Annual End of Year Reflection

Look, I'm not cool. My list is rambling and long and doesn't have vague, funny answers because I actually like to come back to these things. Okay.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?

2012's been a helluva year for new things. I'll try to list as many as I can remember.

-had someone i knew very well die an untimely, unnatural death

- smoked up

-drunken mistake number 1,2,3,4,50

-learned how to grind (yesreally)

-went on a pubcrawl

-been kissed multiple times by multiple women

-been in the middle of a terrible split, come out of it relatively unscathed

-bagged an internship at harvard; come jan, i will be moving to boston/ the states for the very first time

- lost complete faith and confidence in myself 

- stayed over at a proper sleepover party (thankyou sambit and rupsha!)

- made the first move(ish)
-spent ten days all on my own 

- read asimov, watched Monty Python, listened to tom waits- yes these are significant enough to be listed

- gotten into the blues (thankyou neelu)

- made a lot of new friends with much confidence, without letting my previous awkwardness get in the way

- explored cal on foot, thoroughly

- behaved like a completely irrational sap, bid goodbye to my ego

- written exams without driving myself into blind panic about them

- cooked, started cooking properly- i made soup guys! chicken noodle soup from scratch!

- lost a whole ton of weight, gone on a proper running routine, done that whole thing where you wake up at 5:30 am to go for a morning run before you start your day

- gone on a proper diet for like 2 months- it worked too; then i became happy and lazy

- wanted to do things i hadn't wanted to before, and liked em

-  visited sodpur (lol?)

- gotten my first vacation in three years (existential fear factor, yes)

- long distance

- worked at an ngo with the children of sex-workers

- gotten into a scuffle with er..metro police?

- been awarded a scholarship

-gotten three job offers- one at a major toronto hospital, two at harvard (yes i'm gloating)

- watched Dylan and Knopfler live. I can't say enough about this so I won't say anything at all.

- had a lot of epiphanies

- started the process of coming to terms with the fact that I'm not a terrible person. self-love, self-love, self-love.

- torn a ligament, passed out, called 911, been taken to emergency in an ambulance

- got stung by a wasp

-started a secretblog, and a shared musicblog

-started liking beer

-did a photoshoot

2. Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Well, I did lose weight (and then gained most of it back), and eat healthy and cook lots (and then start eating trash again), and become focused on my academics. So I guess sort've? My new resolution is to stick to my resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not that I know of.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yeah. Not emotionally I guess, but physically? And mentally.

5. What countries did you visit?

Canada, India. Same as last year.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

Published papers, a significant involvement in research I love, a 4.2. More: kindness,  balance, travelling, concerts, writing, self-love.

Wishful thinking: My voice back, my boyfriend in the same place. 

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory and why?

- Feb 14th- the night R.B died and I balanced a stupid plate of dal on my hand

- April 23rd- the night I landed in Calcutta, seeing Trisha, Adi, and Piu at the airport and finally believing that I was back home

- July 17th- cuz N finally reached the end of his rational thought process

- August 7th- cuz it was a new birthday to put on the list of donotforget. And it was a nice time

- Sep 11th- cuz I dreaded it for so long, and then it came and I left

- November 14th- because I watched Dylan and Knopfler live and it was indescribable

- October 26th- cuz rankings came out and I went out with a bang, just like I wanted
And a great many days whose dates I do not remember, but whose contents I definitely will.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

- Doing major amounts of growing up

- Surviving Winter term long enough to drag my arse home where thankfully summer happened

- Bagging three job offers

- Getting on Dean's Honour Roll, and excellent standing

- Keeping my promise to myself to write all of my exams this term

- Somehow managing not to screw up hobo and crazy thus far

- Letting myself be vulnerable

9. What was your biggest failure?

Winter term in a way.
Oh, I got so distracted and happy that I failed my non-credit PD course. And forgot to contact that prof for research. Ohwell.

Losing my temper too often at my family. Falling off course with the diet and eating healthy and running.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I tore a ligament right before finals week. And I got a nasty bout of flu during reading week. And I got stung by a wasp.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tickets to the Dylan-Knopfler concert. 

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Mine for going after the things I wanted and getting allofem =D

Squg for being dignified and a lady in a very old world sense of the term. For being a bundle of goodness and joy.

