I like the way the show started. It all seems like yesterday when I landed in Penang and met Bhavik and Henry for the first time. Today after two months, we have shared more than just the lab and hopefully will remain the best of friends forever. This was the first time that I ventured outside India. I have known many people who went overseas during their academic life and have often asked them curiously: “How was it like?” Their usual replies range from the description of the sophisticated work that they had carried out to the display of some hundreds of pictures that they had captured. Well, for me, I do not what to say. I too can display the eighteen hundred odd pictures or describe to you interesting facts on medical imaging that I myself do not fully understand. Or maybe, I can just put in three words: “It felt different.”
When I took the flight from New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur, the announcement system in the plane harped about the Malaysian Hospitality. I did not understand it then as we Indians usually claim to be pretty hospitable but now after two months I can just put it as: “I came here as a visitor and am going back as a guest.”
The memories just blaze past: the regular 8 hours of fun in the lab and lunch-breaks with Tiyasa, Racheal, Nelson, Pekan, Darwaesh and Kkl, the constant mentoring received from Bhavik, the around Penang trip with him, the totally self planned visit to KL with Tiyasa, working and discussing seemingly impossible stuff with Henry, Lim and Anusha, the knowledge and support I gained from Adel, Ong, Saravanesh and Mogana and finally the beautiful farewells from the lab mates and Latifah, the assistant registrar (international affairs.)
But then, these were just the pictures described in words.
When I arrived here, I knew no one but I never felt short of friends.
There is so much more to tell past the pictures, past the faces, past the sceneries. I wish to write it all down but then, I believe all of it is best summarised in the following two quotes:
“I’ve seen so much in so many places, so many heartaches, so many faces.” -from the song Extreme ways from the movie The Bourne Ultimatum.
“Much that once was doesn’t remain the same; not even me.” –from Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Goodbye Malaysia. As for the people I came to know here: Miss you all, love you all and more importantly, respect you all.
