The Usual Last Post: 2017.

1. What did you do in 2017 that you'd never done before?

- Didn't call this the Annual Recap. That's nearly ten years of tradition broken, pow!
- Got health insurance for myself and my father. Pow again.
- Got used to finding stray strands of grey hair without having a meltdown. (Trust me, this is a big deal.)
- I can't talk about the rest. They span from adventure to disaster to triumph. (And all juicy, which is why I can't tell, baha.)

But I think age is telling: some of the things I was going to mention, I realised I've already done before.


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

Last year's resolutions were: 
1. Write more and, specifically, update this blog regularly - Did not do this at all. But I blame Portugal.

2. Control my temper - I AM SO PROUD OF THIS ONE, I REALLY DID. 
3. Stop being lazy - Did not. 
4. I will not say yes to things I ought to say no to - I don't know what this means anymore.

No resolutions for 2018. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.


4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

None. I had enough trouble visiting my family who live thirty minutes away. 

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

Home-cooked food. (This will, unfortunately, involve me cooking.)
Travel.
Fewer bruises from walking into things (although that might be asking for too much).

7. What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory and why?

January. Because crap happened
And the year in general, which has had its fair share of downs, but will be one of those years that I'll look back at and be all, "Ah yes. I was happy." 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Escaping from something I thought I'd never end up escaping.
Man, that sounds so cryptic.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Being the kind of selfish that hurts other people. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No.
At least, nothing major or hugely dramatic. 

11. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

I can't think of anyone.

12. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Mine did, at one point. I got a handle on it though. A colonoscopy for the soul. A souloscopy. Ha.
Aaaand Donald Trump.
Aaaand the Hindutva brigade.

13. Where did most of your money go?

Food. 

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

The weekends.
Hahahahahahaha. *Sobs* 

15. What song will always remind you of 2017?

Lucky.

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

Much, much, much happier.

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

Taken more advantage of long weekends.

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

I wish I'd ordered less from Swiggy. It did not help my finances.
(It did help my figure. I almost have a butt now.)

19. How will you be spending Christmas?

Christmas has come and gone. I was in Bangalore. It was different. There weren't presents, but there were friends and good cheer. What ho! 

20. Did you fall in love in 2017?

No.

21. How many one night stands?

I'm too old for one night stands.

22. What was your favourite TV programme?

I don't want to say here...

23. What was the best book you read?

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30E

25. What did you want and get?

You know that inner contentment/happiness thing? Yeah, that.

26. What did you want and not get?

Arre.

27. What was your favourite film of this year?

Saw many good films. No particular favourite I think. 

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

I turned 26, had a huge party, which ended with a huge fight with my mother, and is one of the reasons I will be spending my 27th birthday sedately at work. 

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

Being less hurtful to someone I care about. 
Working less. 

30. What kept you sane?

My therapist. 

Hahahahaha.

Joke. 

Um.
My parents, I think. Yeah, my parents. 

31. Who was the worst new person you met?

No one.

32. Who was the best new person you met?

Brave New World peeps. 

33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learnt in 2017.

How to switch the gas off.

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

NEVER!

Update

I am done writing about Portugal. Fucking Portugal. It will just stay in my head, and the time spent in England after.

Like sitting on the stairs outside the National Gallery, all on my own, eating a sandwich and eyeing the pigeons suspiciously, while Yoda played a guitar close by. And visiting the flower market with Mawii, while Cockneys screamed for you to buy their flowers and not the other man's - as loud as any Indian hawker could. Finding a bookshop in a boat on the Serpentine. Meeting A.O. for a beer and a pizza and cramming a year of our lives into an hour.

Yeah, man, it'll just stay in my head. Infinitely more interesting there. Also, I am lazy.

I am going absolutely crazy because it's December, but work is interfering from my being December - which I am - so I cannot be out drinking beer in the sunshine right now with that crisp, smoky December smell wafting around me.

No, I must sit in office and be Hard Working and Dedicated and Ambitious. I can be these things, but not this time of year. Although I don't think Jijo will appreciate my going to him and being all, "Yo, can I take the rest of the day off because it's December and I need to make merry, not meet deadlines."

I don't know what to do with all this happiness - it's not the right kind of happiness for work.