Halfway into the first month of the year and we’re still wishing each other a Happy New Year. I was done and dusted by 1^st January 9.43pm but I guess that’s just me. I guess because I worked over the festive period the transition into the New Year wasn’t worth a special amount of attention. Maybe. Or I’m just the Scrooge of New Year or something.

Having said that, the Kenyan in us suddenly wakes up and starts coveting diaries and calendars. My Dad used to get calendars printed many years ago and gave them to customers and staff alike. Being a photographer most of these said calendars had animals on them or panoramic scenes of around and about Kenya. Kenyatta International Conference Centre was a strong favourite as well.

Dad would always get asked, ‘Singh! Wapi karendah?!’ and Dad would gladly hand over rolls of calendars held together with brown rubber bands to anyone who would ask. It became a family joke and we’d always ask Dad for calendars. I think he caught on after we’d giggle like mad when we’d have 9 Kodak Colour calendars cellotaped to our walls. Good memories!

Now days I don’t hound my Dad for diaries or calendars. I shamelessly ask our boss. Actually I don’t even ask. I give him a guilt trip that nobody loves me and I have nowhere to write my New Year resolutions (which I don’t have) and the least he can do is give me a nice fancy diary if he’s not going to quadruple my salary. Mr Vidyarthi is a thorough gentleman. He’s probably going to be asked ‘Wapi diary?’ once I admit this but he did send me the most beautiful journal AND he had it personalised for me with name on it.

I love it to bits. I loved entering in my personal details, checked when my birthday is this year (it’s on a Thursday, just in case you’re curious), entered everyone else’s birthdays that I know of (you see, not everyone is on Facebook so there are some birthdays you HAVE TO remember or there will be manenos!) and also the kids school calendar has also been entered in neatly. Whenever I get a new diary or a journal I always buy a new pen to go with it. I love pens and must have over hundreds of them. From the posh Mont Blanc engraved with my Dad’s name that he gifted me as a present when I started writing for the Star right down to the Speedo and everything in between, I just love the pens I have. (Another gift idea for you to give me besides shoes and handbags…)

Despite having a posh iPhone and iPad with a really fancy calendar that remembers everything for you and also appropriately reminds you, I still have the habit of writing important things down. I feel if I haven’t written it, I will never remember it and that’s true. I also have the bad habit of writing reminders on my palm and wrist with a pen; something I tell my kids off for doing if they write on themselves, but hey! I’m the Mummy! I’m allowed. Because I said so.

So just in case you haven’t got your 2011 diary or calendar, don’t fret. I’ve got mine and you don’t need to worry about anything else.

Happy New Year if you’re still wishing everyone that!!