Hostel…ahh!! The word itself makes me nostalgic and I can't help but savour the memories of yesteryears. All of us who, at some point in life, have been christened a hosteller will agree that those were indeed the best days of our lives. From the fun ragging sessions or PDP (personality development programme), as they are called at the MBA institutes, to those night-outs for studying and more so for the “real studies” that make a man, from getting one up with the seniors to crying our hearts out when they were leaving, from stealing the day scholars tiffins to following the ritual of beating them to crap on the last days in college, from flirting with girls to showing off our mettle during inter college competitions. There are many more memories that fill us all in very unique way and I simply can’t put them in words. And so I won’t write about it altogether. Then what am I gonna write about? Read On you will realize the unconditional love of our wardens for us...
Now apart from these star studded memories the hostellers will also agree the nightmares and the atrocities that we faced. When I begin to recall of such harrowing past the thing that immediately comes to mind was the food and I am sure people reading this would agree unanimously. Well my dear friends, we were wrong…. The food at our hostel mess was infact quite scientifically designed, designed to help us appreciate the little values of life and subtly make us good citizens. Let me continue and perhaps I might be able to convince you as well. I'll enumerate each dish and support my belief along with it.
Rotis/Chapatis : We all are very conscious about our health and most of us have joined gyms where we exercise religiously. We work on our biceps, triceps, chest, calf muscles, abs and what not but tell me have you ever worked on your jaws? NO! So here comes these rotis…they are rubbery and as hard as you may try, you cannot chew them…its like eating chewing gum but with no flavour at all (and for free of course) and in turn you get a healthy workout for your jaws.
Daal / Raita : Hold on I know you will say “What daal? All we got was daal that was more of water!”As you know that 70% of our body is water and we as students have to spend long grueling hours in classes/labs/malls/marketplace. To supplement that loss and save us from dehydration we were given that. Also one might recall that daal ka pani is given when someone is ill because its easy to digest and quite nutritious.
Sabzi : I was never able to recognise the vegetables (and if you were able to then trust me you have a very bright future as a sleuth) that went into making a particular sabzi. Now when I ponder upon I realize that it taught me harmony that we must live as one and other people should never be able to differentiate howsoever hard they tried. A virtue that is so needed in today’s world to do away with the social discord and castesism. If only all of us had learnt from the humble sabzi at our hostels.
Custard/Sweetdish : Now this one will be appreciated by MBA people. How to effectively sell off your waste (and people actually queuing to take it!!). All of the week’s fruits and milk that went unconsumed was effectively churned out as a sweetdish mostly custard and many students actually liked it. So the old saying “somebody’s waste is another man’s treasure” is effectively proved here.
Bathrooms: I’m not sure about the girls, but we boys have learned a lot in here. In the times of global warming and ecological imbalance our hostel management staff realized that the youth is the future and they must be taught the importance of water conservation and when you cursed the officials for no water they were actually teaching you to conserve it. People in India have no water to drink and should we bathe away carelessly?? And not to mention that the loose latches in the bathrooms have aspired many a students to bring out the hidden filmmaker and photographer in them. The documentaries and the “glamour photography” done in these areas are truly mesmerising and indeed those who did it have a bright future in the lines of playboy, penthouse and all the C grade movies. And I say not being biased but because I have seen and starred in those works.
Toilets: Now what can be good about them? Well there is…Firstly it taught us discipline, the value of time for the toilet was not to be taken lightly...it made its worth felt. Nobody..absolutely nobody could just barge in whenever he liked, there were fixed timings…the time when there would be water supply. Secondly, it taught us control…as excruciating it might have been waiting in those long lines in those “tense” moments no one had a choice but to control the demon within or give away your self respect in front of all those people…the choice was ours. Lastly many of us found that the dying artist in us had suddenly sprung back to life. From graffiti to personal messages and even many a nicknames found their birthplace here and not to forget some of the most enlightening thoughts have sprouted while we were “downloading”.
So you see people hostel life was a positive learning experience. Say what you may we all want to get back there whenever we can? As for people who never went to one…SCRAM!! Enroll yourself in one and then …Analyze This!
Posts
