2007 was a year of changes and revelations. Quite possibly even life-changing. A lot happened in this year. No strike that. I let a lot happen in this year.
#1
First came my stint in Delhi. 4 months of tolerating heat, sweat, family relations, crazy traffic. Before I left for Delhi, everyone I knew told me I was crazy to leave the 'pampered-aircon-everywhere-buses-and-trains-on-time-Singapore' life to go spend a few months in 'crazy-unsafe-oogling-men-and-flashy-women-filled-unbearably-hot city of the Delhi-belly fame'. I almost listened to them (Shivers!). And I'm so proud I didn't. 4 months later, 3 close friends richer and 2 ks lighter (though it's a mystery how, given the numerous finger licking meals I pigged on there), I unwillingly left Delhi with a newfound understanding of who I am and an absurd reverence for the city (which eventually transformed into an appreciation and love for the mother country herself).
For the first few months after my return, this reverence took on gargantuan propotions, with me pining for the city, the life, the friends and finding Singapore sorely lacking in every comparison. Over time I stopped comparing (knowing the futility of the exercise), decided to sign off Delhi as a torrid summer affair that I had to get over and busied myself with setting a rythm for my life here. But I often look back at my time in Delhi and have realised over time that I am wiser, richer, possibly even more mature for having been there at that time: Wise in experiences, rich in friends and mature in outlook. And that in itself would have been enough to make the year special- a little extraordinary.
#2
2007 was also the year I graduated. In the days following the graduation ceremony, I remember mulling over what exactly it meant to have 'graduated' and wondering how life would change, if at all. In hindsight, change it did, and in ways I never anticipated! (and therefore did not prepare for). Life as a student, even with all its cramming, sleeplessness, kunj-ing (read as being miserly or money-wise depending on how you see it) and worrying, was still a care-free life. I lived life on my terms and had a countable number of cares (rescuing my GPA, disciplining my yo-yo-ing girth, picking a place to eat dinner). And best of all was feeling that at any point I could choose to say 'Fuck it!' to all of it . Come post-graduation life and nothing changed save one thing. The sleeplessness remained, the kunj-ing remained (coz lets face face it, there is nothing like enough money) and the worrying took on enormous proportions. The only thing that changed was the care-freeness; the loss of the ability to say 'fuck it!'. I guess when you have more, you also have more to lose.
Graduating was also sort of a coming-of-age for me. I started looking back at everything I had done and not done (consciously or sub-conciously) and before I knew it my bag of regrets had grown heavier- 'I should have gone for exchange, I should have travelled around the world, I should have learnt to play the guitar, I should have gone wakeboarding'. And with that realisation came this urge to make good on lost time and opportunity. I got back to practicising playing the guitar, I began travelling more, I started living life to the fullest I possibly could. In a way, the rite-of-graduation turned out to be a sort of reality check for me and made me realise that I only have a finite number of days to live and an infinite number of things to see and do. And so I started playing catch-up!
#3
2007 was also the year the travel-bug bit me. Grappling with a longing for the Delhi in my memory and the hard striking quarter-life crisis post-graduation, I made the first of many trips out of Singapore to simply get away (I am still not sure what I was getting away from). A budget-airline ticket in hand and a backpack on my shoulder, I found myself in Bangkok with two other friends. It was love at first sensation-The sights, the sounds, the smells and even the chaos (quite unlike the prim-ness of Singapore) all reminded me so much of India. I stepped out of the airport, a smug smile on my face- I had come to the right place. What ensued was 3 days of seeing wonderous Wats and palaces, eating 'eyes-and-nose-watering-spicy-but-oh-so-lip-smacking food' and strolling through endless by-lanes full of clothes and imitation bags and whatever else you may fancy, all made easy on the body by a regular dose of traditional Thai massages. I returned from the trip with the realisation that while I love Delhi (and I always will) there are other places to see, there are other fish in the sea!
And so, over the next few months before the end of the year, I went fishing! In Ho Chi Minh City I walked through tiny guerrilla tunnels and fired horribly-recoiling-&-brilliantly-loud AK-47s. In Hanoi, I browsed through the nick-knacks in the by-lanes of the old quarters and dined gourmet-style at Bobby Chin's. In Hue, I visited the numerous tombs of ancient vietnamese kings and enjoyed strong vietnamese coffee along the huong river. In Ha Long Bay, I appreciated the beauty of the limestone mountains dotting the sea lying atop a dinghy and celebrated christmas helping a vietnamese waiter practise his halting english. In Bintan, I experienced swimming in the sea for the first time ever (and it was a bit alarming coz my paranoia kept me mistaking rocks and leaves for snakes and jelly fish) and felt revved up racing a quad bike along the stretch of the beach. Finally once again in Bangkok, I appreciated the place that started it all off and enjoyed some more bone stretching and relaxing massages.
Looking back at all the travelling I did, I realise it has changed me as a person. I am more experimental and so much more understanding of things and ways different from my own. I appreciate the world around me for all its beauty and realise that life with all its ups and downs is really quite something!
To end this post (seeing that it is already reaching epic lengths), the Me-of-the-year-gone-by and the me-of-the-year-that-has-come are really two quite different people. And if I might say so, I quite like the latter me. So Kudos 2007!
Currently Reading: Inspite of the gods- Edward Luce
Currently Listening: To be alone with you- Sufijan Stevens, I will be there when you die- My morning Jacket, Baavra man- Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
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