My Story

  College life is like a buffet: you don’t get to choose everything, but you still pile your plate high with chaos, excitement, and the occasional disaster. My second-year Allied Optional course was one of those surprise items on the menu – “Autobiography and Travelogue,” courtesy of the English department and our effervescent professor, Dr. Supriya. Supriya Ma’am had this magical ability to turn mundane assignments into something exciting. Vlogs? Done one on Mahabalipuram. Reels? We nailed it (did a reel on Higginbotham). Food exhibitions? Ah, that’s where this story begins. Picture this: students from History, Economics, French crammed into one eclectic class. The second CIA exams were around the corner, and Ma’am decided to stir things up with a group assignment: a Food Exhibition. The rules? Unique cuisine. Showcase culture. And the killer clause: no Tamil Nadu cuisine. My gang, the misfit squad of Ajith, Nithish, Gokul, Sanjay, Edwin, Louis, and I, huddled together for our bra...

  Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of mainland India, had been on my bucket list for some time. It had been nine years since I last visited—a trip I made with my family when I was in the 8th grade. I thought December 26 would be the perfect day to revisit this place, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the devastating tsunami that struck the region in 2004—a tragedy that shook not only the nation but also the world. Yesterday afternoon, I boarded a direct bus from Thampanoor to Kanyakumari and reached there around 4 pm. The beach was bustling with people, as it was the holiday season. The sight of the majestic Thiruvalluvar Statue and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial instantly brought back fond memories. I spent an hour wandering along the beach, where I had once collected unique seashells during my last visit. I remember proudly displaying those shells at my school exhibition in the 8th grade. As I walked along the shore, I couldn’t resist the nostalgic urge to pick up a few more se...