The privilege of upbringing oneself in the midtowns which looked so fascinating till the age of 16, gets a new meaning once you are out of the home. Ones capabilities to perform better brings hopes in home and motivates a teenage kid to pursue education and makes him leave the house for higher education. There begins the era of hostel life. I have lived 6 years of hostel life and I feel its a phase of life which has so much in it that, whatever we are is mainly shaped up because of this phase called "Hostel life". I really pity those who never had one.
Walking up early Saturday morning classes, tasty food whenever we are hungry, fresh and clean clothes, clean rooms, self defense etc etc. There are many more things like these which we take for granted if you live with parents. But, once you are in hostel, everything changes. You realize to keep alarm when you miss a class. You understand the importance of washing clothes when you realize all are dirty and you have to meet someone. You realize importance of food, when you are hungry and thing in your plate is so disgusting that you break down. Hostel teaches you many more things. It teaches you how to manage your hunger in just 5Rs when you are out of money. It teaches you how to save your ass from seniors and harassing. It teaches you how to defend yourself when people try to make fun of you. It teaches you all the vulgars and when not to use them :) It teaches you the value of family, the world we miss, the blood we belong to. Most importantly, it teaches you what is FRIENDSHIP.
Explaining Aishwarya Rai's figure when you are missing your home, singing songs, telling jokes to tuf seniors at night 1 o clock(ragging), bribing seniors with sweets your mom has sent, writing records etc etc. It started to me with incidents like this and ended as me stepping into seniors shoe. All these things ends up with you meeting up with friends forever. ALL IZZ WELL. Stealing coconuts from trees in midnight, fighting with warden, ragging junis, watching cricket match in 19" TV with 200 people, joking about 35+15 in exams. Everyone sure would have gone through this cycle.
I started living in hostel at the age of 16 and I am away from house from past 9 years. I entered as an innocent, mollycoddled, childish, naive, fragile and gullible kid. These 9 years have been a very fascinating journey. This has made be sophisticated, self sustaining, matured, cautious, sturdy and courageous. This is the split personality which I think everybody goes through. We all have a child inside which refuses to grow, which has small craziness, which is mischievous. This child is shadowed by the second personality called adulthood, attitude, personality and ambitions. I think we all have a split personality.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The making of entity called Adarsh
Everybody writes blog. God, I want mine too. Once a trend, later a cliche, now a hobby. Its high time I start as I have lots of things to say. Always.I will start of with a KISS(keeping it simple and stupid).
I consider myself extremely fortunate and poised to be born to wonderful parents. I did my education mid towns amidst the evergreen forest. If you see google map, these are the areas which look most green and dense, probably next to amazon forest. Walking to school in heavy rain with umbrella getting upside down, getting drenched in rain, bites from leeches. Seeing the blood and not feeling scared made me feel like SUPERMAN. Few times there were incidents of getting weeks of holiday because of heavy rain and God SUN showing mercy on us next day, so that we can play cricket whole week.
I had nephritis, a disease in which kidney fails to filter blood. The albumin in the blood was high and I was deteriorating when I was just 4 year toddler. I was not even supposed to eat even salt. I spent 4th year of my life sleeping in hospital, having bitter medicine, eating blunt food. If I look back, that was one of the worst days of my life, troubling everybody, living on the brim of life and death. Things changed slowly and I am what I am now.Because of all these, my upbringing happened in most delicate and fragile way. Maid who used to take care of me started calling me "ADARSHI" and hence "ASHI". Things got better and better and I did my first travel without my parents to "CHITRADURGA forts" when I was in class 5.
Since, my native is a village called "HOSAAGRAHARA", I always had the privilege to visit areca nut plantation, paddy fields, eat fresh guava, mango,"pannirle", "bemmerle", "neerle" and many more of that kind directly from the plant. How often and how many of us gets to do that? The river TUNGA is just 3 kms from my home and I still can't swim. I kinda regret that. My grandfather was a man of stories. He had his own stories, courage to fight, man of words. His stories are his own creations and concept of listening to stories in episodes was familiar to me from those days. There were stories of "SHEKH MAHARAJA", "Kutugummana Hakki" and many more which used to run for weeks together without commercial break. He had daily routine of mixing the cow dung in his hand for bio-fuel tank we had and ask for shake hand after that(without washing the hand) to all his grandsons. Only AJAY(cousin) dared to touch his hands.He had diabetes and he broke his leg. I still remember holding his broken thigh in my right hand, when my father ran to look for doctor. I was just 8 year old and I still remember the red eyes of my grandfather in pain, but solid as rock to hold the nerve. This mishap led to the tragedy.
