5 Years In A Whole Different World

Just finished school and the yearning for a life outside Kerala finally paid off as i got my admissions at MCC. Heard so much about it and my expectations were sky high. I was attached to Bishop Heber hall, one of the three different halls on campus. The first week it didnt matter to me. I was in MCC and that was what i wanted. There was so much more that i wanted. Make friends, have my own band and be a rock star, date women or "chicks" like we used to refer back then. So much to do and so little time. Finally I stepped into Heber Hall, my home for the next three years, or so i thought and it actually turned out to be five years.

1997-98: A freshmen, junior, barbarian, kattan all rolled into one. Dress code was followed. No jeans, shoes and round neck t-shirts. No footwear when you step into a seniors room and ofcourse, had to call them sir. A stuggle to get initiated into the Hall system had me desperately trying to learn the names of all seniors and their room numbers and departments, in addition to all facts and myths about the Hall. Lost count of the number of times i found myself floating inside infamous the piss pond. Lost count of the number of odd jobs i had done for seniors at odd hours. Had my first trip to a theater to watch a soft porn movie, with batchmates ofcourse. Had my first taste of alcohol when a senior forced it down my throat. Had my first experience at a nude community bath with seniors. Was invited to join a grunge band called "simpletons". Became the only junior to represent the college in an out of station cultural event. Since i was the only junior on the whole trip, i paid a huge price. Our band became the first band from college to have their power turned off because the audience had a very low tolerance level. We took train trips on the metro just so that we could be away from the seniors. Dodging them was a skill which we kind of mastered but not completely. Also had my first experience at being held upside down from the first floor by some adventurous senior, thankfully I weighed much lighter back then. Got beaten up a few times for no reason. The seniors who did that had no clue too. Made a group of awesome batchmates. Overall, my best year in Heber.

1998-99: A year with not much worth remembering. Had the thrill of becoming a senior and being able to beat the crap out of the juniors. Liked the fact that i didnt have to move my ass to get much work done, as it could be achieved by just ordering some junior. Got lost between juniors who were too many in number and the third years who were of not much help. Someone bombed my room during Diwali time and my plan to take revenge backfired. I used a more powerful bomb and his clothes and mattress went up in flames. The worst part was that i got caught. Got drunk for the first time and puked badly all over my room. I have not touched rum ever since. Almost got killed by my hallmates because i had arrianged a band for our annual cultural event and they had a terrible mallu accent when they sang. My band still played where ever we could without much success. Come election time and the divisions began. Batch mates began turning against eachother. Was an ugly scene. I was glad this year was over. Not many pleasant memories. My worst year ever.

1999-2000: We were the final years and we ruled the place. The new juniors were much better. Took over as the entertainment secretary for the Hall cabinet. Was in control of all acpects of entertainment for the hall. Someone has to ruin the party, and they did. Got suspended briefly from the hall because someone had used the hall equipment to watch porn. I was suspended on moral grounds as i was responsible for their actions. Two of us were suspended. The real heroes escaped. The two of us were known as "The Blues Brothers" from then on. My previous band mates passed out the year before and i was left with no band. My first experience with cigarettes and marijuana. Afterall this was my final year and wanted to do everything i could before i finished. Finally i graduated with a grade that was nothing i should be boasting about. I was not complaining because in my batch only three of us managed to clear all the papers. I was happy. Had long hair. Had a nice time. Thats it. Im out of this place.

2000-01: Didnt plan to come back. I thought i had had enough. The summer holidays got me thinking and before i knew it, i had applied for my masters in philosophy and was back in Heber Hall. There was something about that place that keeps drawing someone back, for more and more. All my previous batch mates had disappeared. Made friends with new guys. Continued experimenting with alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana ocassionally. Held the post of "Bishop" in the hall. Musically it was average. Was part of the college band and managed to play here and there and that kept me happy. Met someone and before i even knew it, we were going around. My first experience of being in a relationship. Learnt that it was not what i thought it would be. It was a jump that i made too fast. Was a good year. Made some new friends in my batch. Was looking forward to the next year.

2001-02: Stood for elections the previous year and was the Chairman of the hall. A prestigious position that brought respect along with it. Not just from student but from others as well. A bigger piece of chicken in the mess. Unlimited lime juice at lunch. Nice and more crispy dosa. What more could i ask. Had a special room with a fairly big balcony which witnessed all sorts of activities. Alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana continued to pass that way and it got more and more intense as we neared the end. My first relationship continued through the year though it would end soon after. Had an awesome new band. Won many events all over the city and also elsewhere. It was an all time high. Graduated with a much better grade which i dont mind sharing. A good year and a nice ending.