ESADE
In all this madness, I almost forgot the reason had come here, ESADE, my college in Barcelona. It is a super university which was recently voted the 19th best university in the world for an MBA by the Economist. IIM – A was the lone Indian representative in that list @ Rank 78. So, it was time to visit college. My lectures were going to start on the 4th of October, so I just went to meet our exchange coordinator and get a feel of the college. The college was pretty impressive, a super entrance lobby and high class infrastructure were there. We just saw the college around and got our time tables and everything. The college was just about 45 minutes from my place through a metro and then a bus ride.
Padosi
However, the most interesting experience was looking at my Padosi, a fellow student from XLRI who is pursuing a different course. Till now, he had been quite normal but the moment we entered college, I could see the same glee, excitement on his face as the one I had when I went to the beach yesterday. It is amazing how different things make different people happy. Rather than being amused and mocking him for being happy on seeing the university and not anything else, I was actually happy that he was happy because in the end, it is just about things that make you happy, isn’t it? I realized that when a party is going on and I am dancing and having fun and someone else is studying, maybe it is both of us that are having fun and are happy at that time. It is just that our definitions of happy are different.
The ‘Load’
The evening was spent preparing for my Eastern Europe Trip for the next 8 days. There was one problem though, I had to keep my luggage somewhere. The house I had got was booked for dates after my return and it was becoming a major problem to store 45 kgs of luggage in an unknown country for 8 days. As I was wondering around thinking of options, my luck struck again and I met Angel No. 2. I went to a supermarket store nearby to buy some fruits for breakfast and I heard an uncle speak in Gujarathi. Surprised to hear I turned around and saw it was the owner of the shop. After talking to him in Gujarathi for a couple of minutes, he seemed to be a very nice person. After some more talks about Gujarat and Modi and many more, he asked me if I needed any help and I knew within myself that my problem was solved.
Lonely Planet
Unknowingly, I had reached Barcelona at the best time of the year possible. From the 23rd September started the La Merce, the biggest party of the year all over Spain. People from Europe come to Barcelona during this time to enjoy the 3 day extravaganza which involves live music performances by the world’s most famous bands and artists. This does happen at one place only in Barcelona; it happens in multiple places across the city at once. There are thousands of people, young and old, who dance their way not only till the night, but till dawn. The party actually lasts till 7 am in the morning at some places; that’s how crazy it got here. Even though this was the best time to be at Barcelona; I still did not know people well enough and went alone to the party. I was just walking through crowds (even more crowded that a weekend at Sankalp Navratri by Falguni Pathak in Mumbai). Everyone was in a group, enjoying with their friends, dancing or drinking throughout the night and there I was feeling more lost than I have ever felt. I so remembered the parties I have had back home in Mumbai or in XL. I enjoyed them so much. I badly missed all my friends & family back home with whom I have danced at parties, especially the ones at XL with whom we always have a dance night every fortnight.
Bhaiyaa, I missed you so much that day as it has kind of become a habit to dance with you after the oh-so-many times we have done or had to do that in the last 15 months J. Without friends and family, even the best party and the best music and the best atmosphere becomes the most boring party of my life.
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