Dusty roads studded with cow dung, roaming cows and dogs, persistent beggars at every street corner, the ever-present din of “tooting” horns…Manipal – a dream destination it is not! Nevertheless, it has been my “home” for the better part of my last two years and though in all honesty there is not much to miss, there is a lot to remember of my time here.
An obvious first would be the hours and hours of lectures and the hundreds of pages of text endured in the name of medical education. I doubt I can remember half of all that I have been taught and truly feel sorry for the unsuspecting sick people out there who will be at my mercy in the future. My apologies to them in advance.
Attempts at entertainment will also be remembered. It really is not easy to amuse oneself with the limited resources… very limited… here in Manipal. It is amazing what is considered funny, and the lengths to which one goes in the name of fun. When you’ve been here long enough, anything is acceptable.
Living with people other than your family – they have no choice but to like you – has also produced a wealth of memories. The politics, gossips and rumours that you get involved in is a true introduction to the harsh realities of life. (You are not everybody’s best friend) It’s not all bad though and my time in Manipal has enabled me to meet and get to know a lot of people that I would be proud and grateful to have around for a long time to come. Best of friends or most bitter enemy – all are unforgettable. Most importantly, you learn to accommodate everyone; because after all, these people are the same people you are going to see for a long time to come.
There are many more memories – fond and bitter, that I will treasure of my time here. Interesting or otherwise, they will be an “unomitable” chapter in the story of my life… if I ever write one, that is. The years that I have spent there have made me “grow-up” and learn to be responsible for myself (no Mum and Dad to clean up after me) – in retrospect, this is perhaps what I will remember most.
To say that I am sorry to leave would be a lie, but I am thankful that I came to this small town in the vast land of India. Simply put, Manipal is an experience and now that I have survived it, I can gladly pack my bags and head back home…definitely an older and hopefully, a wiser human being.
About the Author: Divya Panicker is a Batch 10 alumnus of Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal University.
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