The Lab

It was my first working day at the lab. It's called CemNet lab. I have a cubicle to myself with a system, a cabinet with a lock whose key I can keep. I wanted to take a photocopy. I went to ask for a sheet of paper. I was surprised when Cindy, the technical assistant gave me an entire ream. I wanted to ask her at first if it was all mine, but then gave up on the idea, thinking that it might be too childish. I sat there, reading through my journal, occasionally looking up the green slope outside my window. The window has an iron grill which leaves a view a little tampered with, but still I can see the glorious green of those unusually big blades of grass. I went to introduce myself to the Ph. D. student under my professor. I have never done this before- introducing myself. I surprised the poor guy who was busy with his Matlab m-file. And much like with the rest of the Chinese people I meet, I could not comprehend him properly. The awkward introduction was short, thankfully.

Lunch happened really late because I just didn't feel like getting up. It was only when Anshuman texted that I braced myself to visit the canteen. And I found the most unusual stall which was always there but I didn't notice it. It was a mock-meat shop. Vegetarian chicken- yes! Nutrella chunks wrapped in corn flour and made into gravy is the new age chicken! It was a good Tuesday lunch partly because I had company which happens very seldom here.

I came back home early after wandering in the campus in search of a miracle for almost half an hour. Then I realized that a free evening with no French class or an assignment to finish is a miraculous change in itself. I was a little lonely though missing the banter of 'my' college, laughing out loud and cracking perverted jokes. NTU is more alive after 5 than PEC. There are classes going on in the seminar rooms, there are some weird events happening just about anywhere. There are people heading back to their halls.

Sometimes the people around look like walking woodmen. I cannot understand their thoughts. It is hard to conceive that they would lead a life like I do when I am in my college attending classes. Like their sitcoms- just so unnatural. Even the participants in the game show look like theatrical blunders. Their twisted English can be very irritating if you pay too much attention to it. They are dry people. But they are patient. They don't look at you mockingly or make fun of you for your alien attire. They are accommodating but just that they are strangers. The babies and little children are very pretty. Their eyes are like these precious gems fixed on their faces. They look less wooden and more alive.

It is a different life. I was not in one of my best moods today. Maybe, I need to put in a little extra effort to keep myself happy. When you are on your own, you need to amuse yourself, you need to open your mind and suck in the goodness around. I guess another important lesson which I'll take a while to learn is to keep myself happy. It is also the crash of another illusion I had. I always thought that I did not need anybody to make me happy. In fact, all this while I was taking those people, those things that make me happy for granted. Happiness is more like peace of mind. Contrary to being about laughing, it is about being at ease and managing an effortless smile always. To achieve that, I'll take some more days in this lab. This one's called Life.