To flag off my “12 for 12” posts, I was thinking of the first-time experiences I had this year.
Although I had scuba diving and watching a movie by myself in my last year’s list, 2012 has been different in a lot of ways – and here are my firsts:
- Witnessed my first ballet performance. I have always been enthralled by the lithe and precision of this dance form and it was a magical experience to see the Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal perform at the Royal Opera House, Oman.
- Travelled business class on British Airways. For free. *Like A Boss*
- Since I was relocating to Muscat, I needed to process my Oman residence visa from scratch. This required a medical test from a randomly allotted clinic in New Delhi. This was by far the first and most haunting experience at a health centre. No I don’t think I could call it that. A pig sty by the name of a clinic.
- Underwent a gruelling procedure to get my driving license. Drove Ma around Gurgaon when she was visiting. Also crashed Ankita’s Santro into a porch. Lot of firsts, yes?
- Was given the Apple iPhone 4S as a birthday gift. My first Apple phone. If I thought the migration from Nokia to Blackberry was change, this was a complete overhaul.
- Hopped onto the quaint Calcutta tram for the first time and paid INR 3.50 to get home. (By cab, it would cost INR 40 at least!)
- Took a South Eastern from St. Pancras to Dover Priory whooshing through the sublime English countryside. This was my first ever high speed train ride and boy, was I excited!
- Did not watch Shah Rukh Khan’s Diwali release. Yet.
- Attended my first full-fledged Delhi wedding. Was also a graduation reunion. Sat for pheras until 4 am for the first time. Have a feeling that this might repeat over the next year 😛
- Experienced zero degrees Celsius for the first time. Bought my first and only pair of boots in Primark.
- Got my first tattoo. Sat with Milan for her first as well.
- Spent Valentine’s Day in London. Without heart shaped balloons or a man. But it was one of the nicest days this year.
Coming up tomorrow: Twelve gastronomical marvels I came across in the year!