Looking Back, Looking Ahead

It's 11.30 p.m., and the madness to welcome the New Year has just begun. It's a cool night, and vehicles, noisier than ever, are whizzing past, much hooting, shrieking and whistling emanating from them. There's the ominous sound of a siren/alarm/ambulance. I am at home, after a feast of yesterday's leftovers with only some fresh omelettes, trying to make the most of the fading year with the dawn of the new one.

Blog-wise, it's been a great year. I met many bloggers, the latest being Raaga. We met earlier this month and talked about everything but food and blogging and it didn't feel like a first meeting at all. We spent about two hours together and it seemed to have vanished in a minute. I met Aparna, and earlier, a lot of bloggers from the city I live in and had a lot of fun. Blog friendships deepened and when a dear friend turned to blogging,our friendship of 19 years gained another dimension.

My blog underwent a makeover when Sandeepa designed the header you see here now. I even took a couple of unscheduled and unintended breaks from blogging, and ached to come back to it even though I didn't have much to say. I didn't think this piece would make it to this, but it has!

The posts I especially enjoyed writing and watching the reactions to are the ones on

Hostel food

The maximum convexity of my butt

My second anniversary

My magnetic attractions

Minding my pounds and quarts

Whether heritage comes cheap

Not unholy combinations

A proposed bloggers' meet

My not being a queer fish

Memories and mementos

I made an effort to rediscover some homely and traditional recipes. I also attempted recipe haiku and posted my first ever round-up, of the event I thought up and exasperated many of you with! That was on January 1, 2008 and as I write this, crackers around me are exploding to announce the new year. (I can't help but pat myself that I've choreographed the writing of this post perfectly, for whatever it's worth.)

Lifewise, much has been the same, though I travelled a bit - to Japan, to Karnataka with one group of girlfriends and to Calcutta with another, where much fun, mirth and getting-in-touch-with-the-inner-witch was had by all. "Life is not all about having fun," said a well-meaning friend to me once, trying not to sound stern. I suppose it's true, but one can always try to have as much fun as possible, can't they? Here's wishing you all a fun- and happiness- filled new year!

Best of 2008 Recap New year