Hey folks!
Long time no see. Almost a week and that is because the Candlemonk site has gone down due to unknown reasons. The day after I published my last blog post, I tried to log in only to see that the site itself is shown as unavailable. A server error I would say and that left me impatient as I had some thoughts to share and didn't know if I could hold for too long. Fortunately, it is sorted and here I am writing. Today is the 17th and it's been exactly three months since I came here. That too, on a Saturday. (Well, the days of September and December are the same every year. For instance, the 9th of September of a particular year is Saturday, so is the 9th of December of that same year.)
The seventeenth day of the month has been special for me especially this year and today's blogpost is all about how the seventeenth day of the all the months of this year have worked for me. Maybe not all of them were great as assumed, but overall it was good. Let's begin.
It was a Monday and there was no class due to the omicron case. And my father had arrived from Dubai even though he was to come a day later. He went to our place while I was in Kochi. It was his birthday and I intended to surprise him at the doorsteps. Though he suggested picking me up on the way back, I said I had class when I didn't have any. Even if I had, I wouldn't have gone because it was my father's birthday and I wanted to be there. I went in the afternoon and surprise him and also bought some coffee and pastry. In the evening, my Aunt and her family came with cake and some dinner though we have already bought the takeovers which we had the next morning and cut the cake, and ate the shawarma rolls. So overall, that day was good.
2. 17th of February
It was a Thursday and I won't say anything really happened. I had covid at the beginning of February and tested negative on Valentine's Day. However, I was still feeling weak and tired and didn't stay in class for too long. On this day, I felt much better and a little more optimistic while the previous days weren't good for me. So the seventeenth day worked for me then.
3. 17th of March
A Thursday again and that is when I created a backup account for Instagram that turned out to be my main account since I can't recover the previous one. Maybe it was all a sign to start afresh and get the real people who would stay and avoid the fake ones. Even though, I have removed the fake people, I had to start from scratch which was hard initially but later adhered to it. And I went to the mall for fun and talked to my friend who came to Kerala then.
4. 17th of April
Easter Sunday; went smoothly compared to last time which was bad and I am not going to tell why. Both the Easters happened at the same place with the same set of people. Except this time, my parents were there. Rest all, the same. Easter 2022 wasn't bad though we were looking out for the possibility of going bad as that unpleasant memory was still in the minds of many.
5. 17th of May
A Tuesday; and it was also raining. It was the Abroad Education Fair organised by the agency I first visited for abroad studies consultation and it was really good. Meeting all the dignitaries and talking to them about the course plan and the opportunities. Even though I got through the third agency I visited, this one was fun as it was well organised in a large tent. And Marine Drive was nearby and I walked around after the expo fair. The climate after the rain was really good.
6. 17th of June
It was a Friday and I would say that this is definitely the best 17th of all the months of the year. It was my 25th birthday and I was in Manali on my own and I had the best time. Even though it rained a little, I still had fun walking through the crowd getting free dessert, eating pizza and sipping coffee, and also cutting the cake at night a few minutes before it turned midnight (which I wouldn't like and I still don't so have to enjoy as much as possible.) But it was the best birthday so far and the credit goes to me for making it happen.
7. 17th of July
A Sunday; another rainy day. I was back in Kochi after a family function in my hometown and I was very tired. My best friend had come then and we had a movie to catch up on since he was leaving the next day. The movie was fun, but I was very tired and wanted to reach home immediately; I went there and showered before leaving for the movie but I was exhausted then. So this day was probably the most exhausting one.
8. 17th of August
A Wednesday; this was a good one. A planned one I would say as I got up early and took a bus to Pala as there was an inauguration where an actress I like was the guest. The place was two hours away from Kochi and I went early to get a closer look. There were a lot of people and there were bodyguards and I barely got a glimpse when she first came. After the inauguration and lighting of the lamp, we were all allowed inside and I could see her close enough and like everyone, clicking her pictures. I was hoping to get a picture with her and waited patiently but clicked pictures while she was giving an interview. Since I was tall, I was able to see her, and it was easier for people behind me to see her as well. My N95 Mask was on my wrist because I wanted to be ready when she passed by me so I could get a picture. But I have clicked a lot of pictures where she looked at the camera so I will consider it as looking at me. Well, she did make eye contact and I smiled. Lucky ones got a picture with her but I wasn't lucky that day. However, I was lucky the first time. I met her before at an inauguration back in Bangalore in 2019 and I actually got a picture with her. That time, when she made eye contact, my eyes widened. But now I have evolved I guess, so making eye contact with celebrities wouldn't be a problem anymore. But yes, that was a good day and she posted on Instagram about her inauguration and I commented about how nice it was meeting her and that I couldn't get a picture. She replied saying, ‘Next time for sure.’ And my day was made then.
9. 17th of September
A Saturday; was the day I was set to live my dream. The day I flew from India and from UAE to the UK. That was the beginning of everything. It was exciting and at the same time emotional because I cried when it landed and that wasn't because of leaving home, but because I was watching a lot of content on the flight and a documentary made me cry as it was my childhood. I am talking about Harry Potter: 20-Year Reunion. That was good. Should've watched it earlier. But better late than never. So this was the day I was starting my life.
10. 17th of October
A Monday; it had been three weeks since my classes started, and this was the time I got positive feedback about my assignment. Or should I say my first feedback? It has been good overall and this was the first time I heard it and it felt nice. Also, I had a good day than if it was traveling for class, waiting for the bus; just the everyday scenario. But it was good.
11. 17th of November
A Thursday; is just a calm and peaceful day off with no disturbance and only relaxation. And by then, I have gotten used to the sky turning pitch black by five. And towards winter, even earlier.
12. 17th of December
A Saturday i.e., today, this very day. It was the Christmas Retreat and even though it was freezing cold, I attended the retreat and it was good. I felt fresh when I got up earlier than usual and I did the chilling weather while still being covered up.
This is properly my longest blog post ever. Good that I split the 2022 Recap into two halves otherwise reading that all would have been a task. So these are the 12 seventeens of the year. Overall, they have been quite good. There have also been some sad moments in these good moments in the sense, they happened elsewhere and it did bother us for a moment then. But that's life. It is a mix of everything; good, bad, happy, sad, pleasure, pain, peace, trouble and so on.
Anyways, that's all for now. Thank you so much for reading. I will see you in the next one.
