The year that was... 2009!

**Right, I've been thinking about this post for like a month now. I think this might turn out to be one of my favourite posts to do on the blog every year! Anyway, so I started making little mental notes around the time my exams were going on last month and have been putting it together for the past couple of days, trying very hard to stop myself from posting it before the 31st because that was the plan but now if I keep letting it stew in my "drafts" I'll keep adding stuff and then it'll get intolerably long so I think I'll just publish it now! :P**

Another year gone by! It hasn't been all good. I mean, this year was a year of crazy things - the strike, swine flu, etc... but you know, even though some things seem terrible while you're actually going through it, when you look back, in retrospect, it's amazing... like all these threads just come together into a beautiful tapestry. It may not even come together just yet but I know that one day I will look back at some things that just didn't make much sense at the time and think, "ohhhh, that's why that happened!!"

But anyway, last year I made a list of some of the best moments of 2008 on the blog and I loved doing that because it was so great to just look back and remember! And so here are some of the best moments of 2009. Obviously this list is not at all comprehensive - that would go on for pages and pages!

Grace's visit to Bombay! (Jan)

Two beautiful weddings (Jan and August)

Chrissy and Anna (and friends) stopping through Bombay (Feb) Getting my glasses. I actually dislike wearing them, but they do help me to see clearly so I guess should be thankful for that! (Feb)

Turning 21, Kala Ghoda Festival 2009, meeting Coco! (Feb)

Antu and Coco (her cousin's daughter) at the Kala Ghoda festival 2009

Finishing off my second year of college and the after-party at Sharan's! (March)

At Sharan's place right after we finished our 2nd Year final exams! Vini and I went in the pool and made the rest jealous and they all promptly signed up for classes that summer! :P

My first Earth Hour (March)

Exercising my right to vote for the first time!! (April)
Taking D up to Ooty, Easter in Ooty, bumping into some wonderful Hebronites in Ooty... just OOTY! (April)

Club Mahindra Holiday in Thekkady with the parentals! Especially the elephant-ride! (April)

The elephant called "Chandramukhi" who kindly let us take a ride on her back! This is her "blessing" me! Sweet! April. Thekkady, Kerala.

Learning cross stitching :) (May)

Georgia and Gina - my first completed project of cross-stitching! ;)

Re-union with Taryn and Grace! And Skypeing with Tashu in the wee hours of the morning... (June)

Another reunion with Taz, Jonny and Chandni! (June)

At Coffee World, Brigade Road, Bangalore.

Random and amazing conversation with the Librarian lady who was cross-stitching on an Andheri local train (June)

Becoming a member of the American Center Library. One of the 'happy places' I love to escape to in Mumbai! (June)

Watching two plays by Naseerudhin Shah's theatre group - Waiting for Godot and Ismat Apaa Ke Naam (II). (July and September)

The infamous "Teachers' Strike". Yeah, I'm actually being thankful for this... now. In itself it was terrible and at the time, I was fuming and whining. It taught me a lot and lead to a lot of amazing things. (August)

Meg's visit to Bombay and the unplanned rendezvous with Orville! (August)

Being "photographer" at Jo's performance in Chitrangada at the Nehru Centre ;) (September)
Planning and executing Surprise Birthday Parties. We're the best at it ;) (September, November, December)

Sharan's birthday at her place, Antu's birthday cake - the one where they wrote her name as "Anutu"!, Jo's birthday at her place!

Lunch on Antu's birthday at 'Something Fishy', Andheri, Mumbai. 30th Nov, 2009

Going for Arundhati Roy's book launch of "Listening to Grasshoppers" at the Townhall. She is one amazing woman and made me think about a lot of things... (October)

Carrying out our Research Project on Foreigners' Perspective on Hospitality in Mumbai! (November)

Tabulating the data we collected at Monisha's place, Nariman Point, Mumbai.

Kaleidoscope 2009!! Best ever! (November)

The final day of K'scope

Late night, drinking wine and fabulous conversation with my favourite girls in Bombay at Cafe Ivy. (November)

Me at Cafe Ivy. We ordered a bottle of wine, two plates of french fries and made excited conversation!

