Random Oneliner #5 

A walk in the rain is inspirational. And for the 1st time in this city I enjoyed getting wet. Drenched, to be precise. Maybe because I was walking alone. 

I do like the rain. 

Y: Yes, you know it

You know you're  a hostelite when...

• You believe that more detergent means cleaner clothes.

• You try to find ways of making the hostel food more interesting.

• You glow when you recieve a parcel from home.

• You would eat anything your mother cooks when you get back home.

• Going out to withdraw cash is an event.

• You start comparing prices of  everything you buy.

• Sleep is the biggest luxury of your life.

• A month before  going home, you start counting days.

• You need to 'shotgun' a bathroom every morning.

• You shift places to get the best network.

• All  phone conversations take place in the corridor.

• You periodically   borrow ketchup, pickle, maggi, earphones, shoes, clothes, laptops and everything else from anyone who is willing to share. 

• Your room is sacred. Your bed, even more so. 

You know you're a hostelite when you are a hostelite. Even though we crib, at the end of the day it's not that bad. 

Update: 5.2.2014 I have a guest post by Amateur at this on what you learn when you relocate to a new city and experience hostel life. It's a fun read on gaining independence and learning new things. Read it here  

Q : Queer turn of events

Queer. Interesting. Unpredictable. Memorable. Fun. 

Those are the adjectives I would use for today. We celebrated Traditional day at Sophia Polytechnic, today. We were therefore supposed to dress up in traditional wear. Most of us really made an effort to dress up. After giving a stupid test in the morning, we all hung around; some of us clicking pictures, some of us roaming around. At 1, the whole polytechnic assembled at the basketball court( or should I call it the temporary dance floor?) And danced like crazy. It was so much fun! At three, 5 of us left to watch Barfi. A lovely movie, no doubt.

But here comes the queer part. As soon as the movie got over, it started raining. Cats and dogs and bulls and cows. There was no way we could step out of the mall without being drenched. Three of us are  hostel-ites and  have a curfew and  had to reach our hostel soon. So we braved the rain and set out. And got drenched immediately  Now we had to look for a cab. Four- five cabbies refused us before one guy agreed to take us to our destination. 

We had a lot of traffic. And then the cabbie decided to drop us half way because the place was flooded. So we waded through water; not knowing where the footpath is; almost tripping. Holding hands, we walked through muck. Wondering whether to giggle or whine. Thank God, we reached our hostel in time. 

We rushed to the common room, kept dinner for ourselves and went for a shower. And now here I am. In the common room. Blogging. Surfing the net. Craving for a hot mug of coffee. 

Yes, It has been a day to remember. The day we dressed up, danced and got drenched. 

I: It is not that tough

It’s the weekend and I have a lot to do.  Journals to complete, pending work to be done. And I am feeling lazy about it all. Such a long week and such a short weekend.

In the hostel we can’t fully enjoy the luxury of not having to wake up early for class. If we don’t want to be cribbing of hunger, we need to wake up and keep breakfast for ourselves. What I usually do is, get up at 8; keep breakfast; brush my teeth and then sleep for another hour or so. It’s luxury, interrupted.

My roommate Tallu is up early on a Saturday, for the first time. She has to go to her piano class; which was rescheduled. It was my duty to wake her up at eight. I attempted. Let’s just say that her bed loves her too much; it doesn’t want to let go.

I am sitting on my bed; trying to decide what time I should start working. To post this I will have to go to the common room and connect a wire to my laptop; only then will I get access to the net. My bottle of water is empty. I will get up soon to fill it; again in the common room. And now I have finished my breakfast and I have to wash my plate.  I have to go to the common room. It’s inevitable.

Even though we crib about it, it’s convenient. The hostel, that is. No travelling, three meals a day. And compared to the other accommodation  options it’s pretty reasonable.  I can live with that. It has been four months, already. Next month we have exams. When I gave my C.U finals in April I had assumed that those were the last exams I was going to give, ever. Look at me now, giving exams again. Life can’t be predicted, can it?

In April next year, I will be leaving for home again. It seems a long way off now, but it isn’t really. Before I will know it, it will be April. I wonder who  I will miss. I wonder WHAT I will miss.

It’s almost the end of the year too. One more week of September and then October. The festive season. If I was in Calcutta, I would have been gearing up for Puja. My friends would have been telling me what new clothes they have bought. Lanes would have been partially blocked as labourers constructed elaborate pandals. Right after Durga Puja, Diwali arrives. This year, both are late.

It’s not yet the end of the year and I am reflecting on how 2012 flew by. April 2012 and September 2012 don’t seem like months apart, they seem like years apart. Was it this year that I gave my exams? Was  it only this year that I graduated? It seems like long ago. August seems long ago while December seems so close by. Why is that?

I have decided not to worry about the future anymore. It’s not worth it. Late realisation, I know. But better late than never, they say. One day at a time. I will keep reminding that to myself.  Taking this challenge helps. One letter at a time and I will get there. I know I will.  

F: Familiarity

Familiarity becomes important when you are away from home. There are so many places in Mumbai that remind of Calcutta.  There is this whole stretch of road near CST station which looks like central avenue. Then there is this road near Churchgate area which looks like Maidan area in Calcutta. Colaba Causeway reminds me of Gariahat. The buildings look like old Calcutta but when I go there I feel as if I have come to Gariahat. 

Maybe someone else won't see the similarity between Gariahat and Colaba. We tend to see what we want to see. The connect to our old life. That something that reminds us of home. 

Most of us want the comfort of the known. And why not? It's easier, right? I find it easier to cope in a new environment when I have atleast something of my old life with me. Its a comfort to know that my cousin V lives in Andheri. If I would have been at another place I would have somehow found someone familiar. I think my parents know someone or the other in most cities in India. Which seems like a kind of blessing, now. 

When I go back to Calcutta after my course is over, things won't be the same. Too much has changed. I have changed. I know I can't go back to my old routine. Four months away from home and I know that when I go back to Calcutta I will look at it with new eyes. Things will seem different. Maybe not as familiar. 

I think it's not about the city. It's not about the oh-so-known lanes and bylanes. Because one can easily familiarize oneself with any place you are living. Breach Candy, Andheri is as as familar to me as New Alipore or Exide area is. It's about the people. The people you  care about and love. When I say I miss Calcutta, I don't miss the city per se. I miss the people I love. If they were someplace else, it would not matter whether my hometown was Calcutta or Timbuktu. 

It feels good when I pass by a place that reminds me of another place. It brings back memories. It makes me feel more at home. And more then anything it reminds me of the fact that all places are ultimately the same. It is the people  that matter. 

New in town

Calcutta is my hometown. And the place I have lived in for ages. But now I am in  Mumbai for a year. I am pretty excited and I think I am gonna like it here. I like the weather already! It is certainly better than the sticky humidity of the City of Joy. (Not very joyful right now) 


So here I am in Mumbai. The Big M. New in town.