Home Away

FROM ISSUE # 168 (December 2009) | IN THIS ISSUE
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It's all part of the process for some of us; you grow up and you head out to study on your own. The world is a much different place without the comfort of your home and the support of your closest friends. Then it grows on you, you adjust, become independent and begin to enjoy the new life. While some enjoy the independence, for most, it is a struggle to make it through. Here are a few journals from the busy lives of  Nepali students from various parts of the world.

Australia
Roshan Pratap Poudel, University of Newcastle

Kogarah Bay

My day starts quite late here. I usually wake up at around mid-day but when I have classes, I wake up at 6 in the morning. Lectures normally start at 9 AM though and I usually make my own breakfast at home but if it's getting too late, I simply grab coffee on my way.

One thing that's great about Australia is that the students don't have to go to the university on all five days. Depending on the number of subjects we take, we can choose the lecture times. And the lectures are comparatively short too, running for one to three hours only. The classes also have student limitation. Furthermore, international students have increased significantly in the last couple of years and the laws and rules for us have also been tightened.

My university is right next to the train station and because it's so cheap and convenient, almost all students use it. Compared to other developed countries, studying costs in Australia is not that expensive. It isn't difficult for someone studying in a private college to pay off their tuition fees. And majority of the students work while studying here. Working is rather flexible and indeed very manageable with college hours. Careful not to hamper studies, I chose to work in a bar at the weekends. My work ends at 6 in the morning and I have to sleep the entire day; and that's the worst part.

But living costs in Sydney is quite expensive. Not to forget, Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world. We have to pay our apartment rent every week. Nevertheless, we find almost all Nepali groceries here, probably because there is maximum number of Nepalis living here. From gundruk to sukuti to Wai Wai to even momos, we can find everything. When outside though, I go to one of the numerous fast food outlets here - Mc Donald's, Hungry Jacks, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Thai, Fish and Chips and on and on and on.

And whenever I'm free, I head to the coast. It's lovely swimming in the beach, and the people are nice too. Australians are considered to be the most outgoing people with great passion for beer and beach. lol. Besides swimming, I sometimes go fishing as well.

After being here for more than three years, I've realised that 'hard work pays off in the future and laziness pays off now'. I have indeed understood the strong value of time and money. One more year to go… can't wait to return home.

Bharatpur
Sanjay Thapa, College of Medical Science 

Taking a plunge in Trishuli.

MBBS is a tough subject and about two to three months before the exams, I hardly have any time to sleep. Study, study, study; one has to study every waking hour, there is simply no option. But the other days, being a relaxed guy, I take it easy. My day starts at six in the morning; I get ready, strum my guitar and head for lectures.

The lecture halls are extravagantly huge; it has to accommodate 150 students and the professors talk in mikes to reach us. If we have any doubts, we don't ask them then and there, not only out of respect but also because we don't want to disturb the whole class.

And it's compulsory to wear formals here, be a doctor or not; cotton pants and buttoned tees is a must.

I spent my first year in the hostel. It was in the middle of the jungle, in the way to Devghat. I had to share my room with one other guy and 18 people had to share two bathrooms. Our college had very strict rules too: no cell phones, no shorts, 6-9 library, and everyday attendance at 9 PM. Almost every day there'd be a knock at the door saying, "Cell phone check" and we'd hurry to hide them wherever we could. Breaking any of these rules meant paying heavy fines.  

But now, my friends and I live in a flat which is five minutes away from the college. The best thing is that there are no suffocating rules and we no longer have to eat south Indian dishes of the mess. A dd comes regularly, and makes whatever we ask her to. Nevertheless, Rara is our all-time favourite.

There are more Indians than Nepali in our batch. They come from all parts of India – Punjab, Rajasthan, Calcutta, Assam and so on, because studying MBBS here is much cheaper in comparison to studying it in India.
I always look forward to practicals. In the first and second year, we examined dead bodies where girls used to faint one after the other. But now, in the third year we get to examine real patients and detect diseases and determine case history.

Like in almost all colleges of Nepal, initially we had to undergo ragging as well. In my first day, an Indian guy had come and handed me a name list of 72 seniors, which I had to mug before evening. A long story followed after that, but I never let them get me.  

On weekends we head to Sauraha, an exotic location only 30 minutes away. Because the touristy place is pretty expensive, we garb a few hotdogs and enjoy the great scenery and simply chit chat.

