Tuesday, January 03, 2006

What's happening?

I'm back!

Fabulous holiday. Very memorable moments.

I got exactly what I'd asked for. Cold weather. Winter clothes. Great company.
Long talks. Good times.

And closure. To the new year and many other things with it.


And just like any other trip, this one too was not without its share of happening and not so happening incidents.

Not so happening - Heavy fog at Victoria Peak rendered 'the view' invisible.
Happening - Walking around the area at night in pitch darkness and a slight drizzle more than made up for it.

Not so happening - The wind was so cold and wild that if my hair was a wig, I'd be stripped of it in a second.
Happening - Hot lemon tea and warm conversations in Delifrance

Not so happening - Construction work at Discovery Bay had closed the many eating places, except for one.
Happening - The food at that one open place, and the serene beach with the beautiful sounds of the lapping water, moments of silence... heaven.









Not so happening
- Not knowing Cantonese and so not being able to place orders in some of the street food places
Happening - Placing our order by pointing to the same thing that the guy at the next table was eating (amazing street food made with maggi (!) and other things)

















Not so happening - An exhausting hike that rendered me breathless many times
Happening - The sight of the breathtaking view ahead of us. Wow. I mean, double wow.

Not so happening - Fellow hiker, with a record of 13 skips, teaches me to skip stones, and I do a 1.5 at most.
Happening - I learned to skip stones!




















Not so happening
- "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Bugging fellow hikers about the mid-point of the hike.

Happening - The sight of the beach when we finally reached the midpoint

























Not so happening - The water was brrrrr... cold cold cold! I had to literally drag my friend into talking off her shoes and entering the water.
Happening - The warmth of the receding water and the feel of the fine sand underneath my feet, a little game I like to play with the waves called 'catch me if you can'


















Not so happening - Realising that not only were we too tired to complete the hike, but we would be late for the new year's party too if we hiked it back
Happening - Taking a rickety speedboat on choppy waters of the South China Sea back to the start of the hike

Not so happening - The speedboat is really living up to its name, there are no life jackets, the boat goes through rocks and my friend completely freaks out
Happening - Fellow hiker gets to be the knight in shining armour and hold one girl in each arm. Dude, cherish that moment, it may not happen to you again!

Not so happening - Sayesha and her friends are squashed in a sea of people as crowd management closes some paths in Lan Kwai Fong for new year's celebrations.
Happening - The beautiful Hong Kong people, all dressed up to usher in the new year

Not so happening - Having vodka and cranberry juice spilt on my new year's clothes by some drunk chick
Happening - Togetherness
during the countdown with people who matter

Not so happening - Random drunk African American guy comes up to me in the middle of the road on new year's and says "Give me a new year's kiss, baby!"
Happening - I freak out and having nothing else in my hand, raise my mobile phone in defence. Guy kisses the mobile phone and walks away happily, leaving an indescribable expression on my face.

Not so happening - Trying to bargain for a further discount on Bollywood DVDs that I was already getting for about five Singapore dollars each
Happening - Finding movies that I had been looking for, for a long time now -- Chandni, Maine Pyaar Kiya, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na, etc.

Not so happening- Me pointing to a Harley Davidson complete with rider in black, and excitedly exclaiming, "Oh look! Harley Davidson! I'd never seen a Harley Davidson in real life! Complete with rider in black!"
Happening - I saw a Harley Davidson complete with rider in black. :)

Not so happening - Trudging to HKUST at the end of a tiring tiring day
Happening - Realising how very beautiful the HKUST campus is

Not so happening - Terribly cold weather and tremendous chilly winds aboard the cruise on new year's, making it impossible to stay on deck for more than 15 minutes
Happening - Spending 1st Jan on a cruise that goes to nowhere

Not so happening - My travel mate goes down with food poisoning on the cruise and needs medical attention

Happening - The two hours of silence and thoughts as I watched her resting in the observation room. I generally don't get such long phases of silence to really sit down and think about stuff. Stuff like What is important to us? Who are important to us? What are we doing about it? Whom are we living our lives for? What is it that we want out of our lives? Where are we eventually headed? Many many broken thoughts...

2005 was a great year for me. Best moments. Best holidays. Best relationships. Best friends. Best conversations. There are so many things about 2005 that I will miss, that it almost breaks my heart.

And no matter how optimistic I am, I have to face it. There will never be a 2005 again. Which is why, on some levels, I don't want to look forward to what 2006 has to offer me. Yet.

For fear of belittling what 2005 was to me.


Sayesha falls silent for a while as intense thoughts take over her words.



61 comments:

Nandya said...

