How was your 2015? If anything like mine… zap! It was gone!
After an insane amount of travel in 2014 with a small project in Malaysia, a big project in Indonesia (I MISS Jakarta!!), some work in Japan, China, Philippines and Singapore… 2015 seemed rather tame.
Partner and I at BAFTA
Only a couple trips to Singapore, a jaunt to the UK and Canada plus a few domestic trips to Delhi, Kolkata and Jodhpur thrown in for good measure to augment everyday life in Mumbai.
On the professional front, it was a time of transition, like the lull before the storm. Lots of fertile ground prepared, seeds planted, watered… now let’s see what flourishes!
On the personal front, no complaints! My partner and I even adopted the most adorable kitten – Zoe.
Who me??
As for Everyday Asia? Top posts from 2015 featured:
- The good, the bad and the ugly – India’s air pollution exposed by Obama’s visit And if you think it has improved? Check out this article on how killing Delhi’s pollution really is
- Silencing “India’s Daughter” about the BBC documentary on the Nirbhaya rape case banned in India
- ABCD vs CBAD – “You don’t belong here!” on how I clearly did NOT meet the criteria for an Indian blogging forum…
- If you are like me, traveling with a partner possessing a different passport can be an adventure! Passport power… cross-border crossing from different countries
- Avehi Abacus at Mumbai Marathon when my partner and some friends attempted to run
- Travel tales… How I got ‘hooked’ on going ‘away’ aka everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask about how a Canadian lass ended up in India
Pppaaast passports!
Curious about more blog trivia? Check out Everyday Asia’s WordPress’s Annual Report or the most recent quarterly summaries:
Who knows what 2016 has in store? For all those welcoming a new year tonight – best wishes, much merriment and more for the coming year!
PS I’ve also had great fun with my other blog, Whisky Lady.
PPS Now get out there and burn the old man!
Everyday Asia 
Happy New Year! And I’ve been meaning to ask… how is the state of your home these days? Did all that work ever finish? Dare I ask???
By the very fact that I didn’t include a “Yeah it is all done!” you have an idea. 😉 We are hoping to get the last bedroom and balcony finished next week.
The exterior structural repair work is now down though. Who knows if or when the painting will be done though.
However the noise from all the interior work on the flat below us, above and beside us continues – arghh!!! What did NOT inspire confidence is just after the ‘structural’ work was ‘done’, balcony on the flat below us started to collapse?!?!?
So…. erhm… you dare ask but I’m clearly not so thrilled at the current state of affairs. 😉
Ha ha! Very true. As my hubby says, “read the air.” 😀 Yeesh! That’s scary that the balcony below you started to fall off the wall! To be honest, I’m really scared of balconies high up. I was once over at a friend’s place. She lived on the 8th floor or something like that. I literally crouched and squat walked the few steps forward to the railing and then hung on for dear life. Besides the internal racket, is your area pretty noisy regularly just from the street?
Well… we live on the 2nd floor so it isn’t such a crazy drop. 🙂 However it certainly does NOT inspire confidence that AFTER the structural repair work was done, the balcony was starting to give way?!
And yes, the ambient sound levels practically anywhere in urban India is quite high though our immediate stretch is a little quieter than some… if it wasn’t for the constant construction type noise.
They seem to have finally finished the flat next to ours.. or maybe just took a break.
What is funny is the morning / evening banging of dishes we used to hear from that flat we still hear! My partner then found out the folks just moved upstairs and hence their everyday noise just relocated slightly. Just from the sound, we know they only use metal plates and throw them into a balcony ‘dryer’ after washing. Amusing how can sonically spy on your neighbours habits!
Yikes! Yes, my confidence would be wavering at that point.
I figured things would be pretty noisy in general. When I went to Thailand the first time, the main advice was earplugs. I tried but I just can’t sleep with them… well, I can do one earplug but it just feels wrong. I eventually lost my intense feelings towards the roosters in our yard.
Yes!!! We did the same thing with our neighbors in Tokyo. We could tell the time by hearing them filling their bath at night. It was actually very comforting. It felt homey and nice. Now that I have a toddler I get it but my neighbors in year 2 had young kids and I cringed with all the screaming. I thought there was something horribly wrong happening downstairs until I learned that two-year olds state their feelings firmly at times. 😀 By the way, what’s a balcony dryer? Is it simply a rack?
For me, the noise I could really do without is construction and crows!
Actually filling baths does sound sorta soothing. But screeching toddlers decided not! 🙂
In the case of our neighbours they keep a basket type rack out on ‘cage’ jutting out from their kitchen window which creates a ‘balcony’ space where they dry their dishes. Their made makes the most uncommon racket tossing things into it. Think of someone having a temper tantrum throwing things around for about 30 mins twice everyday! 🙂
Ha ha! Got it! Where we’re living now it’s soooo quiet. Except for the freeway, it’s almost too quiet, esp after living downtown for 5+ years.
Yeah well… the clashing of the dishes is just normal everyday din. It is the ever present construction noise that drives me to distraction!! I could do with some of your quiet. 😉
And I love your hubby’s phrase “read the air” 🙂
Oh yes. This is soooo important in Japan. Reading in the air is more important that just about anything when you’re communicating. Occasionally I turn this on Hitoshi when he doesn’t read my dagger eyes. He says his talent doesn’t work in Canada. ;D
Haha! Excuses, excuses! The ‘air’ aint that different! 🙂
More importantly – HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Zoeeeee 🙂
Hehehe! She is curled up with me right now after a vigorous exceedingly amusing play session. 🙂
Her ears are enormous 😉
She’ll eventually grow into them 🙂
I know 😦
Happy New Year, Carissa!
Same to you!!!
Sounds like 2015 was very busy! I on the other hand found 2015 decidedly … uh… boring? On the other hand I got more material together than ever before, plus I got my first two rejection slips… I’m an author now! I’ve been rejected.. twice!
Have a great 2016 and beyond!
Ooooh – look at you! An almost author in an ‘official’ way. Hope the next slip is “We can’t wait to publish!” 🙂