Sunday, September 25, 2011

A lot has happened in 3 weeks - a picture being a thousand words - I'll let them do the speaking - City tour of Milan, Venice Film Festival, a trip to Cinque Terre and finally a weekend of respite and dressing up (read shopping)

Milan and around

Milan is a beautiful city - the old and the new mix in very well as you stare at the skyline. Venice was everything that it was promised to be - I will return one day for the masquerade ball (the masks set my imagination on fire). The film festival was an interesting experience although I was left somewhat depressed watching the film that won the Golden Lion - Faust - such is the power of cinema. Italy is beautiful - I got my first taste of it at Cinque Terre - a string of five towns on the coast which are very hike worthy. Although hiking all 5 in a day left me sore for days - clear indication that I still have some ways to go.

Strangers no more

However, what is even more beautiful than Italy is the people I have around me and some I have met here. I've always believed that people around the world have a lot in common than is believed. When you throw in some exchange students who are not only from different parts of the world but are going to go through a shared experience, with its trials and tribulations, together - you've got a good starting point. A lot of us are searching, in one way or the others, parts of ourselves, parts of what the rest of our lives will look like while being in a very beautiful city. Some of us have different goals - of seeing places, of spending time with significant others, of recruiting since we all need a job, while there are a few who are truly making the effort to get to know other people. You know that you're having a good time when thoughts cross your mind that this will only last for a couple of months and you feel sad. Some people I've come to feel a sense of camaraderie with will disperse to different parts of the world - but a German friend once told me - we never meet anyone once - and I've taken that to heart.

A prelude to a beautiful pause

Life had been busy - really busy these last few years - an exchange program was many things to me - a respite, a growth opportunity, more wanderlust - it has been all that and more. The icing on the cake was having a job offer this week. It sets my mind free to pursue certain things that require time and space - something that has been missing from my life for a while.











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