THE YEAR IN REVIEW:

My year in review....2005...wow, it really flew by! This New Year's I won't be dancing though, but that's okay. It's been pretty much decided that the prosthesis I had will no longer fit, and it's almost definite that I'll have to get a new leg. Where the money for that will come from, I'm not sure. But, God always provides. So, back to my original thought: the blessings of 2005.

January: Hm....gosh, it seems so far away; I was busy learning how to drive a stick-shift on the opposite side of the road! Hahaha...and I was pulled over by the police for the first time in my life for driving down High Street. I almost fell in the Thames checking those bloody polecat/ferret traps. I got to see the pretty English country-side in snow.

February: Still working on those ferrets, and sang in the Tsunami Relief event. I sang the Indonesian national song. I still remember all the words, even now.

Indonesia, tanah air beta, pusaka abadi nan jayah
Indonesia, seh jak dulu kala, selahlu di puja puja bangsah
Di sana tempat lahir beta, Di buyai di besarkan bunda
Tempat buhlin dung di hari tua, sumpai air menutup matah

March: In despair after only catching 1 ferret and realizing I was up a creek without a paddle on this one as I began to write up my first thesis. Yikes! And, my sister visited me for the week in March. I got to introduce her to all my friends and classmates. I think she was a hit! I drove Imelda to the JR where we got a tour of the maternity ward and told what the child birth would be like (boy, were they wrong!)!!!

April: Handed in my thesis, next week my parents arrived in London. I got to show them around the city, and they eventually got to Oxford for a couple of days. Introduced them to most of my friends from India and they got to celebrate Saranya's birthday with all of us. I remember going pram shopping to Mothercare with Saranya....we couldn't decide...and then bought all these toys too. The bus ride home was hilarious, and the walk back to Linacre was great....every bump I hit, I heard, "be careful of the baby!" HA! The party in the Common Room for Imelda and Saranya.

May: I started prepping for my avian malaria research, going out and setting up traps, and eventually trapping. For the longest time I caught absolutely nothing, except two Anopheles plumbeus females, the species I really wasn't looking for. Sigh...I had some help, Jenny and Jaci came out, and I practiced dissecting any insect I could. I had my 23rd birthday away from my twin, but didn't feel lonely. I had some awesome surprises from my friends, and a great party with my Oxford 'family.' But the best early birthday present of all was I became "Auntie Rach" to little Arvinoxa Rabbanibrata Furqon, or Oxa as well all called him. Julia and I were Imelda's birth partners, and it was such an honour and a privilege to be a part of bringing little Oxa into the world.

June: June brought long days in the field checking and setting mossie traps. My first time punting, where I fell in the river....not on purpose, like Vedanta, but because the bloody punt broke! ; ) Ed pulled me out of the water, while the other guys stood there laughing. Oh well....one of my 'graceful' moments, I'm so notorious for! I cooked dinner with Julia almost every night, especially during her exam times. We were pretty lonely without Imelda and the 'cats' had taken over her kitchen! June, also brought Skomer Island, where I got to hold baby puffins, baby sea gulls, and hatching eggs. It was beautiful, isolated, and I loved it. I came back browner than I have ever been....Jenny, Mitts and I attempted swimming....but the 12 - 14 degree water (that's around 40 F I think) deterred us. I got my 'feet' wet. The beginning of June brought Stuti's birthday and our Bollywood Bop party. We danced for sooo long!

July: July brought the end of my fieldwork, and in the last week, I finally caught a bunch of mossies. Finally. After switching locations in the woods, again almost falling into the Thames, and still driving (much better I might add). July brought Julia's graduation, long hours for me dissecting mossies in the lab, Cait's second visit for two weeks. We went to Ireland for the first time for 4 days and it was wonderful! I drank a pint of Guinness and then a pint of Murphy's Stout one night, and topped it off with some Bailey's (Cait's idea!). It was beautiful, and a good time with my sis. Cricket was in full swing, and I went to all the mini-World Cup matches. I fell in love with cricket this month. Megan went home to South Africa....the first of many sad good-byes.

August: More cricket! I wrote my last thesis in the final hours.....had some help from Nick and Jaci and managed to rewrite the entire results/discussion sections after some last minute stats changes. More punting with Jaci and Shreya, and Vedanta going in again after Sri pushed him in. Punted with Julia too, singing Danny Boy while we crashed into the bushes....got attacked by a swan too.....Jul's sad farewell.

