Happy New Year from Goa Streets!
Goa Streets takes this opportunity to wish all our readers a very happy New Year! We hope you enjoy our lively and entirely honest offerings in the New Year’s Special Edition of Goa Streets, from our no-holds-barred Year in Review to our listings of top New Year’s Eve parties and brunches to our Mind, Body & Soul stories on diabetes and mental health. This is a wonderful time of year in Goa, and not just because the cool, breezy weather and the buzz on the beach. It’s also because of the sense of joy and optimism in the air. True, challenges abound. From figuring out how to get the tourism sector back on track to reining in the ominous garbage menace in the state, Goa has much work to do. But for now, let us take a deep breath and savour the moment. Let us remember that there is much to be grateful for, and that we are all recipients of a great allowance – the gift of life.
The world is a dangerous and complicated place. For many, the blessings of prosperity, meaning, happiness and even love are but a distant dream. But these days are a time for celebration and renewal, and they are to be embraced. The internal journey is no less important than the one on the outside. It’s a new year, a new beginning, and an opportunity to break out of the constraints that keep us from attaining our potential. And this New Year in Goa, let us think also about the world beyond ourselves. Our planet is in grave danger, according to every credible scientist in the world. Income inequality is on the rise throughout the globe, and India is helping to write the book on injustices of every kind – from female infanticide to corrupt governance to rising incidences of rape to child labour to the ubiquitous trampling of human rights and dignity. And yet, in this land of stunning contradictions and unbreakable family and community ties, we see so many flashes of light.
As we wrote in last week’s edition, the ultimate meaning of Christmas is that a better world is possible. That is the meaning of a messiah. That is the hope of the ages. And that is our wish for all of us in 2015 and beyond.
Happy New Year from Goa Streets!
The Goa Streets Team
