The Year-End Review

I came across this meme across some blogs last year. I changed few questions to suit me. I tag my entire blogroll to do this, if they like. I would like to know in a nutshell what happened to them. 🙂

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Don’t laugh at this one. Drive a car. I finally took driving lessons this year. Guess, it will take me another year to become a seasoned driver in the frenzied Delhi traffic.

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

This I year I had new year resolutions for the first time. I kept only half of them, here was my half yearly update that has not changed much. 😦 I would not make any this year. At least, not now.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not this year. Though few friends are expecting. I eagerly await their news, and wish them my best. 🙂

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes. Someone who was not a friend but a person who had indirectly been instrumental in helping me to buy a house. My condolences.

5. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

‘The Loved one’ by my side

6. What countries did you visit?

None! I travelled very little this year.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why:

October to December for unwanted crisis in relationships

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Buy a house for my parents

9. What was your biggest failure?

I had to let go of some of my close relationships.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nope! Thank God for small mercies. I had had 5 stiches last year, though.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Of course, the house for my parents was my best buy of the year.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My family. In my personal crisis, I turned to them with my private woes. They were wonderful.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

A very close friend’s, who turned out to be selfish and weakling

14. Where did most of your money go?

Paying back my home loan

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

Avant Garde Bloggies Awards event. I was glad and touched to find enormous support from bloggers, some of them who were strangers to me a while ago.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

I will pass this one as I am not much in sync with music these days.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

I am tranquil this time, last year at this time I was in Goa, exhilarated

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Exercise and blogging

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Venting my anger on my loved ones

20. How will you be spending new year eve?

With my sister and a duo of friends with movies and dinner. At least that’s the plan for now. 🙂

21. How would you sum up your 2008 in one word?

Turbulent.

First I spent stressful months to select and get the house deal done. Then I ran for home loan sanctions. Later, I had tough time in relationships. In the last month of the year, I suffered minor financial losses, thanks to petty robbery and my faulty buying decisions. You will hear about some of these things soon.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Nope, not anyone new!

23. How many one-night stands?

None.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Radha Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi on NDTV Imagine

The name may sound regressive but this is one soap that is about relationships and aspirations. There is no melodrama common to Indian soaps.It was initially a weekly, it turned daily recently due to popular demand. Currently, this is only show taht I catch up on apart from Roadies. As few people know about it, I will give you the plot.

Radha, played by actress Supria, has three daughters. They shift from a small city Meerut to Mumbai, owing to some reasons, to make a life. All three girls are like us, the normal people: a mix of tradition and modernity. They have their own relationships within their family and other friends outside while trying to reach their career goals. All three girls are different. One girl is a fashion designer who is caught in a world of deceit. Her sister is completely opposite, an extrovert who is chatty and aims to be a top model. The youngest sister is a studious girl who dreams of going to NASA. Currently, she is having tough time having to accept that she may be falling in love.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

People who have hurt me may have given me a reason to hate. But I think they are not important enough for me to spend my energy hating them.

I though secretly hate all inefficient, sloppy workers in my professional life.

26. What was the best book you read?

I read about 50+ books this year. I would call this year of chicklit. I introduced myself to it for the first time, as I had indicated in this book meme. I explored the world of Sandra Brown, Advita Kala, Sophie Kinsella, Candance Bushwell and others.

My favourite books would be Shantaram (by Gregory Roberts) in Fiction and The Bitter Chocolate (by Pinki Virani) in Non-Fiction. You will soon read review about the latter on this blog.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I am not much into music, so I would pass this one.

28. What did you want and get?

God health of my sister. Toward the end of year, we seem to have made some progress. Thanks Sakhi, you did help to give us a direction. 🙂

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

A Wednesday and The Dark Knight

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you (optional)?

I worked on my birthday. 😦

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

Realisation of a romantic fantasy. Now guys, don’t get dirty ideas just because I mentioned the word ‘fantasy’. 😛

32. What kept you sane?

Faith and Perseverance

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

None ever catch my fancy to last

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The Commonwealth Games Village project on Yamuna bank. Alas, this environmental issue was not a political issue for any party.

35. Whom did you miss?

My family, at times

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Me, my resilience and strength that I had not realised before.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

It’s a myth that friends are new family. They can not be, in this self-immersed daily lives. Family too cannot rally around you all the time in your crisis. Not in the way you might need. It’s you who have to stand for yourself with your faith and positive attitude.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Mein zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya…

Har Fikar ko dhuein mein udata chala gaya…

Wishing you a great year ahead! Happy New Year!! 😀 😀