Living in a college town has its peculiarities. Although it’s been a year since I graduated, I still think in terms of semesters. Life appears to go through a four-month cycle. The new year is properly welcomed only when spring semester officially starts. New resolutions are decided upon in the third week of January. Old memories are thrown out, new ventures are looked into. ‘Hope’ springs eternal with the arrival of warmer weather.

I had to go to the campus today after a long time. Parking was a pain as usual and I had to park in the visitors’ garage. As I walked on the campus roads, I could see the faces staring at me – an outcast, in my business attire – you get curious looks when you’re too young to be a professor and slightly too well-dressed to be a poor desi student going to an on-campus interview.