things to do before 30

Snuggled between the curiosity of 16 and adventurous spirit of 17, I stuck a piece of paper on my cupboard, and jotted all the things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 30. 30 back then was as far as I could plan for. It wasn’t just a milestone. It was a dead end. It was where life as I knew ended. And another one began.

Being true to my muddled brain, the master list included adjectives, verbs, life long desires and short-term curiosities. I wanted to start eating breakfast, something I loved skipping as much as early morning showers while growing up. I had to learn to be non-judgemental. I had to be a belly-dancer and a mahout, among others. A decade has passed since then. That paper was unceremoniously removed when I shifted houses and now exists as a fragile, mellow yellow reminder in a handmade file. I had never really forgotten the contents of that paper, but over the years, it became a secret of sorts. In the privacy of Google searches and daydreams, I would plot the budget required for learning belly-dancing in Cairo, search for volunteering options in elephant orphanages and so on. One day, a TV channel approached my boyfriend with a proposition. Ask any question you want to our panel of experts, and they give you an expert opinion. When he asked me what I’d ask, were I in his place, the secret slipped out. “What is the cheapest and best option for me to view whales in the wild?” Rather amused, he did all the research and gave me the answer. He even gave me an estimate and volunteered to come along.

That’s when I came out of the closet. I’m 27 now. For more than a decade have I harboured a loony bunch of dreams I would like to accomplish, like being a belly-dancer, performing magic, gazing wide mouthed at whales in their natural environment, unlike the circus of Ocean Parks.
And suddenly, it seems possible. While I was planning my December date with blue whales, my friend, a serial forwarder, forwarded me an application for a dance fellowship in Istanbul. Kicked by the idea, I applied. And while waiting to hear from them I cried. Working as a journalist gave me no energy to fill out lengthy applications, and I had applied at the cost of work and sanity.
Focus is a strange concept. We are taught to go on doing what we are good at, until we become better and finally start earning money. And the minute you begin to question this bogus concept, you lose focus. While waiting for the fellowships results to come, I actually began doubting myself. Perhaps I was wrong, even delusional to daydream.

Anyway, something proved me wrong. It generally does. (Which is why I’d like to learn to be non-judgemental in this lifetime). I left for Istanbul on 30^th Sept 2009 to join the ‘Fires of Anatolia’, one of the biggest dance troupes in the world for three months. I am leaving 5 kilos overweight and I wish it was the luggage. In my attempt to get a fancy haircut, I chopped off 5 inches of hair and now look like a smart cockatoo. If I touch my toes for more than 10 seconds, it hurts.

This blog hopes to capture my adventures of conquering my list of things to do before hitting 30. The timeframe, I admit, is arbitrary. But then so is my list.

List of things to do before 30 (Please feel free to add to it)

Belly-dancing

See whales in the wild

Be a mahout

Learn to be non-judgemental

Eat breakfast

Read Politics of Sexuality by Foucault

Read some book by Samuel Beckett

Be a fairy