IN & OUT OF LH - Part 1

When my friends asked me to write an article, they understood that my experiences will certainly be unique. Initially a daysci (1^st year), then an LH ite (2^nd year) and finally back to a daysci (3^rd & final year). Though it had been circumstances which brought me into the family of LH-ites, I enjoyed every little moment being a hostelier. Had I not spent the 1 year in LH, I would say I had sorely missed something.

APPETIZER

I still remember the stares from the seniors which held the question, “ who the heck is this 1^st year, how dare she encroach upon the senior corri?” The room allotted to me was in B-Corri (one of the fun filled as well as kinda nerdy corri, I’d say), room number 20. My first roommate was Pooja Abraham (affectionately called Poochamma), a Thesis archi. She had been a very helpful roomie and put me at ease with my surroundings quite quickly. The first night in LH particularly in a corri filled with seniors for a 1^st year (as I was then) can be quite nerve wracking. (My fellow batchmates were yet to shift from the 1^st year corri’s after re allotment). My mother, after dropping me off and all the necessary advices had given me a fast food packet which I happily(??) relinquished during my corri intro. Though I’d never trade it for anything else, it was quite a terrifying experience. (It’s like being the piece of meat in the middle of a lair of hungry lion(esse)s.. ) While at the receiving end of the jokes and ribbing, I met all of them with whom I was to spent the following year. Simi chechi-sweet & cuddly though initially I was the most afraid of her; Sreeja chechi-the gadget queen on B-corri; Binsira itha- then the G.sec; Neetha Das a.k.a Daasappan-our very own electronics geek; Ganga chechi and Renu chechi-the archi’s and finally the two who became my roommates after Poochamma: Kanchana Chechi & Jisha Chechi (JJC). JJC was more of a daysci than me (J), nearly always in her LG (local guardian)’s place. Kanchi & Darshu chechi were my two big sisters in hostel. They were the ones I spent time with, who took care of me and I guess got to know me the best. And ofcourse there are my classmates who were my LH mates also: maja, neethu ku, k.t, malu, chinju, & akhila.. Kudos to us all.