So happening :Sayesha

Keshi said...

Interestingly written...

Happy 2006 to ya!

Keshi.

Suds said...

Hey seems u had great time. Cool.. Hope every year is equally good for u... Enjoy

Jina said...

Hey..welcome back..and it fels so strange...coz I missed you..hmm...it feels good to have you back dear..and have a fab 2006..

Jina said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jina said...

Hey..welcome back..and it fels so strange...coz I missed you..hmm...it feels good to have you back dear..and have a fab 2006..

Rays Of Sun said...

2005 was a warm summer in your life honey:)

2006:- Wait and watch! You might actually get to meet some people who are going to bless your life even more.
New people, new conversations, new holiday spots and everything will be as memorable as 2005:)
You know it.
HUgzzzzzzzz

Anonymous said...

love the beach pic!
(and isn't it great when your handphone can stand in for you...)

here, have a peak:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16143481@N00/1666547/in/set-260374

Eclectic Blogger said...

nice pics.. hope u had a fun trip.. and don't worry.. 2006 will be jus as fine :)

V said...

wow!
Seems you had a really nice time:)

Even I had gone for a holiday a few days afore but to get some heat, not cold!(delhi is shuddering these days!)

--
www.sumedhprasad.com

Chitra said...

Hey... there's always something more beckoning during the next year...:). Well... as an optimist .....:):)

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

Hey seems like you had an awesome time!!! So, finally had some "brrr-ing" cold at the time of new year? ;)
BTW, someone should've clicked the pic of the guy kissing your mobile...it would've been a hilarious addition to this entry. ;)
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2006 will rock too.

Pssst: I'm mockingbird...just changed my blogger display name. :)

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Sash!
A very emotional and reflective end to your post made me misty-eyed :-)..

I am glad you had an amazing time Sash.

Every year is so very special. We just need to cherish it and tuck it away securely, for everything it brought us. Good times and the not so good times. Each has its significance.

Wishing you many-many colorful moments in Gorgeous 2006 :-)

Sayesha said...

#Nandu,
Hehehe! I jus like to make a bigger deal of the happening stuff! :P

#Keshi,
Thanks! Happy new year to you too! :)

#Suds,
Thanks! I had a fab time, and I hope good times await me in 2006 too.

#Ursjina,
Thanks! I missed the blog and the people too! Have a great new year! :)

#ROS,
Thanks, baby! Tere bina mera kya hoga re? I'm so glad I met you. I haven't 'met' met you yet, but woh bhi ho jayega, don't worry! :)

#Kel Tamashek,
I love the beach pic too! (Will email you the rest)

//isn't it great when your handphone can stand in for you...)

Haha! Phew! Saved by the handphone. Though I'm not sure that the guy realised he had kissed the phone instead of the girl! :D

ps: Whoa that's a FABULOUS pic of the peak!

#Eclectic,
Thanks, dear! Needed that reassurance. Am in a bit of a troubled mess now, and I really need a good year ahead. :)

#Tequila,
Yeah, I had one of the best holidays of my life! :) Where did you go??

#Chitra,
You're right, sweetheart! Just need to tell myself that enough number of times! :)

#The Girl,
Yeah, I had a fabulous 'just nice brrr' kinda new year! Perfect temperature! Awesome! :)

//BTW, someone should've clicked the pic of the guy kissing your mobile...it would've been a hilarious addition to this entry. ;)

I swear! :D I wish I had a camera! But then he would have kissed my camera too! Eeesh! :O

#Harshi,
Thanks for the warm welcome, babe. Hope you had a great new year! And well said about the 'every year is so special'. :) Have a great 2006!

#Pradyot,
Thanks, dear! Hope you have a great new year too! :)

Deepa said...

Way to go!!!!
The last few lines were great !!!!
I guess it's like ,,..
Great minds think alike.

ritzkini said...

hey ! can see you had a great time !
ok...niceties apart...previous comment..addendum..
Great minds think alike.Fools seldom differ...
=))
sorry...couldnt resisht !
:)
no offence,deepa and sayesha..just too inviting a line..
:P

Unknown said...

:) So was I.

Pi said...

2005 was indeed awesome isn't it? I still cannot forget the 7 months that I spent in Singapore - with the most amazing of friends - not to mention the Perdang trip. ;)

Vanditha said...

Got the link to your blogspot through Deeps
Good post and great snaps
Wish you a great year ahead

Angelsera said...

oops...I think I left a comment on the wrong post...
not sure how tt happ...neways jus gonna copy paste it here

:)

Angelsera said...
Oh my god!I saw the second foto n went "She went to HK!"
Shd ve guessed whn u said 'Victoria Peak' but well too many places have tt same name :)

hope u had great fun!

