I dedicate this first post of the year 2009 to my College Friends. I have known them for less than a couple of years, but I think I have known them all my life.

I thought I was going to spend my New Years with my best friend from school, Pranali and a small group of other friends. It so happened that one of Pranali's friends invited her college friends to our New Year's party. So we were a group of about 9 girls in Pranali's house. I was meeting these girls for the first time. I don't really know how to describe these girls, except that they took the word 'bitches' to a whole new level.

Arrogance just oozed out of them. When we woke up the next morning on the 1st of Jan, the house was in a mess. And here comes the part that pissed me off the most, none of them offered to help Pranali and me when we started the cleaning process. Forget help, they did not even have the courtesy to get out of the way as we walked from one room to the other trying to tidy up the place. Also,we had to remind them to chip in for the party. They had conveniently forgotten that the party was one where we all had to contribute together, that the food and drinks weren't for free.

Ok, so it was New Years and they were just a group of girls who wanted to have fun. But so were Pranali and me! Wrapping up at the end of the day is something everybody hates doing. That's the reason we should work as a team and minimize the work load. Their bad conduct bugged me to the core and I had half a mind to tell them that on their face.

This is in complete contrast to the friends I have in college. Our Masters degree brought together different people from all sorts of different backgrounds with varied goals and ambitions. But in these couple of years, we have become one united team, just the way different parts come together to form one single entity. Now, if we are given a task, like clockwork, we simply take our positions and complete the task in minimum time without too much confusion; no one needs to tell us or direct us, we are so well co-ordinated! I can swear, if my college friends were in place of these chicks today, each and everyone would have helped to tidy up the place without any one having to tell them to do it. 

I remember the beginning of this academic year when there was a science exhibition in our College. For some reason or another the news of this exhibition did not reach the Head of our department till one working day prior to the exhibition itself. At 5 pm of a Saturday we got a call from her telling us to prepare exhibits for the exhibition that was to start on Monday. We outlined the work ahead in an hour and went home. On Monday morning our exhibits were ready. Our seniors and the peons could not come early to college on Monday since they had some work of their own. Nor could our HOD. So the entire event had to be managed by the Masters junta.  On learning on the phone that we had no assistance, our HOD was a bit worried. She doubted if we could manage the event by ourselves. But we did that job without any assistance. And what a job! Zoology Department exhibits easily became the crowd pullers. The organizers actually thanked our HOD for making the event a success at such short notice. I won't forget what our Head told us that day, "You are ready! You have become efficient at handling a job".   

And this is just one aspect. My college group has taught me important lessons about friendship and unity in the process. It is said, you usually make lasting friends during your early years in school etc. and that as you grow up, relationships become more professional and self-centered. Somewhere in the race, the innocence and charm of a friend is lost. Not for us, no. I am lucky to make best friends at the Masters level, and retain it for years to come.

Thanks guys!