Cheerses to the end of a Decade!

With the last weekend of 2009 over, I figure its time to say bye-bye to the decade that was. Note the lack of descriptor - because truly I'm not sure what I feel about the first 10 2000's. AND JUST as I type this and think about the people who popped into my life this decade THE ONE pops up on g-chat - GOD HELP ME! I wonder can I have a The One FREE decade please??

So anyway, now that my head is completely shaken about, I wonder has anything changed?

So here's what happened this decade - atleast some of what stands out - sometimes like sore thumbs ;-)

• 2000 started with a sooperb family surprise when I was turning 21 ...some amount of boy-problems - was only natural :-) Graduated out of college and (geographically) parted ways with some of the most beautiful people in the world who are still near & dear.
• 2001 my romance with Ogilvy began and lasted the first half of the decade. It was the beginning of new friendships. EXIM. And a new romance that would dominate MUCH of the years to come! Luke Peris was my home with the craziest 6 ladies I'll pray I live with again - so that we'll never feel old or alone!
  
• 2002 began with a near move to Delhi - thank you Lord for not sending me there! Mid-year was the bonding of my life with the Golden Daffodils - an Ostrich & a Tote :-) they were my strength in what would soon be the darkest, most despairing year of my life! And also the Iquewww and Sumsum who grew from colleagues to shoulders I pretty much sobbed on!!!
  
• 2003 I think began my affairs with the sea - Gokarna/Karwar - or may be that began at the end of '02, its a blur! The arrival of my Pudding - Aaliyah Emma Khan! Another house shift - was vagabond between Rajni's & Rajesh's apartments! And then finally LIC - our lovely little house of Dragons :-)
• 2004 I think had a major focus on my family - with my mum and probably my brother more so - I think. May be that was when he spent a couple of month's doing his internship? I'm not sure. I almost forgot - I finally quit Ogilvy & made a somewhat "bissaw" decision to work in real estate!
  
• 2005 was the beginning of Tartrazina... the Gander's special name for me, and then this blog! ...Follow this for what happened then!
• 2006 gave me my first international business trip to a country I never ever imagined going to - South Africa. I remember this being on the barred countries list in my first passport in 1987 - and I thought to myself when I was 8 that I'd never need/want to go there...how wrong I was! The year was sooo BIG that it'll need a few more lines on it. ET happened - the shock, the unexpected physical agony, all the love that got me through it! And finally the reconnecting with my darling cousin who became my partner in travels.... until her Husband Hunt ended this year :-) Oh yes, soon after ET my PLUM was born - Sofiyah Sarah Khan!
  
• 2007 was BIG on the international travel circuit - began with Paris (on work), Vietnam & Singapore with Liz, and back to Singapore for a cruise to Penang/Phuket! Plenty of Discovery Channel moments snorkeling! :-)
• 2008 my travels picked up pace - whether it was weekends in the Bandipur jungles nearby or an African Safari far far away! We never did reach Madagascar - but we just went MADDDD instead! Came back to a rocky road in Asipac.
  
• 2009 ....hmmm ...here we are... with 3 days to go and what do I have to say about it??? What do I remember about it - mostly the travel, I spent more weekends away from BLR than in it... The recession wasn't going to tie me down - no way! Daffodils reunion in Cochin. Ooty virgin no more - and then I just kept going back for more!!! Zanzibarrrr once more, thanks to Shants! :-D Family annual-beach time in Goks! Snow virgin no more - in Ladakh! Some trips to the jungles in between for sure! Sri Lanka with my Single'ese & not so Singles also!! And then one last trip of a lifetime before the 6-day-week-new job!!!!! SIGH - I haven't travelled in over a month - that's the longest I've been in BLR this year!

THE END!

Addendum - after Iquewww's correction may be this should be titled - "Cheerses to the end of my decadant decade!" ...perhaps? ;-)