Happy New Year

Sentimental Speech

Last year at this time, I stood up on the table at that pub, clinked my glass for attention and said that it was time to get ready. I said at the stroke of midnight, I wanted every person in there to be standing next to the one person who made his/her life worth living.

As the clock struck twelve...the bartender was almost crushed to death!

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My Resolutions

Here are my New Year Resolutions that I won’t keep:

• Watch more Television.
  
• Yea right, I've been missing some good stuff.

• Start being superstitious.
• It's based on science you know.
  

• Read less.
  
• It does not make me think.

• Spend my vacation in Cyberspace.
• Certainly, for it is better than the Himalayas.

• Spread out priorities beyond my ability.
  
• It gets easy to keep track of them that way.

• Stop checking my email at 3:30 in the morning.
• And ignore my insomnia.

• Procrastinate more.
  
• Starting tomorrow.

• Stop sending e-mails, and messages on yahoo and msn messengers, icq, and be on the phone at the same time.
  
• And with the same person.

• Never make New Year's resolutions again.
• Surely not...not till 2009 end.

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His Resolutions

My friend, and colleague, with whom I share many a laughs whenever possible while in office, does not like to brag. He has permitted me to share with you all how proud he is about the great progress he has made about his resolve to lose weight.

Here are his New Year Resolutions of the past few years as observed by me:

• 2003: He will get his weight down below 180.
• 2004: He will watch his calories until he gets below 190.
• 2005: He will follow his new diet religiously until he gets below 200.
• 2006: He will try to develop a realistic attitude about his weight.
• 2007: He will work out 5 days a week.
• 2008: He will work out 2 days a week.
• 2009: He will try to drive past a gym at least once a week!

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New Year Wishes, Sincere Ones

To all my friends across the world here are my wishes in the languages I am familiar with:

Happy New Year
English

Naye Saal Ki Shubhkaamnayein
Hindi

Noothana Samvathsarasya Shubhaashayaha
Sanskrit

Tumka Boren Novi Vors Magta
Konkani

Posa Varshada Subhashaya
Tulu

Hosa Varshada Subhaashayagalu
Kannada

Kul'aam Wa Antum Bikhair
Arabic

Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Urdu

*

Have a lovely 2009! Let’s continue smiling, as always. Cheers!

- celine

Images: December Travels

December 2008
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala
India

Cricket time during low tide, Uttan, Mumbai

St. Aloysius Chapel with frescoes within, Mangalore

On the way to Madikeri, Coorg

Buddhist Monastery, Kodagu

Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Nagarahole, Karnataka


Kutta, Karnataka enroute Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

T. Shettigiri Tea Estates, South Coorg

Coffee Plantations, South Coorg

On the way to Virajpet, Karnataka

Madikeri Sunset

I've picked out some of my favorite images of this trip to post here. Which one/ones do you like best?

If my visa is issued in the next few days, I shall be leaving on another small trip for a few days. More in next post. As my travels mean an 'internet-less' time, in case I do not get a chance to do so later, let me take this opportunity, my dear friends, to wish you greetings of this lovely season.

To those who celebrate, a very Merry Christmas.

Cheers!

Hic..December Wedding.

We've had much depressing news the past couple of weeks with the Mumbai crisis. Nevertheless I travelled to the city and spent some memorable times the past few days. In spite of the shadow of terror that passed over the city, it seems to be bouncing back to its past glory. As always, I salute the indestructible and everlasting spirit of Mumbai.

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The past few days have been extremely busy, with so much on my mind and so much to do, and so little time left to write a post before I travelled. I am now snatching a few moments for a quick post, mainly to inform my dear blog friends I am presently in my hometown in India and shall be visiting your interesting blog posts and replying to your comments upon return to a normal life.

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Talking of being busy reminds me of what I read once: If time doesn't wait for you, just remove the damn battery from the clock and enjoy life. I will. After all, the difference between a battery and a woman is that a battery has a negative side.

Boy, am I glad for this break from routine. The past few days I have not checked emails, nor bothered to clear bulk spam folder offering aphrodisiacs to increase your drive, or miraculous cures for all problems in life, or solicitation for porn viewing, or invitation to participate in a secret account scheme from billionaire widows...haha! Nor drive in the annoying traffic congested roads to reach office in time and put in seven (no, eight) hours of attendance (no, work.) Ah, it's been bliss!

So, why did I travel this time? To grab some more opportunities to explore new places of course. No wait. That's not entirely true. I've travelled because I heard some people wish to get married.

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Uh-oh. Now. Marriage. Why?

There are so many options for suicide: poison, sleeping pills, hanging, lying on train tracks, jumping from buildings…but why marriage? Murder? No problem. But marriage. Why?

Hello all you people in love. Agreed love is one long sweet dream, but don't you know marriage is the alarm clock?

I wonder why people get married in spite of everyone knowing the wise never marry, because when they do, they become otherwise. It is a well known fact that love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener!

Recent statistics reveal only 20 percent girls have brains, rest have boyfriends. It is said that when a man holds a woman's hand before marriage, it is love and after marriage it is in self-defence..haha! Excuse me, before you pounce on me, let me clarify I am not being sexist here, I am simply voicing out what I heard people say. Right now, the bride and groom are clueless as to what they are getting into. And I'm sure most married people agree with me..haha!

Don't worry guys and gals. We all make mistakes. Marriage, after all, is the triumph of imagination over intelligence..haha!

I hope the bride and groom won't get to read my post. If they do, I'm dead, and my specially tailored royal-blue-churidar-suit and the matching accessories and the half-hearted dieting I did to fit into it perfectly would all go waste!

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One's a friend, another family

Now now, jokes apart, this wedding will be special. I personally know this couple from many years, and they know each other since their school days.

I also sense they have been married in most ways since long: they have been friends first, and then fell in love, and now taking a step ahead to be woman and husband, I mean, man and wife.

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In this age of utilizing wedding planners, there is not much left for me to do except discourage them from tying the knot, oops..I mean, give them some moral support and simply enjoy the whole sequence of events.

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Hmm. Marriage. Everyone who wishes to should get married. After all, happiness is not the only thing in life..haha!

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So...I shall be in touch with you all in a few days my dear blog friends. Until then, hic..ciao!

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Hic. Now where did my beer disappear?

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Disclaimer: This post is written in jest and does not actually reflect my views on marriage and related issues.