Kiran Blogs: 2011, Just Another Year?

Me by the end of 2010

Well it is that time of the year when you look back and perhaps recollect some of the best and not so best memories and reflect on occasions when you could have acted differently and sensibly and re-live those picture perfect moments that you would want to take to the grave.

For me 2011 was a teacher who was unforgiving, was the faint light on the horizon that gave hope, was a walk on the thin ice that I dreaded, was the scented breeze that caressed gently, was the beauty and mystery of an unheard language, was the sad song from a distant world, was the dew on the desert orchid and more than anything was a friend who gave a chance to look inside me.

Of all the things 2011 was, the most prominent one was distance; I had never been away from my family, but for most part of 2011 I was not in India, I was away in UK working towards becoming well, a workaholic. Every minute that passed by without seeing my parents and sister was like thousand years without breathing, the struggle to fight the urge to call it a day and go back to India, go back to my nest, go back to my ecosystem was immense. To make things worse when I was totally being consumed by my “missing my parents and sibling syndrome” I heard this song from rockstar “O naadaan parindey

ghar aa jaa..

ghar aa jaa..”

2011, the year I spent the least time at home, the year I called my mum the most.

The year started with a trip back to India in early January when I had to spend most of my time in our Hyderabad office doing a KT to my offshore team and the trip followed an immediate fly back to UK. This time I had made a decision to stay alone in UK and was not having any room mates. What followed was one of the most difficult times in my life as at 2011 however the experience was enriching. Being alone gave me a chance to know what I was and what my preference was and how flexible or otherwise I was. I always thought I was never a social person and was more an introvert but from the time I started to stay alone I realised how socially dependent I was. Perhaps my mum would be happy to know I was not all that bad in housekeeping and had a pristine apartment throughout my lonely stay. Had experimented a lot in cooking and also developed a passion for writing.

Guys with the trophy

One very important thing to remember and revel ? Well it was the Indian conquest of ICC world cup in 2011. Indian team had shown a greater character throughout the series and made more than a billion people proud by bringing home the cup. Talking about cricket this was also the year when India toured England and got white washed, too bad this was also when I was in England and need less to say the locals had their bit of fun every time we lost a match.

From the Indian politics, the Great Indian fight against corruption by 'Team Anna' would certainly be remembered. By the end of 2011 when the parliament season was getting to a close the bill was successfully protected from passing by an orchestrated drama in the upper house.

On the way to the Isle of Wight

Team India Fans @ the MCG

The year certainly would go down as the year of travel in my books, had been to lot of places in England and one of the best was the visit to Isle of Wight. Had a wonderful time in the Isle with some close buddies. My besty had come down to London from Ireland and we had a wonderful time in London when I visited Wimbledon for the second time with him. We had also been to Lords, the home of cricket. Later in December I travelled down south to Australia and started living in Melbourne on a working holiday. This would also be the year when I visited two of the most prestigious cricketing venues around the world, one being Lords and the other being Melbourne Cricket Ground where I watched the boxing day test.

Me in Lords

Steve

2011 saw the death of Steve Jobs the man who gave apple a place in history like Sir Issac. The year apple launched iPhone 4S, the year Siri was introduced to mankind, the year my besty tried having phone sex with Siri.

2011 was also the year I found myself loosing interest in several of my important daily catalysts like cricket, music, reading and eating. Was also the year I desperately tried clinging on to these small but important things to me. The year when I started to read the millennium trilogy and the fountain head. Lot of health issues struck me this year ranging from numbness in the legs, palpitation, sharp pain in shoulders, depression etc. The year when I had an appointment with a doctor in the northern hemisphere and in southern hemisphere.

The year when Dhanush was regarded a national integration leader for penning the third most popular national song after Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram which sent the whole nation in Kolaveri and also made a proud parent name her newly born “Kolaveri. D”