September: punting with Imelda and Oxa. Spending the night at Shreya's more than once, watching tons of old Bollywood movies....played for India in the Linacre-India cricket match...well, 'played'....fielded....rather poorly I should add! But, oh well...it was lots of fun! Gave a poster presentation....sat my viva. Passed! Passed! More sad good-byes with classmates and friends. Our last class-night together, I wore my Indonesian dress from Imelda. Mitashi left first...others quickly followed. Said good-bye to my neighbour, Mamie from Pakistan. She offered me a lot of wisdom and encouragement. Imelda went home with Furqon and Oxa to Indonesia. I cried so much that day. She kept calling me and texting me while at the airport.....the last call we both sounded very teary. See, Imelda was my closest friend at Oxford....we became fast friends the first day we met. We were part of the Abraham gang: Saranya, Imelda, me and Julia. I can remember the early months of my time in Oxford, with Imelda trying to find me a man...."new term, new man!" she'd say. ; ) When she left, it felt like it was just Shreya and me left. Hiromi and I had dinner a lot in those last days in the Abraham building. Neha came to visit, and we stayed up all night packing her up and crashing at Shreya's. Lots of tears passed that morning she went back to Switzerland.

October: Hm....October 1, the day will live on in infamy. Well, not really. I graduated! I had a fun party at Saranya's new place, and....I had my first ever trip to the ER! I dislocated my knee....and I made a big spectacle of myself too, I think. I think Manjari and Saranya later said I sounded like a dying elephant when they gave me the gas. Anyways, I survived....and thankfully, everyone else did too. I stayed with Manjari for the next 4 days, and that was wonderful for me to finally get some time with her! I had lots of visitors too before I left. I didn't get to say good-bye to everyone I wanted too. I never saw Fatima or Hiromi. Sad sad leaving, lots of melodrama at the airport, but I made it on the plane, seriously only because I had Saranya there with me. I don't know how I could ever repay everyone's kindness to me, or place a value on the friendships I made in Oxford. I can't, only to say that they will be forever remembered and treasured, and hopefully friends will be seen again. I still have my cast that everyone signed! Made it home in one piece to Virginia. Cait came down, and wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, my brother Jared, even gave up a weekend with his girlfriend to come see me (for 18 hours tops...). ; ) Came and went from Boston, was fitted with a knee brace.

November: Back up in Boston area, staying with my Mom's brother and his family. Having a nice time catching up with the little ones around, helping with homework and finally started physio. Doing mad work with exercises and weights. The doc called my leg jelly....imagine that ; ) So, that's when the weight work began in earnest. Thanksgiving up at Auntie Shaune's and saw the whole 'Mansfield' clan, except for my own family. It was also the hardest month, in that I lost my special dog, Gussie. I never got to say good-bye. She was 13, and we grew up together. She was always my buddy, and she was a great friend. I loved her so much.

December: I was given the green-light to put on my prosthesis, only to find it was too small. Even after all residual swelling was gone, I couldn't squeeze it on, despite a very painful, and determined attempt at putting it on at therapy. I think I scared the therapist and my Aunt, when I put all my weight on that leg, trying to just get the bloody thing on. Didn't work. Went to Maine for the weekend with my Auntie Sue and Deanna. It was beautiful and the respite I needed for a bit. Was feeling pretty lonely for my friends and family.

Last week of the year: Christmas came and I spent Christmas Eve at Nana's, and went to Catholic mass with her and my Auntie Shaune, Uncle John and Emily. It was alright, I'm not Catholic, so couldn't participate in the Communion. It was so hot in that church and the lady who sang, oh Sweet Jesus....It was all I could do to keep from laughing or cringing in pain as she went way, and I mean way, off-key. Christmas breakfast back at my Uncle Keith's and dinner at Auntie Shaune's. The 26th, my sis and Mom arrived for a visit! Yeah! My Dad, unfortunately was down with a sinus infection and having problems with his breathing machine for the severe sleep apnea he has. Had a nice time staying at Nana's with Mom. Wednesday saw the whole clan together again at Nana's. I had a lot of fun that night, and a few too many beers. Mom had a lot of wine and she and my uncle started laughing....and let's just say that when my Mom laughs, she sets off a ripple effect and gets us all going. It was soon discovered that I too can laugh like my Mom, and eventually I got a major case of the giggles and couldn't stop. Everyone started teasing me! Oh well. My cousin Andrew was like, "Wow! England was really good for ya, it got ya to loosen up a little, finally!" I think I scared Nana. Anyways, today had therapy, worked with the big weights, 8 lbs, woo-hoo! I have another Doc appointment in January, and an appointment with a prosthetist to get an eval done on whether my current leg can be adjusted or whether I need a new one. Tomorrow, New Year's Eve, I've been slated to babysit my cousin Emily at Nana's house. Tonight, my last night with Cait, we're here at my Uncle's watching the kids, Dee and Ryan while they're away for the night. Fun times....I finally ate some spicy food!!! Green Thai curry! The Boston side of my family shies completely away from any spice whatsoever....I've been dying up here! Anyways, I need to get some sleep....Cait and Mom leave very early tomorrow morning, and I want to be up to say good-bye. I was hoping for time with them to myself, but that never happend. Oh well. I'm looking forward to what 2006 will bring me....who knows....I just have my sights set on the horizon.