It's a new year !

Warm wishes to everyone for this new year 2009 !

I'm back from a short trip to Delhi, suffering from a nasty cold. Temperatures in the Indian capital felt Siberian, especially for someone who is happiest in warm weather, but I finally made it to Old Delhi..., and now that I've taken a glimpse of it, I hope I'll be able to return to spend more time in all its alleys and back alleys. 

We also visited the Red Fort, on a very foggy morning.

Unfortunately, not much of the ancient magnificence is left. We were accompanied by an Indian friend who kept complaining that the Indian government doesn't do anything to preserve its extraordinary heritage. Of course, the place was largely ruined by the British, after the 1857 uprising (they actually turned the King's palace into their mess) but as William Dalrymple mentions in his fascinating "City of Djinns", the very ugly English barracks seem better maintained than the old palaces built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. (And no, I did not take any picture of the ugly barracks. Just trust me: they are truly hideous. Then again, who has ever seen beautiful army barracks?)

And now, I'm back in Hyderabad, and cold, congested sinuses and sore throat notwithstanding, the usual course of life resumes. Those who know me, or read me, already know that I don't like new year resolutions. I don't like the "organizeness" of it. Still, goal setting is usually a good way to at least launch oneself in the right direction. So, the directions I wish to take this year are :

- walk a couple of times a week in the morning. Last year, I mentioned needing to move my butt a bit more, and I have to admit that I didn't really until the end of 2008. So, I need to pursue this effort (and it IS an effort!).

- Work on my nanowrimo manuscript, and hopefully, complete it, whether it means taking it into a completely new direction or not. Ideally, I would like to complete a novel manuscript, this year.

-Complete the couple of picture book projects that are slowly taking shape in my files.

- Send more stories out, and/or send them to more publishers. I'm not good at keeping up with this part of the business. 

And, last but not least, continue to work on enjoying the moment more. I'm making progress, slowly, but then again, I'm a slow kind of person. Who cares? What matters is to get somewhere, and to learn while on the journey, and I think I'm doing that.

Happy New Year ! May your wishes come true, whether you are a list maker or not.