2011: Wish bone

Celebrities all around Pakistan pray for the country’s prosperity in the upcoming year.

The last ten seconds to midnight resonate an audible change, fireworks crackle through a moon lit sky and everyone from young to old across the globe look dreamy eyed at the bright shining sky revising their basic count in reverse — you know it’s that time of the year again. Unlike Cinderella in the fairy tale story, the clock’s major embark will not miraculously change your horse ride carriage to a pumpkin cart, nor will your chauffeur magically transform to a trail of mice and neither will your ball gown turn to tatters in a matter or seconds. Instead the event marks an essential change in the calendar, and while some might enact indifference to the change, others use the opportunity to symbolize the beginning of a new and more promising tomorrow.

31st December marks a resolute by change of time. While celebrities greet their fans with holiday wishes on Twitter before taking off to a New Year’s party, others take time out to recuperate and revive their spirits from a long stressful year. However, one commonality that aligns everyone rich, poor, international, domestic, famous and low key is that one split second where each one of us closes our eyes and mutters a prayer that inevitably begins the same way, “I WISH…”

From gadgets and gizmos to glitz and glamour, we all have a secret list of wants; whether it’s an eternal urge to have a model like figure or an endless search of long lost love-we all have to have something more.

With Kashmiri Chai, hot chocolate, snuggly blankets and the cold winter spell, this is definitely God’s busiest time of the year. So let’s take a look at the hot and happening wishes for 2011.

Arieb Azhar, singer

To live and let live, throughout Pakistan (for everyone)

Frieha Altaf, Designer and Event Manager

My wish is for Peace health and prosperity for Pakistan. 2010 was a very bad year for Pakistan.

I want to see a change! We may not have a Quaid around us but who is to say he is not in school or college right now.

It would be great to see a great leader emerge

Tapu Javeri, Photographer

I want a sponsor for my books. I plan to at least come out with two more books this year

Shallum Xavier, Musician

Two wishes, one is that these 30 year old politicians should vanish from this face of the earth and new people must come in their place. Second wish is to have less news channels from these 50 odd ones, only two should remain.

Amir Zaki, Singer

Two wishes, I hope we get peace in the city of Karachi and in the country Pakistan. Second wish, I really want to settle down and that is a personal wish.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2011.