He passed away when I was 10. I was not matured enough to get gloomy. It was kind of fun for all grand children. It was first and last time we all met and spend some 10 days playing. I think it is one of the most exciting and memorable days amongst my cousins. Ajay's stories of making sweets, walking 4kms in night, playing with "MINUKIN HULA" (a kind of insect which emits light), a visit to ALEMANE for unlimited sugar cane juice, playing in sand of tunga river.
When I was 7 year old, my mother told me about how exciting a baby can be and that was very impressive. I immediately wanted one boy to play with me. I got my brother few months later and that was all excitement. I used to feed him, bathe him, drop him to school, play cricket inside house with him. If you have a sibling who is 8 year younger, you can make him do all the things you missed and see the happiness in his face and enjoy.
I strongly believe that growing in midtown is the best thing a child can expect. You get to own a complete cricket ground you are playing. You can go to school by walk. You know everybody and everybody knows you. You go to village to spend your vacation doing all the crazy things which a city boy can just dare to dream. You learn about plants and animals by getting affected by them. You learn laws of nature by experience. Its been a long journey for me from small town in MALNAD to downtowns in US.
To be continued.....
I consider myself extremely fortunate and poised to be born to wonderful parents. I did my education mid towns amidst the evergreen forest. If you see google map, these are the areas which look most green and dense, probably next to amazon forest. Walking to school in heavy rain with umbrella getting upside down, getting drenched in rain, bites from leeches. Seeing the blood and not feeling scared made me feel like SUPERMAN. Few times there were incidents of getting weeks of holiday because of heavy rain and God SUN showing mercy on us next day, so that we can play cricket whole week.
I had nephritis, a disease in which kidney fails to filter blood. The albumin in the blood was high and I was deteriorating when I was just 4 year toddler. I was not even supposed to eat even salt. I spent 4th year of my life sleeping in hospital, having bitter medicine, eating blunt food. If I look back, that was one of the worst days of my life, troubling everybody, living on the brim of life and death. Things changed slowly and I am what I am now.Because of all these, my upbringing happened in most delicate and fragile way. Maid who used to take care of me started calling me "ADARSHI" and hence "ASHI". Things got better and better and I did my first travel without my parents to "CHITRADURGA forts" when I was in class 5.
Since, my native is a village called "HOSAAGRAHARA", I always had the privilege to visit areca nut plantation, paddy fields, eat fresh guava, mango,"pannirle", "bemmerle", "neerle" and many more of that kind directly from the plant. How often and how many of us gets to do that? The river TUNGA is just 3 kms from my home and I still can't swim. I kinda regret that. My grandfather was a man of stories. He had his own stories, courage to fight, man of words. His stories are his own creations and concept of listening to stories in episodes was familiar to me from those days. There were stories of "SHEKH MAHARAJA", "Kutugummana Hakki" and many more which used to run for weeks together without commercial break. He had daily routine of mixing the cow dung in his hand for bio-fuel tank we had and ask for shake hand after that(without washing the hand) to all his grandsons. Only AJAY(cousin) dared to touch his hands.He had diabetes and he broke his leg. I still remember holding his broken thigh in my right hand, when my father ran to look for doctor. I was just 8 year old and I still remember the red eyes of my grandfather in pain, but solid as rock to hold the nerve. This mishap led to the tragedy.
He passed away when I was 10. I was not matured enough to get gloomy. It was kind of fun for all grand children. It was first and last time we all met and spend some 10 days playing. I think it is one of the most exciting and memorable days amongst my cousins. Ajay's stories of making sweets, walking 4kms in night, playing with "MINUKIN HULA" (a kind of insect which emits light), a visit to ALEMANE for unlimited sugar cane juice, playing in sand of tunga river.
When I was 7 year old, my mother told me about how exciting a baby can be and that was very impressive. I immediately wanted one boy to play with me. I got my brother few months later and that was all excitement. I used to feed him, bathe him, drop him to school, play cricket inside house with him. If you have a sibling who is 8 year younger, you can make him do all the things you missed and see the happiness in his face and enjoy.
I strongly believe that growing in midtown is the best thing a child can expect. You get to own a complete cricket ground you are playing. You can go to school by walk. You know everybody and everybody knows you. You go to village to spend your vacation doing all the crazy things which a city boy can just dare to dream. You learn about plants and animals by getting affected by them. You learn laws of nature by experience. Its been a long journey for me from small town in MALNAD to downtowns in US.
To be continued.....
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