Surrey's own 'Zorro' zeroes in on bid to rappel building for charity

I would like to thank the Surrey Now Newspaper's Tom Zillich for a wonderful article and Kevin Hill for an awesome picture!

Surrey's own 'Zorro' zeroes in on bid to rappel building for charity

Bruised Ego & Bruised Ribs?

Today, I had my “dress rehearsal” for the upcoming Easter Seals’ Drop Zone event that will take place on September 13^th (yes, I’m fully aware that it’s on the 13^th). This session was intended to give the participants a chance to play around with the equipment that will be used on the day of the event. Of course, I was pumped about this because I wanted to make sure that everything goes as planned on the “drop” day. I got to the gym early and anxiously waited for my turn to learn and intently listened to the instructions. Piece of cake I said to myself… after all, I’ve been indoor rock climbing for few years now and that I know everything there’s to know about repelling.

So there I was on the ledge with my gloves and helmet on and ready for repelling. All was going perfectly. I spoke the lingo and managed to release the carabiner with one hand (I looked cool). Safety checks took place and I was hooked to my rope and ready for decent. I walked backwards like a duck (or drunken sailor as my instructor called it) and placed my weight on my harness. I then took a moment to pose for the camera. “Great picture” and “looking good” were the comments from my fellow thrill-seekers.

I straightened my legs at the edge and took the first step. I was certainly looking good until my right foot slipped, courtesy of my ill-fitted running shoe (well, I have to blame something). I dropped about 3 feet, swung to the right and bounced off the wall with my lowest right rib.

My ego was hurt so I yelled “I’m OK, I’m OK” and began to repel ever so gently until I reached the ground. Given my dismal performance the first time, I couldn’t wait to go for it again. So I did and I nailed it (or so I would like to tell people).

I guess that’s why they call it a “dress rehearsal”! This way I can screw-up couple of times and learn from my mistakes so on the event day I can have a flawless performance. I can’t wait for September 13^th to showcase my learning. I’ll make my instructor proud!

For now, I’m going to hold my head high while gently pressing an ice-bag on my ribs J

Thanks for reading,

Armin

Ps. the event will take place on September 13 at 999 West Hastings in Vancouver. Please stop by and cheer on the “daredevils”.

Pps. I'm still accepting donations. If you wish to contribute, please click here. Thank you!

i-Looters

As I watch the images of London Riots (2011 edition)  pass through my television screen and computer monitor, I can’t help but feel horrified and disappointed at how badly humans can behave.

Of course, today’s global riots are not new and are no more violent than those that our world experienced during the French Revolution of 1848, Russian Revolution of 1917, Iranian Revolution of 1979, American Revolution, etc. From the recent uprising in the Middle East to Northern Africa, from North America to Europe,  and everywhere else in between, groups are formalizing and resisting what they see as improper treatment of the general public by those very governments that have sworn to protect them. Unfortunately, during this process, the good men and women of security forces are viewed as the violent “arm” of those governments and therefore receive the most criticism.

However, what is horrifying about recent riots are that although the protests start with a legitimate cause, they quickly turn violent. The end result of these riots have been looting of stores and stealing of high-end tech gadgets, clothing, shoes, sporting goods, etc. It has then evolved into absolute disregard for human lives, where people are mugged after being severely beaten, or are beaten (or even killed as was the case in London) as they try to protect their property.

Unfortunately, I hear from many “experts" that our societies are broken; others say that “Anarchists” are at work; many blame the “suburbanites” of the mishaps in major cities; anti-consumerists put all the blame on marketers and advertisers; rich blame the poor and vice-versa. Banks blame the unemployed and job-less blame the big corporations for down-sizing. And it goes on and on. How sad!!!

As I stated in my previous blog, 1994 Riots, nothing will be accomplished by pointing fingers at different groups or organizations. Nor, is it fair to think that our societies are broken.

My point of view: There’s a tear in our societal fabric and it simply needs a skilled tailor to fix it all up. Perhaps, it’s time to revisit the one thing that has helped us reach this point in life: Humanity. Therefore, I propose the following steps in reaching the objective called Humanity!

