I love those random thoughts that occupy my mind when I walk to or from work these days. Today it was the “New International students – check-in” sign that caught my attention and the chain of thoughts that rolled on until I reached home. I suddenly realized I have been here so long.
It has been a year and 10 days almost since I landed in the land of opportunities, or so everyone says! I remember walking around campus for the first time from B’s place where I was staying for few days until I moved into my permanent housing. B very clearly had drawn a rough map, giving the layout of the campus area in a very simple sketch that was of immense help. It was a 5 minute walk she assured me and too simple to get lost. Anyway the place would be swarming with students and I can be assured that they will help me through the way. B ended up dropping me in their car to the orientation hall. I distinctly remember forgetting my folder in the back seat and running behind the car screaming her name. Thankfully she saw me and handed the folder. Must have thought I am a very responsible girl :)
Yeah coming back to the “New International students – check-in” sign. I was all so excited last year this time, getting royally treated to free cookies* and above all felt great to be a student again!!! I saw a couple of students pouring over the campus maps pointing here and there and deciding which one of them had mastered the route better. I remember doing all that! I was (and still am!) so proud of the fact that I never once felt lost in this campus. If I wanted to go to a building I went straight there without any deviations from the shortest known path. Silly maybe, but I loved playing guide to my friends that lacked some sense of direction :) I remember the first week when I used to bring some of my friends to my ‘temp-acco’ and treat them to idli, dosa with the batter my host prepared in case I was hungry when she was not home. I am so thankful to my hosts for all that they did. I never felt homesick during my stay there, although I missed being in a place like Chennai :) Somehow those days are still so fresh in my mind, I can almost remember every single thing I did, the way I felt about everything around me, I had an opinion (in my mind) about everything I saw and almost always compared it all to life in India. However I never felt a sense of new found freedom, maybe because I had enough freedom even back in India to do as I wished. :)
It has been a year and 10 days almost since I landed in the land of opportunities, or so everyone says! I remember walking around campus for the first time from B’s place where I was staying for few days until I moved into my permanent housing. B very clearly had drawn a rough map, giving the layout of the campus area in a very simple sketch that was of immense help. It was a 5 minute walk she assured me and too simple to get lost. Anyway the place would be swarming with students and I can be assured that they will help me through the way. B ended up dropping me in their car to the orientation hall. I distinctly remember forgetting my folder in the back seat and running behind the car screaming her name. Thankfully she saw me and handed the folder. Must have thought I am a very responsible girl :)
Yeah coming back to the “New International students – check-in” sign. I was all so excited last year this time, getting royally treated to free cookies* and above all felt great to be a student again!!! I saw a couple of students pouring over the campus maps pointing here and there and deciding which one of them had mastered the route better. I remember doing all that! I was (and still am!) so proud of the fact that I never once felt lost in this campus. If I wanted to go to a building I went straight there without any deviations from the shortest known path. Silly maybe, but I loved playing guide to my friends that lacked some sense of direction :) I remember the first week when I used to bring some of my friends to my ‘temp-acco’ and treat them to idli, dosa with the batter my host prepared in case I was hungry when she was not home. I am so thankful to my hosts for all that they did. I never felt homesick during my stay there, although I missed being in a place like Chennai :) Somehow those days are still so fresh in my mind, I can almost remember every single thing I did, the way I felt about everything around me, I had an opinion (in my mind) about everything I saw and almost always compared it all to life in India. However I never felt a sense of new found freedom, maybe because I had enough freedom even back in India to do as I wished. :)
* I didn’t eat many cookies, it took a year to realize that its ok to be shameless when it comes to free food for students!
(Written Sept 8th 2008)
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2 comments:
Great post to read! like your style!
:) Thanks!
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