Neelu for dealing with all my crazy.

Piu for unconditional support, and for finding her way and getting her act together. Trisha for being the fiercely loyal and kickass person she is.

Emily for being the wonderful generous person she is.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Er. I don't want to say.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Eating out =( I gave Burger King, Mozy's and Tim Horton's LOTS of steady business.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Going home for the summer. Neelu. The job I got offered at Princess Margaret. Harvard and Boston. Sambit's farewell. New Light. The Dylan-Knopfler concert.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?

Sweet thing- The Waterboys/Van Morrison. So far away, What it is- Knopfler. Bird on a wire- Bonamassa's cover of Cohen. So long Marianne- Cohen. Gun street girl, Hold on- Waits.  Waits in general. I want you, You're gonna make me lonesome when you go, All along the watchtower, Like a rolling stone- Dylan. Womaniya, Moora. Sittin' on top of the world. Heroin- VU. Pine moon- Feist. Bloom- The Paper Kites. I saw her standing there, Someday(heh)- the Beatles. Wagon wheel- Old Crow Medicine Show. Drift away- Dobie gray. Lover you should've come over- Buckley.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?’

Last year this time I was in Toronto, it was a very nice time, and I was quite happy. This year I'm alone in ghost town for the next two weeks. Overall however, 2012 has been unbelievable, in terms of the incredible things it has brought me. So happier, I guess. And very, very grateful.

18. Thinner or fatter?
Slightly thinner.

19. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Spending more time with the grandparents, brother. Reading. Making out. Running. Cooking.

20. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Eating junk, brooding over things, procrastinating, taking out my temper on my fam cuz it was easy

21. How will you be spending Christmas?

I will try to find a church to haunt. I will bring back spiced eggnog and a shawarma. I will watch a movie and read Lord of the Rings and go to bed.

22. Did you fall in love in 2012?

H, L and S.

23. How many one night stands?

None.

24. What was your favourite TV programme?

I don't watch TV. Gilmore Girls, I guess. And Criminal Minds.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. Hate is tiring. And I can't hold grudges.

26. What was the best book you read?

Good Omens, I think. It was a lifesaver on the plane back. I just started LOTR so anticipation. Kafka on the Shore. The Great Indian Novel.  Animal Farm.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Oh man. 2012's been a brilliant year as far as musical discoveries are concerned. A large part of this has to do with Neelu. All the blues stuff. Right now I'm really loving John Hammond and JJ Cale. In general, my absolute new favourite is Tom Waits. Listened to a lot of Cohen and Dylan for extensive periods of time. Knopfler in a big way, and Knopfler himself is responsible for this :D

The Velvet Underground whom I absolutely loved. I listened to lots of the Beatles as usual. Tallest Man on Earth. Jefferson Airplane. Bonamassa. The Grateful Dead, whom I still have to listen to a lot more of. Jeff Buckley!

28. What did you want and get?

Love.

Happiness.

A good GPA and job offers and Harvard.

29. What did you want and not get?

Nothing. I got everything I wanted.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

In theatre? Gangs of Wasseypur.

I fell in love with Woody Allen, Annie Hall in particular- those lobsters kill me. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

It's coming up on the 30th. I'm alone in ghost town right now. I'll wake up, talk to people, eat something, read something, watch something. Might go to Symposium and buy myself cake. Byas.

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

Nothing. I got everything I wanted, and more. Well, being able to go home for the winter would have been nice, but that's just greediness. And having N closer would've been great, but that's more greediness.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Rushed? 

34. What kept you sane?

People- Ma, Trisha, Piu, Mishtu, Squg, Shalmi, Emily, Neelu. Blogging. Reese's. 8tracks.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Er... Tom Waits?

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Rape. Sigh.

37. Who was the worst new person you met?
Stupid new bitch roommate.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Upasana whom I'd technically met before but I really got to know her this year. Sattam. Amrusha. Pratiti. Shibansu. Tanuka (whom I technically haven't met yet). Neelu.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learnt in 2012.

Only worry about one thing at a time. Take life one moment at a time.

If you want something, go after it. Stop being passive. Go out and grab what you want.

All that self-love bullshit isn't bullshit.

Making soup is easy.

I have an infinite capacity to surprise myself.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Hey, it's me, I'm dynamite

And I don't know why