My Top ten moments of 2009

Another article i wrote for http://www.Themag.in http://themag.in/2009/12/top-ten-moments-of-2009/

Posting it again here

Well, oh well, another year has passed us by and we hardly realized it. There were many resolutions made, some kept, most forgotten, and many postponed for the coming year. Amidst all this there were certain moments this year that were worth remembering. Some moments that touched us, inspired us, and some that we wished never happened. I am writing my ten such moments here, so get ready to relive bits of 2009 with me.

1. A R Rahman winning The Oscar
It was the moment of 2009 for Indians when A R Rahman made them proud by winning  the Oscar for his music score in the much acclaimed movie “The Slumdog Millionaire”. India has, by now, become used to getting an entry into the Oscars but it’s movies could never make it to the podium. A R Rahman made sure we did not miss out this time. The fact that he’s a maestro is beyond doubt, but this recognition surely was long overdue.

2. Michael Jackson “This is it”
Many swayed to his songs and practiced moonwalks in the streets. We hated him, we loved him, we adored him, and then, suddenly, he left us. His life was marred with controversies, still when he left us he left a void in our hearts. He truly was the Entertainment King.

3. Zoo Zoos
After the takeover of Hutch by Vodafone, we thought that the cute Pug ads would go off air, but they didn’t. The pug stayed, but we never imagined there would be somethings called “zoozoos” who will replace the pug so easily. Soon after the takeover, during the summers, we were introduced to these cute characters that became the new face of Vodafone. The zoozoos with their own language and funny way of walking are loved across all sections of the viewers. They would undoubtedly go down as the most successful ad-campaign of this year.

4. India No.1 Test Cricket team
Finally, India made it to the top this year, and kudos to the current team for this achievement. Under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (who apparently hasn’t lost a single test match yet), India after beating Sri Lanka in Mumbai became the number one test team in the world. There are already signs of some future stars who will take over the charge from the likes of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, and things, for a change, are looking good for the Indian team.

5. Nobel Peace Obama
This, for many, was the biggest blunder that the Nobel Prize committee could have committed. They awarded the Nobel peace prize to the President of United States for just good intent? What were they thinking and who were they trying to please? The answer is anyone’s guess.

6. Elections 2009
India got a chance to vote this year, and a near clear verdict emerged this time. I am glad that the Congress will get a chance to do what it promised, and this time they will not complain of not being able to deliver because of being tied down by unruly allies. Manmohan Singh is back in power, or is he?

7. Swineflu
The disease that started in Mexico and travelled to several nations hit India too, especially Maharashtra and Karnataka. With death toll touching 600, it was time for the government to show their preparedness against such a calamity, and seemingly they failed on all grounds. All inbound passengers from Swine flu hit nations were asked to merely sign a declaration that they were not suffering from that disease. If this is how we conduct our medical checks, the future sure seems dark.

8. Nano launch
A promise finally delivered by Ratan Tata. Tata Nano was officially launched in March 2009. Despite all the problems of having to shift the entire manufacturing plant from West Bengal to Gujarat, the company finally showed that they can provide its customers with a 1 lac car. Don’t forget the company also owns the Jaguar. A very well diverse customer base I would say.

9. Attack on Indians in Australia
I have so much respect and admiration for Australia, mostly because of the fighting spirit of their cricket team and also the amount of effort they put into their sports. But, the attack on Indians down under were something that could have been handled better. The Australians did little to protect people from south east Asia, who had gone there to pursue higher education. There was a huge uproar in the Indian Parliament too over the attacks, and media too provided ample coverage to the attacks. Hopefully things will be better for these students in 2010.

10. Article 377
Is this the face of changing and tolerant India? Delhi high court this year passed a landmark judgement which decriminalized gay sex. The judgement was welcomed by gay community across India. However it was not well received by Baba Ramdev the Yoga guru who termed homosexuality as a disease.

(What is your most memorable moment of 2009? )