The sheer optimism and dint of the will power of humans need to be commended and serenaded. In spite of facing so many adversities in the whole of 2011, the utter tenacity and optimism of mankind was visible last night. Ring out the old and ring in the new could be seen to be believed. Everything was forgotten...the earthquake and tsunami in March swept away more than 15000 lives. The tremors were felt far and wide. Osama was declared killed on May 1st by president Obama-An end to an era of mass destruction. Somalia declared a famine in July and...

Childhood meant freedom to soar to take wing, freedom to enjoy, freedom from any kinds of stress and tensions. For me as a child freedom was getting engrossed in an Enid Blyton and get on a flight of fancy, playing butch on the street below with my cousins, stealing mangoes from the opposite house in midsummer afternoon when the lady was taking her nap, sailing paper boats in the rainwater in the courtyard below, winning on five pebbles, playing with the ordinary dolls and kitchen sets that mama brought for me. We had no access to TV, Video games, Glitzy...

I grew up as a pampered and spoilt youngest child in my father’s home. Not that I was overindulged or had the finer things of life but my dad was the bestest thing in my world and I could do anything to just get his approval. The school was a nunnery to be tolerated and of course, a lot of mischiefs thrown in though I was voted as the good girl of the class by my class teacher. College was one long series of fashion parades wherein my designs were looked forward to by my fellow students. Out of the...