Anonymous said...

Wow Hong Kong sounds like a nice cold alternative for singapore weather.

Have a great year ahead

Sayesha said...

#Deepa,
Either that, or fools seldom differ! ;) Let's go with the first one, shall we? :P

#Ritzkini,
Haha! I'd said it in my head before you did. So hah! :)
ps: Bauji, you did not reply to my question in the comments of my last post.

#DOJ,
Yeah, I bumped into N and G at the airport, and they told you that you returned last night as well. Everyone seems to have been at LKF for new year's! :)

#American Pie,
I agree with every word. When friends go far away, my heart really breaks. Let's try and have a holiday together once every few years (at least).

#Vanditha,
Welcome to Sayeshaz! :) Thanks and happy new year to you too! :)

#Angel,
Yeah, HK it was! :) Had a great time. Unforgettable.

#Anon,
Yes, HK is perfect. :) Happy new year to you too! :)

Sayesha said...

#Gangadhar,
Thanks! Happy new year! :)

Raj said...

Welcome back :)

Good to know you had a great time.

Anu said...

wonderful snaps sayesha... wishes for a wonderful year ahead.

amit said...

badia hai... u seem to be at all happening places during the vacation...... me content with sleeping smugly in razai at home

V said...

I went To kerala.

And that question is proof that you don't visit my blog:(

-->>
www.sumedhprasad.com

Lalit Singh said...

hmmmm.. someone had a nice time it seems...
happy new year

starbreez said...

(cough, cough) don't think it's possible for anyone to make a stone skip 15 times (cough, cough)

hope 2006 will present wholly wonderful memories for you, and may the bitter mellow sweet with time.

starbreez said...

Oops, should be (cough cough) 13 times (cough cough).

Happy New School Year!

Angelsera said...

Even for me 2005 was THE year.So many many things have happened.It had started with an absolute BANG! for me...

on the other hand 2006 started in a daze...lets see whats in store

atul lakhotia said...

nice pics...so u had a nice time on the new yr nite...

have a gr8 yr ahead.ATB :)

Kathy said...

Seems u had a great time naa^_^ nice shots!Good to know Tokyo is on ur list...hope u can come nxt time!
welcome back girl...

-kathy-

Sayesha said...

#Raj,
Thanks man! Hope you had a great new year's celebration too! :)

#Anurama,
Thanks! Happy new year to you! :)

#Amit,
Sometimes I miss that yaar... jus sleeping snugly in a razai at home in India in winter... wow... :)

#Tequila,
Arre yaar I just got back this morn! Barely had time to catch up with my own blog! :P

#Lalit,
Yes, I had a great time! Happy new year to you too! :)

#Starbreez,
Dunno how many you saw, but I saw at least 8. You should have just asked him to show you a demo of 13 yaar! :)

#Angel,
//on the other hand 2006 started in a daze

I can SO totally relate to that...

#Atul,
Thanks! Have a great new year! :)

#Kathy,
Thanks, girl! Will keep you updated of my Tokyo trip. Hopefully it will be soon! :)

Unknown said...

Hahaa.. yeah! I kept bumping into them everywhere. =)

dots said...

hey
wanted to wish you a very very happy new year!!
enjoy urself:)

Manish Kumar said...

Welcome back Sayesha!
hmmmmmm nice to go thru ur happening and not so happening moments...

great pics too.

vibhav said...

Congrats on getting moments of heaven. And also for the great year you had.

Thanu said...

Have a great year ahead. Hope 2006 has everything that u hope for.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Sayesha!:)

Im good at skipping stones too. I read on that Nat Geo link you gave that the world record is 38 bounces. Count till 38 and imagine the stone bouncing at each count...it'll freak you out! try it. 38 BOUNCES!!!!!

Tinku

Anonymous said...

ummm...another assumption... you went there with starbreez? accha chal chhod..jane de

Tinku

Sayesha said...

#DOJ,
IG party in HK, eh? :D

#Nivindya,
Thanks and happy new year to you too! :)

#Chints,
//i noticed you have special liking for temples.

I only like temples that I can climb, like the ones in Cambodia :) I'm not a religious person.

//The temple is dedicated to world peace.

Hey, that sounds really interesting! I will check it out when I go to Delhi. Thanks! :)

#Manish,
Thanks! :)

#The Anonymous,
Thanks! :)

#Thanu,
Thanks, dear! I hope I am not hoping for too much out of 2006 :)

#Tinku,
WHAT? 38 bounces?? 38 freakin' bounces?? Starbreez should read this!!
ps: What's your record? :P
pps: Ab jaake dimaag lagaya, yeah I went with her. :)

Anonymous said...

