On guy friends

A few days ago, I had a super awesome time pillion jetskiing with A, when out of nowhere a thought popped in my head.  My friend calls her committed friends as "3D" 3 dimensional - parents friends and the GF/BF. She claims that she doesnt enjoy an outing with her committed friends + their BF/GF because when together they have absolutely no time for her. For the past 2 yrs I was hanging out with a different kind of crowd, many were single, a handful had their GF/BFs in India or in other universities, many got added to the list of UF couples during the 2 yrs that we spent at UF.

Shifting to Melbourne especially, after spending 2 rocking years at UF + Dallas felt very drab and I planned many getaways. Now that I think of it, spending these couple of "single" years in Dallas amongst many more friends would have been better for a wanderlusty person. Yet when I actually went to Dallas for a week, I found out many friends who a year back had similar wheels to their feet were now spending friday nights/ weekends @bars. And then it was my amazing Austin trip..

As I stepped off the jetskii with my knees tired after hugging the jetskii with all my life, I couldnt walk straight for an hour. (The previous day, even post 2 shots, I could still walk straight.)  I told A that I was high on him! Suddenly it dawned that probably its the last time we are having so much fun together. Soon, destiny will introduce him to his significant other, and then the person riding pillion would be her and no one else. One of my Dallas roomies was married and now her words- "you stop being friends with your friends once you are married" start sounding resoundingly true. (One of my MLB roomies is married too, and she totally agrees.) There could be jealousies etc, and even simple hanging out could be time crunched, and probably no more salsa together or crashing overnight at your close guy friend's place!

I guess all we are left with is to reminisce the awesome times spent together once we come to that point, and enjoy while it lasts.

Back to school

Working was awesome..but school is fun. Its more relaxed (at least till the mid-sem). Glad to be back to school..so how was my 1st day..
A guy in Computers asks me what subjects I am taking.. I say Bipolar.. he stares at me.. I say.. not the Psychiatry one! My friend from ECE dies of laughter..
In Bipolar class: The Prof is discussing system arch. diagrams..he says..these are my conventions..but many others follow it too :)

My friend majors in Signal Processing, and wanted to attend a electronic music generation course..he asks me to tag along..We go to the class..its an empty computer lab and not a single living soul..just when we are about to leave I notice that there's a man in the far end of the classroom..the man shoos us away saying the time is reserved for a class not for lab. My friend very politely asks if he can attend the class..the guy says NO! My friend prods..He asks if he is a music major..or has taken a pre-requisite course called "history of music". My friend says he is from Signals..The guy says..you will academically do good probably..but artistically you will enjoy the class better if you know the history of music. :P My friend, still hopeful, asks if he can audit the class. The guy goes nuts..

This time the ratio of gals to guys amongst newcomers is reversed..i bet my guy friends are super happy :P Bantering my friend about why he wont be singing a duet with a newcomer for the upcoming Team Asha event, when he knows that she sings well..Chatting with old friends..meeting juniors.. "window shopping" for the 3rd course which I have not finalized yet..and other stuff..

The campus is re-done..and it looks great! New statues have been put up in the lawns, and my favourite is this one, titled "coming home".

Indian students from UF had a candlelight vigil too today. A interesting aspect was brought out today, the scope of corruption is not just bribery. It encompasses everything, we not following civil laws in social life, we being unethical, basically the fight against corruption starts from us. 

Ichetuchnee river trip

The day started with the group arriving by the Indian standard time, spending extra time taking photos in our apartment complex rather than at the Ichetuchnee, few navigation errors and off tracks by GPS. The ride was wonderful, with wild yellow flowers along the highway reminding me of my friends back home. (In India, flower names are common names for girls)

sonaki?

We started down the river around noon, quite late, so could do either canoeing or tubing/swimming/snorkeling while the park was open. We all chose canoeing, and off we went in pairs or alone in the canoes. I made a secret pact with my friend that we will jump off the canoe at the midpoint and swim to the south shore. Our canoe partners made another secret pact that if we jump off, they will form a new gang in 1 of the canoes n canoe off leaving us swimming. 

We had to carry the not-so-light canoe from parking to the river. At start, water was quite shallow and the current wasnt fast (I was expecting a huge n gushing river). The lady who pushed off our canoe promised that the current would pick up. The water was cool and crystal clear. There were ferny fronds throughout the water bed except for the deep spots. So I dropped swimming plans as there was no firm leg support to prop myself back in the canoe, and canoe would upturned if i hoisted myself in. There was no need to worry about alligators, though my partner looked out for snakes whenever we dashed to the ferny river edges and had to maneuver ourselves back to the mid-river.

There was a floating platform at the midpoint of the river, and this was my chance to go swimming. Once I dived off the platform, my opinion about the strength of the current changed considerably. The friend who had planned to swim backed out. Instead another guy, Amey, who learnt to swim in Krishna-Koyana, one  of the largest rivers in south India, jumped in. I was soon worn out, Amey continued to swim. While he was still in the water, 2 canoes toppled over..


Both guys tried swimming against current, and were tired. Amey was the ideal person for the "rescue mission". A friend held on to the upturned canoe with all his might lest the canoe went wayward.  My friend held on to our canoe while we rowed him against the current towards his canoe. Amey took over, the 2 guys lifted the canoe from the water, got all the water out, and helped my friend to get back in his canoe. This was the easier of the two "missions". The second was more difficult, because the guy in water was extremely tired and Amey had to lift the boat alone. But the guy soon bucked up, in fact, in the group, he reached the south shore 1st, and we 2nd. 


Hunger is the best sauce, and 17 rowers had the first hand experience of this saying. 

On missing..

There's this plump and jolly female bus driver in RTS, she wins hands down as the most loved bus drivers. She greets you forever with a hello hello..and sometimes with a cheeky "lov lov". You travel in the bus dreary after a long day and she comes along, as enthusiastic as ever.
Today she declared that its her last trip..oh my god, I was so sad..while getting down I asked her if its her last trip for the day or she is retiring from RTS, with a huge sigh of relief when she smiled and said she'll be around.

It dawns to me that just a month from today, many of my friends will be graduating.

During Cummins sendoff, some of my friends were very upset; I was like..oh come on, wont we meet gain, they said, yeah we would, but after 5 yrs, not every 5 mins..
Keying this, being half a globe away from friends and family, their words are a constant reminder of what being together and in a carefree college environ means..

so, wont I be meeting some of my friends..like EVER? i guess that wont be the case....coz..
tu jahaan jahaan rahega..mera saaya saath hoga..