The answers to that ubiquitous question one asks, either to make conversation or just out of curiosity, especially on this particular day were:
1. I'm having a house-party with close friends coming over.
2. I'm going to a close friend's house-party.
3. I'm at home... gonna catch up on some sleep.
4. I'll be attending the New Year's mass at Church.
5. I'm going to spend the evening with my parents and siblings at home.
My mind went back to a similar conversation a couple of years ago. My lunch mates -- similar in their lifestyle and backgrounds. But the answers were:
1. Oh I'm heading out of Mumbai for that Bollywood Party in Pune.
2. I'm going to JW Marriott for the New Year party.
3. I'm going to party-hop between a friend's house party, then on to a party at the Renaissance and from then on to a farm-party on the outskirts on Mumbai.
4. Oh I'm going to this farm-house party with a friend, and her friends (I still can't figure that one out)...
5. I'm going for a dinner at my cousin's place (That was me... feeling a little out of place with all the party animals around me)
So what's different this time around. Is the world suddenly turning into a home-body like me? Or is this a new trend?
I saw the futility of New Year parties after attending one (which was quite a few years ago). Here's what I concluded after going to that do:
1. Half the time you don't know the people and therefore conversation is almost always stilted.
2. The food, almost always, is BAD. It is cold, congealed and yes, there's hardly anything for the vegetarian.
3. You see strangers, high on the free booze, making a complete ass of themselves all around you. While that may be highly entertaining in the beginning, it gets a tad monotonous after sometime.
4. It's so crowded that you most often tend to get kissed by the wrong person when midnight strikes, and in many cases that's deliberate.
5. The prospects of ringing in the new year in your car as you try to outmaneuver your neighboring vehicle in the mother of all traffic jams is very real.
6. Unless it is 31st December 2010, the next day is a week-day which means going to work bleary eyed and beginning your New Year with endless cups of coffee / tea to just keep yourself awake.
My list could go on. But let me stop here, before I'm labelled the party pooper. Like me, this year, a lot more people have seen the light and are preferring to stay home. At least that's what I gather from my little survey.
But well, for those of you who are heading out, looks like there's going to be less traffic jams this year and your parties are going to be a little less claustrophobic. So you might as well drink up to that !!!!
Here's wishing everyone a very happy 2011.
