2007-2008

after consciously waiting till this point, to write about the past year, two weeks into the new one. here it is.

Strange that a recurring theme in my life should manifest in a different form in a different place. Strange that I should know. Strange that I should call it so.

But, spending the last month back home, I may be too erratic in the mind to say anything meaningful about the year. No this does not mean I have had a bad time here. Just means that sometimes, the second time is harder than the first. And in my case, it is my journey to the foreign land. hmm..

The theme..
The enthusiasm I show for the expected, the indifference I show toward the unknown and the unexpected. And the expectations of the known. And how my life revolves between them.

Coming to town (albeit in a new country), with no expectations of the unknown land, I pretty much excelled in what people called settling down. Seeing others trying so hard to fit in, and then getting astonished at the differences almost amused me. Life went on, spending most of the time in blissful indifference.

And then, to come back home.for a month. with expectations, perhaps dreams of little things to achieve. perhaps hope about change in a few people. sweetly demolished by reality. And yet I will miss this land, these people; that I call home, family and friends.

and now I await, with some experience in the not so unfamiliar land, with some expectations. hoping, not to go in a full circle and stand disappointed, twice in as many attempts.

New friends..
Probably the first time in a long while, that I actually made more friends offline than online. the same could be said about the male and female persons I called friends during this period. Clemson, although a lazily small town with mythical characters of american folklore running around, is also home, for couple of years, to an amazing collection of 'desi' population.

May not be what you call truly amazing characters, but the crowd definitely had em all. But realized something amazing, may be big or small, in all of them. May be that is what, living in close quarters with people can do to you. you tend to know them, in and out..

hmm..

Living day in and day out with a few crazy idiots can get to you. But in a while, you tend to have a love-hate relationship with them. And thats how my second family was born; from the shredded pieces of presumably more than decent originals. Like family, there was fun, there was war. There were the days that I prepared my very own disaster special every Monday night :P.

:-) you live your life within your prejudices. But given the time and chance, I realize that there is a slight hope in all of us..

The distance..
Ever wonder how your relationship with family becomes inversely proportional to the distance apart that you live ?. Well try it. It can only get better from there. This part though predicted came as a pleasant surprise of sorts. feel good points I suppose. someone misses you.

What I didnt realize was the effect that it can have on friendships. It pretty much did the same with my really close friends. But some did choose to stay away, or may be it was me. I regret that part now, Not knowing how the quid pro quo can be attained. again..

the distance, have to be careful about that..

And so..
The indifference to the novelty in life, probably what I learnt from a year before, blew enough wind, for me to sail through the winds of change, for the better part of the year. The exhaustion of work (which is something new to me) has taken care of the rest.

Beginning with the really modest new year celebration, till this very moment, this year has been one of experience, it has also been one of novelty not felt and exhaustion, satiated. Not eventful as the previous years, it has been a memorable one. Thank you old friend, for everything.

P.s. Happy new year everyone. Avoided a few parts on purpose. May be a few additions/appendages later!.