First things first, a very happy new year to one and all. This was going to be my first December post in two years, now it's my '1st January' post. Guess my laziness will never desert me. I really did not think I'd be enthusiastic about this time of the year. I rarely am, unless you are talking food. It usually leaves me melancholy, moody, a tad confused and one year older.
My trip to Shimla should account for the mood shift then. I'd gone with my khandaan: mum, dad, bhai, aunt, uncle, cousins et al. It was loads of fun. We stayed in one of those really pretty picture-postcard cottages, complete with an attic. The upper room was so adorable that I wanted to start Chipko Movement right there. It was Christmas and the decorations were beautiful, even minus the snow. Santa was a bit sad though, skinny with a pillow tummy who came and whispered 'Merry Christmas' to everyone, afraid they'd jump on him. The food was De-Li-Cious, a gastronomic heaven for a glutton like me. They even had a heated swimming pool (I knoooow), a pool table, a TT table, a Carrom set and a corner strewn with soft toys. Yes people, it was custom made for me :). I saw me mum and her sis play TT and it was so much fun just watching them. My TT skills, on the other hand told a different story. I gleefully, and a bit surprisingly beat my bro who I thought knew his game well, only to have him sheepishly admit that he was playing with his right hand. Oh well, so much for smugness!! Anyway, we all felt so christmassy, totally in the mood, the holiday spirit engulfing us.
Come Christmas eve, and all guests were requested to assemble in the lobby. Many games had been arranged for us: Musical Chairs, Passing the Parcel and some really funny couple games that had both my mom-dad and mausi-mausaji participating. We were crazy-cheering for them and clutching our stomachs at the same time. I regret not clicking any photographs. It was so worth it. I have to admit here that the elders of my family are the best sports I've come across. Evidence - My mum was the runner-up in musical chairs. :)
There was also a game called 'sabzi-mandi'. Other than the unusual name, it interested me because, for one, I could play (it no longer being a couple game) and two, because I'm pretty good at memory games and it looked like this was going to be one. Two rows of chairs were set diametrically opposite each other and we were supposed to pair up and randomly shout the names of vegetables and their respective prices, most being as bizarre as sarson ka saag or 37 rupees 59 paise. There was a prescribed time limit, within which one team member had to dictate the items on his or her list to the other who was to pen it down. You could convey the info any which way, even using your mobile if you so pleased, but you had to sit across the room from your partner. Mayhem and commotion ensued only making the game more entertaining. I paired up with bro. He patiently enunciated each word while gesticulating for their respective prices. I quickly took it all down being the first to complete the list and also the only one who was 100% accurate. We won the 1st prize. I couldn't believe it. They gave us chocolates, two gift wrapped tokens and a gift voucher for 4 people to visit the same cottage for a four-days, three-nights trip. Ah, my midas touch was working.
At night, I was made to rush outside to see the most breathtaking constellation in the night sky. It was so majestic that I felt completely insignificant. I gawked at it for quite a while before the biting cold and my own chattering teeth got to me.
In the morning, I lay back on a hammock, surrounded by nature, in the remote wilderness of a serene hill station, humming 'morning's here'. Bliss!
We also visited the famous mall-road and flats of Shimla and the old yellow Church that adorns it. It was the first Protestant Church I'd seen, quite different from the Catholic one in my old school, where my entire gang would be found before an exam.
During our return journey, we conspired against a poor unsuspecting soul named Rajesh, to make him trade seats with one of us. Sadly, he never turned up.
Once back, I was introduced to two cousins whom I'd never met. I'm fond of using the hyperbole 'Meeting new relatives at every party', which appropriately indicates the size of my family. Not that I ever thought it held true for cousins as well. Both of them were second cousins and both really nice. One, as it happened had been my senior in college, same course, and I'd never known. And the other turned out to be a good friend of my best friend.
All in all, the past two weeks have been very pleasant.
And now, what with my exams over (discounting here how very bad they were) and my college closed for some time, life cannot get any better.
2009, I welcome you with open arms!!