We need to recognize that:

• Children are important and that they are not simply a financial or social burden.
• School teachers, soccer coaches, governments and police departments are not “god-parents” or guardians of our children.
• Belief in a higher power (whatever that is: God or Gods, Evolution or Creation, Spirits or Conscience) is just as valuable and important as education and financial stability.
• Societies’ collective rights and freedoms are just as important as individual rights and freedoms… we have to step away from our “I” point of view and begin to understand how our actions and decisions impact our network and society as a whole. Perhaps it’s time to replace the “I” with “We” and “You”.
• Pre-university education should be mandatory and governments from around the world should stop looking at schools as a “Cost”. Rather, governments of all levels should consider schools as an investment in our future.
• Employment and poverty have been a driving force behind most civic unrests. Each member of society wants to be considered valuable and not a burden. I refuse to accept that most people want to be on government support.
• It’s time to stop the finger pointing and take responsibility for our actions and mismanagement of our resources.
• Perhaps it’s time to stop measuring beauty based on how a person looks, what kind of make-up he or she uses and which salon she is seen at. At the same time, perhaps we should stop placing value on materials that are replaceable (automobiles are a good example of that).
• Perhaps it’s time to stop measuring success and status based on who has an i-Pod, an i-Phone, an i-Touch, and an i-Book, and begin celebrating those that have truly made a difference in the lives of others: Teachers, Emergency Response Teams, Volunteers, Red Cross members, Doctors Without Borders, etc. Maybe this will stop people from turning to i-Looters.

Thanks for reading,

Armin

Spare a $20?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been leaving you voicemails, sending you emails, messaging you via LinkedIn and Facebook, and updating my Twitter status in an effort to ask for your generous donations. I would like to thank you if you have taken a moment to listen to your voicemails, or read the emails and messages, and if you were able to open your wallets and financially support my participation.

As you know, I’m preparing to participate in Easter Seals Drop Zone, where I’ll be rappelling down a high-rise building in downtown Vancouver. Why would I do that you ask? Well, here’s my story:

Karm and I have been blessed with two very healthy children (I say this as I touch wood, bite my tounge, and engage in other bizarre superstitious behaviours). Our daughter, Isabella had an opportunity to participate in Sparks’ weekend camping trip at Camp Elkgrove. For days that followed Isabella’s safe return home, all she could talk about was how much fun she had.

However, I’m also well aware that there are families that are blessed with beautiful children that battle challenges that prevent them from participating in activities such as camping. That’s where Easter Seals come into play.

Easter Seals “been able to provide inclusive and engaging opportunities for Canadians with disabilities through summer camps and active living programs, as well as specialized mobility and access equipment.

“Easter Seals is committed to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. At their fully accessible camps, kids and youth learn about themselves and the potential of their abilities. The facilities are designed to ensure that everyone, no matter their disability, has the support they need to have the time of their lives, gain confidence and a sense of independence, challenge themselves and cultivate meaningful friendships.” (Source: The Drop Zone website)

Imagine giving children the opportunity to be “children” regardless of the challenges they have to face by providing the right tools and environment. Imagine every participating child having the ability to say “I can do it”, “I have done it”, and “I will do it again”. I don’t think any child should be denied having fun; life is too short for that.

Thanks for reading,

Armin

PS. If you want to financially support my descent on September 13, 2011, please click here. Thank you in advance.

The Man with Many Hats?



Courtesay of Google Image

Have you ever counted the number of “hats” you have to wear in one day (metaphorically speaking)? I’m going to exaggerate a bit here but this is my list:

• Husband
• Father (split to two: Father to a 5 year-old girl and newborn boy)
• Nice and courteous driver
• Employee (split to multiple: A worker, colleague, manager, relationship builder, service provider, “firefighter”, negotiator, etc.)
• Child
• Sibling (a brother and a sister)
• Neighbour
• Role model
• Sports fan
• Friend
• Etc.

Sounds familiar? It should because most of you wear these “hats” on regular basis without thinking twice about it. So is it surprising that some people may forget which hat they are wearing from time to time?

Fortunately, I’ve been very successful at keeping my professional life separate from my personal life… quiet simply, the two never mix.

However, I had a sobering wake up call on Friday when I was told by my 18 year-old sister that I should stop treating her like a colleague and more like a sibling. More surprisingly, this was confirmed by my wife.

Apparently, I’ve been trying to use business-like reasoning when trying to prove a point with family and friends. For instance, I’ve been quoted as saying, “there’s no problem if no solution can be put forward to tackle the issue at hand”. On its own and in a business setting, this point makes sense, however, trying to ask a teenager (albeit my sister) to come up with a solution during a family gathering may be a bit too much. Can you imagine the look of disappointment on my sister face when I asked her that question? Clearly, I did not imagine it before asking it.

Looking back at it, it’s kind of funny how I had totally missed on this point altogether (can’t and should not treat family like business partners), however, I’m sure it’s something that many of us have faced before (am I wrong on this assumption?).

I wish you success with whatever “hat” you’re wearing; I just hope you’re lucky enough to have someone to let you know that you’re wearing the wrong one.

Thank you for reading,

Armin

PS. I sent a message via BlackBerry Messenger to my sister and apologized to her and let her know I was truly very sorry for what happened.