Over the past couple of years, I had seriously felt that the entire vibe of the place was a little off and that it would be a long time before I ventured in that direction again...well, all that has changed now.
This time round we stayed in the quieter south, where we didn't run into wannabe ravers from the dreaded Bombay-Bangalore-Delhi trinity, who have a hard time seeing the light even in the absence of drugs.
Funnily enough, even with the entire crew in tow, there wasn't a single moment when I felt that my space was being encroached upon.
I can write volumes on the entire trip, but the highlight of it all was the 24 hours around new years eve. I believe it was then that I finally found the gruntles that I seem to have lost over the course of the past year.
9 Bar happens to be one of my all-time favourite haunts. I love the way people gather around to watch the sun inch its way towards the horizon, while in the background the percussion slooooowly gains momentum.. a few beats per minute gained to every inch lost....till before you know it, its a crazy frenetic pace that you just didn't see coming.
We were the first lot of people there..and it was super. As the evening progressed, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Ostrich and Tartrazina grooving to an almost evil baseline- surprised cos the Tart is a die hard Retro child, while the Ostrich, eclectic as her musical interests might be, never struck me as one who would enjoy 7 non-stop hours of trance.
There were about 12 of us from Bangalore and assorted friends from other places that we bumped into .. I had around 27 magic moments just sitting there, revelling in the warmth of some of my favourite people in the world.
As the last drop of sunlight from 2005 seeped away, everyone at 9 Bar collectively applauded the year that had just made its exit and I was overwhelmed by how much affection I felt for the people around me - friends and strangers alike.
We were meant to go to another party post midnight, but as all plans go, this one took a turn as well and we decided to head back to the south and give the madness a miss. Best decision we ever made.
The wee hours of 2006 saw us sitting around our very own bonfire on the beach. One by one, people dropped away, till there was just the Tart, her not-so-little-anymore brother, Ostrich, B and me left on the beach... we stoked the fire, listened to the Ostrich sing, waved and shouted "Happy new year!!!" to a drunken couple, watched a cook from one of the shacks swim an hour out into the sea and back, gave him a standing ovation, laughed at a bunch of nutter dogs digging trenches around us in a bid to get to the crabs, only to frighten the bejeezus out of them and let them go..
....and watched the sea change colours magically. Its funny how nature never gets its colour combinations wrong..
And just when we thought it couldn't get better, we saw massive dorsal fins emerge gently, in slow motion almost,from the water. None of us are still quite sure if they were dolphins or something larger... but either way, the image is burned in our minds.
There's something about watching the elements in their purest form - be it in the form of the ocean at half light, or a bonfire or the wide expanse of the sky- that calms any human soul.
The past year was an emotional roller coaster for me. From getting my cherished masters degree, to losing my father without having had the chance to say goodbye, to reconnecting with old friends, letting go of others I love deeply, falling seriously ill, getting a job in an industry I knew nothing about while putting on hold a dream I feel a deep rooted passion for, to forging new bonds that I know will last lifetimes- by December I was a bundle of tightly wrought nerves...
Standing on a beach at dawn is possibly one of the most powerful and moving experiences ever. It makes you feel insignificant and small, but glad beyond belief to to be able to bear witness to what lies in front of you . The ability to feel a sense of awe towards the universe is like having your finger on the pulse of life itself... I think in that moment just before the sun came up, with my toes buried in the sand, I finally felt a quiet, crystal clear acceptance of everything that I had so far fought hard against.
Its going to be a good year, me thinks.
Happy New Year everybody... :)
posted by Bananarana @ 5:56 AM
15 Comments:
... positive post ? ushu! Good work - perfect post to start off the new year (loved the piece, quality writing). Now pull up your sucks, unwedge your chuddies, turn that grimace into a smile and your set for space travel !
had a great time myself - was kind of weird to end up on a beach that was so familiar to me with you years later, completely unplanned. brought a few worlds together for me. thanks for making me come :)
oh and they were dolphins i tell you ! dolphins ! my dilated pupils would'nt have lied to me, not at that beautiful moment in time. :)
I am charred green with envy! Languishing by the South Goa beaches with a bunch of friends, away from this freezing city would have been my perfect holiday. Happy new year!
i knew you'd explain much better than i ever could how wonderful those 24hrs were! thanx Banana :o) you're a star! must link this post!
Beautiful post! Happy new year!
Next time you be going to Goa, pliss to be calling me also. Pliss. I promise not to do the windmill dance. Promise. And have a super year ahead filled with love, peace and happiness. Sappy as that sounds, I mean it.
That was an awsome post...hope to be there the next time with you'll....Haffy New year...chinki
Hmph ! :P
Very nice post, i read it a while ago but was speechless... How about some more blogging...
Oh sorry, My Rat! what hmphing about?
Sorry again... have been wanting to ask you, what's that picture you have there?
Wow! wish I'd been there with you guys.
happy new year to you babe... saw the pics... what a wicked time... much love...
such vivid posts will only elicit demands for more frequent posting, from demanders such as myself. starting now!
:)
anonymous - yup, a positive post. MY god! glad you were there booger-shooter man. you're a super hero only. i could alomost see a tiny version of you running aound on those beaches in lil chaddies.. hugg!
jax - green doesn't become anyone. just up and go.. it could be part of your spiritual quest:)
tartrazina - *hug*
lavi - have a great year....:)
wishfulthinker - i actually like the windmill dance. it has character. lots of love and light to you too!!!
chinki - you were there with us in spirit girl! i miss you much. dont stop leaving comments. muah!
rat - you're my blog guru. dont you hmph! me... *hug*
gander - thanks:) and the picture is from some collection i stumbled upon.. its called "my little arsonist".. heh.. i just like the colours.
sista t - wish you were there too! we'll put off one "goa initiation" trip for peanut!:)
naazita - thanks babe... a very very happy new year to you too... when you coming to blore again?
saaaac - am posting a few more pics... you rascal bugger, left without saying bye. i'm gonna come there and do the same... heh.. kidding. stay warm!
Greetings,
On a nice chilled afternoon I've come across a blog like yours, must tell ya that it was quite refreshing reading your post.....
Infact Started with the lastest one,
then half way through it, i had to go all the way down to the first ever post and then worked my way up to where i had started.... This way everything was much easier.....
I have spent the last two hours aimlessly clicking on the next blog tab, and have come across some intersting , some totally random and some pointless....
Yours was pretty chilled if i may say so.... Also that i too have been to alot of places all over and there are times when you just sit back and in your head there loads of things just jumping about and your dying to let the whole planet know just whats jumping around in our brain.... Well think thats exactly what you've done.... Imagine lying back on the beach and all these random exciting and facinating things going through your head, and some part of you just wants everybody to know exactly whats happening and then you get back and put it up as a post.. Your lucky to have captured those moments in the form of pics and they are really awesome pics. Are they Taken by you? What are me chances of getting a copy of a couple of the pics?
Think they'd make awesome desktop pics. Please let me know if i could get copies.... tried righ clicking and saving them, but when i enlarge it ,it pixilates...
Think you just update the blog... You never know who's reading the post......
Hope to read alot more here...
Ciao
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