Why party?

[vivek]

This is my first post after Dec 31st, 2004.And I don’t feel a thing. I have no particular interest in this day. I never had. Its just end of a month that also happens to be the end of the calendar year, so what! Why celebrate? Whats in it? Its not like a birthday or something, which is like THE DAY where you get OLDER by one more year. This one is just the end of the year, whether you like it or not! Whats in it to celebrate. Why did we celebrate this year?



And even if we do celebrate, more often than not we end up in a pub, drinking. Something that we all do almost every weekend, every birthday, birthdays of everyone else who we know, every day prior to major festivals. Basically on every available holiday. What is so special on Dec 31st!



New Year resolutions are so very cliché . Uh!, ‘I will quit smoking’ , ‘I will stop drinking’, ‘ this year I will (actually) get laid’. I am yet to meet a guy who atleast makes a resolution ( if not with conviction) that is somewhat closer to ‘ I will read Bhagavat Gita’ or ‘ Now that I earn truck loads of money, I will send some more to my parents and help them buy a Ford Ikon’. Nothing, not even closer have I ever heard. Modern day cool dude wants to dream of having sex, drink and talk porn. Of course there are few sensible guys, but then they are quite rare and often they don’t drink. I feel left alone, like the only guy who wants to read Bhagavat Gita and still continue with a weekend beer session. Hence, I just have 4 great school pals … since school as best buddies.



Having said all that, I want to ask you guys. Do you really find Dec 31st special. Did it really make sense to celebrate this year, after so many people died. I heard ( I am not sure), that Dec 31st after 9/11 was very very dull in the USA. And we here are far less impacted. I made a failed attempt to gather enough support to boycott the official new year’s eve party of my company. All I got back was various versions of “ What can we do man… if nature asked us, then we would say, send Tsunami after Dec 31st… after our new year party’. I wondered, if guys like these can get jobs, we have a greater problem of bad manpower. Much worse than un-employment.



I honestly did not greet a single guy this year, I did not feel like. 1,50,000 dead and still counting is not something that we can ignore. That’s so many reasons to mourn. Private news channels shamelessly broadcasting live pictures of new years party in Hip clubs and giving movie like titles with a lead sponsor to their ‘exclusive’ coverage on Tsunami relief is painful.1,50,000 dead and that’s a lot people.



We certainly fail to empathize. I guess, this is why we are in constant search of idle time to celebrate. A way to escape a directionless life. Be it Valentines day, Rose day, Papa Day, Mama day, GF day, BF day, Brothers Day, Sisters day, your day, my day or someone else’s day. We do the same thing, the same way. No matter what happens around us.



Sad.

[Sharjeel]

There is despair, poverty, cruelty, helplesness, death, suffering everywhere. People read newspapers, watch TV, surf the internet and they are greeted by reams of sad news, news about death, horrifying terrorist attacks, brothers killing their own brothers, etc. You walk along the road and there is a good chance that you will witness a bad accident.



We are powerless to prevent the calamities, heinous crimes, accidents. The thing that we can do is that we can be cheerful and happy and spread happiness and smiles to everyone we meet. These 'days' are just excuses so that people forget the sadness inside and outside them, and be happy that they are still alive and thank God and spread some cheer in these dark times.



I agree that celebrating so many 'days' is a bit redundant and eccentric. These 'days' are the fashion in the western countries where they do not have so many festivals. In India, we have enough festivals to keep our hands and minds occupied anyway. Keeping in mind our fascination for anything that the western civs do, Indians have also started celebrating god-knows-which-'days', some of which are against our culture and tradition (no offense).

[mark]

There is despair, poverty, cruelty, helplesness, death, suffering everywhere. People read newspapers, watch TV, surf the internet and they are greeted by reams of sad news, news about death, horrifying terrorist attacks, brothers killing their own brothers, etc. You walk along the road and there is a good chance that you will witness a bad accident.

We are powerless to prevent the calamities, heinous crimes, accidents. The thing that we can do is that we can be cheerful and happy and spread happiness and smiles to everyone we meet. These 'days' are just excuses so that people forget the sadness inside and outside them, and be happy that they are still alive and thank God and spread some cheer in these dark times.

I agree that celebrating so many 'days' is a bit redundant and eccentric. These 'days' are the fashion in the western countries where they do not have so many festivals. In India, we have enough festivals to keep our hands and minds occupied anyway. Keeping in mind our fascination for anything that the western civs do, Indians have also started celebrating god-knows-which-'days', some of which are against our culture and tradition (no offense).

good post Sharjeel.

[CtrlAltDel]

good one sharjeel! i wanted to post something similar....



...abt New Year....well....personally i party this day mainly coz so many good events are organized at this time and very rarely during the rest of the year!

