A different break

Passionate about butterflies, he spends time near a waterhole watching out for them and taking notes all the time. 8220;We exchange notes as each of us have different areas of interest and if there is any doubt we talk to our professors,8221; he adds. Social and environmental concerns don8217;t escape these animal lovers either. He and his friends also pick up litter left behind by careless trekkers believing that, 8220;one must practice before one preaches.8221; Besides acting as volunteer where he can impart what he has learnt to the young, what keeps him going back is the freedom from humdrum and the sea of people.

Tina Bhasin, who has just started working, is discovering how different holidays can be. She recalls that childhood holidays were spent with family and relatives with trips to the closest holiday spots. She says, 8220;I was always the sporty kind of person, playing out the whole day. Afternoons were spent gossiping at a friend8217;s house. It is only later that I started reading and spend most of my time with books or playing Scrabble.8221; Tina never watched television as there was no cable connection then and besides her parents never encouraged the habit of watching TV. But they would go and see any film that was playing. She adds, 8220;When we were young our holidays were planned by our parents and we really had a laid back attitude towards time. Now that I am earning my living, I would like to decide where I want to go.8221; She has been on a trek with her colleagues and enjoyed the experience. She plans to travel more and go for treks.

Kalika Batra, a first year MBA student, says, 8220;Actually it8217;s been a long time since I took a holiday. I have been busy with some class or the other since college 8211; computers, preparing for MBA and now summer training.8221; She remembers school vacations as a time to visit relatives. Not much of an outdoor person, she spends a lot of time reading, dabbling in cookery and craft making. She adds, 8220;I love hanging out with my friends. We party a lot, gossip and go on a lot of one day trips to Lonavala or places closeby.8221; She is excited about her trip to Devlali where she is to stay with a friend. Her idea of a good holiday is to relax totally and do nothing that taxes the mind and if it is a place with a lot of greenery all the more better. Kalika claims that shopping takes up most of her time when she goes to Delhi or Mumbai. She admits, 8220;I have been concentrating on losing weight and so I exercise a lot. I also love to swim in the night. This becomes a routine in summer.8221;

Atul Hiranwar, a second year electrical engineering student, woke up to the fact that there were more to holidays than partying, going for films and just hanging out. Currently on his first job as a coordinator for events with a publication, he is warming up to his very first job experience. He says, 8220;This job fits in with my interest and besides I am getting paid for it. I wish I had started working earlier.8221; Atul and his friends plan to join the management bandwagon and so this work experience helps. They also get together and initiate group discussions after work hours and the rest of the fun hasn8217;t been forgotten. Adds Atul, 8220;Earlier I felt like I was wasting time. But now because I am doing something worthwhile, I think I am making good use of my time.8221;

Samata Yantrapati, just out of her first year in college, is quiet unruffled about her work status even if it is her first one. She says, 8220;Most of my friends are out of town and I had nothing to do, so I took this job.8221; She admits that it is more of a time-pass8217; affair, but the thrill of earning one8217;s own money is motivation enough. She uses what she needs and deposits the rest in a bank. Samata is confident about her skills as a beauty consultant for a cosmetic shop and enjoys her work. However she feels that this is the time one must experiment with all kinds of jobs. She says, 8220;It feels great earning one8217;s own money and I8217;d rather work than sit and do nothing.8221; She is also planning to utilise her time doing a computer course. She loves to play hockey or badminton whenever she gets the time and goes for films on weekends and watches a lot of TV.

With a plethora of classes and work available, the youngsters are probably gearing up to face the working world. Or as one of them put it there is no difference between holidays and college days since most of them working during both.