Year End Summary: 2008
As in the last two years, here is a summary of 2008’s highlights for me.
Fresh start of the year: I started working from home, this year…thanks to my office being relocated to San Diego. It was an interesting experience getting used to working alone, and more importantly learning to stop working at a reasonable time. But now I have a functional and efficient home office. The only thing I miss: water-cooler gossip sessions.
Achievements this year: The biggest accomplishment of this year was getting our Green Card, it took exactly one year from application to receipt but it was a busy, eventful and anxious year till we had the plastic card in our hands. Career wise, I completed a professional certification in Clinical Data Management. Otherwise, I started learning Urdu—now I can decipher the letters slowly. I had started learning Urdu a couple of years ago but didn’t manage to get time to pursue it regularly but now armed with a book of Ghalib’s ghazals and the trusty internet I can make out the letters pretty well.
Travels the year: The major trip in 2008 was our 5 week India visit, which also included a 10 day Rajasthan tour. Then in summer, we went on a weekend trip to a hillside cabin in remote West Virginia, a day trip to the beautiful Longwood gardens in Pennsylvania and a week long trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier National Park with family. We enjoyed the fall colors early November, again with family at Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. There were a few official trips interspersed through the year including my annual pilgrimage in December to Chicago for RSNA. We ended the year on a relaxed note, a 4 day Christmas cruise to the Bahamas.
Re-Discovery of the Year: The brilliance of M*A*S*H. Has the average IQ of the viewers dropped—why are today’s TV series more dumbed down than M*A*S*H.?
Moment of the Year: Undoubtedly the Obama Victory. Its rare that I envy the average American—but on Nov 4 2008 watching the Obama’s victory, I was envious of Americans in having a public political hero they could look up to, the ability to participate in politics without it being associated as “dirty”, the hope that he embodies and the pride that many Americans felt in having elected Obama, creating history. Amazing.
Summary this year: 2008 was good but 2009 is indeed going to be the year of changes at least for me.….Looking forward to 2009!
Here is to a wonderful 2009! Wish you all a very happy and exciting new year!