[vivek]

Thanks, i will wait for others to share their views

[Sachin Tendulkar"God of India"]

Well Vivek , tat was a marvellous post but u cant sit home and forthink on a disaster thereby not partying on a day u always go haywire and party like mad.....



abt me, i had a gathering wit 6 frnz of mine who flew to my place, it was fun well we jus sat and discussed how our lives wer taking shape not a party by any means



I am strongly against valentines day, mothers day...................



u dont need a special day to express u r love to u r mom or u r girl....... tats rooobbbish

[salamehyderabad]

Well... Vivek... I really appreciate your concern. Everyone around the world is expressing their grief regarding Tsunami. Honestly Speaking every staff member in my office asked me about how my family was at home. Though away from home since long time I feel home here. Everyday there are hundreds of people dying around. What is that we could do.

Those days (Valentine's day etc....) are just an excuse. We can party everyday. Aint nutin wrong in doing so.

The only thing we can after this dreadfull act of mother nature is help the needy. You cannot get into distrees and call off. Gone is gone think of what to be done rather than feeling bad about what has happened. Dead are dead Think of the people who are alive, lost shelter.

[vivek]

Good going... more views please

[Habitual Perfectionist]

Thanks everyone for echoing the views I expressed on the Happy New Year thread. A calamity shouldn't act as a dampener of spirits. I remember that after the Earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, the spirit of the people was simply great. And just seeing the way people were helping each other created a lot of smiles in everyone's heart. Isn't it a cause for celebration that inspite of mother nature lashing out against us, we stand united in our love for mankind? I celebrated new year's eve with the same fun that I do every year. It was in fact, a celebration of the fact that compassion still exists.



As for the various days like mothers' day, fathers' day etc., I feel that its the corollary to the points posed by Vivek about people not making resolutions like 'why don't I help out my parents?' etc. For those who always think of their loved ones, these days don't matter much and neither should they be a cause for irritation...as...for such people, every day is a fathers' day...and every day is a mothers' day...a valentine's day...a friendship day and so on and so forth. These days are actually meant for people who tend to forget that they have a mother who made them learn how to walk and talk; a father who slogged his butt to make them what they are; a friend who has been and will be with them throughout happy and sad days.



And Sharjeel....a day can never be against a culture...though I agree that the way these things are sometimes celebrated are not ways one would like their family members to behave in.

[Sharjeel]

And Sharjeel....a day can never be against a culture...though I agree that the way these things are sometimes celebrated are not ways one would like their family members to behave in.

Maybe you can try and explain your point to the hooligans in nagpur who think Valentines day (and the like) gives them a license to openly tease decent girls (read pinch, etc) who just want to go about their business and are not soooooo over-the-top about celebrating Valentines day with them.



Maybe Hydes and people from slightly more 'conservative' cities do not have to bear the full brunt of these 'days' and so, do not understand the plight of the people who live in places where there are young idiots bringing down a new moral/social/civic rule at every corner.



As you say, it is in the way in which some people celebrate these 'days'...

[CtrlAltDel]

Maybe Hydes and people from slightly more 'conservative' cities do not have to bear the full brunt of these 'days' and so, do not understand the plight of the people who live in places where there are young idiots bringing down a new moral/social/civic rule at every corner.

oh no! girls in hydbad suffer this harassment on V-day too....in fact this occurs in most cities n towns in India. and this is not the fault of the 'day'. the hooligans who indulge in it, wud gladly do it everyday too...

[Sharjeel]

Very disturbing.

[Habitual Perfectionist]

I agree with CAD. Even Ahmedabad, said to be one of the safest havens for women (the talk of women being able to roam around freely at nights without any fear) has seen a marked increase in eve teasing cases. So much so that the police has a special Romeo squad out during events like the navratri etc.



I can very well imagine what the scene could be in smaller places and interior towns.

[3 T'z]

vivek tht waz a v good post,ur concern is appreciated but whtz the use of sitting at home n mourning ? wht difference is it really gonna i mean how iz it of any help to the victims? If one'z spirit is not up to it then thtz a diff case altogether..

It would b of much use to them if u could come up n help the ppl in any way possible.. u cant do anything for the onez tht r dead but u can surely help the onez who have survived n r facing "n" no. of problemz... I think by helpin these ppl n tryin to make their life better would some wht compensate 4 wht u cant do for the onez tht have lost their lives..



n well bout celebrating so many "day"...i think in the end ppl will end up gettin bored of celebratin em all at a point of time...n their value wil b lost...

[Habitual Perfectionist]

vivek tht waz a v good post,ur concern is appreciated but whtz the use of sitting at home n mourning ? wht difference is it really gonna i mean how iz it of any help to the victims? If one'z spirit is not up to it then thtz a diff case altogether..
It would b of much use to them if u could come up n help the ppl in any way possible.. u cant do anything for the onez tht r dead but u can surely help the onez who have survived n r facing "n" no. of problemz... I think by helpin these ppl n tryin to make their life better would some wht compensate 4 wht u cant do for the onez tht have lost their lives..

