Saturday, 11 July 2009:
A frantic morning date and lunch with some school friends later, I left my sleepy hometown behind for my initiation in the clichéd “real world”. Finally, after having dreamt of this day almost all my life, it had arrived on me in quite a hurry; I was on my own at last, in what would have been the hero’s voyage for treasures in some of the fairy tales we were introduced to in early life. Like David Copperfield, I was yet to find out whether I would be the hero of my own life, or whether someone else was to occupy that station of honour, or something to that effect. Well, I was to find out over the course of the next three years as an Economics Honours student at Presidency College, Kolkata, one of the premier educational institutions in our country.
Sunday, 12 July 2009:
Coming from the serenity and tranquil of Shillong, where vast green expanses were interspersed with oft-painted cottages, velvety hills and style-conscious (mind you, not necessarily fashion-conscious!!!) people, Howrah station was quite a shocker in the early morning gloom. Blank rear-sides of shabby buildings, political propaganda-ridden walls and an unforgiving blanket of heat were the first impressions I had of my adopted home. The idea of a sea of people embarking on their daily chores seemed unfamiliar, yet somehow thrilling as I stepped into the ‘urban jungle’.
The yellow Ambassador taxi was a far cry from their accessorised counterparts in Shillong but they had a sense of purpose the latter lacked and I liked. Within minutes, I was at the hotel, with the prospect of an idle day in the searing heat. All in all, I had mixed feelings towards the city of Kolkata but in my enthusiasm of a new and promising life, I was more than happy to ignore any minor (and major!!!) problems and rather look at the larger picture. Continue reading
carvaan 