Great Expectations

There is no other night in the calendar year quite like New Years Eve.

New Years Eve never lives up to the hype
There is no other night in the calendar year quite like New Years Eve. If one is optimistic,you could view it as a chance for a new beginning or a time to correct old wrongs. (Though the pressure is already creeping up to seize the opportunities you didnt capitalise on in the year that flew by.) Its hard to ignore the hype around this one night,which,if one goes by stories from around the world,usually turns out to be a monumental letdown. Yet,every year,the more susceptible among us fall into the trap of doing something .

Delhi has got to be amongst the most depressing places to be in,on New Years. After having suffered countless exhausting,disappointing and wholly forgettable evenings here,I try not to be in town,and if I am,Ive realized through bitter experience Im better off not venturing anywhere. The inevitable traffic jams,swirling fog and wretched cold ensure your night is ruined even before its begun. The urge for whatever vices you have sworn off,return with a vengeance on the first am hour of the new year itself.

Having said that,vacationing specifically for new years is highly overrated as well. You pay thrice the amount for tickets and hotels. For example,a ticket from Goa to Delhi on Spice Jet on the 31 st of December is Rs 6000 while between 1 st to 4 th January 2011 its between 10 to 12,000. Last year,air tickets were so expensive,I found myself on a train to Jaisalmer. Since low cost carriers invaded our skies,my experience of the Indian Railways has been restricted to Shatabdis. Only once we reached,battered,after an eighteen hour journey,five hours late,did we realize we had been on the slowest train in India . We had to remind ourselves we were there to celebrate.

This year,a close friend took the lead to plan a trip to Thailand . He was motivated by his experience last year,where he found himself at the Delhi Golf Club on New Years Eve. The party at the DGC is beautifully organized,but best described as sweet and homely. The tickets are highly sought after,though the average age of guests is 75 and its entirely possible that a couple will break into the fox trot or the waltz. After dancing with two aunts and attempting to be merry amongst hordes of strangers he declared hell shoot himself before he spends another New Year in Delhi . The forced jollity of the occasion ensures that any party on this night turns out to be less fun than its supposed to be. Lower your expectations and keep it simple. Staying home and watching TV isnt a bad idea.

(hutkayfilms@gmail.com)

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Great Expectations

There is no other night in the calendar year quite like New Years Eve.

There is no other night in the calendar year quite like New Years Eve.