2007Sunday, December 30, 2007

This year started with my stumbling into my apartments at 7am, wearing my new year party clothes from the night before and clutching endless flowers in my arms. Looking weary, deprived of sleep, and evidently very happy.. I was the butt of the many dirty looks given by uncles in their crisp white shalwar kameez coming back from their Eid ki namaz. Eid ul Azha was the 1st of January, 2007. The rest of Eid spent sleeping. Eid has a way of not seeming so without parents. No random kaleji saalan, not even churri at khala's this time around. But it set the theme for the year - non stop party and fun fun fun.

The year was pretty darned good now that I look back at it. The endless exhaustion trying to cope up with the last semester - handling six courses as opposed to five. Endless projects, reports, assignments, quizzes. Like I said in one of my graduation entries, graduation has a way of making you fall in love with people you hated for so long. Rediscovering old bonds.. making close ties for life. The wonderful casino themed farewell where I was named 'Bold and the Beautiful' heh. The beautiful pink saari and the horse carriages and a date wearing a matching pink tie. Too much effort and too little sleep, we somehow managed to make it past May and be declared IBA graduates.

Graduation saw me leaving Karachi and running off to Lahore, very randomly. Dorm hopping in LUMS, endless Masoom's breakfasts (delicious!!), the overhyped Zouk and the ever wonderful minigolf sheesha. Did I forget to manage the night when I very interestingly had phajjey ke paey sitting in a big fancy car in my overly fancy clothes - not an experience I want to repeat.. But they were delicious. The endless drives on canal road and catching barely any sleep. Making new friends, getting to know old ones again. Random hours in the rec rooms and the not-so-bad food at the PDC.

Finally the wonderful Lahore trip finished only to come back and prepare endlessly for GRE. I still remember the chinese dinner we all went to where I broke down while trying to figure out how much 'per head' because I started hating numbers so much. Immediately after graduation, the last thing you want is to study all over again. Effort didn't pay off at all in the form of a shitty 1150 GRE score which is probably why I never made Fulbright. Then it was off to Dubai for a torturous month.

Endless planning with Joe for the ever wonderful backpacking trip to Europe... Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, London. Only to be shattered by the bloody Schengen visa rejection. However, it was good in a way and it was off to England for a month. Falling in love with and in London, there was nothing more beautiful than that. Manchester.. old acquaintances became very close friends somehow. The wonderful bachelor pad home of the fez, heh. And then discovering family in Barrowford who were so much more different than what I had been expecting them to be.

London was probably one of the only times in my life when I have been blissfully happy without any care in the world. Discovering punks in Camden market and freaky 'toys' in adult stores. Walking in Soho after midnight and watching roulette in casinos. It was the kissing couples at Trafalgar square and the one perfect moment at Angel. Babaganough and sheesha at Edgeware and 3 pounds for a delicious cheese pizza elsewhere. Living on Oxford street.. the endless trips to Boots, Primark and Superdrug. Shopping for bare necessities at Asda and having the most delicious Italian gelatto. Loving was never so beautiful.

Life slightly went downhill after London, that slight always there heartache.. an empty hollow promise of the 100 days that never materialized. And the one week in Dubai. Then it was back to Karachi to abandon the carefree, happy life and begin one of professionalism. Brand management was every bit as exciting as I thought it would be.. I loved the place, the people. But somehow, I loved London more.

It was my love for London that found me back in Dubai at the end of 2007, just to save enough money to be back in London very soon. I hope the next year is as amazing as I am hoping it to be.. if not more. Just 8 months to go, and I'll be back in Europe. And then some day, maybe New york also?

No matter what happens, I will never forget the most amazing time I had this year. From watching my best friend fret over life to transcend to a married 'state' :p the endless troips to Espresso and Ciao - never ended up going to T2F. The Halloween party and the Basement and my own party at the Khuhro House, heh. The new fraandships and the endless string of shocking yet delicious gossip. The lunches at Nando's everyday and the very memorable dinner at Fuschia. The Ice Skating at Arena and the pseudo Bungee Jumping at Go Aish. They say life is only as wonderful as you make it.. I say life is only as beautiful as your friends make it. And this year, largely, has been so beautiful because of Nausheen and Jaydee.. they've truly both become friends for life.

21 is a wonderful age. 2007 was a wonderful year.
I can only hope and pray 22 and 2008 are so much more =)