I had my birthday, and we also celebrated a friend's birthday (Pratima Gaikwad from IIMI) and a niece's too, during the week gone by. Glimpses through pics, of various things we did- ate, mostly.
Logically, you are growing each day, so how many times you choose to celebrate should be left to you. But since cake can be expensive, or maybe you can't have your cake and eat it too-everyday, I mean- you tend to celebrate it yearly.
I am fine with someone taking me to the Bahamas -or even Goa- on my birthday, and I am also OK with someone not taking me anywhere, just having a chat over chai or other beverages found in nearby stores. I am quite adjustable that way.
Ok, you might have guessed that THE day is nearing, and so is my departure from Bangalore for other shores. So the partying has begun in right earnest, with a few done, and a few to go. Of course, farewell parties are another reason I change jobs- I got so many over the years. My parents probably got only one, or two.
Kidding aside, we are actually meeting up, and some surprises have already happened. I met two alums of IMT Nagpur, both in diverse fields-Finance and HR- in a week! After a decade, that too. Missed a couple too, but I am sure we'll catch up soon.
In short, every celebration makes me feel like a celebrity, and that I am important in somebody's life- and that's a great feeling, birthday or no birthday!
Well, at least a few birthdays to remember.. my own, of course, and my brother's are both in October. Also my Father-in-law's, though he is no more. And my niece Anjali shares hers with Mahatma Gandhi. That's a lot of birthdays to handle in a month!
October is also associated with festivities in India. Usually, we have either Dasara or Diwali or both around this time. Therefore, the Amazons and Flipkarts and many other retailers are in an overdrive, and try to sell as much as possible- the equivalent of the Christmas season in the West, for retailers.
Generally, there is an overdose of food and we feel its after-effects. Many traditional snacks were once made at home, including sweets like Karanji (similar to Gujiya in the North), Chakli or Murukku, and laddoos of some kind. Now, maybe retailers offer these too, on demand.
The pandemic in India seems to be on the wane right now, and maybe vaccination and natural immunity caused by the Second Wave played a role. Hopefully, a Third Wave will be mild or non-existent. The schools and colleges may get back to their normal mode of functioning, and maybe corporates too.
Here's wishing all you readers the best of the festive season.
