Confusing and cheery
As we near the end of the year, I am confused about how I should feel. I know that I struggled through the year as I battled my personal demons and health issues. But as I look back, I see myself being counselled as well as playing the role of a counsellor for many of my friends. I remember a couple of years ago, on one of my trips overseas, I had the opportunity to listen to a standup comic who joked about how men and women behave so differently when in trouble. He said that as women, we form packs and even in a restaurant, we never go alone to the restroom. Our pack mentality spills over even if one of the pack members is sick or emotionally overwrought. We cover them with our jackets, keep nosy boyfriends/husbands away and calm the situation down. Womens solidarity is very strong and real! We tend to counsel each other and are mostly empaths with solidarity. Despite this support system, I have seen a lot of us do a downward spiral this year, and its distressing. It looks like a never-ending stream of bad juju. I remember going out to a perfectly fun dinner and meeting up with friends I hadnt seen in a while. From a perfectly fun conversation, the topic turned to my best friend, who passed away due to cancer, and now another bff was battling it. I just burst into tears at dinner, feeling alone, guilty and helpless. So, December, like the many months before, is turning out to be a hard one. Then again, so many young uns are getting married. Their parents, who are my friends, are both excited and weary. Life has indeed turned into an uphill climb, and yet, it is impossible not to get into the cheer of the season. After the spate of cake-mixings, it is now the turn of tree-lightings! I did attend the one at the beautifully decorated Ritz-Carlton. It was full of cheer and Christmas carols, which got louder as more eggnog and mulled wine was consumed. Sita Lekshmi and Aloma Lobo Marc Lamy, Consul General of France in Bengaluru, in partnership with the Bangalore Wine Club member/winemaker Abhay Kewadkar, pulled off a superlative evening, A toast to French Terroir on a chilly evening at the rooftop of ITC Gardenia. We tasted a French wine trail from Alsace, Bordeaux, Provence and more. The wine was superb and the company even better, as the creme de la creme of Bangalore society sipped and swirled the fabulous Madeira. Women in chic silks and men in blazers gave the evening a festive air. Many members wore their French berets to give the evening an authentic ambience. The food and service were spot on, and it was wonderful to taste and savour both the wine and food in a quasi-formal setting, as a rigid table seating doesnt give the members and guests a chance to interact as much. I must admit (though I initially resented the snobbery) that the French really know how to make their wines la meilleure! I was invited to check out the new R Bar at the Renaissance Hotel on Race Course Road, followed by the proverbial tree-lighting. The hotel is now run by a dynamic female GM Sita Lekshmi, and her enthusiasm and hands-on attitude reflects in the revamped hotel. There are more than seven lady GMs in Bangalore alone! Viva-Womanhood! (The writers views are personal)
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