lucabhalla

[lucabhalla]

I like to think that I am a unique person with a very particular set of skills that can make me “great” for the argument of this post. I am an athlete for the Track and Field team at the University of Miami. I have worked hard throughout high school to be able to get to the level of competing within the NCAA Division I tier. My event is the 400 meters and 400 meter hurdles. Aside from just athletics, I can play the guitar. I have been playing since I was 9 years old and have always made an effort to be in touch with the musical side of my abilities no matter how involved I am with my athletic endeavors. I like to either learn songs that I enjoy listening to and that are fun to play or I will try to write my own riffs or tunes. Another skill I have is my ability to not procrastinate. I feel like procrastinating is so common among college students but it is something that I feel I have overcome. My father would always tell me, “Do something now so you don’t have to worry about it later.” I have always taken those words to heart and just made an effort to abide by them.

[lucabhalla]

Hello all, my name is Luca Singh Bhalla. I am half Italian and half Indian, specifically from the Punjab region in the Northwest of India. My mother wanted to name me Luca from Lucius in the bible. It is also a very common name in Italy so most people ask if I am Italian once they hear my first name. I also get a lot of jokes being called Luca Brasi from the Godfather. I was never offended by one of those jokes since The Godfather is my favorite movie. Those comments never came until later in my life but as a child, no one ever commented on my first name. On the other hand, kids would make fun of my middle name and would sing saying that I’m supposed to be a singer. It was never something that bothered me too much but something I heard nonetheless. Singh is a name that any Punjabi male is born if they follow the Sikh religion that I do. The point of having it is to have an identity as a Sikh. It makes for one to identify another. It is very common in India for your name to explain where you are from. It does not give me much of a decision to have when naming my kid but I am glad they will be able to identify with my faith.

[lucabhalla]

I am posting one of my prized possessions for sale. I am posting it for sale for twenty five dollars. Although the price is not very high for an item so valuable to me, it holds a lot of personal value that is sentimental. I acquired it the summer after my freshman year of college. I recently decided I was going to transfer to the University of Miami and I went to a pre-season soccer game with two of my best friends from freshman year. This was the last time I was going to see either of them in a very long time and I had to tell them the news that I was going to be in Miami for my sophomore year. The game was at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. A lot of my friends were Houston Texans’ fans and I watched so many games because of my friends that they became my favorite team in the AFC. One of the guys that I went to the soccer game with was the biggest Texans’ fan I ever met. My favorite team is the New York Giants but they are in the NFC. On the cup, there is a hologram image of the Houston Texans’ logo as well as JJ Watt waving the American flag in a cloud of smoke. The picture is super cool and it will always make me think of that really fun night in Houston and all my friends and memories left behind in the great state of Texas.

[lucabhalla]

This is my Bob Marley poster that I keep hung in my living room. I feel like most people wouldn’t find it cool but I definitely do. I feel like posters are less common and probably an outdated trend. At the same time, I feel like it adds a certain aesthetic to my house that would not be replicated with anything else. I am a huge fan of many kinds of music so I think that having this poster reflects that part of my personality in my house. If I had more room in my apartment I would add other posters of musicians I am a fan of.

I also have a big appreciation for Bob Marley as well as the art he created. I spent a lot of time growing up on a small island in the Dutch West Indies, St. Maarten. There, reggae and Bob Marley’s music was very often played and is music that now I hold very dear. In addition, I strongly am for the message(s) he promoted throughout his life. He was a man invested in world peace and love. His message was spread through music and I feel that music in the most powerful way to send a message like that.

[lucabhalla]

This is my acoustic guitar. I think that it is something cool. People most often make comments when they come to my house complimenting the instrument. Most instruments have a lot less appeal on a solo level and it is very common for someone to ask me to play them something when they come over. I feel that being able to play any instrument is an important skill to have because it just allows you to be a more dynamic person. It is also a surprise to people to see that you can play a musical instrument.

The make of this guitar is Seagull, which is a Canadian brand. I’ve had it since I was nine years old and have brought it everywhere I have lived. It came with me to Texas from New York my freshman year of college and now it is in Miami with me. I plan to take it with me everywhere I go in the future as well. It has been a part of my life for so long and I want it to continue to be a special part of me. I like to use it as a tool to meditate as it helps me distract me from everything else.