//What's your record?
With a good stone(round and flat) I can go beyond 10.

//Ab jaake dimaag lagaya
hehe :p

Tinku

Bhole said...

Nyce pics :)

You never know, 2006 might turn out to be better than 2005 :)

Deepa said...

Yup !!!First one sound good.

Abhi said...

//The speedboat is really living up to its name, there are no life jackets, the boat goes through rocks and my friend completely freaks out

Uee ma , when i grow up to earn a lot of cash , im takin a cruise on this speedboat with all my crushes.

"Arre pooja , girr jaogi , here hold my right hand !"

"Uee shruti , jhatka khaake paani mein fisal jaogi , here grab my left arm"

"aarti ,dont be scared of all this speed ,with pooja n shruti on my arms , you can just wrap your arms around my muscular chest "

hai hai yeh imagination.happy new year.

Sayesha said...

#Tinku,
//I can go beyond 10

Theek hai, dekh lenge kisi din! :)

#Bhole,
Yeah, you're probably right! I should not be so depressed about what was, and should look at what is and will be. Sigh... precious moments...

#Vikram,
Yeah, it was the perfect kind of cold! I loved it! :)

#Deepa,
Okie, we will go with the first one then! :)

#Abhi,
Allah tumhaari saari khwahishen puri karein... Pooja, Shruti, Aarti and others maha darpok ho, aur tu jaldi hi ek rich stud ban jaaye! My wishes for you for 2006 :)

virdi said...

life hai yaar!!!

V..

Anonymous said...

hey sayesha...10th of January, 6 days later would be a year since you first started your blog!...phew! a year oredy!!! =)

Pi said...

sayesha: visit tokyo in August - I will be in Japan for a week with juniors.

Pi said...

Also, in reference to your Misheard Lyrics post - there is actually a website that compiles this

http://www.kissthisguy.com/

V said...

Hehehehe!
It's so funny.I was just going thru some of your archives, and came across the line:
"the first time a guy gives me his number, and he's 60"!!

Hehe.

Can't stop laughing, really!

starbreez said...

OK, I believe 38 is humanly possible then ... just maybe not by the so-called 13-skips-dude! Anyway, 13-skips tried to prove himself, but topped out at 8 skips in the end -- admittedly impressive though. You managed a few yourself!

R said...

awesome. and thanks for posting the pictures. sounds good fun!

i love the beach pics!

good to know people r holidaying n having a great time! main to delhi ka hi hoke reh jaunga i guess :((

Sayesha said...

#Virdi,
Tullu ki jai ho! Kya baat boli hai! Har jagah applicable! :)
ps: Naya photo? Badhiya hai! :D

#Croondoodle,
Yeah, it will be! I survived a year of blogging, eh? :)
ps: Are you back?

#American Pie,
Can't. This year, all my leave will be used up for the US trip :)

#Tequila,
Wow, that's from a REALLY old post, like a year ago! :D

#Starbreez,
I am sure 13-skips would have managed 13, if only a certain frail-as-a-flower girl wasn't getting all impatient about getting out of the sun! :)

//You managed a few yourself

Haha! My personal best was 2.5! :/

#Rohit,
Thanks! I had an awesome time. And I LOVE the beach. :) Delhi's freakin' cold I heard! Brrr...

Kroopa Shah (Kr00pz) said...

Happy New Year, Sayesha :-)

Sayesha said...

#Kroopz,
Hey babe! Happy New Year to you too! :)

Sahil said...

Hey Sayesha!

Looks like u had a really happening time over new year's. So that guy really did kiss ur mobile phone huh? Quick move chick, quick move.

2005 has been a wonderful year - i've ridden some of the most highs and lows of my life in that year. I started the year very shaky this year, but here's to the future *clink*.

Sayesha said...

#Sahil,

//So that guy really did kiss ur mobile phone huh? Quick move chick, quick move.

Aur nahin toh?! That evening, I was supposed to have a knight in shining armour by my side, for protection from drunk guys eager to kiss hot chicks. But just when I needed him most, my knight ditched this dainty damsel in deep distress! Ab quick move nahin karte toh aur kya karte? Sigh... Apna khayaal khud hi rakhna padta hai...

//2005 has been a wonderful year - i've ridden some of the most highs

Same pinch, my friend, same pinch! :)

//I started the year very shaky this year

Same pinch again!

// but here's to the future *clink*.

*clink* :)

Anonymous said...

Excellent, love it! » » »

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