Striking A Chord

Looking Ahead into 2011

Elita Karim

As the year slowly draws to a close, and the week's work comes to an end, I literally hear papers rustle and pen nibs scratching away, pouring out lists of resolutions, things to in the next six months or simply making plans for New Year's Eve. At the risk of being slightly dramatic, I think I would prefer to hear papers rustle and pens writing away on them. In reality, however, everyone is out with their PDA organisers, laptops, ipads and apple devices, punching in figures, numbers and thoughts. Notwithstanding the shift from paper to pads, the age-old tradition of writing down resolutions and making the easy promise to pursue each and every one of them through out the year of 2011, is still maintained and followed almost religiously.

I will not name names, but I cannot help writing about one bit of resolution declared by at least 12 friends of mine, to themselves, which is losing the extra pounds in the next six months or so. Considered one of the most common ones in the list of year-end oaths taken by millions around the world, it is sad when they do not think through how the extra pounds would have to be lost in the forthcoming year. From personal experience, I can speak hours on how I have had to run hours on treadmills, swim laps and master the art of push-ups (which seem so easy otherwise), just so to lose a measly 117 calories. It is indeed a tragedy (at least for those who fall on their faces after experiencing the 'stepper' at the gym.)

The next most common promise that comes about in the list is to save more and spend less. I remember making this exact resolution exactly two years ago. In fact, I went as far as checking out the fixed deposit schemes in all the banks in Dhaka city. Most of the people at the banks seemed nice, friendly and eager to introduce me to the many schemes to save money. However, with me being a complete dud meaning failure when it comes to banking and maintaining documents, I gave up after four months of industriously giving away a part of my salary to a safe-like scheme that the good people at the bank had explained. According to the calculations done by the good souls, I would end up with 'loads of money' by the end of three years if I kept up with the monthly routine of parting away with a bit of my income, in other words, saving. However, I stopped and I blame the traffic in the city. It simply got too taxing for me to go all the way to the bank by the 10th of every month, and that too before 2 pm. Not being able to cope up with all the deadlines, I sadly, gave up.

Even though with all the failing attempts at keeping up with promises and resolutions every year, I cannot but wait eagerly for the month of December to arrive with all its glittery evenings and cold mornings. A month of festivals, it is a treat to see the streets, homes, shops and hotels, changing colours from their original tints to shades of red, expecting celebrations of Christmas and New Year's Eve. With a spirit to overcome the past miseries and start over new in the upcoming year, people more or less all over the world, get into a 'neighbourly' mood welcoming the annoying aunty at the family re-union party or cooking for the next-door neighbour who you probably have not seen for months together.

Let us get into this festive mood and try to build a country where differences will definitely be questioned, but celebrated as well. Here's wishing the readers of Star Campus a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.