Vivek didn't talk about helping the victims. His poser was...why celebrate when there was a calamity. Helping the victims is entirely besides the point here.

n well bout celebrating so many "day"...i think in the end ppl will end up gettin bored of celebratin em all at a point of time...n their value wil b lost...

That was self contradictory. Celebrations can never bore you. Celebrations are meant to provide that spark in your life. To remove your boredom. If you get bored celebrating, then you're not really celebrating....just putting up a show.

[daisy]

why not party?



what is wrong. if something bad happens, we do what we can to help and move on. we cant stop living. all these days to celebrate are just to break the routine in my opinion.my policy is to help as much as we can, live and enjoy as much as we can.

[Sharjeel]

vivek tht waz a v good post,ur concern is appreciated but whtz the use of sitting at home n mourning ?

Very sorry if it seems rude, but that writing style is more suited to online chat, and not to a forum. Forums (generally) require a more 'non-casual' writing style.

[3 T'z]

No problem,thanks,shall try to b more "non -casual" if possible.Basically a habit will take time..

[3 T'z]

vivek tht waz a v good post,ur concern is appreciated but whtz the use of sitting at home n mourning ? wht difference is it really gonna i mean how iz it of any help to the victims? If one'z spirit is not up to it then thtz a diff case altogether..
It would b of much use to them if u could come up n help the ppl in any way possible.. u cant do anything for the onez tht r dead but u can surely help the onez who have survived n r facing "n" no. of problemz... I think by helpin these ppl n tryin to make their life better would some wht compensate 4 wht u cant do for the onez tht have lost their lives..

Vivek didn't talk about helping the victims. His poser was...why celebrate when there was a calamity. Helping the victims is entirely besides the point here.

yes agreed he didnt ,just wanted to make a different point there( a rather important one).

n well bout celebrating so many "day"...i think in the end ppl will end up gettin bored of celebratin em all at a point of time...n their value wil b lost...

That was self contradictory. Celebrations can never bore you. Celebrations are meant to provide that spark in your life. To remove your boredom. If you get bored celebrating, then you're not really celebrating....just putting up a show.

sorry should have made myself more clear,tht was basically in ref. to what "sachin" wrote...



" I am strongly against valentines day, mothers day...................



u dont need a special day to express u r love to u r mom or u r girl....... tats rooobbbish"

[Sachin]

Excuse me now wats wrong wit wat wrote..........................

[Sharjeel]

No problem,thanks,shall try to b more "non -casual" if possible.Basically a habit will take time..

:D.

[CtrlAltDel]

No problem,thanks,shall try to b more "non -casual" if possible.Basically a habit will take time..

arrre....no probs yaar v don' mind.....coz most of us write dat way....

[Truffles]

Well..good topic friends.

Personally I feel that most of us really do not have the compassion and social conscience that one would expect in situations like what happened recently. I mean lakhs have perished and many have been rendered homeless and jobless. Its not about not being able to prevent events like these..but about being able to do our bit seriously. I was talking to this group of people just before New yrs eve at a shopping mall and I asked them what they did for the Tsunami relief. Their answer was thet they looked for old clothes and all of them packed them up and sent them to one of the foundations..the same guys were busy buying expensive party wear to attend a New yrs party!!! We all need breaks and party days to break the routine and look forward to something new.. and new yrs is no different..but this year especially..perhaps it did not make sense for many to go out and let their hair down without a thought to spare for those who are probobly stuck in some torn tent with an uncertain future.

I read somewhere that most of the festivities had already been arranged and that it was too late to cancel events..I mean please..that sounds like a very lame excuse...

[3 T'z]

No problem,thanks,shall try to b more "non -casual" if possible.Basically a habit will take time..

arrre....no probs yaar v don' mind.....coz most of us write dat way....

ahh...well as long as some ppl understand me...!

[Bimbette]

Post Dec 31, only one friend of mine expressed her anguish about how insensitive people have become (ie they still went and partied and were generally unaffected by the T word).



And I have a colleague here who is taking a week off (originally meant to just sleep!) but who is off to Pondicherry on her first day off.



While I can only admire her efforts I also think that if circumstances are not conducive to your doing something at the scene literally speaking (because most of us here work and going to the Tsunami affected areas is not a practical thing what with the 'leave policy' etc) I think what is important is to do something about it, within your own scheme of things, however small. Even if its setting aside old clothes, atleast u r taking some time out to think of the unfortunate souls when compared to ppl who say 'Tsunami what/who'? Stopping urself from having a good time on New Year's etc again is a personal choice. I sat at home on NY's. Purely by choice and frankly the Tsunami had nothing to do with it. That doesn't mean to say I'm not moved but probably different people have different ways of showing their concern.



I won't write about the different 'days' coz I read somewhere that a reader's attention span is limited.....!!! More later!