The past four years. . . .

Everytime i went back to my college (ACPM Medical College - inset) in Dhule , i would not simply be shuttling between two cities , or two districts , or two geographically different locations , it almost always seemed like a sort of time travel .
Here was Mumbai , this jostling city where , no matter what , people always had something to do , or atleast it seemed so and here was this quaint , laid back town of Dhule where people had all the time in the world. . . . . and
And its not just the surroundings that made me realise the diametrically opposite kind of places i was juggling between , but also the people.
I am convinced beyond doubt that , even though , staying in Bombay for my undergrad studies would have probably meant better standard quality of the same medical cirricullum ; going to Dhule for the past four years has till date been the best thing that could have ever happened to me .
And I just can never ever forget living in this tiny , quaint little medical college in the district of Dhule . . . . . . . . . . . for having made me a better judge of people and situations , for finally making me realise the importance of each and every single rupee that i spend; for making me very tolerant , patient and completely mellowing my temper down ; for making me half maharashtrian - half southie and adding a whole new language to my CV ; for making me realise that not all brilliant ,smart , outstanding people need to know english and more importantly people dont need to know oxford certified fluent english to be brilliant , smart and outstanding ; for showing me that a cellphone is not one of the basic human necessities ; for making me realise that even cough syrup can give you a hang over ;for giving me Amit , Milan , Meghna and Seri - my friends for life ; for showing me that bhakri aani loncha can be the best meal ever ; for teaching me to wash my own clothes (kaam waali bai ishtyle - dhadaam dhoom) ; for making me miss my mom's food;and for a zillion things that staying away from home has taught me and i can't remember now . . . . but most importantly , making a man out of an absolutely mamma's boy.


© 2006 .No part of this article may be reproduced or quoted without the expressed permission of Akshay Gopinathan Nair .