Anecdote #46

Things start getting better now!

6:00 AMMy eyes were wide open. I sat upright on my bed without a hint of laziness. I immediately remembered a recent interview given by the Prime Minister where he said that as soon as he wakes up, he is up and about with no desire of going back to bed. So this is what he feels like I thought to myself. You see, waking up early for me was an accomplishment as back at home everyone took turns to drag me out of bed.Honestly speaking I had a clear motive. My father had shared with me once that during his days in the army he woke up at dawn so that he could access the toilets while they were clean. Like father, like daughter. I was satisfied with my accomplishment for the day and got ready for breakfast to Cripps Court. On my way I passed St.John’s Chapel which was a beautiful sight to pass by. The tall structures of the Medieval times seemed royal and it was a delight to see them in person. The morning was chilly, I lifted the jacket’s hood onto my head. I wondered where this sudden rush of wind was coming from. The canal running under me seemed to be the most probable cause. The cold water was the source for the wind yet I had to admit that it was a picturesque sight. What struck me the most was that the water body was algae less and this one tree bent into the water with a certain grace. Whenever I crossed this bridge I was standing on, I admired this tree from the corner of my eye. It’s lush greenness and flexibility was unique to me.

 Enjoying the walk, I reached for breakfast in seven to eight minutes. I settled for milk, a banana and bread. Being a vegetarian I had limited options but since I cannot start my day without milk I was happy that my most staple requirement was available in hot and cold versions.
 As I had afternoon classes, every morning was lined up with an activity. On this day we had a tour planned for all the colleges in Cambridge and the tour guide was an alumna of Cambridge University. 
Before we went out for the tour, our orientation took place. All the students from my class were seated there. Out of the 40 of them, 35 were Chinese and the rest were from Europe and America. I was the only Indian in my course.
I was skeptical of making any friends in my class. The Chinese just hung out with each other and  the case was the same with the other students from their respective countries.
I was trying to prepare myself mentally to not mind being alone when a Chinese girl approached me. Her name was Xintong Chen. The next moment she told me I could call her Alexandra. In China every person was given an English name with the Chinese one, she explained. I told her I would refer to her as Xintong only and I have still kept my promise. 
Xintong was my first friend. Throughout the course of the day she gave me company and was extremely open minded when we discussed matters related to her country. Behind her short hair and bangs were her expressive eyes. When she smiled, they too gleamed. There was a genuine warmth in Xintong and she stuck with me through all the classes and excursions we had together. Though language was some times a barrier between us, we understood one another and even the silences were comfortable.
It was from this day onwards that Cambridge slowly started to grow on me. My health was also improving and in the following days so would my accompany. In that time I could never imagine how the days would unfold.
 You might not believe it when I say this but in the coming time my life would seem straight out of a comedy movie. At this point of the story we are about to reach the climax, when my core Punjabiness would reveal itself in Cambridge.