Amrit's 25 Random Things

(Answered chronologically) 

1. I have lived in 8 countries for more than 6 months consecutively, spanning four continents  - You could say I have been “geographically confused” my whole life, but now I have found my home in India.

2. Ran a business with a 1600% profit - I would bring noodles, which I had bought for 6 pence, from Nigeria to boarding school and sell them for 1 pound after 9 pm when we could not leave the boarding house to get food. 

3. Played an old English sport called Eton-Fives (invented in 1877) and reached the semi-finals for the under-18 national championships

4. Was made fun of in school by being called Has-a-sheep instead of Hass-a-ram. Have finally recovered from the trauma :) 

5. Got an unconditional offer to go to Oxford University but was not allowed to go because of National Service requirements for Singapore (even after writing letters to several Government officials). 

6. I chose Cornell University over Columbia and UPenn without visiting the campus - I knew I was going to be a city boy for the rest of my life, so I wanted to experience campus life - and boy, I did when a deer ran through our classroom. 

7. Once, I went with friends to an intersection in Malaysia with four highways, spun a bottle, and decided to drive in the direction it pointed until we found something interesting — that was a long ride. 

8. I faked my way through singing the Singapore (where I had not lived for 17 years) National Anthem (in Malay) during my first day of National service by bellowing the names of  MRT (subway) stations, which had Malay-sounding names.

9. I started a company during my national service in Singapore, and the office we rented had a mattress in it so I could take a break from coding to get sleep before heading back to my camp. 

10. Spent the majority of Mondays for seven years feeding the homeless in Red Lion Square, a small park in London, as a dedication to my parents, who helped many people. It put a smile on my face to spend a few hours every Monday remembering them. 

11. Performed stand-up comedy in 4 countries in comedy clubs, weddings, and at a Follies performance (variety show) at business school.  You could say my characters were severely misunderstood :(

12. My last words to my father were “Don't worry Pops, I got the contract (for a job) and I can look after you and Mom.”, he died that night, knowing his wife would be looked after. 

13. Set up a charity and threw 5 “Charity Karaoke” fundraisers and raised $50K to rebuild schools in Galle, Sri Lanka, after the 2004 tsunami.

14. I spent a week doing a ‘stage’ at Gordon Ramsay’s The Savoy in London because I was trying to find a new career direction. 

15. I had massive anxiety over money for 15 years, which I have mostly overcome through a combination of support from family and friends, therapy, and not giving up whenever I had a setback.

16. I struggled for two years to write my MBA applications because I was unsure what the school wanted to hear. When i was struggling, my sister told me to “write from the heart”, which prompted me to write a 12-page autobiography and then turning into essays. 

17. Take pride in the fact that practically everyone I know knows practically everyone I know.

18. Took a 7 week solo backpacking trip around S America to prove to myself I could travel alone

19. Drove a pickup truck for 5000km around Malaysia for 8 months trying to buy iron ore from Mom and Pop Mining operation

20. I had to go to jail to visit a Billionaire and present a three-year business plan to secure $1.2M in funding during Ramadan to pay bonuses to factory workers; union members were waiting there, ready to strike if that didn't happen. 

21. Gave an extremely embarrassing interview on TV about a sports brand I was running - most of my family play that clip to brighten themselves up when they have had a bad day

22. Moved to India after falling in love with Mumbai during a career break without being sure of what I was going to do.  I took on some MBA admissions consulting to cover expenses, which eventually turned into my business. 

23. I have helped over 400 people determine their next step in terms of career and education, and I plan to continue doing so for the remainder of my life. 

24. Helped raise $2000+ for migrant workers in India during COVID by offering discounted career sessions and donating the proceeds to food banks. 

25. I’ve lost a lot of close friends over the years and always saw myself as the victim, but I’ve come to realize that most people don’t hurt others on purpose; they’re just reacting to their unresolved baggage.