Back to Hawaii

Full of homesickness and apprehensions about the future semester, I boarded the plane in Mumbai headed back to Hawaii which is now my 'Place of residence'. Incidentally if I had written 'Timbaktu' on the immigration card how would it matter to them!! I had decided to take a break at the beginning of the semester to do some pre proposal surveys and take part in a workshop at Keystone.

I made it my passion to sleep on this long haul flight and I even refused the free alcohol (which was more to avoid having to go to the bathroom). I didn't read and I didn't watch a movie – I was determined to be miserable.

The plane touched down at Honolulu an hour ahead of schedule, just when I was not ready to come back. To top it I was presented to a very grumpy immigration officer, my very first experience in the many entries I have made in to the US of A. More about that in my post on 'Close encounters with another kind'. Lisa my colleague at the lab came to get me from the airport with a lovely Lei of Ginger flowers. The fragrance helped to calm me and awaken me to the beauty of Hawaii. I started to come back to my Hawaiian reality.

We drove to the campus and I checked into my old room at the dorm and as the day moved on I met so many people who just welcomed me. I stayed awake to beat the jetlag. I slept only at 8.30 pm inspite of landing at 8:00 am. But I woke up at 12pm the next day. Oh man, the jet lag has got to me.

So here I am at night feeling bright and chirpy still on India time but in 24 hours so glad to be back. It really is a wonderful place this teeny island in the middle of the deep blue sea. It poured as only it can pour in the tropics and I love to hear the rain and the gushing of the stream. I am really lucky like in Kotagiri I never hear traffic from my bedroom. One of Merab's friends was telling me that in the middle of the night one can hear traffic sounds in Rishi Valley!!

Organised my room and my food and am ready to meet the world on Monday morning. Had a nice long chat with Tamara in the afternoon. Also got a bowl of noodle and bean soup from Gustavo which was so refreshing. Shopped for grocery and got back by 6 to the room. Some phone calls to reconnect with friends. A little more reorganising. A warm cup of coffee with milk (organic milk brought at the supermarket which it says will stay fresh till March 16^th! Either the milk man in Kotagiri is adding chemicals to make the milk go bad in 24 hours even if refrigerated or these organic guys are pulling a fast one on me!)

Gave up my laptop, feeling light as each semester it seems I shed more baggage!

After the coffee decided to recreate the magic of soupy Ramen noodles ( feature of student life here in the dorms) for dinner on a rainy night. If it wasn't for the company of friends from SriLanka, New Zealand, Korea and Malaysia at the dinner table I think the soup would have been all in the sink. Because of the company I was able to have more than 70% of it. I think I must wait for a couple of days before I forget the fabulous food I had in India and learn to appreciate the instant remedies for hunger – Ramen noodles and Pasta with canned sauces!! I think a seasoning of curry leaves and mustard would have saved the soup from the bin!

Feeling settled already. Looking forward to my Monday and all the schedules of this Spring Semester 2011. Happy New Year – Chinese style. Year of the Rabbit (Meat and Bones included?)???