The mandatory year-end post

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
Pierced my nose. Had a new roommate. Travelled alone to a new city. Made significant plans.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Do not remember last year's resolutions, but will not be bogged down by forgetfulness - no sir. Will make new ones. Will try to remember them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No (Thank God, fingers crossed)

5. What countries did you visit?
None [But places visited within the country include Jaipur, Chandigarh (for my first real Punjabi wedding!), Shimla, Benares, Manali, Ahmedabad, and Bikaner. Writing down this list makes me see the most obvious North Indian bias in it. Ugh.]

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
Money; Forthrightness; Discipline

7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory?
10 February

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully changing my job, making new friends, learning to live amicably with new roommate

9. What was your biggest failure?
Procrastination

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing significant. (Am I jinxing everything by saying this? I guess I am. Ah well.)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Shoe rack (Look at how homely I have become! Shoerack! SHOERACK!)

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
S'

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
A's, for being spineless (I wasn't depressed, just appalled); S'

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food and books and plane tickets

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Pujo! And the January wedding!

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2013?
Laila o laila (Coke studio); Pata Pata (Miriam Makeba)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a. Happier or sadder? Happier
b. Thinner or fatter? Dunno
c. Richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Saving up

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Seeking approval

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas ingesting copious amounts of wine and meat with some very good company. So it was all good. :)

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Maa, I think

22. Did you fall in love in 2013?
Not any new loves, no

23. How many one night stands in this last year?
None

24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Doctor Who; Mad Men; Koffee with Karan

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No

26. What was the best book(s) you read?
Gone Girl; Joseph Anton

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Miriam Makeba; Papon; The Decemberists

28. What did you want and get?
The new/old job

29. What did you want and not get?
A trip abroad

30. What were your favourite films of this year?
Fukrey; Lootera; Toy Story 2 and 3; Utsab

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
25. There was impromptu small party at midnight. Then I spent the whole day watching Doctor Who and eating pasta. Went out in the evening for makke ki roti and sarso ka saag with S. My first vegetarian birthday, but I managed!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Money

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
I tried harder than I did in 2012

34. What kept you sane?
S and books and Doctor Who

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Neil Gaiman; David Tennant; Benedict Cumberbatch

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Delhi assembly elections; The hanging of Afzal Guru; Mandela's death; Pussy Riot; Supreme Court's fuckshit ruling to not scrap Section 377

37. Who did you miss?
My old self

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Gunjan; Deepti ( I had met them in late 2012, but really became friends in 2013)

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
I get by with a little help from my friends. :)

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
Ganja nahi hawa hai, dawaa hai/ Galey ka manjan, aankhon ka niranjan hai... :)

I found this randomly today. I had apparently written it at the end of 2010 (which was...holy fucking shit...THREE years ago), and not hit "publish" for some unfathomable reason. Look at how fresh faced I seem! How naive! How young! How vulnerable! How utterly twenty two! (To put things in perspective, the tiny apartment has long been discarded, Wimpy's has long been out of business, I have quit Heartless MNC and joined back again six months later, secret Saptami movie date has long acquired a terrifying life of its own, L has long since moved out, and I have long ceased to be twenty effing two.) Ah youth, you fleeting bastard.

In January!

I jumped around in joy a little. Didn’t take my French exams and felt horrible about it for months afterwards. Joined the Editing and Publishing course.

In February!

I turned twenty two. Had a song written and composed about me. Went to the epic Shantiniketan trip with friends.

In March!

I played some holi and drank some bhang. Took some exams. Heartless MNC called and said I might just probably maybe almost have a job with them. Or not.

In April!

I got addicted to Dexter. Injured my foot. Finished my Editing and Publishing course. Got a job with said Heartless MNC. Couldn’t jump around in joy because of said foot.

In May!

I took my final sem exams at JUDE. Attended the farewell for my batch. Wore and saree and took some long coveted photos. Went for the epic part 2 trip to Barkul with friends.

In June!

I moved to a new city. Started living with a couple of Punjabi ladies as a paying guest. Scrunched up my face at having only vegetarian food for meals every day. Discovered Karim’s. Discovered Wenger’s. Missed Kolkata like a phantom limb.

In July!

The city started feeling familiar. Made friends with colleagues. Started liking my job. Got used to the vegetarian food. Continued to miss Kolkata.

In August!

I started looking for houses. Was disappointed at the complete lack of suitable place to move into. Took a trip to Manali. Inhaled some questionable substance, ate some awesome food and listened to the Beas as it flowed by. Started counting days to Pujo.

In September!

House hunting continued with a vengeance. Extreme depression followed when one realized that it wasn’t working out. Spent all my money shopping for people back in Kolkata. Discovered Wimpy’s, Nizam’s, Keventer’s. Got addicted to Lost. Missed Kolkata a bit more.

In October!

Went back to Kolkata for pujo. Saw the little pandals as my plane landed in the city and almost died from happiness. Hung out with friends. Was perpetually high. Went on a secret movie date on Saptami (which would turn out to be significant later on, but I didn’t know it then.) Went to Benares for Lokkhipujo. Surprised my parents twice in one month.

In November!

Found a house! Found a house! Found a house! A tiny two roomed apartment over a garbage dump, without any sunlight and a closet for a kitchen. But what do I care? I found a house! Found a house! Found a house!

In December!

Shifted to new house. L decided to move to Delhi. Therefore, three people ended up living in a tiny space. Figured that we would probably need to look at bigger apartments soon. Learnt to cook a little. Got absolutely smashed on new year’s eve. With the sudden clarity of thought that only a lot of narcotics can give you, realized that it wasn’t such a bad year after all.