Feb 07, 2003 08:37 AM
1934 Views
(Updated Oct 28, 2005 01:59 PM)
A tote bag carelessly slung over my shoulder & a heavy suitcase carrying me …ooops , actually me carrying a heavy suitcase , the three of us ( all freshmen & nervous )tentatively approached the main gate of the hostel . This is what our very first experience was ..
There was this huge guy ( quite similar to the profile of 'them hulks' from WWF or WWE ) who had pinned down , a hapless & rickety young guy , on the floor ! He was intermittently pointing his very thick fingers to another young boy ( obviously his brother ! Same profile …lil shorter ! ) & the same ‘ H & R young guy ’ on the floor !
He had the most fowl scowl that I have come across in my life.
He let out a growl & barked , “ Hey you bugger … if you bugger this bugger ( pointing to his younger brother ) I’ll bugger you bugger ” Menacingly rotating his giant fists perilously close to the H&R Young guy’s nose !
He must have sighted us from the corner of his eyes when he stopped , looked up at us ( enough to send a chill down our spines ) & in a hoarse gurgling voice said “ What the F are you staring at ? Move your rat’s A before I kick them hard !! “
Uh Oh !
I immediately identified the first individual in my “ Best to avoid “ category ! I made a mental note ! We scrammed without a second glance & headed straight for the main entrance ! On reaching , heaved a sigh of relief as the imposing building appeared a little more ‘ secure ’ than the open ! We then moved wearily , dragging our luggage , towards our allotted rooms.
'' Welcome to the College Hostel '' the entire surrounding was screaming at us !
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The idea of narrating this experience was not to scare anybody planning to go to a Hostel .I have spent many years of my life there. Both during my school & my college days ! Each an unique experience ! Each experience has left an indelible impression on my life which obviously has had some influence on my mental & physical construction. More mental , I guess ! :-)
As I look back fondly , I have tried to figure out what are the best practices during one’s stay there ! Here are some of my thoughts on this :
Accept that it will be your “ HOME “ for the next couple of years !
- Having accepted , you have to perform few important 'community ' activities. Activities related
to :
Your stay ( covering the hygiene aspect )
The food you eat.
Your inter personal relationship with your seniors,peer group members & also,importantly,your juniors.
The place where you live with yourself ( Your room / Dorms in some cases )
Good or bad , do the best to enliven your room !
Put up bright posters , have some indoor plants. You should get a 'Happy vibe' on entering your room. Strewn empty bottles of rum & crushed beer cans hardly qualify as 'Objects of desire 'in the Interior decorator’s list of priority purchases.
Keep your room clean . A room which looks like a pig sty is not a great place to live.. anyways !
Books stacked properly , a neat bed & a clean wash basin gives a very positive feeling. Your visiting girl friend /boy friend ( wink ) will be immensely pleased.:-)
Fuel for your body : the food !
It is a foregone conclusion that you will NOT get home food . ( Not even close to it ! )
- Pining for food cooked by your mom is a wonderful way of showing your appreciation for your Mom’s culinary abilities , but that should not encourage you to skip meals & thereby starve ! You will at best become H&R young guy number 2.
Oh North is North & South is South & never the twain shall meet !
Personally I have no problems at all ! However I do admit that it can become tricky at times ! But then we need to survive too !
Choose the simple ones from the cuisine. Ones that will come close to your pallet. Go ahead …experiment ! You won’t shrink if you try a dish ! My personal advice is to avoid Non Vegetarian dishes as the source of supply & the cooking method will always remain suspect.
Your attitude which will determine how good or pleasant your stay will be !
Flexibility & adaptability is the name of the game !
Quickly adapt yourself to the surroundings. Some reader’s would sneer at my suggestion but I feel , on occasions , its good to ‘ Love the thing you have ‘ when you don’t have the thing you love ‘ ( Survival is all that matters in a jungle )
Sharing ,Helping and Modesty are the 3 most important qualities in ' Community living '.
Selfish Joes are often ostracized & ignored.
Sharing & Helping will earn you the affection of your Seniors , admiration of your Peer groups & respect from your Juniors.
You may be the direct descendant of Mr. Rockfeller himself ! This is God’s special gift to you. However this does not give you the right to look down upon people who are less fortunate. Never make the cardinal mistake of flaunting your wealth. The only people who will befriend you are those parasites who thrive one other’s wealth. They will be an obsequious lot ,'yes men 'who will ditch you at the drop of a hat .
Life in the Hostel is a tremendous learning in humility & a great leveler.
Today if I have to describe a 'Hostel' I would say that it is a place where....
You run in as a kid & walk out .... a Man .
You flutter in as a li’l girl and waltz out ... a Lady !
