The Year In Review: 2011 (pt2)

Now where was I...? Oh yes! I had just finished reviewing the first half of 2011 and was about to continue with the second half when unforeseen circumstances took the best of my time and I had to cut short (that, and the entry was a bit too much to read). I left the last entry hanging at the part when I returned to Pakistan (albeit, reluctantly) from my wonderful trip to Japan.

The timing couldn't have been any better as I returned to Pakistan five days into the Islamic month of Ramadan (a holy month in which Muslims keep fasts). I came home exactly when the Sehri (opening meal of a fast) was about to start. My joyous parents suggested I not keep a fast that day as I was tired (though not jet-lagged) but I insisted on fasting (partly to fulfil a religious obligation, and partly to brag about my endurance). After the opening meal I unpacked and unravelled all the gifts and presents I bought from the Land of the Rising Sun for my family (aren't I a sweetheart?). For my brother I brought a shiny iPod Touch back-cover (with Batman's emblem emblazoned on it), a new PlayStation 3 video-game (Vanquish), and traditional Japanese underwear (he insisted). For my youngest brother I brought a super-cool ninja mask along with a plastic kunai and shuriken, a wooden katana (small size), and an intricate Japanese 3D jigsaw puzzle. Aside from a few boring things for my parents I also bought large bars of Meiji chocolate for everyone! And boy were they delicious!

That was the month of August for me (I also got my AS-Level exam results). September came and went, showing the occasional seasonal symptoms of winter. October started with my birthday on the fourth! ... But, sadly, the month kept me busy with midterm preparation. My friends, too, were busy with either their midterms or their SAT's due in November/December. I didn't mind the come-and-went birthday. Similarly, November was filled busy schedules (tuitions, group-studies, etc.). I know this seems boring (and the following might scare you) but the studying in those months was actually fun - a kind of fun rarely felt. It felt good to surf through the course books, absorbing waves of knowledge, and then pouring it down on revision questions for your own sake. No teacher to guide me; just me and my books all alone wrestling it out. Midterms followed soon after and as soon as they had finished, the planning and organising of a friend's birthday as well as a party on New Year's Eve began!

On the 23rd of December I went to a popular beach in Karachi known as Hawk's Bay. Unlike Sea View (a beach located in the city), Hawk's Bay was a two-hour drive from my house and was situated in a relatively isolated place - all the better. The beach also has crystal-clear waters and clean sands (save for a few thorns and plastic bags - that's Karachi for you). Dubbed the Beach Party, my friend's birthday party was a blast! With only five guys (including me) and fourteen girls we partied for a good five hours. The hut we rented was two-storied and had a great interior (an unkempt kitchen and a living room of sorts). Everyone spent the first hour inside the hut; getting beach-ready, listening to loud music on the stereo, and trying to puff out O's with smoke-rings. After that we fled for the warmth of the sun and the cool of the sea water. Initially, us guys didn't wish to get wet but the girls took advantage of their greater number and reeled us in like fishing poles. After a long while of splashing in the water (and playing Marco Polo) as well as lying on the hot sand under the sun, we retreated back to our hut and popped some bottles.

The birthday boy treated us all to several bottles of beer and a large bottle of scotch. ^_^ It was hilarious seeing everyone else get drunk (I managed to not overdo it) and it was even funnier when everyone entered the shower room to clean themselves from the sand. The beach party was a hell of a lot of fun and it was a shame that New Year's Eve wasn't half as much fun. Originally we planned to attend a dance party that started at 11PM and lasted all the way till 6AM. It got cancelled only because stags (single men, sometimes even women) weren't allowed. We had dates... only they had permission issues. <_< Instead we ended up going to a diner (just the boys) and feasting till midnight with the final countdown to 2012! :D

And, thus, ended the wonderful year of 2011. A year that brought lots of joys in unexpected places (:P) and different turns for the better. Looking forward to a hopeful new year.