Coming to Bharatpur, I thought, was a weird thing to do. People left for abroad but I had to go to the place which was not just least developed but unbearably scorching hot. I dearly miss Kathmandu and my friends back there, NTC's terrible signal makes the missing even more difficult. But this is life.

India
Shradha Poudel, Mt. Carmel College

Fun with friends (Shradha centre)

Had my roomie not woken me up I'd have missed my first class. Thank god, I live right opposite my college and waking up as late as 8.00 AM is still manageable for my 8.30 class. Teachers here do not allow us to enter even if we are five minutes late.

But well, unlike back at home, I don't take long to get ready. It's a girl's college and it really doesn't matter, especially because kurta surwal is the fashion here and I appear extra dramatic even if I wear a simple old tee.

The classes aren't all that tough; especially because the subjects I'm taking now are the same ones I took in my A-levels. Sometimes when the classes get too boring, I manage to play hangman or aloo cross or even the dot game. But the competition is twenty times as tough as it used to be in Nepal; half the class are toppers here and even my PG mates study 24/7 and so just keeping up with them has made me a lot more studious.

And I had Maggi for lunch today; third day in a row! It's not that there's lack of choices for food, we can eat anything from Biryani to Chat masala to Chinese to Spanish to Kentucky to Pizza Hut, but well Maggi's both – easy and economic. And after such lame meals though, I treat myself to extravagant snacks - Mc Donald's burger is considerably cheap and it has indeed become a second home for me and my friends. Alas, nothing can taste as good as the heavenly momos.

Normally, we don't have much assignment after college. The occasional tests are there though. And after the long day of studying, I stay online and catch up with friends back in Nepal. I skype mostly, I don't facebook, especially because it breaks my heart to see my friends and family celebrate Dashain and Tihar while I sit here. So I stay online, for hours and hours and stay connected with my past, my family, my friends.

And hardly anyone calls me, besides my parents of course. My phone used to buzz non-stop at home, but well nine rupees (IC) per minute isn't all that cheap. I get very excited when my cell rings, but it's quite disappointing to find out that it was some marketing call from Vodafone or Airtel.

The weekends aren't that eventful either. But I go to church on Sundays and it's rather peaceful there. Surprisingly there are more Christians in Bangaluru than Hindus. I even attended a Christian wedding the other day, the food was delicious I must say.  

All in all, everything in Bangalore is great; the lovely weather, the peaceful environment, the highly educated yet simple people, cheap but diverse continental cuisine. But it's when I have to worry about nitty-gritty details that I miss my home the most. Home, sweet home.

Singapore
Ayesha Shakya, Nanyang Technological University

Festive time in Singapore

Back at home I used to be an early bird and could never make it past 1 o' clock at night, but college life has completely changed my schedule. I take forever to get up at 7 in the morning that also only on the days when I have classes at 8.30 AM or else I go on and on. I live right inside the college premises, in the hall residence and a bus ride to the lecture hall takes only ten minutes.

My entire day goes in attending lectures and tutorials. The lecture theatres are huge and a perfect place for someone who was up all night to take a quick nap, but perhaps because of the air-conditioned rooms or the spacious ambience, I feel that I can concentrate more on what is being taught. And the fact that notes can be printed out before the lecture itself makes it easier for me to focus and worry less about taking notes. 

One thing about NTU is that the students here are very hard working and they seem to be studying all the time. Seeing others study like that makes it impossible for anyone to not want to study and hence creates almost a domino effect where each person studies more by just looking at another study.

Now that exams are around the corner, the ultimate place to be is either the library or the reading rooms. I spend most of my time in the library and I love studying there, not only because it is quiet and easier to concentrate here, but also because staying in the library helps me lose track of time, making me study for hours on stretch without taking a break. Since it is very safe in Singapore, coming back from the library even at wee hours isn't a problem.

I always look forward to lunch and dinner, more so because I am an ardent food lover and also because there are numerous canteens in NTU. There is always a different place to go to. I normally eat Chinese, Indian, Japanese or Western food, depending on my mood, sadly though it doesn't serve Nepali cuisines.

The best part is coming back to your room after a hard day of work. It's amazing how in just two and a half months, the room that was once new and felt empty, has transformed into the place I feel most comfortable in. I use the internet or listen to music or watch movies and loosen up. Since everyone in my hall stays up late, I can't go to bed early and though I tell myself that I need to sleep early, I end up staying till midnight every single day.

But apart from all that, I'm really starting to enjoy college life here, it gives me my own space and makes me a more independent and confident person.

