The first day

My first blog entry within the confines of my new room. Where do I start? Spent a week in London and was ever so fascinated with the city. I got to visit Stamford Bridge, see the famous Big Ben etc. Now that I am in Scotland, I feel like I have been transported back to heaven; the first heaven being Sikkim obviously! The hills, the grass, the sea and the lovely granite structures… there’s so much and more. Today I finally feel like I am a student again. The first day in my hostel for post graduate women in Delhi was similar to what I am experiencing now. I had a single room then, about the same size as the present one, with the usual cupboard, table, chairs etc. Since the time I’ve come here Uncle and Aunty have been really helpful and nice. Thank god I have them here to see everything works out smoothly for me. Being away from home isn’t something new in our family but being THIS far away definitely is!! The food, the language, the etiquette etc. there is so much to learn and adapt to. Friends I haven’t made any yet but I hope to do so in the coming few weeks. If a fairy were to appear right now and give me one wish I would straight away, within the blink of an eye, ask her to transport my beloved next to me. Fairies… Don’t you want to believe in some stories at times?

The flat I stay in has 5 rooms so it’s one for each girl. As of now I have met three of them. One is a Canadian who is here to undergo catholic studies; the second is Polish who is an aspiring molecular biologist; while the third is a Malaysian girl studying oil and gas engineering. Yes, I feel like an insignificant being at the time being but I take pride in the fact that this is my second masters. Further, though the new session begins from Tuesday, mine already has in some ways- International Relations.

I took a stroll around the main market area in the evening. T mobile top up was available in a mart where the Indian auntyjee at the counter didn’t even know proper English. Apart from the top up I also got myself a lovely vase and a bunch of artificial white flowers. This side of me is totally my mother’s genes. Gardening, flowers, pots and vases give her eternal satisfaction. The most suprising HIGHLIGHT of the day was coming across a ‘Gurkha Kitchen’.

One expects to feel closer to family knowing that you could taste homely food here but as I entered the shop the Nepalese man at the counter spoke to me in the quaintest Scottish accent (like I know a lot about it!) and the menu disheartened me even more. There was absolutely nothing Nepali about the food on offer. Since when did samosa chat or prawn cocktail become part of the Nepali menu? I admit my knowledge of this specific cuisine is not much but I was looking for yummier items like cell roti and aloo dum. They didn’t have any dumplings either. Bahh!

Now I’m back in my room again. A tragic end to my first day in a foreign university