As it often happens we welcomed New Year with quite celebration. For once I've not made any resolutions this year. That is so unlike me. The reason behind the decision was very simple. I've plenty of unfinished resolutions from bygone years.
The immediate task for the coming two months is to search for a new home. The current house we're staying has been sold for a whooping price by the owner citing some financial crisis. It maybe true or not, but the end result is same, we've to move out in three months. It has been only two years since we shifted to this place and called it our home. And in here we were happy and still are. Fortunately, we're able to find a new place without much effort that suits our taste and budget perfectly.
I continued my saga with Hunger Games series finishing final two books, "Catching Fire" and "Mocking Jay" by Suzanne Collins. However, I must admit the last part was dragging and drab. I couldn't help but wonder whether writer had the intentions of her books being adapted for a successful franchise? Daniel Steele is my comfort writer, so "Betrayal" was just that. At the end of the month I picked "Into the Water" by Paula Hawkins. Even though I had trouble shifting from perspectives to perspectives of the characters (they are totally 11) I liked it better than author's first "The Girl On The Train".
The movies that I watched are Genius; Sa.Hi.Pra.Shaale, Kasaragodu; Pariyerum Perumal; Katheyondu Shuruvagide; Hebbuli; Aa Karala Ratri; and Manto. Among 8 films the clear winners are Pariyerum Perumal and Aa Karala Ratri. Despite all the promotions on social media, Sa.Hi.Pra.Shaale, Kasaragodu was just an average movie. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was brilliant in "Manto" as Saadat Hasan Manto, Pakistani writer, but the pace was very slow and tiring.
The series we've watched are Mirzaapur (season 1) and McMafia (season 1), both are equally good. Mirzaapur had excellent casting and story-line. I couldn't wait for their second season. I was watching Nawazuddin Siddiqui and have came across McMafia. And crime drama is always an engaging genre to watch.
On travel front a day trip to Melukote with cousin M2 and friend B. Melukote's Rayagopura and Kalyani were featured in many Indian movies. In fact the day we visited Kannada film "Pailwaan's" shooting was going on. I've a mixed feelings about this temple town. There is absolutely zero developments for a town that's main source of income must be piligrimage. Its okay to visit if you're religious. However, the Kalyani is huge and beautiful and we spent quite a bit of time on the steps lazying around and talking, and that is the best part of the trip.
The work was busy as usual. The good start is that all my friends have started reconnecting as often as possible and I ain't complaining either. Hubby had to be away on a weekend for important office work and how I missed him. There may be only a handful of days we're separated from each other in this almost 7 years of married life and I don't like it a bit. And Hubby shares the same feeling. Why I'm mentioning this is because my Friend "AS" who is very curious about the dynamics about our relationship and I find it very cute and funny.
That was all about January. Lets see how the February pans out.
What do I say about this month? It whizzed past in the blink of an eye. I'm saying this because I could finish only one novel the entire month, Something In the Water by Catherine Steadman. My saga with "The Fountainhead" by Ayan Rand continued for the second month, which I'm hoping to finish by third month as I've 150 pages more to go. I've watched nothing on the television front. I couldn't even remember why we were so busy?
I've dedicated few hours of my time to arrange and rearrange the discs, which is a daunting task in itself. The culprits to slow down the process are old albums. It so happens that I look at some pictures, go back to the time it was taken, cherish the moments, smile and repeat. If I go by this speed it is going to take a year or more to accomplish what I've started. My deadline to this project is end of this year.
The good thing is we were able to watch 16 movies this month; Gurgaon, Vodka Diaries, Kaalakaandi, Kaatru Veliyidai, Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, Beirut, Bioscopewala, Kaala, To All The Boys I've Loved Before, BA Pass 2, Skyscrapper, Ocean 8, and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom.
We have taken two trips this month. The first one was on Ganesha Chaturthi weekend. It was our norm to visit my parents' for the festival as they used to celebrate it with much fanfare. That ritual was stopped due to my father's untimely demise two years ago. And it is too painful for me to go to native during that period. Instead we have visited Mundgod Tibetan Monastery, Karwar, Mirjan Fort, Apsarakonda. When you're in Karwar it is a sin not to visit Goa. It was hubby's wish to show me the Goa in off-season. The stripped off shacks, the solitude of beach, drive through lush and green countryside, the experience was like having the entire Goa for ourselves. We will jot down the entire trip in www.milesandtrails.com
In the last leg of the trip I jammed my right thumb between the car door all by myself. I was getting out of the vehicle to pick something from the boot. The pain was intense and constant. I was almost close to tears not because of pain, but at my helplessness for not being able to blame hubby for this mishap. Thankfully nothing was broken though the nail was bruised and red. After popping few over-the-counter pills and religiously applying cold compression a few times in a day, the pain subsided in 4 to 5 days. This is the second injury this year. I was glad that it was minor and I'm grateful all my limbs are intact. I still have discolored thumb nail, which is going to take a very long time to disappear.
Another trip was in the cusp of end of this month and beginning of the next to native for a yearly ritual, which I better write in October's flashback. On the whole September was super fast and busy with work, travel, and fun. We do have 100 more days of this year and the last quarter of the year is always my favorite time with festivals, birthdays, and total celebrations. October please be kind.