UK
Pratista Gurung, University of the West of England

Weekend out (Pratista extreme left)

Raised in a disciplined manner whether at hostel or at home, I was brought up to accept the motto: early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy and wise. And it's the same here.

My timetable for three days a week, which is when I have my lectures, starts at six in the morning. I quickly have my breakfast that is a toast, cereal with cold milk and baked beans and head to catch the 7.40 AM bus for a 9.30 AM lecture.

The British accent; it is very strong and quite difficult to understand at first but mind you, this doesn't stop them from being very polite and smiling and greeting people around them.

Also, my campus is called 'Hogwarts', because it looks similar. It used to be a nun's school five years ago, and the buildings have windows very similar to the ones that churches have. And the rooms and lecture halls have been renovated and equipped with various technologies to help the professors reach us.

The method of teaching here is marvellous. We have lectures where the professors go through specific chapters - one way communication and following these are seminars, where students form groups of ten and have discussions with a tutor.

Normally my classes end at around noon, unless I have Spanish classes, which tend to run quite late. If I have a coursework due, I go to the library after classes or if we don't have any work pending my friends and I go to the University cafe.

Three days a week I work at a national chain Fish and Chips shop as a service staff member. Having never worked before, it was a huge step for me; but far from being tiring and exhausting, my job was simply interesting and an exceptional learning process.

All in all, making new friends was easier than I thought. With no Nepali in sight I dreaded my first day but as everyone was friendly and as enthusiastic and as terrified as myself, we got along like jam and bread. At the end of the day, I do miss home but life must go on. I am indeed very grateful to my family for giving me this opportunity to widen my perspectives.  

USA
A.P.R, Trinity College

In New York city

Three and a half years in college and time management is something I have yet to master. You only have to read through this piece to get a get a sense of my divorce with organization. My mornings always begin in a hurried frenzy. Three 'snooze's is the required early morning dosage before I can pull myself out of my twin-sized bed. A quick shower afterwards and it's a mad dash to the first class that thankfully is only a three-minute walk away.

What about breakfast? Well, it's a luxury only those with better time-management skills can afford. Some days you wake up early and treat yourself to a hearty breakfast at the all-you-can-eat cafeteria. Other days, brunch is the best you can hope for. Meal plans come bundled with your fees, so you use them or lose them.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I'm told, but I would argue in favor of sleep if I were to choose between the two. Here's why. I'm taking four engineering classes (including a senior design project), a studio arts class and an independent study with the robotics team this semester. Sound like a lot? It is. That's what happens when you decide to go abroad your entire junior year and realize upon your return that you might not have accumulated as many credits as you thought you would! So yes, as work pushes its way into the night, and sleep is pushed back into early dawn, every extra hour you can steal from daylight is crucial to your alertness in class the following day; breakfast can wait.

But enough about my problems.

It's Wednesday afternoon, and I am in a lab. We are working on a project in groups of two. The professor briefs us on the project and makes available any necessary parts and supplies. Most of the work on the project will be done on our own time because it takes a lot more than a few hours during class to design, test and write an extensive lab report that has to follow professional publication formats.

Thursday, 4 PM. Rugby field in gear. Rugby always needs fresh bodies to be thrown about so I'm lending myself to the cause. In retrospect, I probably should have stuck with soccer. I do play pick-up soccer once in a while but once you devote yourself to rugby there is little energy for much else.

Monday, 5 PM. I'm at work at the library circulation desk. It's a quiet job where I'm paid to hide behind a computer and do my homework. It doesn't pay all that much but is enough to cover my cell phone bill and pocket expenses.

Wednesday 6.30 PM. I make this weekly pilgrimage all the way across campus every week to the tiny drawing studio for my "Drawing 1" class. We pin our assignments up on the wall, critically review them and then begin another long session about drawing techniques. I enrolled in this course to fulfill the arts requirement for my major, but didn't realize how time consuming drawing is! The best thing about art? There are no wrong answers! You have your interpretation of the answer based on your interpretation of the question. Now if only I could get my other professors to grade my tests using this philosophy.

Friday evening. I'm back to my four-bedroom suite with my roommates after dinner (Better housing arrangements is one of the perks of being a senior). We hang out in the common room and on occasion consume a few beverages of the alcoholic variety. Hey, we're all over 21 now!  If there isn't too much work to be done for the next week, we head out. There's a cinema on campus, and programs organized at any of the many cultural houses, including the international house. And seeing as it is Thanksgiving break after the weekend, revelry is on the cards tonight.  We work hard, very hard, over the week, and the balance needs to be restored before the weekly cycle starts all over again.