The year that was, 2021 edition

I've hem'd and haw'd over writing this post for a month now. The first half of the month was convincing myself I should write this even though I was rolling my eyes at most of the "Best of 2021" sprawling my feeds, and the second half was just pure procrastination. But here I am, sitting on the floor (because the laptop battery is dead and I have reasons for not wanting to move the charger for this specific spot), trying to hammer this out before it turns midnight in my time zone so that all two of you remaining readers (because I think feedburner did something which means the 3 people who read this blog only because they got email updates no longer get email updates?) can read this. So ANYWAY, here we go, drumroll...

1. What did you do in 2021 that you’d never done before?

Got three vaccination shots for the same damn thing, y'all. And took a selfie while getting a vaccination shot.



2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

One of my favourite writers says this on her blog every year, and I've adopted it as a mantra since I first read it back in 2015 - I do not make resolutions. I make plans, and I have intentions. Because the beauty of plans and intentions is that they can evolve.

So my plans are what they are every year - try and start some sort of workout regimen, make Bengali food (actually did that this year!), write more, yadda yadda yadda. We'll see what happens.


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

YOU GUYS. I became a PISHI to the CUTEST niece in the world (not that I'm biased at all of course). Several other friends also had babies this year, and I'm excited about them too obvs, but they were all a little overshadowed in my brain by THE CUTEST NIECE IN THE WORLD.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Miraculously, despite the trauma of the summer, I somehow made it through without losing any close loved ones to Covid. In the middle of the worst peak in India though, and a year after we lost my grandmother, her last surviving sibling left us (for unrelated reasons).


5. What places did you visit?

Other than going back to India for a month over Diwali, I managed to fit in a trip to NJ (to visit a friend) and Rhode Island in August



6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?

I'd like to bring back my annual wish for teleportation. Also the end of this damn pandemic would be nice, but I have even less hope for that one than the teleportation at this point.


7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

August 7 (it was already the 8th in India, but not where I was), because SEE #3 ABOVE.



8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

You guys. Not to brag (but I maybe I will sprinkle a bit through this post), but I kind of kicked ass at work last year. And I say this as someone who usually has the worst imposter syndrome at any given time. 



9. What was your biggest failure?

I really am the worst couch potato in the world. Should that be best? That seems weird. You guys know what I mean.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

The weight and sugar levels reached all time highs (lows? again, you know what I mean) this year, which was a direct result of #9.


11. What was the best thing you bought?

I gave in and bought a mini air fryer, and I have zero regrets. Also that flight ticket to go see my niece and take as much as I possibly could with me.



12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

My SIL and baby brother make pretty awesome parents, y'all. 



13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and/or depressed?

I would refer you back to my response from last year, please and thank you.



14. Where did most of your money go?

You know, I really wish I knew the answer to that question.



15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

MY NIECE HOW IS THIS NOT OBVIOUS BY NOW



16. What song will always remind you of 2021?

Madhubala, because I sang it to my niece every chance I got.



17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?

Happier.



18. Thinner or fatter?

Fatter.



19. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Healthy... stuff? 



20. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Spent money



21. How will you be spending Christmas?

Went over to spend it with family friends, and had a lovely home-y family Christmas



22. Did you fall in love in 2021?

My niece counts, right?



23. How many one-night stands?

Meh



24. What was your favourite TV programme?

Ted Lasso. Hacks. Mare of Eastown. Also Miracle Workers season 2 - I'm always a year behind on this show because I refuse to get whatever premium channel it's actually on, but man that's a weird and beautiful show. Oh and Staged, which just reaffirmed my love for David Tennant (and his wife).



25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

One particular coworker, yes.



26. What was the best book you read?

The thing that I did in 2021 was I read a lot more romance authors than just Nora Roberts and Lucy Parker. Still read a lot of those two, but I ended up discovering Beth O'Leary and a few others who I love. And Olivia Dade's Spoiler Alert (plus its sequel All the Feels, although it's not as great) is the funniest steamy romance in ages, especially if you're a GoT fan (that makes sense when you read the book, I promise).

And then, I watched Shadow and Bone in April (which we'll get into a LOT more in #35 below), and it got me interested in the Grishaverse. And since the fandom was generally agreed that the originally book trilogy is not that great compared to the subsequent two duologies, I went with those. Read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom during my August vacation, and King of Scars/Rule of Wolves while in India. So much fun.



27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Two pieces of music got me through this year, and one wasn't really a discovery. At the height of India's peak last summer, I had turned to the sarod theme from Piku to calm me down (which is weird because instrumentals usually aren't my thing). A friend who had seen my tweet about this very helpfully found and shared the 28-minute looped version of this, and I'm not kidding when I say that piece got me through the summer. 

And then some time in July friend of the blog @IreneIdler sent the Taish soundtrack my way which I promptly got obsessed with too, and spent the rest of the year alternating with the Piku instrumental. 

28. What did you want and get?

A niece. Vaccinations. A promotion. Time with family and friends. Two fantastic credit card sign up bonuses. The thing about 2021 is that if you take away the pandemic of it all, it really was a fabulous year for me personally.



29. What did you want and not get?

Other than the teleportation deal? Will power maybe.



30. What was your favourite film of this year?

I finally saw (was forced into watching) Gully Boy on Diwali, and yes it is excellent. I quite loved both Shang Chi and Eternals, but haters gonna hate. Oh and The Farewell was gorgeously and funnily heartbreaking. Don't Look Up was fun too.



31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Other than a breakfast video call with the parents and a lunchtime video call with the gal pals, I interviewed for the promotion I knew I was going to get. *insert sunglass wearing emoji here*



32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

This pandemic going away and letting me actually make some plans.



33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?

I have decided joggers might be my thing more than leggings - at least for home and travel. Leggings will definitely be replacing trousers if I ever go back into the office.



34. What kept you sane?

Whatsapp calls



35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Hee. Aforementioned friend of the blog can commence the eye rolling now. HUGE crush was developed on Ben Barnes while watching Shadow and Bone, and since I went into that show not knowing anything about it, I was devastated by his character's arc. 

But oof, that man. This scene.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The lack of oxygen in India, maybe? Frankly, I switched off a bit this year. Awful of me, but once Biden won in Amreeka and Didi won in Bengal, I needed the break. So I skimmed headlines, and got a bit mad from time to time, but didn't go deep into anything. UP elections are coming up, followed by the midterms, so I guess it's time to wake up a bit again.



37. Who did you miss?

Family and friends, always. Leaving is never easy, because all the time in the world is never enough time, and it feels like it gets harder every time.



38. Who was the best new person you met?

MY NIECE.



39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021.

I am really, really dependent on the Metaverse to keep in touch with loved ones. That one day without whatsapp and instagram drove me absolutely insane.



40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Why is this always the question I get stumped by every single year?