“If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just as same!”
– Rudyard Kipling
The blackout marked my entry in the states on the 15 august 2003. About a year has passed and I have been now accepted my fate as a traveled-Indian-kid struggling to get through the daily hustle of the upside down country called as the United States Of America.
May be then, I thought, it would be a good idea to give a gist of allthat happened. Yes, I do have loads of free time (I am only working in a Fortune 5 company who thinks that all its employees always work diligently. Even the best are mistaken) and besides I thought it would give people a good insight into what an average grad student goes through.
Here goes nothing…
Arrival at Chicago and stuck there. In a strange country I see nothing but my cousins there. The brown folk! My first snack costs 250 rupees. Instant guilt then each time I spend more that 25 cents after that.
A family friend drives 6 hrs from Detroit, loses an hour, picks me up and takes me back to Detroit. Some favors cant be returned and some are forgotten.
A sudden introduction to my new very clean apartment in Ann Arbor, The apartment lacks furniture and to my shock, electric bulbs too. A dark beginning? The first of many dark nights. Then Slowly, with lights from the nearby Kroger came food, cleaning and beds.
More Introductions. With people and living beings. Orientations. Being told that it is legal to eat your own road kill by an old guy in a cowboy costume with a hat and a straight face.
Turned down by 27 professors and accepted by one to work for free. That was not a good idea.
Witnessing Formula 1 race live! The second highlight of my times in that struggling first semester
. The first being a matter of heart. Too big to be described by words and html
Diwali. The darkest and with the puniest of crackers The onset of snow a jacket and wet sneakers difficult courses.. Homework Coffee shop work eight hours straight did you want that with whip cream? Skim Milk? Offering choices to others and having none to myself.
Career fair. GE internship offer. Projects, Deadlines met with minutes to spare. End of first semester and then a sponsored trip to Philly, NJ and NY and some excellent food at my aunts!
Second semester. The same no’s from professors. Fuck Funding.
5 courses taken on
was it worth coming to Michigan?
A spontaneous and an excellent trip to Chicago
Navy Pier and cheese cakes..
Start to play ultimate Frisbee on Saturdays on account of a senior I highly admire.
A broken knee due to cricket and very soon departure for Erie PA
An excellent summer in the states..my first and perhaps the best.. Jumped from 14000 feet. Walked for 24 hours. Sang oasis. Had a redneck as my roommate. Lived an undergrad life with out the homework.
Ending with a job offer from the same company
Dreaming solid dreams of my new car. Awaiting the pits of a new semester but highs of getting not earlier than ten in the morning. Back to a budgeted life and long nights in school.I Can’t really quantify what this year was worth but my world changed. Just like that.
Pretty awesome stuff.Congrats on your job….all the best.
Well what a year…but as they say, All is well that ends well !!!! Way to go buddy !