Welcome 2009.......no more smoke.....we hope life blossoms !!!

The New Year Eve’s evening was simple & quiet for me. Deciding to drop all of five invitations to jazzy & starry night programs, I finally went for dinner to a Sizzler joint with a close friend & enjoyed a Paneer Shashlik…..they really make it very well at Yoko’s. This along with a steaming hot soup of spinach was just appropriate for us to usher in 2009. After that we drove down to have a lovely chocolate dark temptation(it’s warm chocolate served with ice cream & whipped cream, topped with hot chocolate fudge) at a Barista close by…..Ummmmm, it was sinfully divine.
A long drive across the city showed, how heavy the security had been…. At times it seemed that there were more policemen on road than the common man. For a New Year’s Eve, this was quite different as an experience. Almost every car/ two wheeler, was stopped & checked every five hundred meters. Back home around 2.00 am in the morning, I pampered myself to some light music, before wishing well & tucking into the bed.

However, the new year has not started the way I would have wanted it to. On the first day itself there were serial blasts in Guwahati, leaving us all with an eerie feeling ….how safe are we???? The terror plans & activities seem to be hitting us hard & catching us unawares every time. This time its terror from Bangladesh. Whew!!!!
While all this mayhem continues, Pakistan maintain their well rehearsed stand, “these terrorists are not from Pakistan, Kasab is not from Pakistan, LeT, ZuD, are all, not housed in Pakistan, India should provide with proofs,”etc, etc, etc…….the dialogues continues. While our leaders at the centre keep the dialogues on, with a moderate stand, & our media keeps putting up various debates on their channels, each giving a burly opinion, we the common citizens of this country, keep hoping for a better & a safe tomorrow.
The other day, I read that our former Prez, Dr Kalam, said at a gathering in Himachal Pradesh, that while India, continues its dialogues & creates international political pressures on Pakistan, we should also strike on the terror camps in Pakistan, thereby ensuring better & positive results towards controlling terrorism. Now that’s the kind of aggression & positive framework, we Indians are waiting for from our Centre. Hope our PM, along with the UPA Govt is listening…..time for some tough action guys!!!!…. Its long overdue….. else, we are just playing into the hands of these Jihadis…..

Meanwhile, winter seems to be playing hide & seek with Mumbai…….barring one night when the air had some nip, its been quite warm....we are already in Jan & winter seems far away. All this when, Delhi & north India is reeling in cold. How very unfair!!!!!.

One of the resolutions for the New Year for me, is to give time to music…..maybe learn to play an instrument…could be guitar or a key board. Am also planning to start paying badminton …..just so that I keep in shape….what with six packs becoming the way of life with men nowadays, the least I can do is to keep in shape. Almost every second man that I walk past seems to be flexing his triceps, bulging his fists & look with disdain, all in various haird styles…….Wow……the young brigade is all shaping up….at least physically.
Keeping them busy & confused are the daintily clad damsels, who certainly don’t look to be in distress(like good old days). Nowadays, it seems to be fashion to put on a couple tees / shirts / chaddis etc together & give that rough & lean & mean & crumpled look. Also donning the shoulders, the chests, & the forearms & wrists are tattoos of various shapes & sizes(even the ladies are not far behind, in this).

Incidentally the ban on smoking publicly seems to have lost its effect. And I note with rising concern that its young girls who seem to be more attracted to it. Life up in smoke!!!!!..... all up in smoke !!!! Chal diye hain fikr yaar dhuyein mein urake,; Jaane kya hoga raama re, jaane kya hoga maula re!!!!!