Christmas Breakfast with Radiance (December)

Christmas Breakfast at Danny's place, Banaswadi, Bangalore. 25th Dec, 2009!

Lambu (Arjun Durr), another friend from Hebron came to visit in Bangalore (December)

Being Home. Because of the strike and other various circumstances, coming home for holidays all of this year has been so unpredictable but thank God, I got my holidays! And even extra days sometimes! :) (Summer, August, Diwali, Christmas)

Our beautiful house in Bangalore one summery sunset... :)

...Phew! See what I mean? It's been a gooooooood year! :) And next year will be even better, I know it! It will be a year of BIG changes and it will be kind of scary because, hey let's face it, change is NOT easy. But it can be exciting and I can't wait to see what God has been planning all along! He never fails to surprise!

Here's hoping that He makes all things new for you this coming year!

Happy New Year! :D

Rewind?

The coolest thing I did all weekend was walk down a very high wall :)

No kidding.

One of the teams on K'scope is Workshops who organises well, short workshops of all kinds during Kaleidoscope. There were some awesome ones this year, including a Jazz-funk dance workshop which was so much fun! Participating colleges get points for taking part in these workshops and people from the workforce can also take part when they're free. Yesterday, they had this group organise rappeling down one of the buildings in college so I went! I have done this before while I was in school at this awesome campsite called 'Avalanche' but it was still pretty scary! So glad I did it though!

Concrete jungle.

This is by far the scariest part! When you're standing right on the edge and have to take a step off.

That's Madhuri!

Eshana! She was so awesome. She has a fear of heights and yet she did it! :)

And that's yours truly! :)

Eshana, Tina and Madhuri

It's been the BEST weekend ever. Last night, there were lots of tears at the closing ceremony (none from my eyes, strangely. I'm usually very good at turning on the water works. Maybe it'll hit me in a couple of days). K'scope is Sophia College's baby. Seriously, it's the most awesome event every year. Months of preparation and then 6 days just buzzing with activity on campus. At the closing ceremony last night, I was just thinking how fabulous it is that this whole thing is executed from start to finish by such awesome WOMEN! Go girl power! :P We can do so much and I'm so grateful that our college gives us this opportunity and that the participating colleges take part SO enthusiastically! It wouldn't be half as fun without them. (Jai Hind college won this year!)

I would love to upload a whole lot more pictures from the last two days of Kscope but unfortunately we have "exams" starting in two days. They're just internals and not important in the great scheme of things but I still can't NOT study for it or NOT give them at all. The timing is so horrid though. I mean, it takes at least 3 days to recover from K'scope and three days is all we got before the exams. Okay lets just call them TESTS. That has a better ring to it, non? :P I just spent the last hour emailing photos to the PR team so they can send them to our sponsor so the blog will have to wait.

I have so much more to say, but alas, I must go bury my head in a book.

I wish life had a "rewind" button sometimes :P

Kscope 2009: Day Black!

This awesome dance group conducted a Jazz-funk dance workshop yesterday. I learnt a little bit, so much fun! :)

Dance baby dance!

Crazy boys!

People waiting for the gates to open for the concert.

My absolute favourite picture and I didn't even take it! :)

Aamina - amazing photographer.

'Evergreen - the rock band that performed at After8 last night

Kscope 2009: Do the red!

Yesterday, the main event was Electrocuted - a band event. Ummm, fun but the bands were much better last year!

Do the red!

Anuroopa doing the announcements.

Workshops registration.

The line for pass distribution.

Love this picture.

"Oh look a Reflection!"

Slam Dunk

Sharmeen on the basketball court (a.ka. informals court)

Tamara wanted to take a picture and I gladly let her :P

The Despatch-ers.

Oh look, there's a picture, and I'm in it!

"Poutaughter" - A melange of pout and laughter (Okay, this caption is from Jo. Ask her!)

The photography team! (minus one who had to go off to Delhi to attend a wedding!)

A techie! :)

Shania backstage.

Backstage madness.

She was brilliant.