1. What did you do in 2023 that you’d never done before?
Many new things, but primarily this one:
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Nada. Zip. Zilch.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
LOL. Please refer to question 1.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. Several. Four-legged and two. This was a horrific year of intense personal losses amidst bouts of joy.
5. What countries did you visit?
None.
6. What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023?
Fewer people falling sick and/or dying would be nice please. A little more sleep would also not hurt.
7. What date from 2023 will remain etched upon your memory?
Yes. Several. Four-legged and two. This was a horrific year of intense personal losses amidst bouts of joy.
5. What countries did you visit?
None.
6. What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023?
Fewer people falling sick and/or dying would be nice please. A little more sleep would also not hurt.
7. What date from 2023 will remain etched upon your memory?
3rd January, for bone-crushing grief.
And 23rd July, for obvious reasons. :)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Holding on to my sanity by a thread.
9. What was your biggest failure?
No regrets. I really was a baller this year.
9. What was your biggest failure?
No regrets. I really was a baller this year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Is growing an entire living being inside you and then getting it out count as illness or injury?
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A few therapy sessions.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Mine, no doubt.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
BE's
14. Where did most of your money go?
New human being and moving to (yet another) new house.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Bangalore trip! And the other obvious thing!
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2020?
A few therapy sessions.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Mine, no doubt.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
BE's
14. Where did most of your money go?
New human being and moving to (yet another) new house.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Bangalore trip! And the other obvious thing!
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2020?
The Mandalorian title track
Hatali lal by Noor Benju
17.Compared to this time last year, are you:
1. Happier or sadder? Intense happiness with bouts of intense sadness. It's all a muddle at this point.
2. Thinner or fatter? Fatter, definitely.
3. Richer or poorer? Poorer. Things are expensive!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Yoga. Sleep.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Doomscrolling.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
A quiet Christmas was had with a leisurely late breakfast (a luxury these days!) and a good book. Everyone needed time to recuperate after the rousing Christmas eve party that turned my house upside down!
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
If "on the phone" means texting, then S and D's group chats kept me sane during this humdinger of a year!
22. Did you fall in love in 2023?
Yes! :)
23. How many one night stands in this last year?
LOL. If I get any night free, I would like to sleep please. Anything else can take a hike.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
The Boys, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us. The new seasons of What We Do In The Shadows and The Bear.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes.
26. What was the best book(s) you read?
This was an appalling year books wise. I spent the year doomscrolling through social media while being insanely sleep deprived or nauseous. Having said that, I found Robert Galbraith's The Running Grave extremely engaging, and sacrificed precious sleep to finish the book. [The politics of reading Galbraith is something I'm still figuring out. But that's a whole other story.]
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Noor Benju!
Noor Benju!
28. What did you want and get?
A long leave from the job.
29. What did you want and not get?
A respite from relentless grief.
30. What were your favourite films of this year?
Ballabhpurer Roopkatha
A long leave from the job.
29. What did you want and not get?
A respite from relentless grief.
30. What were your favourite films of this year?
Ballabhpurer Roopkatha
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 35. Spent the day getting my passport renewed, then fought with S and went out for dinner alone -- stuffing my face with tandoori chicken and a gigantic icecream. It was quite a grown-up birthday! Had a lovely party with friends later though.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Some people/animals not dying would have been nice.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2023?
It was a good day if I remembered to take a shower.
34. What kept you sane?
My friends
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
My friends
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Neil Gaiman, forever and ever.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
37. Who did you miss?
Puti.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
New human! :)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023.
How you spend your days is, of course, how you spend your life.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
Pressure pushin' down on me
Pressin' down on you, no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down
Splits a family in two, puts people on streets
Pressure pushing down on me, pushing down on you, no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down,
Splits a family in two, puts people on streets
That's okay,
That's the terror of knowing what this world is about,
Watchin' some good friends screamin' "let me out",
Pray tomorrow gets me higher,
Pressure on people, people on streets,
That's okay!
