About Raja Sandhu
This page is under construction. I have not proofread it.
Due to the recent increase in visitors to my site, I decided to do a quick write up about me. I don't like to do this type of thing so this is just a spontaneous outburst. Please excuse the unstructured and sporadic format of this writing. I don't really have time for doing these kind of things. I am a workaholic and I spend my off time thinking of the next BIG idea :) I am an entreprenneur more than I am a designer.
My name is Raja Sandhu, and I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I was born in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on August 1st, 1974. I think it was a Tuesday. My parents are from Punjab, India, they emigrated to Canada in 1973, with, you guessed it, $2 in their pockets. Both my parents thrive on the arts. My dad, an accomplished musician and song writer has played alongside world favourites. My mom, an accredited choreographer, has been involved in major productions ranging from TV serials to star studded live events. Things are much better for them now, the $2 went a long, long way. Anyway, this page is about me, and not them.(love ya, mom and dad). At least you know where my respects lay.You can take the boy out of Punjab, but you can't take Punjab out of the boy. Brrruuaaah!.
I think I am pretty easy going and laid back for the most part, however, I do have a short fuse, being hot blooded is a part of my culture. It's an aspect that can be taken the wrong way, though. You might think it means having a temper problem or something, but it's far from that actually. It's a driving force, it's an unfed ambition, it's a fire inside, an insatiable yearning...I don't want you to think I'm a nutcase! I think passion is a better term. I am overly passionate about any thing I do. From biting into a tender Filet Mignon, sipping a fine single malt scotch, soaking in lovely weather, to, ... yeah. When something tastes or smells good, I close my eyes for a bit to enhance the experience.
Just so you know, what I meant by 'easy going and laid back' is that, for the most part of the day, I listen to ambient music, generally secluded For example, as I write this, I am listening to Brian Eno - Deep Blue Day (download mp3). This is the zone in which I do my best work. It's a very fragile state. A simple phone ring or an instant message alert can delay a clients design project for days. In case you don't know what I do, I am a full time freelance creative director with a specialization in visual communication design. If that was a bit complex, maybe 'Logo Designer' works better for you, haha. If you have not seen my website, check it out here I work on inspiration alone. You can not seek it. When it comes, you have to capture it and do something.
So I just hit enter and felt like writing another paragraph, what to say? If the purpose of this page is to inform my visitors a little bit about me, then I better stay focused. Focus. <--- I have a problem with focusing by the way. I am easily distracted and not easily amused. If you are the same way, click the red X on the top right of your screen now. Hey look! Something shiney!
Your still here. So, I don't know what I love more, sports or music. Sports, the raw essence of competition, well, apart from survial. I love to compete, more so, I love to win. I don't believe in silver medals. Coming in second means you lost. Loser. I think a having a competitive nature has helped me a lot in life but it's no virtue by any means.. Afterall, the race is long...and in the end its only with yourself. I actively body build. Hockey and Soccer are my two other things. This an open declaration claiming I have the hardest slapshot on the planet. I am open to challengers. In my younger days, I had a bad-ass round house kick. Jeet Kune Do was my stlye. Bruce Lee was my hero. And, music, well, we all know the power of music, it's universal. I am partners at 5 Rivers Entertainment recording and production studio.
I wasted a lot of years partying it up, no direction in life, just trying to satisfy immediate and shallow desires. To be politacally correct, you can say I have lost some brain cells and gained few scars on my forehead. However, if you take one step backwards, you must take two steps forward. I was aimlessly going from job to job after college. Just lethargically doing the mundane. I don't know what was wrong with me. Looking back, I think to myself 'what a loser'. But, that is life. And you push forward >>
I am so glad I do what I do now. I don't think I could have got here any other way. I had the relentless urge to succeed driven by the guilt of lost years. One day a friend of mine demonstrated to me this thing we call the Internet. It was a pivotal moment. I was fascinated, and immediately hooked. So much so that I became a nerdy programmer. That lasted a couple of years. I was designing databases and programming web based applications in a matter of weeks. This experience landed me my first 'real job' at CUSO, as web developer. 'Job' would be the wrong word. It was a volunteer position for 6 months. I had originally applied to volunteer in Africa helping youth in rural villages getting acquainted with computers. For some reason, I have always been drawn to Africa. I have dreamed many times that I was a quiet observer during the construction of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. I think a lot of life's answers lay in dreams.
To be continued...