see change but also frustrated to hear about more setbacks from either the township, the trades, the builders, the institutions or the suppliers. What was initially planned to take one year to build was already 2.5 years in. If felt like we just couldn't get a break, but also knew we had to stick to it. Not only because we were financially committed, but we set out a generational goal and weren't going to just quit, no chance. We continued to truck along, making slow and steady progress.

After nearly 5 years and countless setbacks, we finally completed the cottage and just in time to ring in the new year on December 31, 2019. It would be an understatement to say this projected tested our patience, but standing inside we were ecstatic and proud of what we accomplished. Although we had a structure with walls and furniture, it needed a name. It needed an identity that resonated with us. I suggested the name The Mulligan Retreat. The three of us met through golf, enjoyed playing, and in golf a "mulligan" is when you get to re-do a bad shot (usually your first one off the tee) without a penalty. It was symbolic because this was our first cottage together and with all the setbacks we've had, it was poetic.

My fondest memory was bringing my parents up to experience the cottage. I hadn't told them I embarked on this project and kept it a secret for 5 years. We invited some relatives to the cottage and I told everyone I "knew the owner" who gave us a good price for the weekend. Upon entry my parents were shocked. They've never been to a cottage so had no expectations and definitely didn't expect to see the home we built. My aunt kept repeating what a dream it would be to have something like this in the family. I could see the wonder in my mom as she walked through the house and the property. We all sat down for dinner and my uncle asked who the owners were and how I knew them to which I responded "its a Bengali guy, a Vietnamese guy and a Cambodian guy. Three friends". Pridefully my dad responded "Bengali! I wonder how those two guys got with the Bengali guy." to which I responded, "I'm the Bengali guy". There was a long silence of the confusion which was eventually broken with cheers of joy once the news settle. In that moment all I could focus on were my teary eyed parents still speechless. They had no idea the home they're in, the table they were eating at was owned by their son and while still shocked mustered the words to tell me they were proud of me. They couldn't believe I was working on this for five years and never once even dropped a hint or a clue. All the challenges and set backs we faced was worth it for that dinner around the table with family and will be something I'll never forget.