My last post was about the terrible blasts and terror attacks in Mumbai. This post too starts off referring to a blast in Mumbai but this one was fun. I’m referring to the blast I had with my closest friends on my birthday. Spending such evenings with friends is one of those few things which make life worth living.
A friend wanted to gift me a collage of my favorite snaps and it’s only then I realized how lucky I was to have a problem on hand which was most welcome. It was almost impossible to select just a few snaps coz I have so many wonderful people in my life! I had to spend two full days going through my albums selecting and sorting snaps. It also took me down memory lane reliving some of the best moments in the recent past. The collage was a brilliant idea and one of the best gifts I have ever received. It’s on the wall behind my work desk and one of the first things I see every morning.
As the year draws to a close it’s time to look back and take stock of all that happened during 2008 which will soon be history.
The year did start on a promising note and everything seemed to be going perfectly well. Economies were chugging along at a good pace, stock markets were up, crude oil prices was on the boil, gold was scaling new heights and real estate was soaring. They say things in the financial world go wrong when least expected and that’s what happened. The fall was as dramatic as the rise. Millions of investors lost their shirts, pants and everything else. If we had nude beaches in India they would be full of investors! Some of them even ended committing suicide. They blamed it on futures and options but the logic was far simpler. If we dare to look too much into the future it is only natural that we see our death.
For those not interested in the financial world there was a lot happening outside of it as well. Michael Jackson had changed everything a human can possibly change. He had already changed his gender and skin color. This year he changed his religion and name. I am curious to know what else he can change!
Nothing gives me greater joy than seeing the arrogant fall and the debacle of Aussie cricket was the stuff dreams are made of. This was paralleled only by the fall of arrogant honchos of the financial institutions in the US who had all along bragged they were the best.
Our sporting achievements were noteworthy and people in the country learnt that we also play sports other than cricket! Our politicians though were not sporting enough. Corruption is spreading like gangrene, fraudsters, murderers and anti social elements continue to rule the roost. We continue to live in a ‘demon’cratic society.
Film goers finally seem to be tired of watching the same old (getting older) Shah Rukhs and Amitabhs. There’s a new and wonderful crop of film makers, singers , musicians and actors. AK has been crowned the new king though.
On the personal front it has been a great year too. I have travelled like never before and indulged like never before. Should now start convincing myself that the treadmill at home is not an investment in iron and steel but a device used to keep one healthy. I have outdone Hrithik though. I started learning Spanish before he did but am not sure if I will finish it before he does. He has the motivation of Barbara Mori while I have to fall back on the hopes of a look like when I do visit LatAm / Spain!
I'm glad I started this blog (thanks to the encouragement by a friend I met on a flight from Bangalore to Mumbai). Not so glad though that I have slipped my weekly blog update sked last month. Hopefully I don't repeat that too often in the New Year.
Made some great new friends lost some but the tally at the end of year is positive. I plan to track down some long lost friends and colleagues in the coming year and hopefully also get back the ones I’ve lost.
In conclusion, I can only thank God for a year about which I have very little to complain. I have had a great time and my message to whoever reads this is - you haven’t lived, if you haven’t lived it up.
Take care, and best wishes for a rocking 2009 to everyone out there.
A friend wanted to gift me a collage of my favorite snaps and it’s only then I realized how lucky I was to have a problem on hand which was most welcome. It was almost impossible to select just a few snaps coz I have so many wonderful people in my life! I had to spend two full days going through my albums selecting and sorting snaps. It also took me down memory lane reliving some of the best moments in the recent past. The collage was a brilliant idea and one of the best gifts I have ever received. It’s on the wall behind my work desk and one of the first things I see every morning.
As the year draws to a close it’s time to look back and take stock of all that happened during 2008 which will soon be history.
The year did start on a promising note and everything seemed to be going perfectly well. Economies were chugging along at a good pace, stock markets were up, crude oil prices was on the boil, gold was scaling new heights and real estate was soaring. They say things in the financial world go wrong when least expected and that’s what happened. The fall was as dramatic as the rise. Millions of investors lost their shirts, pants and everything else. If we had nude beaches in India they would be full of investors! Some of them even ended committing suicide. They blamed it on futures and options but the logic was far simpler. If we dare to look too much into the future it is only natural that we see our death.
For those not interested in the financial world there was a lot happening outside of it as well. Michael Jackson had changed everything a human can possibly change. He had already changed his gender and skin color. This year he changed his religion and name. I am curious to know what else he can change!
Nothing gives me greater joy than seeing the arrogant fall and the debacle of Aussie cricket was the stuff dreams are made of. This was paralleled only by the fall of arrogant honchos of the financial institutions in the US who had all along bragged they were the best.
Our sporting achievements were noteworthy and people in the country learnt that we also play sports other than cricket! Our politicians though were not sporting enough. Corruption is spreading like gangrene, fraudsters, murderers and anti social elements continue to rule the roost. We continue to live in a ‘demon’cratic society.
Film goers finally seem to be tired of watching the same old (getting older) Shah Rukhs and Amitabhs. There’s a new and wonderful crop of film makers, singers , musicians and actors. AK has been crowned the new king though.
On the personal front it has been a great year too. I have travelled like never before and indulged like never before. Should now start convincing myself that the treadmill at home is not an investment in iron and steel but a device used to keep one healthy. I have outdone Hrithik though. I started learning Spanish before he did but am not sure if I will finish it before he does. He has the motivation of Barbara Mori while I have to fall back on the hopes of a look like when I do visit LatAm / Spain!
I'm glad I started this blog (thanks to the encouragement by a friend I met on a flight from Bangalore to Mumbai). Not so glad though that I have slipped my weekly blog update sked last month. Hopefully I don't repeat that too often in the New Year.
Made some great new friends lost some but the tally at the end of year is positive. I plan to track down some long lost friends and colleagues in the coming year and hopefully also get back the ones I’ve lost.
In conclusion, I can only thank God for a year about which I have very little to complain. I have had a great time and my message to whoever reads this is - you haven’t lived, if you haven’t lived it up.
Take care, and best wishes for a rocking 2009 to everyone out there.
