And the world gets ready for New Year

31^st December has become almost like an official day of complete partying and legitimate drinking. The night is like the whole world is on a high, a big adrenaline drive. Little wonder then that hotels are making merry, charging exorbitant rates for rooms, F&B. Youngsters going out of cities, in most of the places need to shell out payment for two nights stay – or else no rooms! And if you choose to stay home, watch TV or follow your routine and hit bed at the usual time, your are sure to be labelled, "Oh what a bore!"

The scene in Goa on these two nights, or rather the entire last one week of December is unbelievable. Room rates there are so expensive that many people take to sleeping on footpaths; yes, you will find a lot of free boarders like these, with their sleeping bags and other stuff, sleeping on the footpaths. For this state, though it might be the best time of the year to make money through hotels, booz and tourism, for the residents there, it is a nightmare. Goa has hired an agency to rework on its branding and change in image. Hope in 2014, we see a new Goa and not just a destination for liquor, drugs and sleaze.

For many, 31^st Dec is just a another day on the calendar; one month ends and the other begins as they argue, nothing really changes from 31^st night to 1^st Jan. Well, nothing happens overnight but the change in the calendar brings a sense of hope that 2014 will be much better; it might not bring greater happiness but people hope that at least there would be no new sorrows.

Yes, the entire world lives on hope and this 31^st night is, in a sense, celebration of these hopes. Have a safe night!