>The year that was 2008

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If no news is good news, I have some good news.

The last year might as well not have been. For me, that is. I haven’t moved an inch forward in my life, it seems, from where I was last year. Status quo on most fronts. And those that have changed are better not talked about – I’d rather talk about happy things or nothing at all.

I’ve lived most of 2008 in denial – of my troubles, of the future that is forcing itself upon me, of the passage of time – because I can’t change any of them. (And please spare me the advice because you don’t know the situations I’m talking about.) I’ve dithered confronting things that have the potential to get uglier without reaching a point of resolution. And so I’ve pretended they don’t exist at all, knowing very well every waking minute of my life that they do. What can be said of such a year?

A lot, actually! There’ve been moments – good and bad – and plenty of them, and they’ve been there because I was able to make peace with my state of denial. Ha! And they’ve been had because I was physically able to distance myself from the objects of trouble in my life – people, you can call them.

Here’s the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from last year (only from my life), condensed to make it readable for you:

The Most Forgettable Day of the Year: January 1, 2008
Started the year on the wrong foot – found myself at the receiving end of flared tempers. So forgettable!

The Most Depressing News of 2008: The government notification to acquire our house
I don’t want to leave, not like this and not empty-handed.

The Most Beautiful Sight of the Year: Was beheld in Gulmarg, Kashmir in June
Nothing beats it! Not now, not ever. Love the place. Will pack my bags today and head off for it if you give me the chance. Seriously, if you haven’t been to Kashmir, you’ve missed something in life.

The Most Party Hearty Time of the Year: Diwali, indeed!
We partied like there was no tomorrow, even though there was work every single morrow of the nights we partied. I simply don’t remember what the days were like the one month beginning with Navratra… All I remember are the nights spends in the company of friends and the mornings of utter embarrassment at returning home so late!

The Most Drunk Day of the Year: Holi eve
A party at a newly-wed friend’s place when I was so drunk I forgot a friend’s name and referred to him as “that guy who’s copied Aamir Khan’s hairstyle from TZP“. Five shots, (wait – was it six – don’t remember) of tequila and some horrible food later, coming home to spend an evening of puking and a morning after of terrible hangover.

The Most Outrageous Moment of the Year: Standing on a table top at a party and dancing on Jumma Chumma De De!
What was I thinking?! I mean there were people sitting there! But right there and then, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The Most Embarrassing Moment of the Year: Falling head over heels on the dance floor
At a friend’s birthday bash. That the floor was slippery as hell didn’t help at all to hide my embarrassment. Neither did my fake laughter!

The Feel Rich Day of the Year: Dhanteras
A day before Diwali, The Guy and I headed to the jeweller’s to buy me a ring. We came home with a pair of diamond danglers, another pair of ear rings and an irresistible kundan ring! I’m high on bling.

The Glam Moment of the Year: At The Guy’s birthday party
Where I donned an off-white, beaded, knee-length empire-line dress and looked all dressed for the red carpet!

The F.R.I.E.N.D.S Moment of the Year: A lazy brunch on a winter afternoon
At KP’s place, sprawled on his terrace garden, just the five of us, so content!

The Vanity Moment of the Year: At my friend’s daughter’s birth announcement party
The theme for the party was Cinderella and T – my friend – wanted to me to write an invitation that would include the story of how she found a baby girl’s shoe at a wedding when she was pregnant. Did it and with élan! And since the entire town was invited for the party, there were plenty of people who got the chance to compliment me!

The Fattest Moment of the Year: Being congratulated because I looked so pregnant!
It was just the saree actually that made me look all puffed. Okay, so I’ve put on some weight but not so much that I’d look visibly pregnant.

The Best Dinner Place of the Year: Shikara rooftop on Dal Lake, Srinagar, under the moonlight
A cosy evening with friends – KP and his wife M – and The Guy, of course! Lovely as can be.

The Most Interesting Food Find of the Year: Wazwan
In Srinagar again and totally scrumptious!

The Value-Addition-to-the-CV Job of the Year: Teaching
Yes, I teach English prose to under-grad students too, among other things. After journo, entrepreneur, administrator and teacher, I wonder what’s next!

The Celebrity Moment of the Year: Addressing a press-con with Femina Miss India Earth Tanvi Vyas in May
See, there’s so much you didn’t know about me!

The Statement of the Year: Being told my children (the children I don’t have yet) would “grow up” because I won’t have the time to bring them up
Yes, someone said that. And it hurt. More than that it made me very, very angry. Still does.

The Culinary High Point of the Year: Whipping up Mexican and Italian food for friends
Among other things, the menu included all of this:
1. Cocktail Pizzas
2. Toastados with refried beans
3. Chicken Fajitas
4. Lasagna
5. Fusilli in white sauce

The Best Read of the Year: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Moved me to tears.

The Festive Highlight of the Year: Doing up my 23-feet tall Christmas tree
Holi & Diwali was just the same as it is every year, but we made Christmas memorable by doing up the tree.

The Find of the Year: My new hobby – photography
I’ve been steadily developing an interest in it the whole of 2008. Will pursue it in the next year.

The Blogger Achievement of the Year: Outdoing the number of posts I did last year Loved interacting with all of you, finding friends here and finding bloggers who are closer to me than geography makes it seem.

And on that note, I’d like to end this narcissist post.

Wish you all a very Happy New Year!