Finals, Electives, Internship – a crazy mix of everything…

When Kuntal asked me to write an article for I-MediBlog, I found myself at a loss for topics. As I tried to rewind my life the last few months to recall what events had transpired, I came up with the obvious few. The end of final year exams and even more, the knowledge that we had passed, was the first to come to my mind. The joy of realizing that only a year of internship (slavery thought it may be) is all that stood between us and the much coveted MBBS degree, brought a smile to our faces every time we thought about it. This was coupled with the anxiety of knowing that we stood yet again at a zone of transition and uncertainty – we found ourselves feeling like 12^th graders, not knowing where each of us would be or what we would be doing within the time span of a year. But before everyone started working non-stop towards entrance exams and feverishly attending classes (which was almost immediately for many), we decided to reward ourselves for what little we had achieved. As is the norm for the girls of every batch at the beginning of their internship year, this mainly consisted of multiple visits to the parlour for facials and hair streaking/straightening sessions and all kinds of diet/exercise programs to ensure the quickest return to a semblance of human appearance – trying our best to shed all the “exam weight” we had put on – caramel popcorn and flavoured coffees at the nearest PVR not included. And of course, lots and lots of shopping – dresses, bags, shoes, make-up –bring it on, we said – much to the woe of our parents! For the boys, well, the boys’ reward system still remains a mystery to most of us. We have heard endless stories of binge drinking accompanied by the mass quoting of Salman Khan dialogues from “Wanted’, marathon gaming sessions and hours and hours of “revising” Sunny Deol and Christopher Nolan classics, but apart from that we can truly say –we don’t have a clue! What goes on within the confine of the boys’ hostel remains a secret and should perhaps stay that way.

For me, the end of exams and the start of internship signified something else – flying off to glorious New York! The acceptance letters had come, the visa was done and the flights had been booked. I was all set to leave. And the day finally arrived – after 18 hours of being stuffed with food and alcohol and watching movies back to back, all combined with the sound of wailing children in the background, there I was, in the Big Apple.  The first thing that hit me about New York was the cold. Having been a Bombay girl for the most part of my life, it took me a very long time to get used to the weather – even though I had arrived at the beginning of what New Yorkers call spring. Having taken the subway straight from the airport, my first glimpse of NYC was 34^th street and Broadway, right outside Penn Station and Macy’s. I remember standing outside the Empire State building, suitcase in hand, looking up in amazement – trying to take everything in. New York was bustling with activity – women dressed in long black winter coats and knee-high leather boots scurrying down the sidewalks to hail bright yellow cabs – men, suited up,  Barney-style, briefcase in hand, running to work. It was everything that Sarah Jessica Parker had made it out to be and more.  But how would I ever be a part of this great, big city?

The first week was spent in trying to find Mr. Prakhar Vijayvargiya a jacket – imagine a boy, one who gets cyanosed in Bombay’s winters – not carrying a jacket to New York!!! So I went from shop to shop, cyanosed friend by my side, searching for a “black-can -be-leather-suede-or-corduroy-but-must-look-smart-even-if-it-doesn’t-keep-me-warm” jacket (the future owner had very specific requirements). They looked at us as though we were aliens – people asking for winter jackets when all of New York’s department stores were being hit by a storm of spring sales- had we lost our minds? But finally, the jacket was bought and we hit the most ‘touristy’ place of all – Times Square.

Times Square gives even Vegas competition. The neon lights, the red steps, the multiple broadway theatres – the whole scene creates so much drama that you just can’t help falling in love with it. One of my favourite experiences at Times Square was watching Spiderman: Turn off the Dark – a musical which was running on Broadway at Foxwood Theatres. With Spidey flying over our heads and battling the Green Goblin in mid –air, all to Bono’s music – it held us in rapture for three whole hours. Even the famous upside down kiss was better than the movie! The brilliance of the performance almost left me in tears. (Honest admission, it helps if you’re watching it with a special someone.) Going to the Rockefeller Center was another favourite. All the major banks and hotels line the streets around Rockefeller Center.  It’s street after street of smooth, cold granite, suddenly interrupted by a glistening white skating rink marked with flags in the center.  I even managed to get a picture of the lovely Waldorf Astoria just as both the Indian and American flags were unfurling in the wind in front of it. It was a perfect sight.

New York creeps onto you the minute you let your guard down. To me, it felt like I was in a slightly altered version of Bombay – a city bustling with people of every ethnicity, its subways bursting to the seams at rush hour, high rises everywhere. Pretty soon, the city fit like a glove. Work during the day and comedy clubs in the evening became the norm. I made some great friends from all over the world. Some of the most interesting conversations I had and the best free advice I got were over coffee with complete strangers at Starbucks- such is the spirit of that city. And sitting right in the center of that financial capital is a sprawling, luscious green park – with lakes and bridges and even fountains (more accurately the Kal Ho Na Ho fountain for SRK fans). Central Park is the perfect respite one can get from city life – cycling, skating and boating being major attractions.  And there was never a shortage of things to do over the weekends. Boston, Atlantic City and Philadelphia soon became Facebook albums (along with many others of course!)

There was even a simple solution to homesickness – Journal Square or Lexington Avenue! Rows of Indian and Pakistani restaurants awaited us as we stepped onto the streets. One of the Udupi restaurants, much to our delight, even served Kingfisher beer. Kudos to you, Mr. Vijay Mallya!

I could go on and on about the concerts and the food and even the gay pride parade – there’s just so much to talk about. But nothing beats 2^nd April 2011 – the day I like to remember as the “Day We Bled Blue”.  For someone who would not be considered an ardent cricket lover by most, the intentness with which I followed the World Cup 2011 came as a surprise even to me. But follow it I did. And the day we won – what I wouldn’t have given to be back home and at Marine Drive! But there’s something magical about sharing the feeling of triumph with members of your community in a foreign land. It’s like having a secret that no one else is in on. That feeling of pride, as we smiled at fellow Indians parading down the streets – faces painted green, white and saffron, shouting victory slogans in a language only we understood – it was a celebration like no other . It was overwhelming. We were complete strangers, but we understood. We understood that to us, cricket was not just a sport, but practically a religion. We understood that SachinTendulkar was not just another player, but almost a hero, a God. We understood what winning the Cricket World Cup after 28 years meant to us. And that day in the Big Apple, I felt like I was home.

It broke my heart, the day I had to say good bye to the city I had grown so fond of so quickly. I pondered over how much I would miss it on my flight back home. And then I reached Bombay – I reached home and flew straight into the arms of family and friends and everyone I cared about. It fit perfectly, just like it always has.

So how can one be in love with two places at once? And how does one choose? I guess that’s one answer only time and fate will tell.

-Pragya Ranjan, Intern, GMC Batch 2006

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