With the year 2016 right at our doorstep, we can’t help but marvel at how quickly time has passed by. Three new Iphones came out, Donald Trump is standing for president, Bruce Jenner is now Caitlyn and what is the deal with these hover boards all the kids are raving about?
For some, the year 2015 brought happiness and prosperity but for others it brought loss and despair. But the good thing about time is that no matter how hard it is, it is bound to pass by. In this spirit we decided to hit university grounds and find out how people were planning on spending New Year’s Eve this year!
After discovering that most people were either going for vacation or had already left, we decided to take a poll about what people staying back in Karachi were doing. The results were quite predictable, typical of how we would expect Karachiites to spend any celebration.
As a Karachiite, I am totally over the fascination we once had over Dolmen Mall. Yes, it is technically the coolest mall, and it does have all the name brand stores we fawn over, but is that reason enough to make it the most popular NYE’s spot? Well, yeah. What attracts people to dolmen is not just the shopping but the ambience of festivity around the mall.
Unlike many malls in Pakistan, Dolmen has always gone all out for holidays, be it Christmas, Eid, Black Friday or Ramadan. Not constricted by religious barriers, it provides entertainment in the form of games, flash mobs, giveaways, fireworks and crazy sales!
Dinner with friends and family is what I’ll be doing this year as well. Picking a nice restaurant, wearing fancy clothes and enjoying a good meal is on the top of my ‘fun-things-to-do-list’. You can never go wrong with this option as a good time is guaranteed. Most restaurants in town offer great deals and a very festive atmosphere which is bound to make your NYE enjoyable, if not amazing.
Now for the lucky few of us who are cool enough to be invited to a private party with music, food, drinks, dance and fireworks, well, I don’t need to elaborate on how much fun that will be. Even though the parties aren’t usually on a very large scale, if anyone knows how to throw a good party, it’s the good people of Karachi.
Unfortunately, amongst the few people I asked, some of them were unlucky enough to have exams right after New Year’s. For us med students, staying at home during many festivities is nothing out of the ordinary. Be it family weddings, birthdays, group hangs, we have skipped them all. But there is something rather tragic about welcoming the New Year with their heads in books. So, from one med student to another, go out. Have fun. Exams are a part of our life and we will have to sacrifice many occasions to save our asses from failing. But missing out on too many things will make you depressed and make university seem like a burden.
So for all of you out there, Happy New Year in advance! May this year bring you prosperity and success!