GOING OUT WITH A BANG
Story: Mastura Tasnim
Art: E R Ronny
New Year's Eve is up ahead. And although you want to pretend it doesn't matter and that the passing of time from one period to another is of no importance to you, inevitably, you'll surrender to the voice inside you which wants to throw a party worthy of being compared to one of Stifler's. And if you're in doubt and not sure if it's going to be 'legend-wait-for-it-dary' then as always, RS is here for you.
Food. Lots and lots of food.
They say the secret to a man's heart is good food, but they're wrong. The secret to ANY heart is a yummy, warm meal. You know the butterflies people keep talking about? They don't exist. It's just people's way of saying they want more of that chocolate soufflé before the date ends.
So be smart. Have loads of delicious food at your party and make sure no one has to ask for a refill. We prefer grilled chicken and cake. Or grilled chicken cake.
Music. The weird kind.
The music you play at the party has to be music you'd never listen to if you're alone, not even if that's the only music available for miles. This includes artists like Nickelback, Taio Cruz, Black Eyed Peas. Don't get us wrong - these aren't 'bad' music, but hardly soothing, solitary tracks. Slip in one Radiohead or two to balance the beats, hire a sound system if you don't have one and you should be good to go.
Video games, for the shy ones. Or the ones who just love video games.
FIFA is more attractive, and ultimately more satisfying, than opposite gender attentions. It is a known. So if you have an Xbox or PS3, hallelujah! Make sure you have enough controllers though. And maybe running commentary about how awful that piece of play was.
It's only apt that you set up a tiny gaming zone in your living room before throwing the party…
To the roof. Or the garden.
There's something about the great cosmos that makes you feel unbelievably humble yet strangely alive. For thousands of years, people looked up at the starry night sky and pondered about the mystery of life. For thousands of years, they have been denied an answer and thus they have proceeded to bite down on their charred meat instead.
We figured if life is short, so we better eat up. That is the perfect setting for a New Year's Eve party, especially since we survived the apocalypse and all.
Fuel, fire and that which you desire.
Nothing brings out the inner romantic like a blazing fire on a winter night, or the burst of fireworks high up in the sky. But let that fire get a little leeway, and what you thought was the centrepiece of your amazing party will soon turn out to be a massive disaster. Unless you're an expert at lighting bonfires and starting fire-crackers, and have a working fire extinguisher, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. We're sure your friends would like to greet the new year with their eyebrows relatively intact. Speaking of friends…
Invite lots of them.
A party is nothing without its people, so make sure all your friends drop whatever plans they have to join you as you dance much like George of the Jungle. In Bangladesh, plus ones have plus ones, so remember to always expect more than double the people you invited. Go crazy with your friend list. Invite the social butterflies, the dorks, the musicians, the artists and most importantly - invite the whackjob. You need someone to liven up the party and unless you're the crazy person in your friend circle, make sure to drag the crazy person along.
Crazy people aside, keep the fun clean. 2012 seems to be leaving in quite a hurry, and we at RS feel a little shaken at how fast time flew by. In this constantly revolving planet, we waste however many seconds on trivial things and sometimes forget that the most important things in life are often the most apparent. Like spending a day with your family. Or hanging out with your closest friends. Happiness, more or less, is just a change in perspective. We hope 2013 brings a lot more perspective into your life. On that note, we sign off. Farewell 2012.
