I really wanted to write this for a long time waiting for the right time to start. And today after Shriram called from college saying, ' Bhaiya... today we had a great ASTHA meeting (Amrita Scince and TecHnology Action Forum), everyone spoke so well its was great and we will surely do a lot this semester, miss you!'. Yeah, it had happened, Rajesh Rajan had missed an ASTHA meeting for the first time since its founding a year back. What better time could I choose.
"If life was a long highway and I was in a car driving ahead ,then objects in the rear view mirror will appear closer than they are."
I came to Amrita in 2004 July as a student who aspired to be a Mechanical Engineer. But more than that deep inside I wanted to give a meaning to my life and hence I hence i looked forward to making my stay in Amrita have something more that just a B.Tech and a job in the end.
In school I couldn't do much since I stayed 30 kilometers away and transportation was a big time problem with both parents working (I won't and will never blame them for that). Somehow I got into the school brass band and played Euphonium and Bass. And how did I qualify for that? In 8th grade only I had the strength to carry this huge chunk of metal. So I got to be a part of many beating retreats, went to ambassadors house for dinner and of course, bunked a hell lot of classes and class tests. Got into the football team and basketball team because of my height and speed but couldn't be there for practice (transportation problem). So much of my school life remained dry and when 10th came it was all studies and no play at all. Later on tried my hand with the electric guitar but since it didn't match with my tuition schedule had to stop it soon. But during 12th grade I did enjoy the competition and loved all the subjects and there was nothing more fun than the tuition classes (In Muscat we had only around 20 students in each batch unlike the large batches in India). So 18 years of my life were over and it was nothing more than just repeating a routine again and again. And life in Muscat was closed within the walls of your flat. And if you go out it will be in your car. Never knew the joy of walking with the wind blowing on your face. I was hungry, very hungry for a more soulful life.
And so here is my chance to do something away from the protected cover of my parents which didn't disappear but was always there. I joined college a few days early since my parents had to leave for Muscat early. The parting was indeed tough with everyone crying around you except me. I have this big problem of not being able to cry at the right moment but only a little later. Mom didn't speak anything for two days. But come on, I was just left loose and I am gonna enjoy every bit of it.
Being an NRI was not just a tag but we were different in a few ways from the people in India in a little way (take it in the good sense) as in we haven't faced that much of competition, we missed out a lot on the dynamic life in India and for many NRK's -'enniku korachi korachu malayalam ariyam' (meaning I know little little Malayalam but the way it sounds it means I know barking barking Malayalam, a problem with twisting the tongue) and it was time that I too realized that I was a victim. Since college for first years hadn't started yet I got to have lunch with the seniors and immediately got screwed for my extra terrestrial Malayalam. I realized I didn't know how many districts there were in Kerala, I didn't know from a cars number plate in which district the car was registered, didn't know the names of the rivers in Kerala, didn't know how many alphabets were there in Malayalam, didn't know how many 'beautiful' gals were there in my batch,etc etc. The list goes on and believe me when I say it was very insightful and shocking.
Got to meet very interesting people during my first year. First being the Pilgrimhawk, a person greatly responsible for many of the things I did, I am doing and I will do. He missed out lots during his college years and he made very sure I didn't. There are so many students and staff who have benefited immensely or will be benefiting immensely from what I would say was his PhD thesis-VIDYA (This blog and the others to come will be incomplete without his name, Pilgrimhawk is Ajai sir- Vidya Architect). His life and his work has always been great inspiration for me. He simply lives for what he believes in. Another great person I got to meet was my class adviser and one of the most patient men on earth Dr. Ramesh Kumar. Though I have never been very close to him I have always appreciated his patience and his belief that everything has a solution 'Ninge Kavalapadathu' ('Tension nahi leneka'). Yes, I had this big time stage fear which brought to college fro school and it was high time I accepted I was scared. And I would have ended up carrying it out of college too if it was not for Ambika mam (The lady that could control any mech class). I loved English both as a beautiful language and as a powerful tool. It means a lot to be able to talk to large crowds on a stage or a large gathering and surely there is nothing tough about it just that you need to make an effort. And at times you need that somebody to help you take that effort. Thank you mam. And I loved her attitude towards students, she is fun when we are good and bhadrakali if we show our true colours.
For most of my life I never got a chance to see a true leader in action and it was really amazing being in Amritamayi house under the leadership of Satheesh anna and Deepak anna. I loved the way they took care of us. Their words were strict and caring at the same time. Their attitude was really that showed me a new path in college life and later on they introduced me to Rajesh anna (ironically he was in his 4th yr and I was in my first year). Here was somebody who had excelled in everything be it sports or academics. A guy with an amazing smile and I still remember his words before leaving college, “Da, you have everything that requires to be a leader. Work hard, believe in what you do and I am sure when this Rajesh leaves (himself) another Rajesh will come up.” I wasn't bothered about what the name Rajesh meant but I was sure I knew what a leader meant (I thought I did but there was still so much to learn). On one side I had seniors whom I looked up to and on the other side I had seniors beating me up on false charges that I had said something about their girlfriends (The yin and the yang maybe).
And finally I get a chance to do something. 'Hum Tum'- Its all about us, a program for the first years, by the first years and for the first time. Initiated by our English hod, Dr. Harini Jayaraman, it was the best opportunity we ever got to do something so good. And all those who were a part of Hum Tum ended up being great leaders in the later years of college. So what did I get to do? I got to be in the drama, its called 'Coming Soon – Its Khoon', a murder mystery. Wow! But unfortunately for me, in the very first scene of the drama I get stabbed 48 times without uttering a single word. So much for my my first drama! But I made sure that I did the dying part well and practiced that single scene around 20 times in one short, in the end the guy stabbing got so tired that he called it a day (that guy being Aditya Gurubaxani, one hell of an actor and the villain of this drama). The Hum Tum experience would be incomplete if I didn't introduce Arjun Menon to you. He was the guy behind suggesting my name for the core team and responsible for giving me a chance to learn to be a leader. Thanks buddy. And ofcourse our first year warden, who would kiss most of the guys on their way to college out love and affection (Ahem!), with a sweet name for all his favorite students,"Kanmani" (meaning pearl of my eye).
First year was almost over and I felt great. Made so many friends, went to so many places, did a few things and most importantly I enjoyed whatever I did and was all set to be a senior. Life was totally going to change for me from 2nd year onwards, there were lots of things in store, LOTS!
"Life is a lesson you learn it when you do"
For the past few months its trolling in Kerala, which means that the fishing boats can't go out into the sea for fishing. Now this means that all the fisheterians (hope I spelled it right) are going to find it hard getting what they want. Most of the fish that arrive in the market are not fresh and come from Tamil Nadu. And if you sell fish for a living then during these two or three months you can earn enough to build a brand new house.
